909e

The MAX-PC makes every-thing a whole lot simpler.

It’s hard to believe just how small theMAX-PC is: with a mere 29 x 58 x 10mm, it’s the size of a matchbox. But allthe same, our „Little One“ featuresalmost everything its big brother on thedesk has to offer. Apart from the custo-mary PC interfaces RTC, serial, parallel,keyboard and LCD graphics), it alsoboasts an impressive 64 MB RAM andan 8 MB Flash. An interface for 2 PCM-CIA cards has also been provided.

As far as software is concerned, it’s ful-ly compatible as well. All commerciallyavailable operating systems, like DOS,Windows 3.x, 9x, NT and CE, LINUX,QNX, etc. run on this tiny device.

One rather special feature is the MAX-PC’s X-Bus connection, which enables itto be expanded almost at will, simplyby plugging it together with other X-Busmodules, referred to as MAX-Modules.These are just as small as the MAX-PCand are available with analog and digi-tal inputs and outputs, with counters,interfaces for incremental encoders, andwith CAN and PROFIBUS connectionsas well. Further modules are currentlyunder preparation, such as serial inter-faces, a modem and an ISDN connec-tion, Ethernet and USB, floppy and IDEinterfaces, plus an XVGA interface forcolor TFT and CRT monitors.

■ 486 CPU (100 MHz) with cache

■ 16 MB RAM (64 MB under prep.)

■ 4 MB Flash (8 MB under prep.)

■ RS-232 (on-board) or iRDA

■ RTC, 3 timers, watchdog, LED

■ Parallel port (EPP)

■ LCD graphics (B/W, colour)

■ Keyboard connection

■ Controller for 2 PCMCIA cards

■ External interrupt inputs

■ Serial debugging interface

■ Intelligent low-power manage-ment, e.g. progr. CPU clock

■ X-Bus connection

The world’s smallest PCExpansions? No problem at all!

The MAX-PC’s salient features

This board can nowacquire measured data andpreprocess them, for exam-ple, perform closed-loop control func-tions, or handle any other tasks desiredin parallel to the PC. You can also relo-cate entire communication protocols.The MAX6 board provides practicallythe same behavioural features as one ofthe other intelligent SORCUS boards,e.g. the MODULAR-4/486, the Multi-LAB/2 or the Multi-COM. Either one ofthe customary PC operating systems orSORCUS’ own OsX real-time multi-tas-king operating system, which is used onall SORCUS boards, can be run on theMAX-PC. Since the real-time conditionsare known here, very high scan rates canthus be guaranteed.

The option for addressing each MAX-Module also directly from the PC is retai-ned.

You can also plug more than oneMAX-PC onto the MAX6 board forapplications where an even higher com-puting performance is required. TheMAX-PC possesses multi-processorcapabilities without any modificationsneeded.

A PC board, in this case a MAX6isa, exemplifies the almost unlimited opti-

ons provided by the new MAX-Modules. MAX6 is available both as an

ISA and a PCI version.

Eachone has its ownoperating system, itsown RAM and its ownROM. For example, one MAX-PC can beused for a very fast closed-loop-controlfunction, whereas another can handledata acquisition or an open-loop controljob. Appropriate functions are providedin the libraries supplied the MAX-PCsto communicate with each other andwith the host PC, thus relieving the userof this task.

Some systems have to provide this ser-vice. Occasionally, the user wants an opti-on for this feature to be retrofitted. Withthe MAX6 board, all you have to do forthis purpose is to plug on another MAX-PC, which then has networking capabili-ty via a modem, an ISDN or an Ethernetinterface (e.g. on another MAX-Module).The operating system running on this„remote maintenance PC“ is WindowsCE, for example. This simultaneously sol-ves all driver problems as well, since theyare a part of Windows CE.

2

The MAX6 PC board features 6 slotsfor MAX-Modules. These are addressedfrom the PC just like 6 individually inde-pendent PC boards. This means that each

MAX-Module practically constitutes aPC bus expansion: the slots in the PC aremultiplied. Each MAX-Module posses-ses plug-and-play capabilities of its own.In this context, it is immaterial whetherwhat is involved is a MAX-Module withanalog inputs for measured-data acqui-sition, for example, or digital inputs oroutputs, a counter module, or a typicalPC expansion, such as serial interfaces,or an Ethernet connection.

MAX-Modules with PC interfaces usethe standard drivers of the PC operatingsystem concerned in each case. Softwarelibraries with module device drivers areincluded in the scope of delivery for pro-cess I/O modules.

All you have to do is to plug a CPUmodule (the MAX-PC, for instance) ontoa „stupid“ MAX6 board. And there yougo: you’ve got an „intelligent“ PC board.

MAX6 as a low-cost boardfor data acquisition

MAX6 as an „intelligent“PC board for data prepro-cessing

MAX6 as a multi-processorsystem for ultra-fast controls

MAX6 for remote mainten-ance jobs

CPU module 1MAX-PC

(with Windows CE)

free

e.g. AnalogI/O module

e.g.COM3 + COM4

e.g. Ethernetmodule

free free

CPU module 2MAX-PC(with OsX)

CPU module 3MAX-PC(with OsX)

ISDN module (for CPU 1))

Analog I/O moduleX-AD12-20

(for CPU 2 & 3)

Analog I/O module

X-DAD-4(for CPU 3)

MAX6 as a multi-processor system

MAX6 as a slot multiplier

Instrumentation and controlfrom low-cost all the way up to high-performance

RAM 64 MByte

Analog I/O moduleX-AD12-20

Counter moduleX-C16-3

free

freeCPU module

MAX-PC

MAX6 as an „intelligent“ PC board for preprocessing acquiered data

The library supports all the boards’on-board devices, plus all analog and

digital I/O modules available for theMODULAR-4/486 boards.

LabVIEW support for SORCUS boards

A library for the visual programminglanguage LabVIEW from NationalInstruments is now available for theMulti-LAB/2 and MODULAR-4/486SORCUS boards.

This LabVIEW library provides allfunctions of the known SORCUS libra-ries as virtual instruments (VIs), mean-ing that you are just as flexible whenusing a SORCUS board with LabVIEWas you are when programming in a con-ventional programming language.

What’s more: new functions for imple-menting synchronous scan procedureshave been incorporated in the functio-nality. This means that while minimi-zing the programming outlay involvedyou can still define, control and read outongoing measurement series on theboard.

tci Gesellschaft für technische Informatik mbH · Ludwig-Rinn-Str. 10 · 35452 Heuchelheim · GermanyPhone: +49-641-96284-0 · Fax: +49-641-96284-28 · e-mail vertrieb@tci.de · www.tci.de

We‘ll put together a completesystem customized to your ownparticular job specification. AllIPC systems from tci are meticu-lously produced and tested inmade-to-order and series manu-facture. Top-ranking German andinternational firms are using tcisystems all over the world. Anda tci IPC could soon be controllingyour production process as well.Managing your networks. Trans-ferring your data. Operating yourin-house technology – in fact, do-ing all the jobs where depend-ability is paramount.

Just tell us what youJust tell us what you

• NEW Housing alsoin stainless steel

• Individualizedcompany logo

• Customizedpackages

Industrial PCs Integrated LCDs System components

want it to do for you.want it to do for you.

SPS/IPC/DRIVES/23.–25. Nov. 1999SPS/IPC/DRIVES/23.–25. Nov. 1999

Hall 1, Booth 342N Ü R N B E R G

4

Remote Maintenance:

SORCUS boards gain networkingcapability with Microsoft DCOM

New options for remote maintenanceand stand-alone operation of SORCUSboards are opened up by a SORCUSdriver based on the DCOM interface(Distributed Component Object Model)from Microsoft. This driver enables allfunctions familiar to the user from thePC libraries to be executed on boards,which are not plugged into the local PC,without altering any existing programs.The DCOM-based drivers are availablein Windows 95, Windows 98 and Win-dows NT 4.0.

The new drivers enable communica-tion between PC and boards to beimplemented not solely via the PC-Bus

but via serial interfaces as well. Theboards can thus also be operated out-side a PC, in the MAX box, for exam-ple. Note that from the user programs’view, this is not different from com-munication as previously handled overthe PC-Bus, except that the data trans-fer rate is lower: PC programs canaccess the board with the customarylibrary functions, the board can alsosend service requests to the PC via thenew communication interface. TheCAN bus will likewise be availableshortly as a further communicationinterface. Communication betweenboard and PC is controlled by a COMserver (Component Object Model), thusassuring the familiar multi-processorcapability under WIN32: all processesaccessing the SORCUS board send their

commands to the COM server, whichsynchronizes the actions involved. Andconversely, the COM server sends mes-sages to all processes connected whenit receives a service request from theboard.

The new DCOM-interface-based dri-vers enable remote maintenance to beprovided for SORCUS boards via net-works as well. Note that connectionsvia remote data transmission networksare also possible here, i.e. SORCUSboards can be remote-controlled overan ISDN or a modem connection.

Host connected via serialinterface

Accessing SORCUS boardsin the network

There is no need to changeexisting PC programs underWIN32 if you want these toutilize the new communica-tion path. It is merely neces-sary to use the new version of

the MLXW32.DLL/NMLX-BIB.DLL PC library. As pre-viously, a board is selected bymeans of its board number.The PC library uses this num-ber to determine the commu-nication interface concernedand the latter’s additionalparameters. Each of theseparticulars is read out of theWindows registration data-base. If the board selected foraccess is not plugged into thelocal PC, the PC library willestablish a link to the DCOMserver, which will then handlethe actual access operation to the board concerned via the PC-Bus or the serial inter-face. In this context, it isimmaterial whether the COMserver is running on the localcomputer or on another com-puter within the network. Forinstance, you can also accessboards coupled to a compu-ter in the network via a seri-al interface.

The new SNW32 providesa convenient way of installingand parameterizing the vastnumber of communicationoptions available. The „SOR-CUS board connections“ dia-

logue lists all boards availa-ble and shows not only boardnumbers and types but alsofurther important connectiondata. You can establish oralter a connection by double-clicking on a particular entry.

Access to boards in net-work computers is protectedby DCOM’s security mecha-nisms, i.e. only those userscan access a particular com-puter who are actually regi-stered there. In addition, theSORCUS DCOM servermanages access rights for theboards’ functions. Forinstance, you can determinewhich users shall have theright (via remote mainte-nance) to install a task on theboard or to alter parameters.

User-friendlyinstallation toolsunder SNW32

Security

Programming inter-face remainsunchanged

The MAX-PCis a true mini

The PC kit from SORCUSfor the world’s smallest PC

The future is now.

SORCUS Computer GmbHIm Breitspiel 11D-69126 HeidelbergPhone +49 (0) 62 21/32 06-0Fax +49 (0) 62 21/32 06-66E-Mail: info@sorcus.comwww.sorcus.com

Only 29 x 58 x 10 mm small !This MAX-module is a completePC in the size of a matchbox. Via the X-BUS, MAX-modulescan be plugged together toform complex systems, including multi-processorconfigurations.

The MAX-PC contains all thesystem components needed tocreate a micro-PC for Windows3.x, 95/98, NT or for anembedded system with CE.

The highlights of the MAX-PC:

■ 100 MHz 486 CPU■ 16 MByte RAM

(64 MB under preparation)■ 4 MByte flash■ RS-232, parallel (EPP)■ clock, watchdog

Connections for:

■ LCD (colour up to 640 x 480)■ 2 PC-Cards (PCMCIA)■ Keyboard■ IRDA, loudspeaker

Interkama `99 Düsseldorf Hall7 · Stand A 12

SPS/IPC/DRIVES Nuremberg Hall 5, Stand 326

6

Even people with a technical back-ground can only have a slight inkling ofwhat outlay is required in order to bringa vehicle, for example, to mass-produc-tion maturity. This relates not only to thecar industry itself but also to the entiregamut of component vendors supply-ing them. Where vehicles are concerned,safety aspects will of course play a majorrole in this context, especially if - as inthe example discussed below - compo-nents are involved whose intended usesinclude the brake system.

Pressure hoses for hydraulic or pneu-matic installations, like those in vehiclebrake systems, for example, have to meetthe most stringent of safety require-ments, thus necessitating a concomi-tantly high outlay for research and deve-lopment, including the requisite testing.From endurance tests all the waythrough to burst tests where the test spe-cimen is exposed to stresses up todestruction level, new materials have toprove their suitability for the intendedpurpose in many individual tests. Blum-Novotest GmbH in Willich / Germanyspecializes in this kind of testing station

e.g. when measurement series have tobe started all over again.

All important control tasks, includingthe time-critical processes and measu-red-data acquisition, are handled by anindustrial PC specifically equipped forthis purpose. Since a PC as such (run-ning as it does under the standard ope-rating systems DOS and Windows 95) isthe worst conceivable option for hand-ling real-time tasks, an intelligent PCboard operates in the computer as anautonomous subsystem. The Multi-LAB/2 and MODULAR-4/486 PC plug-in boards from SORCUS, Heidelberg,each feature their own 486 or 586 micro-processor, plus their own local RAM,meaning that computations on theboards are run independently from thePC. The hardware is managed by itsown real-time multi-tasking operatingsystem performing up to 1024 tasks inparallel. Numerous other features, liketimers, interrupt controllers, a buffera-ble CMOS RAM, or stand-alone opera-tion, bear witness to a thoroughlydebugged design. The advantage offe-red by this „PC plus intelligent plug-in

for hoses. For controlling the numerousmechanical and hydraulic system com-ponents involved, Blum-Novotest tapsinto the know-how of another specialistfirm, RSW Technik in Giessen / Ger-many. The latter is responsible for thecontrol equipment involved, with all theassociated electronics, hardware andsoftware. Customers utilizing these hosetesting stations can be found all overEurope, and many of the stations con-cerned are running twenty-four hours aday.

Endurance tests on long-time testingstations where the test specimen is sub-jected to pressure pulses, can extendover days, and even weeks and months.If, for example, 500,000 pulses are to begenerated with a frequency of 1 Hz, thetest procedure will already take up asmuch as five to six days. It is obviousthat in applications of this nature thereliability of the control hardware has tobe accorded top priority. After all: failu-res will have far-reaching consequences,

Testing technology for enhanced safetyIndustrial PC controls time-critical hose testing stations

Reliability is paramount

The MODULAR-4/486 PC

board is equipped with its

own 486 or 586 microproces-

sor, its own CMOS RAM, its

own real-time multi-tasking

operating system, etc. and

can be adapted to suit a wide

variety of tasks by using plug-

gable interface modules

board“ combination: the PC is transfor-med into a process computer with real-time capability, equally suitable foropen-loop control of machines andsystems, and closed-loop control of time-critical processes, for acquiring data, etc.Moreover, the existing hardware resour-ces, including all of the PC’s peripherals,like hard-disk memory, printer, companynetwork (LAN), etc. are at the intelligentsubsystem’s disposal.

The SORCUS boards provide a vastnumber of analog and digital interfacesfor process interaction. The Multi-LAB/2is predominantly used in the burst-testing stations. By applying stresses lea-ding to destruction, evidence is produ-ced to verify that a certain type of hosewill actually only burst at a defined levellocated above the rated value. The boardoffers up to 16 analog inputs with a reso-lution of 12 bits, 16 digital inputs, eightdigital power outputs, and two analogoutputs, plus a serial debugging inter-face. Thanks to state-of-the-art gate-arraytechnology, the entire logic can beaccommodated on a short plug-in board,which can be software-configured in itsentirety.

Another point of interest is the con-cept of the MODULAR-4/486 boards.These are used for the pulse testing sta-tions, where very large volumes of dataare usually encountered. The boards fea-ture two or four (or nine when a modu-le extender is used) module slots forinterface or function modules. At pre-sent, about 50 different module types areavailable, including numerous digitaland analog modules, counter buildingblocks, interfaces for incremental enco-ders, serial interfaces, modules with elec-trical isolation, plus connections to fieldbuses like PROFIBUS and CAN, thusmaking the hardware easy to adapt forany measuring, open-loop, closed-loopand communication tasks desired. In theapplication example of the hose testingstations, the intelligent PC board hand-les all time-critical processes, i.e. it con-trols the testing station, generates dyna-mic setpoint values in square-wave, tra-

pezoidal or sinusoidal form, acquiresanalog measured values, and evaluatesthese in real time. Curve shapes are com-posed synthetically from up to 20 points,interpolated and outputted as analogvalues. If setpoint and actual values areoutside a predefined tolerance band, aninterrupt is triggered, and appropriatefurther steps are initiated. This wholecycle is repeated at 1 - 2-ms intervals.

It was more than ten years ago thatthe decision in favour of SORCUS hard-ware was taken. Back then, the custo-mer was looking for an intelligent PCplug-in board withgood service supportback-up. At thattime, the PC boards(e.g. with Z280 pro-cessor) did not ofcourse equal theirtoday’s counterpartsin terms of perfor-mance capabilitiesbut the modularinterface concept hadalready been imple-mented. LotharSämann, ManagingDirector of RSWTechnik, remembers:„Back then, SORCUSwas able to offer thebest German board,quite simply the onewith the most capa-bilities .... The para-mount criteria for us then and today arefirst-rate quality and efficacious servicesupport with a German contact person.After all: the test-rig projects we’re tal-king about involved orders worth from0.5 to 1.5 million DM, and you simplycan’t afford any failures there.“ Furtherarguments mentioned are the modulardesign, for optimum hardware mat-ching, the option for programming inthe Turbo Pascal programming langua-ge then widely in use, plus the capabi-lity for genuine multi-tasking. Evenwhen looking back on recent years andconsidering aspects of investment pay-

off, the company’s report is positive. AsLothar Sämann puts it: „Their hardwareis not a throw-away product, like manymanufactured in the Far East where thehotline knows only the relevant datasheet and the price. Even if a certainmodule is no longer available today, thesuccessor product always features acompatibility mode, meaning you cancontinue to use your software unchan-ged. The significance of boundary con-ditions like this must never be under-estimated.“

As far as the operating and visualiza-tion software is concerned, real-timecapability is not the crucial factor. Forinstance, operator-friendly user interfa-

ces can be implemented quite easily instandard programming environmentsunder Windows or DOS. RSW Technikuse Borland Pascal 7.0 for DOS deve-lopments, and the Delphi developmentsystem under Windows 95 for morerecent operating and visualizationsystems. The company also writes thereal-time software for the plug-in boardsin-house. For this purpose, they use thebasic functions of the SORCUS librariessupplied, which are available for high-level languages like C and Pascal for theDOS and Windows (3.x, 95, 98, NT) ope-rating systems.

Customer satisfaction pays offSubsystem with real-time

capability inside the PC

In this testing station, pressure hoses for hydraulic or pneumatic

systems must demonstrate their mechanical strength before being

released for series production. Especially if the components involved

are intended for use in vehicle brakes, safety aspects are playing a

major role

New SORCUS-CD

What do you get out of the MAX system or what advantages does SORCUS offer you?

■ You need only get used to a single system, and you’re already fami-liar with it from your PC.

■ You use the same software, irres-pective of the operating system run-ning on the PC.

■ You utilize the same development environment for the destination system as on your PC.

■ You don’t need any special software for the system.

■ You don’t have to make binding choices at the beginning of a pro-

ject: number of I/O channels, CPU performance, RAM and Flash can all be retrofitted.

■ It’s very simple to implement different product versions.

■ Every system is easy to equip with a remote maintenance function.

■ The systems are very small, andconsume very little power.

■ Your investment is a reassuringly sensible one, both in terms of hard-ware and software.

INFO-SERVICEPlease send me, free of charge and with-out obligation, literature on:

X-Bus products:

■ MAX-PC, the world’s smallest PC, for OsX, Windows, Linux, QNX

■ MAX6isa, MAX6pci, and MAX3pc104 motherboards

■ Analog and digital I/O Modules

■ PC peripherals for the X-Bus:Ethernet, COM1-4, USB, ISDN, ...

■ DiP: decentralized intelligent peripherals: PLC and more

Other intelligent PC boards:

■ Multi-LAB/2: low-cost analog anddigital I/O board

■ MODULAR-4/486 with SPBus modules

■ Multi-COM board with 6 config. serial interfaces

Various other information:

■ CAN and PROFIBUS products

■ PC/104: complete PCs

■ MAX-Box: stand-alone housing

■ ARGUS: measurement and control software

■ ARGUS: demo - 30 days full version

■ Industrial PCs from tci

■ I’ve got a new project- please get in touch with me

■ SORCUS CD

Company:

Name:

Address:

Telephone:

Telefax:

E-Mail:

SORCUS Computer GmbHIm Breitspiel 11D-69126 Heidelberg

Telephone: +49 (0) 62 21/32 06-0 Telefax: +49 (0) 62 21/32 06 66Hotline: +49 (0) 62 21/32 06 32

E-Mail: info@sorcus.com Internet: www.sorcus.com

8

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SORCUS Computer GmbHIm Breitspiel 11D-69126 Heidelberg, Germany

E-Mail: info@sorcus.comInternet: www.sorcus.com

September 1999

SORCUS

The „September 1999“ edition of theSORCUS CD is packed full of informa-tion on all of SORCUS’ products. You’llfind the complete catalogue, updated pri-ce lists, the current versions of driversand libraries, and a lot more technicalinformation besides. Request this free-of-charge CD, it’s well worth while.

7

We’re exhibiting:Please feel free to visit us at one ofthese fairs. Our specialists for measu-red data acquisition, realtime andparallel processing are thereto help, and are lookingforward to welcomingyou.

InterkamaDüsseldorf, 18 to 23 October 1999

Hall 7, Stand A12

SPS/IPC/DRIVESNürnberg, 23 to 25 November 1999

Hall 5, Stand 326