tippie@kscorp.uu.net (04/26/91)
RE: KSC develops Vantage 300 Intelligent Crate Controller...a powerful, rtVAX 300-based front-end processor for use in data acquisition, data monitoring and control ------------------------ KineticSystems Corporation (KSC) has developed a new high-performance, realtime data acquisition and control front-end processor offering all the advantages of an onboard VAX computer. The new Vantage 300 Intelligent Crate Controller (KSC Model 3968) is designed to the popular CAMAC standard (IEEE, ANSI, and IEC std. 583/595) for Computer Automated Measurement And Control, and features an embedded rtVAX 300 processor and optional SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface) port. An economical approach for adding VAX power to any new or existing CAMAC data acquisition and control system, the Vantage 300 enables DEC users to off-load complex algorithms, specific application code, data preprocessing, alarm handling and time critical monitoring to the remote VAX processor, thereby increasing overall CAMAC system performance. Its SCSI port permits system expandability with a variety of disk drive options as well as up to six more crates of CAMAC I/O (using KSC's SCSI Port Interface Model 3929). With its DECnet software support, the Vantage 300 also functions as a data acquisition and control node on an Ethernet network. The Vantage 300 Intelligent Crate Controller is particularly well-suited to data acquisition applications requiring data compression, data filtering, signal processing, data selection or signature analysis, and signal averaging; data monitoring applications where input signals or computed quantities derived from input signals are checked against safe operating limits; data logging where a controller is configured with a SCSI disk drive to acquire and store data from several input signals, or where data is logged over Ethernet to a storage device on another processor; applications requiring access to CAMAC from one or more processors on an Ethernet network, or those requiring downloading of data acquisition and control jobs to a node using DECnet and ELN operating systems; and high-speed control applications requiring PID, feedforward and feedback control loops, or adaptive control algorithms. In the latter, the front-end processor acts as the controller for a larger process control system which needs to monitor current performance and occasionally adjust various control parameters. When the controller monitors the status of various parameters, it reports deviations from normal or safe operation to the main control system and, in extreme cases, takes emergency action to bring the process into a safe state. Thus, the Vantage 300 provides control engineers with a powerful VAX computer engine with direct access to I/O that can (1) be dedicated to time-critical control tasks; and (2) be used to post critical asynchronous interrupt messages to a higher level supervisory control computer system. When combined with any of 150 different CAMAC I/O modules, the Vantage 300 provides realtime capabilities that are second to none. Applications include everything from simulation and engine testing; plasma fusion control; and test cell data acquisition and control; to acoustic analysis and product development; nuclear testing; and batch and distributed process control. Programming with the Vantage 300 is easy because a comprehensive set of cross software development tools to support the rtVAX 300 is available. These include high-level language support for C, Fortran, PASCAL, and ADA as well as the realtime kernel operating system ELN, network support via DECnet/Ethernet, and a powerful debugger which operates over the network to the VMS host development system. KineticSystems Corporation, a Digital Equipment Corporation Cooperative Marketing Program Partner (CMP) since 1987, is a worldwide manufacturer of high-speed data acquisition and control systems for the industrial R&D, aerospace, defense, and scientific communities. In addition to interfacing to Digital's full computer system line, KSC products also interface to Gould, H-P, Concurrent, MODCOMP, Control Data, Convex, VME-based processors, and most personal computers. The company offers full support services in system design, integration, installation, software development, field service, warranty repair and customer training. VAX, rtVAX and VAXELN are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation. For additional information contact: ... sales@kscorp.com --or-- call KSC at ... 815-838-0005