Programmable automation controllers deliver the flexibility of PCs with the ruggedness of PLCs, and now have improved intgernal communications to reduce jitter
Engineers and scientists building processing-intensive control applications can now triple their processing performance with a new family of Compact FieldPoint controllers from National Instruments.
The new cFP-2100 controllers include a 200MHz Pentium-class Vega processor that, when combined with new Sdram memory, is more than three times faster than previous controllers.
The new Compact FieldPoint devices are programmable automation controllers (PACs), delivering the flexibility of PCs with the ruggedness of PLCs.
The Compact FieldPoint 2100 family of controllers offers additional improvements compared to existing controllers, including more memory - increased from 16/32MB Ram to 64/128MB Ram - and a larger industrial-grade temperature range - increased from -25C to 60C, to -40C to 70C.
The new controllers feature Sdram memory that can lock memory access to the CPU clock, resulting in faster data transfer.
Unlike EDO Ram memory used in previous controllers, Sdram memory facilitates simultaneous data transfer to the CPU while another set of data is being prepared for transfer.
By combining these new controllers with the latest NI software tools such as the new NI LabView WriteRead virtual instrument (VI) and new AI/AO combo modules such as the cFP-AIO-600 and the cFP-AIO-610, engineers and scientists can substantially reduce system jitter, says National Instruments.
This jitter reduction results from improved communication between the controller and the I/O modules, as well as faster data management.
The cFP-2100 controllers deliver additional features including an internal temperature sensor, serial console redirect and new, faster LabView VIs.
The increased performance and new features in the cFP-2100 family make the controllers ideal for processing-intensive applications such as high-speed control and high channel count distributed I/O.
The Compact FieldPoint platform is said to be ideal for high-vibration applications, withstanding 50g of shock and 5g of RMS vibration, even when mounted on heavy machinery or in vehicles.
Compact FieldPoint operates in temperatures ranging from -40C to 70C, so users can run embedded LabView applications in extreme environments where many industrial PCs fail.
Compact FieldPoint and FieldPoint modules are examples of a new programmable controller option called PAC, an embedded industrial platform that combines the best features of the PC, such as the processor, Ram and powerful software, with the reliability, ruggedness and distributed nature of the PLC.
