Today ICS Electronics announced a new Ethernet to Digital Interface for controlling digital devices over a company network or over the Internet. Called the Model 8063, this new Interface Box provides 48 digital IO lines that the user can control from any computer with a NIC interface or from a TCP/IP network. Typical applications for the 8063 are interfacing digital devices, controlling relay matrices or acting as an Ethernet interface for devices or instruments with digital interfaces. The Model 8063 is an Ethernet to Parallel Interface that provides 48 parallel I/O lines that can be configured as inputs or outputs in 8-bit bytes. Data transfer can be done by a combination of three methods depending upon the needs of the devices connected to the 8063. First is by transferring data directly to or from a specific byte, second by strings of data characters to or from multiple bytes, or third, by setting or reading individual bits in a byte. Handshake lines are provided for synchronizing the data transfers or for latching data into external devices. The 8063 can also monitor 15 input lines and generate VXI-11 Service Request messages when an enabled line changes state. The 8063 is an IEEE-488.2 compatible Interface that responds to the 488.2 common commands and uses SCPI commands to configure its digital interface. The user can customize the 8063's IDN message to integrate the 8063 into his system. All settings are saved in Flash memory. The Model 8063 is a VXI-11.3 compliant Interface. VXI-11 is a communication standard developed by the VISA consortium in 1995 in conjunction with the VISA Specification. The VXI-11.3 sub-standard covers TCP/IP-to-Instrument servers like the 8063 and is used for LXI devices. Communication with the 8063 is via VXI-11 RPC protocol over a TCP/IP network. The 8063 can be controlled several ways: The Model 8063's VXI-11 Service can be accessed by LabVIEW, VEE, Visual Basic and C language application programs that make VISA calls by selecting the 8063 as the TCP/IP resource. Both Agilent and National Instruments provide VXI-11.3 compliant VISA libraries. Linux, Unix and other programmers who do not want to use a VISA library can access the 8063's VXI-11 Service by RPC calls from the application program. The VXI-11 Standard includes the necessary RPCGen header files for adding RPC calls to any program. ICS provides a VXI-11 Keyboard program which lets users with a WIN32 computer interactively control the 8063 and other VXI-11 compatible Instruments without having to write a program. ICS's 8063 Ethernet-to-Parallel Interface has several unique features: First the 8063 is 100% VXI-11.3 compliant which is an open communication standard. The 8063 supports reverse channel Service Request messages to alert the client application when an event occurs. The 8063 also supports multiple clients as part of its standard firmware. The 8063 is RoHS compliant and is housed in ICS's small Minibox case that can be rack mounted in a 1 U high space. The 8063 is physically interchangeable with ICS's 4863 GPIB and 2363 Serial to Parallel Interfaces. All three interfaces support the same SCPI command set so switching interfaces has minimal program impact. Pricing for the Model 8063 is $650 each is quantities of 1 to 4 units, FOB Pleasanton, California. Delivery is 2 to 4 weeks ARO. ICS Electronics is a pioneer and leader in the design and development of IEEE 488.2, GPIB, Serial and VXI-11 bus products. The 8063 is the first of ICS's GPIB Minibox Interfaces to be converted to a VXI-11 Interface. Size, L x W x H 7.29 x 1.52 x 7.45 inches (1185.2 x 38.6 x 189.2 mm) Weight 1.6 lbs. (0.73 kg.) plus pwr adapter Construction Lead Free Connector and Headers Digital I/O: 62-pin female, metal DC shell connector with lock studs LEDs: 8-pin male header Ethernet: RJ-45 Temperature Operation -10° C to +70° C Storage -20° C to +85° C Humidity 0-90% RH without condensation Power 9 to 32 Vdc @ 3 VA Approvals EEC Standards EN 61000-6-4:2001, EN 61000-6-2:2001, EN 55024:2003, and EN 55022:2003.
