MEN Micro Inc. in Ambler, Pa., is offering an analog input mezzanine board called the M36N M-Module that provides data acquisition for analog signals found throughout automation, measuring, and simulation applications. Available in 16- or 18-bit versions, the M36N can be used as an I/O extension for CompactPCI, PCI, PXI, or VME embedded systems as well as on stand-alone single-board computers. The M-Modules are for industrial I/O applications such as process data acquisition as well as in motion, robotics, and instrumentation. The M-Module provides as many as 16 single-pole grounded channels for voltage or current, or alternatively, eight channels for differential voltage or current. Each channel and input range is adjusted separately and is automatic giving users flexibility for data acquisition. The board’s 16-bit resolution provides an accuracy of at least 0.05 percent over a temperature range from -40 to 85 degrees Celsius. A fast A-D converter and automatic increments of the multiplexer channel enable acquisition time of 130 microseconds. Separate supply voltages generated via a DC-DC converter are suited for the board’s extended temperature range. A Cyclone II FPGA implemented on the M36N controls signal conditioning and offers space for application-function extensions of the assembly. The accompanying Altera Nios II softcore processor can be implemented into the FPGA for intelligent pre-data-processing or additional functions, such as noise-shaping, enabling the incorporation of as many as 32 MB of DDR2 DRAM and as many as 6 MB of non-volatile memory. For more information, visit MEN Micro online at www.menmicro.com.
