New Motion Card Delivers Price/Performance Breakthrough

Low cost, easy to use Prodigy-PCI from PMD delivers high-performance multi-axis motion control for DC brush, brushless DC, microstepping, and step motors.

Lincoln, MA (PRWeb) December 1, 2006 -- Performance Motion Devices, Inc. (PMD) introduces the NEW Prodigy™-PCI Motion Card (http://www.pmdcorp.com/advanced-motion-control/pci-motion-card.cfm) for multi-axis, high-performance control. Available in 1, 2, 3, and 4-axis versions, the Prodigy card provides advanced motion control features including trajectory generation, servo loop closure, quadrature signal input, motor output signal generation, performance trace, on-the-fly changes, commutation, and much more. Motor type can be software-selected on a per-axis basis, and includes DC brush, brushless DC, step, and microstepping. The card communicates via a PCI bus, CANbus or serial port.

Prodigy-PCI is the latest release of the new Prodigy Family of Motion Cards (http://www.pmdcorp.com/news/press.cfm?ART=65), designed with PMD's advanced Magellan™ Motion Processor (http://www.pmdcorp.com/motion-control-ic/). Programmed in C/C++ or Visual Basic language, these cards utilize high density logic circuitry to provide cost-effective, advanced motion control functions. Card features include S-curve, trapezoidal, velocity contouring, electronic gearing, and user-generated profile modes. The card accepts input parameters such as position, velocity, acceleration, and jerk from the host, and generates a corresponding trajectory. Instantaneous on-the-fly changes can be sent by the user, and external signal inputs can be used to program automatic profile changes.

Prodigy-PCI provides servo loop rates of up to 50 µSec/Axis, 8 Mcount/Sec quadrature encoder input rate, high-speed motion trace for servo tuning diagnostics (with 40 KB onboard dual-port memory), and pulse & direction output of up to 5 Mpulses/Sec. Additional features include limit switch input, high speed position capture, dual loop encoder input, 6-step and sinusoidal commutation, PID filter with feedforward and dual biquad filters, incremental and parallel encoder input, 8 general purpose digital inputs and outputs, and 8 10-bit general purpose analog inputs.

Chuck Lewin, President and CEO of PMD comments: "Prodigy is part of a new generation of cost-optimized motion cards that are just now hitting the market. These cards use technologies typically found in consumer products such as high-density logic, low parts count, and high-volume manufacturing techniques to reduce cost. Although they provide every bit as much performance, they cost less than half of what similar, older, cards cost."

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