Introducing the New ES410 8-Channel A/D Module –

Just in Time for Cold Weather Testing

More is always better, especially, when it comes in the same compact size, right? How about 8 channels of high-speed Analog to Digital (A/D) general purpose measurement in an extremely compact and rugged (IP67) package for the price of 4 channels? ETAS is proud to announce the upcoming release of the latest entry into our highly popular ES400-series of rugged and compact measurement modules, the ES410. The ES410 builds on the success of our 8-channel thermal module, the ES420, and our ES411, a 4-channel A/D module with sensor supply.

The ES410 provides eight voltage measurements channels in a selection of ranges from ±100mV up to ±60V.  The sampling rate can be up to 10kHz per channel. The modules feature configurable low-pass filters for noise suppression. An example of the use of the ES410 would be the measurement of the fuel system pressure on the fuel injection system or brake line pressures in ABS systems.

Figure 1: ES410 Module

All ES400s are Designed for Maximum Utility

When you instrument a car with measurement equipment, it is generally advantageous to locate the measuring device as close as possible to the measuring point. That's because shorter wire lengths result in reduced sensitivity to noise and electro-magnetic interference. In addition, shorter wire lengths usually reduce installation time. Therefore, you'll see an overall reduction in system installation costs.

For certain automotive applications, in particular for powertrain, this might mean placing the equipment under the hood, in small spaces, in a harsh environment. Dealing with small spaces and harsh environments has been a fact of life for measurement engineers (see figure 2 below).

Figure 2: Typical ES400 Module Under-Hood Installation

Last August, ETAS launched the ES400 family–a new generation of I/O and measurement hardware that is changing the way under-the-hood measurement is performed. Some important characteristics of this new product line are:

1. The modules can be installed almost anywhere in the car, including under the hood.
2. The modules operate in a fast serial daisy-chain topology.
3. This topology has an open software interface.

Let’s look at these three main characteristics in a little more detail.

1. Under the Hood

The modules feature very small, water and dustproof (IP67 rated) housings, roughly 5 by 2 by 1.5 inches. The main connector on the front panel connects the measurement channels; the two smaller connectors are for the data link and to provide DC power to the module. Two small holes on the side allow for stacking multiple modules together. Also, there are small slits on the bottom for tie-wrapping the modules in place. The operating temperature range of these modules is from -40°C to +120°C (-40°F to 248°F.)

2. Serial Daisy-Chain Topology

The ES400 modules are daisy chained (see figure 3). The connecting cable supplies power to the module and doubles as a 100Mbit/s Ethernet link to a PC. As a result, sampling rates of up to 10kHz per channel can be supported. For example, 100 A-to-D channels sampled at a rate of 10kHz each can be connected to a single daisy chain. At the same time, the data acquired by each measurement channel is synchronized by a clock signal supplied by the first measurement module in the daisy chain. Furthermore, the ES400 modules are capable of diagnosing wire breaks and electrical faults in the objects being measured. Multiple daisy-chains can be connected to the PC via the use of an ES600 network module. Finally, when the PC is disconnected, the modules enter a power-saving sleep mode.

Figure 3: ES400 daisy chain under the hood

3. Open Software Interface

If your laptop PC has an Ethernet interface installed, you are ready to communicate with an ES400 daisy-chain. The ES400 modules are supported by INCA V5.4 and can be combined with ES500 and ES600 ECU interface family devices and in the second half of 2007 will be able to be used with the new ETAS compact rapid prototyping hardware, the ES910. The ES400 modules can also be combined with any third-party measurement tool that supports the XCP-on-Ethernet protocol. Finally, the ES400 family can be mixed and matched with any of the ES500 and ES600 family modules, all under control of INCA.

Looking Ahead ...

The first two members of this new family of micro I/O and measurement modules, the ES411 and ES420, have been very favorably received by ETAS’ customers.  The new ES410 8 channel A/D module builds on this success in the marketplace. ETAS is also developing additional members of this family, such as an ES441 Frequency Module that can be used to measure rotational speeds, and an ES430 Lambda (=air/fuel ratio) Module.

For more information about the ES400 family, please contact ETAS at sales@etas.us.

To learn more about the capabilities of the ES400s, download the ES411 or ES420 flyers from the ETAS website at http://en.etasgroup.com/global/downloads_index.shtml#flyers or contact support@etas.us

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All about the ETAS Hardware Service Pack (HSP)

What is HSP?

HSP is an application that allows easy firmware update of all connected ETAS hardware. It contains the latest firmware for any ETAS hardware and is the only application needed to communicate with any ETAS hardware. All necessary drivers are installed along with it.

How can I get the HSP?

HSP is delivered free-of-charge with each ETAS software CD. Or, you can download the latest version fo the HSP (currently V5.1.3) from the ETAS website at: http://en.etasgroup.com/products/hsp/downloads.shtml

How to launch the HSP?

Before starting HSP, make sure INCA or any other ETAS application software is closed. Launch HSP from the Desktop icon or go to Start ⇒ All programs ⇒ ETAS ⇒ HSP 5.1 ⇒ Hardware Service Pack V5.1*. Once the HSP application has opened, click on “Search for Hardware”

Once the hardware search is launched, all currently connected hardware is displayed in the main program window. You can now update the firmware of all displayed components and selected systems at once with just one click.

Which ETAS products are supported?

After the HSP application has opened, click on Help ⇒ Supported Hardware and a list of supported ETAS hardware is provided. Or refer to the ETAS website at: http://en.etasgroup.com/products/hsp/downloads.shtml

Why is the HSP version different from my INCA version?

INCA and HSP are two completely different applications. INCA is a measurement and calibration software. INCA accesses ETAS hardware to acquire data. It uses another program, called Target Server to communicate with ETAS hardware.

HSP is an application specifically aimed at updating ETAS hardware. HSP also uses the same Target Server program to communicate with ETAS hardware and to update the firmware.

The development of HSP and INCA are related but they're developed independent of each other, therefore the version numbers are different. Whenever a new version of INCA software is releases, a corresponding minimum HSP version is recommended.

The HSP is always downward compatible, which means, INCA will work with any stated or higher version of HSP software, executed on ETAS Hardware.

*HSP V5.1 is the most recently released version at the time of this article.

For more information, please contact support@etas.us

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INCA 6.0 Experiment: Trigger Editor gets totally replaced!

Remember the Trigger Editor in INCA 5.4 and previous versions?

It’s gone and has been replaced with a totally new editor. Check this out:

With the trigger editor, you just start by typing in the trigger condition. If you need a measurement signal, INCA will pop up the measurements from the experiment that you can use:

You can define as many trigger conditions as you like, and then activate the one you want to use, without having to delete the others:

The editor checks the syntax of the trigger condition as you are entering it, you always know if you have a valid condition:

You can now import and export trigger conditions for easy use between experiments and for sharing with other team members:

Many new functions are available in developing your trigger condition:

Also, you can create your own “snippet” of text for use later in any trigger condition:

Snippets are saved independently of the experiment, so you can reuse them in any experiment!

For more information, contact support@etas.us

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We hope you have enjoyed reading the ETAS Newsletter. We are interested in your feedback. Please send any comments or suggestions for future topics to etna_newsletter@etas.info

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