Motion-Control Cards Deliver High-Speed Tracing

Promising high-speed motion tracing, improved servo tuning, optimal trajectories, and the ability to capture time-sensitive data, the Prodigy motion-control cards provide real-time, high-speed servo trace capture with 40 KB of dual-port memory. This feature allows up to four motion variables to be stored at the same time, each of which can be either 16 or 32 bits in size. Twenty-eight separate parameters are selectable for trace, i.e., position, velocity, acceleration, servo lag, and others. A capture-trigger feature is programmable, and handles a variety of conditions such as motion start or external signal change. Captured data is automatically loaded into external RAM and can be downloaded by the host during or after capture. Employing a Magellan motion-control IC, the cards provide control for dc brush/brushless, step, and micro-stepping motors. They are available in PCI and PC/104 configurations and provide one, two, three, or four axes of control. Prices start at $380 each in OEM quantities. PERFORMANCE MOTION DEVICES INC., Lincoln, MA. (781) 674-9860.