Embedded instrument controller for OEMs

Comes complete with a high-contrast 320x240 pixel electroluminescent or LCD graphics display, a high-resolution analogue touchscreen, and a built-in GUI software toolkit

Mosaic Industries has introduced a new embedded instrument controller featuring a powerful touchscreen-controlled 1/4VGA graphical user interface (GUI).

The QVGA controller comes complete with a high-contrast 320x240 pixel electroluminescent (EL) or LCD graphics display, a high-resolution analogue touchscreen, and a built-in GUI software toolkit.

The prime benefit of this new C-programmable three-in-one unit is that it provides original equipment manufacturers with a low cost solution and faster product development.

"A key trend in embedded design", said Paul Clifford, Mosaic's VP engineering, "is the integration of highly intuitive touchscreen/graphics user interfaces with data acquisition, control and communications - all in one compact package.

"Our new controller enables the designer to implement all instrument control functions in the context of an easy-to-use front panel interface," he noted.

"Our goal is to endow even highly complex instruments with appliance-style ease of use.

Designers of medical, scientific or industrial products can use this compact, I/O-rich integrated device as the core hardware, software and user interface in their new instruments." The built-in GUI toolkit provides an easy way to design and implement a complete graphical interface to monitor and control an instrument.

On-board software responds to screen menus, buttons and controls by executing programmer-defined functions.

The GUI toolkit also provides functions for displaying system status graphically or via text-based messages.

Ideally suited for data acquisition and control, a real-time multitasking operating system provides a simple solution when several activities must operate simultaneously, each with time-critical precision.

Pre-coded I/O drivers facilitate data acquisition, pulse width modulation, motor control, frequency measurement, data analysis, analog control, PID control, and communications.

The QVGA Controller contains plenty of I/O for most applications: it commands eight 12-bit analogue input channels, eight 8-bit analogue inputs, eight 8-bit D/A lines, 24 digital I/O, 4 high current drivers, and two RS232/485 ports.

For projects requiring a unique combination of specialised I/O, the QVGA controller can host up to eight stackable I/O modules to add dozens more digital and high-resolution analog signals, extra serial ports, and compact flash mass memory.

The QVGA Controller is available now, the price starts at $799 with substantial volume discounts.

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