basic control systems question

ghostwriter wrote:

DAC=digital to analog converter.  In PLC speak it is called
an analog output board.

John Popelish wrote:

In lab-instrument speak it's called an "arbitrary wave generator",
although most instruments with that name will have a way higher speed,
way too few channels, and a way way higher price than you want.

I think you can get these that run off of USB these days (analog output
modules, not arbitrary waveform generators).

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" gives you just what it says.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html

Tim Wescott wrote:

There may be some used HPIB stuff around cheap. With the right driver,
they can be driven from a parallel port. I have an old HPIB card, but
the 486 machine it's in died.

Jerry
--
Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get.
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Hello,
You should try using servo systems for such an application. Analog
cards (With PLC or PC) will have sluggish response. Where as Servo
systems are designed to have good velocity and position control which
is required for ROBOT.
Prabir