OMS VME58 anyone?

[Tony Cox - (415)926-3105 <tcox@ssrl01.slac.stanford.edu>]

Hello folks,

	Has anyone done extensive tests on the Oregon Micro Systems' 58 8-axis
stepper motor controllers?

	Pierre & I have had a number of `revisions' of the firmware (3 or 4 so
far), all claiming to solve various problems. We're now up to version 1.8,
and I hear that 1.9 is around the corner. We understand from the engineer at
OMS that they don't have a VME bus analyzer, because its too expensive (and
yes, he wants one but the accountant won't let him have one). I also here
rumours of problems elsewhere in control freak land, but see nothing on the
mailing lists.

	So, to allow me to rest better at night, has anyone:-

		a) Run more than one axis simultaneously
		b) Run with more than one OMS in the VME crate at the same time
		c) Done both a and b at once and seen nothing unusual or
		   unexpected happening for a time period (say) of about how
		   long it takes to obtain an EXAFS or crystallography 
		   data set??

	We'll be running typically 4-5 OMS58's in each of three VME crates,
and need to identify problems (if any). 

Tony

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Dr Anthony D Cox
Computer Systems Specialist
Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
MS 69, Box 4349
Stanford CA 94305
tcox@ssrl01.slac.stanford.edu
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