October 1, 2002
Andale now achieves 40MB/s sustained disk logging or playback on 32-bit PCI
We have benchmarked Andale, our PC-based SW/HW disk-logging package for ChicoPlus and Matador DSP cards with a dual drive SCSI RAID system. Expectations were met with the system exceeding 40MB/s on a 32-bit PCI desktop. The standard disk storage capacity we offer is 140GB (2x70GB) but larger sizes can be procured. This is a high-performance, flexible data logger/player that can quickly be installed on a desktop machine. Andale can be used with the turnkey application provided, or easily integrated in any C++ applications, by using our high-level software. We provide VCL components under Borland C++ Builder and MFC classes for MSVisual C++. We have not yet benchmarked a 64-bit SCSI controller with our Matador DSP cards yet, but we expect the system will scale to 80MB/s using with 4 drives.
CompactChicoPlus supports PXI extension as master or slave.
Our high-performance, flexible, data acquisition card for compactPCI chassis has been enhanced and validated for PXI signaling. The PXI extension allows sharing clock, triggering and interrupting signals among cards on a PXI system. This feature greatly facilitates system integration when there are synchronization requirements. cChicoPlus can be configured, via software, as a master - sourcing signals on the PXI bus - or as a slave - listening to PXI trigger signals. With a capability of 64MB/s of sustained data transfer and bi-directional streaming as well as a choice of over 15 mezzanine I/O modules, cChicoPlus can add performance data acquisition and playback to any cPCI system.
Conejo output channels support 50MS/s operation on single channel, 30MS/s on dual channel.
The four D/A converters on Conejo are LT1668, capable of 50MHz sampling. Conejo's firmware was revised to allow several modes of operation, including full speed operation on a single channel. The programmer can select one of 3 play modes, considering the DSP bus bandwidth of 300MB/s:
- 4 simultaneous channels at 15MS/s each
- 2 simultaneous channels 30MS/s each
- 1 channel at 50MS/s
This provides an extremely flexible platform for applications like high-speed dynamic waveform generation for CDMA hardware testing, RF power control, and semiconductor stimulus-response test or ultrasound transducers.
Conejo hardware-based A/D decimation lowers data latency to ultimate level
In order to deliver the absolute lowest latency in delivering A/D data to DSP memory, a decimation function with software adjustable decimation ratio of up to 4096, was added in the firmware. This allows users to eliminate the delay that is due to the 4-sample pipeline built in the AD9240 converter by choosing the sampling frequency higher than the interrupt driving the control task. For instance, one could design a 200kHz servo-control loop, operate the A/D converters at 10MHz and select a 50:1 decimation ratio, and obtain a 0.2 microsecond latency and thus providing an ultra-fast response control. Typical applications include control of MEMS and piezo devices, RF power control, laser, spectroscopy.
