Since the introduction of the TLAser400™ micrometer interface card in 1996, purchasing redundant measurement processing technology from each micrometer vendor is no longer necessary. Neither is it necessary to master various sets of features and terminology used by different manufacturers.

A single TLAser400 card allows you to take full advantage of the open-architecture of the PC by accepting up to four different compatibility modules. This ensures that you can add micrometers at a later time by simply plugging in the necessary interface modules. This also means that by installing one or more additional TLAser400 cards, you can run as many as 16 micrometers from a single standard PC.

The TLAser400 cards compatability modules are designed to support micrometers from other manufacturers as well as all LaserLinc models. The modules may be mixed to connect several micrometer brands and models with the same card. This innovation allows you to attach up to four different makes of micrometers to just one TLAser400 card.

Regardless of your needs, a LaserLinc measurement system offers the flexibility to choose the laser micrometer you prefer for each on-line inspection point.

All laser-scan micrometers operate in fundamentally the same way, but different micrometer manufacturers employ different signals to transfer the information about a measurement to their processor. LaserLinc employs special circuitry on each compatibility module to translate the signal format received from the micrometer to the TLAser400 card’s own format. Measurements from all inspection points are then processed through the rest of the card and accompanying software in LaserLinc’s standard format.

Measurement data from all the supported micrometers can be treated identically. It also means operators and engineers need to master only one system regardless of the mix of micrometers on the plant floor. The compatibility modules are a direct interface—not a serial port interface—to each micrometer. This direct connection eliminates the need for expensive processor technology.

And, because the TLAser400 card is a direct interface to the micrometer, with measurement data being transferred directly to the PC over the PCI (or ISA) backplane, every single measurement is effortlessly processed—even from multiple micrometers and even in multi-strand applications.