This board is the communication device between the camera and the computer. From one side, the in/out of this board is the Ethernet RJ45 plug, on the other side, the in/out are :
- a bi-directional 8 bits wide bus (says internal)
- a RS232 serial device (external)
- a RS422 serial device (optional)
We can see this board like a Ethernet - Parallel bus converter of 8 bits (not IEEE1284), or also Ethernet-RS232 and still Ethernet-RS422.
This card is only alimented by 5V. It can be powered directly on an internal plug (5V must be regulated in this case) or by the way of the application board (these can be contained an independent regulation) and to be send by the internal plug. The power consumption of the Ethernaude interface is lower than 500mA.
The brain of the system is a micro controller SX52 at 50Mhz (that can run at 75MHz too) that can be re-programmed in-situ. The components near this SX52 are :
- For Ethernet interface
- An Ethernet controller CS8900A
- One FIFO with 1Ko
- One FIFO de 1Ko (on holder, eventually upgradeable to 64Ko)
- One 32Ko SRAM memory
For the RS232 serial device
one Max232
For the optional RS422 device (only 4Ko SRAM)
- one Max481
- the others components
- one Max 814 (for the SX52 reset, optional)
- one serial EEPROM of 2Kbits (to remind IP address for example)
How presents this board :
Click on the image to grow up...
To connect the board to the computer you must use an Ethernet cross cable (direct plug) or a right Ethernet cable (use with a Hub or a Switch). A network card (or RJ45 port) is necessary that your computer can communicate with. Cards of this type can be sell in your local computer office (prefer a 100Mbits card to reduce latency time and improve the performance). Don't hesitate to contact us if you have a difficulty in the supplying or during the starting of this card.
The IP address programming of the board is done by a little software included with the device. This one can be plug without difficulty in your current network.
Cables are sold with sales prices in the order form.
The RS232 serial device bind to a DB9 plug when this board is plug into the Ethernaude device. This plug will support also an alimentation and wires for I2C protocol. Specific cable is so necessary to connect the interface to your appliance using the RS232 protocol. All the information will be in the documentation (and soon an this web site).
This board can be use independently for some projects . For example :
an order of step by step motors for telescope pointing,
an order of focalisation, of dome, of lights,
an order of motorized filter wheel, a CCD camera, ...
For this we do associate an application board like the one presented next or realised from prototype board, carved or printed circuits, ...
Information will be at your disposal to realise your own applications cards if you want to buy this EtherIO card. You need a programming device (SX-Key) to change the specific software of the SX52 on the EtherIO board (a standard software can be shipped with that will permit only to change states of the 8bits internal port).
The EtherAudine board is used to drive the Audine CCD camera. Associate to this EtherIO board, the all device is named EthernAude.