USB-inSync is a revolutionary technology which adds highly accurate timing and synchronization to the already powerful USB bus. The enhanced capability of USB-inSync, while preserving all the features of USB, enables new applications and solutions never before possible. USB-inSync has transformed the fundamental properties and utility of USB.

There is a limitation inherent in standard USB because USB devices act independently and are essentially stand-alone. While multiple devices can be connected through a single USB port, an operation in one device cannot be synchronized with another device over the USB cable. The USB bus was designed with a completely asynchronous point-to-point architecture that until now has prevented coordinated device operation. Thanks to Fiberbyte, this is not a limitation of USB any more. Fiberbyte has developed USB-inSync technology to transform the conventional USB bus into a synchronous, deterministic and expandable control platform. Such capabilities were never envisaged by the inventors of USB.

USB-inSync technology is capable of synchronizing up to 127 discrete devices within +/-5-ns of each other without requiring any additional equipment. USBinSync is able to provide added functionality utilizing standard USB cables, ports and hubs because the technology is embedded in every Fiberbyte device. All USB-inSync devices connected to a single USB port can be locked together and act as a single device. Additionally any device can be used as a timing reference to control external equipment. For the first time the USB port is capable of multi-device synchronization and time deterministic functionality traditionally associated with rack-based mainframe platforms such as PXI.

Computers have become integral and critical to manufacturing control and automation, and as a consequence are found all over the manufacturing floor. USB-inSync not only takes USB-based computer control to new levels of sophistication, but for the first time enables this power to be delivered with unparalleled mobility and flexibility through the PC, and better still, your everyday laptop! This is a revolutionary departure from cumbersome rack-based systems that require the addition of costly embedded processors. When using USB-inSync devices, each and every USB port can now be used for synchronous multi-device control and processing applications. There is no need for expensive synchronization controllers and hours spent programming to provide the features available with USB-inSync. All that is needed is a standard USB port, a USB cable, and a laptop PC.

To meet the needs of the most demanding data acquisition applications Fiberbyte has combined USB-inSync technology with 16 bit analogue inputs, 16 bit digital I/O, and digital triggers to create multifunction data acquisition modules. The DAQ-2500X will quickly become the solution of choice for PC I/O applications where portability, expandability, performance, and cost are significant considerations.

The DAQ-2500X offers continuous single-channel sampling rates up to 100kS/s. Four discrete ADCs deliver true synchronous acquisition at a combined rate of 400kS/s with an impressive continuous data throughput of 800kB/s. The 1MB FIFO enables on-board buffering of well over a second worth of data with all four ADC's sampling at 100kS/s. Fully programmable digital I/O and triggers make the DAQ-2500X perfect for numerous applications. For complete mobility the DAQ2500X will even operate from battery power.

Using the DAQ-2500X is simple with Fiberbyte's free software suite. The DAQ Control Center graphical user interface will control multiple devices for users with no programming experience. For experienced users the DAQ-2500X COM Server provides interfacing capability for most modern programming languages and software applications.

USB-inSync is 100% compatible with other USB devices, but only USB-inSync enabled devices will have multi-device synchronous and deterministic features. Fiberbyte is also able to integrate any I/O device with our technology, creating innumerable application possibilities for OEMs.

Let Fiberbyte USB-inSync transform the way you use USB. You'll never look back!

As you can garner from Fiberbyte's detailed and exhaustive press release (on the left), this is an unusual and relevant product for deterministic applications. Not said is that the USB-inSync topology is comprised of distributed I/O and hi-density stacking multi-function modules that let you synchronously control, trigger, and sample, using multiple modules on a single USB (Universal Serial Bus) port. These modules are also DIN-rail mountable.

Also not mentioned in the company's press statement is the fact that a USB-inSync system is designed to run under Windows. Your host PC will need to run Windows 2000 or Windows XP, and have a Pentium III processor, or better. You'll need at least 128-Mbytes of RAM and about 10 megs of spare hard disk space, too. And, your PC will need a USB v1.1 (or higher) host controller.

The DAQ-2500X Module

As the press release notes, the DAQ-2500X has four independent 16-bit resolution 100-ksample/s simultaneous-sampling analog input channels. Each channel packs its own A/D (analog-to-digital) converter.

The module's big FIFO enables burst data sampling for a second of data, with all four A/Ds sampling at 100-ksamples/s. Together, you get 1-Mbyte/s data throughput. The module also supports programmable digital I/O and triggering.

Especially significant is the realtime I/O. That's just the ticket for distributed test environments that are revamped as lab needs change. Without USB-inSync, you're stuck with conventional USB.

Remember, USB was designed to concurrently operate multiple devices that vary in function. To accomplish this, USB is an asynchronous bus with multiple devices sequentially interacting with a PC. That very async operation prevents peripherals from interacting with each other in a deterministic way. USB has a limited capacity to synchronize events or processes from multiple devices.

Phase-Locked Clocks

In contrast, the USB-inSync DAQ-2500X has its own local clock that's phase-locked to that of every other USB-inSync device on a PC's USB network. A master hub operates as a timing controller to sync all the device clocks, regardless of the number of standard USB expansion hubs used. The master determines any phase offset and provides a correction factor to each USB-inSync device, to ensure all operate synchronously.

This syncing process also occurs automatically during USB device enumeration, and is repeated each time a new USB device is plugged in. As soon as Windows recognizes a device, it's available for synchronous operation.

The scheme also provides deterministic triggering. Processes and tests can be started and stopped in a very controlled manner.

Automatic Sync

Unlike most USB data-acq modules, USB-inSync devices also automatically sync over standard USB expansion hubs, as opposed to async USB devices that only support synchronization within one module, and where synchronous channel expansion is only possible if you buy a bigger data-acq module. With this system, you can scale deterministic channel sampling by expanding to multiple USB devices with off-the-shelf USB hubs.

As in any test suite, price, speed, and resolution are key. Also, as I noted, most high-end test systems rapidly acquire lots of data. That's due to today's systems with high channel counts, faster sampling rates, and ever higher resolution requirements.

Embedded platforms and realtime expansion backplanes are usually needed to accommodate those concomitant demands. Many of these are PXI, CompactPCI, VME, or VXI-based. Nonetheless, even with high performance platforms, critical test data that can take only seconds to acquire on the test system itself can take minutes to transfer to a PC for storage, analysis, or control.

That's where the USB-inSync comes in, establishing PC control that eliminates data transfer and formatting problems, while reducing overall test times, and therefore, cost. The result is better test efficiency.

Also, as opposed to PC-compatible devices that only provide interfaces for batch data upload, this PC control scheme continuously enables both upload and download between a test device and a host PC. You get simultaneous software control, data acquisition, and data storage.

Complements Ethernet

What about Ethernet and IEEE-488/GPIB (General Purpose Interface Bus)? After all, Ethernet is capable of integrating multiple test devices with a PC, right?

Yes, but Ethernet has limited ability to sync test gear in realtime. It's better suited for linking multiple databases together for trend monitoring and for remote control and monitoring. As such, kudos is owed to Fiberbyte for developing this realtime USB-inSync platform to compliment Ethernet.

The USB-inSync platform can expand to 127 devices and hubs using the standard USB architecture. All the while it maintains multi-device synchronization, with standard USB hardware.

Compared with IEEE-488/GPIB, plug-and-play USB-inSync offers faster data transfers, too (up to 12-Mbits/s), and ease expansion to many channels. As a USB peripheral, USB-inSync also supports hot-swap operation, and you don't have to open a PC's chassis to swap plug-in cards.

Test By Cellphone

You can even use a USB-inSync system with a PDA (personal digital assistant) if it has a USB host controller port, and most do these days. If your PDA has a host controller (not a USB device port), you can set up a multi-channel test platform that's controlled via your handheld operating under Pocket PC software.

Data can then be piped directly into Outlook or Excel for subsequent transfer to your desktop PC. Imagine being able to run sophisticated test procedures in the field from your PDA/cellphone!

Legacy Integration

Like most data-acq systems USB-inSync is modular, expandable, and customizable. Fiberbyte also designed its product to protect your existing investments. Most systems comprise unmatched hardware glued together by realtime software such as National Instruments's graphical LabVIEW environment. These types of stitched-together systems let you create sequenced test routines that integrate synchronization and automation.

That fact of life hasn't been lost on Fiberbyte. Its product comes with a LabVIEW driver so you can integrate it with other equipment (for production applications, most folks write their own software in VisualBASIC or C++). What's more, the system's distributed format is capable of operating test equipment up to 25 meters away from your PC controller.

Stay Tuned

Although Australia-based Fiberbyte isn't a household name, the company has been actively involved for many years with product development and systems integration using its core USB-inSync technology. As its name implies, the company initially focused on fiber optics test equipment, but its core USB-inSync technology is now slated for more blanket data acquisition apps. Watch for developments from this firm.

For more details, contact Chris Svensrud, Director, US Sales and Marketing, Fiberbyte, 599 3rd St., Suite 301, San Francisco, Calif. 94107. Phone: (415) 543-6859, or (866) 394-DONE. Fax: (415) 276-3137. E-mail: us_sales@fiberbyte.com.

Click here to review a brief datasheet (in Adobe Acrobat .PDF format).

Fiberbyte, (415) 543-6859, www.fiberbyte.com