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Phantom® Omni™ Force
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The
PHANTOM® Omni™. was SensAble
Technologies’ second generation commercial haptic
device. Just as video screens and soundblasters allow computer
users to visualize and hear virtual objects, haptic devices
allow users to feel, touch and manipulate simulated objects. |
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System Overview
Six years after designing SensAble
Technologies first commercially-oriented product, SensAble
returned to Bolton Engineering, Inc. to develop the PHANTOM®
Omni™. The Omni had significantly different requirements
than the original PHANTOM Desktop. The Omni was to be manufactured
in significantly higher volumes in the Far East. A Firewire
interface would provide a high-speed interface to the PC.
With Far East Assembly costs less than one-twentieth of
that in the States, Bolton Engineering took a radically
different approach to designing the Omni. Instead of using
moderately-integrated motor driver Integrated Circuits (IC’s),
Bolton Engineering designed the 35W Pulse Width Modulated
(PWM) Motor Amplifiers out of discrete components. The system
was divided into two boards: a low-cost two-layer Power
Supply and Amplifier card, and a moderate cost four-layer
Logic and Firewire Interface card. An Altera Programmable
Logic Device (PLD) implemented a high-speed interface to
a Texas Instruments Firewire Controller and PHY chipset.
Leftover PLD logic was used to create three low-cost 9-bit
sigma-delta A/D converters, and three low-cost 10-bit PWM
D/A converters. All parts chosen for the design –
except for the Altera PLD and TI Firewire chips –
were sourced and quoted from multiple vendors.
Bolton Engineering wrote a Flash memory management system
to allow the on-board processor firmware and PLD program
to be reliably updated in the field. By implementing a multi-bank
strategy, the on-board processor never discards the current
working programs until after a new download has been completed
and verified.
Results
- Had protocol-demonstration platform working in 4 weeks,
and first hardware working in 8 weeks.
- Completed project in under 18 weeks.
- Exceeded all performance specifications.
- Implemented many useful “for free” features.
- Beat cost target by more than 2X.
Project Scope
Bolton Engineering wrote the specification, designed the
schematics, the Altera PLD, obtained vendor quotes, developed
the circuit boards, wrote diagnostic software under Linux,
wrote the on-board firmware in ‘C’, wrote driver
code, debugged the system, assisted with regulatory certifications,
and developed a production test stand and test software.
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Consumer and Computer
