Data Translation DT9836 Instruction Manual

UM-21551-B

DT9836 Series User’s Manual

Second Edition March, 2006

Data Translation, Inc. 100 Locke Drive Marlboro, MA 01752-1192 (508) 481-3700 www.datatranslation.com Fax: (508) 481-8620 E-mail: info@datx.com

Information furnished by Data Translation, Inc. is believed to be accurate and reliable; however, no responsibility is assumed by Data Translation, Inc. for its use; nor for any infringements of patents or other rights of third parties which may result from its use. No license is granted by implication or otherwise under any patent rights of Data Translation, Inc.

Use, duplication, or disclosure by the United States Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer software clause at 48 C.F.R, 252.227-7013, or in subparagraph (c)(2) of the Commercial computer Software Registered Rights clause at 48 C.F.R., 52-227-19 as applicable. Data Translation, Inc., 100 Locke Drive, Marlboro, MA 01752

Data Translation® is a registered trademark of Data Translation, Inc. DT-Open Layers DataAcq SDK

Link

, DTx-EZTM, and DT VPITM are trademarks

, DataAcq OMNI CDTM, DT-LV

of Data Translation, Inc.

All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Radio and Television Interference

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with CISPR EN55022 Class A, and EN50082-1 (CE) requirements and also with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

Changes or modifications to this equipment not expressly approved by Data Translation could void your authority to operate the equipment under Part 15 of the FCC Rules.

Note: This product was verified to meet FCC requirements under test conditions that included use of shielded cables and connectors between system components. It is important that you use shielded cables and connectors to reduce the possibility of causing interference to radio, television, and other electronic devices.

Canadian Department of Communications Statement

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.

Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils numériques de la class A prescrites dans le Règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par le Ministère des Communications du Canada.

Table of Contents

About this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Intended Audience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

How this Manual is Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Conventions Used in this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Related Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Where To Get Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Chapter 1: Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

DT9836 Hardware Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Supported Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Getting Started Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Part 1: Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Chapter 2: Preparing to Use a Module. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Checking the System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Installing the Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Viewing the Documentation Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Chapter 3: Setting Up and Installing the Module . . . . . . . . 31

Applying Power to the Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Attaching Modules to the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Connecting Directly to the USB Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Connecting to an Expansion Hub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Configuring the DT9836 Series Device Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Chapter 4: Wiring Signals to the BNC Connection Box. . . 39

Contents

Preparing to Wire Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Wiring Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Wiring to the BNC Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Wiring Signals to the BNC Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Wiring Signals to the D-Sub Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Digital In/Out Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

CT/Enc In, Analog Out, Clk/Trig Connector . . . . 46

Connecting Analog Input Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Connecting Single-Ended Voltage Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Connecting Analog Output Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Connecting Digital I/O Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Connecting Counter/Timer Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Event Counting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Up/Down Counting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Frequency Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Period/Pulse Width Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Edge-to-Edge Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Pulse Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Chapter 5: Verifying the Operation of a Module . . . . . . . . . 59

Installing the Quick Data Acq Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Running the Quick Data Acq Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Testing Single-Value Analog Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Testing Single-Value Analog Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Testing Continuous Analog Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Testing Single-Value Digital Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Testing Single-Value Digital Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Testing Frequency Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Testing Pulse Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Part 2: Using Your Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Chapter 6: Principles of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Analog Input Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Input Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Analog Input Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Specifying a Single Analog Input Channel . . . . . . . . . 74

Specifying One or More Analog Input Channels . . . . 74

Specifying the Digital Input Port in the Analog Input

Channel-Gain List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Specifying Counter/Timers in the Analog Input

Channel-Gain List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Input Ranges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Input Sample Clock Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Analog Input Conversion Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Continuous Scan Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Input Triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Data Format and Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Error Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Analog Output Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Output Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Analog Output Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Specifying a Single Analog Output Channel . . . . . . . . 84

Specifying Multiple Analog Output Channels

and/or the Digital Output Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Output Ranges and Gains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Output Triggers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Output Clocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Output Conversion Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Streaming Analog Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Waveform Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Contents

Data Format and Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Error Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Digital I/O Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Digital I/O Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Operation Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Counter/Timer Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

C/T Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

C/T Clock Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Gate Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Pulse Output Types and Duty Cycles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Counter/Timer Operation Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Event Counting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Up/Down Counting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Frequency Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Edge-to-Edge Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Rate Generation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

One-Shot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Repetitive One-Shot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Quadrature Decoders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Chapter 7: Supported Device Driver Capabilities . . . . . . . 109

Data Flow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Buffering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

DMA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Triggered Scan Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Synchronous Digital I/O. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Ranges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Clocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Counter/Timers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Chapter 8: Programming Flowcharts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Single-Value Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Continuous A/D Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Continuous D/A Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Continuous Digital Input Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Digital Input Interrupt-On-Change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Continuous Digital Output Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Event Counting Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Up/Down Counting Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Frequency Measurement Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Edge-to-Edge Measurement Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Pulse Output Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Quadrature Decoder Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

Simultaneous Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Contents

Chapter 9: Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

General Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

If Your Module Needs Factory Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Chapter 10: Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Using the Calibration Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Calibrating the Analog Input Subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Connecting a Precision Voltage Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Using the Auto-Calibration Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

Using the Manual Calibration Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Contents

Calibrating the Analog Output Subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

Appendix A: Connector Pin Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

OEM Version Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

OEM J2 Connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

OEM J3 Connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

OEM Wiring Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

OEM TB1 Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

BNC Box Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

Digital I/O Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

CT/Enc In, Analog Out, Clk/Trig Connector . . . . . . . . . . 185

EP353 Accessory Panel Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Connector J1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Connector J2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

EP356 Accessory Panel Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Connector J1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Connector J2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

EP355 Screw Terminal Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Appendix B: Ground, Power, and Isolation . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Secondary Power Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Ground, Power, and Isolation Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

Appendix C: Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

About this Manual

The first part of this manual describes how to install and set up your DT9836 Series module and device driver, and verify that your module is working properly. It incorporates the content of the former Getting Started manual.

The second part of this manual describes the features of the DT9836 Series modules, the capabilities of the DT9836 Series Device Driver, and how to program the DT9836 Series modules using DT-Open Layers software. Troubleshooting information is also provided.

Note: The DT9836 Series module is available either installed in a metal BNC connection box, or as a board-level OEM version that you can install in your own custom application. If the information in this manual applies to all versions of the DT9836 Series module, the manual uses the product name "DT9836 Series module." Otherwise, the specific product name is mentioned.

Intended Audience

This document is intended for engineers, scientists, technicians, or others responsible for using and/or programming the DT9836 Series modules for data acquisition operations in the Microsoft® Windows® 2000 or Windows XP operating system. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with data acquisition principles and that you understand your application.

About this Manual

How this Manual is Organized

This manual is organized as follows:

• Chapter 1, “Overview,” describes the major features of the DT9836 Series module, as well as the supported software and accessories for the modules.

• Chapter 2, “Preparing to Use a Module,” describes how to unpack the DT9836 Series package, check the system requirements, install the DT9836 Series software under Windows 2000 or Windows XP, and view the DT9836 Series documentation online.

• Chapter 3, “Setting Up and Installing the Module,” describes how to install a DT9836 Series module, how to apply power to the module, and how to configure the device driver.

• Chapter 4, “Wiring Signals to the BNC Connection Box,” describes how to wire signals to a DT9836 Series BNC connection box.

• Chapter 5, “Verifying the Operation of a Module,” describes how to verify the operation of the DT9836 Series module with the Quick Data Acq application.

• Chapter 6, “Principles of Operation,” describes all of the features of the DT9836 Series module and how to use them in your application.

• Chapter 7, “Supported Device Driver Capabilities,” lists the data acquisition subsystems and the associated features accessible using the DT9836 Series Device Driver.

• Chapter 8, “Programming Flowcharts,” describes the processes you must follow to program the subsystems of the DT9836 Series module using DT-Open Layers-compliant software.

• Chapter 9, “Troubleshooting,” provides information that you can use to resolve problems with the DT9836 Series module and device driver, should they occur.

• Chapter 10, “Calibration,” describes how to calibrate the analog I/O circuitry of the DT9836 Series modules.

• Appendix A, “Connector Pin Assignments,” shows the pin assignments for the connectors and the screw terminal assignments for the screw terminals on the DT9836 Series modules.

• Appendix B, “Ground, Power, and Isolation,” describes the electrical characteristics of the DT9836 Series module.

• Appendix C, “Specifications,” lists the specifications of the DT9836 Series modules.

• An index completes this manual.

Conventions Used in this Manual

The following conventions are used in this manual:

• Notes provide useful information or information that requires special emphasis, cautions provide information to help you avoid losing data or damaging your equipment, and warnings provide information to help you avoid catastrophic damage to yourself or your equipment.

About this Manual

• Items that you select or type are shown in bold.

Related Information

Refer to the following documents for more information on using the DT9836 Series modules:

• Benefits of the Universal Serial Bus for Data Acquisition. This white paper describes why USB is an attractive alternative for data acquisition. It is available on the Data Translation web site (www.datatranslation.com).

About this Manual

• DT Measure Foundry Getting Started Manual (UM-19298) and

online help. These documents describe how to use DT Measure Foundry™ to build drag-and-drop test and measurement applications for Data Translation® data acquisition devices without programming.

• DataAcq SDK User’s Manual (UM-18326). For programmers who are developing their own application programs using the Microsoft C compiler, this manual describes how to use the DT-Open Layers DataAcq SDK to access the capabilities of Data Translation data acquisition devices.

• DTx-EZ Getting Started Manual (UM-15428). This manual describes how to use the ActiveX controls provided in DTx-EZ to access the capabilities of Data Translation data acquisition devices in Microsoft Visual Basic® or Visual C++®.

• DT-LV Link Getting Started Manual (UM-15790). This manual describes how to use DT-LV Link with the LabVIEW graphical programming language to access the capabilities of Data Translation data acquisition devices.

• Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows XP documentation.

• USB web site (http://www.usb.org).

Where To Get Help

Should you run into problems installing or using a DT9836 Series module, the Data Translation Technical Support Department is available to provide technical assistance. Refer to Chapter 9 for more information. If you are outside the United States or Canada, call your local distributor, whose number is listed on our web site (www.datatranslation.com).

Overview

DT9836 Hardware Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Supported Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Getting Started Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Chapter 1

DT9836 Hardware Features

The DT9836 Series is a family of high-performance, multifunction data acquisition modules for the USB (Ver. 2.0 or Ver. 1.1) bus. The key hardware features of the DT9836 Series modules are as follows:

• Available either installed in a metal BNC connection box, or as a board-level OEM version that you can install in your own custom application.

• Simultaneous operation of analog input, analog output, digital I/O, and counter/timer subsystems.

• Analog input subsystem:

16-bit A/D converters.

Throughput rate up to 225 kSamples/s.

Either 12 or 6 single-ended separate, simultaneous analog

input channels. The number of channels provided depend on the model you purchase.

Input ranges of ±10 and ±5 V.

17- or 23-location channel list. You can read digital inputs, the

two 32-bit counters, and the three 32-bit quadrature decoders using the A/D subsystem and the A/D clock. This synchronizes digital, counter, and quadrature decoder inputs with the analog measurements. The maximum sampling rate when using the channel list is 225 kSamples/s.

• Analog output subsystem:

Two 16-bit D/A converters (if your module includes D/A

converters).

Output rate up to 500 kSamples/s.

Output range of ±10 V.

The DACs are deglitched to prevent noise from interfering

with the output signal.

Output channel list. You can cycle through the output channel

list using continuous output mode or waveform generation mode.

• Digital I/O subsystem:

Overview

One digital input port, consisting of 16 digital input lines. You

can program any of the first eight digital input lines to perform interrupt-on-change operations. You can read the value of the digital input port using the analog input channel-gain list.

One digital output port, consisting of 16 digital output lines.

You can output the value of the digital output port using the output channel list.

• Two 32-bit counter/timer (C/T) channels that perform event counting, up/down counting, frequency measurement, edge-to-edge measurement, continuous pulse output, one-shot, and repetitive one-shot operations. You can read the value of one or more of the C/T channels using the analog input channel list.

• Three 32-bit quadrature decoders that can provide relative or absolute position of quadrature encoder input and calculate rotational speed. You can read the value of one or more of the quadrature decoder channels using the analog input channel list.

• External or internal clock source.

• Trigger operations using a software command, an analog threshold value, or an external digital trigger.

• 500 V galvanic isolation barrier that prevents ground loops to maximize analog signal integrity and protect your computer.

Chapter 1

The key differences among the DT9836 Series modules are summarized in Table 1. Note that all modules provide 16 digital input lines, 16 digital output lines, 16-bit resolution, two counter/timers, three quadrature decoders, and a throughput rate of up to 225 kSamples/s.

Table 1: Summary of DT9836 Series Modules

Analog

Module Analog Inputs

DT9836-12-2-OEM 12 single-ended 2 OEM

DT9836-12-2-BNC 12 single-ended 2 BNC

DT9836-12-0-OEM 12 single-ended 0 OEM

DT9836-12-0-BNC 12 single-ended 0 BNC

DT9836-6-2-OEM 6 single-ended 2 OEM

DT9836-6-2-BNC 6 single-ended 2 BNC

DT9836-6-0-OEM 6 single-ended 0 OEM

Outputs

Packaging

DT9836-6-0-BNC 6 single-ended 0 BNC

Notes:

• OEM packaging refers to the board-level version; the power supply is not included.

• BNC packaging refers to a connection box with BNCs for the specified number of analog inputs, 2 BNCs for analog outputs (if included), 1 BNC for an external A/D clock, 1 BNC for an external DAC clock, 1 BNC for an external A/D trigger, and 1 BNC for an external DAC trigger.

Supported Software

The following software is available for use with the DT9836 Series modules and is on the Data Acquisition OMNI CD:

• DT9836 Series Device Driver – The device driver allows you to use a DT9836 Series module with any of the supported software packages or utilities. Refer to the DT9836 Series Getting Started Manual (UM-21553) for more information on loading and configuring the device driver.

• Quick Data Acq application – The Quick Data Acq application provides a quick way to get up and running using a DT9836 Series module. Using this application, you can verify key features of the modules, display data on the screen, and save data to disk. Refer to the DT9836 Series Getting Started Manual (UM-21553) for more information on using the Quick Data Acq application.

• DT Measure Foundry – An evaluation version of this software is included or provided via a link on the Data Acquisition OMNI CD. DT Measure Foundry is a drag-and-drop test and measurement application builder designed to give you top performance with ease-of-use development. Order the full development version of this software package to develop your own application using real hardware.

Overview

• DataAcq SDK – Use the Data Acq SDK if you want to develop your own application software for the DT9836 Series modules using the Microsoft C compiler; the DataAcq SDK complies with the DT-Open Layers standard.

• DTx-EZ – DTx-EZ provides ActiveX controls, which allow you to access the capabilities of the DT9836 Series modules using Microsoft Visual Basic or Visual C++; DTx-EZ complies with the DT-Open Layers

• DAQ Adaptor for MATLAB – Data Translation’s DAQ Adaptor provides an interface between the MATLAB Data Acquisition (DAQ) subsystem from The MathWorks and Data Translation’s DT-Open Layers architecture.

standard.

Chapter 1

• DT-LV Link – Use DT-LV Link if you want to use the LabVIEW graphical programming language to access the capabilities of the DT9836 Series modules.

Refer to the Data Translation web site (www.datatranslation.com) for information about selecting the right software package for your needs.

Accessories

You can purchase the following optional items from Data Translation for use with the OEM version of the DT9836 Series module:

• EP361 – +5V power supply and cable.

• EP353 – Accessory panel that provides one 37-pin, D-sub connector for attaching analog input signals and one 26-pin connector for attaching a 5B Series signal conditioning backplane.

• EP355 – Screw terminal panel that provides 14-position screw terminal blocks for attaching counter/timer, digital I/O, trigger, and clock signals. (Not for analog input use with this module.)

• EP356 – Accessory panel that provides two 37-pin, D-sub connectors for attaching digital I/O, analog output, counter/timer, trigger, and clock signals.

• EP333 – 2-meter shielded cable with two 37-pin connectors that connect an EP356 accessory panel to an STP37 screw terminal panel.

• EP360 – 2-meter shielded cable with two 37-pin connectors that connect an EP353 accessory panel to an STP37 screw terminal panel.

Getting Started Procedure

The flow diagram shown in Figure 1 illustrates the steps needed to get started using the DT9836 Series module. This diagram is repeated in each Getting Started chapter; the shaded area in the diagram shows you where you are in the getting started procedure.

Prepare to Use the Module

(see Chapter 2 starting on page 25)

Set Up and Install the Module

(see Chapter 3 starting on page 31)

Overview

Wire Signals to the BNC Connection Box

(see Chapter 4 starting on page 39)

Verify the Operation of the Module

(see Chapter 5 starting on page 59)

Figure 1: Getting Started Flow Diagram

Chapter 1

Part 1: Getting Started

Preparing to Use a Module

Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Checking the System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Installing the Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Viewing the Documentation Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Chapter 2

Prepare to Use the Module

(this chapter)

Set Up and Install the Module

(see Chapter 3 starting on page 31)

Wire Signals to the BNC Connection Box

(see Chapter 4 starting on page 39)

Verify the Operation of the Module

(see Chapter 5 starting on page 59)

Unpacking

Open the shipping box and verify that the following items are present:

• BNC connection box or OEM version of the DT9836 Series module

• Data Acquisition OMNI CD

Preparing to Use a Module

Note that if you purchased a BNC connection box, a USB cable and an EP361 power supply and power cable should also be included. Additionally, the BNC box includes a 37-pin mating connector (AMP #747917-2).

If an item is missing or damaged, contact Data Translation. If you are in the United States, call the Customer Service Department at (508) 481-3700. An application engineer will guide you through the appropriate steps for replacing missing or damaged items. If you are located outside the United States, call your local distributor, listed on Data Translation’s web site (www.datatranslation.com).

Once you have unpacked your module, check the system requirements, as described in the next section.

Chapter 2

Checking the System Requirements

For reliable operation, your DT9836 Series module requires the following:

• PC with Pentium 233 MHz (or higher) processor.

• Windows 2000 or Windows XP (Professional Edition) operating system.

For USB Ver. 2.0 support, make sure that you install Service Pack 2 (for Windows XP) or Service Pack 4 (for Windows 2000). In addition, for some systems, you may have to disable standby mode. If you are not sure whether you are using USB Ver. 1.1 or Ver. 2.0, run the Open Layers Control Panel applet, described on

page 38.

• One or more USB ports (Ver. 2.0 or Ver. 1.1). USB Ver. 2.0 is strongly recommended; USB Ver. 1.1 will severely degrade performance.

• 64 MB (or more) of RAM; 128 MB (or more) recommended.

• One or more CD-ROM drives.

• Super VGA (800 x 600 or higher resolution) display monitor.

Once you have verified that your system meets the system requirements, install the software, as described in the next section.

Installing the Software

To install the software, do the following:

1. Insert the Data Acquisition OMNI CD into your CD-ROM drive.

Typically, the CD runs automatically. If the CD does not run automatically, select Run from the Windows Start menu. Enter x:\setup.exe (where x is the letter of your CD-ROM drive) in the Run dialog box or use the Browse button to locate setup.exe, and then click OK.

2. From the Data Acquisition Software setup program, click Install

Drivers.

A list of items that you are about to install appears.

3. Click Install now!

The DT-Open Layers Data Acquisition software wizard appears.

4. Click Next.

The installer prompts you for the destination location.

5. Either change the directory path and/or name using Browse or accept the default directory (C\Program Files\Data Translation), and then click Next.

The installer prompts you to begin file installation.

Preparing to Use a Module

6. Click Next.

The installer copies the files to the destination directory.

7. Click Finish.

The DT Data Acquisition Software setup program reappears.

8. Click Quit Installer.

Once you have installed the DT9836 Series software, you can view the DT9836 Series documentation, as described in the next section.

Chapter 2

Viewing the Documentation Online

Note: To view the documentation, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or greater installed on your system. Acrobat Reader is provided on the Data Acquisition OMNI CD. If you install Acrobat Reader from this CD, make sure that you open Acrobat Reader and accept the license agreement before viewing the documentation.

You can access the DT9836 Series documentation from the Hardware Documentation program group. From the Windows Start menu, click Programs|Data Translation, Inc|Hardware Documentation, and then select the appropriate document.

The following may be helpful when using Adobe Acrobat Reader:

• To navigate to a specific section of the document, click a heading from the table of contents on the left side of the document.

• Within the document, click the text shown in blue to jump to the appropriate reference (the pointer changes from a hand to an index finger).

• To go back to the page from which the jump was made, click the right mouse button and Go Back, or from the main menu, click Document, and then Go Back.

• To print the document, from the main menu, click File, and then Print.

• To increase or decrease the size of the displayed document, from the main menu, click View, and then Zoom.

• By default, Acrobat Reader smoothes text and monochrome images, sometimes resulting in blurry images. If you wish, you can turn smoothing off by clicking File, and then Preferences/General, and unchecking Smooth Text and Images.

Setting Up and Installing the

Module

Applying Power to the Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Attaching Modules to the Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Configuring the DT9836 Series Device Driver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Chapter 3

Prepare to Use the Module

(see Chapter 2 starting on page 25)

Set Up and Install the Module

(this chapter)

Wire Signals to the BNC Connection Box

(see Chapter 4 starting on page 39)

Verify the Operation of the Module

(see Chapter 5 starting on page 59)

Note: The DT9836 Series module is factory-calibrated. If you decide that you want to recalibrate the analog input or analog output circuitry, refer to the instructions in Chapter 10.

Setting Up and Installing the Module

Applying Power to the Module

The BNC connection box is shipped with an EP361 +5V power supply and cable. For the OEM version of the DT9836 Series module, you must provide your own +5 V power source or purchase the EP361 power supply and cable from Data Translation.

To apply power to the module, do the following:

1. Connect the +5 V power supply to the power connector on the DT9836 Series module. Refer to Figure 2.

EP361 +5 V Power Supply

To wall outlet

Figure 2: Attaching a +5 V Power Supply to the DT9836 Series Module

2. Plug the power supply into a wall outlet.

For more detailed information about ground, power, and isolation connections on a DT9836 Series module, refer to Appendix B starting on page 197.

Power Connector

LED

USB Port

DT9836 Series Module

Chapter 3

Attaching Modules to the Computer

This section describes how to attach DT9836 Series modules to the host computer.

Notes: Most computers have several USB ports that allow direct connection to USB devices. If your application requires more DT9836 Series modules than you have USB ports for, you can expand the number of USB devices attached to a single USB port by using expansion hubs. For more information, refer to page 36.

You can unplug a module, then plug it in again, if you wish, without causing damage. This process is called hot-swapping. Your application may take a few seconds to recognize a module once it is plugged back in.

You must install the device driver before connecting your DT9836 Series module(s) to the host computer. See “Installing the Software”

on page 29.

Setting Up and Installing the Module

Connecting Directly to the USB Ports

To connect a DT9836 Series module directly to a USB port on your computer, do the following:

1. Make sure that you have attached a power supply to the module.

2. Attach one end of the USB cable to the USB port on the module.

3. Attach the other end of the USB cable to one of the USB ports on

the host computer, as shown in Figure 3.

The operating system automatically detects the USB module and starts the Found New Hardware wizard.

Power Cable

USB Ports

Host Computer

USB Cable

DT9836 Series Module

Figure 3: Attaching the Module to the Host Computer

4. Click Next and/or Finish as required in the wizard. Once the firmware is loaded, the wizard restarts to initiate the firmware to accept commands. Click Next and/or Finish again.

If the power supply and module are attached correctly, the LED turns green.

5. Repeat the steps to attach another DT9836 Series module to the host computer, if desired.

Chapter 3

Connecting to an Expansion Hub

Expansion hubs are powered by their own external power supply. Theoretically, you can connect up to five expansion hubs to a USB port on the host computer. However, the practical number of DT9836 Series modules that you can connect to a single USB port depends on the throughput you want to achieve. Each of the hubs supports up to four modules.

To connect multiple DT9836 Series modules to an expansion hub, do the following:

1. Make sure that you have attached a power supply to the module.

2. Attach one end of the USB cable to the module and the other end

of the USB cable to an expansion hub.

3. Connect the power supply for the expansion hub to an external power supply.

4. Connect the expansion hub to the USB port on the host computer using another USB cable.

The operating system automatically detects the USB module and starts the Found New Hardware wizard.

5. Click Next and/or Finish as required in the wizard. Once the firmware is loaded, the wizard restarts to initiate the firmware to accept commands. Click Next and/or Finish again.

If the power supply and module are attached correctly, the LED turns green.

6. Repeat these steps until you have attached the number of expansion hubs (up to five) and modules (up to four per hub) that you require. Refer to Figure 4.

The operating system automatically detects the USB devices as they are installed.

Setting Up and Installing the Module

DT9836 Series Module

Host Computer

USB Cable

Power Supply for Hub

DT9836 Series Module

USB Cables

Figure 4: Attaching Multiple Modules Using Expansion Hubs

Power Supply for Module

USB Cables

USB Cable

Expansion Hubs

DT9836 Series Module

Power Supply for Hub

Chapter 3

Configuring the DT9836 Series Device Driver

To configure the device driver for the DT9836 Series module, do the following:

1. If you have not already done so, power up the host computer and all peripherals.

2. From the Windows Start menu, select Settings|Control Panel.

3. From the Control Panel, double-click Open Layers Control Panel.

The Data Acquisition Control Panel dialog box appears.

4. Click the DT9836 Series module that you want to configure, and then click Advanced.

The Configurable Board Options dialog box appears.

5. If required, select the digital input line(s) that you want to use for interrupt-on-change operations. When any of the selected lines changes state, the module reads the entire 16-bit digital input value and generates an interrupt.

6. Click OK.

7. If you want to rename the module, click Edit Name, enter a new

name for the module, and then click OK. The name is used to identify the module in all subsequent applications.

8. Repeat steps 4 to 7 for the other modules that you want to configure.

9. When you are finished configuring the modules, click Close.

Continue with the instructions on wiring in Chapter 4 starting on

page 39.

Wiring Signals to the

BNC Connection Box

Preparing to Wire Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Connecting Analog Input Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Connecting Analog Output Signals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Connecting Digital I/O Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Connecting Counter/Timer Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Chapter 4

Prepare to Use a Module

(see Chapter 2 starting on page 25)

Set Up and Install the Module

(see Chapter 3 starting on page 31)

Wire Signals to the BNC Connection Box

Verify the Operation of the Module

(see Chapter 5 starting on page 59)

(this chapter)

Preparing to Wire Signals

CAUTION:

Wiring Signals to the BNC Connection Box

To avoid electrostatic sensitivity, unplug your BNC connection box from the computer before wiring signals.

This section provides recommendations and information about wiring signals to the BNC connection box.

Note: If you are using the D-sub connectors on the BNC box or the OEM version of the DT9836 Series module, use this chapter for conceptual information, and then refer to Appendix A for connector pin assignments and accessory panel information.

Wiring Recommendations

Keep the following recommendations in mind when wiring signals to a BNC connection box:

• Separate power and signal lines by using physically different wiring paths or conduits.

• To avoid noise, do not locate the box and cabling next to sources that produce high electromagnetic fields, such as large electric motors, power lines, solenoids, and electric arcs, unless the signals are enclosed in a mumetal shield.

• Prevent electrostatic discharge to the I/O while the box is operational.

• Connect all unused analog input channels to analog ground.

Chapter 4

Wiring to the BNC Box

The BNC connection box contains both BNC connectors and 37-pin, D-sub connectors. An example of a BNC connection box is shown in

Figure 5.

AD Ch6

AD Ch0 AD Ch1 AD Ch2

AD Ch7

AD Ch8

Figure 5: BNC Connection Box

You can wire signals to the BNC connection box as follows. Refer to

Appendix A for information about the required D-sub mating

connectors if you choose to use the D-sub connectors.

• Analog input signals – You can wire analog input signals using the BNC connectors labelled AD Ch0 to AD Ch11.

• Analog output signals – You can wire analog output signals (if your DT9836 model supports them) in one of the following ways:

AD Ch3

AD Ch4

DAC Ch0

DAC Ch1

AD Ch5

DAC Clock

AD Clock

DAC TrigAD Ch9 AD Ch10 AD Ch11

AD Trig

Digital In/Out

CT/Enc In, AO, Clk/Trig

Using the BNC connectors labelled DAC Ch0 to DAC Ch1.

Using the appropriate pins on the CT/Enc In, Analog Output,

Clk/Trig connector. You can access the pins by building your

Wiring Signals to the BNC Connection Box

own cable/panel. Refer to page 47 for connector pin assignments.

• Digital I/O signals – To wire digital I/O signals, you must use the appropriate pins on the Digital I/O connector. You can access the pins by building your own cable/panel. Refer to page 46 for connector pin assignments.

• Counter/timer signals – To wire counter/timer signals, you must use the appropriate pins on the CT/Enc In, Analog Output, Clk/Trig connector. You can access the pins by building your own cable/panel. Refer to page 47 for connector pin assignments.

• External A/D clock or trigger signal – You can wire external clock/trigger signals in one of the following ways:

Using the BNC connectors labelled AD Clock for A/D clock

signals and AD Trig for A/D trigger signals.

Using the appropriate pins on the CT/Enc In, Analog Output,

Clk/Trig connector. You can access the pins by building your own cable/panel. Refer to page 47 for connector pin assignments.

• External DAC clock or trigger signal – If your version of the DT9836 module supports analog output operations, you can wire external clock/trigger signals in one of the following ways:

Using the BNC connectors labelled DAC Clock for D/A clock

signals and DAC Trig for D/A trigger signals.

Using the appropriate pins on the CT/Enc In, Analog Output,

Clk/Trig connector. You can access the pins by building your own cable/panel. Refer to page 47 for connector pin assignments.

The following sections describe how to wire signals using the BNC or D-sub connectors.

Chapter 4

Wiring Signals to the BNC Connectors

To wire signals using the BNC connectors, connect the appropriate BNC connector to the appropriate input/output using a BNC cable.

The number of BNC connectors available on the box varies, depending on the version of the box that you are using. For example, the DT9836-12-BNC version, shown in Figure 5 above, contains 18 BNC connectors (12 BNC connectors for single-ended analog inputs, two BNC connectors for analog outputs, and four BNC connectors for external clocks and triggers).

As another example, the DT9836-6-BNC version, shown in Figure 6, contains 12 BNC connectors (six BNC connectors for analog inputs, two BNC connectors for analog outputs, and four BNC connectors for external clocks and triggers).

AD Ch0 AD Ch1 AD Ch2 AD Ch3

AD Ch4

DAC Ch0

DAC Ch1

AD Ch5

DAC Clock

AD Clock

DAC Trig

AD Trig

Figure 6: DT9836-6-BNC Version of the BNC Connection Box

Digital In/Out

CT/Enc In, AO, Clk/Trig

Wiring Signals to the BNC Connection Box

Wiring Signals to the D-Sub Connectors

If want to connect digital I/O or counter/timer signals to the BNC connection box, you can use the 37-pin, D-sub connectors. These connectors are described in the following sections.

Note: D-sub connectors are not available on the BNC connection box for analog input.

Digital In/Out Connector

The Digital In/Out connector allows you to access the digital I/O signals. Table 2 lists the pin assignments for the Digital In/Out connector on the BNC connection box.

Chapter 4

Table 2: Digital In/Out Connector Pin Assignments

Pin Signal Description Pin Signal Description

1 Digital Input 0 20 Digital Output 0

2 Digital Input 1 21 Digital Output 1

3 Digital Input 2 22 Digital Output 2

4 Digital Input 3 23 Digital Output 3

5 Digital Input 4 24 Digital Output 4

6 Digital Input 5 25 Digital Output 5

7 Digital Input 6 26 Digital Output 6

8 Digital Input 7 27 Digital Output 7

9 Digital Input 8 28 Digital Output 8

10 Digital Input 9 29 Digital Output 9

11 Digital Input 10 30 Digital Output 10

12 Digital Input 11 31 Digital Output 11

13 Digital Input 12 32 Digital Output 12

14 Digital Input 13 33 Digital Output 13

15 Digital Input 14 34 Digital Output 14

16 Digital Input 15 35 Digital Output 15

17 Digital Ground 36 Reserved

18 Digital Ground 37 Digital Ground

19 No Connect

CT/Enc In, Analog Out, Clk/Trig Connector

The CT/Enc In, Analog Output, Clk/Trig connector lets you access the counter/timer, analog output, external clock, and external trigger

Wiring Signals to the BNC Connection Box

signals. Table 3 lists the pin assignments for this connector on the BNC connection box.

Table 3: CT/Enc In, Analog Out, Clk/Trig Connector

Pin Signal Description Pin Signal Description

1 Analog Output 0 20 Analog Output 0 Return

2 Analog Output 1 21 Analog Output 1 Return

3 Reserved 22 Reserved

4 Reserved 23 Reserved

5 Digital Ground 24 Digital Ground

6 External DAC Clock 25 External DAC Trigger

7 External ADC Clock 26 External ADC Trigger

8 Counter 0 Clock 27 Digital Ground

9 Counter 0 Out 28 Counter 0 Gate

10 Counter 1 Clock 29 Digital Ground

11 Counter 1 Out 30 Counter 1 Gate

12 Quad Dec 0 (C/T 2) A 31 Digital Ground

13 Quad 0 (C/T 2) Index 32 Quad Dec 0 (C/T 2) B

14 Quad Dec 1 (C/T 3) A 33 Digital Ground

15 Quad 1 (C/T 3) Index 34 Quad Dec 1 (C/T 3) B

16 Quad Dec 2 (C/T 4) A 35 Digital Ground

17 Quad 2 (C/T 4) Index 36 Quad Dec 2 (C/T 4) B

18 Digital Ground 37 Digital Ground

19 No Connect

Chapter 4

Connecting Analog Input Signals

The BNC connection box supports voltage inputs. You can connect analog input signals to a BNC connection box in single-ended mode. In this mode the source of the input should be close to the module, and all the input signals are referred to the same common ground.

This section describes how to connect single-ended voltage inputs to a BNC connection box.

Connecting Single-Ended Voltage Inputs

Figure 7 shows how to connect single-ended voltage inputs (channels

0 and 1, in this case) to the BNC connectors on the BNC connection box.

BNC Connection Box

Analog In 0

Signal Source

Analog In 1

AD0

AD1

AD6

AD7AD9

AD2

Note that the BNC box automatically connects the Analog Ground signal appropriately.

AD8

AD3

Figure 7: Connecting Single-Ended Inputs to the BNC Connection Box

Wiring Signals to the BNC Connection Box

Connecting Analog Output Signals

Figure 8 shows how to connect an analog output voltage signal

(channel 0, in this case) to the BNC connectors on the BNC connection box.

BNC Connection Box

Load

Note that the BNC box automatically connects the Analog Ground signal appropriately.

Figure 8: Connecting Analog Outputs to the BNC Connector Box

Analog Out 0

DAC0

DAC1

DACClock

ADClock

DACTrig

ADTrig

Digital In/Out

CT/Enc In, AO, Clk/Trig

Chapter 4

Connecting Digital I/O Signals

Figure 9 shows how to connect digital input signals (lines 0 and 1, in

this case) to the Digital In/Out pins.

Digital Ground

Digital Input 1

TTL Inputs

Digital Input 0

Figure 9: Connecting Digital Inputs to the D-sub Pins

Figure 10 shows how to connect a digital output (line 0, in this case)

to the Digital In/Out pins.

5 V

500

Digital Ground

0 Out = LED On

Digital Out 0

D-sub pins

Figure 10: Connecting Digital Outputs to the D-sub Pins

Wiring Signals to the BNC Connection Box

Connecting Counter/Timer Signals

The BNC connection box provides two counter/timer channels that you can use to perform the following operations:

• Event counting

•Up/down counting

• Frequency measurement

• Pulse width/period measurement

• Edge-to-edge measurement

• Pulse output (continuous, one-shot, and repetitive one-shot)

This section describes how to connect counter/timer signals. Refer to

Chapter 6 for more information about using the counter/timers.

Event Counting

Figure 11 shows how to connect counter/timer signals to the CT/Enc

In, Analog Output, Clk/Trig D-sub pins to perform an event counting operation on counter/timer 0 using an external gate.

The counter counts the number of rising edges that occur on the Counter 0 Clock input when the Counter 0 Gate signal is in the active state (as specified by software). Refer to “Counter/Timer Operation

Modes” on page 98 for more information.

Chapter 4

External Gating Switch

Digital Ground

Counter 0 Gate

Counter 0 Clock

Signal Source

Digital Ground

D-sub Pins

Figure 11: Connecting Counter/Timer Signals to the D-sub Pins for an Event

Counting Operation Using an External Gate

Figure 12 shows how to connect counter/timer signals to the CT/Enc

In, Analog Output, Clk/Trig D-sub pins to perform an event counting operation on counter/timer 0 without using a gate. The counter counts the number of rising edges that occur on the Counter 0 Clock input.

Counter 0 Clock

Signal Source

Digital Ground

D-sub Pins

Figure 12: Connecting Counter/Timer Signals to the D-sub Pins for an Event

Counting Operation Without Using a Gate

Up/Down Counting

Note: To use up/down counting mode, you need the latest version of DT-Open Layers.

Figure 13 shows how to connect counter/timer signals to the CT/Enc

In, Analog Output, Clk/Trig D-sub pins to perform an up/down counting operation on counter/timer 0. The counter keeps track of the number of rising edges that occur on the Counter 0 Clock input. The counter increments when the Counter 0 Gate signal is high and decrements when the Counter 0 Gate signal is low.

Wiring Signals to the BNC Connection Box

Counter 0 Gate

Up/Down Signal Source

Figure 13: Connecting Counter/Timer Signals to the D-sub Pins

for an Up/Down Counting Operation

Counter 0 Clock

Digital Ground

D-sub Pins

8 5

Chapter 4

Frequency Measurement

One way to measure frequency is to use the same wiring as a standard event counting application that does not use a gate (see

Figure 12 on page 52), and then call the olDaMeasureFrequency

function to determine the duration of the frequency measurement. The frequency of the Counter 0 Clock signal is the number of counts divided by the duration of the olDaMeasureFrequency function.

If you need more accuracy than the olDaMeasureFrequency function provides, you can connect a pulse of a known duration (such as a one-shot output of counter/timer 1) to the Counter 0 Gate input.

Figure 14 shows how to connect counter/timer signals to the CT/Enc

In, Analog Output, Clk/Trig D-sub pins. In this case, the frequency of the Counter 0 clock input is the number of counts divided by the period of the Counter 0 Gate input signal.

Counter 1 Out

Counter 0 Gate

Counter 0 Clock

Signal Source

Digital Ground

8 5

D-sub Pins

Figure 14: Connecting Counter/Timer Signals to the D-sub Pins for a

Frequency Measurement Operation Using an External Pulse

Wiring Signals to the BNC Connection Box

Period/Pulse Width Measurement

Figure 15 shows how to connect counter/timer signals to the CT/Enc

In, Analog Output, Clk/Trig D-sub pins to perform a period/pulse width measurement operation on counter/timer 0. You specify the active pulse (high or low) in software. The pulse width is the percentage of the total pulse period that is active. Refer to “Pulse

Output Types and Duty Cycles” on page 97 for more information

about pulse periods and pulse widths.

Counter 0 Clock

Signal Source

Digital Ground

D-sub Pins

Figure 15: Connecting Counter/Timer Signals to the D-sub Pins

for a Period/Pulse Width Measurement Operation

Chapter 4

Edge-to-Edge Measurement

Note: To use edge-to-edge measurement mode, you need the latest version of DT-Open Layers.

Figure 16 shows how to connect counter/timer signals to the CT/Enc

In, Analog Output, Clk/Trig D-sub pins to perform an edge-to-edge measurement operation on two signal sources. The counter measures the time interval between the start edge (in this case, a rising edge on the Counter 0 Clock signal) and the stop edge (in this case, a falling edge on the Counter 0 Gate signal).

You specify the start edge and the stop edge in software. Refer to

“Edge-to-Edge Measurement” on page 101 for more information.

Signal Source 1

Signal Source 0

Digital Ground

Counter 0 Gate

Counter 0 Clock

D-sub Pins

Figure 16: Connecting Counter/Timer Signals to the D-sub Pins

for an Edge-to-Edge Measurement Operation

Pulse Output

Wiring Signals to the BNC Connection Box

Figure 17 shows how to connect counter/timer signals to the CT/Enc

In, Analog Output, Clk/Trig D-sub pins to perform a pulse output operation on counter/timer 0; in this example, an external gate is used.

Digital Ground

External Gating Switch

Counter 0 Gate

Counter 0 Out

Heater Controller

Digital Ground

Figure 17: Connecting Counter/Timer Signals to the D-sub Pins

for a Pulse Output Operation Using an External Gate

D-sub Pins

Chapter 4

Verifying the Operation

of a Module

Installing the Quick Data Acq Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Running the Quick Data Acq Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Testing Single-Value Analog Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Testing Single-Value Analog Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Testing Continuous Analog Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Testing Single-Value Digital Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Testing Single-Value Digital Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Testing Frequency Measurement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Testing Pulse Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Chapter 5

Prepare to Use a Module

(see Chapter 2 starting on page 25)

Set Up and Install the Module

(see Chapter 3 starting on page 31)

Wire Signals to the BNC Connection Box

(see Chapter 4 starting on page 39)

Verify the Operation of the Module

(this chapter)

You can verify the operation of a DT9836 Series module using the Quick Data Acq application. Quick Data Acq lets you do the following:

• Acquire data from a single analog input channel or digital input port

• Acquire data continuously from one or more analog input channels using an oscilloscope, strip chart, or Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) view

• Measure the frequency of events

• Output data from a single analog output channel or digital output port

• Output pulses either continuously or as a one-shot

• Save the input data to disk

Verifying the Operation of a Module

Installing the Quick Data Acq Application

The Quick Data Acq application is installed automatically when you install the driver software. See “Installing the Software” on page 29.

Running the Quick Data Acq Application

To run the Quick Data Acq application, do the following:

1. If you have not already done so, power up your computer and any attached peripherals.

2. Ensure that you installed the Quick Data Acq application software from the Data Acquisition OMNI CD using the instructions starting on page 29.

3. Select Quick Data Acq from the Data Translation, Inc|Quick Data Acq program group.

Note: The Quick Data Acq application lets you verify basic

operations on the module; however, it may not support all of the module’s features. For information about each of the supported features, use the online help for the Quick Data Acq application by pressing F1 from any view or selecting the Help menu, or refer to the DT9836 Series User’s Manual.

Chapter 5

Testing Single-Value Analog Input

To verify that the module can read a single analog input value, do the following:

1. Connect a voltage source, such as a function generator, to analog input channel 0 on the DT9836 Series module. Refer to page 48 for an example of how to connect an analog input.

2. In the Quick Data Acq application, choose Single Analog Input from the Acquisition menu.

3. Select the appropriate DT9836 Series module from the Board list box.

4. In the Channel list box, select analog input channel 0.

5. In the Range list box, select the range for the channel. The default

is ±10 V.

6. Select Single Ended.

7. Click Get to acquire a single value from analog input channel 0.

The application displays the value on the screen in both text and graphical form.

Verifying the Operation of a Module

Testing Single-Value Analog Output

To verify that the module can output a single analog output value, do the following:

1. Connect an oscilloscope or voltmeter to analog output channel 0 on the module. Refer to page 49 for an example of how to connect analog output signals.

2. In the Quick Data Acq application, choose Single Analog Output from the Control menu.

3. Select the appropriate DT9836 Series module from the Board list box.

4. In the Channel list box, select analog output channel 0.

5. In the Range list box, select the output range of DAC0. The

default is ±10 V.

6. Enter an output value, or use the slider to select a value, to output from DAC0.

7. Click Send to output a single value from analog output channel 0.

The application displays the output value both on the slider and in the text box.

Chapter 5

Testing Continuous Analog Input

To verify that the module can perform a continuous analog input operation, do the following:

1. Connect known voltage sources, such as the outputs of a function generator, to analog input channels 0 and 1 on the DT9836 Series module.

2. In the Quick Data Acq application, choose Scope from the Acquisition menu.

3. Select the DT9836 Series module from the Board list box.

4. In the Sec/Div list box, select the number of seconds per division

(.1 to .00001) for the display.

5. In the Channel list box, select analog input channel 1, and then click Add to add the channel to the channel list. Note that, by default, channel 0 is included in the channel list.

6. Click Config from the Toolbar.

7. In the Config dialog, select ChannelType, and then select Single Ended.

8. In the Config dialog, select Range, and then select Bipolar.

9. Click OK to close the dialog box

10. From the Scope view, double-click the input range of the channel

to change the input range of the module (±10 V or ±5 V). The default is ±10 V.

The display changes to reflect the selected range for all the analog input channels on the module.

11. In the Trigger box, select Auto to acquire data continuously from the specified channels or Manual to acquire a burst of data from the specified channels.

Verifying the Operation of a Module

12. Click Start from the Toolbar to start the continuous analog input operation.

The application displays the values acquired from each channel in a unique color on the oscilloscope view.

13. Click Stop from the Toolbar to stop the operation.

Testing Single-Value Digital Input

To verify that the module can read a single digital input value, do the following:

1. Connect a digital input to digital input line 0 on the DT9836 Series module. Refer to page 50 for information about how to connect a digital input.

2. In the Quick Data Acq application, choose Digital Input from the Acquisition menu.

3. Select the appropriate DT9836 Series module from the Board list

box.

4. Click Get.

The application displays the entire 16-bit digital input value (0 to FFFF) in both the Data box and the Digital Input box.

In addition, application shows the state of the lower eight digital input lines (lines 0 to 7) in the graphical display. If an indicator light is lit (red), the line is high; if an indicator light is not lit (black), the line is low.

Note: Although the DT9836 Series modules contain 16 digital input lines, the Quick Data Acq application shows indicator lights for the lower eight digital input lines only. The 16-bit value is the correct value for all 16 lines.

Chapter 5

Testing Single-Value Digital Output

Note: Although the DT9836 Series modules contain 16 digital output lines, the Quick Data Acq application allows you to perform a digital output operation on the lower eight digital output lines (lines 0 to 7) only.

To verify that the module can output a single digital output value, do the following:

1. Connect a digital output to digital output line 0 on the DT9836 Series module. Refer to page 45 for information about how to connect a digital output.

2. In the Quick Data Acq application, choose Digital Output from the Control menu.

3. Select the appropriate DT9836 Series module from the Board list box.

4. Click the appropriate indicator lights to select the types of signals to write from the digital output lines. If you select a light, the module outputs a high-level signal; if you do not select a light, the module outputs a low-level signal. You can also enter an output value for the lower eight digital output lines (0 to FF) in the Hex text box.

5. Click Send.

The values of the lower eight digital output lines are output appropriately.

Verifying the Operation of a Module

Testing Frequency Measurement

To verify that the module can perform a frequency measurement operation, do the following:

1. Wire an external clock source to counter/timer 0 on the DT9836 Series module. Refer to page 51 for an example of how to connect an external clock.

Note: The Quick Data Acq application works only with counter/timer 0.

2. In the Quick Data Acq application, choose Measure Frequency from the Acquisition menu.

3. Select the appropriate DT9836 Series module from the Board list box.

4. In the Count Duration text box, enter the number of seconds during which events will be counted.

5. Click Start to start the frequency measurement operation.

The operation automatically stops after the number of seconds you specified has elapsed, and the frequency is displayed on the screen.

6. Click Stop to stop the frequency measurement operation.

Chapter 5

Testing Pulse Output

To verify that the module can perform a pulse output operation, perform the following steps:

1. Connect a scope to counter/timer 0 on the DT9836 Series module. Refer to page 57 for an example of how to connect a scope (a pulse output) to counter/timer 0.

Note: The Quick Data Acq application works only with counter/timer 0.

2. In the Quick Data Acq application, choose Pulse Generator from the Control menu.

3. Select the appropriate DT9836 Series module from the Board list box.

4. Select either Continuous to output a continuous pulse stream or One Shot to output one pulse.

5. Select either Low-to-high to output a rising-edge pulse (the high portion of the total pulse output period is the active portion of the signal) or High-to-low to output a falling-edge pulse (the low portion of the total pulse output period is the active portion of the signal).

6. Under Pulse Width, enter a percentage or use the slider to select a percentage for the pulse width. The percentage determines the duty cycle of the pulse.

7. Click Start to generate the pulse(s).

The application displays the results both in text and graphical form.

8. Click Stop to stop a continuous pulse output operation. One-shot pulse output operations stop automatically.

Part 2: Using Your Module

Principles of Operation

Analog Input Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Analog Output Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Digital I/O Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Counter/Timer Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Chapter 6

Analog

In 0

Figure 18 shows a block diagram of the DT9836 Series modules.

Synchronous

Simultaneous A/Ds

16-Bit

ADC

USB 2.0 Interface

Isolated

Power

+5V, ±15V

Analog

In 11

Digital In

[15:0]

Clock [1:0]

Gate [1:0]

Out [1:0]

Encoder 0

Encoder 1

Encoder 2

16-Bit

ADC

16-Bit

Digital

2 32-Bit

Counter/

Timers

3 Quadrature

Decoders

Ext. A/D Clk

Ext. D/A Clk

Input FIFO

Ext. A/D Trig

Ext. D/A Trig

500 V Isolation

Barrier

Clock

and

Trigger

Logic

Output

FIFO

InputClock

OutputClock

Synchronous

16-Bit

D/A

16-Bit

D/A

16-Bit Digital

Out

Analog

Out 0

Analog

Out 1

Digital

Out

[1:15]

Figure 18: Block Diagram of the DT9836 Series Modules

Analog Input Features

This section describes the following features of analog input (A/D) operations on the DT9836 Series module:

• Input resolution, described below

• Analog input channels, described below

• Input ranges, described on page 76

Principles of Operation

• Input sample clock sources, described on page 77

• Analog input conversion modes, described on page 78

• Input triggers, described on page 80

• Data format and transfer, described on page 81

• Error conditions, described on page 82

Input Resolution

Input resolution is fixed at 16 bits; you cannot specify the resolution in software.

Analog Input Channels

You can connect the analog input channels in single-ended mode. In this mode the source of the input should be close to the module, and all the input signals are referred to the same common ground. The BNC connection box is shipped in a single-ended channel configuration.

Chapter 6

Note: To maintain simultaneous operation, all analog input connections must have the same lead lengths. Do not use the STP37 screw terminal panel with the analog input subsystem.

The DT9836 Series modules can acquire data from a single analog input channel or from a group of analog input channels. Analog input channels are numbered 0 to 11 or 0 to 5.

The following subsections describe how to specify the channels.

Specifying a Single Analog Input Channel

The simplest way to acquire data from a single analog input channel is to specify the channel for a single-value analog input operation using software; refer to page 78 for more information about single-value operations.

You can also specify a single channel using the analog input channel-gain list, described in the next section.

Specifying One or More Analog Input Channels

You can read data from one or more analog input channels using an analog input channel-gain list. Because these modules feature simultaneous sampling, the order of the channels in the channel-gain list does not matter. You cannot specify the same channel more than once in the list.

Using software, specify the channels you want to sample. You can enter up to 23 entries in the channel-gain list (17 for the 6-channel version of the module), including digital input, two 32-bit counter/timers, and three 32-bit quadrature decoders. Channels 0–11 (or 0–5) are reserved for analog input. Refer to page 78 for more information about the supported conversion modes.

Principles of Operation

Specifying the Digital Input Port in the Analog Input Channel-Gain List

The DT9836 Series modules allow you to read the digital input port (all 16 digital input lines) using the analog input channel-gain list. This feature is particularly useful when you want to correlate the timing of analog and digital events.

To read the digital input port, specify channel 6 or channel 12 in the analog input channel-gain list. Use channel 6 for modules with 6 channels; use channel 12 for modules with 12 channels. You can enter channel 6 or 12 anywhere in the list.

The digital input port is treated like any other channel in the analog input channel-gain list; therefore, all the clocking, triggering, and conversion modes supported for analog input channels are supported for the digital input port, if you specify them this way.

Specifying Counter/Timers in the Analog Input Channel-Gain List

The DT9836 Series modules allow you to read the value of the 32-bit counter/timer channels (including quadrature decoders) using the analog input channel-gain list. This feature is particularly useful when you want to correlate the timing of analog and counter/timer events.

To read a counter/timer channel, specify the appropriate channel number in the analog input channel-gain list (refer to Table 4 on page

76). You can enter a channel number anywhere in the list.

You need two channel-gain list entries to read one 32-bit counter value. The first entry stores the lower 16-bit word, and the second entry stores the upper 16-bit word. You must specify both channel-gain list entries if you include a counter/timer channel.

Table 4 lists the channel number(s) to use for each counter/timer.

Chapter 6

Table 4: Using Counter/Timers in Analog Input Channel-Gain List

Channel to Specify in

Channel-Gain List for:

Counter/Timer

Channel

C/T_0_LOW Lower 16 bits (0 to 15) of C/T 0 Channel 13 Channel 7

C/T_0_HI Upper 16 bits (16 to 31) of C/T 0 Channel 14 Channel 8

C/T_1_LOW Lower 16 bits of C/T 1 Channel 15 Channel 9

C/T_1_HI Upper 16 bits of C/T 1 Channel 16 Channel 10

C/T_2_LOW Lower 16 bits of Q/D 0 (C/T 2) Channel 17 Channel 11

C/T_2_HI Upper 16 bits of Q/D 0 (C/T 2) Channel 18 Channel 12

C/T_3_LOW Lower 16 bits of Q/D 1 (C/T 3) Channel 19 Channel 13

C/T_3_HI Upper 16 bits of Q/D 1 (C/T 3) Channel 20 Channel 14

C/T_4_LOW Lower 16 bits of Q/D 2 (C/T 4) Channel 21 Channel 15

C/T_4_HI Upper 16 bits of Q/D 2 (C/T 4) Channel 22 Channel 16

Description

DT9836-12 DT9836- 6

The counter/timer channel is treated like any other channel in the analog input channel-gain list; therefore, all the clocking, triggering, and conversion modes supported for analog input channels are supported for the counter/timers, if you specify them this way.

Input Ranges

The DT9836 Series modules provide an input range of -10 to +10 V or

-5 to +5 V. Use software to specify the range as -10 to +10 V or -5 to

+5 V.

Principles of Operation

Note: This is the range for the entire analog input subsystem, not the range per channel.

You do not need to (and cannot) set gain values for DT9836 Series modules. The gain is preset at 1.

Input Sample Clock Sources

DT9836 Series modules allow you to use one of the following clock sources to pace analog input operations:

• Internal A/D clock – Using software, specify the clock source as internal and the clock frequency at which to pace the operation. The minimum frequency supported is 0.75 Samples/s; the maximum frequency supported is 225 kSamples/s.

According to sampling theory (Nyquist Theorem), specify a frequency that is at least twice as fast as the input’s highest frequency component. For example, to accurately sample a 20 kHz signal, specify a sampling frequency of at least 40 kHz. Doing so avoids an error condition called aliasing, in which high frequency input components erroneously appear as lower frequencies after sampling.

• External A/D clock – An external A/D clock is useful when you want to pace acquisitions at rates not available with the internal A/D clock or when you want to pace at uneven intervals.

Connect an external A/D clock to the AD Clock BNC connector on the DT9836 Series module. Conversions start on the falling edge of the external A/D clock input signal.

Using software, specify the clock source as external. The clock frequency is always equal to the frequency of the external A/D sample clock input signal that you connect to the module.

Chapter 6

Note: If you specify the digital input port and/or the counter/timer or quadrature decoder channels in the channel-gain list, the input sample clock (internal or external) also paces the acquisition of the digital input port and/or counter/timer channels.

Analog Input Conversion Modes

DT9836 Series modules support the following conversion modes:

• Single-value operations are the simplest to use. Using software, you specify the analog input channel. The module acquires the data from the specified channel and returns the data immediately. For a single-value operation, you cannot specify a clock source, trigger source, scan mode, or buffer.

Single-value operations stop automatically when finished; you cannot stop a single-value operation.

• Continuous Scan mode takes full advantage of the capabilities of the DT9836 Series modules. For a scan, you can specify a channel-gain list, clock source, trigger source, scan mode, buffer, and buffer wrap mode using software. Continuous scan mode is supported. This mode is described in the following subsections.

Using software, you can stop a scan by performing either an orderly stop or an abrupt stop. In an orderly stop, the module finishes acquiring the current buffer, stops all subsequent acquisition, and transfers the acquired data to host memory; any subsequent triggers are ignored.

In an abrupt stop, the module stops acquiring samples immediately; the current buffer is not completely filled, it is returned to the application only partially filled, and any subsequent triggers are ignored.

Continuous Scan Mode

Principles of Operation

Use continuous scan mode if you want to accurately control the period between successive simultaneous conversions of all channels in a channel-gain list.

When it detects an initial trigger, the module simultaneously samples all of the input channels, including the digital inputs, counter/timers, and quadrature decoder counts, and converts the analog inputs. If the channel is included in the channel-gain list, the sampled data is placed in the allocated buffer(s) and the operation continues until the allocated buffers are filled or until you stop the operation. Refer to

page 81 for more information about buffers.

The conversion rate is determined by the frequency of the input sample clock; refer to page 77 for more information about the input sample clock. The sample rate, which is the rate at which a single entry in the channel-gain list is sampled, is the same as the conversion rate due to the simultaneous nature of the module.

To select continuous scan mode, use software to specify the data flow as continuous and to specify the initial trigger (the trigger source that starts the operation). You can select a software trigger, an external TTL trigger, or an analog threshold trigger as the initial trigger. Refer to page 80 for more information about the supported trigger sources.

Figure 19 illustrates continuous scan mode using a channel-gain list

with three entries: channel 0, channel 1, and channel 2. In this example, analog input data is acquired simultaneously on all channels on each clock pulse of the input sample clock. Data is acquired continuously.

Chapter 6

Chan 2

Chan 1

Chan 0

Input Sample Clock

Initial trigger event occurs

Figure 19: Continuous Scan Mode

Input Triggers

A trigger is an event that occurs based on a specified set of conditions. Acquisition starts when the module detects the initial trigger event and stops when the specified number of samples has been acquired (if the buffer wrap mode is none, described on page

82), or when you stop the operation.

The DT9836 Series module supports the following trigger sources:

Chan 2

Chan 1

Chan 0

Data is acquired continuously

Chan 2

Chan 1

Chan 0

Chan 2

Chan 1

Chan 0

• Software trigger A software trigger event occurs when you start the analog input operation (the computer issues a write to the module to begin conversions). Using software, specify the trigger source as a software trigger.

• External digital (TTL) trigger An external digital (TTL) trigger event occurs when the DT9836 Series module detects a transition (high-to-low or low-to-high) on the AD Trig BNC connector on the module. Using software, specify the trigger source as a rising-edge external digital trigger (external) or a falling-edge external digital trigger (extra).

• Analog threshold trigger – An analog threshold trigger event occurs when the signal on the first channel in the analog input

channel-gain list rises above (low-to-high transition) a programmable threshold level. Using software, specify the trigger source as a positive threshold trigger (threshpos).

You must use analog input channel 0 as the analog trigger. The analog trigger channel must be the first entry in the analog input channel-gain list.

You specify the threshold level in the olDaPutSingleValue function, using D/A subsystem 1. Specify a value between 0 and 255, where 0 equals 0 V and 255 equals +10 V.

Data Format and Transfer

Principles of Operation

DT9836 Series modules use offset binary data encoding, where 0000 represents negative full-scale, and FFFFh represents positive full-scale. Use software to specify the data encoding as binary. The ADC outputs FFFFh for above-range signals, and 0000 for below-range signals.

Before you begin acquiring data, you must allocate buffers to hold the data. A Buffer Done message is returned whenever a buffer is filled. This allows you to move and/or process the data as needed.

Note: We recommend that you allocate buffers that are even multiples of 256. Also, if running at higher clock frequencies, increase your buffer size accordingly. As a guideline, size the buffers to hold one-half second of data. By this guideline, BufferSize = (SampleRate * NumberOfChannels)/2, rounded up to the nearest multiple of 256.

We recommend that you allocate a minimum of three buffers for analog input operations, specifying one of the following buffer wrap modes in software:

Chapter 6

• None – Data is written to multiple allocated input buffers continuously; when no more empty buffers are available, the operation stops. If wrap mode is none, the module guarantees gap-free data.

• Multiple – Data is written to multiple allocated input buffers continuously; if no more empty buffers are available, the module overwrites the data in the current buffer, starting with the first location in the buffer. This process continues indefinitely until you stop it. If wrap mode is multiple, the module does not guarantee gap-free data.

Error Conditions

The DT9836 Series module reports any overrun errors by sending an OLDA_WM_OVERRUN_ERROR message to the application program. This message indicates that data buffers are not being sent from the host to the module fast enough, and so the A/D converter ran out of buffers. To avoid this error, try one or more of the following:

• Reduce the clock rate of the A/D

• Increase the size of the buffers

• Increase the number of buffers

• Close any other applications that are running

• Run the program on a faster computer

If one of these error conditions occurs, the module stops acquiring and transferring data to the host computer.

Analog Output Features

An extra analog output (D/A) subsystem is provided on these modules (including those without user D/A connectors). The highest-numbered D/A subsystem is dedicated to analog threshold triggering only (refer to page 80 for more information on analog threshold triggering).

This section describes the following features of analog output operations:

• Output resolution, described below

• Analog output channels, described below

Principles of Operation

• Output ranges and gains, described on page 85

• Output triggers, described on page 85

• Output clocks, described on page 86

• Data format and transfer, described on page 89

• Error conditions, described on page 90

Output Resolution

Input resolution is fixed at 16 bits; you cannot specify the resolution in software.

Analog Output Channels

Some DT9836 Series modules support two DC-level analog output channels (DAC0 and DAC1). Refer to Chapter 4 for information about how to wire analog output signals to the module.

The DACs are deglitched to prevent noise from interfering with the output signal. They power up to a value of 0 V ±10 mV. Unplugging the module resets the DACs to 0 V.

Chapter 6

The DT9836 Series modules can output data to a single DAC or sequentially to one or more DACs and/or the digital output port. The following subsections describe how to specify the DACs/port.

Specifying a Single Analog Output Channel

The simplest way to output data to a single DAC is to specify the channel for a single-value analog output operation using software; refer to page 86 for more information about single-value operations.

You can also specify a single DAC using the output channel list, described in the next section.

Specifying Multiple Analog Output Channels and/or the Digital Output Port

You can output data to one or more DACs and/or the digital output port using the output channel list. This feature is particularly useful when you want to correlate the timing of analog and digital output events.

Using software, specify the data flow mode as continuous for the D/A subsystem (described on page 86) and specify the output channels you want to update, where 0 is DAC0, 1 is DAC1, and 2 is the digital output port. You can enter a maximum of 3 entries in the output channel list and the channels must be in order.

Note that you can skip a channel in the list, however, if you do not want to update it. For example, if you want to update only DAC1 and the digital output port, specify channels 1 and 2 in the output channel list. If you want to update all the DACs and the digital output ports, specify channels 0, 1, and 2 in the output channel list. The channels are output in order from the first entry in the list to the last entry in the list.

Principles of Operation

Note: The digital output port is treated like any other channel in the output channel list; therefore, all the clocking, triggering, and conversion modes supported for analog output channels are supported for the digital output port, if you specify the digital output port in the output channel list.

Output Ranges and Gains

Each DAC on the DT9836 Series module can output bipolar analog output signals in the range of ±10 V.

Output Triggers

A trigger is an event that occurs based on a specified set of conditions. The DT9836 Series modules support the following output trigger sources:

• Software trigger – A software trigger event occurs when you start the analog output operation. Using software, specify the trigger source as a software trigger.

• External digital (TTL) trigger – An external digital (TTL) trigger event occurs when the DT9836 Series module detects a transition (high-to-low or low-to-high) on the DAC Trig BNC connector on the module. Using software, specify the trigger source as external and the polarity as high-to-low transition or low-to-high transition.

Chapter 6

Output Clocks

DT9836 Series modules allow you to use one of the following clock sources to pace analog output operations:

• Internal DAC clock – Using software, specify the clock source as internal and the clock frequency at which to pace the operation. The minimum frequency supported is 0.75 Samples/s; the maximum frequency supported is 500 kSamples/s.

• External DAC clock – An external DAC clock is useful when you want to pace conversions at rates not available with the output sample clock or when you want to pace at uneven intervals.

Connect an external DAC clock to the DAC Clock BNC connector on the DT9836 Series module. Analog output operations start on the rising edge of the external DAC clock signal.

Using software, specify the clock source as external. The clock frequency is always equal to the frequency of the external DAC clock signal that you connect to the module.

Output Conversion Modes

DT9836 Series modules support the following conversion modes:

• Single-value operations are the simplest to use but offer the least flexibility and efficiency. Use software to specify the analog output channel that you want to update, and the value to output from that channel. For a single-value operation, you cannot specify a clock source, trigger source, or buffer. Single-value operations stop automatically when finished; you cannot stop a single-value operation.

• Continuous analog output operations take full advantage of the capabilities of the DT9836 Series modules. In this mode, you can specify an output channel list, clock source, trigger source, buffer, and buffer wrap mode. Two continuous analog output modes are supported: streaming and waveform generation mode. These modes are described in the following subsections.

Principles of Operation

Note that in waveform mode, each channel in the output channel list must write the same number of values, use the same output clock (refer to page 86), and use the same output trigger (refer to

page 85).

Streaming Analog Output

Use streaming analog output mode if you want to accurately control the period between conversions of individual channels in the output channel list (refer to page 84 for information on specifying the output channel list).

Use software to fill the output buffer with the values that you want to write to the DACs and to the digital output port, if applicable. For example, if your output channel list contains only DAC0 and the digital output port, specify the values in the output buffer as follows: the first output value for DAC0, the first output value for the digital output port, the second output value for DAC0, the second output value for the digital output port, and so on.

When it detects a trigger, the module starts writing the values from the output buffer to the channels specified in the output channel list. The operation repeats continuously until all the data is output from the buffers.

Make sure that the host computer transfers data to the output channel list fast enough so that the list does not empty completely; otherwise, an underrun error results.

To select streaming analog output mode, use software to specify the data flow as continuous, the buffer wrap mode as none, and the trigger source as any of the supported trigger sources. Refer to page

85 for more information about the supported trigger sources.

To stop a streaming analog output operation, you can stop sending data to the module, letting the module stop when it runs out of data, or you can perform either an orderly stop or an abrupt stop using

Chapter 6

software. In an orderly stop, the module finishes outputting the current buffer, and then stops; all subsequent triggers are ignored. In an abrupt stop, the module stops outputting samples immediately; all subsequent triggers are ignored.

Waveform Generation

Use waveform generation mode if you want to output a waveform repetitively.

Note: The waveform pattern size must be the same for all output channels, and the total number of samples must be a multiple of the total number of output channels.

Use software to fill the output buffer with the values that you want to write to the channels in the output channel list. For example, if your output channel list contains only DAC0 and the digital output port, specify the values in the output buffer as follows: the first output value for DAC0, the first output value for the digital output port, the second output value for DAC0, the second output value for the digital output port, and so on.

When it detects a trigger, the host computer transfers the entire waveform pattern to the module, and the module starts writing output values to the output channels, as determined by the output channel list. A single buffer is output repeatedly. Use software to allocate the memory and specify the waveform pattern.

To select waveform generation mode, use software to specify the data flow as continuous, the buffer wrap mode as single (refer to page 89), and the trigger source as any of the supported trigger sources (refer to page 85).

Data Format and Transfer

Principles of Operation

Data from the host computer must use offset binary data encoding for analog output signals, where 0000 represents 10 V, and FFFFh represents +10 V. Using software, specify the data encoding as binary.

Before you begin writing data to the output channels, you must allocate and fill buffers with the appropriate data. A Buffer Done message is returned whenever a buffer is transferred to the module. This allows you to reuse that buffer, and refill it with additional output data.

Specify one of the following buffer wrap modes in software:

• None – Data is written from multiple output buffers continuously; when no more buffers of data are available, the operation stops. If wrap mode is none, the module guarantees gap-free data.

• Single – Data is written from a single output buffer continuously; when all the data in the buffer is written, the module returns to the first location of the buffer and continues writing data. This process continues indefinitely until you stop it.

If wrap mode is single and the allocated output buffer is equal to or less than the size of the FIFO on the module, the data is written once to the module. The module recycles the data, allowing you

Chapter 6

to output the same pattern continuously without any further CPU or USB bus activity.

Note: If the size of your buffers is less than 128K and you stop the analog output operation, the operation stops after the current buffer and the next buffer have been output.

Error Conditions

The DT9836 Series module reports any underrun errors by sending an OLDA_WM_UNDERRUN_ERROR message to the application. This message indicates that data buffers are not being sent from the host to the module fast enough, and so the D/A converter ran out of data. To avoid this error, try one or more of the following:

• Reduce the clock rate of the D/A

• Increase the size of the buffers

• Increase the number of buffers

• Close any other applications that are running

• Run the program on a faster computer

Digital I/O Features

This section describes the following features of digital I/O operations:

• Digital I/O lines, described below

• Operation modes, described on page 92

Digital I/O Lines

DT9836 Series modules support one digital input port, consisting of 16 digital input lines (lines 0 to 15) and one digital output port, consisting of 16 digital output lines (lines 0 to 15).

You can read all 16 digital input lines or write all 16 digital output lines with a single-value digital I/O operation. Refer to page 92 for more information about single-value operations.

In addition, you can specify the digital input port in an analog input channel-gain list to perform a continuous digital input operation, or you can specify the digital output port in an output channel list to perform a continuous digital output operation. Refer to page 92 for more information about continuous digital I/O operations.

Principles of Operation

A digital line is high if its value is 1; a digital line is low if its value is

0. On power up or reset, a low value (0) is output from each of the digital output lines.

The DT9836 Series modules allow you to program the first eight digital input lines to perform interrupt-on-change operations. Refer to page 92 for more information.

Chapter 6

Operation Modes

The DT9836 Series modules support the following digital I/O operation modes:

• Single-value operations are the simplest to use but offer the least flexibility and efficiency. You use software to specify the digital I/O port and a gain of 1 (the gain is ignored). Data is then read from or written to all the digital I/O lines. For a single-value operation, you cannot specify a clock or trigger source.

Single-value operations stop automatically when finished; you cannot stop a single-value operation.

• Continuous digital I/O takes full advantage of the capabilities of the DT9836 Series modules using the analog I/O clock source, scan mode, trigger source, buffer, and buffer wrap mode.

Digital input – For digital input operations, enter the digital

input port (all 16 digital input lines) as channel 6 (for modules with 6 A/D channels) or 12 (for modules with 12 A/D channels) in the analog input channel-gain list; refer to page

75 for more information. The analog input sample clock

(internal or external) paces the reading of the digital input port (as well as the acquisition of the analog input and counter/timer channels); refer to page 77 for more information.

Digital output – For digital output operations, enter the

digital output port (all 16 digital output lines) as channel 2 in the output channel list; refer to page 84 for more information. The analog output clock (internal or external) paces the update of the digital output port (as well as the update of the analog output channels); refer to page 86 for more information.

• Interrupt-on-change operations – You can use the Open Layers Control Panel applet to select any of the first eight digital input lines to perform interrupt-on-change operations. Use software to set the digital I/O subsystem to continuous mode. When any one

Principles of Operation

of the specified bits changes state, the module reads the entire 16-bit digital input value and generates an interrupt. Refer to

“Digital Input Interrupt-On-Change” on page 132 for more

information.

Counter/Timer Features

This section describes the following features of counter/timer (C/T) operations:

• C/T channels, described below

• C/T clock sources, described on page 95

• Gate types, described on page 96

• Pulse types and duty cycles, described on page 97

• C/T operation modes, described on page 98

• Quadrature decoders, described on page 105

C/T Channels

The DT9836 Series modules provide five 32-bit counter/timers -- two general-purpose counters and three quadrature decoder counters.

The general-purpose counters are numbered 0 and 1. Each general-purpose counter accepts a clock input signal and gate input signal and outputs a pulse (pulse output signal), as shown in

Figure 20.

Chapter 6

Clock Input SIgnal (internal or external)

The quadrature decoder counters are numbered 2, 3, and 4. Each quadrature counter accepts an A, B, and Index input and is used to interface with a quadrature encoder sensor.

To specify the counter/timer to use in software, specify the appropriate C/T subsystem. For example, counter/timer 0 corresponds to C/T subsystem element 0, and quadrature decoder 0 corresponds to C/T subsystem element 2.

Using software, you can also specify one or more of the counter/timers in the analog input channel-gain list. You need two channel-gain list entries to read a 32-bit counter or quadrature decoder value. The first entry stores the lower 16-bit word, and the second entry stores the upper 16-bit word. Refer to page 75 for more information about using C/Ts in the channel-gain list.

Counter

Gate Input Signal

(software or external

input)

Figure 20: Counter/Timer Channel

Pulse Output Signal

C/T Clock Sources

Principles of Operation

The following clock sources are available for the general-purpose counter/timers:

• Internal C/T clock – Through software, specify the clock source as internal, and specify the frequency at which to pace the operation (this is the frequency of the Counter n Out signal). This is typically used in rate generation mode.

• External C/T clock – An external C/T clock is useful when you want to pace counter/timer operations at rates not available with the internal C/T clock or if you want to pace at uneven intervals. The frequency of the external C/T clock can range up to 18 MHz.

Connect the external clock to the Counter n Clock input signal on the DT9836 Series module. Counter/timer operations start on the rising edge of the clock input signal.

Note: You typically use the external C/T clock (the clock connected to the Counter n Clock input signal) to measure frequency (event counting), or to measure the time interval between edges (measure mode). The external C/T clock is not generally used for rate generation.

If you specify a counter/timer in the analog input channel-gain list, the A/D clock determines how often you want to read the counter value. Refer to page 77 for more information about the A/D clock.

Chapter 6

Gate Types

Note: This section does not apply to quadrature decoders.

The edge or level of the Counter n Gate signal determines when a counter/timer operation is enabled. DT9836 Series modules provide the following gate types:

• None A software command enables any counter/timer operation immediately after execution.

• Logic-low level external gate input – Enables a counter/timer operation when the Counter n Gate signal is low, and disables the counter/timer operation when the Counter n Gate signal is high. Note that this gate type is used for event counting and rate generation modes; refer to page 98 for more information about these modes.

• Logic-high level external gate input – Enables a counter/timer operation when the Counter n Gate signal is high, and disables a counter/timer operation when the Counter n Gate signal is low. Note that this gate type is used for event counting and rate generation modes; refer to page 98 for more information about these modes.

• Falling-edge external gate input – Enables a counter/timer operation when a high-to-low transition is detected on the Counter n Gate signal. In software, this is called a low-edge gate type. Note that this gate type is used for edge-to-edge measurement, one-shot, and repetitive one-shot mode; refer to

page 98 for more information about these modes.

• Rising-edge external gate input – Enables a counter/timer operation when a low-to-high transition is detected on the Counter n Gate signal. In software, this is called a high-edge gate type. Note that this gate type is used for edge-to-edge

Principles of Operation

measurement, one-shot, and repetitive one-shot mode; refer to

page 98 for more information about these modes.

Specify the gate type in software.

Pulse Output Types and Duty Cycles

Note: This section does not apply to quadrature decoders.

The DT9836 Series modules can output the following types of pulses from each counter/timer:

• High-to-low transitions – The low portion of the total pulse output period is the active portion of the counter/timer clock output signal.

• Low-to-high transitions – The high portion of the total pulse output period is the active portion of the counter/timer pulse output signal.

You specify the pulse output type in software.

The duty cycle (or pulse width) indicates the percentage of the total pulse output period that is active. For example, a duty cycle of 50 indicates that half of the total pulse output is low and half of the total pulse output is high. You specify the duty cycle in software.

Figure 21 illustrates a low-to-high pulse with a duty cycle of

approximately 30%.

Chapter 6

Active Pulse Width

high pulse

low pulse

Total Pulse Period

Figure 21: Example of a Low-to-High Pulse Output Type

Counter/Timer Operation Modes

Note: This section does not apply to quadrature decoders.

DT9836 Series modules support the following counter/timer operation modes:

• Event counting

•Up/down counting

• Frequency measurement

• Edge-to-edge measurement

• Rate generation

• One-shot

• Repetitive one-shot

Principles of Operation

Note: The active polarity for each counter/timer operation mode is software-selectable.

The following subsections describe these modes in more detail.

Event Counting

Use event counting mode if you want to count the number of rising edges that occur on the Counter n Clock input when the Counter n Gate signal is active (low-level or high-level). Refer to page 96 for information about specifying the active gate type.

You can count a maximum of 4,294,967,296 events before the counter rolls over to 0 and starts counting again.

Using software, specify the counter/timer mode as event counting (count), the C/T clock source as external, and the active gate type as low-level or high-level.

Make sure that the signals are wired appropriately. Refer to “Event

Counting” on page 51 for an example of connecting an event

counting application.

Up/Down Counting

Use up/down counting mode if you want to increment or decrement the number of rising edges that occur on the Counter n Clock input, depending on the level of the Counter n Gate signal.

If the Counter n Gate signal is high, the C/T increments; if the specified gate signal is low, the C/T decrements.

Chapter 6

Using software, specify the counter/timer mode as up/down counting (up/down), and the C/T clock source as external. Note that you do not specify the gate type in software.

Make sure that the signals are wired appropriately. Refer to

“Up/Down Counting” on page 53 for an example of connecting an

up/down counting application.

Note: Initialize the counter/timer so that the C/T never increments above FFFFFFFFh or decrements below 0.

Frequency Measurement

Use frequency measurement mode if you want to measure the number of rising edges that occur on the Counter n Clock input over a specified duration.

Using software, specify the counter/timer mode as frequency measurement (count) or event counting (count), the clock source as external, and the time over which to measure the frequency.

100

You can use the Windows timer (which uses a resolution of 1 ms), or if you need more accuracy than the Windows timer provides, you can connect a pulse of a known duration (such as a one-shot output of another user counter) to the Counter n Gate input signal.

If you use a known pulse, use software to set up the counter/timers as follows:

1. Set up one of the counter/timers for one-shot mode, specifying the clock source as internal, the clock frequency, the gate type that enables the operation as rising edge or falling edge, the polarity of the output pulse as high-to-low transition or low-to-high transition, the pulse width, and the duty cycle of the output pulse.

Data Translation DT9836 Instruction Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

About this Manual

Intended Audience

How this Manual is Organized

Conventions Used in this Manual

Related Information

Where To Get Help

Overview

DT9836 Hardware Features

Supported Software

Accessories

Getting Started Procedure

Part 1: Getting Started

Preparing to Use a Module

Unpacking

Checking the System Requirements

Installing the Software

Viewing the Documentation Online

Applying Power to the Module

Attaching Modules to the Computer

Connecting Directly to the USB Ports

Connecting to an Expansion Hub

Configuring the DT9836 Series Device Driver

Preparing to Wire Signals

Wiring Recommendations

Wiring to the BNC Box

Wiring Signals to the BNC Connectors

Wiring Signals to the D-Sub Connectors

Digital In/Out Connector

CT/Enc In, Analog Out, Clk/Trig Connector

Connecting Analog Input Signals

Connecting Single-Ended Voltage Inputs

Connecting Analog Output Signals

Connecting Digital I/O Signals

Connecting Counter/Timer Signals

Event Counting

Up/Down Counting

Frequency Measurement

Period/Pulse Width Measurement

Edge-to-Edge Measurement

Pulse Output

Installing the Quick Data Acq Application

Running the Quick Data Acq Application

Testing Single-Value Analog Input

Testing Single-Value Analog Output

Testing Continuous Analog Input

Testing Single-Value Digital Input

Testing Single-Value Digital Output

Testing Frequency Measurement

Testing Pulse Output

Part 2: Using Your Module

Principles of Operation

Analog Input Features

Input Resolution

Analog Input Channels

Specifying a Single Analog Input Channel

Specifying One or More Analog Input Channels

Specifying the Digital Input Port in the Analog Input Channel-Gain List

Specifying Counter/Timers in the Analog Input Channel-Gain List

Input Ranges

Input Sample Clock Sources

Analog Input Conversion Modes

Continuous Scan Mode

Input Triggers

Data Format and Transfer

Error Conditions

Analog Output Features

Output Resolution

Analog Output Channels

Specifying a Single Analog Output Channel

Specifying Multiple Analog Output Channels and/or the Digital Output Port

Output Ranges and Gains

Output Triggers

Output Clocks

Output Conversion Modes

Streaming Analog Output

Waveform Generation