Diamond Systems RUBY-MM-1616A : RMM-816A-XT 8-Channel 16-bit Analog Output PC/104 Module with Digital I/O

Many PC/104 control systems need a handful of analogue setpoints rather than a full bank: drive speed references, valve positions or a few 4-20 mA loops, alongside plenty of digital switching. The RMM-816A-XT is the eight-channel analogue output module in the Diamond Systems RUBY-MM-1616A series, keeping the series’ full digital I/O while fitting eight 16-bit outputs.

Each of the eight outputs is 16-bit and takes its own range: 0-5 V, 0-10 V, ±5 V or ±10 V, or 0-20 mA, 4-20 mA and 0-24 mA current. All channels update together from a software command or an external trigger, which keeps related outputs in step, and channels without new data hold their level without glitches. A waveform generator covers the fitted channels, settling time is 10 µs maximum to ±0.003%, and each DAC has its own DC/DC converter for ±15 V operation from the +5 V bus.

Digital I/O is unchanged from the larger build: 48 lines with programmable direction, two 32-bit counter/timers on a 40 MHz clock and four 24-bit pulse width modulators. Analogue outputs and the external trigger share one 50-pin header, and the digital lines use a second. The RMM-1616A-XT doubles the output count to 16 channels, and the RMM-416A-XT drops to four for the smallest analogue requirement.

The RMM-816A-XT runs from +5 V only on the PC/104 ISA bus and operates from -40 to +85 °C. Diamond uses a six-layer PCB with split analogue and digital planes, calibrates every output digitally at the factory and resets all lines to a known state at power-up. Jumpers can be swapped for 0-ohm resistors where vibration is high, and the Universal Driver gives C-language support under Windows, Linux and DOS.