National Instruments Introduces New Vision and Motion Hardware with NI RIO Technology
NI LabVIEW FPGA-Powered Frame Grabber and Motion Drive Help Engineers Create Custom Inspection and Machine Control Solutions
AUSTIN, Texas -- National Instruments (Nasdaq: NATI) today introduced two new additions to its popular NI reconfigurable I/O (RIO) technology including a reconfigurable Camera Link frame grabber for demanding embedded vision applications and a motion module for the NI CompactRIO platform. The NI PCIe-1473R frame grabber is a PC-based embedded vision board that combines field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology with a Camera Link interface to help engineers create high-performance embedded imaging and inspection applications. The NI 9502 brushless servo drive C Series module makes it possible for engineers to drive brushless servo motors, including six new custom NI motor options, directly from the reconfigurable CompactRIO system to address advanced motion control challenges.
The NI PCIe-1473R frame grabber is ideal for advanced inspection and imaging applications that require image preprocessing and high-speed control such as medical imaging, web and surface inspection and high-speed sorting. Engineers and scientists can program the new frame grabber's onboard FPGA with the NI LabVIEW FPGA Module for custom image processing and analysis in real time, with little to no CPU intervention. The frame grabber combines the onboard FPGA with a high-bandwidth 850 MB/s Camera Link bus, which supports a range of Camera Link configurations up to 10 taps and 80 bits. The NI PCIe-1473R also supports Power over Camera Link (PoCL) to directly power cameras with no additional cables or external power supply. With such features, the frame grabber is an off-the-shelf solution that makes it possible for engineers to create high-performance imaging applications without spending substantial time and money to develop a custom design.
With the addition of the NI 9502 motion drive module for CompactRIO, engineers can now power brushless, stepper or brushed servo motors directly with NI C Series modules to provide a compact, highly customizable solution for integrating motion into advanced control, monitoring and test systems. The NI 9502 offers 4 A continuous/8 A peak current and multiple commutation modes. To complement the module, NI is also releasing six three-phase brushless motors that are specifically designed for maximum performance and direct connectivity with the NI 9502. With these features and more, the NI 9502 helps engineers implement proprietary custom drive control algorithms at the FPGA level through LabVIEW FPGA, eliminating the need for custom firmware from a drive manufacturer.
"With its superior I/O and motion control capabilities, along with the flexibility and reliability of its onboard FPGA, the new NI CompactRIO system helped us to create a high-performance embedded monitoring and control system that matches our rigorous requirements," said Pascal Wattellier, automation products coordinator at Serimax, an international full-service welding solutions company. "The CompactRIO system was the only commercially available solution that we could use to integrate motion control, I/O measurements, and HMI functionality within one system."
An integral part of the NI graphical system design approach, NI RIO technology combines LabVIEW system design software with commercial off-the-shelf hardware to simplify development and shorten time to market when designing advanced control, monitoring and test systems. NI RIO hardware, which includes CompactRIO, NI Single-Board RIO, R Series boards and the PXI-based NI FlexRIO, features an architecture with powerful floating-point processors, reconfigurable FPGAs and modular I/O. All NI RIO hardware components are programmed with LabVIEW to give engineers the ability to rapidly create custom timing, signal processing and control for I/O without requiring expertise in low-level hardware description languages or board-level design.
Readers can learn more about the NI PCIe-1473R frame grabber by visiting http://www.ni.com/vision.
To learn more about the NI 9502 motion module and brushless DC motors, readers can visit http://www.ni.com/motion.
About National Instruments
National Instruments (www.ni.com) is transforming the way engineers and scientists design, prototype and deploy systems for measurement, automation and embedded applications. NI empowers customers with off-the-shelf software such as NI LabVIEW and modular cost-effective hardware, and sells to a broad base of more than 30,000 different companies worldwide, with its largest customer representing approximately 4 percent of revenue in 2010 and no one industry representing more than 15 percent of revenue. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has approximately 6,100 employees and direct operations in more than 40 countries. For the past 12 years, FORTUNE magazine has named NI one of the 100 best companies to work for in America. Readers can obtain investment information from the company's investor relations department by calling (512) 683-5090, emailing nati@ni.com or visiting http://www.ni.com/nati.
Pricing and Contact Information
NI PCIe-1473R Camera Link frame grabber
Priced* from $2,999; euro 2,799; 364,000 yen
11500 N Mopac Expwy, Austin, Texas 78759-3504
Tel: (800) 258-7022, Fax: (512) 683-9300
Web: http://www.ni.com/vision
NI 9502 brushless servo drive module Email: info@ni.com
Priced* from $550; euro 529; 67,000 yen
Web: http://www.ni.com/motion
NI brushless DC motors
Priced* from $620; euro 579; 76,000 yen
Web: http://www.ni.com/motion
*All prices are subject to change without notice.
CompactRIO, LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, ni.com and NI FlexRIO are trademarks of National Instruments. Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.
