Product category:
VMEbus Boards and Assemblies
News Release from: Pentek | Subject: SystemFlow recording and development software
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 11 April 2007
Recording software for real-time data
acquisition
SystemFlow real-time recording and development software for the Pentek family of RTS systems allows a consistent look-and-feel for developers across all RTS systems.
Pentek, a pioneer in VME board-level technology, has released the newest version of its SystemFlow real-time recording and development software for its family of RTS systems SystemFlow software provides a rich set of features for controlling data-acquisition and recording functions and ensures a consistent look-and-feel for developers across all RTS systems
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 14 Apr 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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RTS systems are flexible and deployable real-time recording systems for acquiring, processing and analysing signals and are suitable for high-performance radar, wireless, military communications, SIGINT telecom and satcom applications.
New to the Model 4990 SystemFlow software suite are a file manager that simplifies file and data management and a signal viewer with enhanced display and analysis functions.
In addition, the RTS systems now support both RAID and JBOD Fibre Channel disk arrays, boosting real-time recording capacity to 6Tbyte and higher.
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The new graphical user interface (GUI), now written entirely in Java development language, broadens host software support from Windows systems to new host platforms, including the Linux platform.
Complete application programming interfaces (APIs) for both the host and target boost productivity for custom development at a much higher level.
Finally, engineers receive full source code so they can customise all acquisition, recording and display functions.
"Our RTS recording systems help eliminate the time and risks associated with new technology systems development", says Rodger Hosking, Vice President of Pentek.
"With increasing pressure in both defence and commercial arenas to get to market first, today's systems engineers are looking for off-the-shelf systems with higher levels of integration".
"What sets the Pentek RTS recording systems apart from the rest is the well engineered, fully integrated software suite optimised for each system".
"This wide range of tools, from high-level APIs to low-level source code, provides the extra flexibility engineers need to tackle even the toughest applications", he adds.
The new file manager saves each recording session as an individual file, with critical parameters automatically stored in each file header.
Parameters include channel identifiers, time stamping, file length, data format and user fields.
This fast and convenient way to annotate files simplifies scripts for processing or analysing data in popular tools such as Matlab.
The GUI presents a virtual instrument control panel to simplify all system operations with pushbutton controls and hardware-parameter entry windows.
The enhanced signal viewer now provides simultaneous viewing of live or recorded signals in both time and frequency domains.
Also added are essential signal-analysis tools for measuring signal including noise and distortion (SINAD), second and third harmonics, and total harmonic distortion (THD).
Spectral averaging improves detection of weak signals, and annotated cursors allow users to explore points of interest in the signal.
Additional GUI functions include channel allocation for the connected Fibre Channel RAID or JBOD disk arrays, continuous display of recording and system status, and file transfers to the host for processing, analysis and archiving.
The newly supported RAID devices can now stream data at the same high-speed rates as JBOD, but with the additional advantages of lowering costs, providing inherent fault tolerance and raising data storage capacities from approximately 0.5 to 6Tbyte.
The real-time acquisition hardware and Fibre Channel disks are controlled by an application written in eCos, a licence-free real-time operating system.
Supported by an API, low-level libraries, full C source code and a complete open-source development environment, this application can be easily customised to configure the RTS subsystem interfaces and operation to fit specific applications.
Likewise, host-platform applications for the GUI and signal viewer are supplied with source code and an API to simplify integration of the RTS subsystem into larger host applications or for custom operator interfaces.
Pentek fulfills the diverse needs of its users by offering out-of-the box, scalable real-time recording systems.
Currently there are three solutions, including the RTS2501 105MHz A/D real-time signal processor and recorder, the RTS2503 215MHz A/D real-time signal processor and recorder and the RTS2504 multiband transceiver record/playback system.
Each is housed in a single 6U VMEbus chassis.
Future systems are planned, and they will also be compatible with the new SystemFlow software.
The receive section of these recording systems integrates recently introduced high-speed A/D convertors, FPGAs and signal processors, enabling the design engineer to take advantage of the latest technology for signal processing.
The transmit section in the RTS2504 is equipped with interpolation filters, a digital up convertor and two 16bit D/A convertors.
Drawing data from the disk array or other I/O, the up-convertor mode supports frequency translation of baseband signals to IF frequencies as high as 160MHz, delivering either real or I/Q analogue outputs.
For baseband applications, two independent playback channels are interpolated and then delivered to the D/A convertors at sampling rates up to 500MHz.
Pricing for the RTS systems starts at US $26,995 and the Model 4990 SystemFlow software costs an additional $8,500.
These products are available immediately, and delivery is 10 to 12 weeks ARO.
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