- Email: [email protected]
Desgin station from McAuto
'i,
Design stationsfrom McAuto The D-125 family of two design stations has been introduced by McAuto for use with Unigraphics II software. Both the D-125C and the D-125CE are equipped with Megatek colour displays (with 1024 x 1024 pixels resolution) and a separate alphanumeric monitor. The user operates the Unigraphics II software by pressing function keys in response to prompts on the message monitor. The D-125CE features a local dynamic transformation capability and can carry out clipping, rotating, scaling and translation. McAuto has also announced the availability of both Unigraphics II and its Robotics Simulation software on DEC's MicroVAX II. Alan Ha(fenden from McAuto commented that the robotics package 'will provide a low cost entry into work cell simulation for many robot manufacturers, users and systems integrators'. The MicroVAX II plus a design and drafting module of Unigraphics II, a single colour display, plotter and GRI P user programming tools costs £-95 000. The MicroVAX II, Robotics Simulation software and an Evans and Sutherland colour Vector Refresh Design Station will cost upwards of £.140 000. (McAuto (UK) Ltd, Meirion
House, Guild(oral Road, Woking, Surrey, UK. Tel: (04862)26761)
New languagefrom Space A new language, MTR, and a retargetable compiler have been developed by Space Ltd, a company previously better known for its Intel rental business. The MTR retargetable compiler translates MTR source code into high or low level 'target' languages such as Ada, Pascal or Coral 66. Language selection is carried out at compile time, so the language does not need to be chosen during program development, as this is carried out
volume I"/number 7 september 1985
in MTR. MTR is modular in nature and its product director, Brian Serafini described it as being very easy to learn. There will eventually be three versions of MTR, but only MTRI is available at the moment. A visual language, MVR is also under development and this will produce compiled code completely compatible with MTR. There are also plans to add more target languages, including Fortran, C, Basic and ASM 86 in 1985, and silicon compiler options are planned for 1986. MTR compiler will run on any Intel Series III or IV development system and will be made available on DEC's VAX systems and the IBM PC. The licence fee is £--2800for any site with less than 20 terminals (larger sites will have to buy more than one licence) and £-.380for subsequent years. This includes monthly updates and the addition of new target languages.
(Space Ltd, Upton-upon-Severn, Worcs, UK. Tel: (06846) 3626)
Robotmodelling software Software for use in intelligent modelling and of(line programming of robots has been developed by Intergraph in
conjunction with GMF Robotics Corporation. It will run on any Intergraph workstation configured with any Intergraph data processing system according to Intergraph. Libraries are interactively created to contain work cell components. Other libraries contain floor plans, robots, controllers etc. As each item is added to a library, attributes are linked to it, eg robot make, model and power requirements. For simulation the software solicits and stores information such as the robot's coordinate system, motion type, degrees of freedom etc in order to be able to calculate the simulated motion of the mechanism. The descriptive information and engineering data is linked to the graphic representation of the robot. During modelling and programming activities, the system can alert the engineer to problems such as payload violations or the inability of a robot to reach a designated point. Using the components in the libraries the engineer can construct a 3D work cell model. The system can then display a 'visual envelope' outlining the robot's limit of reach. (Inter-
graph (Great Britain) Ltd, Albion House, Oxford Street, Newbury, Barks RG13 1JG, UK. Teh (0635) 49044. Tx: 848831)
ARC launchesProdigyfor CAD Applied Research of Cambridge (ARC) has just launched a standalone workstation-based CAD system called Prodigy. It is based on the recently announced HP9000 series 300 32-bit workstation from Hewlett Packard. The software runs under Unix and covers architectural, construction and engineering applications. It uses popup menus as well as English language prompts. The system includes workstation, software, A1 plotter, 20 Mbyte Winchester disc and floppy disc backup. It costs £-35 000. The workstation has a 19 in colour screen with 60 Hz noninterlaced refresh rate and 1024 x 1024 pixels addressable resolution. It has both a
keyboard and an A3 size digitizing tablet. (Applied Research of Camb-
ridge L td, Wellington House, East Road, CambridgeCBI 1BH, UK. Tel: (0223) 314041. Tx: 81153)
A RC's Prodigy 341
Design stationsfrom McAuto The D-125 family of two design stations has been introduced by McAuto for use with Unigraphics II software. Both the D-125C and the D-125CE are equipped with Megatek colour displays (with 1024 x 1024 pixels resolution) and a separate alphanumeric monitor. The user operates the Unigraphics II software by pressing function keys in response to prompts on the message monitor. The D-125CE features a local dynamic transformation capability and can carry out clipping, rotating, scaling and translation. McAuto has also announced the availability of both Unigraphics II and its Robotics Simulation software on DEC's MicroVAX II. Alan Ha(fenden from McAuto commented that the robotics package 'will provide a low cost entry into work cell simulation for many robot manufacturers, users and systems integrators'. The MicroVAX II plus a design and drafting module of Unigraphics II, a single colour display, plotter and GRI P user programming tools costs £-95 000. The MicroVAX II, Robotics Simulation software and an Evans and Sutherland colour Vector Refresh Design Station will cost upwards of £.140 000. (McAuto (UK) Ltd, Meirion
House, Guild(oral Road, Woking, Surrey, UK. Tel: (04862)26761)
New languagefrom Space A new language, MTR, and a retargetable compiler have been developed by Space Ltd, a company previously better known for its Intel rental business. The MTR retargetable compiler translates MTR source code into high or low level 'target' languages such as Ada, Pascal or Coral 66. Language selection is carried out at compile time, so the language does not need to be chosen during program development, as this is carried out
volume I"/number 7 september 1985
in MTR. MTR is modular in nature and its product director, Brian Serafini described it as being very easy to learn. There will eventually be three versions of MTR, but only MTRI is available at the moment. A visual language, MVR is also under development and this will produce compiled code completely compatible with MTR. There are also plans to add more target languages, including Fortran, C, Basic and ASM 86 in 1985, and silicon compiler options are planned for 1986. MTR compiler will run on any Intel Series III or IV development system and will be made available on DEC's VAX systems and the IBM PC. The licence fee is £--2800for any site with less than 20 terminals (larger sites will have to buy more than one licence) and £-.380for subsequent years. This includes monthly updates and the addition of new target languages.
(Space Ltd, Upton-upon-Severn, Worcs, UK. Tel: (06846) 3626)
Robotmodelling software Software for use in intelligent modelling and of(line programming of robots has been developed by Intergraph in
conjunction with GMF Robotics Corporation. It will run on any Intergraph workstation configured with any Intergraph data processing system according to Intergraph. Libraries are interactively created to contain work cell components. Other libraries contain floor plans, robots, controllers etc. As each item is added to a library, attributes are linked to it, eg robot make, model and power requirements. For simulation the software solicits and stores information such as the robot's coordinate system, motion type, degrees of freedom etc in order to be able to calculate the simulated motion of the mechanism. The descriptive information and engineering data is linked to the graphic representation of the robot. During modelling and programming activities, the system can alert the engineer to problems such as payload violations or the inability of a robot to reach a designated point. Using the components in the libraries the engineer can construct a 3D work cell model. The system can then display a 'visual envelope' outlining the robot's limit of reach. (Inter-
graph (Great Britain) Ltd, Albion House, Oxford Street, Newbury, Barks RG13 1JG, UK. Teh (0635) 49044. Tx: 848831)
ARC launchesProdigyfor CAD Applied Research of Cambridge (ARC) has just launched a standalone workstation-based CAD system called Prodigy. It is based on the recently announced HP9000 series 300 32-bit workstation from Hewlett Packard. The software runs under Unix and covers architectural, construction and engineering applications. It uses popup menus as well as English language prompts. The system includes workstation, software, A1 plotter, 20 Mbyte Winchester disc and floppy disc backup. It costs £-35 000. The workstation has a 19 in colour screen with 60 Hz noninterlaced refresh rate and 1024 x 1024 pixels addressable resolution. It has both a
keyboard and an A3 size digitizing tablet. (Applied Research of Camb-
ridge L td, Wellington House, East Road, CambridgeCBI 1BH, UK. Tel: (0223) 314041. Tx: 81153)
A RC's Prodigy 341