pcl@robots.oxford.ac.uk (Paul Leyland) (09/13/90)
A month or so ago, I asked the following: > Date: Mon, 23 Jul 90 11:44:41 BST > From: Paul Leyland <pcl@robots.oxford.ac.uk> > Subject: Suppliers of D/A converters wanted > X-Art: Usenet #8 > > Can anyone tell me the name and address of companies (preferably based in > the UK) who can provide a VME board containing at least three digital to > analogue converters? We want to control a CCD camera which has > motor-driven pan, tilt and focus controls. Each motor controller requires > 0-12V; we'd like as many bits of accuracy as the budget allows, but the > settling times can be quite long, as we don't envisage data rates greater > than 10Hz. If a driver for the board is available as well, so much the > better, but we'd be happy enough if we just had to poke specific addresses > in /dev/vme... This summary is delayed somewhat, as I went off on vacation in the interim. Here's my results: X-From: Bradford Garton <garton@edu.columbia.cc.cunixa> This isn't exactly what you need, but might help -- MicroTechnology Unlimited makes an audio VMEbus d/a convertor, it can handle up to 50k stereo 16 bit samples, direct to/from memory or to/from disk. Their address is: MTU 156 Wind Chime Court PO Box 21061 Raleigh, NC 27619 USA [Brad also says he wrote a driver for it (SunOS 3.2) and would be happy to send it to me.] X-From: Glenn Gribble <glenn@com.synaptics> First, get a copy of the VMEbus compatible products directory from VITA - Europe P.O. Box 192 5300 AD Zaltbommel, The Netherlands 31.4180.14661 [He then goes on to mention a few European suppliers mentioned in the directory (I won't repeat them here -- I'll mail them to you if you really want to know and you can't get the book).] X-From: Alan McIvor <alanm@uucp.bprcsitu> I saw your request on Sun-Spots for data on D/As for Andrew's system. Here are ones I know about. Unfortunately, none have SunOS device drivers that I know of. PeP VDAD (4 channel D/A - also 8 channel diff A/D) AMC Ltd Unit 2, Deseronto Industrial Estate St Mary's Road, Langley, Berks SL3 7EW tel: (0753) 580660 Fax: (0753)580653 MDS-330 Servo Interface Card (4 D/A channels) UKP 1195 AMC Ltd Unit 2, Deseronto Industrial Estate St Mary's Road, Langley, Berks SL3 7EW tel: (0753) 580660 Fax: (0753)580653 MDS-620 Analogue Output card 32 channels, 12bit 1microsec settling time, 6U card AMC Ltd Unit 2, Deseronto Industrial Estate St Mary's Road, Langley, Berks SL3 7EW tel: (0753) 580660 Fax: (0753)580653 BVME240 Analogue Output Module 4 12bit, 3U card BVM Limited Flanders Road Hedge End, Southampton SO3 3LG tel 0703 270770 fax 0489 783589 ACROMAG AVME9210/15 8 12bit 6U formfactor Universal Engineering and Computing Systems 5/11 Tower St Newtown Birmingham B19 3UY tel: 021-359 1749 fax: 021-333 3137 Motorola MVME605 4 12bit 3U form factor Thame Microsystems Thame Park Road, Thame Oxford OX9 3UQ Tel: 0844 261456 Fax: 0844 261682 Burr-Brown MVP904 16 12bit 6U form factor Thame Microsystems Thame Park Road, Thame Oxford OX9 3UQ Tel: 0844 261456 Fax: 0844 261682 [Alan used to work with us at the Robotics Research Group at Oxford, and is clearly very much in touch with this sort of thing.] X-From: SBCS Systems Staff <root@edu.sunysb.sbcs> One alternative is to look at single board computers w/serial port rather than going VME. Your data rate sound low enough to do over serial ports, and it is often the case that small single board computers w/ analog output capability cost << US$400. [A neat idea! I'll certainly check it out. If the prices translate reasonably into \pounds from \$, it's likely to prove the cheapest solution.] Many thanks to all those who responded. Paul Leyland JANET: pcl@uk.ac.ox.robots UUCP: ...!ukc!ox-rob!pcl elsewhere pcl%uk.ac.ox.robots@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk