VSP80                        parallel I/O card, VME/STEbus
A Dual-Bus I/O Card with 80 Parallel Lines
 
Microbytes Daily News Service
Copyright (c) 1989, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
Arcom Control Systems has added the VSP80 parallel I/O board for
the VMEbus to its series of dual-bus boards. The board provides
80 parallel I/O lines and features an interface that lets you
plug in a single Eurocard STEbus CPU to add local intelligence
during initial system configuration or as upgrades become
necessary. According to the company, the resulting
parallel-processing architecture increases system throughput
without adversely affecting bus-traffic levels.
 
A mailbox system, utilizing two 16-bit-wide data latches,
regulates controlpassing between the two buses; you can configure
the latches to cause interrupts when the latches are written to.
You can choose among a range of plug-in signal-conditioning
modules, including opto-isolators, solid-state relays, and
high-power drivers. Arcom also offers an interface module to the
Opto-22 I/O scheme.
 
You can set all 80 I/O lines as input or output and have
them deactivate automatically at reset; 40 of them are
bit-programmable, while the other 40 are jumper-controlled. In
addition, two on-board 8530 counter/timer/parallel I/O devices
provide features such as six countertimers, change-of-state and
interrupt inputs, and pattern recognition.
 
Price: L438.
 
Contact: Arcom Control Systems Ltd., Units 8-10, Clifton Rd.,
Cambridge CB1 4WH, UK, 44-022-341-1200.
 
                              --- Martha Hicks
 
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