Keithley KPCI-PIO24 User Manual

Keithley KPCI-PIO24 Manual

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KPCI-PIO24 Parallel Digital I/O Board

User’s Manual

A GREATER MEASURE OF CONFIDENCE

WARRANTY

Hardware

Keithley Instruments, Inc. warrants that, for a period of three (3) years from the date of shipment, the Keithley Hardware product will be free from defects
in materials or workmanship. This warranty will be honored provided the defect has not been caused by use of the Keithley Hardware not in accordance
with the instructions for the product. This warranty shall be null and void upon: (1) any modification of Keithley Hardware that is made by other than Kei­thley and not approved in writing by Keithley or (2) operation of the Keithley Hardware outside of the environmental specifications therefore.

Upon receiving notification of a defect in the Keithley Hardware during the warranty period, Keithley will, at its option, either repair or replace such
Keithley Hardware. During the first ninety days of the warranty period, Keithley will, at its option, supply the necessary on site labor to return the
product to the condition prior to the notification of a defect. Failure to notify Keithley of a defect during the warranty shall relieve Keithley of its obli­gations and liabilities under this warranty.

Other Hardware

The portion of the product that is not manufactured by Keithley (Other Hardware) shall not be covered by this warranty, and Keithley shall have no
duty of obligation to enforce any manufacturers' warranties on behalf of the customer. On those other manufacturers’ products that Keithley pur­chases for resale, Keithley shall have no duty of obligation to enforce any manufacturers’ warranties on behalf of the customer.

Software

Keithley warrants that for a period of one (1) year from date of shipment, the Keithley produced portion of the software or firmware (Keithley Software)
will conform in all material respects with the published specifications provided such Keithley Software is used on the product for which it is intended
and otherwise in accordance with the instructions therefore. Keithley does not warrant that operation of the Keithley Software will be uninterrupted or
error-free and/or that the Keithley Software will be adequate for the customer's intended application and/or use. This warranty shall be null and void
upon any modification of the Keithley Software that is made by other than Keithley and not approved in writing by Keithley.

If Keithley receives notification of a Keithley Software nonconformity that is covered by this warranty during the warranty period, Keithley will review
the conditions described in such notice. Such notice must state the published specification(s) to which the Keithley Software fails to conform and the
manner in which the Keithley Software fails to conform to such published specification(s) with sufficient specificity to permit Keithley to correct such
nonconformity. If Keithley determines that the Keithley Software does not conform with the published specifications, Keithley will, at its option, provide
either the programming services necessary to correct such nonconformity or develop a program change to bypass such nonconformity in the Keithley
Software. Failure to notify Keithley of a nonconformity during the warranty shall relieve Keithley of its obligations and liabilities under this warranty.

Other Software

OEM software that is not produced by Keithley (Other Software) shall not be covered by this warranty, and Keithley shall have no duty or obligation
to enforce any OEM's warranties on behalf of the customer.

Other Items

Keithley warrants the following items for 90 days from the date of shipment: probes, cables, rechargeable batteries, diskettes, and documentation.

Items not Covered under Warranty

This warranty does not apply to fuses, non-rechargeable batteries, damage from battery leakage, or problems arising from normal wear or failure to
follow instructions.

Limitation of Warranty

This warranty does not apply to defects resulting from product modification made by Purchaser without Keithley's express written consent, or by
misuse of any product or part.

Disclaimer of Warranties

EXCEPT FOR THE EXPRESS WARRANTIES ABOVE KEITHLEY DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PUR­POSE. KEITHLEY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER HARDWARE AND OTHER SOFTWARE.

Limitation of Liability

KEITHLEY INSTRUMENTS SHALL IN NO EVENT, REGARDLESS OF CAUSE, ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR OR BE LIABLE FOR:
(1) ECONOMICAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, WHETHER
CLAIMED UNDER CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, (2) LOSS OF OR DAMAGE TO THE CUSTOMER'S DATA OR
PROGRAMMING, OR (3) PENALTIES OR PENALTY CLAUSES OF ANY DESCRIPTION OR INDEMNIFICATION OF THE CUSTOMER
OR OTHERS FOR COSTS, DAMAGES, OR EXPENSES RELATED TO THE GOODS OR SERVICES PROVIDED UNDER THIS WARRANTY.

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1-888-KEITHLEY (534-8453) • www.keithley.com

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9/02

KPCI-PIO24

Parallel Digital I/O Board

User’s Manual

©1998, Keithley Instruments, Inc.

All rights reserved.

Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.

Third Printing, September 2002

Document Number: 98230 Rev. C

Manual Print History

The print history shown below lists the printing dates of all Revisions and Addenda created for this manual. The Revision
Level letter increases alphabetically as the manual undergoes subsequent updates. Addenda, which are released between Revi­sions, contain important change information that the user should incorporate immediately into the manual. Addenda are num­bered sequentially. When a new Revision is created, all Addenda associated with the previous Revision of the manual are
incorporated into the new Revision of the manual. Each new Revision includes a revised copy of this print history page.

Revision A (Document Number 98230)...............................................................................................August 1998

Revision B (Document Number 98230) ......................................................................................... September 1998

Revision C (Document Number 98230) ......................................................................................... September 2002

All Keithley product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of Keithley Instruments, Inc.
Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Safety Precautions

The following safety precautions should be observed before using
this product and any associated instrumentation. Although some in­struments and accessories would normally be used with non-haz­ardous voltages, there are situations where hazardous conditions
may be present.

This product is intended for use by qualified personnel who recog­nize shock hazards and are familiar with the safety precautions re­quired to avoid possible injury. Read and follow all installation,
operation, and maintenance information carefully before using the
product. Refer to the manual for complete product specifications.

If the product is used in a manner not specified, the protection pro­vided by the product may be impaired.

The types of product users are:

Responsible body is the individual or group responsible for the use

and maintenance of equipment, for ensuring that the equipment is
operated within its specifications and operating limits, and for en­suring that operators are adequately trained.

Operators use the product for its intended function. They must be

trained in electrical safety procedures and proper use of the instru­ment. They must be protected from electric shock and contact with
hazardous live circuits.

Maintenance personnel perform routine procedures on the product

to keep it operating properly, for example, setting the line voltage
or replacing consumable materials. Maintenance procedures are de­scribed in the manual. The procedures explicitly state if the operator
may perform them. Otherwise, they should be performed only by
service personnel.

Service personnel are trained to work on live circuits, and perform

safe installations and repairs of products. Only properly trained ser­vice personnel may perform installation and service procedures.

Keithley products are designed for use with electrical signals that
are rated Installation Category I and Installation Category II, as de­scribed in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
Standard IEC 60664. Most measurement, control, and data I/O sig­nals are Installation Category I and must not be directly connected
to mains voltage or to voltage sources with high transient over-volt­ages. Installation Category II connections require protection for
high transient over-voltages often associated with local AC mains
connections. Assume all measurement, control, and data I/O con­nections are for connection to Category I sources unless otherwise
marked or described in the Manual.

Exercise extreme caution when a shock hazard is present. Lethal
voltage may be present on cable connector jacks or test fixtures. The
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) states that a shock
hazard exists when voltage levels greater than 30V RMS, 42.4V
peak, or 60VDC are present. A good safety practice is to expect

that hazardous voltage is present in any unknown circuit before
measuring.

Operators of this product must be protected from electric shock at
all times. The responsible body must ensure that operators are pre­vented access and/or insulated from every connection point. In
some cases, connections must be exposed to potential human con­tact. Product operators in these circumstances must be trained to
protect themselves from the risk of electric shock. If the circuit is
capable of operating at or above 1000 volts, no conductive part of

the circuit may be exposed.

Do not connect switching cards directly to unlimited power circuits.
They are intended to be used with impedance limited sources.
NEVER connect switching cards directly to AC mains. When con­necting sources to switching cards, install protective devices to lim­it fault current and voltage to the card.

Before operating an instrument, make sure the line cord is connect­ed to a properly grounded power receptacle. Inspect the connecting
cables, test leads, and jumpers for possible wear, cracks, or breaks
before each use.

When installing equipment where access to the main power cord is
restricted, such as rack mounting, a separate main input power dis­connect device must be provided, in close proximity to the equip­ment and within easy reach of the operator.

For maximum safety, do not touch the product, test cables, or any
other instruments while power is applied to the circuit under test.
ALWAYS remove power from the entire test system and discharge
any capacitors before: connecting or disconnecting cables or jump­ers, installing or removing switching cards, or making internal
changes, such as installing or removing jumpers.

Do not touch any object that could provide a current path to the com­mon side of the circuit under test or power line (earth) ground. Always
make measurements with dry hands while standing on a dry, insulated
surface capable of withstanding the voltage being measured.

The instrument and accessories must be used in accordance with its
specifications and operating instructions or the safety of the equip­ment may be impaired.

Do not exceed the maximum signal levels of the instruments and ac­cessories, as defined in the specifications and operating informa­tion, and as shown on the instrument or test fixture panels, or
switching card.

When fuses are used in a product, replace with same type and rating
for continued protection against fire hazard.

Chassis connections must only be used as shield connections for
measuring circuits, NOT as safety earth ground connections.

If you are using a test fixture, keep the lid closed while power is ap­plied to the device under test. Safe operation requires the use of a
lid interlock.

5/02

If or is present, connect it to safety earth ground using the
wire recommended in the user documentation.

!

The symbol on an instrument indicates that the user should re­fer to the operating instructions located in the manual.

The symbol on an instrument shows that it can source or mea­sure 1000 volts or more, including the combined effect of normal
and common mode voltages. Use standard safety precautions to
avoid personal contact with these voltages.

The WARNING heading in a manual explains dangers that might
result in personal injury or death. Always read the associated infor­mation very carefully before performing the indicated procedure.

The CAUTION heading in a manual explains hazards that could
damage the instrument. Such damage may invalidate the warranty.

Instrumentation and accessories shall not be connected to humans.
Before performing any maintenance, disconnect the line cord and

all test cables.

To maintain protection from electric shock and fire, replacement
components in mains circuits, including the power transformer, test
leads, and input jacks, must be purchased from Keithley Instru­ments. Standard fuses, with applicable national safety approvals,
may be used if the rating and type are the same. Other components
that are not safety related may be purchased from other suppliers as
long as they are equivalent to the original component. (Note that se­lected parts should be purchased only through Keithley Instruments
to maintain accuracy and functionality of the product.) If you are
unsure about the applicability of a replacement component, call a
Keithley Instruments office for information.

To clean an instrument, use a damp cloth or mild, water based
cleaner. Clean the exterior of the instrument only. Do not apply
cleaner directly to the instrument or allow liquids to enter or spill
on the instrument. Products that consist of a circuit board with no
case or chassis (e.g., data acquisition board for installation into a
computer) should never require cleaning if handled according to in­structions. If the board becomes contaminated and operation is af­fected, the board should be returned to the factory for proper
cleaning/servicing.

Table of Contents

1 Overview

2 General Description

Specifications ......................................................................................................................................................2-2

System requirements ........................................................................................................................................... 2-2

Functional description .........................................................................................................................................2-2

Standard digital I/O emulation ..................................................................................................................... 2-2

Other I/O characteristics ..............................................................................................................................2-3

Bus control ..........................................................................................................................................................2-3

Software ..............................................................................................................................................................2-3

3 Installation

Installing the software ......................................................................................................................................... 3-2

Software options ..........................................................................................................................................3-2

DriverLINX driver software for Windows 9X/NT/2K/XP .....................................................................3-2

TestPoint .................................................................................................................................................3-3

LabVIEW ................................................................................................................................................ 3-3

Installing DriverLINX .................................................................................................................................3-3

Installing TestPoint with your hardware ...................................................................................................... 3-3

Unwrapping and inspecting the KPCI-PIO24 board ........................................................................................... 3-4

Installing and connecting the KCPI-PIO24 board ..............................................................................................3-4

Installing the board .......................................................................................................................................3-5

Identifying the I/O connector and pin assignments .....................................................................................3-5

Connecting I/O cables and interface accessories .........................................................................................3-7

Using locally fabricated cable assemblies ...............................................................................................3-8

Using manufactured cables and accessories ...........................................................................................3-8

Connecting I/O cables to your external circuit ........................................................................................... 3-9

Monitoring contact closure at an input ....................................................................................................3-9

Eliminating contact bounce.................................................................................................................... 3-10

Boosting relay drive current .................................................................................................................. 3-10

Using +5 VDC from the computer power supply ................................................................................ 3-11

vii

4 I/O Address Mapping

Interrupts ..............................................................................................................................................................4-2

I/O address mapping............................................................................................................................................ 4-2

General memory assignments .......................................................................................................................4-2

Control and data register memory assignments............................................................................................ 4-3

Setting control and data registers ........................................................................................................................4-6

5 Troubleshooting

Identifying symptoms and possible causes ..........................................................................................................5-2

Systematic problem isolation ..............................................................................................................................5-3

General problem isolation procedure ...........................................................................................................5-3

I/O bit tests .................................................................................................................................................5-10

I/O loop-back test ..................................................................................................................................5-10

Output set test ........................................................................................................................................5-15

Technical support ..............................................................................................................................................5-20

Appendix A

Specifications .....................................................................................................................................................A-1

Appendix B

Glossary ..............................................................................................................................................................B-1

viii

List of Illustrations

3 Installation

Figure 3-1 Pin assignments for I/O connector on the KPCI-PIO24 board ................................................................... 3-6

Figure 3 - 2 B o ar d la yo u t . ............... .. ... ............................. .. ... ............................. .. ... ............... .. ............................. .. ... .... 3-7

Figure 3-3 Using manufactured cables and accessories ...............................................................................................3-8

Figure 3-4 Contact-c los ure monitoring at a KPCI-PIO24 board input System connections...................................... 3-10

Figure 3-5 De-bounce circuit for an input of a KPCI-PIO24 board ...........................................................................3-10

Figure 3-6 NPN transistor relay control for an output of a KPCI-PIO24 board......................................................... 3-11

5 Troubleshooting

Figure 5-1 Problem isolation flowchart ........................................................................................................................ 5-4

Figure 5-2 Mating connector wiring for loop-back test ..................... ................. ................. ................. ................. ..... 5-11

Figure 5-3 IO Control Panel example ......................................................................................................................... 5-12

Figure 5-4 Setting port input and output ‘Configure’ switches......................................................................... ... .. .... 5-13

Figure 5-5 Port A ‘write/read’ switch setting ............................................................................................................. 5-13

Figure 5-6 Port A output settings, bit pattern 1 ..........................................................................................................5-14

Figure 5-7 Port A output settings, bit pattern 2 ..........................................................................................................5-14

Figure 5-8 Correct bit patterns when port A is set to bit pattern 2. ........................................................................... 5-15

Figure 5-9 PIO Control Panel example .......................................................................................................................5-16

Figure 5-10 Setting port ‘Configure’ switches ............................................................................................................. 5-17

Figure 5-11 Port ‘write/read’ switch settings ............................................................................................................... 5-17

Figure 5-12 Port output settings, bit pattern 1 ..............................................................................................................5-18

Figure 5-13 Port output settings, bit pattern 2 ..............................................................................................................5-19

ix

List of Tables

2 General Description

Table 2-1 System requirements.................................................................................................................................. 2-2

3Installation

Table 3-1 Pin descriptions for KPCI-PIO24 I/O connector ....... .. ................................................. .............................. 3-6

Table 3-2 Description of manufactured cables and accessories ..................................................................................3-9

4 I/O Address Mapping

Table 4-1 Data and control register addresses ............................................................................................................. 4-3

Table 4-2 Control register bit assignments for each port group ..................................................................................4-4

Table 4-3 Data transfer mode selection.............................................................................................. .. ...................... . 4-5

5 Troubleshooting

Table 5-1 Basic troubleshooting information ..............................................................................................................5-2

Table 5-2 Loop-back connection summary ...............................................................................................................5-10

A Specifications

Table A-1 KPCI-PIO24 Specifications ....................................................................................................................... A-2

xi

1

Overview

1-2 Overview KPCI-PIO24 User’s Manual

This manual contains descriptive information and installation and use instructions for the KPCI­PIO24 digital interface board.

The manual is intended for data acquisition sys tem designers, engineers, technicians, scientists,
and other users responsible fo r setting up, cabling, and wir ing signals to KPCI-PIO24 bo ards. It is
assumed that users are familiar with data acquisition princip les and with their
particular application.

In addition to this Overview, the manual is organized as follows:

• Section 2 briefly describes features and characteristics of the KPCI-PIO24.

• Section 3 describes how to unpack, install, and connect the board and outlines software

options and installation.

• Section 4 provides the following information:

a. Describes KPCI-PIO24 interrupt characteristics.
b. Describes memory-mapping information for special situations; you normally can and

should skip that information. Use the DriverLINX driver provided with your board for
virtually all programming situatio ns.

• Section 5 describes how to troubleshoot your system and obtain technical support.

• Appendix A contains KPCI-PIO24 specifications.

• Appendix B is a glossary of some terms used in this manual.

2

General Description

2-2 General Description KPCI-PIO24 User’s Manual

Specifications

General specifications are listed in Appendix A. I/O connections are iden tif ied in Section 3, and
I/O addresses are defined in Section 4.

System r equirements

The system capabilities required to run the KPCI-PIO24 board, and to use the DriverLINX
software supplied with the board, are listed in Table 2-1.

Table 2-1

System requirements

CPU Ty pe Pentium or higher processor on motherboard with PCI bus version 2.1
Operating system Windows® 95 or higher

Windows® NT version 4.0 or higher

Memory 16 MB or greater RAM when running Windows® 95 or 98

32 MB or greater RAM when running Windows® NT

Hard disk space 4 MB for minimum installation

50 MB for maximum installation

Other A CD ROM drive*

A free PCI bus expansion slot
Enough reserve computer power supply capacity to power the KPCI-

PIO24 board, which draws 25 W at 5 VDC

* Any CD ROM drive that came installed with the required computer should be satisfactory.
However, if you have pos t-installed an older CD ROM driv e or arrived at your present syst em by
updating the microprocessor or replacing the mo therboard, be aware that some early CD ROM
drives do not support the long file name s often used in 32 bit Windows files.

Functional description

The KPCI-PIO24 is a 24-bit parallel digital interface board designed for the PCI bus. The KPCI­PIO24 works in a Windows 95/98/NT environment and takes advantage of the 32 bit width and
the Plug and Play feature of the PCI bus. The KPCI-PIO24 also has a n easily accessible interrupt
configuration. The KPCI-PIO24 meets a wide variety of parallel I/O requirements, including
communicating with peripherals, operating relays, and reading switch inputs. All I/O lines are
TTL compatible.

Standard digital I/O emulation

The 24 I/O lines emulate the I/O lines of an Intel 8255 Programmable Peripheral Interface (PPI)
chip configured for control register mode 0, as follows:

• For the emulated 8255 chip there is a PA port, a PB port and a PC port.

• The PA and PB ports are byte-wide (8-bits) and can be set independently under software

control as inputs or outputs.

• The PC port is byte-wide but can be divided into two separate 4-bit ports: PC lower and PC

upper, each of which can be set up as either inputs or outputs.

KPCI-PIO24 User’s Manual General Description 2-3

Most existing application software and data acquis ition packages work with the KPCI-PIO24
board. If you wish to reuse existing por t I/O program s previous ly designe d for ISA boar ds, refer
to information about the Hardware I/O Emulation driver included on your DriverLINX CD­ROM. The Hardware I/O Emulation driver may be us ed only with W indows 95/9 8. Refer also to

“Setting control and data registers” in Section 4 of this manual.

Other I/O characteristics

Additional I/O port characteristics are summarized below:

• The KPCI-PIO24 can output higher currents than the industry standard 8255 chip. Output

current capabilities of 15mA (source) and 64mA (sink) allow it to control many LEDs, Opto
22 modules, and relays directly.

• The PA, PB, and PC ports can always be read/write accessed, regardless of the direction they

were initially configured for, without the external signal level being affected. For example,
when a port is configured as an output, it is still possible to execute a read of that port. The
data returned by the read is the data latched in the I/O register.

• On power-up or whenever the computer’ s hardware reset line is asserted, all por ts are cleared

and set as inputs.

• The PA, PB and PC ports interface to user I/O connections via a standard 37-pin connector.

• Two externally accessible inputs allow for flexible interrupt configuration: INT_EN (exter-

nal interrupt enable, active low) and INT_REQ (external interrupt reque st, edge triggered).

• Computer power supply voltages are made available at the I/O connector for use in

external circuits.

2-4 General Description KPCI-PIO24 User’s Manual

Bus control

The KPCI series of data acquisition boards use the AMCC S5933 PCI bus controller, which is
universally recognized as an industry standard. Its PCI bus interface includes all the components
necessary for optimal PCI bus utilization. The AMCC S5933 provides two modes of operation:
bus mastering and target. The KPCI-PIO24 normally only implements the tar get mode. The target
mode, also referred to as passthrough operation, provides a simple register access port to the PCI
bus. High speed data transfer via bus mastering is unnecessary for the simple digital I/O of the
KPCI-PIO24 board.

The KPCI-PIO24 maps these AMCC S5933 registers as a memory mapped peripheral, though
not all are used for operation of the KPCI-PIO24:

• All sixteen 32 bit operation registers (64 b ytes total)

All eight 32 bit specific functional registers

•

All memory addresses of registers are automatically assigned by the PCI bus Plug and Play
feature upon system power-up.

Software

The user can select a fully integrated data acquisition software package (e.g., TestPoint or
LabVIEW) or write a custom program supported by DriverLINX. DriverLINX software is
included with the hardware.

DriverLINX supports programmers who wish to create custom applications using V isual C/C++,
Visual Basic, or Delph i. DriverLINX accomplishes foregrou nd and backgroun d tasks to perform
data acquisition. TestPoint is a fully featured, integrated application package with a graphical
drag-and-drop interface, which can be used to create data acquisi tion applications without
programming. LabVIEW is a fully featured graphical programming language used to create
virtual instrumentation.

Refer to Section 3, “Installation,” for more information about those programs.

3

Installation

3-2 Installation KPCI-PIO24 User’s Manual

This section describes:

•

Software options and how to install them.
Unwrapping the KPCI-PIO24 board to avoid static damage; inspection of the board

•

before installation.

•

Locating connectors, connecting the board to I/O cables and interface accessories, installing
the board, and connecting to external circuits.

Installing the software

NOTE

Software options

The KPCI-PIO24 has two software options. The user can select a fully integrated data acquisition
software package (e.g., TestPoint or LabVIEW). The user can also run a custom program in
Visual C/C++, Visual Basic, or Delphi using DriverLINX (included with the hardware). A
summary of the pros and cons of using integrated packages or writing custom programs is
provided in the Keithley Full Line Catalog. The KPCI-PIO24 has fully functional driver support
for use under Windows 9X/NT/2K/XP.

DriverLINX driver software for Windows 9X/NT/2K/XP

DriverLINX software, supplied by Keithley with the KPCI-PIO24 board, provides convenient
interfaces to configure and set I/O bits without register-level programming.

Most importantly, however, DriverLINX supports those programmers who wish to create custom
applications using Visual C/C++, Visual Basic, or Delphi. DriverLINX accomplishes foreground
and background tasks to perform data acquisition. The software includes memory and data buffer
management, event triggering, extensive error checking, and context sensitive online help.

More specifically, DriverLINX provides application developers a standardized interface to over
100 services for creating foreground and background tasks for the following:

Install the DriverLINX software before installing the KPCI-PIO24
card. Otherwise, the device drivers will be more difficult to install.

•

Analog input and output

•

Digital input and output

•

Time and frequency measurement

•

Event counting

•

Pulse output

•

Period measurement

In addition to basic I/O support, DriverLINX also provides:

uilt-in capabilities to handle memory and data buffer management

•

B

•

A selection of starting and stopping trigger events, including pre-triggering, mid­point triggering and post-triggering protocols

Extensive error checking

•

•

Context-sensitive on-line help system

KPCI-PIO24 User’s Manual Installation 3-3

DriverLINX is essentially hardware independent, because its portable APIs work across various
operating systems. This capability eliminates unnecessary programming when changing
operating system platforms.

TestPoint

TestPoint is a fully featured, integrated application package that incorporates many commonly
used math, analysis, report generation, and graphics functions. TestPoint’s graphical drag-and­drop interface can be used to create data acquisition applications, with minimal programming, for
IEEE-488 instruments, data acquisition boards, and RS232-485 instruments and devices.

TestPoint includes features for controlling external devices, responding to events, processing
data, creating report files, and exchanging information with other Windows programs. It provides
libraries for controlling most popular GPIB instruments. ActiveX controls plug directly into
TestPoint, allowing additional features from third party suppliers.

LabVIEW

LabVIEW is a fully featured graphical programming language used to create virtual
instrumentation. It consists of an interactive user interface, complete with knobs, slides, switches,
graphs, strip charts, and other instrument panel controls. Its data driven environment uses
function blocks that are virtually wired together and pass data to each other. The function blocks,
which are selected from palette menus, range from arithmetic functions to advanced acquisition,
control, and analysis routines. Also included are debugging tools, help windows, execution
highlighting, single stepping, probes, and breakpoints to trace and monitor the data flow
execution. LabVIEW can be used to create professional applications with minimal programming.

Check www.keithley.com for current LabVIEW drivers.

Installing DriverLINX

Refer to the manual that accompanies your DriverLINX software for installation instructions.

NOTE

Always install DriverLINX before installing the LabVIEW VIs. Both
TestPoint and the LabVIEW VIs use DriverLINX to access the
board’s hardware resources.

Using TestPoint with your hardware

TestPoint’s Digital I/O object (DIO) cannot be used with the KPCI-PIO96 (KPCI-PIO24) board.
Instead, TestPoint provides a user defined object (UDO) for access to digital I/O channels on plug­in boards supported by DriverLINX.

This UDO (DL_DIO) is installed when the TestPoint application is installed and can be found in
the Dldio.tst example program. This example program is located in the same directory as the
TestPoint application (c:\testpt).

Since this UDO makes calls into the DriverLINX driver, DriverLINX must be installed and
functional.

Once the Dldio.tst example has been opened, either use the ‘Save As’ feature to create your own
application or copy and paste the UDO from the example into your own application.