TI's TMS320F2810 Controller Offers the Ideal Combination of High Performance and Small Size for Sensor and Measurement Applications to Meet System Stimulation and Control Requirements
May 25, 2004 - The digital signal processor (DSP) based TMS320F2810 from Texas Instruments (TI) is enabling Chronotek to increase sampling rates by more than one hundred times in their Chrondyne Pulse Module ultrasonic transit time liquid flow sensor system. TI's F2810 controller enables the Pulse Module to make 300 calculations per second, where high data density is essential in difficult applications due to unstable flows or contaminants. For more information, please see: www.ti.com/C2000sensemeasure.Flow metering technologies are coming under increasing pressure to adapt to growing environmental concerns, demands for greater accuracy, and reduced maintenance costs. Traditional mechanical measurement techniques have proved to be inaccurate, slow and maintenance intensive. Modern flow metering solutions have adopted ultrasonic techniques using microcontroller (MCU) based systems, but are still hampered by the lack of processing power to provide highly accurate and fast response measurements.
By leveraging DSP capabilities of the F2810 controller, Chronotek's Pulse Module is able to make 300 calculations per second compared to three to four per second from some MCU-based systems. The 150MHz multiply/accumulate (MAC) instruction of the F2810 controller allows the Pulse Module to send ultrasonic signals and calculate the differential time-of-flight with a resolution of a few picoseconds.
The F2810 controller integrates 128 Kilowords (Kw) of Flash memory for simple reprogramming during development and in-field software updates. Optimized event managers include pulse-width modulation (PWM) generators, programmable general-purpose timers and glueless capture encoder interfaces. The device also features a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) capable of achieving throughput of 12.5 mega samples per second and dual sample-hold, providing fast response for tight control loops. Five different on-chip standard communication ports, including CAN, provide simple communication interfaces to hosts, test equipment, displays and other components or networks.
The Pulse Module also utilizes TI's analog solutions, including TPS380x power supply supervisors and OPA355 amplifier devices. TI provides control solutions from 40 to 150 MIPS designed for virtually all control applications and provides designers with application-focused hardware and software tools designed to speed time to market.
