National Instruments PCI-6024E, PCI-6025E, PCI-6023E User Manual

DAQ

PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E
User Manual

Multifunction I/O Boards for
PCI Bus Computers

PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual

October 1998 Edition

Part Number 322072A-01

Internet Support

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© Copyright 1998 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.

Important Information

Warranty

The PCI-6023E, PCI-6024E, and PCI-6025E boards are warranted ag ain st defects i n mate rials an d w orkma nshi p for a
period of one year from the date of shipment, as evidenced by receipts or other documentation. National Instruments will,
at its option, repair or replace equipment that proves to be defective during the warranty period. This warranty includes
parts and labor.

The media on which you receive National Instruments software are warranted not to fail to execute programming
instructions, due to defects in materials and work man ship, for a peri od of 90 d ays from da te o f sh ipm ent, as evi denced
by receipts or other documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace software media that do not
execute programming instructions if National Instruments receives noti ce of su ch defect s d uring th e warranty perio d.
National Instruments does not warrant that the op eration of t he soft ware shall b e uni nterrup ted or erro r free.

A Return Material Authorization (RMA) number must b e ob tain ed fro m th e facto ry an d clearl y mark ed on t he outsi de
of the package before any equipment wil l be accepted for warranty work. National Instruments will pay the shippi ng costs
of returning to the owner parts which are covered by warran ty.

National Instruments believes that the information in this manual is accurate. The document has been c arefully reviewed
for technical accuracy. In the event that technical or typographical errors exist, National Instruments reserves the right to
make changes to subsequent editions of th is do cume nt with ou t p rio r no ti ce to hold ers o f thi s ed itio n. The read er sh ou ld
consult National Instruments if errors are suspected. In no event shall National Instruments be liable for any damages
arising out of or related to this docume nt o r th e in form ati on con tai ned in i t.

XCEPT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN

E

ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
BY FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT THERETOFORE PAID BY THE
CUSTOMER
OR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF

National Instruments will apply regardless of the form of action, wh ether in con tract or tort , incl udin g n egli gen ce.
Any action against National Instruments must be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues. National
Instruments shall not be liable for any delay in performance due to causes beyond its reasonable control. The warranty
provided herein does not cover damages, defects, malfuncti ons, or s ervice failur es caused by own er’s fai lure to fol low
the National Instruments installation, operation, or maintenance instructions; owner’s modification of the product;
owner’s abuse, misuse, or negligent acts; and power failure or surges, fire, flood, accident, actions of third parties,
or other events outside reasonable control.

ATIONAL INSTRUMENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, USE OF PRODUCTS

. N

ATIONAL INSTRUMENTS MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS

, N

USTOMER’S RIGHT TO RECOVER DAMAGES CAUSED

. C

. This limitation of the liability of

,

Copyright

Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part, without
the prior written consent of National Instruments Corporation.

Trademarks

ComponentWorks™, CVI™, DAQ-STC™, LabVIEW™, Measure™, Mite™, NI-DAQ™, NI-PGIA™, RTSI™, SCXI™, and
VirtualBench

Product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.

™

are trademarks of National Instruments Corpor ati on.

WARNING REGARDING MEDICAL AND CLINICAL USE OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS

National Instruments products are not designed with com ponent s and tes ting inten ded to ensure a l evel of reliab ilit y
suitable for use in treatment and diagnosis of humans. Applications of National Instruments products invol ving m edical
or clinical treatment can create a potential for accidental injury caused by product failure, or by errors on the part of the
user or application designer. Any use or application of National Instruments products for or involving medical or clinical
treatment must be performed by properly trained and qualified medical personnel, and all traditional medical safeguards,
equipment, and procedures that are appropriate in the particular situation to prevent serious injury or death should always
continue to be used when National Instruments products are being used . National Instrum ents product s are NOT intended
to be a substitute for any form of established process, procedure, or equipment used to monitor or safeguard human health
and safety in medical or clinical treatment.

Contents

About This Manual

Organization of This Manual.........................................................................................xi

Conventions Used in This Manual.................................................................................xii

National Instruments Documentation............................................................................xiii

Related Documentation........................................... .......................................................xiv

Customer Communication.............................................................................................xiv

Chapter 1
Introduction

Features of the PCI-6023E, PCI-6024E, and PCI-6025E..............................................1-1

What You Need to Get Started...................................................................................... 1-2

Unpacking......................................................................................................................1-2

Software Programming Choices....................................................................................1-3

National Instruments Application Software....................................................1-3

NI-DAQ Driver Software................................................................................1-3

Register-Level Programming ..........................................................................1-5

Optional Equipment.......................................................................................................1-6

Chapter 2
Installation and Configuration

Software Installation...................................................................................................... 2-1

Hardware Configuration ................................................................................................2-1

Hardware Installation.....................................................................................................2-2

Chapter 3
Hardware Overview

Analog Input ..................................................................................................................3-2

Input Mode ......................................................................................................3-2

Input Range .....................................................................................................3-2

Dither...............................................................................................................3-3

Multichannel Scanning Considerations........................................................... 3-4

Analog Output................................................................................................................3-5

Analog Output Glitch......................................................................................3-5

Digital I/O......................................................................................................................3-6

Timing Signal Routing...................................................................................................3-6

Programmable Function Inputs .......................................................................3-7

Board and RTSI Clocks...................................................................................3-8

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Contents

RTSI Triggers ..................................... ............................................................3-8

Chapter 4
Signal Connections

I/O Connector................................................................................................................4-1

Analog Input Signal Overview......................................................................................4-8

Types of Signal Sources..................................................................................4-8

Analog Input Modes........................................................................................4-9

Analog Input Signal Connections..................................................................................4-11

Differential Connection Considerations (DIFF Input Configuration) ............ 4-13

Single-Ended Connection Considerations ......................................................4-17

Common-Mode Signal Rejection Considerations...........................................4-19

Analog Output Signal Connections...............................................................................4-20

Digital I/O Signal Connections .....................................................................................4-21

All Boards ................................................. ......................................................4-21

PCI-6025E Only.............................................................................................. 4-22

Port C Pin Assignments.................................................................................................4-23

Digital I/O Power-up State............................................................................................4-24

Changing DIO Power-up State to Pulled Low................................................4-24

Timing Specifications....................................................................................................4-25

Mode 1 Input Timing...................................................................................... 4-27

Mode 1 Output Timing ...................................................................................4-28

Mode 2 Bidirectional Timing..........................................................................4-29

Power Connections........................................................................................................4-30

Timing Connections ......................................................................................................4-30

Programmable Function Input Connections ...................................................4-31

DAQ Timing Connections..............................................................................4-32

Floating Signal Sources....................................................................4-9

Ground-Referenced Signal Sources.................................................. 4-9

Differential Connections for Ground-Referenced Signal Sources ... 4-14
Differential Connections for Nonreferenced or

Floating Signal Sources.................................................................4-15

Single-Ended Connections for Floating Signal Sources

(RSE Configuration)......................................................................4-18

Single-Ended Connections for Grounded Signal Sources

(NRSE Configuration)...................................................................4-18

SCANCLK Signal ............................................................................4-33

EXTSTROBE* Signal............................................... .......................4-33

TRIG1 Signal....................................................................................4-34

TRIG2 Signal....................................................................................4-35

STARTSCAN Signal.................................................... ....................4-36

CONVERT* Signal........................................ ..................................4-38

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Field Wiring Considerations.......................................................................................... 4-49

Chapter 5
Calibration

Loading Calibration Constants ......................................................................................5-1

Self-Calibration..............................................................................................................5-2

External Calibration.......................................................................................................5-2

Other Considerations .....................................................................................................5-3

Contents

AIGATE Signal.......................................................................... .......4-39

SISOURCE Signal............................................................................4-40

Waveform Generation Timing Connections ...................................................4-40

WFTRIG Signal................................................................................4-40

UPDATE* Signal..............................................................................4-41

UISOURCE Signal ...........................................................................4-42

General-Purpose Timing Signal Connections.................................................4-43

GPCTR0_SOURCE Signal...............................................................4-43

GPCTR0_GATE Signal....................................................................4-44

GPCTR0_OUT Signal ......................................................................4-45

GPCTR0_UP_DOWN Signal...........................................................4-45

GPCTR1_SOURCE Signal...............................................................4-46

GPCTR1_GATE Signal....................................................................4-46

GPCTR1_OUT Signal ......................................................................4-47

GPCTR1_UP_DOWN Signal...........................................................4-47

FREQ_OUT Signal...........................................................................4-49

Appendix A
Specifications

Appendix B
Custom Cabling and Optional Connectors

Appendix C
Common Questions

Appendix D
Customer Communication

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National Instruments Corporation vii PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual

Contents

Glossary

Index

Figures

Figure 1-1. The Relationship between the Programming Environment,

Figure 3-1. PCI-6023E, PCI-6024E, and PCI-6025E Block Diagram .................... 3-1

Figure 3-2. Dither ............................. .......................................................................3-4

Figure 3-3. CONVERT* Signal Routing.................................................................3-7

Figure 3-4. RTSI Bus Signal Connection................................................................3-9

Figure 4-1. I/O Connector Pin Assignment for the PCI-6023E/PCI-6024E ........... 4-2

Figure 4-2. I/O Connector Pin Assignment for the PCI-6025E...............................4-3

Figure 4-3. Programmable Gain Instrumentation Amplifier (PGIA)......................4-10

Figure 4-4. Summary of Analog Input Connections ...............................................4-12

Figure 4-5. Differential Input Connections for Ground-Referenced Signals .......... 4-14

Figure 4-6. Differential Input Connections for Nonreferenced Signals .................. 4-15

Figure 4-7. Single-Ended Input Connections for Nonreferenced or

Figure 4-8. Single-Ended Input Connections for Ground-Referenced Signals ....... 4-19

Figure 4-9. Analog Output Connections..................................................................4-20

Figure 4-10. Digital I/O Connections........................................................................4-21

Figure 4-11. Digital I/O Connections Block Diagram...............................................4-22

Figure 4-12. DIO Channel Configured for High DIO Power-up State

Figure 4-13. Timing Specifications for Mode 1 Input Transfer................................4-27

Figure 4-14. Timing Specifications for Mode 1 Output Transfer .............................4-28

Figure 4-15. Timing Specifications for Mode 2 Bidirectional Transfer.................... 4-29

Figure 4-16. Timing I/O Connections .......................................................................4-31

Figure 4-17. Typical Posttriggered Acquisition ........................................................4-32

Figure 4-18. Typical Pretriggered Acquisition..........................................................4-33

Figure 4-19. SCANCLK Signal Timing....................................................................4-33

Figure 4-20. EXTSTROBE* Signal Timing .............................................................4-34

Figure 4-21. TRIG1 Input Signal Timing..................................................................4-34

Figure 4-22. TRIG1 Output Signal Timing...............................................................4-35

Figure 4-23. TRIG2 Input Signal Timing..................................................................4-36

Figure 4-24. TRIG2 Output Signal Timing...............................................................4-36

Figure 4-25. STARTSCAN Input Signal Timing......................................................4-37

Figure 4-26. STARTSCAN Output Signal Timing...................................................4-37

Figure 4-27. CONVERT* Input Signal Timing........................................................4-38

NI-DAQ, and Your Hardware...............................................................1-5

Floating Signals ....................................................................................4-18

with External Load........................................................ .......................4-24

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Tables

Contents

Figure 4-28. CONVERT* Output Signal Timing......................................................4-39

Figure 4-29. SISOURCE Signal Timing....................................................................4-40

Figure 4-30. WFTRIG Input Signal Timing.............................................................. 4-41

Figure 4-31. WFTRIG Output Signal Timing............................................................4-41

Figure 4-32. UPDATE* Input Signal Timing............................................................4-42

Figure 4-33. UPDATE* Output Signal Timing.........................................................4-42

Figure 4-34. UISOURCE Signal Timing...................................................................4-43

Figure 4-35. GPCTR0_SOURCE Signal Timing ......................................................4-44

Figure 4-36. GPCTR0_GATE Signal Timing in Edge-Detection Mode...................4-45

Figure 4-37. GPCTR0_OUT Signal Timing..............................................................4-45

Figure 4-38. GPCTR1_SOURCE Signal Timing ......................................................4-46

Figure 4-39. GPCTR1_GATE Signal Timing in Edge-Detection Mode...................4-47

Figure 4-40. GPCTR1_OUT Signal Timing..............................................................4-47

Figure 4-41. GPCTR Timing Summary.....................................................................4-48

Figure B-1. 68-Pin E Series Connector Pin Assignments ........................................B-3

Figure B-2. 68-Pin Extended Digital Input Connector Pin Assignments................. B-4

Figure B-3. 50-Pin E Series Connector Pin Assignments ........................................B-5

Figure B-4. 50-Pin Extended Digital Input Connector Pin Assignments................. B-6

Table 3-1. Available Input Configurations.............................................................3-2

Table 3-2. Measurement Precision .........................................................................3-3

Table 4-1. I/O Connector Signal Descriptions .......................................................4-4

Table 4-2. I/O Signal Summary .............................................................................4-7

Table 4-3. Port C Signal Assignments ...................................................................4-23

Table 4-4. Signal Names Used in Timing Diagrams .............................................4-25

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National Instruments Corporation ix PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual

About This Manual

The PCI E Series boards are high-performance multifunction analog,
digital, and timing I/O boards for PCI bus computers. Supported functions
include analog input, analog output, digital I/O, and timing I/O.

This manual describes the electrical and mechanical aspects of the
PCI-6023E, PCI-6024E, and PCI-6025E boards from the PCI E Series
product line and contains information concerning their operation and
programming.

Organization of This Manual

The PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual is organized as follows:

• Chapter 1, Introduction, describes the boards, lists what you need to
get started, gives unpacking instructions, and describes the optional
software and equipment.

• Chapter 2, Installation and Configuration, explains how to install and
configure your board.

• Chapter 3, Hardware Overview, presents an overview of the hardw are
functions on your board.

• Chapter 4,
output signal connections to your board via the I/O connector.

• Chapter 5, Calibration, discusses the
board.

• Appendix A, Specifications, lists the specifications of the PCI-6023E,
PCI-6024E, and PCI-6025E boards.

• Appendix B, Custom Cabling and Optional Connectors, describes the
various cabling and connector options.

• Appendix C, Com mon Questions, contains a list of commonly asked
questions and their answers relating to usage and special features of
your board.

• Appendix D, Customer Communication, contains forms you can use to
request help from National Instruments or to comment on our products
and manuals.

• The Glossary contains an alphabetical list and description of terms
used in this manual, including abbreviations, acronyms, metric
prefixes, mnemonics, and symbols.

Signal Connections, describes how to make input and

calibration procedures for your

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National Instruments Corporation xi PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual

About This Manual

• The Index contains an alphabetical list of key terms and topics in this
manual, including the page where you can find each one.

Conventions Used in This Manual

The following conventions are used in this manual:

<> Angle brackets enclose the name of a key on the keyboard—for example,

<shift>. Angle brackets containing numbers separated by an ellipsis
represent a range of values associated with a bit or signal name—for
example, DBIO<3..0>.

♦ The ♦ symbol indicates that the text following it applies only to a specific

product, a specific operating system, or a specific software version.
This icon to the left of bold italicized text denotes a note, which alerts you

to important information.

!

bold Bold text denotes the names of menus, menu items, parameters, dialog

bold italic Bold italic text denotes an activity objective, note, caution, or warning.

italic Italic text denotes variables, emphasis, a cross reference, or an introduction

monospace Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should literally enter

NI-DAQ NI-DAQ refers to the NI-DAQ driver software for PC compatible

PC Refers to all PC AT series computers with PCI bus unless otherwise noted.

This icon to the left of bold italicized text denotes a caution, which advises
you of precautions to take to avoid injury, data loss, or a system crash.

boxes, dialog box buttons or options, icons, windows, Windows 95 tabs,
or LEDs.

to a key concept. This font also denotes text from which you supply the
appropriate word or value, as in Windows 3.x.

from the keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and syntax
examples. This font is also used for the proper names of disk drives, paths,
directories, programs, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions,
operations, variables, filenames and extensions, and for statements and
comments taken from programs.

computers unless otherwise noted.

PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual xii

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National Instruments Corporation

About This Manual

SCXI SCXI stands for Signal Conditioning eXtensions for Instrumentation and is

a National Instruments product line designed to perform front-end signal
conditioning for National Instruments plug-in DAQ boards.

National Instruments Documentation

The PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual is one piece of the
documentation set for your DAQ system. You could have any of several
types of manuals depending on the hardware and software in your system.
Use the manuals you have as follows:

• Getting Started with SCXI—If you are using SCXI, this is the first
manual you should read. It gives an overview of the SCXI system and
contains the most commonly needed information for the modules,
chassis, and software.

• Your SCXI hardware user manuals—If you are using SCXI, read these
manuals next for detailed information about signal connections and
module configuration. They also explain in greater detail how the
module works and contain application hints.

• SCXI Chassis Manual—If you are using SCXI, read this manual for
maintenance information on the chassis and installation instructions.

• Your DAQ hardware documentation—This documentation has
detailed information about the DAQ hardware that plugs into or is
connected to your computer. Use this documentation for hardware
installation and configuration instructions, specification information
about your DAQ hardware, and application hints.

• Software documentation—You may have both application software
and NI-DAQ software documentation. National Instruments
application software includes ComponentWorks, LabVIEW,
LabWindows/CVI, Measure, and VirtualBench. After you set up your
hardware system, use either your application software documentation
or the NI-DAQ documentation to help you write your application. If
you have a large, complicated system, it is worthwhile to look through
the software documentation before you configure your hardware.

• Accessory installation guides or manuals—If you are using accessory
products, read the terminal block and cable assembly installation
guides. They explain how to ph ysically connect the relevant pieces of
the system. Consult these guides when you are making your
connections.

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National Instruments Corporation xiii PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual

About This Manual

Related Documentation

The following documents contain information you may find helpful:

• DAQ-STC Technical Reference Manual

• National Instruments Application Note 025, Field Wiring and Noise
Considerations for Analog Signals

• PCI Local Bus Specification Revision 2.1

The following National Instruments manual contains detailed information
for the register-level programmer:

• PCI E Series Register-Level Programmer Manual

This manual is available from National Instruments by request. You
should not need the register-level programmer manual if you are using
National Instruments driver or application software. Using NI-DAQ,
ComponentWorks, LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, Measure, or
VirtualBench software is easier than the low-level programming
described in the register-level programmer manual.

Customer Communication

National Instruments wants to receive your comments on our products
and manuals. We are interested in the applications you develop with our
products, and we want to help if you have problems with them. To make it
easy for you to contact us, this manual contains comment and configuration
forms for you to complete. These forms are in Appendix D, Customer

Communication, at the end of this manual.

PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual xiv

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National Instruments Corporation

1

Introduction

This chapter describes the PCI-6023E, PCI-6024E, and PCI-6025E boards,
lists what you need to get started, gives unpacking instructions, and
describes the optional software and equipment.

Features of the PCI-6023E, PCI-6024E, and PCI-6025E

Thank you for buying a National Instruments PCI-6023E, PCI-6024E, or
PCI-6025E board. The PCI-6025E features 16 channels (eight differential)
of analog input, two channels of analog output, a 100-pin connector, and
32 lines of digital I/O. The PCI-6024E features 16 channels of analog
input, two channels of analog output, a 68-pin connector and eight lines of
digital I/O. The PCI-6023E is identical to the PCI-6024E, except that it
does not have analog output channels.

These boards use the National Instruments DAQ-STC system timing
controller for time-related functions. The DAQ-STC consists of three
timing groups that control analog input, analog output, and general-purpose
counter/timer functions. These groups include a total of seven 24-bit and
three 16-bit counters and a maximum timing resolution of 50 ns. The
DAQ-STC makes possible such applications as buffered pulse generation,
equivalent time sampling, and seamless changing of the sampling rate.

With other DAQ boards, you cannot easily synchronize several
measurement functions to a common trigger or timing event. These boards
have the Real-Time System Integration (RTSI) bus to solve this problem.
The RTSI bus consists of the National Instruments RTSI bus interface and
a ribbon cable to route timing and trigger signals between several functions
on as many as five DAQ boards in your comp uter.

These boards can interface to an SCXI system—the instrumentation front
end for plug-in DAQ boards—so that you can acquire analog signals from
thermocouples, RTDs, strain gauges, v oltage sources, and current sources.
You can also acquire or generate digital signals for communication and
control.

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National Instruments Corporation 1-1 PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual

Chapter 1 Introduction

What You Need to Get Started

To set up and use your board, you will need the following:

❑ One of the following boards:

PCI-6023E
PCI-6024E
PCI-6025E

❑ PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual
❑ One of the following software packages and documentation:

ComponentWorks
LabVIEW for Windows
LabWindows/CVI for Windows
Measure
NI-DAQ for PC Compatibles
VirtualBench

❑ Your computer

Note

Read Chapter 2, Installation and Configuration, before installing your board.
Always install your software before installing your board.

Unpacking

Your board is shipped in an antistatic package to prevent electrostatic
damage to the board. Electrostatic discharge can damage several
components on the board. To avoid such damage in handling the board,
take the following precautions:

• Ground yourself via a grounding strap or by holding a grounded object.

• Touch the antistatic package to a metal part of your computer chassis
before removing the board from the package.

• Remove the board from the package and inspect the board for
loose components or any other sign of damage.

• Notify National Instruments if the board appears damaged in any way.
Do not install a damaged board into your computer.

• Never touch the exposed pins of connectors.

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National Instruments Corporation

Software Programming Choices

You have several options to choose from when programming your National
Instruments DAQ and SCXI hardware. You can use National Instruments
application software, NI-DAQ, or register-level programming.

National Instruments Application Software

ComponentWorks contains tools for data acquisition and instrument
control built on NI-DAQ driver software. ComponentWorks provides
a higher-level programming interface for building virtual instruments
through standard OLE controls and DLLs. With ComponentWorks, you
can use all of the configuration tools, resource management utilities, and
interactive control utilities included with NI-DAQ.

LabVIEW features interactive graphics, a state-of-the-art user interface,
and a powerful graphical programming language. The LabVIEW Data
Acquisition VI Library, a series of VIs for using LabVIEW with National
Instruments DAQ hardware, is included with LabVIEW. The LabVIEW
Data Acquisition VI Library is functionally equivalent to NI-DAQ
software.

Chapter 1 Introduction

LabWindows/CVI features interactive graphics, state-of-the-art user
interface, and uses the ANSI standard C programming language. The
LabWindows/CVI Data Acquisition Library , a series of functions for using
LabWindows/CVI with National Instruments DAQ hardware, is included
with the NI-DAQ software kit. The LabWindows/CVI Data Acquisition
Library is functionally equivalent to the NI-DAQ software.

VirtualBench features virtual instruments that combine DAQ products,
software, and your computer to create a stand-alone instrument with the
added benefit of the processing, display, and storage capabilities of your
computer. VirtualBench instruments load and save waveform data to disk
in the same forms that can be used in popular spreadsheet programs and
word processors.

Using ComponentWorks, LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, or VirtualBench
software will greatly reduce the development time for your data acquisition
and control application.

NI-DAQ Driver Software

The NI-DAQ driver software is included at no charge with all National
Instruments DAQ hardware. NI-DAQ is not packaged with SCXI or

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National Instruments Corporation 1-3 PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual

Chapter 1 Introduction

accessory products, except for the SCXI-1200. NI-DAQ has an extensive
library of functions that you can call from your application programming
environment. These functions include routines for analog input (A/D
conversion), buffered data acquisition (high-speed A/D conversion),
analog output (D/A conversion), waveform generation (timed D/A
conversion), digital I/O, counter/timer operations, SCXI, RTSI,
self-calibration, messaging, and acquiring data to extended memory.

NI-DAQ has both high-level DAQ I/O functions for maximum ease of use
and low-level DAQ I/O functions for maximum flexibility and
performance. Examples of high-level functions are streaming data to disk
or acquiring a certain number of data points. An example of a low-level
function is writing directly to registers on the DAQ device. NI-DAQ does
not sacrifice the performance of National Instruments DAQ devices
because it lets multiple devices operate at their peak.

NI-DA Q also internally addresses man y of the comple x issues between the
computer and the DAQ hardware such as programming interrupts and
DMA controllers. NI-DAQ maintains a consistent software interface
among its different versions so that you can change platforms with minimal
modifications to your code. Whether you are using conventional
programming languages or National Instruments application software, your
application uses the NI-DAQ driver software, as illustrated in Figure 1-1.

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National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 1 Introduction

Programming Environment

SCXI Hardware

Figure 1-1. The Relationship between the Programming Environment,

Register-Level Programming

The final option for programming any National Instruments DAQ
hardware is to write register-level software. Writing register-level
programming software can be very time-consuming and inefficient,
and is not recommended for most users.

Conventional

DAQ or

ComponentWorks,

LabVIEW,

LabWindows/CVI, or

VirtualBench

NI-DAQ

Driver Software

Personal

Computer or

Workstation

NI-DAQ, and Your Hardware

Even if you are an experienced register-level programmer, using NI-DAQ
or application software to program your National Instruments DAQ
hardware is easier than, and as flexible as, register-level programming,
and can save weeks of development time.

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National Instruments Corporation 1-5 PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual

Chapter 1 Introduction

Optional Equipment

National Instruments offers a variety of products to use with your board,
including cables, connector blocks, and other accessories, as follows:

• Cables and cable assemblies, shielded and ribbon

• Connector blocks, shielded and unshielded screw terminals

• Real Time System Integration bus cables

• SCXI modules and accessories for isolating, amplifying, exciting, and
multiplexing signals for relays and analog output. With SCXI you can
condition and acquire up to 3,072 channels.

• Low channel count signal conditioning modules, boards, and
accessories, including conditioning for strain gauges and RTDs,
simultaneous sample and hold, and relays

For more specific information about these products, refer to your National
Instruments catalogue or call the office nearest you.

PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual 1-6

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National Instruments Corporation

Installation and Configuration

This chapter explains how to install and configure your PCI-6023E,
PCI-6024E, or PCI-6025E board.

Software Installation

Install your software before you install your board. Refer to the appropriate
release notes indicated below for specific instructions on the software
installation sequence.

If you are using NI-DAQ, refer to your NI-DAQ release notes. Find
the installation section for your operating system and follow the
instructions given there.

If you are using LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, or other National
Instruments application software packages, refer to the appropriate release
notes. After you have installed your application software, refer to your
NI-DAQ release notes and follow the instructions given there for your
operating system and application software package.

2

If you are a register-level programmer, refer to the PCI E Series
Register-Level Programmer Manual and the DAQ-STC Technical
Reference Manual for software configuration information.

Hardware Configuration

Due to the National Instruments standard architecture for data acquisition
and the PCI bus specification, the PCI E Series boards are completely
software-configurable. You must perform two types of configuration on the
PCI E Series boards—bus-related and data acquisition-related
configuration.

These boards are fully compatible with the industry-standard PCI Local
Bus Specification Revision 2.1. This specification lets the PCI system
automatically set the board base memory address and interrupt channel
with no user interaction.

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National Instruments Corporation 2-1 PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual

Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration

You can modify data acquisition-related configuration settings, such as
analog input range and mode, through application level software. Refer to
Chapter 3, Hardware Overview, for more information about the various
settings available for your board. These settings are changed and
configured through software after you install your board.

Hardware Installation

Note

Install your software before you install your board.

After installing your software, you are ready to install your hardware. Your
board will fit in any 5 V PCI expansion slot in your computer. However, to
achieve best noise performance, leave as much room as possible between
your board and other devices. The following are general installation
instructions. Consult your computer user manual or technical reference
manual for specific instructions and warnings.

1. Write down your board’s serial number in the

PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E Hardware and Software
Configuration Form in Appendix D, Customer Communication, of

this manual.

2. Turn off and unplug your computer.

3. Remove the top cover of your computer.

4. Remove the expansion slot cover on the back panel of the computer.

5. Insert the board into a 5 V PCI slot. Gently rock the board to ease it
into place. It may be a tight fit, but do not force the board into place.

6. Screw the mounting bracket of the board to the back panel rail of the
computer.

7. Replace the top cover of your computer.

8. Plug in and turn on your computer.

The board is installed. Y ou are no w ready to configure your software. Refer
to your software documentation for configuration instructions.

PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual 2-2

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National Instruments Corporation

Hardware Overview

This chapter presents an overview of the hardware functions on your board.
Figure 3-1 shows a block diagram for the PCI-6023E, PCI-6024E, and

PCI-6025E.

3

Voltage

REF

(8)

Analog
Input
Muxes

(8)

Calibration

Mux

PFI / Trigger

Timing

I/O Connector

Digital I/O

NOT ON 6023E
Analog Output

DIO (24)

DAC0

DAC1

Analog Mode
Multiplexer

AO Control

Generator

82C55A

Calibration

Dither

Calibration DACs

6025E Only

DACs

PGIA

Trigger
Interface

Counter/

Timing I/O

Digital I/O

DIO Control

Converter

Configuration

Memory

Analog Input

Timing/Control

DAQ - STC

Analog Output
Timing/Control

A/D

ADC

FIFO

AI Control

DMA/
Interrupt
Request

Bus

Interface

RTSI Bus

Interface

RTSI Connector

IRQ
DMA

EEPROM

Data

Analog

Input

Control

DAQ-STC

Bus

Interface

Generic

Bus

Interface

EEPROM

EEPROM

Control

DAQ­APE

MINI­MITE

Interface

DMA

Interface

I/O
Bus

Interface

PCI
Bus

Control

Address/Data

Address

PCI Connector

Figure 3-1.

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National Instruments Corporation 3-1 PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual

PCI-6023E, PCI-6024E, and PCI-6025E Block Diagram

Chapter 3 Hardware Overview

Analog Input

Input Mode

The analog input section of each board is software configurable. The
following sections describe in detail each of the analog input settings.

The boards have three different input modes—nonreferenced single-ended
(NRSE) input, referenced single-ended (RSE) input, and differential
(DIFF) input. The single-ended input configurations provide up to
16 channels. The DIFF input configuration provides up to eight channels.
Input modes are programmed on a per channel basis for multimode
scanning. For example, you can configure the circuitry to scan
12 channels—four differentially-configured channels and eight
single-ended channels. Table 3-1 describes the three input configurations.

Input Range

Table 3-1.

Configuration Description

DIFF A channel configured in DIFF mode uses two analog

input lines. One line connects to the positive input of
the board’s programmable gain instrumentation
amplifier (PGIA), and the other connects to the
negative input of the PGIA.

RSE A channel configured in RSE mode uses one analog

input line, which connects to the positive input of the
PGIA. The negative input of the PGIA is internally
tied to analog input ground (AIGND).

NRSE A channel configured in NRSE mode uses one

analog input line, which connects to the positive
input of the PGIA. The negative input of the PGIA
connects to analog input sense (AISENSE).

For diagrams showing the signal paths of the three configurations, refer to
the Analog Input Signal Overview section in Chapter 4, Signal

Connections.

The PCI-6023E, PCI-6024E, and PCI-6025E boards have a bipolar input
range that changes with the programmed gain. Each channel may be
programmed with a unique gain of 0.5, 1.0, 10, or 100 to maximize the

Available Input Configurations

PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual 3-2

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National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 3 Hardware Overview

12-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) resolution. With the proper gain
setting, you can use the full resolution of the ADC to measure the input
signal. Table 3-2 shows the input range and precision according to the gain
used.

Dither

Table 3-2.

Gain Input Range Precision

0.5

-10 to +10V

1.0

10.0

100.0

*The value of 1 LSB of the 12-bit ADC; that is, the voltage increment corresponding to a
change of one count in the ADC 12-bit count.

Note:

See Appendix A,

-500 to +500 mV

-50 to +50 mV

Specifications

Measurement Precision

-5 to +5V

, for absolute maximum ratings.

*

4.88 mV

2.44 mV

244.14 µV

24.41 µV

When you enable dither, you add approximately 0.5 LSBrms of white
Gaussian noise to the signal to be converted by the ADC. This addition is
useful for applications involving averaging to increase the resolution of
your board, as in calibration or spectral analysis. In such applications, noise
modulation is decreased and differential linearity is improved by the
addition of the dither. When taking DC measurements, such as when
checking the board calibration, you should enable dither and average about
1,000 points to take a single reading. This process removes the effects of
quantization and reduces measurement noise, resulting in improved
resolution. For high-speed applications not involving averaging or spectral
analysis, you may want to disable the dither to reduce noise. Your software
enables and disables the dither circuitry.

Figure 3-2 illustrates the effect of dither on signal acquisition. Figure 3-2a
shows a small (±4 LSB) sine wave acquired with dither off. The ADC
quantization is clearly visible. Figure 3-2b shows what happens when 50
such acquisitions are averaged together; quantization is still plainly visible.
In Figure 3-2c, the sine wave is acquired with dither on. There is a
considerable amount of visible noise, but averaging about 50 such
acquisitions, as shown in Figure 3-2d, eliminates both the added noise and
the effects of quantization. Dither has the effect of forcing quantization
noise to become a zero-mean random variable rather than a deterministic
function of the input signal.

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National Instruments Corporation 3-3 PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual

Chapter 3 Hardware Overview

LSBs

LSBs

6.0

6.0

4.0

4.0

2.0

2.0

0.0

0.0

-2.0

-2.0

-4.0

-4.0

-6.0

-6.0
100 200 300 4000 500

100 200 300 4000 500

a. Dither disabled; no averaging b. Dither disabled; average of 50 acquisitions

a. Dither disabled; no averaging b. Dither disabled; average of 50 acquisitions

LSBs

LSBs

6.0

6.0

4.0

4.0

2.0

2.0

0.0

0.0

-2.0

-2.0

-4.0

-4.0

-6.0

-6.0
100 200 300 4000 500

100 200 300 4000 500

c. Dither enabled; no averaging

c. Dither enabled; no averaging

LSBs

LSBs

6.0

6.0

4.0

4.0

2.0

2.0

0.0

0.0

-2.0

-2.0

-4.0

-4.0

-6.0

-6.0

LSBs

LSBs

6.0

6.0

4.0

4.0

2.0

2.0

0.0

0.0

-2.0

-2.0

-4.0

-4.0

-6.0

-6.0

d. Dither enabled; average of 50 acquisitions

d. Dither enabled; average of 50 acquisitions

100 200 300 4000 500

100 200 300 4000 500

100 200 300 4000 500

100 200 300 4000 500

Multichannel Scanning Considerations

The PCI-6023E, PCI-6024E, and PCI-6025E boards can scan multiple
channels at the same maximum rate as their single-channel rate; however,
pay careful attention to the settling times for each of the boards. No extra
settling time is necessary between channels as long as the gain is constant
and source impedances are low. Refer to Appendix A, Specifications, for a
complete listing of settling times for each of the boards.

When scanning among channels at various gains, the settling times may
increase. When the PGIA switches to a higher gain, the signal on the
previous channel may be well outside the new , smaller range. F or instance,
suppose a 4 V signal is connected to channel 0 and a 1 mV signal is
connected to channel 1, and suppose the PGIA is programmed to apply a
gain of one to channel 0 and a gain of 100 to channel 1. When the

PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual 3-4

Figure 3-2. Dither

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National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 3 Hardware Overview

multiplexer switches to channel 1 and the PGIA switches to a gain of 100,
the new full-scale range is ±50 mV.

The approximately 4 V step from 4 V to 1 mV is 4,000% of the new
full-scale range. It may take as long as 100 µs for the circuitry to settle to
1 LSB after such a large transition. In general, this extra settling time is not
needed when the PGIA is switching to a lower gain.

Settling times can also increase when scanning high-impedance signals
due to a phenomenon called charge injection, where the analog input
multiplexer injects a small amount of charge into each signal source when
that source is selected. If the impedance of the source is not low enough,
the effect of the charge—a voltage error—will not hav e decayed by the time
the ADC samples the signal. For this reason, keep source impedances under
1kΩ to perform high-speed scanning.

Due to the previously described limitations of settling times resulting from
these conditions, multiple-channel scanning is not recommended unless
sampling rates are low enough or it is necessary to sample several signals
as nearly simultaneously as possible. The data is much more accurate and
channel-to-channel independent if you acquire data from each channel
independently (for example, 100 points from channel 0, then 100 points
from channel 1, then 100 points from channel 2, and so on.)

Analog Output

♦ (PCI-6025E and PCI-6024E Only)

These boards supply two channels of analog output voltage at the I/O
connector. The bipolar range is fixed at ±10 V. Data written to the
digital-to-analog converter (D A C) will be interpreted as two’ s complement
format.

Analog Output Glitch

In normal operation, a DAC output will glitch whenever it is updated with
a new value. The glitch energy differs from code to code and appears as
distortion in the frequency spectrum.

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National Instruments Corporation 3-5 PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual

Chapter 3 Hardware Overview

Digital I/O

♦ PCI-6025E only:

The PCI-6023E, PCI-6024, and PCI-6025E boards contain eight lines of
digital I/O (DIO<0..7>) for general-purpose use. You can individually
software-configure each line for either input or output. At system startup
and reset, the digital I/O ports are all high impedance.

The hardware up/down control for general-purpose counters 0 and 1 are
connected onboard to DIO6 and DIO7, respectively. Thus, you can use
DIO6 and DIO7 to control the general-purpose counters. The up/down
control signals are input only and do not affect the operation of the DIO
lines.

The PCI-6025E board uses an 82C55A Programmable Peripheral Interface
to provide an additional 24 lines of digital I/O that represent three 8-bit
ports: P A, PB, PC. Each port can be programmed as an input or output port.
The 82C55A has three modes of operation: simple I/O (mode 0), strobed
I/O (mode 1), and bidirectional I/O (mode 2). In modes 1 and 2, the three
ports are divided into two groups: group A and group B. Each group has
eight data bits, plus control and status bits from Port C (PC). Modes 1 and
2 use handshaking signals from the computer to synchronize data transfers.
Refer to Chapter 4, Signal Connections, for more detailed information.

Timing Signal Routing

The DAQ-STC chip provides a flexible interface for connecting timing
signals to other boards or external circuitry. Your board uses the RTSI bus
to interconnect timing signals between boards, and the Programmable
Function Input (PFI) pins on the I/O connector to connect the board to
external circuitry. These connections are designed to enable the board to
both control and be controlled by other boards and circuits.

There are a total of 13 timing signals internal to the DAQ-STC that can be
controlled by an external source. These timing signals can also be
controlled by signals generated internally to the DAQ-STC, and these
selections are fully software-configurable. Figure 3-3 shows an example of
the signal routing multiplexer controlling the CONVERT* signal.

PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual 3-6

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National Instruments Corporation

RTSI Trigger <0..6>

PFI<0..9>

Sample Interval Counter TC

GPCTR0_OUT

Chapter 3 Hardware Overview

CONVERT*

Figure 3-3. CONVERT* Signal Routing

This figure shows that CONVERT* can be generated from a number of
sources, including the external signals RTSI<0..6> and PFI<0..9> and the
internal signals Sample Interval Counter TC and GPCTR0_OUT.

Many of these timing signals are also available as outputs on the R TSI pins,
as indicated in the RTSI Triggers section in this chapter, and on the PFI
pins, as indicated in Chapter 4, Signal Connections.

Programmable Function Inputs

Ten PFI pins are available on the board connector as PFI<0..9> and are
connected to the board’s internal signal routing multiplexer for each timing
signal. Software can select any one of the PFI pins as the external source
for a given timing signal. It is important to note that any of the PFI pins can
be used as an input by any of the timing signals and that multiple timing
signals can use the same PFI simultaneously. This flexible routing scheme
reduces the need to change physical connections to the I/O connector for
different applications. You can also individually enable each of the PFI
pins to output a specific internal timing signal. For example, if you need the

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National Instruments Corporation 3-7 PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual

Chapter 3 Hardware Overview

UPDATE* signal as an output on the I/O connector, software can turn on
the output driver for the PFI5/UPDATE* pin.

Board and RTSI Clocks

Many board functions require a frequency timebase to generate the
necessary timing signals for controlling A/D conversions, DAC updates, or
general-purpose signals at the I/O connector.

These boards can use either its internal 20 MHz timebase or a timebase
received over the RTSI bus. In addition, if you configure the board to use
the internal timebase, you can also program the board to drive its internal
timebase over the R TSI bus to another board that is programmed to recei ve
this timebase signal. This clock source, whether local or from the RTSI b us,
is used directly by the board as the primary frequency source. The default
configuration at startup is to use the internal timebase without driving the
RTSI bus timebase signal. This timebase is software selectable.

RTSI Triggers

The seven RTSI trigger lines on the RTSI bus provide a very flexible
interconnection scheme for any PCI E Series board sharing the RTSI bus.
These bidirectional lines can drive any of eight timing signals onto the
RTSI bus and can receive any of these timing signals. This signal
connection scheme is shown in Figure 3-4.

PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual 3-8

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National Instruments Corporation

Trigger

7

RTSI Bus Connector

Clock

RTSI Switch

switch

Chapter 3 Hardware Overview

DAQ-STC
TRIG1
TRIG2
CONVERT*
UPDATE*
WFTRIG
GPCTR0_SOURCE
GPCTR0_GATE
GPCTR0_OUT
STARTSCAN
AIGATE
SISOURCE
UISOURCE
GPCTR1_SOURCE
GPCTR1_GATE
RTSI_OSC (20 MHz)

Figure 3-4. RTSI Bus Signal Connection

Refer to the Timing Connections section of Chapter 4, Signal Connections,
for a description of the signals shown in Figure 3-4.

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National Instruments Corporation 3-9 PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual

Signal Connections

This chapter describes how to make input and output signal connections to
your board via the I/O connector.

The I/O connector for the PCI-6023 and PCI-6024E has 68 pins that you
can connect to 68-pin accessories with the SH6868 shielded cable or the
R6868 ribbon cable. You can connect your board to 50-pin signal
accessories with the SH6850 shielded cable or R6850 ribbon cable.

The I/O connector for the PCI-6025E has 100 pins that you can connect
to 100-pin accessories with the SH100100 shielded cable. Y ou can connect
your board to 68-pin accessories with the SH1006868 shielded cable, or to
50-pin accessories with the R1005050 ribbon cable.

I/O Connector

Figure 4-1 shows the pin assignments for the 68-pin I/O connector on the
PCI-6023 and PCI-6024E. Figure 4-2 shows the pin assignments for the
100-pin I/O connector on the PCI-6025E. Refer to Appendix B, Custom

Cabling and Optional Connectors, for pin assignments of the optional

50- and 68-pin connectors. A signal description follows the figures.

4

Caution

!

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National Instruments Corporation 4-1 PCI-6023E/6024E/6025E User Manual

Connections that exceed any of the maximum ratings of input or output signals
on the boards can damage the board and the computer. Maximum input ratings
for each signal are giv e n in the Protection column of Table 4-2. National

NOT

Instruments is

liable for any damages resulting from such signal connections.