Evaluation board demonstrates a wide range of UFDC integrated circuits features and reduces design time and development cost for sensors systems.

Toronto (Canada), Barcelona (Spain) – 18 May 2009. OPTYS Corporation and International Frequency Sensor Association (IFSA) have announced their joint development - an Evaluation Board for popular integrated circuits of Universal Frequency-to-Digital Converters UFDC-1 and its high speed version UFDC-1M-16, which is designed for high performance sensor systems.

With the EVAL UFDC-1/UFDC-1M-16 Evaluation Board users can easily access all functions provided by the innovative UFDC-1 and UFDC-1M-16 integrated circuits. This 2-channel Evaluation Board lets use such ICs in 16 frequency-time parameters measuring and one generation (for a calibration purpose) modes and build various sensor systems including smart, self-adaptation and self-identification sensor systems.

All existing frequency, period, duty-cycle, time interval, pulse-width modulated, pulse number and phase-shift output sensors and transducers can be directly interfaced to this evaluation board. The board can be connected to a PC through the RS232 interface and work in slave and master communication modes. The USB interface is possible with the help of additional USB to Serial (9-pin) DB9 RS232 adapter cable.

The user can connect sensors’ outputs to the Evaluation Board, measure any output frequency-time parameters, and test out the sensor systems functions immediately.

The Evaluation Board saves development cost, design time and effort of data acquisition and sensor system prototyping and offers some key features as follows:

• Power supply: 8…14 V AC/DC

• External switches for mode and accuracy programming in the master communication mode

• External switch for I/O configuration

• 8 MHz calibration pin

• Power supply for sensors: +5V

• Two sensor inputs

• RS232 (USB) communication

• LED to indicate successful input and power supply connections

• Operation at - 40⁰ C to +85⁰ C industrial temperature range

• Physical size: 73 mm x 66 mm (2.87” x 2.60”)

The development kit includes the evaluation board EVAL UFDC-1/UFDC-1M-16 with a PC interface, one IC of UFDC-1 or UFDC-1M-16 in 28-lead PDIP package and a CD with appropriate software (EVAL and Terminal V1.9B) and applications notes.

Digital and smart sensor systems, frequency counters, tachometers and tachometric systems, data acquisition systems, virtual instruments and other applications are just a sample of target systems it may be used to develop.

One more significant area of application of the developed Evaluation Board is an education process. Dozens laboratory activities for Sensors Signal Conditioning, Measurements, Data Acquisition and Smart Sensors Systems Design courses can be setup based on only one Evaluation Board due to its multifunctionality. The Evaluation Board can be easy integrated into a remote laboratory environment for distance learning.

The Evaluation Board EVAL UFDC-1/UFDC-1M-16 is available now, with a price at 110.00 EUR and 115.00 EUR respectively, and  available through the Technology Assistance BCNA 2010, S. L. (http://www.techassist2010.com/) and its worldwide distribution partners.

For more details about ICs UFDC-1 and UFDC-1M-16 please visit the product web page; for sales contact: sales@sensorsportal.com

Contact:

Technology Assistance BCNA, 2010, S.L.
Parc UPC-PMT, Edificio RDIT-K2M,
c/ Esteve Terradas, 1. Office 113 b
08860 Castelldefels (SPAIN)

Tel.: +34 680 282 682
E-mail: info@techassist2010.com

Web: http://www.techassist2010.com/