Yokogawa Electric Corporation has developed the e-RT3 eMbedded M@chine Controller, a new concept product that runs under realtime operating systems* and is designed to be built into semiconductor manufacturing equipment and electronic component/equipment assembly systems. The market release for the e-RT3 is scheduled for November 17.

The e-RT3 supports a number of realtime operating systems that are in wide use controlling various types of assembly systems, and is the first controller of its kind to offer a choice of up to 100 different modules.
* Processing oriented systems that are suitable for use with measuring instruments and control equipment

Development Background
Yokogawa’s existing FA-M3R series of compact high-performance programmable logic controllers (PLC) is also intended for built-in use with semiconductor manufacturing equipment and electronic component/equipment assembly systems, and has been well received by users. However, as an alternative to PLCs and ladder language programs, some users have turned to board-type controllers such as the VME board and the Compact-PCI board to handle control applications involving complex calculations and the use of realtime operating systems. Although these boards are tailored for use with realtime operating systems, it is difficult to obtain from a single manufacturer the complete set of boards necessary to build an entire system. The incompatible drivers for boards manufactured by different companies complicate the task of building these systems. In addition, board-type controllers require a large amount of space for mounting and this has been a serious problem for equipment manufacturers seeking to reduce the size of their systems and equipment.

The e-RT3 provides a wide choice of up to 100 I/O modules to meet an extensive variety of user needs. Furthermore, the compact modular design of the e-RT3 has dramatically reduced the space needed for mounting.

Product Features
1. Support of Multiple Realtime Operating Systems
The company offers CPU modules that are compatible with the realtime operating systems that are commonly used by control equipment. Users who are creating control programs for a realtime operating system can continue to use their existing resources.

Supported OSs       Vendor                OS
                            WindRiver         VxWorks
                            MiSPO               NORTi（iTRON）
                            Microsoft           Windows CE
                            RadiSys Japan   OS-9*
* The CPU module for OS-9 is scheduled for release in February 2005.

2. Modules for Every User Need
Up to 100 different I/O modules are available. These include modules for temperature control and positioning, two fields in which Yokogawa is particularly strong, and a variety of communication modules. A means by which users can develop their own I/O modules is also provided. Finally, the same interface is used with each module and users no longer need to contend with differences in usage and driver type.

3. Compact Size
With its compact modular design, the e-RT3 has one-fourth the footprint of the VME board and less than half the footprint of the Compact-PCI board (3U).

Major Target Markets
Manufacturers of various automated machinery, including semiconductor manufacturing equipment, electronic component/equipment assembling systems, LCD production equipment, chip mounters, inserters, and plastic processing machines