Scientific Instrumentation and Software
for Industry and Academia
|
|
Here at Lab-Tools.com/Instrumentation
a new range of USB interfaced instrumentation is being developed.
Offering simple interfaces and compact modules for inclusion into your instrumentation.
These are not just general-purpose development boards, but turn-key modules for building into instruments,
with complete functions available as combined hardware / firmware / software modules.
Mostly incorporating Field Programable Gate-Array (FPGA) modules for rapid peripheral handling,
these modules can form the basis of high quality scientific instrumentation and software.
Pre-written VHDL code interfacing to software is available to interface over the USB to multiple banks of sub-modules / instrument fuctions,
each sub-module with their independent blocks of up to 256 USB interface registers, to configure the sub-instrument and for bi-directional data transfer.
This code forms the skeleton into which the sub-modules / instruments may be slotted, in a consistent manner.
In addition to off-the-shelf instruments, we can design new instrumentation, based on these modules, for you,
so please do discuss with us new designs that you may interested in commissioning; see
Lab-Tools - Bespoke .
New Modules:
---- Under revision --- :
-
USB Interfaced FPGA Master Module
- This is the master module, that interfaces to the USB, and provides 80 high-speed interface pins to slave modules.
- Uses credit-card-sized intermational CardStac module form-factor.
- On-board Altera Cyclone II FPGA, 50 MHz & 60MHz Clocks. Pre-written VHDL code for generating 1MHz, 1kHz and 1Hz sub-clocks.
- Fast USB2 interface to PC : One USB link for both programming (less than 100ms) and also for high-speed data transfer (10ms for a 10kbyte block).
- Also has a standard JTAG connector as an alternative programming method and for SignalTap probing (JTAG connector requires a USB Blaster).
- Slave modules to the same form-factor can be physically stacked with this master module, and their vhdl code slotted into the sub-module boxes.
- Provides multiple headers for IDC interconnection to external slave modules.
- Available with or without 4 gold-plated SMA screw RF connectors for coaxial cable connection.
- Without SMA Connectors : Order : L-T_Module_USB_FPGA_Cyclone-II
|
- With 4x SMA Connectors : Order : L-T_Module_USB_FPGA_Cyclone-II+4xSMA
|
-
Dual-channel Low-Level RF input / clock recovery module
- Uses credit-card-sized intermational CardStac module form-factor.
- Plugs into USB Interfaced FPGA Master Module.
- 2x gold plated SMA connectors for input.
- 4ns ultra-sensitive dual comparators.
- Option of filter firmware in FPGA.
- Option of frequency measuring firmware and software.
- For hardware module only : Order : L-T_Module_USB_FPGA_Clock-Recovery
|
- For hardware module + Low Pass Filter Firmware and Software : Order : L-T_Module_USB_FPGA_Clock-Recovery+LowPassFilter
- For hardware module + Frequency Counter Firmware and Software : Order : L-T_Module_USB_FPGA_Clock-Recovery+FreqMeasure
|
For non-UK mainland or VAT-free orders, please E-mail us at Instrumentation@Lab-Tools.com,
Coming Soon:
Nearing the end of design and prototype development is a range of
high performance USB interfaced signal generation / digital scope
/ transient recording/averaging modules, with optional RF and low-noise
pre-amp stages :
USB Direct Digital Synthesizer : frequency agile / sweeping:
0.001 to 150MHz, 14 bit
USB Averaging Analogue Data-Capture for Digital Scope / Transient Recorder/Averager uses and Digital RF :
Dual Channel 0 to 65MS.s-1, 12 bit.
USB Averaging Analogue Data-Capture for Digital Scope / Transient Recorder/Averager uses and Digital RF :
Dual Channel 5 MS.s-1, 12 bit.
USB Averaging Analogue Data-Capture for Digital Scope / Transient Recorder/Averager uses and Digital RF :
Dual Channel 1 MS.s-1, 13 bit.
USB R.F. Digital-Receiver, with direct digital sampling of the RF,
quadrature 32 bit digitally controlled oscillators,
three stages of FIR filtering, digital output gain scaling,
followed by optional signal processing and Transient Recorder/Averager stage:
0.1 to 32MHz (below Nyquist), 12 bit.
Optional additional front-end pre-amp module :
very low noise : sub-nanovolt.Hz1/2, 120MHz bandwidth.
Optional data processing algorithms in firm-ware uploaded to a 100k gate FPGA
over the USB interface.
Optional data processing algorithms in high-level array-manipulating languages.
If you have specific requirements that can be best encompassed at the
design stage, please contact me regarding them :
Beau@Lab-Tools.co.uk
Example instrumentation constructed using similar Lab-Tools modules
Multi-module USB interfaced R.F. instrument for Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance (NMR) research :
The R.F. processing is implemented in VLSI devices, the I.F. processing in a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) device, and the A.F. processing in the PC using an Array Programing language.
Note: The RF modules are Export Controlled devices.
Please contact me if you would like a copy of an existing design, or would
like to commission the design and construction of a new piece of
laboratory apparatus or software.
E-mail us Instrumentation@Lab-Tools.com,
2000 ... 2011