National Instruments 778916-04 Motion Controller Device

National Instruments developed the 778916-04 motion controller device for use in both straightforward and sophisticated motion applications. It is an essential component of the PCI-7344 Model series, which is renowned for its great performance. This gadget offers sophisticated motion control features appropriate for a range of industrial automation applications. It is outfitted with two processors and a real-time onboard operating system.

This motion controller can support both stepper and servo motors, offering fully programmable control for up to four independent or coordinated axes of motion. It provides smooth transitions between motion paths with its blended motion trajectory control. The 778916-04's adaptability in a range of applications is further enhanced by its capability for multiple motion control modes, such as vector-space, gearing, circular, linear, and point-to-point control.

With its dual-processor architecture—a Motorola MC68331 32-bit CPU and an Analog Devices ADSP-2185 digital signal processor (DSP)—the 778916-04 guarantees the best possible command throughput and system performance. Several motion control applications and processes can run simultaneously on its onboard CPU due to an embedded real-time operating system with event-driven multitasking control, all of which are independent of the host PC.

The 778916-04 motion controller has extensive motion I/O, including  trigger input, breakpoint output, encoder feedback rates up to 20 MHz per axis, and inputs for home switches and end-of-travel limits. Additionally, it provides non-dedicated user input and output, including digital and analog inputs for loop closure feedback and analog sensor monitoring.

The 778916-04 supports Real-Time System Integration (RTSI) bus for smooth integration with National Instruments products. This allows high-speed connectivity between motion, image acquisition (IMAQ), and data acquisition (DAQ) devices. This makes it simple to synchronize several functions across various devices to a single trigger or timing event.

Programming the 778916-04 controller is made easy with its high-level function set application programming interface (API). Developers may perform setup and motion control functions with ease by using libraries that are callable from a variety of computer languages, either statically or dynamically linked. Software products like LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI, which are industry standards, have full feature set implementations available.