Embedded controller from Micro-Robotics

27th May 2009

Micro Robotics

ES Admin

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Datasheet

Micro-Robotics has introduced the VM2, a new embedded, controller that is a development from the highly successful VM1 controller that has been the company’s flagship product for the past five years. The VM2 is smaller, measuring only 52mm x 48mm, costs some 15% less, is considerably more powerful and 15 times faster than its predecessor, has very low power consumption and brings many other advantages to designers of modern control systems. The VM1 will be produced for the foreseeable future to support existing customers and applications.

Continuing with the philosophy of producing easy to use, robust controllers, the VM2 provides an efficient and highly cost-effective control solution for many applications. Custom boards can also be provided to optimise the performance of specific applications.

The VM2 can handle analogue and digital I/O, graphical user interfaces, flash, RAM and external memory card filing systems and TCP/IP Internet protocols. It uses the most powerful new controller in the STM32 family of ARM based 32-bit flash microcontrollers running at 72MHz. The board also has an 8MB flash containing user application code and flash filing system, a 1MB SRAM (backed up by optional battery), 512KB fast flash containing the Venom2 operating system and 64KB fast SRAM.

Even during continuous operation the VM2 consumes only 45mA at 3.3V (149mW) and in ‘idle’ mode the current consumption of the standard board is 19mA (63mW). For applications where fast clock speed is not important this can be traded off against improved current consumption when the idling current can be adjusted to a mere 6mA (20mW). VM2 also has a ‘sleep’ mode in which it will only consume micro amps.

A copy of Venom2, the latest version of the Venom embedded control language that has many new features is supplied with each VM2 control board. Venom2 is an object-oriented, multi-tasking language that requires no licence fee and is designed specifically for writing control systems. It is supported by comprehensive, free development tools and lifetime technical support. Application programs are held in battery-backed RAM for a rapid development cycle and protected in flash memory when finished. The VM2 starter kit contains everything required to start working immediately with a VM2 controller.

The VM2 can communicate with other computers over the Internet or Local Area Networks and the Venom2 language has built-in TCP/IP networking protocols and drivers for modems, including mobile telephones. A range of I/O and communication interfaces, including Ethernet connection, are in design while many of the interfaces that were used with the VM1 can also be used.

In addition, a number of application boards are being developed for this new controller that will be ideal for intelligent instruments, hand-held devices, industrial automation, process control, security and many other control systems.