From RSI - Robotic Systems Integration - SynqNet Systems
The main purpose of SynqNet I/O (SQIO) is to provide general-purpose I/O. If you are interested in motion related I/O, please refer to the RMB-SynqNet.
SQIO is a modular system, in which a node is comprised of the following:
- A SQID, which serves as the SynqNet network interface and power source for all connected I/O boards.
- And one or more board modules that can be cascaded to provide as much I/O as is required.
Communication between the board modules and the SQID uses SPI1 type serial busses. The four SPI busses are used as follows:
Each SPI bus either passes through the logic circuitry of a board module or is merely tracked-through.
The board modules are easy to use and are simply slotted together via the SPI bus. They are auto-enumerated and require neither DIP switch settings to set addresses nor loop-back connectors at the end of the each SPI chain.
Board modules appear to SynqNet as a “chain of bits.” This is a simple but useful abstraction: a knowledge of the SPI busses is all that is required to design a custom board module. Neither special controller software nor special SQID FPGA logic is required.
1 A trademark of Motorola
Information taken from Danaher Motion.