Hardware

As part of our support for the GCA line of steppers, we also design and manufacture devices to replace some of the aging peripheral devices attached to the original equipment. To date, these products include the following:

• UPG100 This product replaces the console VT100, with its alignment camera video overlay, buttons and joysticks used in steppers running MOPs older than 7.3x (MOP 7.3x uses the keyboard to perform button and joystick functions). This rack mounted unit will allow the alignment camera image to overlay the PC screen display as well as provide the standard buttons and alignment joysticks.

• UPG_PFC This product replaces the Programmable Focus Control (PFC) stepper motor driver used in earlier steppers (e.g. 3696, 4800). The UPG_PFC attaches to a PC parallel port (e.g. LPT1) and connects directly to the PFC controller on the stepper. The PFC was replaced by POC (voltage control) in later generations of steppers.

• UPG_POC This product replaces the Programmable Offset Control (POC) interface that may be present in earlier steppers that used the 9280 interface chassis. The interface board in our upgrade kits for steppers based on the 9289 chassis have a POC interface built-in so a separate controller isn't necessary.

• UPG_BUF In upgraded steppers that have ACS, AWH, RRS and/or IAS options installed, the serial communication of the PC may be too fast for the serial peripheral device and the device will malfunction. The UPG_BUF is a small 'dongle' that fits in the serial line between the PC serial port and the peripheral device and paces the serial data stream.