Diamond Systems RUBY-MM-1616AP : RMM-416AP-XT

Overview

The Ruby-MM-416AP from Diamond Systems’ series provides up to 16 channels of 16-bit resolution analog voltage or current output in the PC/104-Plus form factor. The output range for each channel can be individually selected for 0-5V, 0-10V, ±5V, ±10V, 0-20mA, 4-20mA, or 0-24mA. All outputs are updated simultaneously, either with a software command or in response to an external signal. A waveform generator is available on up to 16 channels with simultaneous updating of all channels.

The board also includes 48 lines of digital I/O, 40 lines of byte-wide and 8 lines of bit-wide, two 32-bit counter/timers, and four 24-bit pulse width modulators. Other features include +5V only operation, individual DC/DC converters with filtered outputs for each DAC to supply ±15V for operation, and a six layer circuit board to bury and shield the analog signals.

Rugged Design for the Real World

Extended temperature capability of -40°C to +85°C enables the board to operate in environments with extreme temperature swings, such as vehicles or outdoor installations. In addition, the board may be custom-configured with 0-ohm resistors in place of jumpers for increased ruggedness in high-vibration environments. As with all of Diamond’s analog I/O boards, Ruby-MM-1616 utilizes a 6-layer PCB with split analog and digital power and ground planes to keep the analog outputs quiet. All analog and digital lines reset to a known state on power up or system reset to guarantee predictable behavior. Factory calibration ensures the highest possible accuracy over the lifetime of the product. The board requires only +5V from the system power supply. These features make Ruby-MM-416AP’s quality and performance a leader in the market.

Automatic host bus select with PCI preference

The AP series from Diamond Systems includes both PCI and ISA bus connectors connected to the FPGA controller. If the PCI bus is present (the board is installed in a system with PCI bus present) it will be selected for the host interface. The board can also be installed in an ISA-based PC/104 system and will automatically switch over to the ISA bus. The ISA bus interface can also be forced with a jumper on the board in case there are no remaining PCI slots available in the system.

Analog Output Ranges

A wide selection of output ranges is selectable on Ruby-MM-416AP from Diamond Systems. Each output can have its own output range.

Simultaneous Update

All analog outputs are updated simultaneously with a single read command. This feature minimizes time skew effects when multiple channels are being used to control a single device (for example, when two channels are controlling the X-Y position on a laser). When an update command occurs, only channels with new data written to them will change; the remaining channels will maintain their current output voltage level without interruptions or glitches.

Software Support

The Ruby-MM-416AP ships with Diamond’s free Universal Driver software for C language programming under Windows 7, Windows Embedded 7, Windows XP, Linux and DOS. All major functions of the board are supported by the driver and example programs are also included. Some examples of the supported board operations are:

• Analog output on single channel
• Analog output on multiple channels with simultaneous update
• Interrupt-driven analog outputs with internal or external trigger
• Digital input, bit, byte, and word
• Digital output, bit, byte, and word