Mainframes

  1. INTRODUCTION

The mainframe is an integral part of the CDSbus System. Like the other members of the CDSbus family, it accepts all of the 53A function/instrument cards. CDSbus mainframes are most commonly ordered as a configured mainframe, although they may also be purchased independently, both with and without a power supply.

All CDSbus mainframes use the innovative CDSbus backplane essential to the CDS concept. The backplane is divided into two separate portions. One portion is optimized for the task of interface and control. while the other portion is optimized for instrumentation. The card slots are color coded to clearly indicate their functions.

– The Control slot color coded black handles the interfacing between the controller and system. This feature insures that the environment within which a function/instrument card resides is always the same no matter what computer, operating system or language the user chooses.
– The Communication slot color coded green, contains the communication interface used to control the system.
– The Chaining slot (53B and 63B series only), color coded red. is used to interface up to nine (9) additional slave mainframes. The chaining function has its own slot to insure no degradation in instrument performance, and to allow a chained mainframe to be remotely located up to 300 meters from its host.
– The Function slots, color coded blue, are used for any combination of CDSbus instrument modules the user may choose. The 53B series is the largest CDSbus mainframe with 10 Function slots. The 63B series of low profile mainframes has 5 Function slots. Although the same size as the 63B series, the 64B series has 6 Function slots because it sacrifices the chaining slot for an additional Function slot.

53B SERIES MAINFRAME
10 SLOTS

The 53B series mainframe has 10 Function slots plus Chaining, Communications, and Control slots. The Chaining slot allows up to 10 mainframes (100 Function cards) to be controlled by a single controller.

The 53B series mainframe represents a significant improvement over its predecessors. Not only does it offer a greater power budget with improved cooling characteristics (less than a 4°C rise over ambient for a fully loaded mainframe), it is significantly lighter and more durable than previous models.

Available configurations include control by either an external computer of the user’s choice or an internal. single board computer (53B-ATZ). Available interfaces include IEEE-488 (53B-IBX), RS-232C {53B-RSX), high speed parallel.{53B-PIX), and chained {53B-CCX). The 538 series mainframe also can be ordered separately. with {53B-000) or without {53B-003) a power supply.

63B SERIES MAINFRAME
5 SLOTS
The 63B series mainframe provides a low profile alternative to the full size 53B series. yet accepts all of the 53A function/instrument cards and has excellent cooling characteristics (typically less than a 7°C rise over ambient for a fully loaded mainframe). The 638 can hold up to five Function cards plus Chaining, Communications, and Control cards. The Chaining card allows up to a maximum of ten mainframes to be controlled. Available interfaces include lEEE-488 (63B-IBX). RS-232C (63B-RSX), high speed parallel. {63B-PIX), and chained {63B-CCX). The 638 series mainframe also can be ordered separately, with (63B-000) or without(63B-013) a power supply.

64B SERIES MAINFRAME
6 SLOTS
The 64B mainframe provides the same low profile alternative to the full size 53B series as the 63B series. but accommodates an additional Function card by sacrificing the Chaining slot. The 648 accommodates six Function cards plus the Communications and Control cards. It is available in configurations with the following communication interfaces: IEEE-488 (64B-IBX), RS-232C (64B-RSX), high speed parallel {64B-PIX), and chained {64B-CCX). The 64B series mainframe also can be ordered separately, with {64B-000) or without {64B-014) a power supply.