Diamond Systems DS-MPE-GPIO 36 Channel Rugged Digital I/O PCIe MiniCard

Not every embedded host has a PC/104 stack, but many rugged SBCs and carriers have a spare MiniCard socket. The DS-MPE-GPIO from Diamond Systems uses that socket for a rugged 36-channel digital I/O module in the full-size PCIe MiniCard form factor, adding switching, status inputs, counting and PWM without a stacking expansion bus.

An FPGA provides the 36 buffered lines, which can run in simple I/O mode as 8-bit and 4-bit ports or switch to counter/timer and pulse width modulator modes. Two ports are fixed digital I/O with direction programmable in 8-bit groups, one 4-bit port can become four counter/timers with one input and one output each, and one 8-bit port can generate pulse width modulation. Diamond specifies four 32-bit counter/timers and up to four 24-bit PWM circuits with 0 to 100% duty cycle, on/off control and programmable polarity.

The lines use 3245 transceivers for high current output, with pull-up or pull-down resistors set in software and every line starting in input mode at power-up or reset. Signals leave on latching connectors for vibration resistance, and the card ships with the CK-DAQ02 cable kit of two 20-pin digital I/O cables plus a hardware kit with mounting screws. The DS-MPE-DAQ0804 adds analogue I/O in the same form factor, and on PC/104 stacks the GPIO-MM-XT offers 64 lines with ten counters.

The DS-MPE-GPIO draws 100 mA from a +3.3 V supply and operates from -40 to 85 °C at 5 to 95% non-condensing humidity, which suits vehicles and outdoor installations with wide temperature swings. Drivers cover Windows 7, XP and CE and Linux 2.6, with Universal Driver support for every function. Diamond hosts with a MiniCard socket include the SATURN and JASPER boards.