NI intros compact FieldPoint controllers

AUSTIN, USA: National Instruments has released three new Compact FieldPoint controllers that deliver increased performance, higher processor speed and significantly improved Ethernet throughput.

The NI cFP-2220, cFP-2210 and cFP-2200 controllers include a 400 MHz PowerPC processor and Wind River VxWorks real-time operating system (RTOS) for greater processing power and faster data analysis.

The cFP-2200 features up to 128 MB of SDRAM and onboard storage, and the cFP-2210 delivers up to 256 MB of SDRAM and up to 128 MB of onboard storage. The cFP-2220 has dual Ethernet ports for connectivity to enterprise and dedicated I/O networks, as well as three RS232 ports and one RS485 port for serial devices. For logging and transferring data on external memory, the controller includes an additional USB port and a removable CompactFlash slot. The cFP-2220 also has two times the amount of onboard storage and SDRAM, up to 256 MB, for storing more data on the controller itself.

Engineers can create stand-alone embedded systems with these new controllers by using LabVIEW Real-Time to deploy custom applications for data logging and monitoring, real-time analysis and advanced intelligent control. The new controllers also feature a 10 times increase in Ethernet throughput for greater data transfer rates, and they include Reliance file system support to protect data integrity. In addition, NI has released two new connector blocks for convenient wiring and troubleshooting. The NI cFP-CB-2 and cFP-CB-4 offer removable connectors for easy front-panel access to the terminals for wiring sensors.

The cFP-22x0 controllers are the first release of fully RoHS-compliant products for the Compact FieldPoint product line, demonstrating the NI commitment to eliminating certain hazardous substances from products to benefit the environment. The remainder of the Compact FieldPoint product line is expected to be RoHS-compliant by 2010.