CAD/CAM Principles and

Applications
Ch 2 CAD/CAM Hardware

CAD/CAM Principles and 1

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 Objectives
The idea of the basic structure of a computing system hardware
as used in CAD/CAM systems
The basic developments that are taking place in
microprocessors and their speed
The different types of memories used in computers
The varieties of graphic input devices used for controlling the
graphic input information
The types of graphic display devices, their capabilities and
applications
The graphic output devices such as printers and plotters used to
obtain the hardcopies of the graphic information
The varieties of secondary storage devices used
The CAD/CAM system configurations and the software systems

CAD/CAM Principles and 2

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
2.1 Basic Structure

CAD/CAM Principles and 3

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2.1 Organisation of a typical computing
system

MEMORY

CENTRAL
OUTPUT
PROCESSING
DEVICE
UNIT

INPUT
DEVICE

CAD/CAM Principles and 4

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2.2 Organisation of central processing unit
MAIN
MEMORY

CENTRAL PROCESSING
UNIT
ARITHMETIC
INTERNAL AND
REGISTERS CONTROLLER
LOGIC UNIT

I/O
AUXILIARY
DEVICES
MEMORY

CAD/CAM Principles and 5

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 2.3 Memory Types
ROM - Read only memory,
PROM - Programmable ROM,
RAM - Random access memory in its
various forms
EPROM - Erasable programmable ROM, and
EEPROM - Electrically erasable and
programmable ROM.
Flash memory
CAD/CAM Principles and 6
Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 Table 2.1 Memory Speed Comparison

DRAM Memory Type Typical Page-Mode Typical Page-Mode

Cycle Time, ns Cycle Frequency, MHz

Fast-page mode (FPM) 35 28.5

Extended-data out (EDO) 25 40.0
SDRAM (66 MHz) 15 66.0
SDRAM (100 MHz) 10 100.0

CAD/CAM Principles and 7

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 2.4 Input Devices
Keyboard
Mouse
Light pen
Joystick
Digitizer, and
Tablet

CAD/CAM Principles and 8

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 Fig. 2-3 Mouse
Buttons

Connection
to computer

CAD/CAM Principles and 9

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 Fig. 2-4 Light pen

Fibre optics
Field of Photo
view detector

+V
Screen Operator
push button AND gate

To computer

CAD/CAM Principles and 10

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2-5 Puck or pointing device used
with tablets and digitizers
Glass window
Cross-hair

Buttons

CAD/CAM Principles and 11

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2-6 Digitizer

CAD/CAM Principles and 12

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 2.5 Display Devices
Cathode ray tube (CRT) display,
Plasma panel display or
Liquid crystal display (LCD).

CAD/CAM Principles and 13

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 2.5.1 CRT Display
Stroke-writing and
Raster scan.

CAD/CAM Principles and 14

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2.7 The cathode ray tube principle
Metallic
coating
Phosphor
Horizontal coating
Focusing deflection

Heater

Cathode Grid Vertical

deflection

CAD/CAM Principles and 15

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2-8 Dividing the screen into small points
called pixel. Each square represents a pixel

Dot
Pitch

CAD/CAM Principles and 16

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2.9 Raster scan display for
continuous scanning of lines

CAD/CAM Principles and 17

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2.10 Raster display of lines

CAD/CAM Principles and 18

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2.11 Raster display of circles

CAD/CAM Principles and 19

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2.12 Interlaced scanning in refresher
type CRT

CAD/CAM Principles and 20

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2.13 Information organisation in a
raster scan display
GRAPHIC FRAME SWEEPER
PROCESSOR BUFFER

SYNCHRONISING
INFORMATION

MAIN DISPLAY
PROCESSOR DEVICE

CAD/CAM Principles and 21

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2.14 Colour lookup tables in a raster
scan display
Refresh
y buffer Pixel
in memory
x',y'

Red Green Blue

Position Look-up
memory table

Red Green Blue

x'

Display

y'

CAD/CAM Principles and 22

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 2.6 Hard Copy Devices
Graphical printers,
Plotters, or
Photographic devices.

CAD/CAM Principles and 23

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 2.6.1 Graphical printers
Impact dot matrix printer
Thermal transfer
Ink jet printer
Laser printer
Colour copiers

CAD/CAM Principles and 24

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 Plotters
Pen plotters
Electrostatic plotters

CAD/CAM Principles and 25

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 2.7 Storage Devices
Floppy disks,
Winchester disks,
Magnetic tapes,
Magnetic tape cartridges
Compact disk ROMS, and
DVD

CAD/CAM Principles and 26

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2.15 Hard disk

CAD/CAM Principles and 27

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 Fig. 2.16 Software classification
SOFTWARE

PROGRAMMING
SYSTEMS UTILITIES APPLICATIONS
LANGUAGES

GKS CAD
OPERATING INTERPRETER COMPILER
SYSTEM

BASIC HIGH PHIGS CAD/CAM

LOW
EDITOR
LEVEL LEVEL

PROLOG ASSEMBLER FORTRAN APT

DEBUGGER

LINKER C/C++ PASCAL FEM

VISUAL
DBMS
BASIC

CAD/CAM Principles and 28

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2.17 Typical configuration of a
workstation
Plotter
Graphical
Output Device

Monitor
Display Device

CPU
Storage

Keyboard
Input device Digitiser
Graphical
Input Device
CAD/CAM Principles and 29
Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 Fig. 2.18 Configuration of server
Plotter

Mass Server
Storage Unit
Printer

Graphic
Output devices
CAD/CAM Principles and 30
Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2.19 Configuration of local work
stations

Server

Workstation 1 Workstation 2 Workstation 3

CAD/CAM Principles and 31
Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2.20 Star net work topology

DEVICE
DEVICE DEVICE

DEVICE MASTER DEVICE

CONTROLLER

DEVICE DEVICE
DEVICE

CAD/CAM Principles and 32

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 Fig. 2.21 Bus net work
WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK
STATION STATION STATION STATION STATION

WORK
STATION
FINITE FILE
ELEMENT SERVER
WORK WORK WORK WORK
STATION STATION STATION STATION

CAD/CAM Principles and 33

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
Fig. 2.22 Ring net work

INTERFACE

DEVICE

CAD/CAM Principles and 34

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 Summary
Basic structure of a computer is modular with the
central processing unit, memory, input and output
devices being the major components.
Microprocessor capability has been increasing at an
exponential rate
Continuous developments have been taking place in
the main memory with the DDR RAM that is currently
the main type used in all the workstations.
Though there are a number of graphic input devices
have been tried, mouse is the universally used input
device with digitizer being used for specialized work.

CAD/CAM Principles and 35

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed
 Summary
The output device most common is the cathode ray
tube type with very high resolution as well as size.
However liquid crystal displays are increasingly
becoming common
Hard copy devices plotters are used for final output
for archival purpose, while the graphic printers such
as inkjet and laser are extensively used for regular
and draft outputs.
A variety of storage options are available involving
magnetic and optical technologies.
CAD workstations are organized into networks to
facilitate the group working and information sharing.

CAD/CAM Principles and 36

Applications by P N Rao, 2nd Ed