4-channel LVDT/RVDT Interface Boards for UEI’s PowerDNA ‘Cube’ and PowerDNR RACKtangle

The boards are available in two models — one for use with UEI’s popular PowerDNA ‘Cube’ and another for rack-mounting in a PowerDNR RACKtangle chassis. Multiple operating modes ensure compatibility with all standard sensor wiring and excitation configurations, making the boards suitable for a very wide range of linear and rotational motion applications. Each board has four fully isolated LVDT/RVDT channels with independent A/D converters and each channel offers 16-bit resolution, 0.1% accuracy and scan rates up to 500 Hz.

A key feature of the new boards is the ability to operate either as an LVDT/RVDT input interface or as a simulation output device — on a per channel basis. Each of the four channels may be configured either as an LVDT/RVDT input interface with either internal or external excitation or as an LVDT/RVDT simulator output with external excitation. Each simulated output may be used as a software-controlled input stimulus for an avionics test system or flight simulator.

Each channel may be configured to output a 100 to 5 kHz programmable excitation voltage to the primary of an LVDT/RVDT device or alternatively as the simulated output voltage from the secondary of an LVDT/RVDT. In simulator mode the board uses a software-defined value as the position input for a simulated device.

The DNx-AI-254 is fully supported by UEI’s comprehensive software suite which includes factory written support for all popular operating systems (eg Windows, Linux, VxWorks), programming languages (eg C, C# and VB .NET) and application packages such as LabVIEW, MATLAB and DASYLab.

“The ability of the new AI-254 to operate either as an LVDT/RVDT input interface or as a simulated output is a first in the industry which opens up a whole new range of applications,” said UEI President Shaun Miller. “In addition to the exceptional performance of the new board no other vendor offers the flexibility of UEI’s ‘Cube’ and RACKtangle form factors and Ethernet Slave, Data Logger, Programmable Automation Controller or Simulink target deployment options.”

About the ‘Cube’

UEI's powerful ‘Cube’ architecture is a compact (4 x 4 x 4 or 4 x 4 x 5.8) Ethernet based I/O platform. It may be deployed in four different configurations:

1. Ethernet I/O systems slaved to a host PC
2. Standalone Data Logger/Recorder
3. Linux-based Programmable Automation Controller (PAC) or
4. Modbus TCP-based I/O slave.

Each ‘Cube’ consists of a core module (for the processor and network interface) and three or six open I/O slots. Users select the option that meets their needs and then match the I/O configuration of the ‘Cube’ to their application by selecting appropriate I/O boards. With over 30 I/O board types available, there's sure to be a configuration to meet almost any application requirement. The six slot ‘Cube’ provides up to 150 analogue inputs, 192 analogue outputs, 288 digital I/O, 48 counter or quadrature channels, 72 ARINC-429 channels and/or 24 Serial or CAN-bus ports. A full descrip-tion of ‘Cube’ is available at http://ueidaq.adeptscience.co.uk.

About the RACKtangle