|
Company Contact: Don Bynum 972-494-3073 bynum@mouse-trak.com |
PR Agency Contacts: Bob Robson 210-820-3070 ext. 100 bobr@weinkrantz.com |
Responding to strong interest in USB from its industrial automation OEM customer base, ITAC has added a panel mount trackball to its line of ruggedized trackballs that support the Universal Serial Bus Interface.
Editors note: Images are available as .tif files for downloading from the Press Room at http://www.itacsystems.com/.
GARLAND, Texas -June 7, 1999 - ITAC Systems, Inc., announced today two versions of its MOUSE-TRAKŪ panel mount compatible with USB (Universal Serial Bus).
Responding to strong interest from its industrial automation OEM customers, ITAC has introduced both two button and buttonless physical configurations of its USB MOUSE-TRAK panel mount. USB has drawn strong interest from those OEM customers who have stayed away from Wintel platforms in the past due to the software complexities encountered in interfacing to large numbers of external devices for instrumentation and control.
Don Bynum, President of ITAC Systems reports that "While USB will not be supported in Microsoft's commercial grade operating systems until Windows2000 is launched, many system developers are starting to prototype USB based control systems. By the time Win2000 is out and stable, our OEM customers will be ready with turnkey systems and ITAC will have been there with them throughout their development processes."
According to John Lybarger, ITAC Engineering Manager and USB representative, "From ITAC's perspective, the availability of USB support in Windows 2000 will be very important. Many of our UNIX-based customers have been aggressively moving to NT in anticipation of the capabilities Win2000 will bring to the network environment. We are already delivering the products these high-end users demand. Our USB-based input devices allow them to make full use of the reduced support requirements that USB offers over older ways of connecting mice and various forms of instrumentation to a control system."
The USB MOUSE-TRAK panel mount offers a compact footprint (4.5" x 4.5") and draws only 1.5" in depth below the mounting surface. The product is designed to be attached to a mounting panel using 4 machine screws with short standoffs to maximize flexibility for enclosure designers. The two button unit has one large key on each side of the ball and the cable for the unit includes wiring to allow connection of a third key and ITAC's unique instant speed control function. The "no button" model has connections for all four keys to be supplied via externally mounted switches of the designers choice. As a convenience, ITAC offers OEM designers the option of downloading case assembly drawings in AutoCAD DWG format from ITAC's web site at www.mouse-trak.com. Complete technical specifications are also available via the web.
Plug and Play Convenience
To install the USB MOUSE-TRAK panel mount, plug it into the port. There is no need to power off and reboot. There are no special software drivers to install - it works with the drivers that come with Windows 98 and Windows 2000. A user can, however, easily re-program the MOUSE-TRAK panel mount right from the keypad, either for left-handed use or to reassign functions from one key to another. For a quick reminder or in case the brief and easy-to-read instruction manual gets misplaced, the simple directions are printed in a convenient location right on the bottom of the device.
Priced at $325 (end-user quantity one pricing), the USB version of the MOUSE-TRAK panel mount targets the demanding industrial control and process automation market where reliability and flexibility are paramount considerations.
A Family of Precision Input Devices
The USB MOUSE-TRAK panel mount is the most recent member of the MOUSE-TRAK family of precision-control input devices, including the evolution MOUSE-TRAK, MOUSE-TRAK Personal, MOUSE-TRAK Professional, the MOUSE-TRAK Desktop Industrial, and a line of panel-mountable components.
About the Company
ITAC Systems, Inc., founded in 1977, is a privately held company based in Garland, Texas. ITAC designs, manufactures, and markets MOUSE-TRAK high-performance computer input devices used in manufacturing process control, transaction processing, and medical systems, as well as computer graphics, engineering, and government markets.
ITAC Systems, Inc., 3113 Benton Street, Garland, TX 75042. Toll Free: 800-533-4822, Ph: 972-494-3073, Fax: 972-494-4159, sales@itacsystems.com, http://www.itacsystems.com/.
# # #
Members of the media who would like to evaluate the MOUSE-TRAK Panel Mount should contact Bob Robson at 210-820-3070 ext. 100, bobr@weinkrantz.com.
MOUSE-TRAK is a trademark of ITAC Systems, Inc., registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Other names may be trademarks of their respective companies.