Please Note: This project
was fully conceived, designed and developed by Steve Hageman
on his own time. A companion article about the project was
published by Circuit Cellar Magazine in the December 2005
issue. Hence - all the IP presented here fully belongs to
Steve Hageman - who when he published the article decided to
share it with the world with nothing expected in
return.
Description:
The LAN DAS was designed to
fill a very real need which I always have in the Lab, which
is: "How do I quickly read some data or control some
hardware when the whole system isn't available?" I solved
this with the LAN DAS a LAN based data acquisition system.
The LAN DAS contains a LAN aware, 16 bit Microprocessor that
is driven via ASCII commands from a Telnet or web browser
application. The unit combines 16 digital I/O ports, 12 bit,
eight input A/D channels and eight D/A converter outputs.
The unit can be powered using the new "Power over LAN" or
PoE standards for single wire LAN connection. All I/O
connections are made via removable, industrial screw
terminals. For PC software support the unit may be
controlled with ASCII commands or via a developed ActiveX
control. The advantage of the ASCII commands is that any
Telnet program can be used to run the unit and the advantage
of the ActiveX control is that any Windows based programming
language or even applications like Excel and Word can be
used to drive the unit.
A real advantage of the LAN
based communication is that no drivers are needed at all.
Any computer that can talk on a LAN can operate this system.
Another advantage is that there is no cable length
limitation at all - the unit can be operated anywhere in the
world.
All sorts of clever logging
applications can be programmed to take advantage of the
world wide connectivity that comes with a LAN connection.
Email alerts can be sent based on a complex trigger
algorithm, etc. New programming can be boot loaded to the
unit to reconfigure the device from anywhere in the world.
The applications are really limited only by the
imagination.
- Simple DHCP or fixed IP
address operation.
- Telnet Control with real
ASCII commands or an ActiveX interface simple
programming.
- Simple command structure
with extensive on-line help. No more manuals to
loose!
- Can be configured to
serve web dynamic pages.
- All connections via
industrial screw terminals / reconfigurable terminal
blocks.
- Simple operation and
setup allows for quick results.
- 16 bits of digital I/O
(Accessed as individual pins, 8 bit ports or as a 16 bit
port).
- Optimized commands for
driving three and four wire SPI peripherals quickly with
minimum overhead.
- 12 bit resolution, 8
channel A/D converter on board.
- 12 bit resolution, 8
channel D/A converter on board.
- All calibration
constants are stored in FLASH.
- 1Meg on-board general
purpose Flash and RAM for Data Logging.
- Two general purpose
LED's for visual indication.
- Power over LAN (POL or
PoE) operation possible.
- Extensive on board
testing via loop back's to verify unit operation
remotely.
- Environmentally rugged
design, -40 to 70 Deg C operating range, fully ESD
protected.
Home...
