Omega Products OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 User Manual

High-Performance PCI-Based

Extended Warranty

Program

SM

Data Acquisition Boards

OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series

Starts at

$

689

⻬ 5 Models Available
⻬ 16-Bit, 200 kHz A/D

Converter

⻬ 8 Differential or

16 Single-Ended Analog
Inputs (Software
Selectable per Channel)

⻬ Expandable Up to

256 Analog Input Channels,
While Maintaining 200 kHz
(5 µs per Channel)
Scan Rate

⻬ Up to 4 Boards Can be

Installed into One PC
for Up to 1024 Analog
Input Channels

⻬ 100% Digital Calibration
⻬ 512-Location

Channel/Gain FIFO,
Capable of Scanning
All Channels, Including
256 Analog Expansion
Channels and Digital/
Counter Channels,
at 5 µs per Channel

⻬ DMA Bus Mastering for

Synchronous Analog I/O,
Digital I/O, and Counter
Inputs

OMEGACARESMextended warranty program is available for
models shown on this page. Ask your sales representative for
full details when placing an order. OMEGACARE
parts, labor and equivalent loaners.

⻬ Trigger Modes Include

Analog, Digital, and
Software, with <5 µs
Latency

⻬ Virtually Infinite

Pre-Trigger Buffer

⻬ Up to Four 16-Bit,

100 kHz Analog
Outputs with Infinite
Continuous Waveform
Output Capability

⻬ 40 Digital I/O Lines,

Can be Scanned
Synchronously or
Asynchronously
with Analog Inputs

⻬ Digital I/O is

Expandable Up to
272 Lines, Including
Optional Isolation and
Relay Closure

OMB-DAQBOARD-2000, $799,
shown smaller than actual size.

SM

covers

⻬ 4 Counter/Pulse Input

Channels Can be
Scanned Synchronously
or Asynchronously with
Analog Inputs

⻬ 2 Timer/Pulse

Output Channels

⻬ Signal Conditioning and

Expansion Options for
Thermocouples, Strain
Gages, Accelerometers,
Isolation, and RTDs—
Over 30 Options in All

⻬ Includes DaqView

Windows Software;
DaqX API Library, Drivers
for Visual Basic, C++, and
Delphi for Windows 95
and Higher; C++ for
Linux; DASYLab,
TestPoint, and LabVIEW

D1-1

OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series Selection Chart

OMB-DAQBOARD Models I/O

Feature 2001 2000 2005 2004 2002

Analog Inputs (P1)
(16 bit/200 kHz)

Analog Outputs (P3)
16 bit/100 kHz)

Digital I/O (P2, P3) 40 40 40 40 40
Freq./pulse I/O (P3) 6 6 6 6 6-

The OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
sets the price/performance
benchmark for high-speed,
multifunction plug-and-play data
acquisition for PCI bus computers.
The hardware design offers all the
features normally found on
significantly more expensive boards,
including 16-bit, 200 kHz A/D; 100%
digital calibration; bus mastering,
two or four 16-bit, 100 kHz A/D
converters; 40 digital I/O lines;
4 counters; and 2 timers.

The OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
is supported by a growing family
of over 30 signal conditioning and
expansion options, offering signal
conditioning for thermocouples,
RTDs, accelerometers, isolation,
high voltage, strain gages, and
much more. Up to 528 channels
of analog and digital I/O can
be accessed with one
OMB-DAQBOARD-2000, while
maintaining the 5 µs per channel
update rate. Up to 4
OMB-DAQBOARD-2000s can
be installed into one PC.

The OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 has
more extensive software capabilities
than most other boards, with
comprehensive drivers for nearly
every programming environment
supported by Windows 95 and
higher. Included in this list are
Visual Basic, C++, Delphi,
TestPoint, LabVIEW, and
DASYLab, and C++ for Linux.
Also included is a suite of DaqView
software options for setup,
acquisition, display, and analysis
of acquired data—no programming
required.

16 16 16 - -

42-4 -

Synchronous I/O
for High-Speed Applications

The OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
sets a new standard with its ability
to make analog measurements,
read digital inputs, and read counter
inputs, while synchronously
generating up to 4 analog outputs
and/or a 16-bit digital pattern output.
Most other boards require CPU
interaction to access I/O other than
analog input, making it impossible to
generate time-critical analog
waveforms or digital patterns. With
the OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series,
the true power of PCI-based PCs
can be unleashed.

The same synchronous features of
the OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 extend
to its family of OMB-DBK signal
conditioning and expansion options.
Up to 256 analog input channels
and 272 (P2 only) digital I/O
channels can also be accessed
synchronously to one another, with
precise and deterministic channel­to-channel timing. Up to 4
OMB-DAQBOARD-2000s can be
installed in one PC, quadrupling the
channel capacity to over 1000
analog input channels, 1000 digital
I/O channels, and 16 high-speed
analog output channels.

Signal I/O

One 100-pin connector on the
OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
provides access to all the
input and output signals. Unlike
other multifunction boards that
require multiple PC slots, the
OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
accommodates all I/O using one
cable and has only one PCI slot.

The 100-pin OMB-DAQBOARD/2000
Series I/O connector, P4, is logically
divided into 3 subports: P1, P2, and

D1-2

P3. P1, the analog input port,
contains all of the analog input
channels, as well as the sequencer
control signals for accessing
external analog input options. All
analog expansion options attach to
the P1 port. P2, the general purpose
digital I/O port, can be used directly
to control and monitor 24 digital I/O
lines. P2 can also function as the
digital I/O expansion port, whereby
the 24 lines are exclusively used to
control external digital OMB-DBK
expansion options, for up to 256
lines of digital input or output. P3
contains an additional 16-bit digital
I/O port, as well as the counter
inputs, timer outputs, and analog
outputs. Several options are
available to provide easy user
access to all of the I/O signals on P4.

Analog Input (P1)

The OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
has a 16-bit, 200 kHz A/D coupled
with 16 single-ended or 8 differential
analog inputs. Thirteen software­programmable ranges provide
inputs from ±10 V to ±156 mV full
scale. Each channel can be
software configured for a different
range, as well as for single-ended or
differential and unipolar or bipolar
inputs. Beyond the 16 built-in
analog inputs, the user can expand
the OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
up to 256 analog inputs using
external OMB-DBK signal
conditioning and expansion options.
As with the on-board channels,
expansion channels are scanned
at the same 5 µs/channel rate
(200 kHz), and most are software
programmable for range. There is
no speed penalty for scanning
expansion channels versus built-in
channels. The OMB-DBK expansion
options offer a wide variety of signal
measurements, including
thermocouples, RTDs, strain gages,
accelerometers, high voltage,
isolation, current, and much more.

D1

ANALOG INPUT AND

MULTIFUNCTION CARDS

Scanning

The OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
has an on-board scan sequencer
that permits the user to select any
combination of up to 512 channel/
range combinations. The sequencer
scans all channels contained in the
sequence at the fastest rate of
5 µs/channel, thereby minimizing the
time-skew from channel-to-channel.
The user can also set the time
between scan groups, from 0 to 6 hours.
In addition to scanning analog
inputs, the sequencer can scan
digital inputs and counter inputs.

Channel-Scanning
Flexibility

The OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
offers a 512-location scan
sequencer that allows the user to
select each channel and associated
input amplifier gain at random. The
sequencer circuitry circumvents a
major limitation encountered with
many plug-in data acquisition
boards—a drastic reduction in the
scan rate for external expansion
channels. All OMB-DAQBOARD-2000
Series channels, including
the 528 potential expansion
channels, are scanned at 200 kHz
(5 µs/channel). In addition, the digital
and frequency inputs can be scanned
by using the same scan sequence
employed for analog inputs, enabling
the time correlation of acquired
digital data to acquired analog data.
The OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
permits each scan group, which can
contain up to 512 channel/gain
combinations, to be repeated
immediately or at a programmable
interval of up to 6 hours. Within
each scan group, consecutive
channels are measured at a fixed
5 µs/channel rate.

Bus Mastering DMA

The OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
supports bus mastering DMA, which
allows analog and digital/counter input
data, as well as analog and digital
output data, to flow between the PC
and the OMB-DAQBOARD-2000
Series without consuming valuable
CPU time.

The driver supplied with the
OMB-DAQBOARD-2000, as well as
all other third-party software support
such as TestPoint, LabVIEW, and

DAQBOARD Scanning Example

Channel

Unipolar or

bipolar

* DaqBoard-200 and 216 only

#2
x1

Gain

Uni Uni Bi Uni Bi Bi

Unipolar or bipolar operation can be
programmed for each channel dynamically*

Gain can be programmed for
each channel dynamically

Channels can be
sampled randomly

Scan group

Programmable,

immediately or at

intervals of

up to 10 hours

10 µ s

#4 #7 #2 D #18 #19 #16
x8 x8 x2 x100 x10

All channels within a scan group are
measured at a fixed 10 µs/channel

16 digital input lines
can also be sampled along
with the analog inputs

DASYLab, automatically use bus
mastering DMA to efficiently
conduct I/O from the PC to the
OMB-DAQBOARD-2000.

Triggering

Triggering can be the most critical
aspect of a data acquisition application.
The OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
supports a full complement of
trigger modes to accommodate any
measurement situation.

Hardware Analog Triggering

Many data acquisition boards claim
analog triggering, but rely on the PC
to take readings and make a
decision, which leads to uncertain
and potentially long latencies. The
OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
uses true analog triggering,
whereby the trigger level
programmed by the user sets an
analog DAC, which is then
compared in hardware to the analog
input level on the selected channel.
The result is analog trigger latency
that is guaranteed to be less than
5 µs, significantly shorter than that
of most data acquisition boards.

Any analog channel can be selected
as the trigger channel, including
built-in or expansion channels. The

D1-3

t

x1000

Uni

Expansion channels (up to

256) are sampled at the same
rate as on-board channels

user can program both the trigger
level and the edge (rising or
falling).

Digital and Pattern
Triggering (P1)

A separate digital trigger input line
is provided, allowing TTL-level
triggering, again with latencies
guaranteed to be less than 5 µs.
Both the logic levels (1 or 0) and
the edge (rising or falling) can be
programmed for the discrete
digital trigger input.

Software-Based Triggering

Software-based triggering differs
from the modes described above
because the readings—analog,
digital, or counter—are interrogated
by the PC to detect the trigger
event, not in the hardware as
described above. The advantage
of this mode is to permit triggering
based on more complex
situations, such as on a specific
temperature, which was derived
from the acquisition of at least
2 analog measurements, plus the
calculation of the measured
temperature using linearization
algorithms.

The OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
also supports digital pattern
triggering, whereby the user can
designate any of the digital input
ports as the trigger port. The
programmed digital pattern, including
the ability to mask or ignore specific
bits, is then compared to the actual
input until a match is detected, after
which the sequencer begins the
scan sequence. Triggering can also
be programmed to occur when one
of the counters reaches, exceeds,
or is within a programmed level.
Any of the built-in counter/totalizer
channels can be programmed as a
trigger source. Normally software­based triggering results in long
latencies from the time that a trigger
condition is detected until the actual
capturing of data commences. However,
the OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
circumvents this undesirable
phenomenon by use of pre-trigger
data. Specifically, when
software-based triggering is
employed and the PC detects that a
trigger condition has occurred
(which may be thousands of
readings later than the actual
occurrence of the signal), the OMB­DAQBOARD-2000 driver
automatically looks back to the
location in memory where the actual
trigger-causing measurement
occurred. The acquired data that
are presented to the user actually
begin at the point where the trigger­causing measurement occurs. The
latency in this mode is equal to one
scan cycle.

Stop Trigger

Any of the software trigger modes
described above can also be used
to stop an acquisition. Thus an
acquisition can be programmed to
begin on one event, such as a
temperature level, and then can
stop on another event, such as a
digital pattern.

No pre-trigger, post-trigger stop
event.

acquires data upon receipt of the
trigger, and stops acquiring upon
receipt of the stop-trigger event.

This, the simplest of modes,

Fixed pre-trigger with post-trigger
stop event

specifies the number of pre-trigger
readings to be acquired, after
which acquisition continues until a
stop-trigger event occurs.

. In this mode, the user

No pre-trigger, infinite post-trigger.

No pre-trigger data are acquired in
this mode. Instead, data are
acquired beginning with the trigger
event, and are terminated when the
operator issues a command to halt
the acquisition.

Fixed pre-trigger with infinite post­trigger.

the amount of pre-trigger data to
acquire, after which the system
continues to acquire data until the
program issues a command to halt
acquisition.

The user specifies

Variable pre-trigger with
post-trigger stop event (driver
support only).

pre-trigger modes, this mode does
not have to satisfy the pre-trigger
number of readings before
recognizing the trigger event. Thus
the number of pre-trigger readings
acquired is variable and dependent
on the time of the trigger event
relative to the start. In this mode,
data continue to be acquired until
the stop-trigger event is detected.

Unlike the previous

Variable pre-trigger with infinite
post-trigger (driver support only).

This is similar to the mode
described above, except that the
acquisition
is terminated upon receipt of a
command from the program to halt
the acquisition.

appropriate calibration constant is
automatically applied to a
compensating DAC, thereby
calibrating the specific range. The
result is that readings generated by
the A/D are already calibrated, and
do not require additional processing.
This is significantly better than other
boards that merely adjust the
readings in software after they are
transferred to the PC. That method
has the disadvantage of reducing
the dynamic range of the A/D, and
can adversely affect the speed by
which the PC can obtain a calibrated
reading. The OMB-DAQBOARD-2000
Series also has a USERCAL mode,
whereby the user can adjust the
calibration of the board in his or her
system, without destroying the
factory calibration supplied with the
board. This is accomplished by
having 2 distinct calibration tables in
the OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
on-board EPROM, one that contains
the factory calibration, and the other
that is available for user calibration.

Analog Output (P3)

OMB-DAQBOARD-2000, -2001,
and -2004 Only

Two or four 16-bit, 100 kHz
analog output channels are built into
the OMB DAQBOARD-2000 Series,
with an output from –10 V to 10 V.
These outputs are entirely separate
from the D/As which are used to
determine analog trigger level
(some data acquisition board
suppliers confusingly refer to trigger
D/As as if they are available to the
user). With bus mastering DMA,
each D/A output can continuously
output a waveform, which can be
read from PC RAM or a file on the
hard disk. In addition, a program
can asynchronously output a value
to either of the D/As for non-waveform
applications, presuming that the D/A
is not already being used in the
waveform output mode.

D1

ANALOG INPUT AND

MULTI-FUNCTION CARDS

Pre- and Post-Triggering
Modes

6 modes of pre- and post-triggering
are supported, providing a wide
variety of options to accommodate
any measurement requirement.

With pre-trigger, the user must
employ software-based triggering to
initiate an acquisition.

Calibration

Every range on the
OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series is
calibrated from the factory using a
digital calibration method. This
method works by storing a
correction factor for each range on
the OMB-DAQBOARD-2000 Series
at the time of calibration. Whenever
a particular range is selected, the

D1-4