Modbus I/O Units for easy SCADA Integration

Available from Audon Electronics is a new range of low-cost Modbus based remote IO units which provide a simple way of integrating analogue or digital signals to supervisory SCADA systems. There are several models in the range from voltage, current, thermocouple and PT-100 inputs, voltage and current outputs and digital and relay I/O. Supplied with the IO Studio configuration software. The optional DAQ Studio software can be used to provide a data acquisition, trending and alarm management interface for the PC. Also compatible with all SCADA packages such as DAQFactory.

A new line of Modbus based IO modules for data acquisition and other applications. These IO modules offer good reliability with a low-cost solution for distributed control applications. They are compact, easy to integrate with existing Modbus networks and simple to use for the end user. Various types of IO modules are available for different kinds of requirements. All IO modules have LED indications of IO status and fault diagnostics. All IO modules have an ioslated 2 wire RS485 interface. The use of Modbus RTU protocol allows for easy integration with most SCADA software packages such as DAQFactory.

There are 4 digital I/O modules, the 16DI has 16 digital inputs which also double as 32-bit pulse counter inputs, the 16DO has 16 open collector transistor outputs, the 4RO has 4 mains capable power relays, and the 8DIO is a combination unit with 8 digital inputs and 8 transistor outputs.

The analogue I/O modules include the 8AIIS and 8VIS which accept 8 x 4-20mA or voltage inputs, the 8TCS which accepts 8 thermocouples including ,K,E,T,N,B,S,R,mV, C,D and G types, the 6RTD which accepts 6 x 3-wire RTD temperature probes and the 8AOI and 8OV which are 8 channel 4-20mA and voltage output models. There is also the DAIO combination unit with 2 analogue inputs, 1 analogue outputs, 4 digital/counter inputs, 2 transistor outputs and 2 RTD inputs.

IOStudio is a free software package supplied with the units used to configure the communication settings for IO modules on the Modbus network. Once a module is detected, it is possible to view real-time data of the module directly on the PC and it can be used for diagnostic purposes too.

Available ex-stock, prices start at only £99.

USB Relay Units need no PSU

The UDIN range are a low-cost range of USB relay, digital I/O units for desk-top, panel or industrial DIN rail mounting. They feature mains rated relays capable of switching mains 3A and fully opto-isolated digital inputs. They do not require any external PSU. All units come with both Virtual Com port drivers so that they can be used with most legacy software packages or with a .DLL for direct programming. Supplied with cable, test programs and programming examples.

The UDIN range consists of a USB interface, a micro-controller and relay outputs and/or opto-isolator inputs. The UDIN units are controlled by simple ASCII commands. The USB interface handles the USB protocols and present the ASCII commands to the micro-controller as serial data. The micro-controller then uses the commands to control the relays or report back input status.

There are 4 models in the range. The UDIN-8R has 8 relays, the UDIN-8I has 8 opto-isolated inputs and the UDIN-44 has 4 relays and 4 opto-isolated inputs. There is also the UDIN-16A which has 4 mains rated 16A relays and 4 opto-isolated inputs.

Most software packages that can send or receive ASCII data to a RS232 port should be able to control the UDIN range. The UDIN units comes with a Virtual Com Port driver, which installs a "Virtual" Com port on the PC. Software can then send and receive ASCII data to and from this Virtual Com port and thus to the UDIN unit. Typical packages that can be used include Windows HyperTerminal (and most other terminal emulator packages), data acquisition packages such as Profilab, DAQFactory, LabVIEW, DasyLab, VEE, TestPoint etc. and also most SCADA Software packages.

Programmers can bypass the VCP route, and use direct .DLL function calls instead. The UDIN units are supplied with a test application complete with all source code. Drivers are available for the Windows operating system, Linux, MAC and Win CE.NET

The UDIN range can be desktop, panel or DIN rail mount. The units will clip on to standard 35mm DIN rail. The DIN rail mounting clips may be extended to reveal 4mm screw holes for fixing to a panel or wall

GL800 - One-of-a-kind Data Logger/Chart Recorder

The GL800 data logger and hand-held chart recorder is one of a kind in its ability to read up to 200 channels of temperature, humidity and voltage data. With its large format LCD display, you can easily set up and capture data with the ability to monitor waveforms and digital values during measurements. Its instant replay function makes it easy to review data that has been captured to internal memory or to a USB memory stick. Standard PC interface makes GL800 accessible through USB or a LAN using the standard network settings built in to GL800

The GL800 is a compact data logger come chart recorder, with an A5 footprint, providing excellent portability. The GL800 is fitted with 20 channels as standard but can be expanded from 20 to 200 channels with the optional expansion modules. All channels are isolated channel-to-channel and channel-to-ground. It has the ability to perform simultaneous measurement of voltage , temperature and humidity. It also supports such inputs as pulse (e.g. power, rpm and flow) and logic, in addition to voltage and temperature.

Two USB ports are provided, one for a USB memory device and one for linking to a PC. Commercially available USB memory devices may be used for direct capture of data. With a 512M device, users can capture data for up to 269 days (10 channels, 1 second sampling rate). An optional battery pack is available for use where mains power is unavailable. The battery pack allows up to 9 hours of operation.

All the GL800's functions can be accessed through the easy-to-use keypad and LCD screen. Single touch buttons for such tasks as display mode, setup and logging start/stop negate the need for complicated menu trees. The bright easy-to-read 5.7" colour LCD screen makes it even easier to review measurement settings, measured waveforms and digital values.

The GL800 is bundled with PC application software that enables measurements directly to a PC. In addition to waveform monitoring, this software provides other useful functions such as direct writing of data to an Excel file and report creation. The software also provides a Help display function for enhanced usability.

Budget LCD Oscilloscope has Advanced Features

The PDS5022S bench Digital Storage Oscilloscope has been specifically designed as an entry level instrument for educational, hobby and budget-driven applications. Although low-cost, the PDS5022S is packed with a wide range of useful functions usually only seen on higher-end DSO's, such as video trigger and auto-measurement. The large full colour LCD display makes for a clear unambiguous waveform display.

The PDS5022S is a 100MSPS dual channel 8-bit DSO with a 25MHz bandwidth, featuring a large 7.8" 640 x 480 pixel colour LCD display. The PDS5022S has easy-to-use controls and a simple and clear menu system. A compact and robust design that will not take up too much bench space.

The PDS5022S has several display modes: Normal mode operates like a standard 'scope with simple manual control of timebase, triggering, etc. XY Mode is where CH1 is displayed on the horizontal axis and CH2 is on the vertical axis. When the oscilloscope is under the sampling mode in which no trigger is found, the data appears as light spots. There is also an Auto-set mode, that allows the Oscilloscope to display and measure unknown signals automatically. This function optimizes the position, range, timebase and triggering and assures a stable display of virtually any waveform.

There is also an Average Display mode where the displayed waveform is an average of a pre-set number of waveform samples. This can eliminate noise which can otherwise obscure readings.

The PDS5022S can perform 5 types of automatic measurements, such as frequency, cycle, average value, peak-to-peak value and root mean square value. Up to 2 types of measurement results can be display simultaneously on the screen. Standard Maths functions are also included such as adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing calculation on CH1 and CH2 channel waveforms.

There are two triggering modes including Edge triggering and Video triggering. The Edge triggering is a mode by which trigger occurs at the triggering threshold value of the input signal edge. With the Edge triggering selected, the trigger happens on the rising or falling edge of the input signal. With Video triggering selected, the oscilloscope performs the NTSC, PAL or SECAM standard video signals field or line trigger.

Other Features include waveform storage where up to 4 waveforms can be saved in the HDS1022M's internal memory for comparison display or upload to a PC. Stored Data can be uploaded to a PC via RS232 or USB in bitmap or ASCII format.

The PDS5022S is supplied with carry case, scope leads, CD and manual and is available ex-stock for just £215.

Multifunction USB DAQ Unit is Cheap but Fast

The U120816 is a very low cost USB data acquisition module which provides eight single-ended 12-bit analogue inputs, 16 digital I/O lines, two programmable pulse-width output channels, and one 16-bit counter channel. Analogue sampling rate is 32 ksamples/s maximum, with up to 13 ksamples/s for all 8 channels.

There are 8 single ended analogue input channels with an input range of 0-4.096V, 12 bit, so the resolution would be 1mv. The U120816 supports scan and streaming modes for data acquisition. The user can scan a single channel or scan multi-channels at once. In scan mode, the execution time is 8ms or 125Hz per channel. In streaming mode, the U120816 can start streaming data to the PC immediately or upon external trigger input, select through software. In trigger mode, a high state on the trigger line will start the data acquisition. The maximum throughput of streaming data varies with number of channels and they are also system dependant. Typically this is up to 32Ksamples/s for a single channel and 13Ksamples/s for all 8 channels.

There are 16 bi-directional digital I/O lines in U120816 module. Each line is software configurable to be either input or output high or output low. At power-up or reset, all lines are set to be input by default. All digital lines are 5V TTL and include a 470 ohm series resistor to provides over voltage/short-circuit protection. Each channel also has a 1M resistor connected to ground.

Thre is an external trigger line for streaming mode data acquisition. It is software configurable if the user wants to wait for this line. When in use, as soon as the line goes high, the device will start hardware timed data acquisition. This is a TTL level input.

There are two 10-bit PWM outputs in U120816. Software can set the period and duty cycle for each channel separately. The period is between 3 micro seconds to 333 micro seconds or the frequency is 333kHz to 3kHz. Duty cycle can be set between 0 – 100%. The PWM outputs can be used to light LEDs, drive motors, or convert to analogue outputs by adding an extra circuit.

The U120816 has a 16-bit counter. Software has the option to select if the counter should be reset after the read or not. The counter is incremented when it detects a falling edge followed by a rising edge. If you reset the counter while your signal is low, you will not get the first count until it goes high-low-high again.

The U120816 is supplied with the free application iDAQTest&Log. This package that can be used to test the U120816 device and log analogue input data and read back logged data for basic analysis. With this software, the user can browse through all the features in U120816, such as read single analogue channel, multiple analogue channels, streaming analogue input data continuously for display and log into file with or without external trigger, set DIO directions and read/write DIO states, set PWM output, read counter etc.

The U120816 also comes with a programming API iUSBDAQ.dll. This DLL can be called by third party applications. Programming examples are supplied in VB , ActiveX , dot net , C/C++ , Delphi, MacOSX. There is also a LabVIEW VI and program examples. Price for the U120816 is only £79

Ethernet based Environmental Monitor sends email Alarms

The Poseidon 3268 is a simple Ethernet based stand-alone device which can send an email alarm when up to 4 monitored temperature or humidity sensors exceeds their defined range. The Poseidon 3266 also has 4 contact-closure inputs which can be used to trigger alarms on state change and there are 2 relay outputs which can be used to reset servers, or switch on a fan, etc.

Temperature or combined temperature/humidity sensors can be connected via RJ11 cable using the 1-wire protocol. Sensors are simply connected in a serial chain using RJ11 cable. These can be up to 10m away from the Poseidon 3268. You can assign a name to each sensor and also define high and low alarm limits. When the parameter goes outside these limits, the Poseidon 3266 can send user defined email alarm messages and toggle the output relays.

Once the Poseidon 3268 is connected to the LAN, you can run the free UDP setup utility, which will search the LAN to find all attached devices. You can then specify your desired Network address parameters. Once this is done, you can simply access the I/O data from a web browser. There is also a flash-based version.

All sensor's values as well as alarm status information are available from XML files (temper.xml) and any application can log it from XML tags. The Poseidon 3268 also supports the Modbus/TCP protocol, so it is easy to integrate with common SCADA packages such as DAQFactory.

Typical applications include monitoring conditions in server rooms, switch-boards, cold-storage buildings, freezers and fridges and other environmental monitoring tasks.

Budget GPIB to USB converter is Easy to USe

The GPIB-USB4 controller from Audon Electronics converts any computer with a USB port into a GPIB Controller or Device. In Controller mode, the GPIB-USB controller can remotely control GPIB enabled instruments such as Oscilloscopes, Logic Analyzers, and Waveform Generators. In Device mode, the GPIB-USB controller converts the computer into a GPIB peripheral for downloading data and screen plots from the instrument front panel. In both modes, the GPIB-USB controller interprets high level commands received from the host computer and performs the appropriate low-level GPIB protocol handshaking.

While the GPIB-USB4 controller provides many of the same features as GPIB-USB controllers from other vendors, it is much easier to use. The GPIB-USB4 controller provides a virtual serial interface to communicate with instruments, while handling all GPIB protocol details for you. As a result, you can communicate easily with instruments using any terminal program instead of having to write custom programs using the vendor supplied library

The GPIB-USB controller can operate in two modes – Controller mode and Device mode.

In Controller mode, the GPIB-USB Controller acts as the Controller-In-Charge (CIC) on the GPIB bus. When the controller receives a command over the USB port it addresses the GPIB instrument at the currently specified address to listen, and then returns the received data to the PC. Controller mode is used to remotely control instruments and to download screen plots by sending plot commands from a host computer.

In Device mode, the GPIB-USB Controller acts as another peripheral on the GPIB bus. In this mode, the GPIB-USB controller configures itself as a GPIB Listener. All data received by the controller over the GPIB port is passed to the USB port. Device mode is used to download screen plots from the instrument front panel for rendering using plotter emulation software.

A wide variety of host software may be used to communicate with the GPIB-USB controller. Any terminal emulation program, such as HyperTerminal, can be used to communicate with the controller and instruments connected to it. Any programming language or environment that provides access to serial ports or allows interfacing to DLL may be used to develop custom applications. Graphical programming environments like National Instruments LabView, DAQFactory and Agilent VEE may be used as well. Finally, it is possible to use plotter emulation applications such as 7470.exe, PrintCapture and Plottergeist to render screen plots from any common HPGL plotter instruments.

The GPIB-USB4 is available ex-stock from Audon Electronics for under £100

PLC and Touch Screen Controller in One

Audon Electronics now stock the CUTOUCH CT1721, an integrated Touch panel, 5.6" graphic LCD, and programmable embedded computer. Based on Comfile’s "PLC-on-a-chip" technology, the CUTOUCH CT1721 provides fast processing speed, 82 digital I/O ports, 8 channels of 10-bit A/D, 6 x 16-bit PWM outputs, and 80KB Flash Program memory so you can quickly develop HMI devices for industrial machines, factory temperature controllers, packing machines, robots, embedded control, and more!

Using the FREE Cubloc-Studio Software, the CUTOUCH CT1721 can be programmed in both Basic and/or Ladder Logic, allowing fast control, complex maths, dynamic touch-screen graphics, and fast data-communication protocols to be easily implemented. Ladder Logic, offers real-time sequential processing and Basic supplies the number-crunching power. Both the real-time processing powers of a MODBUS PLC and the 32-bit floating-point maths, graphic capabilities, and communication powers of Basic are now available in one product.

The free CuCanvas software can be used to draw graphics such as boxes, circles, and menu buttons with keypads. These simple graphics can be made to animate, say to show the rise and fall of liquid in a tank for example. For more complex graphics PixelStudio software allows the user to create up to 200 custom images.

The CUTOUCH CT1721 has 82 digital I/O ports with a mix of 32 opto-isolated inputs, 32 transistor outputs and 17 5V TTL I/O. A range of expansion modules are available giving mains relay outputs, motor control, Compact Flash data memory storage and wireless Bluetooth interfaces. Using an optional XPORT internet module, TCP or UDP packets can be monitored through the internet from anywhere, allowing users to update or provide customer service for products located anywhere in the world.

The CUTOUCH CT1721 has 80KB Flash Memory for Basic and Ladder programs, 28KB for data memory, a Real Time Clock, and one of the two RS232 serial ports can be used for download and debug. With 8 channels of 10-bit analgue input and 6 channels of 16 bit Pulse Width Modulated output, the CUTOUCH CT1721 is ready-made for lots of industrial applications. An internal battery provides safe data backup.

MODBUS Master and slave support is also included, making the CUTOUCH CT1721 ideal for customized industrial use.

A stater kit is available that includes the CT1721 controller, a paper manual, all software on a CD, interface cables and RS232 programming cable all for under £250

GL200 Portable LCD Chart recorder/data logger

The GL200 available from Audon Electronics is a new compact light-weight data logger/chart recorder accepting 10 thermocouple, humidity and voltage analogue inputs. With its large format colour display, you can easily set up and capture data with the ability to monitor waveforms and digital values during measurements. Its instant replay function makes it easy to review data that has been captured to internal memory or removable USB memory stick storage. Standard PC interface makes GL200 accessible through USB.

The GL200 accepts voltage, temperature, humidity, pulse and logic signals. Channel-to-channel isolation means wiring errors or overloaded channels do not affect neighbouring channels. Sensors are connected via rear mounted screw terminals. The built-in 3.5M memory is non-volatile so that data is retained even if the power supply is interrupted.

Two USB ports are provided, one for a USB memory device and one for linking to a PC. Commercially available USB memory devices may be used for direct capture of data. With a 512M device, users can capture data for up to 269 days (10 channels, 1 second sampling rate).An optional battery pack is available for use where mains power is unavailable. The battery pack allows up to 6 hours of operation.

All the GL200's functions can be accessed through the easy-to-use keypad and LCD screen. Single touch buttons for such tasks as display mode, setup and logging start/stop negate the need for complicated menu trees. The bright easy-to-read 3.5" colour LCD screen makes it even easier to review measurement settings, measured waveforms and digital values.

The GL200 is supplied with a copy of the OPS022 software. The OPS022 program provides excellent control over most GL Series functions, allowing PC control. It also provides convenient data transfer from the GL Series to your PC, as well as converting measured data into file formats that can be used with spreadsheet applications, data analysis applications, and other software programs. Converted data can be easily processed in electronic spreadsheets and graphs using popular applications such as Excel

DSO-101 USB Digital Storage Scope

The DSO-101 from Audon Electronics is an USB-powered digital storage oscilloscope with dual 20MS/s inputs and a 2MHz bandwidth that is small enough to fit in your pocket. The DSO-101 packs some powerful features including a hardware preamp, adjustable digital triggering, and 32kB memory depth on each of the two 8 bit input channels. The DSO-101 is powered by an open-source graphical user interface for Windows and Linux.

The DSO-101 is a general-purpose two-channel oscilloscope for the teaching, development and debugging of electronic circuits. Channels A and B are sampled simultaneously and stored in oscilloscope memory before being sent for display to the host computer. Consequently, they are always time aligned and triggered from the same trigger signal. The oscilloscope timebase frequency is derived from a crystal oscillator, so it can be expected to be precise and stable.

The fully functional, easy to use software supports multiple triggering modes, waveform scrolling, saving waveforms to a file, and cursor measurements. Source code is included. The user can add and modify the graphic user interface as desired.

The PC connects to the oscilloscope hardware via a USB cable so that no other power source is required. The USB interface emulates a serial port so that the oscilloscope may be accessed as a serial port device

EMB MEGA32 AVR Single Board Computer Board

Available from Audon Electronics is the EMBMEGA32 embedded microcontroller board based on ATMEGA32 AVR microcontroller family. It is low cost and flexible, making it ideal as an embedded controller for industrial, automation, security and process control applications.

The board has 32 digital I/O ports, a mini buzzer, reset switch and one RS232 port. It also has a serial 256k EEPROM and a battery backed DS1307 real time clock. The board has a LCD connector for common character LCD modules, together with a contrast pot, power supply and current limit resister for LCD backlight. The EMBMEGA32 also has 8 x 10-bit analogue inputs for measuring real world signals.

All ports on the board are connected to IDC connectors and analogue input connections are also available using screw terminals. A range of relay and opto-input expansion boards simply plug-in to the IDC connectors. DC and stepper motor control expansion boards are also available. The EMBMEGA32 board measuring only 82mm x 82mm is a two-layer design intended for demanding industrial applications.

The board provides a standard 10-pin in-system programmer header for connection to a wide variety of AVR ISP programmers. Compatible with the Atmel AVR Studio Assembler and the BASCOM Basic Complier. BASCOM is an easy to use but powerful Basic complier for the Atmel AVR RISC processors as used in the Audon range of Single Board Computers and PLC-style embedded computer boards. It greatly simplifies program development with a feature-rich list of BASIC commands, has built-in simulation and programming tools. A 4k code limited version of BASCOM can be freely downloaded from the Audon Electronics website.

Blootooth Wireless Data Acquisition and Control

The MFC-4422 is a Analogue and Digital multifunction I/O bluetooth interface for professional wireless control applications in data acquisition, automation and facility management applications. The Board has 2 Analogue inputs, 2 analogue outputs, 2 relays, 2 TTL outputs and 2 opto-isolated and 2 TTL inputs. Suitable for integration in machinery and office equipment. Supplied with FREE Windows and PDA Software chart display and datalogging and programming examples

The MFC-4422 has a rich mix of inputs and outputs; 2 analogue inputs suitable for measuring real world parameters such as temperature or pressure etc. 2 digital inputs, 2 digital/relay outputs and 2 analogue outputs. The 2 opto-isolated digital inputs can be used as counter inputs. Counter-states or frequency can be read out wirelessly, which makes it most suitable for metering applications like electricity, gas, water meters. Digital outputs comprise 2 Relays and 2 TTL outputs. Digital Outputs can be switched remotely. A time off delay may be set to switch off the outputs when connection to the board is lost. The MFC-4422-provides 2 analogue outputs. Each of those outputs are provided as both a voltage signal in the range of 0-5 VDC and as pulse-width modulated TTL (PWM) signal.

The MFC-4422 can be used as a dumb I/O device or it can be operate in stand-alone mode with 2 independent on/off or PID controllers. Each control channel comprises one analogue input and one output. For on/off control, the measured input signal is compared with threshold points to switch on or off a relay output. With PID control, the measured value is used by a PID algorithm to derive an analogue output signal. The PID parameters can be adjusted by the user. Thus the MFC-4422 can be used as a 2 channel alarm unit or used to accurately control a process.

The MFC-4422 is addressed by means of a simple ASCII instruction set, which can be employed with any common programming language. No specific bluetooth-programming knowledge is required. Messages between board and PC/PDA are exchanged in plain text. The bluetooth-connection is established over a so called virtual com-port. Programming of a virtual com port is identical to programming a standard hardware serial interface. Visual-basic examples for PC and PDA are delivered on a CD together with the board. Your PC or PDA has to have a bluetooth interface in order to be able to connect with the board.

The MFC-4422 is supplied with FREE Windows and PDA utilities - WCI-software. With the WCI-software, you are able to manage all board parameters and to read and write to the different inputs and outputs. Also includes a chart recorder style display for analogue inputs and data logging capabilities. Data is logged to a Excel compatible data file.
The MFC-4422 is also supplied with an ActiveX component and Windows and PDA VB programming examples.

Remote Control and Monitoring via your mobile phone

The Audon Electronics GSM-8000 is a low cost solution to Remote Control and Monitoring via your mobile phone. The GSM-8000 can monitor 8 analogue and 8 digital switch inputs. A SMS alarm message can be sent when inputs exceed preset limits. The user can also interrogate the inputs through SMS messaging. The GSM-8000 also has 8 relay outputs which can be activated via SMS and used to switch lamps, pumps, heaters etc. The GSM-8000 is complete with an LCD display for local status display, keypad and built-in Dual Band Modem.

The GSM-8000 has 8 x 12-bit 4-20mA analogue inputs, compatible with industry standard sensor transmitters. The input signals can be converted into meaningful engineering units such as °C or RPM and displayed on the LCD screen. Each analogue input can be assigned a high alarm setpoint and a low alarm setpoint. Alarm activation notification is sent via SMS messaging to up to two different mobile phone numbers. The user can also interrogate the analogue input readings at any time by SMS messaging.

The GSM-8000 has 8 digital inputs which can also be used to trigger a SMS alarm message when a contact is made. Again, input status can be read through SMS messaging.

The GSM-8000 also has 8 mains-rated relays which can used for remote control purposes. The relays can be activated and their status checked all via SMS messaging.

Typical applications areas include Industrial process plant, security and building management systems, traffic/transport systems, freezer/furnace monitoring and water/gas/electricity plant monitoring and control.

USB DAQ Unit has Flexible I/O

Available from Audon Electronics is the LabJack U3 low-cost USB multifunction data acquisition and control device. The U3 has 16 "flexible" inputs which can be configured for any mix and analogue, digital input or digital output making for a very versatile general purpose DAQ unit. The U3 is supplied with a wide range of FREE Data logging software and examples for use with most programming and DAQ packages.

The LabJack U3 can have up to 16 analogue inputs available on the flexible I/O lines. Single-ended measurements can be taken of any line compared to ground, or differential measurements can be taken of any line to any other line. Analogue input resolution is 12-bits with an input range of 0-2.4 volts. Optional signal conditioning adaptors are available that can condition the inputs to 0-5V, 0-10V or 4-20mA.

The LabJack U3 can have up to 20 digital I/O channels. 16 are available from the flexible I/O lines, and 4 are dedicated digital I/O. Each digital line can be individually configured as input, output-high, or output-low. The digital I/O use 3.3 volt logic and are 5 volt tolerant. Up to 2 flexible I/O lines can be configured as timers. The timers are very flexible, providing options such as Pulse Width Modulated output, pulse timing, pulse counting, and quadrature input from encoders. Up to 2 flexible I/O lines can be configured as 32-bit counters.

The LabJack U3 also has 1 or 2 dedicated analogue outputs which can be set to provide an output voltage between 0 and 5 volts with 8-bits of resolution.

The LabJack U3 is supplied with a range of free software. The LabJack Control Panel application handles configuration and testing of the U3. When first opened it searches for connected LabJacks and displays a panel whereby all the I/O types can be configured. The application also displays analogue/digital inputs and has boxes to set analogue/digital outputs. The U3 has field upgradeable flash memory. The self-upgrade application programs the latest firmware into the processor. FREE firmware upgrade will be available from time to time bringing improved performance and new features.

The U3 is also supplied with a copy of DAQFactory Express data acquisition and control, software. DAQFactory Express offers data logging, user designable screens with trending, automation capabilities and more. The U3 is also supported by the RealView Chart recorder software and the ProfiLab-Express programming package.

For programmers, the U3 is supplied with Visual C and Visual Basic modules for the LabJackUD driver, and simple example projects. A LabVIEW VI is also supplied.

The U3 is rugged and is designed for industrial use: the operating temperature range is -40°C to + 85°C and all I/O are overload and short-circuit protected. The ABS enclosure has screw mounting attachments and optional DIN rail mounting clips.

Available ex-stock from Audon Electronics for £69

Low cost USB Based temperature and Humidity Sensor

Now available from Audon Electronics is the DLP-TH1, a USB-based temperature and humidity sensor. The DLP-TH1 sensor is supplied with free Windows software that displays temperature, humidity, and dew-point data in both Celsius and Fahrenheit scales, plots data graphically to the screen, and logs to an Excel compatible data file on the hard drive. The software will also send an email to user-specified recipients if the temperature or humidity exceeds specified alarm setpoints.

The DLP-TH1 sensor uses a fully calibrated capacitive polymer-sensing element for relative humidity with a 0-100% range and a bandgap temperature sensor providing excellent long-term stability with a -40° to + 120°C range. Calibration coefficients for the sensors are permanently stored in digital memory within the DLP-TH1 module so that the module is fully interchangeable with any other DLP-TH1 module.

The DLP-TH1 is shipped with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP compatible software and USB drivers and there is also an ActiveX and LabVIEW VI's. No external power source is required as all power is taken from the USB port via the provided 2M USB cable. Up to 20 DLP-TH1 sensors can be connected to a single PC through USB hubs. Typical applications include monitoring temperature and humidity in Server/Host rooms, hydroponics labs and greenhouses and museum display cabinets.

UE9 is Power-House of Analogue and Digital I/O

The New LabJack UE9 available from Audon Electronics is a power-house of analogue and digital I/O. Whats more, it can connect to both USB AND Ethernet Systems.

The UE9 boast 14 analogue inputs, 2 analogue outputs and 23 digital I/O. The UE9 can connect to a host PC via a USB 1.1 or 2.0 interface or it can connect to a LAN via its Ethernet 10baseT Interface.

Each analogue input can be configured individually as unipolar 0-5 volts or bipolar ±5 volts. An internal PGA provides gains of 1, 2, 4, or 8 (unipolar ranges only at this time). Analogue input resolution is user adjustable; 12-bits at max speed of 50kHz increasing up to 16-bits at slower speeds. It is possible to connect thermocouples directly to the UE9, if you don't require great accuracy: a resolution of ±1 °C is achievable. The UE9 has an internal temperature sensor, which can be used for cold junction compensation. There are two 12-bit analogue outputs offering a 0-4.096V range.

The LabJack UE9 has 23 digital I/O channels which can be individually configured as input, output-high, or output-low. 8 of these lines are called flexible digital I/O (FIO) and can be software configured as up to 6 timers and 2 counters. The timers are very flexible, providing options such as Pulse Width Modulation output for motor control, pulse timing, and quadrature input for motor applications. Up to 2 FIO can be configured as 32-bit counters.

The UE9 is supplied with a free licensed copy of the DAQFactory Express software. This software provides allows you to create your own operator screens using up to 10 built-in components such as chart displays, bar charts etc, allows datalogging and you can even create simple automated control scripts. A collection of DAQFactory applications are also provided to get you started, showing how to acquire slow and high speed data, set the digital I/O and also how to set up a PWM output channel. DAQFactory Express can be upgraded to higher versions of DAQFactory if you require addition functionality such as alarms and PID control.

Also provided are LabVIEW VI's and sample applications in Visual Basic and C.

The UE9 has been designed for both experimental and industrial use. It is rated for use over an industrial temperature range and has built-in mounting fixtures. A selection of I/O are available at screw terminals and all I/O are routed to side mounted D-type connectors; A screw terminal board is available.