USB Interface Delivers 96 bits Of Digital I/O

The latest addition to the company's Measurement Advantage interfaces is the USB-1096HFS, which provides 96 bits of high-current, logic-level digital I/O. The unit offers four independent 24-bit DIO groups, each divided into two 8-bit and two 4-bit ports, and is based on a discrete emulation of the industry standard 82C55's mode zero. The outputs sink 64 mA, or source 24 mA, and make it possible to drive a wide assortment of external devices directly, without additional buffering. An all-aluminum chassis makes the interface well-suited for laboratory, automated test and industrial monitoring/control applications. All wiring is brought out to full-sized screw terminals that are easy to wire to, and yet are protected by the unit's latching connection cover. Each device has a built-in USB hub, which facilitates expansion of Measurement Advantage systems as additional interfaces are added, without requiring an external USB expansion hub. These products also implement a daisy-chain power supply interconnection that simplifies wiring in larger systems. All units include SoftWIRE, a graphical programming extension for Visual Studio, as well as drivers and VIs for LabVIEW. Available in January, 2005, price is $299. MEASUREMENT COMPUTING CORP., Middleboro, MA. (508) 946-5100.