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Product of the month

Acromag offers a broad range of high-performance PMC solutions for VME, CompactPCI®, and PCI computer systems.

Acromag's PMC modules deliver the market's best value. They offer an unsurpassed combination of features, performance, and price. Choose from a wide selection of models for analog I/O, digital I/O, counter/timer, and multi-function I/O applications.

• Modular format lets you mix or match multiple I/O functions of a single carrier card
• High channel density modules save money
• Multi-function I/O board can replace up to four single function boards
• Rugged design and long product lifecycles are ideal for COTS applications
• Software development tools for a variety of operating systems speed system integration
• One stop shopping for termination panels and cables saves time

Visit www.acromag.com for more information or call 248-624-1541.To request product literature or our catalog, click here.

Feature Rep
Z-Kat, Inc. of Hollywood, FL is the first customer for the PMC484 Counter/Timer Module. The robust features of the PMC484 and a QNX Software  support package are the main reasons that Acromag was selected. The Acromag I/O is part of the test and verification system to validate surgical robotic systems.

Synergistic Technologies, Inc.  Winter Park, FL provides the local support for Z-Kat and the state of Florida.

Z-Kat develops image-guided software, intelligent instrumentation and human-interactive robotic technologies with minimally invasive musculoskeletal and neurological surgeries. Their ultimate goal is to provide for procedurally integrating their digital surgery suite of image-guided technologies for the modern operating room.

The integration of Z-Kat digital surgery and advanced haptic (digital touch) technology into current and future digital orthopeaedic, neuro-surgical and spinal procedures will have a profound impact on daily surgeries.

Z-Kat's advance research program is concentrating on an advanced robotic platform developed at MIT's Artificial Intelligence Lab and exclusively licensed to Z-Kat. The WAM^TM   meaning Whole Arm Manipulator, this whole robot responds to touch; and uses a patented cable transmission technology. Note: the WAM is listed in the 2000 edition of the Guiness Book of World records as " The World's Most Advanced Robotic Arm."

They are establishing partnerships with leading medical device and equipment companies worldwide in an effort to maximize the impact haptic (virtual touch) robotics can have in all medical applications, including: image-guided surgery, remote surgery, rehabilitation, and interventional radiology.

Ask the I/O Experts
Question: I need to create a variable frequency waveform output using Acromag's IP483 counter/timer module. To do this I was planning on using your "Square Wave Continuous" function. Is there a way I can prevent "bumps" in the output frequency when I am changing frequency?

Answer: As you indicated the easiest way to generate a continuous, but variable, frequency is by using the "Square Wave Continuous" function. The output frequency of the "Square Wave Continuous" function is controlled by the value written into the Counter Constant Register. Once the function is initialized, the internal counter loads the Counter Constant Register value into its counter register and starts counting to zero. Upon reaching a value of zero, the output level is changed and the process is repeated. Once running, the Counter Constant Register value may be changed without re-triggering the function. By changing the value in the Counter Constant Register you can vary the square wave’s output frequency.

The "bump" in the output frequency that you talk about is caused when you write a new value into the Counter Constant Register. If not configured correctly, a new value written into the Counter Constant Register will be forced immediately into the counter register. This has the effect of changing the output frequency, for one period, in an on predictable way. To prevent this from happening, set bit 11 of the Counter Control Register to a "1". By setting this bit to a "1" you will prevent a new value written to the Counter Constant Register from being immediately forced into counter register. Instead, any new value written into the Counter Constant Register will load into the counter register only at the beginning of a new period. Thus preventing the "bump".

Real-Time Show
See Acromag at the Real-Time & Embedded Computing Conference which is designed for those developing computer systems and time-critical applications serving multiple industries; data communication and telephony, military and aerospace, industrial control, instrumentation, consumer electronics, image processing, process control, medical instrumentation, vehicular control and maintenance, embedded appliances and more.

Next Show: October 23, 2003 - Newport, Rhode Island.

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Acromag, Inc.
30765 S. Wixom Rd.
P.O. Box 437
Wixom, Michigan 48393-7037
Phone: 248-624-1541
Fax: 248-624-9234
e-mail: sales@acromag.com
www.acromag.com