Purpose of this FAQ
This FAQ is designed to answer any questions or concerns that you may have about the QIC series of boards. If you have any questions that are not answered here, please email info@meqtronics.com. We'll gladly answer your questions, and post the answers to thi FAQ – somebody else may have the same questions!
What are the differences between the 16 series and the 18 series processor cores?
The two core boards are identical except for their processors. The added benefit of the 18 series processor is the increased memory size. The one drawback is that compilers used for the 18 series are *not* compatible with the 16 series. The actual C code may be compatible, depending on the compiler, but it will have to be recompiled for thte target processor. The CCS compiler is one compiler that has compatible C code for both the 16 series and the 18 series cores.
Are the processor core boards interchangeable?
Yes, the two core boards are interchangable with the carrier boards. You can match the 16 series boards or the 18 series boards with either version of the carrier boards, V1, or V2.
What are the differences between the two carrier boards?
The main differences between the carrier boards are in the
power supply requirements, signal conditioning and the amount of
digital I/O.
The Carrier V1 is ideal for bipolar analog inputs and outputs in
the range +/-5 volts. Thus, it requires a +/- power supply. It has
signal conditioning circuitry to allow the input of positive and
negative voltages (-5 to +5). It also has level shifting circuitry to
allow outputs of either positive or negative voltages (-5 to
+5).
The Carrier V2 requires only a single supply voltage,
such as 12 volts. This makes it ideal for battery powered projects.
Since it uses only a single supply, it does not have the signal
conditioning circuitry of the V1 board. Analog signals in the range
of 0 - 5 volts can be measured. Output voltages are produced by PWM,
and can be low-pass filtered (RC filter) to provide a clean analog
signal in the 0-5 volt range. This filtering circuitry is *not*
included on the board. If required, it can be implemented in the
user's circuitry. The Carrier V2 also has additional support for 24
digital I/O lines, accessible as 2 groups of 8 bits, and 2 groups of
4 bits. It also has 4 additional driver outputs capable of providing
500mA of current.
What is the QIC Loader/QIC Programmer?
The QIC Loader / QIC Programmer are the tools used to program the flash memory of the devices. The 16 series boards use the QIC Programmer software, while the 18 series boards use the QIC Loader software. Both of these utilities are included free.
What is the QIC Commander software?
The QIC Commander is a utility that allows the plotting and saving of data that you can obtain from the QIC devices. By placing a section of example code in your applications, you will be able to plot and display several variables. This plot data can then be saved to disk for display in a spreadsheet program, or used in MATLAB. The interface is very simple to use, and can be an invaluable tool in debugging your application.