Measurement USB-4301 User Manual

USB-3101

USB-based Analog Output

User Guide

Document Revision 3, March, 2009

© Copyright 2009, Measurement Computing Corporation

HM USB-3101.doc

Your new Measurement Computing product comes with a fantastic extra —

Management committed to your satisfaction!

Thank you for choosing a Measurement Computing product—and congratulations! You own the finest, and you can now enjoy
the protection of the most comprehensive warranties and unmatched phone tech support. It’s the embodiment of our mission:

 To provide PC-based data acquisition hardware and software that will save time and save money.

Simple installations minimize the time between setting up your system and actually making measurements. We offer quick and
simple access to outstanding live FREE technical support to help integrate MCC products into a DAQ system.

Limited Lifetime Warranty: Most MCC products are covered by a limited lifetime warranty against defects in materials or
workmanship for the life of the product, to the original purchaser, unless otherwise noted. Any products found to be defective in
material or workmanship will be repaired, replaced with same or similar device, or refunded at MCC’s discretion. For specific
information, please refer to the terms and conditions of sale.

Harsh Environment Program: Any Measurement Computing product that is damaged due to misuse, or any reason, may be
eligible for replacement with the same or similar device for 50% of the current list price. I/O boards face some harsh
environments, some harsher than the boards are designed to withstand. Contact MCC to determine your product’s eligibility for
this program.

30 Day Money-Back Guarantee: Any Measurement Computing Corporation product may be returned within 30 days of
purchase for a full refund of the price paid for the product being returned. If you are not satisfied, or chose the wrong product by
mistake, you do not have to keep it.

These warranties are in lieu of all other warranties, expressed or implied, including any implied warranty of merchantability or
fitness for a particular application. The remedies provided herein are the buyer’s sole and exclusive remedies. Neither
Measurement Computing Corporation, nor its employees shall be liable for any direct or indirect, special, incidental or
consequential damage arising from the use of its products, even if Measurement Computing Corporation has been notified in
advance of the possibility of such damages.

3

Trademark and Copyright Information

TracerDAQ, Universal Library, Measurement Computing Corporation, and the Measurement Computing logo are either
trademarks or registered trademarks of Measurement Computing Corporation.

Windows, Microsoft, and Visual Studio are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation
LabVIEW is a trademark of National Instruments.
CompactFlash is a registered trademark of SanDisk Corporation.
XBee and XBee-PRO are trademarks of MaxStream, Inc.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Information furnished by Measurement Computing Corporation is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, no

responsibility is assumed by Measurement Computing Corporation neither 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 or
copyrights of Measurement Computing Corporation.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form by
any means, electronic, mechanical, by photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of
Measurement Computing Corporation.

Notice

Measurement Computing Corporation does not authorize any Measurement Computing Corporation product for use
in life support systems and/or devices without prior written consent from Measurement Computing Corporation.
Life support devices/systems are devices or systems which, a) are intended for surgical implantation into the body,
or b) support or sustain life and whose failure to perform can be reasonably expected to result in injury.
Measurement Computing Corporation products are not designed with the components required, and are not subject
to the testing required to ensure a level of reliability suitable for the treatment and diagnosis of people.

4

Table of Contents

Preface

About this User's Guide ....................................................................................................................... 7

What you will learn from this user's guide ......................................................................................................... 7

Conventions in this user's guide ........................................................................................................................................ 7

Where to find more information ......................................................................................................................... 7

Chapter 1

Introducing the USB-3101 .................................................................................................................... 8

Overview: USB-3101 features ........................................................................................................................... 8

USB-3101 block diagram ................................................................................................................................... 9

Software features ................................................................................................................................................ 9

Chapter 2

Installing the USB-3101 ...................................................................................................................... 10

What comes with your USB-3101 shipment? .................................................................................................. 10

Hardware .........................................................................................................................................................................10

Additional documentation ................................................................................................ ................................................10

Unpacking the USB-3101................................................................................................................................. 10

Installing the software ...................................................................................................................................... 11

Installing the hardware ..................................................................................................................................... 11

Connecting the USB-3101 to your system .......................................................................................................................11

Calibrating the USB-3101 ................................................................................................................................ 12

Chapter 3

Functional Details ............................................................................................................................... 13

External components ........................................................................................................................................ 13

USB connector .................................................................................................................................................................13

Status LED .......................................................................................................................................................................13

Power LED ......................................................................................................................................................................13

Screw terminal banks .......................................................................................................................................................14

Analog voltage output terminals (VOUT0 to VOUT3) ...................................................................................................15

Digital I/O terminals (DIO0 to DIO7) .............................................................................................................................15

Digital I/O control terminal (DIO CTL) for pull-up/down configuration ........................................................................16

Ground terminals (AGND, DGND) .................................................................................................................................16

Synchronous DAC load terminal (SYNCLD) ..................................................................................................................16

Counter terminal (CTR) ...................................................................................................................................................16

Power terminal (+5V) ......................................................................................................................................................16

Synchronizing multiple units ............................................................................................................................ 17

Chapter 4

Specifications ...................................................................................................................................... 18

Analog voltage output ...................................................................................................................................... 18

Analog output calibration ................................................................................................................................. 19

Digital input/output .......................................................................................................................................... 19

Synchronous DAC Load................................................................................................................................... 20

Counter ............................................................................................................................................................. 20

Memory ............................................................................................................................................................ 21

Microcontroller ................................................................................................................................................. 21

Power ................................................................................................................................ ................................ 21

USB specifications ........................................................................................................................................... 21

Environmental .................................................................................................................................................. 21

5

USB-3101 User's Guide

Mechanical ....................................................................................................................................................... 22

Main connector and pin out .............................................................................................................................. 22

Declaration of Conformity .................................................................................................................. 23

6

About this User's Guide

What you will learn from this user's guide

This user's guide explains how to install, configure, and use the USB-3101 so that you get the most out of its
analog output features.

This user's guide also refers you to related documents available on our web site, and to technical support
resources.

Conventions in this user's guide

For more information on …

Text presented in a box signifies additional information and helpful hints related to the subject matter you are
reading.

Caution! Shaded caution statements present information to help you avoid injuring yourself and others,

damaging your hardware, or losing your data.

Preface

< : > Angle brackets that enclose numbers separated by a colon signify a range of numbers, such as those assigned

to registers, bit settings, etc.

bold text Bold text is used for the names of objects on the screen, such as buttons, text boxes, and check boxes. For

example:

1. Insert the disk or CD and click the OK button.

italic text Italic text is used for the names of manuals and help topic titles, and to emphasize a word or phrase. For

example:
The InstaCal® installation procedure is explained in the Quick Start Guide.
Never touch the exposed pins or circuit connections on the board

Where to find more information

The following electronic documents provide helpful information relevant to the operation of the USB-3101.
 MCC's Specifications: USB-3101 (the PDF version of the Specifications chapter in this guide) is available

on our web site at www.mccdaq.com/pdfs/Specs/USB-3101-spec.pdf.

 MCC's Quick Start Guide is available on our web site at

www.mccdaq.com/PDFmanuals/DAQ-Software-Quick-Start.pdf.

 MCC's Guide to Signal Connections is available on our web site at

www.mccdaq.com/signals/signals.pdf.

 MCC's Universal Library User's Guide is available on our web site at

www.mccdaq.com/PDFmanuals/sm-ul-user-guide.pdf.

 MCC's Universal Library Function Reference is available on our web site at

www.mccdaq.com/PDFmanuals/sm-ul-functions.pdf.

 MCC's Universal Library for LabVIEW™ User’s Guide is available on our web site at

www.mccdaq.com/PDFmanuals/SM-UL-LabVIEW.pdf.

USB-3101 User's Guide (this document) is also available on our web site at

www.mccdaq.com/PDFmanuals/USB-3101.pdf.

7

Chapter 1

Introducing the USB-3101

Overview: USB-3101 features

This user's guide contains all of the information you need to connect the USB-3101 to your computer and to the
signals you want to control. The USB-3101 is part of the Measurement Computing brand of USB-based data
acquisition products.

The USB-3101 is a USB 2.0 full-speed device that is supported under popular Microsoft® Windows® operating
systems. The USB-3101 is fully compatible with both USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 ports.

The USB-3101 provides four channels of analog voltage output, eight digital I/O connections, and one 32-bit
event counter.

The USB-3101 has a quad (4-channel) 16-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC). You set the voltage output
range of each DAC channel independently with software for either bipolar or unipolar. The bipolar range is
±10 V, and the unipolar range is 0 to 10 V. The analog outputs may be updated individually or simultaneously.
A bidirectional synchronization connection allows you to simultaneously update the DAC outputs on multiple
devices.

The USB-3101 features eight bidirectional digital I/O connections. You can configure the DIO lines as input or
output in one 8-bit port. All digital pins are floating by default. A screw terminal connection is provided for
pull-up (+5 V) or pull-down (0 volts) configuration.

The 32-bit counter can count TTL pulses.

The USB-3101 is powered by the +5 volt USB supply from your computer. No external power is required. All
I/O connections are made to the screw terminals located along each side of the USB-3101.

Figure 1. USB-3101

8