National Instruments (www.ni.com) has expanded its portfolio of NI reconfigurable I/O (RIO) technology with the addition of a motion module for CompactRIO and a reconfigurable Camera Link frame grabber.

A PC-based embedded vision board, the NI PCIe-1473R frame grabber seamlessly combines Camera link interface with field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to allow engineers to easily create high-performance inspection and imaging applications. It is ideally suited for advanced inspection and imaging applications demanding image preprocessing as well as high-speed control, such as high-speed sorting, medical imaging and web and surface inspection.

Aside from allowing engineers to drive brushless servo motors, the addition of the NI 9502 brushless servo drive C Series module for CompactRIO has also enabled engineers to power six new custom NI motor options from the reconfigurable CompactRIO system, addressing advanced motion control challenges. The NI 9502 features not only 4A continuous/8A peak current, but multiple commutation modes as well. It is complemented by NI’s six three phase brushless motors that are specifically developed for optimum performance and direct connectivity with the module.

“With its superior I/O and motion control capabilities, along with the flexibility and reliability of its onboard FPGA, the new NI CompactRIO system helped us to create a high-performance embedded monitoring and control system that matches our rigorous requirements,” commented Pascal Wattellier, Automation Products Coordinator at Serimax, an international full-service welding solutions company.

“The CompactRIO system was the only commercially available solution that we could use to integrate motion control, I/O measurements, and HMI functionality within one system.”