Mechatronic cine-film copying using transputer control

Copying of cine-film using panel printers produces defects in the copied fi lms due to the sprocket drives. A new sprocketless machine has been designe d using modern mechatronic techniques. The control system has been implemented on four T800 transputers and one T2 22 transputer to cope with the data processing after the system was simulat ed using the ACSL continuous system simulator, and designed using MATLAB an d CONTROL-C control system design software. The performance of the new machine is nearly three times faster than previo us machines, operating at film speeds up to 10 m s(-1). Speed variations ar e reduced to less than 1% and tension variations are controlled to within 5 %. The controller was sufficiently robust to allow for changes from acetate to polyester film base, which have almost a two-fold difference in stiffness: and damping. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.