|
Power Over Ethernet Configurable I/O Nodes (PINs) |
| Overview - ( click here to see why you need these ) |
| Developed for the Joint Strike Fighter program with support from NAVAIR, these I/O nodes use the Power over Ethernet (POE) standard to provide both power and data over a single cable. The system is deterministic (< 1 mS latency ), highly modular, simple to implement, and compatible with legacy systems. Each Power-over-Ethernet I/O node (PIN) provides 8 analog outputs, 8 analog inputs, 20 digital I/O lines, 4 PWMs, RS-232, and power control in a 3” by 4.25” footprint. Each PIN can deliver up to 12.5 W of point-of-use power. |
|
| A commercial store-and-forward switch provides power and data distribution at 100 Mbps. Specialty hardware functions are provided by on-board, or in-line, expansion boards. This novel architecture has numerous advantages: wiring can be mapped in firmware; a single PIN can control multiple instruments; readiness and power-on testing can be implemented at a high level; calibration can be performed on the bench-top via Ethernet; individual instruments can actively report error conditions and asynchronous events; high level data (ie. OBS position) can be exchanged from the PIN to the controlling computer greatly reducing computational and bandwidth requirements; dedicated point-to-point wiring is eliminated, and in situations where security permits, the system can be tested and controlled at the single instrument level via the internet. PIN firmware is automatically implemented via simple, high-level XML scripts, and an ANSI C compatible application programming interface (API) provides full control of all PINs. This technology was developed specifically for the new flight simulator designs and retrofits, but it is applicable to a wide range of military and commercial systems. |
|
|
|
|
|
