48-bit Digital Input Board for UEI’s Cube and RACKtangle Series

Adept Scientific (Letchworth, Herts) is pleased to announce the addition of United Electronic Industries’ (UEI) (Walpole, MA) Guardian Series™ DNx-DIO-448 high density digital input boards to their range of data acquisition products.

The DNA-DIO-448 and DNR-DIO-448 are compatible with UEI’s popular ‘Cube’ and RACKtangle I/O chassis respectively. The board reads all 48 bits at sustained rates in excess of 1 kS/second. Input switching levels (and hysteresis) are software selectable from 0 – 28 VDC with 25 mV resolution. As part of UEI’s Guardian Series the board uses an innovative A/D input approach that offers incredible input flexibility. A diagnostic input mode measures the analogue voltage at each input allowing quick and accurate detection of short and open circuits as well identifying marginal or failing drive circuitry. The analogue input capability is also a powerful installation, diagnostic and data acquisition tool.

Software for the DNA-DIO-448 is provided in the UEIDAQ Framework. The Framework provides a comprehensive, easy to use API that supports all popular programming and operating systems including Windows, Vista, Linux and most real-time operating systems (e.g. QNX, RTX, RT Linux). The board is fully supported by LabVIEW, MATLAB/Simulink, DASYLab or any application supporting ActiveX, OPC or Modbus TCP control.

“The DNA-DIO-448 board will allow large digital I/O systems to fit in an amazingly small package,” according to UEI President Shaun Miller. “However, it’s the input flexibility and diagnostic capabilities of the board that make it a truly unique product.”

UEI’s powerful ‘Cube’ architecture is a compact (4 x 4 x 4” or 4 x 4 x 5.8”) Ethernet based I/O platform. It may be deployed in five configurations:

Ethernet I/O slaved to a host PC
Stand alone Data Logger/Recorder
Linux-based Programmable Automation Controller (PAC)
Simulink / RTW target
Modbus TCP based I/O slave.

Each ‘Cube’ consists of a core module (with processor and network interface) and three or six open I/O slots. Users select the deployment option and I/O boards that meet their system requirements. With over 30 I/O boards available there’s sure to be a configuration to meet any application requirement. The six slot ‘Cube’ provides up to: 150 analogue inputs, 192 analogue outputs, 288 digital I/O, 48 counter or quadrature channels, 72 ARINC-429 channels and/or 24 Serial or CAN-bus ports. A full description of ‘Cube’ is available at http://www.ueidaq.adeptscience.co.uk.

About the RACKtangle

The RACKtangle I/O chassis offers a similar capability as the ‘Cube’, but in a more conventional, 3U rack form factor with easily replaced front-loading I/O boards. In addition, it offers 12 I/O slots and supports up to 300 A/D, 394 D/A, 576 DIO, 144 ARINC-429 or 96 CAN or Serial I/O ports. The Gigabit interface also provides two independent ports, one used for primary system control and the second used for real-time diagnostics.

With offices in the UK, USA, Germany and throughout the Nordic region, Adept Scientific is one of the world's leading suppliers of software and hardware products for research, scientific, engineering and technical applications on desktop computers.