Sensors and Data Acquisition

Direct Mail Fundraising - How Donor Acquisition Mailings Differ from Donor Renewal Mailings

2008-09-25T00:05:00.001-07:00

Your job as a direct mail fundraiser is to make new
friends every year and keep them for as long as possible.
And to do that you need two kinds of letter, acquisition
and renewal. Understand the differences between
these two letters and you'll improve your
results.

PURPOSE

Acquisition mailings are designed to persuade non-donors to mail you their first gift. They aim to acquire
donors. Renewal mailings are designed to encourage
past donors to give again. Their aim is to renew, or re-solicit, existing donors.

AUDIENCE

Acquisition mailings are mailed to strangers.

Renewal mailings are mailed to friends.

COST

Acquisition mailings tend to be inexpensive, costing
anywhere from $0.50 to $1.00 a piece.

Renewal mailings tend to be more expensive, costing
anywhere from $0.75 to $7.00 a piece.

PERSONALIZATION

Acquisition mailings, to keep costs down, tend to be
one-size fits-all. They rarely involve any
personalization beyond the salutation.

Renewal mailings tend to be more involved, and may
include personalized salutations, personalized ask
strings based on the donor's previous giving levels
and personalization in the body of the letter.

SEGMENTATION

Acquisition mailings are usually mailed to everyone
on a prospect list.

Renewal mailings are usually segmented so that
each donor segment in a house list (monthly donors,
major donors, lapsed donors, first-time donors) gets
a different package.

PREMIUMS

Acquisition mailings often include premiums
(personalized note pads, return address labels,
greeting cards).

Renewal mailings rely less on premiums.

FREQUENCY

Acquisition mailings are mailed only a few times a
year (somewhere between one and four times a year).

Renewal mailings are mailed around six times a year
and as often as 12 times a year.

RESPONSE RATES

Acquisition mailings tend to generate acceptable
response rates of between 0.5% and 2.5%.

Renewal mailings tend to generate acceptable
response rates of between 6% and 12%, sometimes
as high as 20%.

NET-EFFECTIVENESS

Acquisition mailings usually lose money (but gain
donors).

Renewal mailings almost always generate a net
return.

About the author
Alan Sharpe publishes Direct Mail Fundraising Today, the free, weekly email newsletter that helps non-profit organizations raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors. Alan is the author of Breakthrough Fundraising Letters and 25 handbooks on direct mail fundraising. Alan is also a speaker and workshop leader who delivers public seminars and teleseminars on direct mail fundraising. Sign up for Alan's newsletter at http://www.RaiserSharpe.com

© 2007 Alan Sharpe. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the "About the author" message).

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Data Acquisition - Product Reviews

2008-09-10T21:59:00.003-07:00

Generally data acquisition means to acquire data. However, in computer terminology, data acquisition is defined as the process of uniting real world data to produce the data to be maneuvered by the computer system. The data is in the form of waveforms or signals. These signals are obtained using different instruments and devices. The data acquired can be stored on the computer using vendor supplied software and the control can be made with the use of programming languages like Basic, Pascal, FORTRAN, C etc.

Data acquisition systems, as the name suggests are products or systems used to gather data or information from certain source. The data acquisition systems are distinguished on following basis: serial communication, USB, parallel ports and plug-in boards.

Without going much in depth, below are the details of different data acquisition boards.

Signatec PDA1000: This is the data acquisition product made by Signatec. The PDA100 is a 64-bit data acquisition board compatible with PCI device equipments. The "Plug and Play" feature is standard in all PCI devices. The analog bandwidth of DC to 500 MHz and digitization rate of up to 1 MHz makes it remarkably unique in its class. The bus that it uses is a Signatec Auxiliary Bus (SAB). This bus can allow data of 500 MB to be transferred per second. Multiple PDA1000 boards can be connected to the same PDA1000 DAQ board in the master-slave configuration through an interconnect port. It has six selectable signals ranging from 200 million volts to a maximum of 3.2 volts.

OME-PCI-1002 series: This data acquisition board is made by Omega. It features 12 bits 110 KHz analog to digital converter PCI board. The PCI board provides 32 single ended or 16 differential inputs along with 16 digital input and 16 digital output channels. This PCI board series provide sampling rate of 110 KS/s. However, it may vary within the series depending on whether the channels are single or multiple. Unlike many other company boards, the omega OME-PCI-1002 comes with software development kit compatible with Windows 98/NT/2000/XP. This software development kit includes DLL files for high level programming languages and OCX files for Active X programming.

iOTech DaqBoard-3000 series: This is a multifunction data acquisition board embedded with four 1 MHz PCI boards. Unlike OME-PCI-1002 board, this board has 16 single-ended or 8 differential analog inputs with the option to expand them up to 64 single-ended or 32 differential analog inputs. DaqBoard-3000 series has 24 high-speed digital I/O lines. There are four 32 bit counter input channels with quadrature encoder capability. It supports multiple DMA channels and USB version of this board is also available in market.

Advantech PCI-1670: This is a high performance PCI board with GBIB interface. PCI-1670 board works fully with IEEE 488.1 and 488.2 standards. It has full functionality with windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP and MS-DOS operating systems. The "Plug and Play" feature automatically assigns I/O address and provides powerful and easy to use configuration utility. It also has full support for drivers and libraries of C/C++, C++ Builder, Visual Basic and Labview.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Data Acquisition

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Michael Russell - EzineArticles Expert Author

Data Acquisition: Open-Ended Questionnaire Response Format

2008-09-10T21:59:00.002-07:00

Often open-ended questions require 'probes' from the interviewer. A probe is encouragement from the interviewer for the respondent to elaborate or continue the discussion. The interviewer may say, "Is there anything else?" or "Would you elaborate on that?" Probes aid in clarifying the respondent's interests, attitudes and feelings. Today computers are playing an increasingly important role in data acquisition - analysing and recording probes to open-ended questions.

Open-ended questions offer several advantages to the researcher. They enable respondents to give their general reactions to questions like: (1) What advantages, if any, do you think ordering from a mail-order catalogue company offers compared to local retail outlets? (probe: what else?). (2) Why do you have one or more of your rugs or carpets professionally cleaned rather than cleaning them yourself or having someone else in the household clean them? (3) What is there about the colour of product that makes you like it the best? (probe with: what colour is that?) (4) Why do you say that brand is better?

Note that in questions 2 and 4, the open-ended question is part of a skip pattern. In question 2, for example, the respondents have already indicated that they use a professional carpet cleaning service and do not depend on members of the household.

Another advantage of open-ended responses is that they can provide the researcher with a rich array of data. Respondents are answering from their own frame of reference. Advantages are described in 'real world' terminology rather than laboratory or marketing jargon. Often it is helpful in designing promotion themes and campaigns. It enables copywriters to use the consumers' language. This rich array of data can now be captured even in computer-assisted interviews, streamlining the data acquisition process.

The inspection of open-ended data acquisition can also serve as a means of interpreting closed-ended questions. This analysis often sheds additional light on the motivations or attitudes behind the closed-ended response patterns. It is one thing to know that colour ranks second in importance out of five product attributes. But it might be much more valuable to know why colour is important. For example, a study on mobile home park residents might uncover a great deal of dissatisfaction with the trash pick-up service. However, further inspection of answers to an open-ended questionnaire may uncover that the reason for the dissatisfaction may have been caused by freely roaming dogs overturning the trash receptacles and not shoddy work on the part of the trash pick-up service.

Similarly, open-ended questions may suggest alternatives not listed in a closed-ended data acquisition questionnaire. For example, a previously unrecognised problem relating to the trash pick-up service might be uncovered from an open-ended data acquisition questionnaire. Open-ended questions are not without their problems. One factor is the time and money consuming process of editing and coding.

Editing open-ended responses requires collapsing the many response alternatives into some reasonable number. If too many categories are utilized, data patterns and response frequencies may be difficult for the researcher to interpret. If the categories are too broad, the data is too general and important meanings may be lost. The open-ended question data acquisition process may also be influenced by interviewer bias. Although training sessions continually stress the importance of verbatim recording of open-ended question, it is often not practised in the field. Open-ended questions may also be biased toward the articulate interviewee. A person with elaborate opinions and the ability to express them may have much greater input than a shy, inarticulate, or withdrawn respondent. Yet both could be equally likely prospects for a product.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Data Acquisition

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Data Acquisition: Deciding On Questionnaire Wording

2008-09-10T21:59:00.001-07:00

It is a skill developed over time and subject to constant improvement. Four general guidelines are useful to bear in mind during the wording and sequence of each question posed in the data acquisition process.

(1) The wording must be clear: If the researcher decides that a question is absolutely necessary, that question must be stated so that it means the same thing to all respondents. Ambiguous terminology should be avoided, such as "Do you live within five minutes of here?" or "Where do you usually shop for clothes?" The first example depends on the mode of transportation (maybe the respondent walks), driving speed, perceived elapsed time and other factors. It would normally be prudent to show the respondents a map with certain areas delineated and ask if they live within the area. The second question depends on the type of clothing, the occasion, the member of the family and the meaning of the word where.

Clarity also implies the use of reasonable terminology. A questionnaire is not a vocabulary test. Jargon should be avoided and verbiage should be geared to the target audience. Every prospective respondent represents a separate frame of reference. That is, each person is unique in personality, mental ability, experiences, education and views of the world. Therefore, the questionnaire designer must use terminology native to the target respondent group and not to research jargon. The first task of wording questions, then, is to translate questions into everyday language.

(2) Select words as to avoid biasing the respondent: A question such as, "Do you often shop at lower class stores like K-Mart?" evokes an obvious response. Similarly, "Have you purchased any high-quality Black and Decker tools in the past six months?" also biases respondents. Questions can be leading, such as, "Weren't you pleased with the good service you received last night at the Holiday Inn?" These examples are quite obvious. Unfortunately, bias may be much more subtle than is illustrated in these examples.

Sponsor identification too early in the interviewing process can also distort the data acquisition process. It does not take long, for example, for a person to recognize that a survey is being conducted for Miller beer if, after the third question, every question is related to this product. Similarly, an opening statement such as, "We are conducting a study on the quality of banking for Northeast National Bank and would like to ask you a few questions" can influence responses. Sometimes, of course, the true purpose of the study must be disguised to obtain an unbiased response.

(3) Consider the ability of the respondent to answer the question: in some cases, a respondent may have never acquired the information to answer the question. Asking a man, which brand of sewing thread is most preferred by his wife would often fall into this category. Asking a respondent about a store or brand that they have never encountered creates the same problem. When a question is worded in this manner, it often pushes the respondent to give a wild guess. This creates measurement error, since uninformed opinions are recorded and the data acquisition process renders false statistics.

(4) Consider the willingness of the respondent to answer the question: The memory of the respondent may be totally clear, yet the respondent may not be willing to give a truthful reply. Reporting of an event is likely to be distorted in a socially desirable direction. If the event is perceived as embarrassing, sensitive in nature, threatening, or divergent from one's self-image, it is likely either not to be reported at all or to be distorted in a desirable direction. One technique is to ask the question in the third person. For example, "Do you think that most people charge more on their credit cards than they should? Why?" By asking about "most people" rather than about the respondents themselves, researchers may be able to learn more about the respondents' attitude about credit and debt. This data acquisition method makes embarrassing topics less intimidating for the respondent to discuss.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Data Acquisition

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Michael Russell - EzineArticles Expert Author

Acquisition cards perform many functions

2008-08-20T21:52:00.003-07:00

Adlink's latest data acquisition cards provide a 10% increase in performance over the company's previous generation of multifunction DAQ cards.

Two new multifunction data acquisition cards from Adlink Technology offer 16 and 32 channels of 16bit high performance DAQ, each with eight different input ranges The PCI-9222 and PCI-9223 cards combine data acquisition, digital I/O and motion control, and support sampling rates up to 250 and 500Ksample/s, respectively and an update rate up to 1Msample/s Both cards are ideal for mixed-signal testing, laboratory research and factory automation.

The Adlink PCI-9220 series provides a variety of I/O functions, including TTL digital I/O, 2MHz 32-channel high-speed digital I/O, a four-channel 32bit 80MHz general purpose timer/counter, pulse generation and four channels of PWM outputs.

Each card has an encoder input with programmable trigger suitable for applications requiring AI or AO based on position feedback.

"Adlink's latest DAQ cards provide a 10% increase in performance over our previous generation of multifunction DAQ cards", says James Gau, Vice President of the Measurement and Automation Product Segment at Adlink Technology.

A single-button autocalibration feature ensures reliable performance and accurate measurements, regardless the environment.

The PCI-9222 and PCI-9223 cards include a powerful WDM driver for C/C++, VB, Delphi, C++ Builder and Net programming languages and full device drivers for Matlab and LabView.

Storage options expand acquisition choices

2008-08-20T21:52:00.002-07:00

Vmdrive dual-slot storage products now include rotating media options as well as several larger capacity solid-state storage options.

Vmetro has released additional storage alternatives for its Vmdrive Available since January 2007, the Vmdrive 6U VME/cPCI slot storage products now include rotating media options as well as several larger capacity solid-sDesigned to meet demanding military and aerospace applications, the Vmdrive enables deployment of recording applications in rugged conduction-cooled or commercial air-cooled environments.

The rotating media Vmdrive offers 300 or 450Gbyte storage capacity.

This dual-slot VME or cPCI alternative is available in commercial air-cooled models.

The Vmdrive rotating media version stores data at 100Mbyte/s via dual channels of 2Gbit/s Fibre Channel.

For demanding applications that require solid-state storage, the Vmdrive is available with dual channel 2Gbit/s Fibre Channel interfaces using both high and low-density media.

The low-density Vmdrive stores data at 60Mbyte/s and is available with up to 256Gbyte of storage capacity.

The low-density models occupy a single VME or cPCI slot in air and conduction-cooled versions.

High-density Vmdrives offer 146 and 500Gbyte storage capacity.

Available as a dual-slot air-cooled solution, the high-density solid-state stores data at 120Mbyte/s.

The Vmdrive is a member of Vmetro's storage family that span requirements from benign lab to high altitude environments using Fibre Channel storage area network.

Vmetro's storage solutions provide highly flexible, high performance media that are scalable to meet a variety of application needs.

The Vmetro JBOD, SBOD, RAID and solid-state products deliver optimal data throughput and extremely high bandwidth for real-time data acquisition.tate storage options

Board diagnoses TFT displays at a distance

2008-08-20T21:52:00.001-07:00

The Artista remote control board monitors the internal temperature, the ambient temperature, the TFT function, the backlight function and operating hours.

New from Display Technology, the Artista is a remote control board used for remote diagnostics of TFT terminals The Arista can be connected via Ethernet for diagnostics on client PC TFT terminals or via RS485 (up to 1000m) as a stand-alone TFT terminal

The client PC data collection software runs under Windows XP embedded, and malfunction reports are generated automatically.

The Artista remote control board monitors the internal temperature, the ambient temperature, the TFT function, the backlight function and operating hours.

It also detects motion and fan operation.

The physical data are saved as XML files on the client PC continuously and can be retrieved with standard programs.

How Do PID Controllers Work: Application & Theory

2008-04-09T23:53:00.001-07:00

What is a PID controller?

A PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) controller is a common instrument used in industrial control applications. A PID controller can be used for regulation of speed, temperature, flow, pressure and other process variables. Field mounted PID controllers can be placed close to the sensor or the control regulation device and be monitored centrally using a SCADA system.

Example: Temperature Control using a Digital PID controller

A typical PID temperature controller application could be to continuously vary a regulator which can alter a process temperature. This may be a pulsed switching device for electrical heaters or by opening and closing a gas valve. A heat only PID temperature controller uses a reverse output action, i.e. more power is applied when the temperature is below the setpoint and less power when above. PID control for injection and extrusion applications often employ additional cooling control outputs and usually require multiple controllers.

A PID controller (sometimes called a three term controller) reads the sensor signal, normally from a thermocouple or RTD, and converts the measurement to engineering units e.g. Degrees C. It then subtracts the measurement from a desired setpoint to determine an error.

The error is acted upon by the three (P, I & D) terms simultaneously:

PID Controller Theory

The following section examines PID controller theory and provides further explanation of the question `how do PID controllers work'.

Proportional (Gain)

The error is multiplied by a negative (for reverse action) proportional constant P, and added to the current output. P represents the band over which a controller's output is proportional to the error of the system. E.g. for a heater, a controller with a proportional band of 10 deg C and a setpoint of 100 deg C would have an output of 100% up to 90 deg C, 50% at 95 Deg C and 10% at 99 deg C. If the temperature overshoots the setpoint value, the heating power would be cut back further. Proportional only control can provide a stable process temperature but there will always be an error between the required setpoint and the actual process temperature.

Integral (Reset)

The error is integrated (averaged) over a period of time, and then multiplied by a constant I, and added to the current control output. I represents the steady state error of the system and will remove setpoint / measured value errors. For many applications Proportional + Integral control will be satisfactory with good stability and at the desired setpoint.

Derivative (Rate)

The rate of change of the error is calculated with respect to time, multiplied by another constant D, and added to the output. The derivative term is used to determine a controller's response to a change or disturbance of the process temperature (e.g. opening an oven door). The larger the derivative term, the more rapidly the controller will respond to changes in the process value.

Tuning of PID Controller Terms

The P, I and D terms need to be "tuned" to suit the dynamics of the process being controlled. Any of the terms described above can cause the process to be unstable, or very slow to control, if not correctly set. These days temperature control using digital PID controllers have automatic auto-tune functions. During the auto-tune period the PID controller controls the power to the process and measures the rate of change, overshoot and response time of the plant. This is often based on the Zeigler-Nichols method of calculating controller term values. Once the auto-tune period is completed the P, I & D values are stored and used by the PID controller.

How Does A Thermocouple Work?

2008-04-09T23:51:00.000-07:00

Thermocouples

Measurement and control of temperature is one of the most common requirements of industrial instrumentation and the thermocouple is by far the most widely used temperature sensor. Its characteristics include good inherent accuracy, suitability over a broad temperature range, fast thermal response, ruggedness, high reliability and low cost.

How does a thermocouple work?

T.J Seebeck discovered in the 1820s that an electric current flows in a closed circuit of two dissimilar metals when one of the two junctions is heated with respect to the other. In a thermocouple circuit the current continues to flow as long as the two junctions are at different temperatures. The magnitude and direction of the current depends on the temperature difference between the junctions and the properties of the metals used in the circuit. This is known as the Seebeck effect. Click here to see an example of the circuit.

If the circuit is broken at the center, the net open circuit voltage (the Seebeck voltage) is a function of the junction temperature and the composition of the two metals.

If the hot and cold junctions are reversed, current will flow in the opposite direction. Any two dissimilar metals can be used and the thermocouple circuit will generate a low voltage output that is almost (but not exactly) proportional to the temperature difference between the hot junction and the cold junction. The voltage output is between 15 and 40µV per degree C, dependant on the thermocouple conductor metals used. The actual metals used in industrial thermocouples depend on the application and temperature measurement range required.

Thermocouple failure prediction

Like any other metal object, thermocouples are subject to metal fatigue wear and tear; they have a finite life. Many users of thermocouples are not aware of thermocouple deterioration until the sensor breaks, often causing an expensive interruption of a process. Removing a thermocouple from a furnace when at operating temperature can be difficult and dangerous. In fact the thermocouple, a simple and generally inexpensive sensor, can cause inaccurate readings for some time before any errors are detected. The errors usually cause low readings due to the thermocouple wires becoming thinner.

Impurities induced by any handling during manufacture or installation can accelerate chemical deterioration of the thermocouple. For base metal thermocouples, deterioration occurs slowly due to contact with the atmosphere, which in turn causes oxidation. As the surface of the thermocouple wires oxidises the current carrying cross sectional area is reduced. Nobel metal thermocouple deterioration is also well documented.

In "Principals and Method of Temperature Measurement", Thomas D McGee explains that the usual result of deterioration is the gradual reduction in the Seebeck voltage, often extended over several weeks and not frequently detected. If the Seebeck voltage is low, the measured temperature will also be low, so the actual process temperature will be increased to produce the required Seebeck voltage. The net result will be excessive temperature generation with resulting damage to material and processes. Those who use thermocouples should be aware of the possibilities of slow deterioration and its consequences.

A temperature controller, for example, would actually compensate for the thermocouple's loss of thermoelectric power by putting more heat into the process with all the energy, environmental and process plant costs that would be incurred. Fortunately, while Mr Thomas Johann Seebeck was experimenting with his wires in the 1820s, his contemporary and fellow countryman, Mr Georg Ohm, was also conducting his own experiments. Fortuitously because as the thermocouple conductors become thinner, their resistance changes as described in "Practical Temperature Measurement" by Peter R. N. Childs.

"The loop resistance of a thermocouple depends on its length, type and diameter of the thermocouple wire, the length type and diameter of extension wires, temperatures along the circuit and the contact resistance at any connections. If on installation, and at regular intervals in use, a measurement is made of this loop resistance, then a change in this value can be used to indicate wire thinning due to chemical attack, loose or corroded connections, contact resistance due to broken but touching wires or electrical shunting due to loss of insulation at some location along the wire."

Regular measurements of the thermocouple loop can indicate that the sensor should be replaced for reasons of accuracy and can also be used to predict its complete failure (sensor break). As thermocouple conductors oxidise they become brittle, making them more susceptible to breakage due to bending or vibration. Replacing thermocouples during a planned maintenance period is easier and more cost effecting than replacing thermocouples while the plant is running.

Joe Crew is the Product Manager at Data Track Process Instruments Ltd. Data Track manufactures digital panel meters, large number displays, PID controllers, signal conditioners and remote data acquisition systems for the process and control industry. Data Track can also supply HMI touchscreen operator panels and SCADA software. In their new line of PID controllers, Data Track has developed a solution to this common thermocouple problem. The Tracker 331 and Tracker 332 have, as standard, the ability to continually measure the condition of the connected thermocouple and prompt for its replacement before it starts to affect the process and/or fails completely.

Wireline Logging Tools - Measure Poin

2008-04-09T05:25:00.000-07:00

To the non-wireline logging engineer, every logging tool looks like a piece of shiny metal pipe. In reality, these tools have some of the most sophisticated electronic, hydraulic and mechanical systems embedded within.

Wireline logging tools measure a variety of petrophysical properties from basic radioactive gamma-ray from the rocks to porosity and density. There are much more complex measurements being developed as technology evolves.

Each logging tool has a measurement sensor positioned within the tool, the rest of the tool consists of either the electronic or hydraulic components. Logging service companies have acquisition software which acquires and processes the data from the logging tools. Typically several tools are connected together to acquire several petrophysical properties in one descent in the oil/gas well. It is the function of the acquisition software to collect all this data and tie all the measurements to a given depth. This is where it is important that the correct tool measure point is used by the software. Typically this is done automatically by the software when the tools are selected. The engineer has the option to change the measure points in special cases, however this is rarely required.

There have been incidents where the engineer erroneously changes the measure points and also cases where a software bug results in wrong measure points being used. This has resulted in tool measurements assigned to wrong depths. This will cause serious problems when interpreting the log data and assigning rock properties versus depth. This resulting depth shift in the measurement can sometime not be detected immediately especially if they are <5ft.

The easiest way to detect this problem is to view the measure points on the tool diagram generated by the acquisition software prior to acquiring the data. Also this problem can be detected by the engineer or petrophysicist while quality checking the logs, preferably real-time while logging.

Most oil companies have a wellsite representative or witness at the wellsite during logging operations. It is his/her job to detect these kinds of problem while logging is ongoing. It is always recommended to have two engineers viewing a log so if one misses a problem, hopefully the other engineer will not.

Independent wellsite log witnesses are very frequently hired specifically to monitor and QC real-time logging operations. They are usually ex-logging engineers with many years of experience as field engineers with a service company.

Maximizing Rice Production Through Robotic Technology

2008-04-09T00:53:00.001-07:00

The National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) of Japan has engaged in a robotic project that fully mechanized rice production with a global positioning system (GPS) capability that can painstakingly transplant rice using sensors and computers which can be independent from human activities or the use of human labor. The transplanting machine can make an accurate plan and direction on where to transplant around a six inch long rice seedlings. The rice seedlings are grown over two weeks on a long mat, using hydro-phonics culture system.

The long mat containing the seedlings is unrolled from the machine, and each seedling is sown into the soil, six in a row each time. Twenty rolls of mats weighing a total of two hundred eighty kilograms (280 kg.) are needed to cover a one hectare area. The transplant robotic machine is estimated to cost a farmer for acquisition cost around sixty thousand US dollars (US$ 60,000).

However, the technology is still under evaluation at present. But once proven ready for commercialization, price of the equipment may decrease to accommodate especially the farmers in developing nations where the traditional old methods of rice production are still prevalent.

Mass production of the same can lower the price or cost of the technology. A Controller Area Network (CAN) bus is set up to oversea the activities of the rice transplanter through its Equipment Control Unit (ECU), where all the sensors, motors and a main computer are all connected.

Prior to the transplanting operation of the machine, the four corners of the field and the travel path have to be plotted. During transplanting, the main computer controls actions to minimize the deviation from the desired travel path in accordance to position and direction data. The travel speed of the transplant robotic machine can be revised from the main computer in order to make any adjustments from the deviations of transplanter's path. The main computer commands the robotic to stop at the end o a field, lifts and turns it to the next path. As observed, deviations from the planned path is at ten centimeters.

To measure direction and inclination of the machine, an Inertia Measuring Unit (IMU) that has fiber optic gyro sensors and accelerator is used. The NARC is actually on a six row transplanter that already exists in Japan. Ninety nine percent of rice farms in Japan are already mechanized and even rice transplanting is reportedly in practice by one hundred percent of Japanese farms.

Apparently, Japan's average rice yield is six metric tons per hectare compared to the developing countries of three and a half metric tons only per hectare. Transplanting maximizes land use and cuts weed presence. Japan has its own mechanized rice planter since 1966 yet, but it was dependent with human labor pushing the transplanter while the farm worker's feet are on knee deep on the ground.

With the present GPS system, Japan's rice production may be fully mechanized from land preparation to harvest time. The NARC has proposed that in order to be cost efficient in producing this farm equipment technology, it has to compact the system by combining the sensors and computer segments on a rice transplanter, combine harvester, fertilizer and a tractor segments are shared as the first stage of their plan.

In the next stage, they are planning to develop an autonomous combine harvester using the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus to share with GPS receiver, IMU and a main computer attached to the rice planter.

What is Signal Conditioning?

2008-04-09T00:51:00.000-07:00

To process the form or mode of a signal so as to make it intelligible to, or compatible with, a given device, including such manipulation as pulse shaping, pulse clipping, compensating, digitizing, and linearizing.

The process of interfacing to a sensor, amplifying and filtering its signal ready for display or ADC.

Signal conditioning is an important component of any complete measurement system. No matter which sensor you are using, signal conditioning can improve the accuracy, effectiveness, and safety of your measurements because of capabilities such amplifications, isolation, and filtering.

Computer-based measurement systems are used in a wide variety of applications. In laboratories, in field services and on manufacturing plant floors, these systems act as general-purpose measurement tools well suited for measuring voltage signals. However, many real-world sensors and transducers require signal conditioning before a computer-based measurement system can effectively and accurately acquire the signal. The front-end signal conditioning system can include functions such as signal amplification, attenuation, filtering, electrical isolation, simultaneous sampling, and multiplexing. In addition, many transducers require excitation currents or voltages, bridge completion, linearization, or high amplification for proper and accurate operation. Therefore, most computer-based measurement systems include some form of signal conditioning in addition to plug-in data acquisition DAQ devices.

The accuracy, repeatability and reliability of analog measurements are at the heart of every data acquisition or measurement and control system. Reliable data from sensors is critical to achieving desired system results, whether it’s product / process improvements, raw material optimization, improved quality or increased uptime. Analog Devices has been solving signal conditioning problems for over 30 years, and is at the forefront of analog signal processing technology.

Hall-effect ICs sleep to save power

2008-03-01T03:37:00.000-08:00

Sensor ICs provide a voltage output that is directly proportional to an applied magnetic field

The A139x family of linear Hall effect sensor ICs from Allegro MicroSystems Europe combines micropower operation, a tristate output and a user-selectable sleep mode. The new sensor ICs provide a voltage output that is directly proportional to an applied magnetic field. The sleep mode allows the devices to operate at a current consumption of less than 25uA, which contrasts with typical Hall-effect ICs whose sensitivity before amplification is directly proportional to the current flowing through the transducer element.
As a result, it is difficult to achieve sufficient sensitivity levels with traditional Hall-effect sensor ICs without consuming more than 3mA of current.

This low-current operation and the resulting power consumption of less than 10mW makes these devices perfect for battery-operated applications such as mobile telephones, digital cameras, and portable tools.

The operating voltage of 3V makes them compatible with 2.5-3.5V supplies.
There are four devices in the family, differentiated only by sensitivity: A1391, 1.25mV/Gs; A1392, 2.5mV/Gs; A1393, 5mV/Gs; and A1395, 10mV/Gs.

Despite the low power consumption of the circuitry in the A139x family, the features required to produce a highly accurate linear Hall effect IC have not been compromised.

Each BiCMOS monolithic circuit integrates a Hall element, improved temperature-compensating circuitry to reduce the intrinsic sensitivity drift of the Hall element, a small-signal high-gain amplifier, and proprietary dynamic offset cancellation circuits.

End-of-line post-packaging factory programming allows precise control of device sensitivity and offset.

End users can control the current consumption of the A139x by applying a logic level signal to the sleep pin.

The outputs of the devices are not valid during sleep mode, when they switch to high-impedance mode.

The high-impedance output feature allows the connection of multiple A139x Hall-effect devices to a single A/D convertor input.

The quiescent output voltage of these devices is 50% nominal of the ratiometric supply reference voltage applied to the reference pin of the device.

The new sensors will operate over a wide ambient temperature range from -20 to +85C, and feature electrostatic discharge protection of greater than 3kV.

The A1391x Series devices are available in a small (2.0 x 3.0 x 0.75mm) microleaded MLP/DFN package.

The package is Pb (lead) free, with 100% matt tin leadframe plating.

USB modules offer industrial-strength acquisition

2008-03-01T03:36:00.000-08:00

High-speed USB 2.0 16bit multifunction analogue input board is ideal for precision measurement, analysis, monitoring and control in countless embedded applications

The USB-AI Series is a new range of low-cost USB analogue input modules available now from Acces I/O Products. The 12 and 16bit modules will be showcased at the upcoming Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose. The flagship model is the USB-AI16-16A, a high-speed USB 2.0 16bit multifunction analogue input board that is ideal for precision measurement, analysis, monitoring and control in countless embedded applications.
The USB-AI16-16A can sample inputs at speeds up to 500kHz for the board's 16 single-ended or eight differential analogue input channels.

Standard features in the USB-AI Series include 16 digital I/O lines and a 16bit counter/timer - all packaged in a small, rugged, industrial enclosure.

With an excellent price/performance value, this family of boards also includes models with slower A/D speeds and a group of 12bit modules for less demanding applications.

The OEM USB/104 version provides just the board without the enclosure and is ideal for a variety of embedded OEM applications - simply connect to any available USB port.

The USB-AI Series includes five models (USB-AI16-16A, USB-AI16-16E, USB-AI12-16A, USB-AI12-16, and USB-AI12-16E) with list prices ranging from only US $339 to $639.
The boards feature eight standard analogue voltage input ranges, two factory current input ranges (4-20 or 10-50mA) and includes a data sample buffer and hardware real-time calibration capability.

A novel channel-by-channel programmable gain feature enables measurement of an assortment of large and small signals in one scan - all under software control at up to 500kHz.

The board's data buffer and ability to trigger the A/D in real time assures synchronised sampling that is unaffected by other computer operations - an essential requirement for signal, vibration and transient analysis where high datarates must be sustained for short periods of time.

For embedded OEM type applications, an additional miniature USB input header is provided in parallel with the type B connector.

Available accessories include a wide variety of cables and screw terminal boards for quick and easy connectivity.

The USB-AI Series was designed to be used in rugged industrial environments but is small enough to fit nicely onto any desk or testing station.

The board measures just 90 x 96mm and ships inside a steel powder-coated enclosure with an antiskid bottom.

A DIN rail mounting provision is available for installation in industrial environments.

What makes the OEM option unique is that its PCB size and predrilled mounting holes match the PC/104 form factor (without the bus connections).

This ensures easy installation using standard standoffs inside most enclosures or systems.

The USB-AI Series can be integrated into any PCI-104 or PC/104 stack by connecting it to a USB 2.0 port usually included onboard with embedded CPU form factors such as EBX, EPIC, and PC/104 especially important since many newer CPU chipsets do not support ISA and have plenty of USB ports.

The USB-AI16-16A is supported for use in most operating systems and includes a free Linux (including Mac OS X) and Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003-compatible software package.

This package contains sample programs and source code in Visual Basic, Delphi, C++ Builder and Visual C++ for Windows.

Also incorporated is a graphical setup program in Windows.

Third-party support includes a Windows standard DLL interface usable from most popular application programs, and includes example LabView VIs.

Embedded OS support includes Windows XPe.

Magnet sensors monitor lids and doors

2008-03-01T03:34:00.000-08:00

The HGDE series reliably detects the opening and closing of lids and doors on consumer equipment such as mobile phones, notebooks and digital camcorders

Alps Electric has released the HGDE family of magnetic sensors with switching output to detect opening and closing of lids and doors on consumer equipment such as mobile phones, notebooks and digital camcorders. The surface-mountable devices are available in three versions: the MAP (mould array package) type, on which terminals are positioned on the reverse of the component, the SON (small outline nonleaded) type, on which terminals extend from the side of the component for easier mounting and the SOT23 (small outline transistor) type.
This package also has its terminals on the side.

The sensors measure 1.1 x 0.9 x 0.55mm (MAP), 2.1 x 2.1 x 0.75mm (SON) and 2.9 x 2.8 x 1.1mm (SOT23).

They have an operating magnetic field of 2.0mT or 3.0mT.

They are designed for power supplies of 1.6 to 3.6V.

Their typical current consumption is only 3.0uA at 1.8V.

They are available with one-way only magnetic field sensing (single polarity/single output), two-way magnetic field sensing in either direction, output through one signal type (dual polarity/single output) and bi-polar magnetic field sensing in either direction, each with its own output signal (dual polarity/dual output); this function is only available for the types MAP and SON.

Software actively tests ZigBee systems

2008-03-01T03:19:00.000-08:00

Daintree Networks released today that the latest release of its Sensor Network Analyser (SNA) software provides 'active device' support for Ember's EM250 ZigBee Development Kit

The latest release of Daintree Networks' Sensor Network Analyser (SNA) software provides 'active device' support for Ember's EM250 ZigBee Development Kit. Daintree's SNA provides a solution for both the development and deployment of IEEE802.15.4 and ZigBee systems. This standards-based tool keeps up to date with the latest ZigBee specifications to help ensure compliance and interoperability.
Active device support provides the ability for devices to join an IEEE802.15.4 or ZigBee network, interact with other devices on it, actively poll devices to gain information not available through passive 'sniffing' alone and send and receive ZigBee standard and proprietary messages.

This functionality is particularly useful during testing, installation and commissioning and maintenance of ZigBee networks and devices.

Bill Wood, Daintree Networks CEO said 'This latest release of the SNA works seamlessly with the Ember EM250 kits, expanding the capabilities of both'.

'The result is a powerful and complete hardware and software solution for ZigBee testing, deployment and monitoring'.

Active device support is an integral part of the SNA's ZigBee deployment solution, providing the ability to perform tasks over a ZigBee network including commissioning, binding, starting new networks, joining or leaving existing networks and setting security permissions.
At Ember, many of our customers have progressed to the stage in their deployments where they need the type of functionality that Daintree provides through their SNA and active device support', said Bob Gohn, Ember Vice President of Marketing.

'In addition to tools to assist with field trials and commissioning, our customers benefit from the SNA's support of ZigBee PRO plus their implementation of ZigBee's Smart Energy and Home Automation Profiles'.

Ember's ZigBee technology includes ZigBee chips, software supporting the ZigBee Pro feature set and development tools that enable OEMs to easily embed low power wireless communications into their products, delivering dramatic improvements in the quality of life for consumers, as well as dramatic energy efficiency improvements for buildings and homes.

Daintree's Sensor Network Analyser, which runs on Microsoft Windows Vista, XP or 2000, is used by 802.15.4 and ZigBee technology leaders around the world and also plays an essential role in ZigBee interoperability events, where it is used as the primary platform-independent means of visualising, recording and verifying conformance to ZigBee specifications and test plans.

The latest SNA release was recently used by test houses and vendors during ZigBee Pro platform compliance testing and is currently part of the ZigBee Alliance testing activities in support of the new Smart Energy Profile.

Release 2.2 is available for both the Professional and Standard editions of the Sensor Network Analyser, although the active device functionality is supported only for the Professional edition.

Existing SNA users with current support subscriptions can access a no-charge upgrade to their existing version.

Hall-effect ICs sleep to save power

2008-02-26T05:05:00.000-08:00

Data acquisition catalogue comes up to date

2008-02-25T05:16:00.000-08:00

Innovations include the new Racktangle 12-slot Ethernet I/O chassis, UEISIM Simulink/RTW Target and several new I/O boards for both Racktangle and 'Cube' chassis

The new Volume 8 United Electronic Industries (UEI) catalogue is some 40% larger than the previous volume, and introduces several important new products. Recent innovations include the new Racktangle 12-slot Ethernet I/O chassis, UEISIM Simulink/RTW Target and several new I/O boards for both Racktangle and 'Cube' chassis.

The new catalogue also includes two pages covering several diverse product application briefs such as flight simulators, structural testing, and unmanned land vehicle (ULV) control.

Isolated control board handles 24V signals

2008-02-22T23:08:00.000-08:00

PCI board has 24 general purpose digital I/O lines and provides isolation between control signals and the host computer

Amplicon has added a new isolated control board to its range of measurement and control equipment. The new PCI board has 24 general purpose digital I/O lines and provides isolation between control signals and the host computer. Designed for industrial and other harsh electrical environments such as factories, the isolation board provides protection for the host computer and reduces interference issues, to ensure consistent control and monitoring.
The PCI236i isolated control board incorporates additional functionality to that of the popular digital I/O board sold by Amplicon, the PCI236.

Amplicon has extended the voltage capacity the board can switch to 24V, making it ideal for a wide variety industrial applications.

The PCI236i offers three groups of eight channels.

Each eight channel group can be specified to be suitable for input or output signals at time of ordering.

This means you can order the PCI236i with a variety of combinations to suit your particular requirements.

For example 16 isolated input channels and eight isolated output channels.

John Hayward, Product Manager of the Measurement and Control Division at Amplicon comments: 'The introduction of this new isolated board to Amplicon's line-up will allow us to fulfil more customer requirements whilst still being able to offer great products at a reasonable price'.

'The isolation board is a first for Amplicon and symbolises how the company is growing by expanding its hardware range to offer more of every solution'.

All Amplicon's data acquisition products are now available with drivers for Microsoft Windows Vista.

Speedy samplers connect via PCI Express

2008-02-20T05:02:00.000-08:00

Advanced features include options for dual-timebase sampling, synchronous digital inputs, asynchronous digital I/O and the possibility to synchronise up to 4336 channels

Strategic Test Corp has released two new 250kHz 16bit data acquisition cards for PCI Express. The UF2e-4721 has 16 analogue inputs and the UF2e-4020 has eight channels. Advanced features include options for dual-timebase sampling, synchronous digital inputs, asynchronous digital I/O and the possibility to synchronise up to 4336 channels.
Drivers and programming examples for Microsoft Windows Vista, XP64, XP and Linux (RedHat, Fedora, SuSe, Sarge) are supplied with the card, as well as the SBench 5.3 oscilloscope program.

SDK's for Matlab, LabView, Agilent-Vee, DasyLab and LabWindows/CVI are available as options.

Key specifications include: 32Msample memory expandable to 2Gsample; continuous streaming to host PC at faster than 120Msample/s; minimum ENOB 14.7bit; worst-case signal-to-noise ratio 90.6dB; total harmonic distortion less then -105.0dB; and the standard -3dB bandwidth is better than 125kHz.

Each channel its own 250kHz ADC for true simultaneous sampling, together with eight voltage ranges from +/-50mV to +/-10V, a programmable offset of 100% and input impedances of 50ohm or 1Mohm, allowing each channel to be individually configured for the signal source.

Like all UltraFast boards, the UF2e-472x scope cards can be customised with hardware options to best match the application.

Prices start at US $4190 with volume/OEM discounts available.

Acquisition card cuts system complexity

2008-02-18T04:52:00.001-08:00

The ICS-645D 32-channel data acquisition card bundles ADC, gain and antialias filtering resources in one PCI card and includes a programmable clock source onboard

Further expanding the range of solutions offered by the company for applications in high-frequency sonar, test and measurement and radar, ICS - part of Radstone Embedded Computing - today announced the ICS-645D 32-channel data acquisition card. A development of the highly successful ICS-645, the ICS-645D not only bundles ADC, gain, and antialias filtering resources in one PCI card (thus removing the need for customers to provide separate signal conditioning circuitry in advance of the analogue to digital conversion) but also eliminates the need for auxiliary clock sources by including a programmable clock source onboard.
'The ICS-645C has become the de facto standard in products designed for the acoustic marketplace in terms of channel density, signal conditioning and an excellent tradeoff between speed and resolution', said Scott Hames, Director of Product Management at ICS.

'The ICS-645D is the latest iteration of this very successful product line, and adds new levels of functionality and performance to a robust, stable, baseline platform'.

The ICS-645D includes all the best signal conditioning attributes of the ICS-645C - namely differential inputs, four voltage ranges, and antialias filtering - and improves on the 645C by substantially increasing the amount of storage onboard, and increasing the available I/O bandwidth over either PCI or FPDP.
Combining high-speed delta-sigma ADCs (AD9260) with onboard gain and filtering, as well as high-speed data routes (PCI 64/66 or FPDP II) back to the host system, the ICS-645D has been optimised to provide maximum functionality in a single full length PCI card.

One of the primary concerns in a high-channel count, high-speed ADC card is the problem of moving the data back to the host processor or recorder.

The ICS-645D provides the user with two high bandwidth data paths for communication with host systems.

The 64/66 PCI interface provides datarates in excess of 400Mbyte/s (sustained aggregate rate - not the burst rate), and the FPDP II port provides a dedicated connection to collect data from multiple cards, while eliminating operating system concerns such as interrupt latencies.

The ICS-645D provides up to 16Mbyte of onboard storage, allowing it to tolerate unpredictable interrupt latencies encountered in non-real-time operating systems

USB DAQ modules cut cost per channel by over 50%

2008-02-18T04:43:00.000-08:00

Data Translation has announced two additions to the ECONseries of USB modules - the DT 9813-10V and the DT 9814-10V. These are designed for applications requiring a higher number of input channels

Data Translation has announced two additions to the ECONseries of low-cost USB modules - the DT 9813-10V and the DT 9814-10V. These are designed for applications requiring higher numbers of input channels. The DT 9813-10V has 16 analogue channels and the DT 9814-10V has 24 analogue input channels.
The new modules can lower the cost of making measurements by over 50%.

Based on the popular DT 9812-10V design, the DT 9813-10V and DT 9814-10V were developed for customers seeking higher analogueueueueue input channel count modules at an extremely low cost per channel.

DT 9812-10V £245 £30.63 per input channel.

DT 9813-10V £305 £19.06 per input channel.

DT 9814-10V £345 £14.30 per input channel.

All modules offer: 12bit resolution for A/D and D/A precision measurements.

50kS/s throughput rate.

Bipolar input range of +/-10V for maximum flexibility.

High input impedance.

The DT 9813-10V and DT 9814-10V ship with the GO Application, providing mini-instruments for the PC.

Signal connections are made directly to the modules built-in screw terminals and plug into any PC's USB port.

This means that they are a truly portable data acquisition solution.

For more advanced applications, the ECONseries modules can be used with DT Measure Foundry, Data Translation's easy to use test and measurement application builder.

It can also be used with an extensive range of software tools available from Data Translation, these software packages can either be downloaded from the Data Translation website or are available on CD.

The DT 9813 and DT 9814 bring the total number of models in the low-cost ECONseries to nine, covering a range of input voltages and available inputs and outputs.

The ECONseries is one of a number of ranges of USB based data acquisition products available from Data Translation, leaders in USB data acquisition technology.

UK distribution for communications recorders

2008-02-14T05:44:00.000-08:00

Link Microtek has been appointed as the exclusive UK representative and distributor for JEI, the US manufacturer of communication recording systems and equipment

Formed in 1967, JEI designs and manufactures a wide variety of communication recording systems (also known as voice logging recorders) at its premises in Cameron Park, California. The systems are particularly suitable for applications in commercial call centres, the emergency services and military intelligence.

They are available in either digital or analogue form and can be integrated into an organisation's telephone system or used as stand-alone equipment.

Commenting on the new agreement, Link Microtek's Managing Director, Steve Cranstone, said: 'With an increasing number of organisations needing to record their telephone or two-way radio conversations, there is a good opportunity for JEI in the UK'.

'Their systems are built to very high standards and have a good reputation for reliability and ease of use'.

PXI-based system captures up to 2Tbyte

2008-02-14T05:41:00.000-08:00

New from Conduant Corp is a PXIbus data capture system supporting up to eight Serial ATA disk drives

The StreamStor PXI-808 real-time recorder and playback disk controller and Big River DM4 1U rack mount chassis deliver 200Mbyte/s of sustained performance, reliability and security for laboratory and benchtop instrumentation applications. Conduant's PXI disk controller provides compatibility with National Instruments' LabView software and PC-based instrumentation hardware.
Serial output from one StreamStor PXI-808 disk controller connected to two DM4 units will accommodate up to 2Tbyte of online data storage.

'Conduant's latest PXI offering provides a cost effective advantage to 32bit users coupled with a significant performance increase', said Tom Skrobacz, Conduant's VP of Business Development.

'Extending our product line to support PXI offers our customers a highly configurable and dependable solution with performance up to 200Mbyte/s, the fastest in the industry'.

Ray Almgren, National Instruments' Vice President of Product Marketing, added: 'When Conduant's direct-to-disk StreamStor and Big River recording technology is combined with LabView and PXI, engineers can generate and acquire complex signals for extraordinarily long time periods'.

'With up to 2Tbyte of memory depth, this solution opens up a new world of terabyte instrumentation for both rugged industrial and performance research applications'.

The StreamStor PXI-808 disk controller is now available at $7310.

The Big River DM4 rack-mount chassis supporting Serial ATA drives is available at $2860.

Interface board has isolated data lines

2008-02-13T02:00:00.001-08:00

The FCIF010 FlexBus interface board is available now from Flextek for $59 each

FlexBus is a low-cost multidrop serial interface for power control and automation. The electrically isolated databus eliminates line drops and ground noise from measurements, protects the PC from power transients, and enables operation at varying voltages. Competing interfaces have excessive software overhead and bidirectional data lines that are difficult to isolate, which effectively limits power control applications.
The isolated data lines of FlexBus plug directly into the PC for automation, or connect to logic pins for embedded control.

Simple 6byte ASCII command strings enable real-time interrupt-driven control and data acquisition with minimal software overhead.

Free Active X and demo programs illustrate common applications while speeding custom software development.

The FlexBus interface board may be used with the supplied FlexController SoC, PIC micro (ICD compatible), or other UART device.

Application notes and tutorial, combined with optional power board and education kit, ease product development.

The FCIF010 FlexBus interface board (1.7 x 3.0in PCB) is available now from Flextek for $59 each.

Line driver boosts low-level sensor signals

2008-02-13T01:57:00.000-08:00

The PRL-444 is an innovative four-channel high-input-impedance 50ohm TTL line driver

Available now from Pulse Research Lab (PRL) the PRL-444 is an innovative four-channel high-input-impedance 50ohm TTL line driver. This compact, self-contained buffer pod drives four TTL/CMOS signals into 50ohm loads. With a 10kohm input impedance, the new, ready-to use PRL-444 can receive signals from devices with low drive current, such as sensors, PC-based digital I/O cards, satellite receivers, optical transceivers, camera triggers, recorders, and laboratory equipment with TTL/CMOS outputs.
Each input has a 10kohm pulled up to 2.5V so it can also be driven by open-collector devices.

The 50ohm back-terminated outputs of the PRL-444 can drive long lines with or without 50ohm terminations.

With 50ohm load terminations, all outputs can drive 30m of 50ohm cables at clock rates greater than 60MHz.

The PRL-444 is ideal for applications where a single-function instrument pod is needed to drive multiple TTL/CMOS outputs into 50ohm loads.

Small enough (1.3 x 2.9 x 2.9in) to fit anywhere on a test bench, it can often replace the need for bulky, expensive pulse generators at a fraction of the cost.

The new four-channel line driver from Pulse Research Lab works extremely well for high speed digital communications, test and measurement, system integration, high/low logic level generation and basic lab use.

The unit includes an AC adapter and BNC or SMA signal connectors for ready-to-use convenience on the bench or in a system.

The extruded aluminium housing is suitable for mounting with the optional brackets, and up to four units can share a single AC adapter using PRL voltage distribution modules.

PXI ADC module takes signal conditioning onboard

2008-02-11T00:06:00.000-08:00

The CP213 is a single-width 6U CompactPCI/PXI ADC module with up to 128 channels of analogue input and 16bit resolution

New from KineticSystems, the CP213 is a single-width 6U CompactPCI/PXI ADC module with up to 128 channels of analogue input and 16bit resolution. The CP213 features 32 or 64 differential analogue input channels that can alternately be configured under software control as 64 or 128 single-ended analogue input channels.
This new device joins KineticSystems' growing family of data acquisition and automated test equipment (ATE) products for the CompactPCI/PXI, VXI, and stand-alone DAQ platforms.

The CP213's 16bit ADC scans each channel at a scan rate chosen by the user.

The number of channels scanned and scan rate are software selectable.

Scans may be triggered from either the internal clock, one of eight PXI backplane triggers, the PXI star trigger bus or an external SMB connector on the module front panel.

Single and continuous scan operations are supported.
A key feature of the CP213 is its onboard signal conditioning, providing programmable gain that may be set on a channel-by-channel basis.

Gains of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 are available.

Optional fixed two-pole passive filters are also available from 10Hz to 1kHz.

The CP213 also features onboard calibration on each channel for end-to-end calibration.

Under software control, channels 1 and 33 can be configured as isothermal reference channels, ideal for temperature measurement applications.

In addition to the analogue input channels, the CP213 provides 16 multi-function digital I/O (TTL) channels.

Any of these channels can be configured as digital in, digital out, or selectively attached to two frequency in, two counter in, and/or two timer out channels.

'Our goal is to provide innovative solutions for the expanding CompactPCI/PXI market, and the CP213 is an excellent example', said Patrick Cassady, Executive Vice President of KineticSystems.

'The CP213 is a low-cost ADC with onboard signal conditioning - the only one on the market today that offers integrated signal conditioning'.

'Other vendor solutions require external signal conditioning modules, ours is built-in to provide higher performance at a better price'.

Similar to its VXI counterpart, the V213, the CP213 ships with plug and play drivers for configuring and using the device.

Application examples are provided to illustrate basic functionality of the CP213.

Typical applications include temperature measurements, powertrain/engine testing, automated test equipment and general-purpose data acquisition.

The CP213 is available immediately starting at a unit price of US $1275 with delivery in 4-6 weeks.

Single card handles 12 rotational sensors

2008-02-11T00:04:00.000-08:00

The North Atlantic 76CS2 is a single slot card containing 12 separate transformer isolated synchro/resolver-to-digital tracking convertors with extensive diagnostics

Available now from Acal Microsystems the North Atlantic 76CS2 is a single slot card containing 12 separate transformer isolated synchro/resolver-to-digital tracking convertors with an optional internal 5VA reference, and extensive diagnostics. System reliability has been substantially improved by the in-built diagnostic which immediately alerts the user to channel malfunctions, at the same time reducing bus traffic because the status registers do not require constant polling.
One online and two offline tests can be selected.

The measurement channels can be field configured for either single or multi-speed to any ratio between 2 and 255 and incorporate synchro/resolver inputs, high linearity digital velocity outputs and angle change alert.

Having the unique capability to automatically shift to higher bandwidths, the S/D channels never lose tracking and even when large accelerations are encountered the shifting is smooth and continuous with no glitches.

Tracking rates are only limited to bandwidth restrictions, up to 150rev/s, at 16bit resolution.

A 'latch' feature permits the user to read all channels at the same time and the use of Type II servo loop processing techniques enables full accuracy tracking up to the specified tracking rate.

A step input will not cause any hang-up condition.

Intermediate transparent latches assure that current valid data is always available for any channel without affecting the tracking performance of the convertors.

For two-speed applications, the ambiguity circuits maintain monotonic outputs by compensating for variations of the zero positions between the coarse and fine Synchros.

However, if the maximum allowable angle difference of 90 degrees/n is exceeded, a flag will be set that indicates to the user that the input synchros are out of alignment.

Current transducer offers current output option

2008-02-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

Multirange configuration is designed for nominal currents of 8, 12 and 25A RMS with galvanic isolation between the primary and output circuits

LEM has added to its LTS range of current transducers designed to operate from a single +5V power supply. The LTSP model measures positive and negative AC, DC and pulse currents on printed circuit boards and provides a current output instead of the voltage output provided by the other units in the family.
This allows the LTSP to detect currents up to at least 14 times the nominal current.

The LTSP uses the same ASIC as LEM's LTS and LTSR models.

This device, designed by LEM, allows the high performance offered by the Hall-effect closed-loop current transducers to be offered in an extremely small package (22.2 x 10 x 24mm).

The LTSP provides better offset drifts than units based on traditional discrete technology, as well as access to the internal reference (2.5V) on a separate external pin, for use with microcontrollers and/or A/D convertors.

The transducer's multirange configuration has been designed for nominal currents of 8, 12 and 25A RMS with galvanic isolation between the primary and output circuits.

The current output allows users to manage the accuracy level and thermal drift by selecting the output resistance.

The choice of the output resistor also allows the designer to adjust the gain to suit the application.

The LTSP transducer is CE marked, UL recognised and conforms to the EN 50178 standard for industrial applications.

It is provided with a five-year warranty, as are all LEM industrial products.

Data acquisition systems come to the UK

2008-02-02T02:52:00.001-08:00

Amplicon has signed a new distribution agreement with German manufacturer Delphin, to distribute its data acquisition systems TopMessage and TopLab in the UK

The TopMessage system is an industrial, rugged, multifunction, high performance solution integrating data acquisition and signal conditioning functionality. Operating either as a stand-alone device or connected to a PC, the master device can be fitted with one or two measurement modules to measure volts, millivolts, current loop, thermocouple and RTD inputs.
The system can be expanded further via CAN, enabling connection of up to 48 slave devices and in turn over 1000 measurement channels.

Data may be logged to onboard memory (from 0.5Mbyte to 1Gbyte), or displayed online using Ethernet.

TopMessage is supplied with the BusManager software package, which enables configuration of measurement channels, reading of memory data and setup for PC connection.

The optional 'Entry level' software package supports automated data acquisition, online data analysis and monitoring with networking capability.

The optional 'Process visualisation' software allows the user to create diagrams for the operation and monitoring of process or test stations, without specialist programming skills.

The TopLab system is a desktop device ideal for laboratories, which is functionally the same as TopMessage, differing only in physical design and signal connection.

Both devices feature LCDs and front panel buttons.

Dietmar Scheider, International Sales Manager at Delphin, commented: 'Our products will fit in very well with Amplicon's current line up'.

'The data acquisition team is very knowledgeable, and we feel that they are ideally placed to advise customers in the UK'.

John Hayward, Amplicon's Data Acquisition Product Manager added: 'We are excited to be offering these new expandable systems as we know that this type of product is extremely useful for many applications, and we will now be able to offer customers a truly comprehensive choice'.

New home for LEM

2008-02-02T02:49:00.000-08:00

Following the sale of its Instrument Division, LEM has moved its UK components operation to new offices at the West Lancs Investment Centre in Skelmersdale, Lancashire

LEM's Components Division has a long history of developing industry-leading current- and voltage-measuring transducers for noncontact measurements in a wide range of industrial and transportation applications. From its new base, it will continue to develop products and applications to serve its diverse markets.

Hall-effect switch saves portable power

2008-01-31T23:56:00.000-08:00

Ultrasensitive micropower Hall-effect switch includes latched digital outputs and either unipolar or omnipolar actuation

The A1171 from Allegro MicroSystems Europe is an ultrasensitive micropower Hall-effect switch with latched digital outputs and either unipolar or omnipolar actuation. It features operation at low supply currents and voltages, making it ideal for battery-operated applications in portable or handheld communications and computer equipment.
The low operating supply voltage (1.65 to 3.5V) and novel clocking algorithm assist in reducing the average operating power consumption: typically less than 15uW from a 2.75V supply.

Unlike some traditional Hall-effect switches, the A1171 allows the user to configure how the device is magnetically actuated.

Under default conditions the device will activate output switching with either a north or south polarity magnetic field of sufficient strength.

The polarity specific actuation can be set by the user via an external selection pin to operate in a unipolar mode, switching only on a north or south polarity field.

The new device has two push-pull output structures that source and sink current to eliminate the need for external pull-up resistors.

This polarity independence, as well as the minimal power requirements, allows the A1171 to easily replace reed switches, providing superior reliability and ease of manufacturing while eliminating the requirement for signal conditioning.

The A1171 is available in the EW 6-pin micro-leaded DFN package measuring 2 x 1.5 x 0.4mm.

Temperature sensors suit low-power applications

2008-01-31T23:48:00.000-08:00

STxx75 temperature sensors suit any control application where a processor with an I2C bus/SMBus needs to take action based on an accurate digital reading of the local temperature

STMicroelectronics has released a new series of precision digital-output temperature sensors, operating over the -55 to +125C temperature range, which are suitable for low-power applications in a broad range of product areas. The cost-competitive STxx75 devices are software-compatible drop-in replacements for industry-standard LM75, DS75 and TCN75A parts and also complement ST's STLM20 analogue temperature sensor, now being used in several mobile phone designs.
The digital sensors, in standard eight-lead TSSOP and SO-8 packages, are intended for use in any control application where a processor with an I2C bus/SMBus needs to take action based on an accurate digital reading of the local temperature, or where an alarm or interrupt is required when a preset temperature level is reached.

They use a band-gap temperature sensor, with a programmable 9bit to 12bit sigma-delta ADC (analogue to digital convertor) to digitise the temperature reading to a resolution of up to 0.0625C.

The STTS75 devices are factory-calibrated and require no external components.

Accuracy is +/-3C over the full -55 to +125C temperature range and +/-2C from -25 to +100C.

The sensors are designed for a supply voltage range of 2.7 to 5.5V and have a low operating current of 75uA (typical) at 3.3V.

In the power-saving shutdown mode the standby current is 1uA maximum.

Power-up defaults enable standalone operation as a thermostat and both temperature and hysteresis values are programmable.

Typical applications include any product with a hard drive, including laptops, servers and some set top boxes, plus medical equipment, industrial controllers and LCD backlighting.

Brighter displays and higher speed circuits mean more heat is being generated, which must be dissipated in ever-smaller packages.

This challenge for thermal management in consumer and industrial electronics means that the temperature of ICs and ambient air must be carefully monitored to prevent over-heating and damage.

Low-power accelerometers offer compact solution

2008-01-30T02:46:00.000-08:00

The LIS331 accelerometers deliver high performance at low power consumption and their ultra-compact robust design provides very high immunity to vibration and shock

STMicroelectronics has released 'nano' three-axis linear accelerometers. The versatile, low-power MEMS sensors provide complete output flexibility and embedded smart features, meeting the demand for miniaturised motion-sensing solutions in the consumer and industrial markets. ST's three-axis motion sensors represent a significant step forward in the product's miniaturisation.
The 3 x 3 x 0.9mm plastic package effectively addresses the space and weight constraints of portable electronic devices.

The LIS331 accelerometers deliver high performance at low power consumption and their ultra-compact robust design provides very high immunity to vibration and shock survivability up to 10,000g.

ST's 'nano' motion sensors are suitable for a wide range of low-g applications in the consumer and industrial markets, including motion user interfaces in mobile and gaming devices, free-fall detection for hard-disk data protection and vibration monitoring and compensation in white-goods appliances.
ST's LIS331DL integrates a standard SPI/I2C digital interface and smart embedded features including click and double-click recognition, wake-up and motion detection, high-pass filters, and two dedicated, highly programmable interrupt lines.

Click and double-click recognition allows manufacturers to associate simple tapping gestures with user commands, such as turning a portable device on or off, opening a document, browsing an application menu, or muting a ringing mobile phone without taking it from the pocket.

The configurable high-pass filters can be turned on to enable motion-activated functions and vibration monitoring regardless of whether the end product is tilted or placed upside down at the moment of measurement.

Two separate, highly programmable interrupt signals enable immediate notification of motion detection and click/double-click events, giving manufacturers more freedom and flexibility in their design and applications.

The analogue-output LIS331AL provides individual acceleration values for all three axes.

The sensor offers a full-scale output range of +/-2.0g, high-temperature stability and tight offset tolerances.

A built-in self-test capability allows the customer to verify the functioning of the sensor after it has been assembled on board.

Sensors keep watch over processors and FPGAs

2008-01-30T02:42:00.000-08:00

Compact remote junction temperature sensors have built-in local temperature sensors

Texas Instruments has come up with the industry's smallest remote junction temperature sensors with built-in local temperature sensors. The single remote channel TMP421 and dual remote channel TMP422 provide remote sensor accuracy of +/-1C (maximum) and a local temperature sensor range of +/-1.5C (maximum).
Both sensors are RoHS compliant and can be used in numerous applications including LCD/DLP/LCOS projectors, servers, central office telecomms equipment and laptop computers.

They are also suitable for industrial controllers, processor/FPGA temperature monitoring and storage area networks.

The TMP421 and TMP422 feature a two-wire/SMBus serial interface as well as multiple addresses.

The remote temperature sensor diode-connected transistors are typically low-cost NPN- or PNP-type transistors or diodes that are an integral part of microprocessors, microcontrollers and FPGAs.

The TMP421 and TMP422 also include series resistance cancellation, programmable nonideality factor and diode fault detection.

The sensors operate on a standard I2C/SMBus compatible, two-wire interface over a temperature range of -40 to +125C, with a remote temperature range of up to 150C.

For maximum power savings, the device circuitry (other than the serial interface) can be shut down, thereby reducing current consumption to typically less than 3uA.

The TMP421 and TMP422 are available now from TI and its authorised distributors in an 8-lead SOT23 package.

The TMP421 is priced at US $1.25 each in 1000-piece quantities and the TMP422 is priced at $1.65 each in 1000-piece quantities (suggested resale pricing).

Seminar tour offers hands-on acquisition training

2008-01-28T23:31:00.001-08:00

Delegates will test-drive professional PC-based data acquisition systems and learn how to create modular, flexible and scalable systems with short development times at low cost

Online registration is now open for a free, three-hour 'Hands-on introduction to data acquisition with LabView' seminar to learn how to design and build powerful measurement and control applications using National Instruments LabView graphical programming and NI USB data acquisition devices.
The tour of 30 seminars in 22 locations around UK and Ireland is designed for engineers, scientists and technicians who build test, measurement, process monitoring and control, or research and analysis applications.

Delegates will test-drive professional PC-based data acquisition systems and learn how to create modular, flexible and scalable systems with short development times at low cost.

NI data acquisition and signal conditioning products ensure highly accurate measurements, whilst the award-winning LabView software gives engineers the power to easily acquire, analyse and present data.

The seminar tour begins on 10th March 2008 with morning and afternoon events in Newbury, Berkshire.

It concludes on 24th April 2008 in Cork, Ireland, covering 20 further venues in between.

Talisman MCC business moves to Adept

2008-01-28T23:25:00.000-08:00

Owners of Measurement Computing Corporation test and measurement hardware who bought through Talisman Electronics will now be supported by UK master supplier Adept Scientific

Adept Scientific has acquired the Measurement Computing Corporation (MCC) hardware business from Talisman Electronics. Adept has been the UK master supplier and support centre for MCC products for more than ten years and is the natural choice for taking on this business. Announcing the agreement, Dr Paul Bragg, Managing Director of Adept said in a message to Talisman Electronics customers: 'We look forward to working with existing Talisman Electronics contacts who have purchased MCC products and would urge users to check we have their correct contact details to ensure continuity of service and support'.
Measurement Computing Corporation is the market leader in the design and manufacture of low-priced, computer-based test and measurement hardware and software.

These products include analogue I/O and digital I/O devices for the USB, wireless, PCI, ISA, PCMCIA and PC/104 buses, as well as serial and GPIB interface products and a growing line of remote data loggers.

Linear current sensors meet automotive demands

2008-01-28T05:25:00.000-08:00

The ACS714 and ACS715 linear current sensors both consist of a precise, low-offset, linear Hall sensor circuit with a copper conduction path located near the surface of the die

The ACS714 and ACS715 from Allegro MicroSystems Europe are a range of automotive-grade Hall-effect linear current sensors combining high accuracy with excellent voltage isolation. The new devices are designed to provide economical and precise sensing solutions for AC and DC currents in automotive applications such as motor control, load detection and management, switched-mode power supply control and overcurrent fault protection.Each of the new products consists of a precise, low-offset, linear Hall sensor circuit with a copper conduction path located near the surface of the die.

Applied current flowing through this copper conduction path generates a magnetic field which is sensed by the integrated Hall IC and converted into a proportional voltage.

Device accuracy is optimised through the close proximity of the magnetic signal to the Hall transducer.
A precise, proportional voltage is provided by the low-offset, chopper-stabilised BiCMOS Hall IC, which is programmed for accuracy after packaging.

Total output error is 1.5% at +25C and 5% over the range -40C to +150C and the risetime in response to a step input current is only 6 us.

The internal resistance of the conductive path is typically 1.2mohm, which leads to low power losses.

The thickness of the copper conductor allows survival of the device at up to five times overcurrent conditions.

The terminals of the conductive path are electrically isolated from the sensor leads with an isolation voltage of 2.1kV RMS.

This allows the ACS714 and ACS715 current sensors to be used in applications requiring electrical isolation without the use of opto-isolators or other costly isolation techniques.

The conductive shield across the face of the ACS714/15 is connected to ground, so that, in the presence of high dV/dt events on the device conductor, it will shunt the resultant capacitively coupled energy to ground.

This prevents output voltage disturbances in the presence of very high conductor dV/dt events, which are often present in motor control and switched-mode power supply applications.

Both devices are supplied in a small, surface mount SOIC8 package.

The leadframe is plated with 100% matt tin, which is compatible with standard lead-free printed circuit board assembly processes.

Internally, the device is lead-free, except for flip-chip high-temperature lead-based solder balls, currently exempt from RoHS.

Smaller sensor compensates for camera shake

2008-01-28T05:23:00.000-08:00

Two-axis sensor is based on Panasonic's own piezoelectric MEMS tuning-fork technology, and can also be used in automotive applications

Panasonic Electronic Devices has developed a compact angular rate sensor for applications in consumer electronic products such as correcting for small movements of the operator's hands in digital stills cameras and digital video cameras. The new two-axis sensor is based on Panasonic's own piezoelectric MEMS (microelectromechanical system) tuning-fork technology, and can also be used in automotive applications.

Measuring just 5.6 x 4.65 x 1.0mm, the new device is some 40% smaller than the company's existing EWTS97 series sensors, answering market demands for smaller and thinner devices.

The device integrates on-chip amplifiers, and incorpotrates power-saving standby modes.

Acquisition card cuts system complexity

2008-01-10T04:40:00.000-08:00

USB devices offer go-anywhere acquisition

2008-01-10T04:38:00.000-08:00

Two new USB data acquisition devices deliver multifunction capabilities with simplicity and low cost

Audon Electronics has introduced the usbDAQ/108 and usbDAQ/109, two USB data acquisition (DAQ) devices delivering multifunction capabilities with simplicity and low cost. Whether the data acquisition application is industrial, academic, or for interest, users can bring it anywhere with the convenience of USB.
These compact devices encase powerful features such as overvoltage protection on analogue lines, voltage source to power sensors and external devices, and board design which increases accuracy and reduces noise.

Powered by the USB bus and outfitted with screw terminals for direct signal connectivity, these devices are built for portability, efficiency, and flexibility.

The usbDAQ/108 and usbDAQ/109 feature eight channels of analogue input with 12bit resolution at up to 10Ksample/s or 14bit resolution at up to 48Ksample/s, two 12bit analogue outputs, 12 digital I/O lines and a 32bit counter.

In addition to the QuickView ready-to-use data logging application, both devices are shipped with a driver supporting TestPoint, LabView, or C programming.

With the smart hardware design, a free application, and powerful driver, the data acquisition system is ready for measurement within minutes out of the box.

Single card handles 12 rotational sensors

2008-01-03T02:37:00.001-08:00

PXI ADC module takes signal conditioning onboard

2008-01-03T02:36:00.000-08:00

The CP213 is a single-width 6U CompactPCI/PXI ADC module with up to 128 channels of analogue input and 16bit resolution

New from KineticSystems, the CP213 is a single-width 6U CompactPCI/PXI ADC module with up to 128 channels of analogue input and 16bit resolution. The CP213 features 32 or 64 differential analogue input channels that can alternately be configured under software control as 64 or 128 single-ended analogue input channels.
This new device joins KineticSystems' growing family of data acquisition and automated test equipment (ATE) products for the CompactPCI/PXI, VXI, and stand-alone DAQ platforms.

The CP213's 16bit ADC scans each channel at a scan rate chosen by the user.

The number of channels scanned and scan rate are software selectable.

Scans may be triggered from either the internal clock, one of eight PXI backplane triggers, the PXI star trigger bus or an external SMB connector on the module front panel.
Single and continuous scan operations are supported.
A key feature of the CP213 is its onboard signal conditioning, providing programmable gain that may be set on a channel-by-channel basis.

Gains of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 are available.

Optional fixed two-pole passive filters are also available from 10Hz to 1kHz.

The CP213 also features onboard calibration on each channel for end-to-end calibration.

Under software control, channels 1 and 33 can be configured as isothermal reference channels, ideal for temperature measurement applications.

In addition to the analogue input channels, the CP213 provides 16 multi-function digital I/O (TTL) channels.

Any of these channels can be configured as digital in, digital out, or selectively attached to two frequency in, two counter in, and/or two timer out channels.

'Our goal is to provide innovative solutions for the expanding CompactPCI/PXI market, and the CP213 is an excellent example', said Patrick Cassady, Executive Vice President of KineticSystems.

'The CP213 is a low-cost ADC with onboard signal conditioning - the only one on the market today that offers integrated signal conditioning'.

'Other vendor solutions require external signal conditioning modules, ours is built-in to provide higher performance at a better price'.

Similar to its VXI counterpart, the V213, the CP213 ships with plug and play drivers for configuring and using the device.

Application examples are provided to illustrate basic functionality of the CP213.

Typical applications include temperature measurements, powertrain/engine testing, automated test equipment and general-purpose data acquisition.

Representative covers eastern US states

2008-01-03T02:34:00.000-08:00

Conduant Corp has signed upstate New York-based electronics manufacturers rep JRE Computing as its representative in the eastern USA

Conduant Corp has signed upstate New York-based electronics manufacturers rep JRE Computing to represent Conduant in the eastern USA. JRE Computing will distribute Conduant's StreamStor and Big River recording and playback data capture systems serving military, government, research and commercial markets.
'JRE Computing has significant contacts among prime contractors in our market space', said Ken Owens, CEO of Conduant.

'They will increase the visibility of our high speed, error-free recording and playback systems with top tier contractors'.

'Together, we will locate organisations building real-time embedded applications with a need for our highly reliable, infinite recorders that are completely adaptable in high performance environments'.

'Our standards require that we represent the best technologies available today to government contractors and commercial manufacturers', said JRE Computing CEO John Eklund.

'Conduant has consistently proven that its family of StreamStor and Big River data recorders meet the demanding requirements of government and defense applications today'.

'JRE Computing continues to exceed its clients' growth expectations'.

'We look forward to helping Conduant reach a wider cross-section of their market'.

High-current measurement module cuts losses

2007-12-27T02:17:00.000-08:00

Depending on the model, up to 2000A permanent current, or 4000A for 1s, and voltages up to 300V can be measured

In comparison with a conventional DIN shunt the IHC-A-RM010/M005 high-current measurement module returns a full-scale measurement voltage of 20%, providing reduced power loss and therefore low self-heating values. With its compact size the IHC can be installed directly into the current path.
The module is galvanically isolated, and so high currents and voltages can be registered as well.

Depending on the model, up to 2000A permanent current, or 4000A for 1s, and voltages up to 300V can be measured.

A wide range of special functions such as the measurement of direct or alternating current, peak values and effective values, an ampere-hour meter as well as DC in AC measurement turn the IHC into an ideal all-round device for many applications, including: battery-backed power supplies, wind power turbines, current and voltage monitoring in switching cabinets, ampere-hour meters in galvanic equipment and major plant.

The ISA-ASIC low-noise and offset-free data acquisition system carries out measurements with a conversion frequency of 4kHz and 16bit resolution.

Magnetoresistive sensors are designed for ATMs

2007-12-27T02:16:00.000-08:00

Devices are suitable for detection of magnetic thread or magnetic ink, and enable simple and quick mounting

Murata has released four new products in its BS05 series of magnetic pattern recognition sensors. The BS05M1HFAL, BS05M1KFCA, BS05M1KFFA and BS05M1KFBB magnetoresistive sensors are designed for ATMs, banknote counters, detectors and other validator applications. The devices are suitable for detection of magnetic thread or magnetic ink, and enable simple and quick mounting.
These parts retain around 70% of their output voltage at a 0.1mm gap between sensor and substrate, compared with just 4% for typical coil head sensors.

Along with their stable frequency characteristic, which is independent of the scanning speed, this makes them suitable for high-speed processing devices that demand superior accuracy.

Magnetoresistive sensors consist of a permanent magnet and two sensing elements to ensure compensation for changes in temperature.
When a magnetic material is passed over the sensor, the elements detect a change in the magnetic flux density, which is converted into an electrical signal.

In banknote validation applications, the sensor is typically mounted beneath a pressure roller which helps keep the banknote in contact with the sensor's surface.

In Murata's multichannel devices, multiple sensors are be mounted next to each other, to allow magnetic pattern recognition over the whole width of the banknote.

The BS05M1HFAL is an eight-channel sensor with channel width of 3mm, whereas the BS05M1KFFA has 13 channels, each 10mm wide.

Both have all their channels mounted in a straight line.

This layout is especially useful in banknote validators that use a pressure roller, as the centre of the roller can be directly above the line of sensing elements, leading to lower signal loss and eliminating time differences between signals.

The inline layout also eases handling and PCB assembly and reduces the sise of the pressure roller and sensing assembly.

The BS05M1KFCA six-channel and BS05M1KFBB 13-channel sensors have 10mm channel widths with channels offset in alternate directions to make a zigzag-style configuration.

This ensures there is no physical gap between each channel, leading to very reliable detection of banknotes.

Rectangular chassis hosts more I/O

2007-12-27T02:15:00.000-08:00

Based on the same electronics used in the company's popular Cube I/O chassis, the new rectangular form factor increases the number of I/O slots from six to 12

United Electronic Industries (UEI) has expanded the scope of its I/O systems with the release of the DNR-12-1G Racktangle Ethernet I/O chassis. Based on the same electronics used in the company's popular Cube I/O chassis, the new rectangular form factor increases the number of I/O slots from six to 12, in a compact and rugged 3U chassis.
As the Racktangle is electrically compatible with the Cube form factors, all the I/O boards available in the cube form factor are also available for the Racktangle.

With over 30 I/O modules available, there will be a configuration ideally suited for almost any application requirement.

The Racktangle's 12 I/O slots provide up to: 300 analogue inputs, 384 analogue outputs, 576 digital I/O, 96 counter or quadrature channels, 144 ARINC-429 channels and/or 48 serial or CANbus ports.

Software for the Racktangle is provided in the UEIDAQ Framework.

The Framework provides a comprehensive, easy to use API that supports all popular programming and operating systems including Windows, Vista, Linux and most real-time operating systems (such as QNX, RTX and RT Linux).

Finally, the board is fully supported by LabView, Matlab/Simulink, DasyLab or any application supporting ActiveX, OPC or Modbus TCP control.

'The Racktangle was developed to support a large OEM (FlightSafety International) who required the functionality of our Cube, but with simpler field configuration and lower mean time to repair (MTTR)', explains UEI President Shaun Miller: 'The Racktangle concept has been extremely well received not only by FlightSafety, but by a large number of other customers who are drawn to a more conventional chassis than our Cube'.

Magnetoresistive sensors are designed for ATMs

2007-12-19T23:13:00.000-08:00

Compact subsystem plugs directly into a PXI or CompactPCI chassis

2007-12-19T23:11:00.000-08:00

Compact subsystem plugs directly into a PXI or CompactPCI chassisand provides up to 1Tbyte of disk storage capacity, in a very small enclosure

New from Conduant Corporation is the Big River DM-425-3U storage unit for high-speed storage applications. The compact subsystem plugs directly into a PXI or CompactPCI chassis and provides up to 1Tbyte of disk storage capacity, in a very small enclosure. Configurations are available for both legacy PXI and CompactPCI as well as the new PCI Express based versions.
With the DM-425-3U, a broad range of high speed storage applications may be designed around a standard PXI/CPCI chassis.

'Increasingly, our customers are requiring small, portable data storage subsystems for streaming applications', says Ken Owens, CEO of Conduant: 'The DM-425-3U features abundant storage capacity in a very small package that is compatible with existing chassis configurations'.

'Our customers within the aerospace, scientific research and defence communities can utilise this capability for high speed data acquisition, digital signal processing, radar and sonar, telemetry, high resolution video recording and other applications that require the capture and storage of vast amounts of data'.
When ordered with the onboard PCI Express SATA controller, the DM-425-3U integrates with major operating systems to provide additional storage capacity in JBOD or software RAID configurations.

When ordered with the external multilane SATA connector, the DM-425-3U can be used with the Conduant StreamStor PXI-808 disk controller card for high speed recording without requiring an external chassis to hold the disk drives.

The DM-425-3U is designed for use in a PXI /cPCI 3U chassis with variations available for both PCI Express and legacy PCI based architectures.

The storage unit is also available with solid-state disk drives in capacities up to 512Gbyte.

The Big River DM-425-3U storage unit requires only three open slots (12HP) and is available in three different configurations.

For direct connection as a host storage device, the unit is available with an onboard PCI Express SATA controller.

This configuration (Option 001) requires an available CPCI/PXI Express slot as well as two additional open slots directly to the right of the first slot.

The other two configurations use the backplane connection for power only and provide an external multilane SATA connector on the front panel for a cabled connection to either a StreamStor disk controller or other SATA disk controller.

Current transducers promise precise measurement

2007-12-19T23:10:00.000-08:00

Series offers a choice of primary current measurement ranges from 500 to 2000A and provides an absolute accuracy better than 1% of the nominal current value

Complementing LEM's range of products for advanced battery management applications, the new DH family of DC current transducers offers precise measurement of bipolar currents up to 2000A. Measuring only 174 x 86 x 54.1mm, these compact split-core transducers combine Hall-effect technology and signal conditioning in a single housing with a large rectangular sensing aperture for noncontact measurement (supporting up to 104 x 40mm busbars or 40mm cables).
The DH series has been designed to measure DC currents and their polarity.

It offers a choice of primary current measurement ranges from 500 to 2000A and provides an absolute accuracy better than 1% of the nominal current value.

The new transducers output the bipolar measurement value through an industry standard 4-20mA output.

They feature a loop-powered circuit (adapted to 20-30V DC power supplies) that reduces installation costs by minimising the wiring and connections required.

The DH family is an excellent choice for industrial system designers, integrators and resellers who require accurate and cost-effective DC current transducers.

As with all other LEM products, the DH transducers benefit from the company's proven high-quality approach to manufacturing and are backed by a five-year guarantee.

Applications include management of UPS Systems and standby batteries, DC power generation and distribution as well as monitoring DC motors and process control systems.

It's easy to log data with a USB interface

2007-12-19T23:08:00.000-08:00

The EasyLog range offers stand-alone recording of temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide, voltage and 4-20mA signals

Available now from Rapid Electronics is Lascar's innovative EasyLog range of USB data loggers. Lascar was the first manufacturer to develop data loggers with a direct to USB connection. The EasyLog range at Rapid includes five of the market-leading models - EL-USB-1, EL-USB-2, EL-USB-3, EL-USB-4 and EL-USB-CO - offering stand-alone recording of temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide, voltage and 4-20mA.
EasyLog data loggers have numerous industrial and educational applications.

Wide measurement ranges and waterproof protection make the EasyLog range capable of tracking environmental conditions in food and wine storage, agriculture, warehousing and shipping and many other areas.

The logged data can provide information on the correct functioning of control equipment or monitor specific processes, such as pressure, flow, level, power usage, gas and pH level.

EL-USB-1, EL-USB-2 and EL-USB-CO uses integral sensors to record temperature, humidity and carbon monoxide.

EL-USB-3 and EL-USB-4 can be connected to any sensor outputting voltage or 4-20mA, taking measurements via a set of crocodile clip terminated test leads.

The gathered data are downloaded to a PC via the unit's USB port.

The data can be analysed, printed or exported using the purpose designed EL-WIN-USB configuration software.

Sensors offer a budget alternative

2007-11-21T03:38:00.000-08:00

Novel temperature sensors combine low cost, a small SC-70 package and low current consumption of 6uA (typical), making them an attractive alternative to thermistors

Microchip has two novel temperature sensors that offer low cost, a small SC-70 package and low current consumption of 6uA (typical), making them an attractive alternative to thermistors. The MCP9700 and MCP9701 temperature sensors provide a complete solution for thermal protection, temperature measurement or thermal calibration.
The low power consumption of 6uA (typical) is less than most of the thermal sensor ICs on the market, enabling longer battery life and reducing self-heating for better accuracy.

The linear output slope of the MCP9701 is 19.53mV/C, whereas the MCP9700 output is 10mV/C.

Overall temperature error is +/-4C (maximum) from 0 to 70C.

The low output impedance allows direct connection to an analogue-to-digital convertor input, without the need for buffering amplifiers.

Budget current transducer boasts high accuracy

2007-11-21T03:37:00.000-08:00

The ITB 300-S is a low-cost, high-accuracy current transducer, specified for 300A RMS nominal measurements

The new model joins LEM's IT current transducer family at a lower price point while offering a level of performance that is only slightly lower than other members of the family. Linearity is better than 0.001% and overall accuracy at ambient temperature is 0.05%. Thermal offset drift is very low, at only 1mA/K.
Featuring galvanic isolation, the ITB 300-S can be used for current measurement of any type of waveforms (including DC, AC, mixed and complex).

It has been designed to operate from a bipolar +/-15V DC power supply, and will accommodate a round primary conductor of up to 21.5mm diameter.

In addition to its normal current output (150mA for 300A primary), an additional output indicating the transducer state (opened or closed contacts) is available.

The new model offers an extended operating temperature range of -40 to +85C, compared with the +10 to +50C of the IT models, allowing its use in a wider range of applications, including high precision power supplies, medical equipment, calibration units, precise and high stability inverters, power analysers and metering.

Airborne recorders take GPS onboard

2007-11-21T03:34:00.000-08:00

Heim Data Systems has released an integrated 20-channel L1+L2 GPS receiver for its line of high performance airborne recorders

With modular signal interfacing and interchangeable media cartridges, these recorders provide highly flexible, COTS solutions that can easily adapt to changing mission requirements in both airborne and mobile applications. The integrated GPS receiver provides two functions essential to airborne data acquisition systems.
Primarily, the GPS receiver serves as a highly accurate time synchronisation source used to generate precision UTC time stamping for the entire range of the recorder's flexible modular signal interfaces.

The GPS receiver eliminates the need for stand-alone free running time sources that require 'jam' synchronisation at the beginning of every mission.

The GPS timing source is used to continuously synchronise the recorder's precision data time stamping electronics and eliminates time inaccuracies due to drift experienced when using free running time sources.

The Heim recorder also uses the GPS time information to produce a modulated IRIG B, A, or G time output source that can be used as the master time source to synchronise other instrumentation devices.

In addition, the fast acquisition and re-acquisition receiver provides high dynamic, precision navigational data.
The GPS system can be specified for economical single frequency low rate operation or high performance L1+L2 plus WAAS to support high dynamic, high-velocity applications.

Accurate navigation solutions are provided one or ten times per-second.

The GPS receiver data is also compatible with typical Differential GPS Solution applications.

The user has the flexibility to program the specific message output from the wide variety of message types available.

The GPS data are captured and recorded in the IRIG106 Chapter 10 flight data acquisition standard data format.

Heim data packet recording technology is recognised as a leader in providing very accurate time base and inter-channel phase accuracy for multiple input channels covering a wide range of disparate signal types.

The GPS capability further enhances the recorder's ability to capture data that can be accurately and reliably time synchronised to other mission events during mission data analysis.

Airborne recorders take GPS onboard

2007-11-15T22:57:00.000-08:00

Acquisition range runs via USB 2.0

2007-11-15T22:55:00.000-08:00

Keithley Instruments introduces the Series KUSB-3100 USB-based data acquisition (DAQ) measurement solutions

Keithley Instruments has released the Series KUSB-3100 of USB-based data acquisition (DAQ) measurement solutions. An alternative to ISA, PCI, and PCMCIA data-acquisition cards, these compact DAQ measurement tools offer easy installation with true plug-and-play capability and easier portability than plug-in cards affording greater measurement flexibility.

Using USB as an interface for data acquisition lessens the dependence on PC motherboard technology where slots for plug-in boards are required.

The Series KUSB-3100 consists of five different multifunction modules that cover a broad range of applications.

The Series KUSB-3100 offers true USB 2.0 and 1.1 plug-and-play capability.

Users can install a Series KUSB-3100 module without the need to crack open a PC to add a board, configure DIP switches and IRQ settings, or search for the correct device driver, then reboot the system.

Units connect to USB ports on a PC via a standard, low-cost cable.
The PC automatically identifies modules and installs the necessary software to operate the unit, greatly reducing startup time.

Series KUSB-3100 modules can be installed or removed while the computer is running.

Just plug in the device, use it, and unplug it when measurements are complete.

There is no need to power down the PC.

Series KUSB-3100 DAQ modules offer lower noise sensitivity than PC plug-in boards, offering more accurate, quality measurements.

Because USB cables are typically 1 to 5m long, I/O circuitry is located further away from electrically noisy computer motherboards and power supplies, and closer to the signals they will be measuring.

Most Series KUSB-3100 modules provide a 500V isolation barrier from the PC, protecting both the computer and the input device from damage caused by voltage spikes, surges, or shorts.

This built-in protection also prevents the computer operating system from shutting down, ensuring continuous operation.

All Series KUSB-3100 solutions support USB full-speed datarates, for data acquisition sampling rates as high as 100kHz.

Keithley's top of the line solution, the Model KUSB-3116, is fully USB 2.0 compliant, providing functionality at the USB high-speed 480Mbit/s data transfer rate.

The increased bandwidth lets customers perform multiple I/O operations simultaneously at throughput rates up to 500kHz in each direction, similar to PCI measurement systems.

Series KUSB-3100 modules are powered directly from the USB port via the USB cable or through a simple connection to an external power source (Model KUSB-3116).

The Series KUSB-3100 consists of five different modules to cover a broad range of applications.

The Model KUSB-3100 and Model KUSB-3102 feature 12bit resolution and sample rates of 40 and 100Ksample/s, respectively.

Model KUSB-3108 and Model KUSB-3116 modules feature 16bit resolution with sample speeds of 50 and 500Ksample/s, respectively.

These multifunction modules offer from 8 to 16 analogue input channels, up to four analogue output channels, 16 to 33 digital I/O lines, and up to five counter/timer inputs.

The Model KUSB-3160 is a multipoint digital I/O module featuring 96 digital lines for monitoring or control of high channel-count applications.

Signal connectivity is made through a variety of means including built-in screw terminals, BNC connections, DB37 connections, or mass termination connections, and is module dependent.

These built-in connectors eliminate the need for additional accessories, such as cables and screw-terminal panels, which are normally required for ISA and PCI plug-in boards.

The Series KUSB-3100 modules are multifunction devices suitable for a wide range of applications.

Inclinometer gets to the point of sensing

2007-11-05T22:57:00.001-08:00

Compact MEMS-based dual-axis inclinometer can be integrated precisely at the point of sensing interest

Analog Devices has come up with a highly integrated dual-axis inclinometer that makes extremely accurate easy-to-use tilt sensing an affordable and accessible option for industrial equipment manufacturers. The ADIS16209 programmable, dual-mode inclinometer sensor is suited to a diverse set of industrial applications that require inclination changes to be measured, including surveying equipment, factory machine tools, satellite antenna stabilisation systems, motion safety monitors and automotive wheel alignment.
Functionally equivalent inclinometer solutions are typically 100 times larger than the ADIS16209.

The industry's most precise MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) inclinometer, the ADIS16209 provides a fully compensated direct angle output with less than 0.1-degree linear inclination error, making it at least twice as accurate as competitive tilt sensors.

This is due to the addition of an embedded controller, which uses factory-installed calibration coefficients to dynamically sense the system environment and compensate the direct-digital angular output to account for changes in voltage, temperature, angle and other variables.

Other MEMS-based tilt sensors typically require industrial engineers to perform additional external calibration and signal processing that adds time, cost and complexity to product design.

ADI's MEMS-based inclinometer is also significantly smaller than alternative sensing technologies, especially bulky, fluid-filled electrolytic sensors, which can require special board mounting.
As a result, the ADIS16209 affords designers the option to more easily integrate the new sensor precisely at the point of sensing interest.

'The ADIS16209 provides an accurate and simple bits-out angle in a standard semiconductor format', says Andy Garner, Product Line Director for iSensor intelligent sensor products, Analog Devices.

'This is a big departure from both electrolytic sensors and less integrated MEMS-based sensors'.

'The on-chip dynamic compensation of the ADIS16209 is important for two reasons: it allows our customers to confidently absorb mid-stream system design changes without losing their time to market advantage; and it provides end users with equipment that delivers accurate sensing data that is resistant to in-field environmental changes that can often result in costly, cumbersome recalibration'.

The ADIS16209 dual-axis programmable inclinometer, based on an Analog Devices' iMEMS core, is capable of measuring dual-axis tilt with less than 0.1 degrees error across a +/-30-degree range when mounted horizontally.

Because of its unique dual-mode operation, the new sensor also supports a vertically mounted single-axis implementation, over a full 360-degree range.

The tuneable digital sensor data is output via an industry-standard SPI (serial peripheral interface) port, which provides access to inclination (0.025 degree resolution), acceleration (0.244mg resolution), temperature and power supply.

The ADIS16209 also features a 12bit auxiliary ADC input and DAC output, digital self-test function and configurable condition monitoring, including alarms.

Inclinometer gets to the point of sensing

2007-11-05T22:57:00.000-08:00

Pressure film boosts capacitor reliability

2007-11-05T22:51:00.000-08:00

Pressurex tactile surface pressure-indicating film is used to ensure manufacturing tolerances for capacitors produced by SB Electronics

As an innovator of film capacitor technology, SB Electronics designs and manufactures products that are on the cutting edge of today's demanding electronics applications. To maintain continuous improvement of its manufacturing processes, David Bryan, Manufacturing Engineering Manager for SB Electronics, recently specified Pressurex, a tactile surface pressure-indicating film from Sensor Products.

Many of SB Electronics' radial lead products are designed to take up the minimum amount of space on printed circuit boards.

This is often done by flattening the round capacitor profile in a pressing operation between aluminium plates.

A higher than expected yield hit led the quality department to contact engineering to troubleshoot and improve the process.
'After histograms indicated that some of our tighter tolerance parts (+/-1% capacitance) were going out of spec, and making some initial dimensional measurements, I needed to visually determine the tactile surface pressure', says Bryan.

Bryan inserted the film which he had ordered in Super Low pressure range of 5-25kg/cm2) between the press plates during a product run and saw the uneven distribution of pressure between the capacitors.

As a result, he could prove the press plates weren't flat and were causing uneven pressure distribution.

Bryan continues to use standard tools such as gauges and callipers, but is asking that Pressurex be included as an on-going ISO quality control protocol.

In the past, he had used the film to evaluate bolted flange designs for custom fittings in vacuum systems.

The film has many uses on a multilayer printed circuit board assembly, including analysing contact uniformity, verifying flatness (planarity) between semiconductor wafers, and revealing problems such as overloading of connector contacts, standoffs and component solder joints.

It is ideal for dozens of industrial applications, such as assessing surface contact inconsistencies in clamps, connectors, heatsinks and heat sealing elements.

Pressurex is available in seven different ranges that measure pressure from 0.14 to 3000kg/cm2) It allows for rapid and easy determination of compression magnitude and distribution.

When placed between two contacting or mating surfaces, it instantly and permanently changes different shades of red, with the colour change directly proportional to the actual pressure applied.

Geomagnetic sensor suits mobile phone use

2007-11-05T22:46:00.000-08:00

The HSCD series can precisely read extremely weak magnetic fields, or geomagnetism, to accurately detect direction

Alps Electric has developed the HSCD geomagnetic sensor for use in portable devices such as mobile phones and wristwatches. More and more of the latest models of mobile phones are being equipped with functions such as GPS location indicators and navigation systems. Mobile phones with these functions make navigation easy because in contrast to ordinary maps that use 'north' as a point of reference, these systems use the direction the user is facing as the point of reference.
In order to provide this function, these devices require a geomagnetic sensor to detect the direction in which users are moving.

Mobile phones are not usually held parallel to the earth during usage, but rather slightly tilted upward.

Consequently, there is demand for devices that are able to compensate for this tilt, in order to accurately indicate a user's location while maintaining ease of use.

Alps Electric's new HSCD series features a tilt compensation function and meets the industry standard for sensors that measure 2.5 x 2.5 x 0.7mm.

Alps Electric achieved this small size and thinness by applying its high-precision, high-density mounting technologies.

Furthermore, a highly reliable magnetic element that realises higher sensitivity detection than other magnetic elements has been integrated in a three-axis-type direction detector for forward/backward, left/right and vertical directions.

Consequently, the HSCD series can precisely read extremely weak magnetic fields, or geomagnetism, to accurately detect direction.

Alps Electric applied its algorithms to realise a tilt compensation function.

The application of these algorithms also cut down on the need for parts and packaging for the tilt compensation function and for acceleration sensors, enabling a compact size and reduced number of parts.

Amplifier choices offer new options

2007-10-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

The new InCell Amplifiers are small enough for in-cell signal conditioning and for mass-sensitive applications in research, development, production and processing

Celsum Technologies has released revised versions of the ICA in-cell amplifiers for strain gauges. The new industrial (S) and very high (H) stability options allow users to tailor their selection of these miniature analogue signal conditioners to their application. The ICA range has output options of 0.1-10.1V (ICA1), 0.1-5V (ICA2), 0 +/-10V (ICA3), 4-20mA three-wire (ICA4) and two-wire (ICA5), and the ICA6 +/- 10V with 15-24V DC excitation.
There is also an ATEX-approved version, the two-wire 4-20mA ICA5A.

The new InCell Amplifiers have a lower profile of 7.6 x 19mm, are equipped with a mounting hole, and weigh only around 2g, making them ideal for in-cell signal conditioning and for mass-sensitive applications in research, development, production and processing.

D/A boards expand systems beyond DAQ

2007-10-12T04:30:00.000-07:00

The DNA-AO-308 series of analogue output boards offers eight analogue output channels with maximum update rates of 100kHz per channel (800kHz per board)

New from United Electronic Industries (UEI) the DNA-AO-308 series of analogue output boards offers eight analogue output channels with maximum update rates of 100kHz per channel (800kHz per board). However, each board in the family offers a different output configuration, with options of: +/-10V, +/-5mA; +/-10V, +/-50mA; +/-40V, +/-5mA; and 4-20mA.
Other notable specifications of the series include: 1500V isolation between the cube and the field wiring, one D/A per channel (allows simultaneous D/A updates), double buffered, low glitch outputs, and three utility digital I/O channels.

'Analogue outputs are very important to our customer, both as stimulus generators in test applications as well as control outputs in industrial and process control', says UEI President Shaun Miller.

'The new D/A boards allow the PowerDNA cube to move far beyond pure DAQ applications while the four different output configurations ensure the cube supplies a simple solution in almost all applications requiring an analogue output'.

Pricing starts at US $800.

Portable data logger is ready for IPv6

2007-10-12T04:29:00.000-07:00

The Datum-Y portable data logger has a powerful range of communications capabilities including IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6), for which it carries the IPv6 ready logo

The Datum-Y portable data logger from Yokogawa has a powerful range of communications capabilities including IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6), for which it carries the IPv6 ready logo. The instrument measures only 155 x 56 x 155mm and weighs around 800g, making it ideally suited to field service and maintenance applications.

It features a large TFT display with a wide viewing angle, and offers up to seven hours of continuous operation from its rechargeable battery.

The Datum-Y has a range of serial and parallel communications interfaces including USB, Ethernet, GPIB, RS485 and RS232.

It can function as a web server or FTP server or client, and also features an e-mail delivery function.

The unit has 16Mbyte of internal memory, and additional storage can be provided by CF or SD memory cards or by a USB memory stick.

External memory can be used to provide auto-set and auto-run functions.

The instrument also has a universal input which makes it suitable for a wide range of measurements, including DC voltage up to 30V, all common thermocouples and RTD temperature sensors, and pulse and logic signals.

The Datum-Y is available in eight- and 16-channel versions.

Minimum sampling time is 100ms on eight channels and 200ms on 16 channels, and can be set at a number of values up to a maximum of one hour.

Alarm and trigger functions are included, and data can be manipulated using differential computation, linear scaling and statistical calculations.

The Datum-Y can be used in conjunction with clamp-on power meters and luminance meters for electrical or optical measurements, and a rubber boot is available for increased impact resistance and environmental protection.

Three new battery powered data loggers

2007-10-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

Three new battery powered specialty loggers include a DC voltage logger, a current loop logger and a temperature logger

Measurement Computing has added three new battery-powered specialty loggers to its growing USB product line. The three data loggers are: the USB-503, a 0 to 30V DC voltage logger costing US $69; the USB-504, a 4 to 20mA current loop logger costing $69; and the USB-501-LT , an ultra small (lite) version of the USB-501 temperature logger, which costs $49.
These products are a cost-effective solution for both long- or short-term data logging applications.

They offer reduced setup time and eliminate the need to drag around expensive equipment to make field or factory measurements.

The 500 series provides a low-cost and simple interface to configure, download, display, and export logged data.

The growing USB-500 series units may be the most convenient, easy-to-use dataloggers on the market.

Bill Kennedy, MCC's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, comments: 'Customers who already own our USB-501 and USB-502 temperature loggers really appreciate their size, price, and ease of use, and have asked if we could extend the line to include loggers for other types of data, and that's exactly what we've done'.

'We have one for voltage, one for current, plus, a new 'lite' temperature logger that looks like a USB flash drive'.

The USB-503 logs up to 32,510 voltage measurements over a 0 to 30V DC measurement range.

The USB-504 logs up to 32,000 current loop measurements in the 4 to 20mA range.

Both the 503 and the 504 have eight programmable logging rates - from once every ten seconds to once every twelve hours.

Flashing LEDs indicate logger status.

The tiny USB-501-LT logs up to 4,080 temperature measurements in the -10 to 50C range and operates at fixed 15mi, 30mi, 1hr, and 2hr sample rates.

Status is indicated by a red/green LED.

All the loggers plug directly into a standard USB port for setup and data download.

The USB-500 Series Data Logging Application software (included with each logger) supports all products in the series.

This user-friendly application is used initially to configure the loggers - program alarm thresholds, logging rates, start times, measurement units, etc.

When the loggers are retrieved from the field, the same application provides simple one-click access to download, display, and export the data.

Electronic compass shrinks to chip-size packaging

2007-10-10T03:57:00.000-07:00

AKM has completed development of the world's smallest and thinnest three-axis electronic compass with chip-size packaging of 2.5 x 2.5 x 0.5mm

AKM has completed development of the AK8973S, the world's smallest and thinnest three-axis electronic compass with chip-size packaging of 2.5 x 2.5 x 0.5mm. The small size is made possible by forming silicon monolithic Hall elements together with amplifier and logic circuitry on a single chip.
Samples of the AK8973S will be on display at Sensor Expo Japan 2007 from 4th to 6th April in Tokyo, as will applications and demonstrations of the AK8976A, at 4.5 x 4.5 x 0.9mm - the world's smallest and thinnest six-axis electronic compass.

Applications foreseen for the digital-interface AK8973S include pedestrian navigation systems in cellphones and personal navigation devices, and motion input in video game controllers.

AKM is a world leader in the development of electronic compasses for portable applications, and its AK8970, the world's first three-axis electronic compass developed for cellphone use, began shipping in commercial volume in fiscal 2003.

It and its successor the AK8970N have been employed in more than fifteen handset models throughout the world.

Wide adoption of AKM's three-axis electronic compasses for cellphones has been driven by the outstanding performance enabled by Asahi Kasei EMD's Dynamic Offset Estimation (DOE) algorithm to automatically compensate for magnetic offset inside a handset.
It is the extremely high sensing linearity and wide measurement range of the Hall elements, together with the exceptional AKM architecture for uniform sensitivity in all three axes, that ensures the effective performance of DOE, resulting in a clearly superior electronic compass functionality that has been recognised by customers around the world.

While maintaining its hallmark performance, AKM has continued to miniaturise the electronic compass in anticipation of the needs of designers and developers of cellular handsets and other advanced portable electronics for successive size reductions.

Following the AK8970, which at 5.9 x 6.3 x 1.0mm was the world's smallest three-axis electronic compass at the time of its introduction, AKM introduced the AK8970N in fiscal 2004, which at 5.0 x 5.0 x 1.0 mm has its volume reduced to 67% of that of its predecessor.

In fiscal 2006 AKM introduced its then smallest electronic compass the AK8973 at 4.0 x 4.0 x 0.7mm, with a volume reduced to 45% of that of the AK8970N.

The AK8973S announced today, with chip-size packaging of 2.5 x 2.5 x 0.5mm, has its volume reduced to 28% of that of the AK8973 and a mere 8% of the volume of the bellwether AK8970.

A succession of technological advances has enabled this extraordinary course of miniaturisation.

The first-generation products, the AK8970, AK8970N, and the AK8971N which included an accelerometer interface, were multi-chip modules comprising three compound semiconductor Hall elements from Asahi Kasei Electronics, one for each spatial axis, and an AKM signal processing LSI packaged together.

The AK8970 and the AK8970N contained the same four component chips, with the size reduction in the latter obtained by a change in packaging technology.

In order to attain even greater size reduction, the AK8976A and AK8973 introduced in fiscal 2006 are produced with silicon monolithic Hall elements formed together with the amplifier and logic circuitry, resulting in a one-chip electronic compass.

With the AK8973S, the potential size reduction of a one-chip conformation is taken to the limit by using new technology for chip-size packaging.

The development of silicon monolithic Hall elements to serve as magnetic sensors, and their integration with amplifier and logic circuitry on a single chip, is itself a major advance both conceptually and in terms of applied technology.

Any magnetic sensor, Hall element or otherwise, can only measure a magnetic field in a single axis.

This is why conventional three-axis sensors were of necessity multi-chip modules incorporating three separate magnetic sensors, emplaced in three different planar orientations corresponding to the spatial axes of x, y and z.

Because the Hall element, unlike other magnetic sensors, measures magnetic field in the axis perpendicular to the plane of the chip, many had considered it to be an unfavourable choice for three-axis sensors, as two of the Hall elements needed to stand vertically with respect to the plane of the chip package.

With the development of the silicon monolithic Hall element, the perpendicular measurement direction of Hall elements becomes an advantage that enables sensors for all three spatial axes to be formed on a single wafer plane.

The principles of magnetic field measurement using this technology will be presented on 17th March 2007 at a symposium of The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan.

Chip-size packaging (CSP), unlike QFN packaging, enables the three-axis electronic compass to be used in circuit board designs with extremely high mounting density.

For many portable electronics, cellular handsets in particular, recent years have seen a rapidly expanding adoption of CSP technology.

The AK8973S uses wafer-level CSP, or WLCSP, in which LSIs are encapsulated in resin before the wafer is cut into individual chips.

Software compatibility with previous AKM electronic compasses enables customers to utilise existing software assets, including the patented DOE algorithm for automatic adjustment of magnetic offset and software for calculations to compensate for tilt.

DOE has been provided to customers since before the beginning of volume shipment of AKM's first electronic compass product.

With the AK8973S, as before, DOE enables greatly improved productivity by eliminating the need for adjustment to be performed individually for each handset before shipment, and makes it unnecessary for the consumer to perform adjustments when the ambient magnetic field changes.

Light emitting diodes are put to the test

2007-10-04T05:30:00.000-07:00

The TeraLED is a novel tester for thermal and radiometric characterisation of light emitting diodes

New from Micred, a member of the Flomerics Group, the TeraLED is a novel tester for thermal and radiometric characterisation of light emitting diodes. The TeraLED system was demonstrated at the 2006 Semi-Therm Conference and show where it played a key part in Micred winning the Gold Award for Exhibitor Excellence.

Micred was selected for the award based on the votes of the delegates of the conference.

TeraLED was developed in response to demands from leading LED manufacturers and provides a complete solution for LED testing.

The TeraLED system can be used stand-alone for optical measurements or combined with Micred's T3Ster for a complete thermal and radiometric measurement.

A 300 mm diameter integrating sphere hosts a temperature stabilised device under test (DUT) fixture, the reference LED, and a radiometric detector or a detector head with a bank of different filters.

The temperature controlled environment combined with the high precision design of detectors and filters provides very accurate measurements.

The temperature stabilised LED fixture has a mounting area of 40 x 40mm and is capable of heatsinking up to 10W.

This Peltier-based device is controlled by the TeraLED electronics.

Its temperature can be programmed in the TeraLED software between 10 and 90C.

This fixture is attached to the DUT fixture port of the integrating sphere.

TeraLED incorporates photometric and radiometric measurement tools based on Inphora's high precision detectors and reference light sources.

The detector head is compatible with Inphora's IPR-DES series detector C25mm geometry and fits into the detector port of the TeraLED sphere using a C25/60 mm adapter.

A plain detector with uniform spectral response can be used as a radiometric detector or a filter bank may be inserted between the sphere and the detector head.

The filter bank is controlled via the electronics and can host up to six filters for measurement of radiometric and luminous fluxes and x and z chromaticity co-ordinates (tristimulus values).

The TeraLED software automates procedures like measurement of emitted flux (photometric or radiometric), efficiency or chromaticity co-ordinates as function of temperature and/or operating current.

The LED's electrical characteristics as well as thermal calibration diagrams are also measured.

Results are presented in form of plots.

The TeraLED control electronics interfaces all devices attached to the sphere with the measurement control computer.

TeraLED can be combined with Micred's T3Ster thermal transient measurement tester to provide highly accurate structural functions that provide detailed internal information for power LED packages revealing die-attach failures and other structural integrity problems.

When combined thermal and radiometric measurements are performed, the T3Ster provides power for the LED under test.

The T3Ster software performs the thermal measurements and the evaluation of the thermal transients while the measurement sequences required for the photometric and radiometric characterisation are performed by the TeraLED software.

The optical measurements are performed in thermal steady state.

Once they are completed, the LED under test is switched off and its cooling transient is measured by the T3Ster equipment.

Video capture card promises express bandwidth

2007-10-04T05:29:00.000-07:00

A 16-input video board takes advantage of the high-speed bandwidth offered by the PCI Express interface

The Picolo Alert video capture board is now released in a PCI Express version. This 16-input video board takes advantage of the high-speed bandwidth offered by the PCI Express interface. The Picolo Alert PCIe is featured with a x1 PCI Express interface that is compatible with all PCI Express connectors.

The Picolo Alert has a total digitising power of 200/240frame/s constantly available.

In addition, this digitising power is freely shared between up to 16 channels, according to the requirements of the application.

Capture and preview functions are simultaneously available for each camera, they are completely configurable for acquisition rate, image resolution, cropping, scaling, contrast, brightness, saturation, storage format.

The board includes a watchdog circuit and nine professional I/O lines to trigger the image capture, to strobe during the acquisition or to interface to various alarm systems.

DirectShow users will naturally take advantage of the Picolo performances through a dedicated filter.

This ultra-high-speed multiple channel video capture card is dedicated to high-end applications in the fields of video-surveillance and security, or entry-level applications in the field of machine vision.

Acquisition module uses wireless communications

2007-10-04T05:27:00.000-07:00

A processing and wireless communications module is designed for use with advanced unattended ground sensors

Plextek has developed a processing and communications module for use with advanced unattended ground sensors (UGS). These are small electronics devices used for perimeter security, surveillance, tracking and intrusion detection etc, and typically attach to acoustic, seismic, magnetic and optical sensors.

The module was purpose designed for SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems, one of Europe's leading defence electronics companies, and offers low power consumption and fast operation.

This also makes it suitable for a number of other communications and security applications.

The processing unit incorporates a common core featuring an 802.11a/b/g WLAN radio, 10/100Mbit Ethernet, USB2 host, RS422, serial ports and GPIO, including power switching for external peripherals.

Internally, the 256Mbyte of mobile SDRAM, 64Mbyte of Flash and 333MHz (industrial grade) CPU are ample for most embedded applications.

The addition of a personality module adds further capabilities to the processing board.

Personality modules currently under development include video compression, audio data capture and quad-band GPRS communications.

The whole design uses low power techniques to allow the equipment to operate from batteries when necessary, and is packaged within a 102 x 63 x 66mm case.

The WinCE OS and onboard PCIbus assists rapid development of further personality modules and application software.

Measurement software adds filter design tools

2007-09-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

Microstar Laboratories now includes interactive filter design in its DAPstudio measurement software

That means user can build and run applications based on the signal conditioning System (SCS) series with no other data acquisition software required. The field-proven SCS series connects directly to sensors and to one or more specialised DAP boards (iDSC 1816 boards) in one or more PCs to give as many channels as you need of filtered 16bit resolution simultaneously sampled data logged directly to disk.

Commercially available off-the-shelf PCs and associated disk controllers and drives have enough electrical power and enough computing power for a single PC to form a balanced network node with four iDSC 1816 boards and an SCS-32.

A network node like this can continuously log to disk all 32 channels of conditioned anti-aliased data at the full data acquisition rate of 153.6Ksample/s per channel - an overall rate of just under 5Msample/s.

An additional synchronisation board in each PC allows a number of PCs like this on a network to work as a single synchronised system with as many channels as are needed.

An SCS package provides direct connection to sensors, and offers many signal-conditioning services in a single convenient, powerful package.

Before a signal reaches the analogue-to-digital conversion stage on an iDSC 1816 board, it passes through an analogue filter - on each channel - that takes out all frequencies above the Nyquist frequency.

The subsequent digital waveform is therefore free of any alias frequencies that otherwise would corrupt the data.

Onboard intelligence directs digital signal processing of the waveforms corresponding to filter designs created interactively with DAPstudio.

Valid cutoff frequencies fall in the range 2 to 80% of Nyquist.

Above 50% of Nyquist, resulting filters roll off at better than 96dB per quarter-octave.

The SCS and iDSC 1816 hardware costs - excluding PC costs - range from around US $1000 per channel.

DAPstudio measurement software costs US $199.

OLED material maker adopts display tester

2007-09-21T05:54:00.001-07:00

Cambridge Display Technology has sold a sophisticated Eclipse display test system to Merck OLED Materials

Cambridge Display Technology (CDT) has sold a sophisticated Eclipse display test system to Merck OLED Materials, based in Frankfurt, Germany. The equipment will be used to enhance productivity in the development and evaluation of materials for organic light emitting diode displays. The Eclipse system to be supplied to Merck consists of 192 digital source-measure channels and associated hardware and software, some of which has been customised for Merck's particular requirements.

n particular, the system has been adapted for use at high temperatures and glove box operation.

Eclipse test equipment is specially designed for testing a broad range of emissive display devices and allows their rapid and reliable characterisation, including measurement of lifetime under constant current, voltage or luminance conditions.

In addition to its role in enhancing materials development programs, the equipment is invaluable for device architecture optimisation, reliability testing and drive scheme development.

For CDT, Dr David Fyfe, CEO said: 'We are delighted that Merck has chosen to purchase another CDT test system, and expect that this will lead to even greater productivity in the development and supply of OLED materials'.

For Merck, Dr Horst Vestweber, Project Manager said: 'We believe strongly in the future for OLEDs as a major display technology, and this enhancement to our capability will enable us to make the fastest progress in our development programmes'.

OLED material maker adopts display tester

2007-09-21T05:54:00.000-07:00

Data recorder meets aerospace interface specs

2007-09-20T04:29:00.000-07:00

The D200f system now supports the IRIG106 Chapter 10 standard

The D200f system from Heim Data Systems now supports the IRIG106 Chapter 10 standard. With modular signal interfacing and interchangeable media cartridges, the D200f provides highly flexible, modular solutions that can easily adapt to changing mission requirements in airborne and mobile applications.

The new interface standard will lead to a revolution in the way airborne telemetry data is captured, recorded, analysed, and distributed by standardising the digital data recording directory and data format for solid state media.

The IRIG 106 Chapter 10 interface standard provides a well defined control and download interface.

The interface supports requirements for intervendor playback of data for software-based decommutation systems and hardware-based telemetry systems.

For users of analysis applications integrated with hardware based data collection systems, the standard supports complete analogue reconstruction of the original signal types while preserving accurate time coherency between channels.

The standard supports reconstruction of a wide range of signal types, including video, MIL-STD-1553, PCM, analogue and discrete data.

The IRIG 106 Chapter 10 standard represents the culmination of several years' effort by the Range Commanders Council, manufacturers and users to formulate a new standard for solid state flight recorders.

Heim Data Systems General Manager, Johnny Pappas, said 'These new IRIG106 Chapter 10 products from Heim are based on our long experience in recording a wide range of signal types using packet format and precision data time stamping technology'.

'The ability to record data on multiple media types such as tape, hard disk or Flash disk offers a wide range of affordable options that provide flexible and scaleable solutions for project-specific signal interface and operational requirements'.

'The test community will benefit from rapid growth in a wide range of pre- and post-flight support tools, and will not require extensive development time to integrate third party products'.

Introduction of the IRIG 106 Chapter 10 compliant D200f airborne and ground mobile recorders provide users with vital solutions to facilitate much needed data format and interface commonality for efficient data acquisition, distribution and analysis.

Sensors give true picture of thermal management

2007-09-20T04:28:00.000-07:00

High-precision remote-diode temperature sensors employ National's TruTherm thermal management technology with transistor-mode beta compensation

National Semiconductor has introduced a family of high-precision, remote-diode temperature sensors that employ National's TruTherm thermal management technology with transistor-mode beta compensation. These new sensors are specifically designed for applications such as computer notebooks, desktops and servers that are powered by high-performance microprocessors manufactured on 65 and 90nm processes.

National pioneered beta compensation technology and was the first to bring it to market, with the introduction of TruTherm technology in the spring of 2005.

TruTherm technology solves the problem of inaccurate remote temperature readings caused by variations in the internal diodes in deep submicron microprocessors, microcontrollers, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

Inaccurate remote temperature readings can lead to higher acoustic noise and reduced system performance.

National's TruTherm thermal management products improve the accuracy of temperature readings, allowing designers to achieve higher performance and efficiency in their applications, while lowering cooling-fan speed, reducing acoustic noise and extending system life.

'Thermal management is becoming increasingly important in today's electronics applications, which are growing more complex while also shrinking in size'.

Accurately monitoring temperature in computing products and complex cores is key to ensuring protection against malfunction or failure due to excessive heat', said Susie Inouye, Research Director and Principal Analyst with market research firm Databeans.

'Thermal management technology such as National's TruTherm products allows designers to successfully monitor these complex cores that are designed on very small submicron geometries and continue to push the limits of heat dissipation'.

The LM94 hardware monitor has a two-wire digital interface that is compatible with system management bus (SMBus) 2.0.

Using a sigma-delta analogue-to-digital convertor (ADC), the LM94 measures the temperature of up to four remote-diode-connected transistors as well as its own die, and up to 16 power supply voltages supporting dual processors.

To set fan speed, the LM94 has two pulsewidth modulation (PWM) outputs that are each controlled by up to six temperature zones.

The fan-control algorithm can be based on a lookup table, a proportional/integral (PI) control loop that supports a temperature control (Tcontrol) function or a combination of both.

The LM94 includes digital filters to smooth temperature readings for better control of fan speed, minimising acoustical noise.

The LM94 has four tachometer inputs to measure fan speed and includes limit and status registers for all measured values.

It also supports monitoring of the dynamic power supply voltage for the processor, dual processor thermal throttling monitoring functions and general purpose I/O pins.

The LM95234 is an 11bit digital temperature sensor with a two-wire SMBus interface that monitors the temperature of four remote diodes as well as its own temperature.

The LM95234 supports three critical temperature (TCRIT) outputs with individual limits for each channel and masking capability.

Two of the LM95234's remote temperature channels have programmable digital filters, while the other two channels utilise a fault queue to avoid falsely triggering the TCRIT pins if the temperature of a channel momentarily goes above the corresponding limit.

The LM95241 is a precision, dual remote-diode temperature sensor with a two-wire serial interface that is compatible with SMBus 2.0.

The LM95241 senses three temperature zones, two remote diodes and its own temperature.

It has digital filtering and an advanced input stage that includes analogue filtering.

The LM95241 resolution format for remote temperature readings can be programmed to be 11bit signed or unsigned with the digital filtering disabled.

When the filtering is enabled, the resolution increases to 13bits signed or unsigned.

In unsigned mode, the LM95241 remote diode readings can resolve temperatures above 127C.

Local temperature readings have a resolution of 9bit plus sign.

The LM95233 is a two-diode version of the LM95234.

The LM95235 is an 11bit digital temperature sensor with a two-wire SMBus interface that monitors the temperature of a single remote diode as well as its own temperature.

The LM95235 features programmable TCRIT and OS thresholds, and can be used to shut down the system, turn on system fans or as a microcontroller interrupt function.

The LM95235 is pin compatible with National Semiconductor's industry-standard LM86 and LM89.

Prices for the products start at $1.17 for the LM95241 in 1000-unit quantities.

DAQ devices are isolated for safer systems

2007-09-20T04:25:00.000-07:00

Multifunction data acquisition devices combine the safety of isolation with the high-performance timing, amplification and calibration technologies of existing M Series DAQ devices

National Instruments has announced 12 new isolated M and S Series multifunction data acquisition (DAQ) devices. These devices combine the safety of isolation with the high-performance timing, amplification and calibration technologies of existing M Series DAQ devices for increased accuracy. Built-in isolation increases the safety of data acquisition devices and eliminates common problems that can ruin measurement accuracy.

The new multifunction devices offer 16bit accuracy, 250Ksample/s sampling rates, +/-10V or +/-20mA analogue inputs, +/-10V or 0-20mA analogue outputs and 5V TTL/CMOS or 24V digital inputs and outputs.

The new isolated M and S Series devices offer channel-to-channel or bank isolation with 1950V DC/1400V RMS transient withstand for 5s to a PCIbus, which protects expensive equipment, the user and data from hazardous voltage spikes, transient signals and electrical noise.

Isolation works by electrically separating the circuit's front end, where hazardous voltages can exist, from the rest of the data acquisition system.

Isolation is especially important when taking measurements from sensors in the proximity of wall power, large motors, high-voltage switches or other high-voltage lines.

Isolated M and S Series devices also reject common-mode voltages and prevent ground loops from forming, eliminating two common problems for data acquisition system users.

High common-mode voltages can make it impossible to measure the signal in a nonisolated data acquisition system and can even damage the system.

The new isolated M and S Series devices can measure from sensors with the signal plus common-mode voltages of up to 60V.

Ground loops, which occur when there is a difference between the ground voltages of the measurement system and the signal being measured, can result in high currents flowing between the two grounds and can damage equipment and ruin accuracy.

Isolated M Series devices integrate seamlessly with the National Instruments LabView graphical development platform and users can configure the devices using NI measurement and services software.

The potential of digital flight data recording

2007-09-18T03:53:00.000-07:00

Digital technology has the potential to greatly enhance the accuracy and manageability of flight data recording while significantly lowering the cost, says Richard Bond

Until recently users have not been able to fully realise the benefits of digital technology in flight data recording because of the absence of a widely accepted standard. During the first generation of digital recording products, individual manufacturers developed their own proprietary solutions without any means for interoperability and data interchange.

Each type of flight recorder required its own custom analysis platform.

This lack of flexibility prevented users from taking complete advantage of advancements in technology and competition between vendors.

That is all changing with the adoption of IRIG 106 Chapter 10, the digital onboard recorder standard, the culmination of several years' co-operative effort by the Range Commanders Council, manufacturers and users.

This new recording standard is leading to a revolution in the way airborne telemetry data is captured, recorded, analysed, and distributed by standardising the digital data recording directory and data format for random access digital media.

In addition to the standardised file structure and data format, IRIG 106 Chapter 10 provides well-defined control and download interfaces and secure erase procedures.

The most obvious advantage of the new digital standard is the ability to take a recorded media cartridge from any vendor's flight recorder, download it via a standard interface to a PC and analyse it with a compliant software package from any other vendor.

This compatibility greatly increases the return on investment in software packages, system integration and training.

Previously, several staff years of effort were required to integrate a new vendor's recorder.

Now, once an IRIG 106 Chapter 10 compliant recorder is integrated with an analysis system, only a minimal effort is required to integrate additional standard-compliant recorders.

Such inter-vendor compatibility increases reliability.

Once tried and true analysis methods are established, they can be confidently reused with any standard-compliant recorder.

There is no need to start again at the bottom of the learning curve with an entirely new proprietary system.

Not only can a single software system analyse data from different recorders, but the converse is also true with the new standard: data from one recorder can be analysed by many different software systems.

This is especially important for airborne telemetry data, because many different parties typically require access to the data.

For example, telemetry data from a test flight may be sent to several suppliers of the various components of the aircraft.

Recipients can each employ their own standard-compliant decommutation and analysis systems.

A single user may also use multiple analysis systems for the same data.

For instance, a laptop can be used to quickly verify data immediately after a flight, and then later a workstation can be employed to perform more extensive and detailed analysis.

A principal advantage of digital technology is the ease of distribution.

Captured as bits and bytes, data can be copied onto a wide variety of low cost media, including CDs and DVDs, and sent over data networks and the Internet.

Data can also be posted on a secure server, allowing multiple users to easily access it.

IRIG 106 Chapter 10 requires the use of Telemetry Attributes Transfer Standard (TMATS), presented in Chapter 9, which provides meta-data tags to identify and describe all data.

TMATS includes information on the signal sources, and the configuration of the recording equipment used to acquire the data.

Because the TMATS tags are an integral part of the data, IRIG 106 Chapter 10 recordings cannot become unlabeled or mislabelled during copying, distribution and archiving.

The standard supports acquisition of a wide range of signal types, including PCM, MIL-STD-1553, discrete data, video, computer generated, and analogue signals.

The method of acquiring and multiplexing the digitised signals into the recorded data stream is fully defined for each signal type, thereby ensuring that compliant analysis and replay equipment will always recognise and correctly interpret the data.

For users of analysis applications integrated with hardware-based data collection systems, the standard supports complete analogue reconstruction of the original signal types while preserving accurate time coherency between channels.

IRIG 106 Chapter 10 also supports the trend towards simplification of airborne instrumentation.

We increasingly see the combination of video, PCM and other signals, together with 1553 data, into the ultimate all-in-one recording system that conveniently offers fusion and separation of all data types, with precise time-coherent analysis and playback easily achieved.

Such single box solutions can replace two or more legacy recorders, with great savings in onboard resources and significantly improved performance.

Time coherency is critically important for flight data recording, to ensure synchronisation of data from multiple sources on the same aircraft, as well as to correlate with recorders located on the ground or in other aircraft.

Digital technology has the advantage of recording timestamps based on an internal crystal controlled clock.

IRIG 106 Chapter 10 defines the time source and a method of time tagging the data that allows high accuracy in both absolute time and in relative time between signal channels.

We at Heim have invested several years in developing hardware and firmware methods of providing accurate synchronisation between data time tagging and the reference clock across multiple channel types.

The time delay experienced by a signal between reception at the hardware input and actual time stamping is different for each type of signal channel.

Therefore, careful attention must be given to accurate compensation of this time variance in order to maintain channel-to-channel coherency.

The 10MHz clock provides 100ns time stamp resolution, significantly better than previous generation recorders.

The absolute clock provides a supplemental timing method that is highly useful for correlating data captured on separate recorders, even at geographically separate locations.

The accuracy of the absolute clock can be further enhanced by synchronising the recorder's internal clock with time signals received from Global Positioning Satellites or other external reference clocks.

The new IRIG 106 Chapter 10 standard is accelerating the migration to digital recording, as users recognise the benefits of digital technology.

However, universal adoption will not occur overnight, and vendors need to continue to support the recording and reconstruction of analogue signals, video and audio.

Many users have a large investment in analogue technology and the benefit of digital technology does not always outweigh the cost of replacing legacy systems.

This calculus is changing for some, as the availability of analogue tapes decreases.

IRIG 106 Chapter 10 allows users to benefit from digital technology, without being dependent on a single vendor.

By lowering the switching costs, users can augment their capabilities, or seek new solutions, as their needs and the available technology evolves, while still protecting their basic investment in software-based decommutation and analysis systems.

IRIG106 Chapter 10 brings order to what has been a chaotic environment for users of first generation digital recording systems.

There is no longer the threat of expensive obsolescence or inferior performance through being tied to a single vendor's proprietary digital data format.

The standard takes account of all steps in the acquisition process from signal source through to analysis software and provides an easily implemented means for interoperability and data interchange.

This will bring comfort to the research, development and test community at large and encourage better products through healthy competition between vendors.

USB acquisition system is one of the best

2007-09-18T03:51:00.000-07:00

The NI CompactDAQ USB-based modular data acquisition system is a finalist for the Test Product of the Year in the Test and Measurement World 2007 Best in Test Awards

Editors at Test and Measurement World have named the NI CompactDAQ USB-based modular data acquisition system from National Instruments a Best in Test winner and a finalist for the Test Product of the Year in the publication's 2007 Best in Test Awards. 'Our readers can benefit from rugged, portable and modular data acquisition systems that are flexible and easy to use', said Rick Nelson, Chief Editor of Test and Measurement World.

'NI CompactDAQ fits the bill in that it combines plug-and-play USB capability with high-speed analogue and digital I/O for factory, lab and field applications'.

The NI CompactDAQ system offers an eight-slot chassis that accepts I/O modules capable of measuring up to 256 channels of electrical, physical, mechanical and acoustic signals in a single system.

NI CompactDAQ delivers connectivity and signal conditioning for measurements including voltage, temperature, strain, sound and vibration, as well as digital I/O and switching.

All modules are hot-swappable and autodetectable for simplified setup, and offer up to 2300V RMS of isolation to ensure PC and user safety.

The system is ideal for sensor and electrical measurements on the benchtop, in the field and on the production line.

Through signal streaming technology developed by National Instruments, NI CompactDAQ delivers four dedicated USB signal streams for synchronous analogue and digital I/O.

This high-bandwidth technology is necessary for data-intensive applications including sound and vibration, mixed-signal automated test and high-speed data logging.

In addition, the small size (25 x 9 x 9cm) and flexible power options (AC or 11 to 30V DC) make NI CompactDAQ ideal for a wide range of test settings, such as in-vehicle, benchtop and automated test applications.

'We are very pleased that T and M World has recognised the significance of the NI CompactDAQ system with its Best in Test award', said Tim Dehne, NI Senior Vice President of R and D.

'NI invests heavily in R and D, resulting in high-quality, high-performance products that revolutionise the way engineers and scientists work'.

'The NI CompactDAQ modular data acquisition system takes full advantage of the bandwidth of High-Speed USB and minimises both size and power consumption for portable requirements'.

Graphical language eases measurement analysis

2007-09-18T03:47:00.000-07:00

Agilent Technologies has introduced enhanced versions of its Visual Engineering Environment (VEE) software

Agilent Technologies has introduced enhanced versions of its Visual Engineering Environment (VEE) software, a powerful, interactive and open graphical language that is designed to provide a fast and easy path to measurement analysis. Agilent VEE Pro 8.0 and Agilent VEE Express 8.0 make measurement analysis easy with task-oriented building blocks, enabling engineers to focus on connecting instruments, measuring their device, analysing the data and presenting their results.

Other key benefits and features of these updates to Agilent VEE are provided by three key capabilities.

The Watch Window offers powerful and flexible debugging that allows users to view and edit values of variables and lines/terminals, and to continue execution of the program after editing.

Code Completion and Code Insight greatly benefit users who write formula objects through reduced keyboard inputs, the need for memorisation and external documentation.

And Programmatic VEE object properties allow users to quickly and easily build more interactive and interesting GUIs.

'Agilent VEE Pro 8.0 and Agilent VEE Express 8.0 come with new features that enhance the usability of the previous version and demonstrate our commitment to provide cost-effective hardware and software test solutions', said Ee Huei Sin, Vice President and General Manager of Agilent's Basic Instruments Division.

'Users can look forward to easy and fast tests and measurements with this two-time 'EDN Magazine Hot 100 product' award winner [in 2004 and 2005]'.

Agilent VEE Pro 8.0 is interactive software used for testing and advanced analysis that can be applied across industries and applications such as R and D, scientific and industrial manufacturing, education, aerospace/defence, and automotive.

This makes it an excellent tool for design, product development and test as well as scientific and advanced research and manufacturing.

It provides designers with an efficient way to make initial measurements with GPIB, RS232, GPIO, USB, LAN or VXI-based instruments, including data acquisition hardware from other manufacturers.

Agilent VEE Pro is part of Agilent Open, which simplifies system development through system-ready instrumentation, open software tools and PC-standard I/O, enabling users to focus on the performance, reliability and delivery of their products.

With these attributes, users can use Agilent VEE Pro to quickly configure devices across a variety of bus types and vendors, and create codes easily with a wide range of languages.

Agilent VEE Express 8.0, a basic version of Agilent VEE Pro 8.0, is an interactive software tool for automated USB data acquisition and analysis with the Agilent U2300A Series data acquisition modules and U2700A Series chassis.

Agilent VEE Express is an ideal tool for design-validation and manufacturing engineers who conduct data logging, measurement or monitoring in a broad range of industries.

It works seamlessly with all of Agilent's USB-based instruments.

Pricing for the Agilent VEE Pro 8.0 starts at US $1495.

The Agilent VEE Express 8.0 pricing starts at US $495.

Customers of Agilent VEE Express 8.0 are entitled to a 50% discount if they purchase the software together with Agilent U2300A Series data acquisition modules or U2700A Series chassis.

Multichannel cards sample simultaneously

2007-09-13T05:06:00.000-07:00

Card series allows simultaneous data acquisition of up to 16 channels on each card

The new 47xx card series from Spectrum allows simultaneous data acquisition of up to 16 channels on each card. There are in total 15 different versions available which differ in the number of channels (eight or 16), the sampling rate (100 to 500Ksample/s) and the card type (PCI, PXI/cPCI 3U and cPCI 6U).

Each channel has its own programmable amplifier with eight input ranges between +/-50mV and +/-10V and its own ADC with 16 bit resolution.

In contrast to the common multiplex cards the 47xx cards from Spectrum offer full sampling rate of 500Ksample/s independent whether one channel is active or all 16.

This fully synchronous design also minimises crosstalk between the channels.

Using the star-hub option up to 16 cards can be synchronised in one system giving a total of 256 fully synchronous channels each with 16bit resolution and 500Ksample/s sampling rate.

Each of the channels can be trigger source for the complete system by connecting the trigger sources by OR/AND conjunction.

Besides the common standard trigger modes like level and edge or window these cards also offer a real slope (spike) trigger as well as individual pulsewidth triggers for each channel.

This may per example be used to monitor signal failures simultaneously on each channel when doing cable testing.

The cards are equipped with a standard memory of 32Msample (PCI version) or 8Msample (PXI and cPCI version).

The memory is used completely for data buffering allowing continuously streaming of data to the PC for further calculations there.

The cards are delivered with drivers for Windows and Linux as well as extended examples for C/C++, LabWindows, Delphi and Visual Basic.

The software SBench suitable for laboratory use is also included in the delivery free of charge.

Support of LabView, Matlab, DasyLab or Agilent VEE is available as an option.

The M2i.47xx card series is available in small quantities now and will enter serial production at the beginning of 2007.

USB acquisition module combines many functions

2007-09-13T05:05:00.000-07:00

USB device is an ideal solution for adding portable, easy-to-install, digital and serial capabilities to any PC or embedded system with a USB port

Acces I/O Products has added to its successful line of USB embedded data acquisition modules with the Model USB-IIRO4-2SM. This dense multifunction device incorporates four optically isolated digital inputs, four Form C (SPDT) electromechanical relay outputs, and two RS232/422/485 serial communication ports - all packaged in a small, rugged, industrial enclosure.

This USB device is an ideal solution for adding portable, easy-to-install, digital and serial capabilities to any PC or embedded system with a USB port.

It is fully compatible with both USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 ports.

Hot-plug functionality allows for quick connect/disconnect whenever you need additional I/O on your USB port.

This single USB device is ideal for a variety of applications where onboard relays are required and inputs must be isolated such as in test equipment, instrumentation, industrial monitoring, process control, and communication.

The OEM version provides just the board without the enclosure and is ideal for a variety of embedded OEM applications.

Electromechanical Form C relays are used due to their robustness and ability to withstand unexpected surge currents.

This allows for increased flexibility in switching capability.

These relays are used in environments where small reed relays would be considered inadequate due to their susceptibility to contact damage.

The unit also features a high-speed custom function driver optimised for a maximum data throughput that is 50-100 times faster than the USB human interface device (HID) driver used by many competing products.

This approach maximises the full functionality of the hardware and capitalises on the advantages of USB.

To simplify wiring connections, the isolated inputs and relay outputs are available via a mounted DB25 connector or, for OEMs, a 26-pin IDC vertical shrouded header.

An additional USB input header is provided for embedded applications along with a downstream USB port for connecting additional USB devices.

Serial communications are conveniently provided through two DB9 connectors with adjacent LEDs indicating serial port activity.

The USB-IIRO4-2SM is designed to be used in rugged industrial environments but is small enough to fit nicely onto any desk or testing station.

The board measures just 90 x 96mm and ships inside a steel powder-coated enclosure with an antiskid bottom.

A DIN rail mounting provision is available for installation in industrial environments.

What makes the OEM option unique is that its PCB size and predrilled mounting holes match the PC/104 form factor (without the bus connections).

This ensures easy installation using standard standoffs inside most enclosures or systems.

The USB-IIRO4-2SM can be integrated into any PCI-104 or PC/104 stack by connecting it to a simple USB port usually included onboard with embedded CPU form factors such as EBX, EPIC, and PC/104 - especially important since many newer CPU chipsets do not support ISA and have plenty of USB ports.

The USB-IIRO4-2SM is supported for use in most operating systems and includes a free Linux (including Mac OS X) and Windows 98/NT/2000/XP/2003 compatible software package.

This package contains sample programs and source code in Visual Basic, Delphi, C++ Builder and Visual C++ for Windows.

Also incorporated is a graphical setup program in Windows.

Third party support includes a Windows standard DLL interface usable from the most popular application programs, and includes example LabView VIs.

Embedded OS support includes Windows XPe.

Acquisition boards make the most of PCI Express

2007-09-13T05:02:00.000-07:00

Low-cost digital I/O boards build on the throughput of the PCI Express interface to acquire and generate large digital patterns that are otherwise impossible to sustain

National Instruments has announced the industry's first high-speed digital I/O instruments for PCI Express to deliver up to 200Mbyte/s dedicated throughput per direction to and from the host processor. The NI PCIe-6536 25MHz and NI PCIe-6537 50MHz low-cost digital I/O boards build on the throughput of the PCI Express interface to acquire and generate large digital patterns that are otherwise impossible to sustain.

Using this high-performance bus, the new digital I/O boards can directly stream data to and from the host processor at full datarates with increased performance and lower costs than traditional proprietary test systems.

Engineers can use the new instruments to meet a variety of applications including interfacing to memory devices, emulating communications protocols and testing image sensors and display panels.

The new NI PCIe-6536 and NI PCIe-6537 digital I/O boards offer a flexible, universal parallel interface that is entirely software configurable.

The digital boards feature maximum clock rates of 25 and 50MHz across 32 channels for maximum sustainable throughput of 100 and 200Mbyte/s, respectively.

Engineers can set the direction of each channel for acquisition or generation and can choose from 2.5, 3.3 or 5.0V TTL compliant logic levels per direction.

The boards are capable of both synchronous and asynchronous timing modes for applications including pattern I/O, handshaking and change detection.

Engineers can also easily synchronise the new PCI Express digital boards with other PCI Express data acquisition boards to create powerful mixed-signal test systems.

Devices built on slower buses, such as LAN, PCI or GPIB, require large amounts of expensive, onboard memory to acquire and generate long waveforms at the maximum datarates of the instruments.

The new digital devices take advantage of the high bandwidth of PCI Express and use inexpensive PC memory to increase performance while reducing the overall cost of the board.

Engineers can further reduce the development and maintenance costs of a new digital test system by using NI-DAQmx driver software and graphical programming to rapidly prototype their systems.

Customers can reuse existing digital applications written with the NI-DAQmx API for the popular NI 6533 and NI 6534 digital devices with their new PCI Express instruments.

The boards are also compatible with NI Digital Waveform Editor software for interactively creating, editing and importing digital waveforms.

Acquisition cards add Linux support

2007-09-13T03:55:00.000-07:00

All data acquisition and waveform generators of the M2i series are now delivered with Linux drivers suitable for Linux distributions with kernel 2.4 and kernel 2.6

These drivers support single processor systems as well as SMP systems. Offering these new drivers Spectrum, the expert for fast and robust synchronous PC instruments, continues its extended software support for PC instruments. With this Spectrum is one of the few manufacturers worldwide offering powerful and complete Linux drivers for all products.

With this driver multichannel A/D cards and digitisers ranging from 100Ksample/s up to 500Msample/s with resolution from 8 to 16bit, D/A cards with 8 or 14bit resolution up to 125Msample/s as well as fast digital I/O cards with up to 64 channels are available under state-of-the-art Linux systems like Suse 10.2 or Fedora Core 6.

All card features like the up to 4Gbyte onboard memory or the sustained transfer rate of up to 225Mbyte/s into the PC memory are supported.

Using the star-hub option it is possible to even set up synchronous systems of up to 1000 channels.

The drivers are available for Linux 32bit as well as 64bit version.

This offers a high processing power for complex calculation tasks as well as several gigabytes of PC memory for acquired or generated data.

The complete PC memory can be addressed directly from the card using scatter-gather DMA allowing extremely long data acquisitions even with high sampling rates.

Spectrum offers freely available precompiled kernel modules for common Linux distributions like Suse, Redhat, Fedora or Debian.

Customers may also get the complete kernel driver source code against a signed NDA allowing them to compile the driver for nearly any Linux distribution that's on the market.

Linux support also includes a wide variety of Gnu C++ examples. Request a free brochure from Spectrum Systementwicklung Microelectronic....

DAQ system provides more channels

2007-09-13T03:53:00.000-07:00

Multifunction data acquisition modules and instrument chassis offer increased bandwidth for multiple I/O operations coupled with ease of connectivity and hot-swappable connections

Agilent Technologies has introduced a series of multifunction data acquisition (DAQ) modules and instrument chassis that offer increased bandwidth for multiple I/O operations coupled with ease of connectivity and hot-swappable connections. This, together with the DAQ device's high sampling rate of up to 3Msample/s for a single channel, enables fast and easy instrument setup and quality data acquisition.

Data acquisition modules are commonly used to perform measurement, monitoring, control or simulation of real-world signals such as temperature, pressure, vibration and strain.

As data acquisition systems become more complex with multiconfiguration and multivendor components and instruments, the Agilent U2300A Series USB modular multifunction DAQ device uses the common, nonproprietary standard interface that provides ease of connectivity - allowing users to set up and configure their tests swiftly with its plug-and-play USB interface.

When used with the Agilent U2700A Series USB modular instrument chassis, this DAQ system provides more channels for today's various measurement needs.

Providing flexibility across application software, the U2300A and the U2700A are part of Agilent Open, supporting open industry-standard software and PC-standard I/O.

Simplifying the DAQ device application further is the bundled Agilent Modular Instruments Measurement Manager application software.

This software eases instrument configuration and control, supports data-logging and enables export of data to printable formats for ease of analysis.

'With the recent successful launch of our handheld products, this new series of DAQ devices further strengthens our commitment to provide cost-effective solutions', said Ee Huei Sin, Vice President and General Manager of Agilent's Basic Instruments Division.

'The unique feature of the U2300A Series is its ability to work either as a stand-alone or modular instrument with the U2700A Series USB modular instrument chassis'.

'This is an exciting next step in the broadening of Agilent's value-based product offering', said Gooi Soon Chai, Vice President and General Manager of Agilent's Electronic Instruments Business Unit.

'Now, we are expanding our portfolio by introducing a modular-based high-speed, high-volume USB DAQ solution'.

Agilent's U2300A Series USB modular multifunction data acquisition device is an ideal tool for design validation and manufacturing engineers who conduct data logging, measurement or monitoring in a broad range of industries.

It has an easy plug-and-play PC interface for high-speed data acquisition applications.

The U2300A Series consists of seven modules with Hi-Speed USB 2.0, up to 64 analogue input channels (384 channels when used with the U2700A Series chassis), and up to 3Msample/s sampling rate for a single channel.

The easy-to-use Agilent Modular Instruments Measurement Manager software is included at no charge.

Giving users the flexibility to use other widely used application software, the U2300A Series is compatible with a wide range of application development environments such as Agilent VEE, NI LabView and Microsoft Visual Studio.

The Agilent U2700A Series USB modular instrument chassis is a six-slot USB modular chassis.

Like the U2300A Series device, it offers an easy plug-and-play setup and configuration with its Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interface.

Having the ability to connect up to six modules of U2300A Series DAQ devices, it allows an expansion up to 384 channels for various tests and measurements in today's high-performance applications.

Linear Hall-effect sensors are small and accurate

2007-09-13T03:51:00.000-07:00

Linear Hall-effect sensors are ideal for high-accuracy requirements in automotive and industrial applications

The new A138X family of Hall-effect sensor integrated circuits from Allegro MicroSystems Europe are programmable, analogue-output devices that are offered in a choice of low-profile surface-mount packages. New applications for linear output Hall-effect sensors, such as displacement, angular position and current measurement, require high accuracy in conjunction with small package size.

Although achieving both can be challenging, the Allegro A138x family of programmable linear Hall-effect sensors has been designed specifically to achieve both goals.

Each device in the A138X family is a BiCMOS monolithic circuit which integrates a Hall element, temperature-compensating circuitry to reduce the intrinsic sensitivity drift of the Hall element, a small-signal high-gain amplifier, a clamped low-impedance output stage and proprietary dynamic offset cancellation technique circuitry.

These sensitive, temperature-stable ratiometric sensors provide a voltage output that is proportional to the applied magnetic field.

The quiescent output voltage is user adjustable around 50% of the supply voltage and the output sensitivity is amendable around four nominal options: 2.5, 3.125, 5.0 and 7.5mV/G.

Programming selections also exist for output polarity and to adjust temperature compensation.

The accuracy of these devices is enhanced via programmability on the output pin for end-of-line optimisation without the added complexity and cost of a fully programmable device.

Absolute maximum ratings include a supply voltage of 8V, reverse supply voltage of -0.1V, reverse output voltage of -0.1V, output source current of 10mA, and output sink current of 2mA.

The features of this linear Hall-effect sensor family make them ideal for high-accuracy requirements in automotive and industrial applications.

They are guaranteed for operation over an extended temperature range from -40 to +150C, and offer precise recoverability after temperature cycling.

Acquisition and telemetry group comes together

2007-09-13T03:48:00.000-07:00

The Zodiac Group has finalised the union of three of its US technology group operations to create Zodiac Data Systems

This newly unified company, comprising Heim Data Division, Enertec Division and In-Snec Division, will provide customers with a complete offering of data acquisition and telemetry solutions. 'This exciting combination of leading-edge technology companies presents our customers with a single source for a comprehensive range of data acquisition and telemetry system offerings'.

'In addition to providing a broader range of products and systems capability, Zodiac Data Systems will deliver improved quality and service, as well as drive technology innovation for our customers' applications', said Bill Barsby, CEO, Zodiac Data Systems.

Heim Data, a leading supplier of data acquisition equipment, distributes and supports a wide range of industrial, mobile, portable, airborne and laboratory data acquisition systems.

These systems provide high quality, flexible off-the-shelf solutions for stand-alone and computer integrated operation suitable for flight test, range telemetry and general industrial data acquisition.

Enertec is a leading name in mission data recorders and storage, providing solutions for aerospace and defence applications requiring compact, rugged, high bit rate airborne systems.

Enertec provides COTS and custom engineered systems with a focus on the specific needs of harsh environment missions.

In-Snec provides products and systems in support of ground and airborne telemetry applications.

Airborne products include telemetry transmitters, data links for UAV sensor and command/control communications, flight termination receivers and data acquisition systems.

Ground products and systems include flight termination command uplink equipment, receivers for telemetry, remote sensing and TT and C baseband applications.

Complete ground and mobile data processing systems including a wide range of tracking antennas and controllers.

DAQ system provides more channels

2007-09-10T02:26:00.000-07:00

Linear Hall-effect sensors are small and accurate

2007-09-10T02:24:00.000-07:00

Acquisition and telemetry group comes together

2007-09-10T02:15:00.000-07:00

The Zodiac Group has finalised the union of three of its US technology group operations to create Zodiac Data Systems

This newly unified company, comprising Heim Data Division, Enertec Division and In-Snec Division, will provide customers with a complete offering of data acquisition and telemetry solutions. 'This exciting combination of leading-edge technology companies presents our customers with a single source for a comprehensive range of data acquisition and telemetry system offerings'.

In addition to providing a broader range of products and systems capability, Zodiac Data Systems will deliver improved quality and service, as well as drive technology innovation for our customers' applications', said Bill Barsby, CEO, Zodiac Data Systems.

Heim Data, a leading supplier of data acquisition equipment, distributes and supports a wide range of industrial, mobile, portable, airborne and laboratory data acquisition systems.

These systems provide high quality, flexible off-the-shelf solutions for stand-alone and computer integrated operation suitable for flight test, range telemetry and general industrial data acquisition.

Enertec is a leading name in mission data recorders and storage, providing solutions for aerospace and defence applications requiring compact, rugged, high bit rate airborne systems.

Enertec provides COTS and custom engineered systems with a focus on the specific needs of harsh environment missions.

In-Snec provides products and systems in support of ground and airborne telemetry applications.

Airborne products include telemetry transmitters, data links for UAV sensor and command/control communications, flight termination receivers and data acquisition systems.

Ground products and systems include flight termination command uplink equipment, receivers for telemetry, remote sensing and TT and C baseband applications.

Complete ground and mobile data processing systems including a wide range of tracking antennas and controllers.

Addon module embeds 24bit acquisition

2007-09-07T03:56:00.000-07:00

Wildcard accepts low level signals directly from transducers, amplifies and conditions them, and converts them with 24bit resolution with no missing codes

The 24/7 Data Acquisition Wildcard from Mosaic Industries is ideal for applications that require high resolution measurements. It accepts low level signals directly from transducers, amplifies and conditions them, and converts them with 24bit resolution with no missing codes. Mounted on any of Mosaic's single board computers, it provides a high performance analogue front end, offering exceptional resolution, stability, and noise rejection.

The analogue-to-digital subsystem performs signal conditioning and conversion for up to seven input channels.

Amplifier gain, lowpass filter corner frequency and sampling rate are all software programmable using simple commands.

Conversion rate is programmable from 4.8Hz to over 1.01kHz.

Other features under software control include self-calibration, system calibration, input gain, filter cutoff, channel selection, signal polarity, and bipolar or unipolar input ranges.

The 24/7 Data Acquisition system can extract highly accurate data, even from noisy sources with imperfect signal conditioning in electrically harsh environments.

It has 256 times the resolution of standard 16bit convertors, but at comparable cost.

This tiny 2 x 2.5in board is a member of the Wildcard series that connects to any of Mosaic's controllers.

Up to eight mix-and-match Wildcards can be stacked onto Mosaic's single board computers and graphical user interfaces for a unique combination of specialised I/O.

Other Wildcards include Ethernet, USB, GPS, octal 12bit D/A and 16bit A/D convertors, signal conditioning, CompactFlash mass memory interface, fast buffered RS232/485 dual UART, high voltage/high current isolated I/O, AC or DC solid state relays, and more.

The DA24/7 Wildcard is US $112 in 100-unit quantities and is available immediately.

Acquisition cards promise express performance

2007-09-07T03:54:00.000-07:00

High-performance multifunction data acquisition cards take advantage of the high bandwidth of the x1 PCI Express bus for large-scale data transfers at up to 500Mbyte/s

New from Adlink Technology, the DAQe-2200 series of high-performance multifunction data acquisition cards take advantage of the high bandwidth of the x1 PCI Express bus for large-scale data transfers of up to 500Mbyte/s. The DAQe-2200 series samples up to 64 analogue channels with various input ranges (up to 10V) and sampling speeds (up to 3Msample/s) while offering a differential mode for 32 analogue channels to maximum noise elimination.

his series features analogue and digital triggering, two-channel 12bit analogue outputs with waveform generation, 24-channel programmable digital I/O lines, and a two-channel 16bit general-purpose timer/counter-ideal for high-speed high-volume data acquisition in industrial and laboratory measurement/automation, actuator control, ultrasonic and acoustic applications.

The DAQe-2200 series comprises: the DAQe-2204, a 12bit A/D resolution card with a 3Msample/s simultaneous sampling rate; the DAQe-2205, a 16bit A/D resolution card with a 500Ksample/s Simultaneous sampling rate; and the DAQe-2206, a 16bit A/D resolution card with a 250Ksample/s simultaneous sampling rate.

The DAQe-2200 series also features simultaneous analogue input and output at full speed, an SSI (system synchronisation interface) bus to allow up to four cards to be synchronised, auto-calibration that adjusts the gain and offset to within specified parameters, and scatter-gather bus mastering.

The scatter-gather bus-mastering feature allows the acquisition of a large amount of data at a high speed by transferring data directly to and from memory through the DMA controller up to the size limited by the system memory. Request a free brochure from Adlink Technology....

Hub protects PCs from instrumental excesses

2007-09-07T03:51:00.000-07:00

Seven-port optically isolated USB hub protects computers from the power surges, spikes and ground loops that are commonly found in industrial and OEM applications

New from Sealevel Systems, the SeaI/O-270U is a seven-port optically isolated USB 1.1/2.0 compatible hub that protects computers from damaging power surges, spikes, and ground loops commonly found in industrial and OEM applications. The SeaI/O-270U offers system designers an effective tool for interfacing USB peripherals in virtually any environment.

In addition to protection from electrical damage, the SeaI/O-270U includes Sealevel's patent-pending SeaLatch locking USB connector design to prevent accidental cable disconnection of both upstream and downstream USB ports.

The SeaI/O-270U provides up to 1500V AC protection from harmful voltages injected on USB peripheral cabling.

Status LEDs on the hub indicate external power, connection to the host, and fault conditions.

The hub is housed in a rugged metal enclosure and each of the seven USB downstream connections provides a full 500mA of power suitable for all USB peripherals.

SeaI/O-270U hubs are supported in Windows, Linux, and all other operating systems that recognise USB.

Simply provide power to the hub using the included power supply, plug the hub into an available USB port with the included cable, and the hub is automatically recognised.

Standard SeaI/O-270U hubs operate between 0 to +70C and designers can special-order extended temperature range (-40 to +85C) hubs.

SeaI/O-270U hubs are available now and prices start at US $379.

Signal generators cut costs for production testing

2007-07-11T00:13:00.000-07:00

Rohde and Schwarz has added low-cost options to its SMJ100A vector signal generator range for use in production test setups
When signal generators are used in production testing, the ability to generate signals in real time or to make frequent changes to signal parameters is not usually necessary. Price is a powerful argument for purchasing an instrument. With this group of users in mind, Rohde and Schwarz has expanded its R and S SMJ100A vector signal generator at the lower end.

The R and S SMJ-B50 and SMJ-B51 options now make it possible to equip the R and S SMJ100A with ARB-only baseband generators without comprising the signal quality.

This solution is more cost-effective than the existing baseband options for the signal generator because only the functions that are absolutely necessary are provided.

The option for the R and S SMJ100A with the ARB-only functionality is available in two versions with a memory depth of 64Msample (R and S SMJ-B50) or 16Msample (R and S SMJ-B51).

Users can generate digital signals by using the R and S WinIQSIM or WinIQSIM II simulation software; or they can use Third-party tools such as Matlab.

Tetra tester adds more capabilities

2007-07-11T00:07:00.000-07:00

Digital radio test set provides more test capabilities integrated into one system, as well as extended analysis range and file management functions
New from Aeroflex at the Tetra World congress, the 3920 digital radio test set for Tetra and P25 features enhancements that provide test professionals with more test capabilities integrated into one system, as well as extended analysis range and file management functions. The next generation of the Aeroflex 3900 Series, the 3920 replaces the 3901 and 3902 radio test sets.

While providing new features and functions, the 3920 continues to perform all the tests previous capable with the 3901 and 3902, including Tetra mobile station, basestation and direct mode test features.

An optional 3.5-digit DMM function includes the ability to measure alternating and direct voltage and current as well as resistance.

AC voltages up to 150V RMS and DC voltages to 150V can now be quickly measured using the easily accessible front panel connections or via GPIB and Ethernet commands.

Additionally, the 3920 provides measurement of current up to 20A (with optional external shunt) and as a fully automated ohmmeter capable of measuring from 0 to 20Mohm.

The 3920 is fully protected against over voltage or current conditions with an easy to access front panel fuse.

The 3920 also provides new capabilities to export files to USB drives and connect external USB input devices for even easier operation of the 3920.

Located just below the optional DMM ports, the USB interface provides easy front panel access as a standard feature.

Additionally, the 3920 offers extended audio input ranges for measuring and analysing audio signals with extended range inputs of up to 30V RMS.

With this added capability, the 3920 can be used for analysing high level audio signals including measurements for AF frequency, AF level, SINAD, distortion, hum and noise and signal to noise ratio.

The 3920 provides RF operation from 10MHz (usable from 100kHz) to 1GHz standard, with OPT058 providing the ability to go to 2.7GHz.

Designed as a software-defined radio test system, the 3920 supports AM and FM analysis as a standard feature, but optionally provides extended test capabilities for new digital radio communication systems including Tetra, Project 25 and Motorola's HPD technologies.

The 3920 also emulates the now discontinued Agilent 8920A/B series in test capabilities and GPIB commands, with over 90% of the 8920B commands emulated by the 3920.

The 3920 is fully CE and UL compliant.

Slimline accelerometer aids handset integration

2007-07-04T06:24:00.000-07:00

Three-axis digital-output accelerometer is claimed to be 77% smaller than previous industry offerings
Freescale Semiconductor has expanded its microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based sensor portfolio with a three-axis digital-output accelerometer claimed to be 77% smaller than previous industry offerings. Billed as the world's thinnest accelerometer, the MMA7450L is available in a 0.8mm thin plastic land grid array (LGA) package designed to meet the growing space constraints of feature-rich portable devices.

Designed to simplify integration of microprocessors and microcontrollers (MCUs), the MMA7450L is ideal for handheld terminals that implement user interfaces based on hand movements and appliances that require movement, acceleration or inclination sensing.

'The potential of triple-axis accelerometers is sparking the imagination of designers for all kinds of end uses, which will drive the growth of MEMS sensors in portable consumer electronics by nearly 10% over the next five years', says Marlene Bourne, principal analyst at Bourne Research.

'Low profile is extremely important, and Freescale has set the bar with one of the thinnest packages yet'.

The MMA7450L can communicate on both I2C and SPI interface buses.

The digital output streamlines communication with the MCU or microprocessor.

Designed to simplify integration of microprocessors and microcontrollers (MCUs), the MMA7450L is ideal for handheld terminals that implement user interfaces based on hand movements and appliances that require movement, acceleration or inclination sensing.

'The potential of triple-axis accelerometers is sparking the imagination of designers for all kinds of end uses, which will drive the growth of MEMS sensors in portable consumer electronics by nearly 10% over the next five years', says Marlene Bourne, principal analyst at Bourne Research.

'Low profile is extremely important, and Freescale has set the bar with one of the thinnest packages yet'.

The MMA7450L can communicate on both I2C and SPI interface buses.

The digital output streamlines communication with the MCU or microprocessor.

Designed to simplify integration of microprocessors and microcontrollers (MCUs), the MMA7450L is ideal for handheld terminals that implement user interfaces based on hand movements and appliances that require movement, acceleration or inclination sensing.

Analogue inputs boast gigasample throughput

2007-07-04T06:14:00.000-07:00

Ultra-high-speed analogue capture modules feature the latest gigasample analogue-to-digital convertors from National Semiconductor
Nallatech has released a pair of ultra-high-speed analogue capture modules featuring the latest gigasample analogue-to-digital convertors (ADCs) from National Semiconductor. These new products offer customers multiple ultra wide band analogue I/O capture channels directly coupled to a Xilinx Virtex-4 FPGA - a powerful combination ideal for addressing the processing requirements of demanding embedded applications such as sigint, radar and lidar (light detecting and ranging).

This new product range further strengthens Nallatech's position as the dominant supplier of COTS FPGA embedded products for the defence and security markets.

Shipping with immediate effect is the Nallatech BenADC 3G.

This product features two National 8bit 3Gsample/s ADCs, an external clock input and digital trigger.

Each ADC083000 ADC can achieve up to 7.0 effective number of bits (ENOB), 44.5dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and 54.5dB spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) when sampling a 748MHz input signal at 3Gsample/s.

Trigger and clock signal inputs allow simultaneous sampling of both channels, enabling synchronous data acquisition on a single card.

Two banks of DDR-II SRAM memory are directly coupled to the user FPGA allowing algorithm and ADC data to be locally buffered.

National's LMX2531LQ1500E delta-sigma phase-locked loop and voltage-controlled oscillator (PLL+VCO) integrated circuit is also featured on the BENADC-3G module.

It provides a very stable, low noise clock source in order to achieve the highest SNR (or ENOB) possible from the gigasample rate ADCs.

The BenADC 1.5G features the same FPGA and memory back-end as the BenADC 3G, however uses two ADC08D1500 National ADCs providing users with four 8bit 1.5Gsample/s analogue capture channels as well as external clock and trigger inputs.

This product is the ideal solution for applications such as beamforming that requires a high number of input channels per FPGA.

This product will be available Q3 2007.

Both products are available with a choice of Virtex-4 SX55, LX100 or LX160 user FPGAs.

'We are extremely excited by these new products; they extend our core FPGA competences, offering users ultra high speed analogue I/O modules to enable digital signal processing and conditioning capabilities within close proximity of the sensor front end', says Stephen Lynas, VP Marketing of Nallatech.

'The inclusion of this analogue capability within our market leading product range allows us to address a growing market requirement and ease the development of embedded systems for our customers'.

'National's innovative ADC technology is well-suited to COTS FPGA embedded products and provides Nallatech the analogue peripheral features needed to design seamless system solutions with Xilinx Virtex-4 FPGAs', says Alan Hutton, European Partnership Programme Manager at National Semiconductor.

'Our ADCs have a unique folding and interpolating architecture that enables a very flat response of all the dynamic parameters up to Nyquist, with no missing codes guaranteed over the full operating temperature range'.

Both products are delivered with a suite of optimised IP cores and reference designs.

Xilinx System Generator library components are also provided allowing non-VHDL users to target the hardware using Simulink.

Software support includes Windows, Linux and VXWorks.

High-speed digitiser leads new range

2007-06-18T23:45:00.001-07:00

Short PCI card format digitiser combines data convertor ASIC technology with a high level of component integration for significantly reduced power consumption of less than 15W

Agilent Technologies has introduced the first device in a new range of digitisers. The Acqiris DP1400 high-speed digitiser features a compact design and highly integrated technology for extremely low-power consumption as well as a unique simultaneous multibuffer acquisition and readout (SAR) mode that significantly improves measurement throughput.
Agilent acquired Acqiris in November 2006.

Designed in a standard short PCI card format, the compact Acqiris DP1400 combines data convertor ASIC technology with a high level of component integration for significantly reduced power consumption of less than 15W.

It can be used in all standard PCIbus slots, whether long or short, and is ideal for a variety of test applications, including semiconductor component test, hard disk drive production test and industrial nondestructive testing.
With the optional SAR mode, the onboard memory is separated into multiple buffers.

As data is acquired into one buffer, another can be read out through the 32bit/64MHz PCI at up to 250Mbyte/s.

In applications where the total datarate of the acquisition is below the PCI data bandwidth, the Acqiris DP1400 with SAR mode can acquire continuously, missing zero events.

The 8bit, dual-channel DP1400 features an analogue front-end mezzanine containing both signal conditioning and high-speed analogue-to-digital convertor (ADC) components.

Both inputs provide an AC- and DC-coupled digitising channel with 50ohm input impedance.

The real-time sampling rate of up to 1Gsample/s on each channel can be increased up to 2Gsample/s real-time sampling in single channel mode by interleaving the ADCs.

The standard 256Kpoint of onboard memory can be segmented for burst mode acquisitions with an impressive 350 ns of intersegment dead time.

When more than two data-acquisition channels are required, the Acqiris DP1400 digitisers can be synchronised using the 2GHz auto-synchronisation bus (AS Bus 2), a proprietary, high-bandwidth bus system to connect multiple digitisers.

The AS Bus 2 distributes both the clock and trigger signals among all the digitisers that participate in the system.

It allows any digitiser to generate the trigger while the central digitiser acts as the common synchronous clock source.

With software drivers for Windows, Linux, LabViewRT and VxWorks as well as application code examples for Matlab, C++, VisualBasic, LabView and LabWindows, the Acqiris DP1400 easily integrates into existing measurement systems.

The flexibility of the driver means that, with minimum software adjustments, any Acqiris digitiser can be exchanged, replaced or upgraded with the latest high-speed Acqiris digitiser.

Pricing for the high-speed Acqiris DP1400 digitiser starts at US $9490.

Drivers upgrade DAQ card performance

2007-06-18T23:31:00.000-07:00

Updated DAQ card drivers support the Windows Vista operating system and enable data acquisition and industrial control applications to use all current versions of Windows

Adlink Technology has delivered new DAQ card drivers that support the Windows Vista operating system and enable data acquisition and industrial control applications to use all current versions of Windows. With these new Windows drivers, Adlink brings benefits of improved computing performance and system security offered by Windows Vista to data acquisition and industrial control applications.
The new drivers support over a hundred Adlink data acquisition cards in a wide assortment of functions such as simultaneous-sampling DAQ, high-channel-count DAQ, high-speed digital input/output, high-density digital input/output, analogue output, digitisers, and timer/counter; and in a variety of form factors including PCI Express, PCI, CompactPCI and PXI.

The latest Adlink DAQ card drivers support the most popular Windows operating systems, including the 32bit versions of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT and Windows 98 as well as the 64bit versions of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP on both the AMD64 and Intel x86-64 system architectures.

With the 64bit editions of the Windows operating systems, memory-intensive applications such as video acquisition and large-scale data processing applications can be developed to take advantage of the enhanced computing performance over the limited 32bit operating systems.

The drivers have valid digital signatures - a new requirement for Windows Vista x64

Acquisition cards promise express performance

2007-06-16T02:23:00.000-07:00

High-performance multifunction data acquisition cards take advantage of the high bandwidth of the x1 PCI Express bus for large-scale data transfers at up to 500Mbyte/s

New from Adlink Technology, the DAQe-2200 series of high-performance multifunction data acquisition cards take advantage of the high bandwidth of the x1 PCI Express bus for large-scale data transfers of up to 500Mbyte/s. The DAQe-2200 series samples up to 64 analogue channels with various input ranges (up to 10V) and sampling speeds (up to 3Msample/s) while offering a differential mode for 32 analogue channels to maximum noise elimination.
This series features analogue and digital triggering, two-channel 12bit analogue outputs with waveform generation, 24-channel programmable digital I/O lines, and a two-channel 16bit general-purpose timer/counter-ideal for high-speed high-volume data acquisition in industrial and laboratory measurement/automation, actuator control, ultrasonic and acoustic applications.

The DAQe-2200 series comprises: the DAQe-2204, a 12bit A/D resolution card with a 3Msample/s simultaneous sampling rate; the DAQe-2205, a 16bit A/D resolution card with a 500Ksample/s Simultaneous sampling rate; and the DAQe-2206, a 16bit A/D resolution card with a 250Ksample/s simultaneous sampling rate.

The DAQe-2200 series also features simultaneous analogue input and output at full speed, an SSI (system synchronisation interface) bus to allow up to four cards to be synchronised, auto-calibration that adjusts the gain and offset to within specified parameters, and scatter-gather bus mastering.

Sensors combine for handheld inertial measurement

2007-06-16T02:18:00.000-07:00

Inertial measurement unit delivers performance and functionality previously reserved for defence, aerospace and other high-end applications, at approximately one tenth the cost

Analog Devices has extended its iSensor intelligent sensor product family with an advanced motion sensor that for the first time allows industrial designers to easily and cost-effectively equip their products with full-range multi-axis inertial sensing. Leveraging Analog Devices' iMEMS Motion Signal Processing Technology, the ADIS16355 inertial measurement unit (IMU) delivers performance and functionality previously reserved for defence, aerospace and other high-end applications, at approximately one tenth of the cost.
Combining three axes of angular rate sensing and three axes of acceleration sensing, the new IMU cost-effectively provides full six-degrees-of-freedom (6DOF) motion measurement to enable the benefits of complex motion analysis in applications such as vehicle-mounted cameras and antennas, commercial aircraft guidance units, robotics, and prosthetics.

Other less integrated sensors require designers to perform complex, costly, and time-consuming motion testing and calibration across temperature and multiple axes before they can be assured the devices will provide accurate and reliable feedback.

Analog Devices overcomes this barrier by submitting the ADIS16355 to a comprehensive factory calibration process and providing the new sensor with a simple, programmable interface to ensure it is both highly precise and ready for integration right out of the box.

The ADIS16355 also includes full-temperature-range calibration, versus the room temperature calibration available in the ADIS16350, and provides a superior bias temperature stability of 0.005deg/s/C.

The ADIS16355 6DOF sensor can be used anywhere high-performance position or motion detection is required.
In aircraft, ships, truck fleets, agricultural equipment, and other vehicles that rely on GPS (global positioning system) satellite navigation to maintain accurate positional information, the IMU compensates for GPS signal loss or vehicle-induced signal irregularities.

By detecting tiny shifts in linear acceleration and angular movement, the ADIS16355 provides dead reckoning, allowing vehicles to remain on course until a lost GPS signal is restored.

In addition to navigation, the ADIS16355 can be used in countless motion control applications, including highly sensitive robotic devices, where the IMU helps ensure that precision movements can be repeated thousands of times.

With similar devices ranging in price from several hundred to several thousand dollars, many applications have been unable to afford the level of precision enabled by the ADIS16355 and ADIS16350, which also provide a 50-times improvement in sensor accuracy compared with other off-the-shelf inertial sensors.

A more significant barrier is that the complexities involved in integrating and testing a complete solution starting from the basic sensors presents an extremely complex design challenge.

The outstanding cost-performance ratio of the ADIS16355 and ADIS16350 is complemented by unprecedented ease of use, which ensures industrial designers can quickly integrate motion sensing functions into a range of applications.

'Since many motion sensors are shipped without calibration, their performance can be sensitive to changes in voltage, temperature, vibration, and the effects of other sensors in the IMU', says Andy Garner, Product Line Director for iSensor Intelligent Sensor Products, Analog Devices.

'Making such sensors useful within an already complex system is a challenge to even the best designers with access to the most sophisticated test and calibration equipment'.

'By performing all critical IMU calibration and compensation in-house using a range of proprietary test capabilities, ADI can reduce system development time by up to 12 months, while potentially saving customers hundreds of thousands of dollars in test equipment costs'.

The ADIS16355 IMU provides six-degrees-of-freedom motion sensing, embedded calibration and sensor processing, sensor-to-sensor cross compensation, and significantly improved signal stability (in-run bias stability of 0.015deg/s) in a form factor smaller than a 1in cube.

Factory calibration and embedded cross-axial alignment compensation enable designers without sensor expertise to quickly, easily, and cost-effectively integrate motion sensing technology to add an entirely new dimension of performance to their applications.

Both the ADIS16355 and ADIS16350 include a programmable SPI (serial peripheral interface) port that provides easy access for programming features such as filtering, sample-rate, power-management, self-test, and sensor condition status and alarms.

The devices are also fully in-system tunable, allowing designers to quickly and easily debug their system and experiment with different configurations for design optimisation.

The ADIS16355 provides exceptionally precise and stable sensor response, and the ADIS16350 offers a lower cost alternative for less sensitive applications.

The ADIS16350 is available now and priced at US $275 per unit in 1000-unit quantities.

The ADIS16355 will sample in July and release to full production in September 2007.

The new device is priced at US $359 per unit in 1000-unit quantities.

The IMUs are housed in compact modules measuring 23 x 23 x 23mm.

Medical instrument company joins Continua Alliance

2007-06-12T05:51:00.000-07:00

A new member for the Continua Health Alliance, an industry body aimed at promoting interoperability across emerging technology-based health and wellness applications

Toumaz Technology has joined the Continua Health Alliance, an industry body aimed at promoting interoperability across emerging technology-based health and wellness applications. The open collaborative industry group is comprised of technology, medical device and healthcare industry leaders, and is dedicated to bringing together standards and diverse technology to create new healthcare products in the areas of fitness, chronic disease management, and aging independently.
Toumaz recently joined the Alliance's Technical Working Group and has participated in a number of discussions centred around its Sensium system, a new ultra-low-power wireless infrastructure system for health and lifestyle monitoring applications.

As a full member, Toumaz will gain early access to Continua guidelines and test processes to enable the development of interoperable products and services.

Members of the Alliance include Cisco, GE, IBM, Intel, Medtronic, Motorola, Oracle, Philips, Partners Healthcare and KaiToumaz's Sensium sensor interface and transceiver platform enables intelligent, ultra-low-power wireless monitoring of multiple vital signs - including ECG heart rate, body temperature, respiration and activity level - in real-time, via standard PDAs, cellphones and USB-enabled computers.

'Toumaz's vision of proactive, cost-effective personal connected healthcare is shared by the members of the Continua Alliance', comments Toumaz Technology co-founder and COO, Keith Errey.

'As the provider of a key enabling technology in the emerging personal telehealth ecosystem, it is obviously vital for Toumaz to take a role in this important organisation and support it in its aim - to deliver highly integrated systems that work together to improve the quality of people's lives'.ser Permanente.

Compact DVR offers easy OEM integration

2007-06-12T05:48:00.000-07:00

Ultracompact board-level digital video recorder can record up to 40 hours of video within a footprint that is the same as a laptop hard drive

New from Fast Forward Video, the Recon DVR is an ultracompact board-level digital video recorder that can record up to 40 hours of video with a 71 x 99mm footprint that is the same as a laptop hard drive. In addition to its ability to record video as QuickTime files for easy viewing and editing, the Recon now includes the option of a USB 2.0 port to download data directly, as well as a CompactFlash slot to record to CF cards.Additionally, the Recon is the first board-level recorder to offer SDI, which is commonly used in broadcast and high-end recording.

With the SDI I/O option (SMPTE 259M standard), users can now record, transfer, and play back broadcast-quality video in a purely digital environment.

'With its new optional features, the Recon provides broadcast-grade digital video in the palm of your hand', said Scott Keating, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for FFV.The Recon's IDE, CF, USB, and SDI options provide the ultimate in flexibility in a compact form factor for virtually any digital video application'.

The Recon is optimised for high-quality video recording and playback for embedded system, OEM, compact, and remote/portable applications.

It is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of freelance producers, portable broadcast applications, video-assist operators, surveillance and security organisations, video analysts, emergency 'first-response' teams, law enforcement, government and military agencies.

Samples of the Recon with optional features are currently available.