Product category:
Sensors and Data Acquisition
News Release from: Microstar Laboratories | Subject: DAP 5016a/527
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 15 September 2006
Acquisition board boasts Pentium
processing
Microstar Laboratories has announced its latest mid-range data acquisition processor (DAP) board, the DAP 5016a/527, powered by an Intel Pentium 233MHz CPU.
Microstar Laboratories has announced its latest mid-range data acquisition processor (DAP) board, the DAP 5016a/527, powered by an Intel Pentium 233MHz CPU The DAP 5016a/527 includes 16 analogue inputs, two analogue outputs, 16 digital inputs, and 16 digital outputs
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 28 Jun 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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External rack-mounted hardware can extend these channel counts to 512, 66, 128 and 1024 respectively, with 16bit resolution on all analogue inputs and outputs.
(Signal conditioning may affect the maximum number of sensors supported by a single board, and some products may use multiple channels for each sensor).
The board can acquire 16bit data at up to 500Ksample/s, and can convert 833Ksample/s with 16bit resolution on each of the two onboard analogue outputs.
Further reading
Signal conditioning removes aliasing from samples
Sensor signal conditioning packages for use with data acquisition systems eliminate all aliasing from sampling and can scale up to acquire data for applications with hundreds of inputs.
DAP boards move seamlessly to new Vista
Microstar Laboratories ensures that applications using its Data Acquisition Processor boards will work under Windows Vista
Acquisition software adds interface customisation
The latest version of DAP Measurement Studio software includes a new custom window design capability.
The maximum digital input and output rates are both 1.67Msample/s on all 16 channels.
The onboard Pentium processor allows real-time processing.
Low latency - 0.1ms task time quantum - delivers fast response.
Each DAP board gives a system an additional processor running a real-time operating system - DAPL - that can be controlled from a Windows application.
This extra resource gives room to make applications even better, and sets it free from system delays.
It lets users apply computing power when and where needed.
It means users can sample data and control a process anywhere, anytime.
All DAP boards include built-in synchronisation hardware and support software that work together to let you create a PC-based building block for a synchronised data acquisition system with any number of DAPs.
Additional DAPs in a single PC can take their timing from a designated master DAP in that PC.
With optional PC software - DAPcell - and additional hardware, two or more PCs each containing one or more DAPs can support a synchronised network of DAPs free from conventional network or PC delays.
A single DAP board or a synchronised network of DAPs forms a platform for a potentially large number of channels.
Microstar Laboratories bases all hardware and software design on a consistent channel architecture to handle the signal all the way from an analogue waveform at the sensor to a stream of digital values on the PC - from signal connectors on various rack-mounted 3U Eurocard B external boards, through circuits on the DAP, through conceptual pipes in software running on the onboard processor, and on to the PC.
Some of the rack-mounted external boards reduce the maximum number of sensors supported by a single DAP.
For instance, 15 MSXB 067 boards can connect to a single DAP for resistive sensor inputs from up to 120 strain gauges.
The MSXB 067 board uses differential channels for signal quality, and additional channels to sample simultaneously and to read excitation voltages - more than four channels per sensor.
For more than 120 strain gauges, just add another DAP.
DAP boards acquire data, converting analogue signals into digital values.
These digital values stream through conceptual pipes on the board that are set up ahead of time using DAPstudio, a Windows application.
The onboard processor performs any required operations as it transfers data from pipe to pipe.
DAPstudio lets users specify these onboard operations by clicking on the appropriate tools as you design the system, and it then lets them save the working configuration as a complete DAP application.
At the end of the DAPstudio session users have automatically produced documentation that completely defines the application.
DAPstudio can then run the application - from any PC on a network - with no custom programming and no other vendor software.
Although DAPstudio lets users configure and control any DAP without any other Windows software, it can be done from LabView, Matlab and other third-party software; and from C++, VB, and other applications that allow DLL calls.
The DAP 5016a/527 costs $3195 for immediate delivery.
DAPstudio costs $199.
The company provides hardware and software for evaluation at no charge.
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