NUMBER 12 KI N ETICSYSTEMS CORPORATION LOCKPORT, IL JUL/AUG 77

PDP-11 Becomes Even More Versatile When Interfaced

TO CAMAC

There are over 30,000 PDP-1 1's in use,most of them in processing and controlapplications. The CAMAC interfacestandard was developed for similarapplications, and a combination ofthese two systems produces powerful,f lexible configurations useful in indus-trial process control, research and de-velopment, and related fields.

LSI-1 I wlth 3912 Crate Controller

New 3912 Crate Controller Does lt

The new 3912, which succeeds ourpopular 3911 Crate Controller, providesthe l ink between CAMAC and the DECPDP-1 1 family. lt includes featureswhich give it a wider range of appli-cations than the 391 1 but is compatiblewith software produced for the 3911.

The 3912 inter faces to a l l DEC PDP-1 1computers inc luding the LSI-1 1. l tcan function as the main controller in acrate or as an auxil iary crate controllerin a crate containing a 3952,3908 oranother 3912 as the main controller.

This newsletter is published bi-monthly by

KineticSystems Corporation11 Maryknol l Dr ive

Lockport, lll inois 60441Telephone: (8151 838 0005

Many Gonfigurations Are Fossible

The 3912 makes it possible to assemblea CAMAC PDP-11 /LS l -11 sys tem in anumber of ways:

o The 3912 can control crates con-nected directly to the computer'sbus.

r The 3912 can control standardCAMAC serial or branch systems(up to 62 crates can be accom-modated in th is fashion) .

o The 3912 can be the main cratecontroller in a crate where localprocessing is handled by an aux-i I iary, microprocessor-based cratecontro l ler ( reducing PDP-11 over-head l .

o The 3912 can also be used as anauxi l iary crate contro l ler in adistributed intell igence system.

r More than one 3912 can be lo-cated in a crate where back-upprocessing is needed.

o lf multiple 3912's are used to-gether with our 3821 RAM mem-ory module in a crate, communi-cation between computers canbe accomplished.

o Through the use of a 3912, the3821 Memory Module can be di-rectly addressed by the computeras if i t were a 4K word block ofcomputer memory. Up to four3821's can be used with each391 2.

Combinations and variations of the con-figurations mentioned here can be usedto meet any imaginable requirement.

For addi tional information please checkbx 1 on the reply card.

New Alphanumeric Display Driver

Solves Monitoring Problems

The new Model 3235 combines a black-and-white display driver with an inter-face for an input/output device such asa keyboard or touch panel. Many add-i t ional features are inc luded, makingthe 3235 an excellent means of datadisplay.

Features

Ninety-six unique characters are pro-vided (64 standard ASCII and 32 specialcharacters) in a s ingle PROM. PROM'scan be supplied with customer-designedspecial characters as well.

The screen can be rolled up or downone character l ine at a time, and canalso be erased in a selective fashion, allthrough the use of CAMAC commands.Upto 2048 characters can be displayedat once.

Sync outputs and "enhancement" com-mands make i t possib le to s t r ip in animage on a portion of the screen whenusing the 3235 with a video insertmixer .

Through the use of digital input andoutput registers contained in the 3235,our 5209 Touch Panel Display or 5230Keyboard can be connected directlyto the 3235.

In addition to access of the cursor reg-ister from the Dataway, the position ofthe cursor can be controlled by track-ball, joystick, pushbuttons, etc.

Continued ttn following page

3235 Continued

The 3235 features programmable char-acter size as well as a bit that specifiesFlash, Black-white Reverse, or GrayBackground.

Applications

Besides being used as a full duplexterminal, it can be used simply to con-tinously display data that is beingmonitored by a system. In this config-uration, a 3235 can be programmed asa visual alarm through the use of largecharacter size and the flash feature.Control consoles and/or monitors canbe centralized in a main control roomor distributed throughout a facil i ty.

The abil ity of the 3235 to interfacedirectly with the 5209 Touch PanelDisplay makes data retrieval an ex-tremely simple process; subroutines canbe executed simply by touching theappropriate place on the 5209's screen.

Fo r additional informatio n please checkbpx2 on the replv card.

HENESA is no longer our Europeanrepresentative, and all direct customercontact is now being handled by ourGeneva staff. Michel Torche recentlyspent several weeks in the United Statesto broaden his knowledge of the capa-bi l i t ies and appl icat ions of our CAMACproducts. lf we can be of help, con-tact Michel or Paul Passer at KineticSys tems In te rna t i ona l , 6 Chemin deTave rnay ,12 l8 Geneva .

Telephone: (022l. 98 44 45Telex: 28 9622

Upcoming newsletters wil l feature thefollowing new products and systems:

r A powerful stand-alone CAMACsystem that uses BASIC and amini f loppy d isk.This new system solves a multi-tude of contro l and moni tor ingproblems, ranging f rom smal lmoni tor ing tasks to d is t r ibutedprocess control systems.

o A system that adds the f lex ib i l i tyof CAMAC control and monitor-ing to your GPIB programmablecalculator .

o A new joystickinterface that addsthree-dimensional control to yourprocess.

Many CAMAC users have already in-vested in our 3290 or 3291 DatawayDisplay modules in order to monitorthe operation of their CAMAC systemsand have found them to be very usefultools. However, a typical program per-forms many CAMAC commands inrapid sequence. Troubleshootingsucha system can be a major project; that'swhere the 3295 comes in handly. ltadds the abil ity to selectively displaycommand information and data via theuse of front-panel switches. Many add-it ional features are also contained to

save hours in software/hardware de-bugg1ng.

Versatife 3295 - 32gOl91 Combination Solves Troubleshooting Headaches

New Faces In Marketing

"Welcome Back" to Rod Wischermann and his familywho have recently returned to the U.S.A. from Geneva,Swi tzer land. Rod now l ives in Bol ingbrook, l l l ino is , wi thhis wife and daughter.Rod was the Technical Liaison between KSC and KSl,our European subsidiary, for 18 months. He workedclosely with the technical and production staff there toassure that our European customers received the highestquality products and service.

Some of his activit ies included testing modules, programming, on-site mainte-nance of customers' systems, product demonstrations, exhibit ing products attrade shows, attending CAMAC committee meetings, and assisting with thedai ly adminis t rat ion of KSl . Rod provided immediate response to technicalquestions and even learned to speak a l itt le French.

Since KSI has become a skil led and efficient operation, Rod was assigned newduties at KSC, where he is responsible for the marketing of KSC products andpromoting CAMAC. In these duties Rod replaces Lowell Klaisner who has leftKSC and is working for an aerospace company on the west coast.

Matt Spransy, a recent graduate of Wisconsin's WaukeshaCounty Technical Institute, is the newest member of ourstaff. Because he displayed an interest in sales and has atechnical background, marketing has become his majoractivity. He has been rapidly learning about CAMAC andKSC products and their applications. Our training programhas Matt preparing for sales "from the ground-up". He'sbeen par t ic ipat ing in CAMAC seminars, assembl ing andtesting modules, writ ing application l iterature, and answeringphone inqui r ies. We th ink he is doing a f ine job and is nowre'ady to begin promoting CAMAC.

Matt has just moved to Lockport from Oconomoqoc, Wisconsin, with his wifeand daughter. Matt's favorite pastime is music. He has recording and performingexperience and plays keyboard instruments in a local musical group.

KSC Offers CAMAC Tutorial

Would you like to know more about the CAMAC standardsand their applications? We can arrange to present ourCAMAC Tutorial Seminar to your systems designers andengineers. Check the appropiate box on the reply card.

Need A Catalog?

Copies of our 1977 cata log are st i l l avai lable. l f you needone please check the appropriate box on the reply card.

cAitwA.c 1977

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New CAMAC Module Expands GPIB Capabi l i t ies . . . And CAMAC's Too!

Functions Of The 3295

The 3295 has binary selection switchesfor slot number, subaddress, and func-tion, as well as 3 switches that enableyou to select different modes of com-pare. Comparator lC's are containedin the module that compare the currentcommand with that selected bY thebinary switches allowing the 3290 or3291 to display the selected command(and data. i f appl icable) . Enable/d is-able switches are provided for N, A, F,

and Data b i t compar isons, increasingthe module 's f lex ib i l i ty . There are testpoints located on the front panel for51 . 52, Dataway Busy s ignals, and agate s ignal usefu l in t r igger ing osci l lo-scopes on selected Dataway cycles.

With the introduction of more andmore diversif ied process control andmoni tor ing devices, the v i r tues of gen-

eralized interface systems are becomingreadi ly apparent . The GPIB was de-s igned to be a general ized in ter facesystem and functions as such quite

wel l . One of i ts l imi tat ions, however,is that its total transmission path lengthshould not exceed 20 meters, makingremote moni tor ing of points d i f f icu l t .A l so ,on l y 15 GPIB dev i ces can be con -nected to any one bus, l imi t ing thenumber of moni tor ing points.

Our new 3388 GPIB Inter face Modulesolves these problems.

What lt Does

In the past , connect ing such th ings asDVM's, counters, and pr inters to aCAMAC system of ten requi red specia lmodules and engineer ing on a case-by-case basis. Now. the 3388 interfacesthe GPIB and i ts associated inst rumentsto a CAMAC crate (CAMAC also beingan I EE E standardized inter face svstem).

The 3388 can funct ion as a CONTROL-L E R . T A L K E R , a n d L I S T E N E R , a sdescr ibed in IEEE Standard 488, andcan a l so be se t t o t he CONTROLLERIDLE state so that i t can be a TALKERor LISTEN ER in a system that conta insano the r CONTROLLER.

Functions Of The 3291

This module is the successor to the

time-proven 3290 and has manY new

and usefuf fealures atno qdditionalcost.

The 329'l contains a 24'bit Data Reg-ister and a 24-bit Command Register,the latter holding bits representing F, A,N, X, O, C, Z, l , L , P2 and Pl . These

registers can be read, enabling softwaretesting of the integrity of a CAMACcrate.

Several modes of operation are pro-

v ided which determine the manner inwhich the registers are loaded. Thesemodes are: 51, for normal Datawaymoni tor ing; N.S1, in which the d isplay

The 3388 inc ludes a status regis ter anda LAM (Look-At-Me) status regis ter ,great ly s impl i fy ing programming. Thes-bi t TALK and LISTEN GPIB addressis set bv a switch on the 3388 PC card.

What lt Can Do For You

Since the 3388 provides a CAMAC-to-GPIB inter face, your GPIB inst rumentsmay be connected to any computer for

which a CAMAC interface exists. You

can now add the f lex ib i l i tv of CAMAC

to your ex is t ing GPIB sYstem or use

GPIB inst ruments wi th Your CAMACsystem.

In the case of ex is t ing CAMAC systems,a number of 3388's can be used in acrate, each one having 15 ' inst rumentcapabi l i ty . Exis t ing GPIB systems canbe expanded beyond 15 inst ruments

is updated only when the 3291 is beingaddressed; O'S1, which uPdates thedisplay only when O=1; DC Wri te andDC Read (these modes are useful in

t roubleshoot ing c lamped l ines) ; andHOLD, which inhib i ts the loading ofthe registers.

When all the features of these two mod-ules are combined, a powerfu l CAMACmonitoring and troubleshooting systemis real ized. The saving in t ime a lone wi l lpay for these modules many times over.

For additio nal info rmatio n p I eas e checkbox3 on the reply card.

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by using the 3388 Interface with up to20 other modules in the CAMAC crate,contro l led by the GPIB system contro l -ler .

GPIB data acquis i t ion points can now

be separated by great distances throughthe use of a CAMAC ser ia l h ighway, andthe system contro l ler no longer needsto be near the data acquis i t ion points.

For adtlitional informatbn please checkbx 4 on the reply card.

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LAM Encoder Simplifies Handling Of Serial System Interrupts

Serial Highways have made great dis-tances between crates in CAMAC sys-tems a reality. A Serial Highway canaccommodate as many as 62 crates, eachconta in ing a ser ia l crate contro l ler andup to 23 modules with interrupt capa-bi l i ty . The need then ar ises to have anorderly way of handling these inter-rupts. Our 3924 LAM Encoder in-cludes many features to make LAM-handl ing easy.

Functions Of The 3924

The 3924 priority-encodes the 24LAM's in a crate in to a S-bi t numbersuitable for use by a Type L-2 SerialCrate Controller in generating a De-mand message. l t inc ludes a LAM maskregister which can be selectively setor c leared and has provis ions for aninternal LAM request. The 3924features versati le commands which per-mi t the module to accommodate s impleor complex service routines.

lf a Demand message is sent and theassociated LAM is not serviced withina predetermined time (selectable from1 msec to 1 sec in the 3924), a HungDemand message is sent, preventingthe further generation of pending De-mand messages--except for additionalHung Demand messages--unti l the LAMis serviced.

How lt Can Be Used

Besides the obvious use of sor t ing outthe many interrupts in a large ser ia lsystem, the 3924 is useful in otherappl icat ions as wel l . Because the LAM'sare brought into a connector mountedon the rear panel of the module, the3924 can be used to priority-encodeany dala.

Autonomous controllers such as the3909 or 3981 can operate in cratesconta in ing ser ia l crate contro l lers. The3924 can mask off specific LAM's if i tis undesi rable for the main computerto receive Demand messages generatedby modules that are serviced by thesecontrollers.

For additbnal information please checkbx 5 on the reply card.

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CAMAC Instrumentation And lnterface Standards

The CAMAC standards adopted by the Institute of Electrical and ElectronicEngineers ( IEEE) are:

r Modular Inst rumentat ion and Dig i ta l In ter face System (CAMAC)IEEE Std 583 - 1975

r Ser ia l Highway Inter face System (CAMAC)tEEE Std 595 - 1976

o Parallel Highway Interface System (CAMAC)tEEE S td 596 - 1976

r Block Transfers in CAMAC SystemstEEE Std 683 - 1976

The four cAMAc Standards are available from Kineticsystems corporation in asingfe hard-bound volume (SHO6437I for $19.95 or as separate booklets for ,_J$10.00 each. The cAMAc standards can also be obtained from the Institute ofElectr ica l and Electronic Engineers, Inc. ,345 East 47 St . , New york, N.y. 10017.In Europe contact the Office for Off icialPublications of the European Communities.Luxembourg, P.O. Box 1003.