SCANLAB Launches 3rd Generation Real Time Controller
SCANLAB, one of the worldwide leading suppliers of galvanometer-based beam positioning systems, is now shipping the RTC3 - an advanced new PC interface board for the PCI bus. The RTC3 is designed to bring synchronized real-time digital control to galvanometer-based scan heads and lasers such as those used in laser marking systems. The RTC3, as the follow-up model to the very successful RTC2 PC interface board, provides system integrators with far-reaching extensions in functionality and significantly improved performance.
The RTC3 PC interface board is supplied with Windows 9x/Me and Windows NT4/2000 drivers providing a comprehensive set of commands for smooth integration with existing and future user software.
The RTC3's two on-board list buffers store commands for controlling scan heads and lasers in real time, with each list now capable of storing up to 4000 2D or 3D vectors. The combination of the two-list architecture and the on-board digital signal processor (DSP) allows commands to be written into one list while the RTC simultaneously processes the other list, thus ensuring continuous data output to the scan head.
The accelerated performance of the RTC3's powerful new DSP brings the output period down to 10µs for both 2-axis and 3-axis applications. The RTC3 provides memory for up to two 2D correction files, thus allowing quick selection of the appropriate table to be applied for image field correction. Two correction files can be used, for example, to achieve precise alignment of to-be-processed parts by switching between the pilot and marking lasers using individually optimized correction tables for each laser.
The RTC 3 provides various active-high and active-low programmable laser signals for controlling almost all commonly used lasers. For more complex applications, up to four RTC3s can be used independently and simultaneously in one PC.
In addition to generating control signals for the scan head and the laser, the standard RTC3 also provides an 8-bit buffered digital output port and two 10-bit analog output ports.
The RTC3 can be upgraded to support a range of optional features. For applications using one laser with two scan heads, a second scan head output can be integrated, with each scan head assigned its own individual correction table. Marking on-the-fly, even of objects with varying velocities, can be optionally realized without the need of a slot-occupying add-on PC board.
To fulfill specific customer requirements, an optional I/O extension board provides 16 digital input and 16 digital output ports as well as four differential 10-bit analog-to-digital converters and four 10-bit digital-to-analog converters.
Control of 3-axis systems is also optionally available.
With the new advanced features and options of the RTC3, SCANLAB offers system integrators even more flexibility to fulfill the ever expanding requirements of new applications.
