Keywords
Citation
(1999), "Advanced processing capability with the Turbo PMAC", Industrial Robot, Vol. 26 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.1999.04926aad.007
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited
Advanced processing capability with the Turbo PMAC
Advanced processing capability with the Turbo PMAC
Keywords Controller, Robotics
Motion control specialist Delta Tau has launched its fastest controller yet in the PMAC Turbo (see Plate 6). The company has exploited the power of Motorola's new 56300 digital signal processor (DSP) chips to develop its latest PMAC family. Delta Tau has established its PMAC range as a standard for controlling motion in all sorts of machines and systems. The range extends from simple two axis controllers through to 32 axis systems.
Plate 6 Motion control specialist Delta Tau has launched its fastest controller yet in the PMAC Turbo
The Turbo PMAC has been introduced as a piggyback board for existing PMAC CPUs and is compatible with PMAC-PC/VME and PMAC2-PC/VME base boards.
When deployed in conjunction with Delta Tau's super fast fibre optic network, called Macro Ring, the new PMAC Turbo provides very cost-effective control of up to 32 axes in up to 16 coordinate systems. This network can be used with analogue, digital or MACRO ring interface. Using Macro stations also negates the need for complicated wiring. The additional axes can be used either as true physical axes or as virtual axes for inverse kinematics, superimposed moves or hybrid force/position loops.
The increased capability of the processor means the Turbo PMAC offers about 50 per cent greater computational capability than the previous PMAC model operating at the same clock frequency. PMAC Turbo is available in 60, 80 and 100MHz versions that, becauseof the increased processor capability, are equivalent to 90, 120 and 150MHz versions respectively. This additional capability allows for more axes of control, more sophisticated control on each axis, or a combination of both. The Turbo PMAC also offers 8,192 I/M/P/Q-variables compared to 1,024 on the standard PMAC.
Subsequent versions are also imminent as PMAC Turbo Lite (single four-axis version of PMAC) and PMAC Turbo Ultralite (Macro Ring version) boards and as PCI-bus boards.
For further information contact: Andy Joslin, Director, Delta Tau UK Limited, PO Box 5038, Great Holland, Essex CO13 0HZ. Tel: +44 (0)1255 670196; Fax: +44 (0)1255 850768.