Mezzanine card captures precise analog data
By Warren Webb, Technical Editor -- EDN, November 29, 2007
MEN Micro’s recently unveiled M36N analog-input mezzanine board comes in an M-module form factor and features high-resolution data acquisition for the myriad analog signals designs encounter in industrial automation, measuring, and simulation applications. You can use the M36N, available in 16- or 18-bit versions, as an I/O extension for CompactPCI, PCI, PXI, or VME embedded systems as well as on stand-alone single-board computers. The module provides as many as 16 single-pole grounded channels for voltage or current or eight channels for differential voltage or current. You can separately adjust each channel and input range for data-acquisition requirements.
The board's 16-bit resolution provides an accuracy of at least 0.05% over the entire −40 to +85°C temperature range. A fast ADC and autoincrementing multiplexer channel enable a total 16-bit acquisition time of 130 μsec. An Altera Cyclone II FPGA on the M36N controls signal conditioning and offers space for application-specific function extensions. You can implement the included Altera Nios II Softcore processor in the FPGA for intelligent pre-data-processing, noise-shaping, or additional functions. The price for the M36N starts at $850, and delivery time is six weeks.
