Real-Time Data Acquisition and Control From Microstar Laboratories -- under $2K; High Channel-Count Option.

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 5, 1999--

Microstar Laboratories, Inc., maker of Data Acquisition Processor boards, today announced two new low-cost PCI DAP boards optimized for 32-bit real-time processing: local or remote.

The new DAP 4000a models acquire data with 14-bit resolution. They have onboard intelligence implemented as DAPL 2000: a 32-bit multitasking real-time operating system that runs on an onboard processor; the user controls this from any Windows (NT, 98, 95) system that contains one of the boards. A user also can exercise control remotely from any other Windows (NT, 98, 95) system on the same network.

The DAP 4000a/112 has 16 onboard analog inputs, 2 onboard analog outputs, 16 onboard digital inputs, and 16 onboard digital outputs. The DAP 4000a/212 has the same onboard features plus a high channel-count option for input expansion. Either DAP 4000a model can handle 66 analog outputs and 1024 digital outputs. In addition to this output expansion, the DAP 4000a/212 can handle 512 analog inputs and 128 digital inputs. DAPL 2000 makes expansion transparent to the user, and handles all this expansion without special user programming, and with no risk of losing data or of letting a process go out of control.

Each DAP 4000a model has 8MB of onboard memory for data buffers, and uses DMA bus-mastering to transfer data to the PC. Onboard intelligence manages this resource to protect an application from random operating system and network delays: DAPL 2000 supervises data acquisition on a DAP board, free from any delays imposed by Windows or other programs running on the PC at the same time.

When real time means response in milliseconds, the message-driven, event-polling Windows user interface cannot work in real time. Even under Windows NT. So, in that case, neither can programs running under Windows. But many users require real-time performance from their systems -- and from the industry standard Windows-compatible interfaces to their systems: HP VEE, LabVIEW, DASYLab, DIAdem, etc. For these users, Data Acquisition Processor boards and driver software from Microstar Laboratories present a ready-made solution: users can stay with the software they prefer and they can have the real-time performance they want.

Measuring a real-time process requires computing power on demand. If some polled event has tied up CPU cycles on the PC at that time, then -- without onboard intelligence -- the system loses data and that corrupts measurements. Onboard intelligence deals up front with the critical aspects of any application: the parts that have to run in real time.

DAPL generates a Windows event when the DAP requires direction from the user interface software on the PC. This allows the PC running Windows to perform in its native, virtual event-driven mode. Meanwhile the DAP keeps monitoring real events in real time where it really matters.

In place of an industry standard interface, or one from Microstar Laboratories, a developer can write a custom user interface in any language that supports DLL calls. Microstar Laboratories also offers DAPtools OCX for applications written in Borland Delphi or Microsoft Visual Basic (32-bit).

Each DAP 4000a model provides 14-bit A/D resolution for its 16 onboard analog inputs, and 12-bit D/A resolution for its 2 onboard analog outputs. The onboard analog input channels sample at an overall 800k samples per second, and the 16 onboard digital input channels sample at an overall rate of 800k words per second. The two onboard analog output channels update at an overall 800k updates per second, and the 16 onboard digital output channels update at an overall 800k words per second.

External expansion in 19" industrial racks allows a total of up to 512 analog inputs connected to a single DAP 4000a/212, and up to 66 analog outputs connected to either DAP 4000a model. All additional analog inputs can have 14-bit resolution. Rack-mountable option cards expand 16 onboard digital inputs to up to 128 digital inputs on the DAP 4000a/212, and expand 16 onboard digital outputs to up to 1024 digital outputs on either DAP 4000a model. The digital section of the DAP 4000a/212 samples inputs at 800k words per second, and updates outputs at 800k words per second.

On either DAP 4000a model, the two onboard analog output channels each can run at 400k updates per second. Either DAP 4000a model uses its 16-bit digital output port to distribute updates across up to 64 additional analog channels; these additional channels share up to 200k updates per second from the digital output port. Multiple 12-bit or 16-bit DACs on analog output expansion boards perform the conversion, so the 64 additional analog output channels can have either 12-bit or 16-bit resolution.

To maintain 14-bit resolution with 512 inputs may sometimes mean the overall sampling rate on the DAP 4000a/212 has to drop below 800k samples per second, depending on cable lengths and signal source impedance. In these cases, full speed comes at the cost of lowered accuracy. Likewise, full accuracy will come at the cost of lowered speed.

The DAP 4000a/112 costs $1995, DAPL 2000 included, and is available now. The DAP 4000a/212 costs $2395, DAPL 2000 included, and is available now. Remote control requires DAPcell Network DAP Server software: single LAN license, unlimited servers on one LAN, for $495. The high channel-count option that upgrades a DAP 4000a/112 to a DAP 4000a/212 costs $495.

Editorial Overview:

Microstar Laboratories, Inc., maker of Data Acquisition Processor boards, today announced two new PCI DAP boards optimized for real-time processing. The 14-bit resolution DAP 4000a models -- for Windows (NT, 98, 95) PCs -- each have their own 32-bit real-time operating system that the user controls with high-level commands, either locally or across a network: from HP VEE, LabVIEW, DASYLab, DIAdem or other Windows applications software. This allows critical processes to run free from PC-related, or network-related, delays. Real-time functions include software triggering, data reduction, filtering, FFT, and PID control. The DAP 4000a/112 has 16 analog inputs, 2 analog outputs, 16 digital inputs, and 16 digital outputs. The DAP 4000a/212 includes a high channel-count option, and can handle up to 512 analog inputs, 66 analog outputs, 128 digital inputs, and 1024 digital outputs. Prices: $1995 and $2395; availability: immediate.

Note to the Editor:

Microstar Laboratories, Inc. claims Microstar Laboratories, Data Acquisition Processor, DAP, DAP 4000a, DAPL, DAPL 2000, DAPtools OCX and DAPcell as trademarks.

Microsoft Corporation has registered Microsoft, Windows, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT as trademarks. DATALOG GmbH & Co. KG claims DASYLab as a trademark. National Instruments Corporation has registered LabVIEW as a trademark. Hewlett-Packard company has registered HP VEE as a trademark. GfS mbH Aachen claims DIAdem as a trademark. Other product names may be trademarks of their respective companies.

Microstar Laboratories makes it a practice to use an appropriate symbol at the first occurrence of a trademark or registered trademark name in a document, or to include trademark statements like this with the document.