Press Releases January 2006

16-bit analog output board with 50 V high-voltage channel for PCI/cPCI/PXI

Fast analog output boards with dry channels

With the ME-6x00 series Meilhaus Electronic has developed a complete family of opto-isolated analog output boards. The boards designed for the standard PCI bus, CompactPCI bus or PXI bus have 4, 8 or 16 analog outputs (PXI with only 4 or 8 outputs). These are in two variants: opto-isolated channels with common ground or “island channels” with complete potential separation between the individual channels and relative to PC ground. Each channel has its own high-precision 16 bit high-speed 500 kHz D/A converter. The standard ME-6000 version works on the PCI bus, or CompactPCI bus. It has 4, 8 or 16 voltage outputs for ±10 V and max. ±15 mA per channel. The ME-6100 version is similar in design to the ME-6000 but includes additional 8 k FIFOs in channels 1 to 4. This makes possible further output modes, e.g. as a virtual function generator with the generation of curve forms of any kind. In this mode the boards of the ME-6x00 series also work in the “continuous” mode (continuous output of values) and the “wraparound“ mode (timer-controlled periodic output of a dataset in the FIFO). In addition to the normal outputs the ME-6200 and ME-6300 designs (both exclusively for the CompactPCI bus or PXI bus) also have a high-voltage output of 0 to 50 V. All boards have transparent or buffered analogue output. The virtual instrument panel (MEsslabor [= Measurement Laboratory]) that is supplied converts the boards into a “virtual function generator” with which periodic signals at up to 250 kHz (rectangular signal) can quickly and easily be outputted via an interface that is intuitive to operate. The signal connections are made via a 78-pin D-sub socket (adapter cables can be supplied with 78-pin D-sub connectors on 16 screened, labelled open lines). In addition all boards are fitted with 16 TTL digital I/O channels (2 x 8 bit wide ports, programmable port-by-port as inputs/outputs, not isolated). These are led to a pin array on the board. A short ribbon cable to a 25-pin D-sub socket, mounted on an additional slot bracket, is included in the delivery package. The two TTL ports may be expanded with the external ME-63Xtend DIN rail modules, or the desktop boxes of the ME-UB series. They supplement type C relays, solid-state relays or opto-isolation with easy-to-connect spring terminals.

The ME-Power-CD, which is supplied free of charge, contains all the necessary driver software for Windows XP, 2000, 98/Me, NT, Visual C/ C++, Delphi, Visual Basic, Borland C/C Builder, Agilent VEE, LabVIEW and Linux as well as the MEsslabor software 2.0. Utilities, examples, demos and the “soft manuals” in German and English for Acrobat Reader/PDF are also included on the CD-ROM. The board is also supported by the new driver system ME-iDS.

The boards can be applied in the laboratory, research and development, or in industrial automated process control for the control of analogue actuators/final controlling elements with continuous voltage characteristics, for set-point specification for controllers, the control of recorders, function generator applications (e.g. the output of signal forms for simulation purposes). As a result of their complete opto-isolation/potential separation the board versions with isolation and “island channels” are both ideally suited for “rugged” output in industrial environments with intensive interference fields, with at the same time a highly accurate single board output.

ME-6x00 series

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