Diamond Systems RUBY-MM-1616AP PC/104-Plus 16-Bit Analog Output Modules with Digital I/O and Waveform Generation

PC/104-Plus systems built on a PCI host still need analog outputs for drive references, valve positioning and current loops into process instruments. The Diamond Systems RUBY-MM-1616AP series brings up to 16 of those outputs to a PC/104-Plus stack, fitting the 32-bit PCI connector alongside the PC/104 ISA connectors and pairing 16-bit outputs with 48 lines of digital I/O on one board. Because the analog and digital interface for a whole machine or test station can live on a single board, the stack stays shorter and the cabling simpler, with one 50-pin header for the analog outputs and external trigger and a second for the digital lines.

Every RUBY-MM-1616AP board uses an Analog Devices AD5755 DAC for the outputs and an FPGA with level-shifting transceivers for the digital lines. Each output takes its own range, from 0-5 V, 0-10 V, ±5 V and ±10 V to 0-20 mA, 4-20 mA and 0-24 mA current, and any combination of channels updates simultaneously from a software command or an external trigger. A multi-channel waveform generator runs at update rates up to 100 kHz, and each channel is calibrated at the factory through its own offset and gain registers. The digital side adds 48 lines with programmable direction, two 32-bit counter/timers and four 24-bit pulse width modulators. The PCI connector is not 5 V tolerant, so the host must use 3.3 V signaling on PC/104-Plus, while the ISA connector is 5 V tolerant.

The three models differ only in the number of analog outputs. The RMM-1616AP-XT has all 16 channels, for stacks with a large set of setpoints or current loops. The RMM-816AP-XT has eight, which suits mixed control jobs where digital switching outweighs analog, and like the 16-channel model it is a standard stocked item. The RMM-416AP-XT has four and carries a 50-unit minimum order, so it fits volume production designs.

RUBY-MM-1616AP boards take only +5 V from the bus and run from -40 to +85 °C, which suits rail, vehicle and outdoor installations with wide temperature swings. Diamond calibrates every output before shipment and uses high-accuracy, low-drift analog components, so many applications avoid recalibration during the board’s working life. The Universal Driver covers D/A output, waveform generation, calibration, digital I/O and PWM. For PC/104 hosts without PCI, the RUBY-MM-1616A series offers the same outputs on the ISA bus alone.