Tektronix KPCI-3140 Primary User

KPCI-3140PCI Bus Data Acquisition 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.

Keithley Instruments, Inc. 28775 Aurora Road • Cleveland, Ohio 44139 • 440-248-0400 • Fax: [phone]

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

Sales Offices:BELGIUM: Bergensesteenweg 709 • B-1600 Sint-Pieters-Leeuw • 02-363 00 40 • Fax: [phone]

CHINA: Yuan Chen Xin Building, Room 705 • 12 Yumin Road, Dewai, Madian • Beijing 100029 • 8610-6202-2886 • Fax: [phone]
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TAIWAN: 1FL., 85 Po Ai Street • Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C. • 886-3-572-9077• Fax: [phone]

4/02

KPCI-3140

PCI Bus Data Acquisition Board

User’s Manual

©2000, Keithley Instruments, Inc.

All rights reserved.

Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.

Second Printing, January 2001

Document Number: 98130 Rev. B

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 98130)............................................................................................ February 2000

Revision B (Document Number 98130) .............................................................................................. January 2001

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

Preface

Intended audience .................................................................................................................................................. x

What you should learn from this manual .............................................................................................................. x

Viewing the KPCI-3140 documentation online ................................................................................................... xi

Conventions used in this manual ......................................................................................................................... xi

Related information .............................................................................................................................................. xi

Where to get help ................................................................................................................................................ xii

1 Overview

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 1-2

Features .............................................................................................................................................................. 1-2

System requirements .......................................................................................................................................... 1-3

DriverLINX software ......................................................................................................................................... 1-3

Other software options .............................................................................................................................. 1-4

Accessories ......................................................................................................................................................... 1-4

2 Functional Description

Counter/Timer features ...................................................................................................................................... 2-3

Units ........................................................................................................................................................... 2-3

Clock sources ............................................................................................................................................. 2-4

Gate types ................................................................................................................................................... 2-6

Pulse output types and duty cycles ............................................................................................................ 2-7

Interrupts .................................................................................................................................................... 2-8

Hardware operation modes ........................................................................................................................ 2-8

DriverLINX subsystems and modes .......................................................................................................... 2-9

Typical applications ................................................................................................................................. 2-10

Internal timer features ...................................................................................................................................... 2-19

Units ......................................................................................................................................................... 2-19

Clock sources ........................................................................................................................................... 2-19

Gate types ................................................................................................................................................. 2-19

Pulse output types and duty cycles .......................................................................................................... 2-19

Interrupts .................................................................................................................................................. 2-19

Digital I/O features ........................................................................................................................................... 2-20

Digital I/O lines ........................................................................................................................................ 2-20

Resolution ................................................................................................................................................ 2-21

Interrupts .................................................................................................................................................. 2-22

Operation modes ...................................................................................................................................... 2-22

i

3 Installation and Configuration

Unpacking ........................................................................................................................................................... 3-2

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

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

Installing DriverLINX ................................................................................................................................ 3-4

Installing application software and drivers ................................................................................................. 3-4

Installing the KPCI-3140 board .......................................................................................................................... 3-5

Setting up the computer .............................................................................................................................. 3-5

Selecting an expansion slot ........................................................................................................................ 3-5

Inserting the board in the computer ............................................................................................................ 3-6

Configuring the board to work with DriverLINX .............................................................................................. 3-7

Using the DriverLINX configuration panel ............................................................................................... 3-7

Checking the combined board and DriverLINX installations .................................................................... 3-8

Attaching the STP-3140 screw terminal panel ................................................................................................... 3-9

Screw terminals ........................................................................................................................................ 3-10

Resistors ................................................................................................................................................... 3-11

Wiring signals ................................................................................................................................................... 3-11

Wiring recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 3-11

Connecting counter/timer signals ............................................................................................................. 3-12

Connecting digital input signals ............................................................................................................... 3-17

Connecting digital output signals ............................................................................................................. 3-17

4 Testing the Board

Using DriverLINX KPCI-3140 test panel for hardware testing ......................................................................... 4-2

DriverLINX KPCI-3140 test panel procedure ........................................................................................... 4-2

5 Troubleshooting

General checklist ................................................................................................................................................ 5-2

Using the DriverLINX event viewer .................................................................................................................. 5-2

Device initialization error messages ........................................................................................................... 5-2

Problem isolation ................................................................................................................................................ 5-3

Troubleshooting table ......................................................................................................................................... 5-4

Testing the board and host computer .................................................................................................................. 5-5

Testing the accessory slot and I/O connections .................................................................................................. 5-5

Technical support ............................................................................................................................................... 5-6

Returning equipment to Keithley ....................................................................................................................... 5-7

ii

A Specifications

KPCI-3140 specifications ................................................................................................................................. A-2

B Connector Pin Assignments

C Systematic Problem Isolation

Problem isolation schemes ................................................................................................................................ C-2

Problem isolation Scheme A: basic system ............................................................................................. C-3

Problem isolation Scheme B: installation ................................................................................................. C-5

Problem isolation Scheme C: application software ................................................................................ C-10

Problem isolation Scheme D: expansion slot connectors ....................................................................... C-12

Problem isolation Scheme E: user wiring ............................................................................................... C-12

Problem isolation Scheme F: the board .................................................................................................. C-13

Problem isolation Scheme G: verification of problem solution .............................................................. C-13

Specified hardware I/O tests ........................................................................................................................... C-14

General-purpose digital I/O hardware test .............................................................................................. C-14

Specified software I/O tests ............................................................................................................................ C-14

General-purpose digital I/O software test ............................................................................................... C-14

Index

iii

List of Illustrations

2 Functional Description

Figure 2-1 Block diagram of the KPCI-3140 board .................................................................................................... 2-2

Figure 2-2 Counter/Timers .......................................................................................................................................... 2-3

Figure 2-3 Example of a low-to-high pulse output type .............................................................................................. 2-7

Figure 2-4 Connecting event counting signals (shown for Clock Input 0 and External Gate 0) ............................... 2-10

Figure 2-5 Example of event counting ...................................................................................................................... 2-11

Figure 2-6 Frequency measurement using DriverLINX ............................................................................................ 2-11

Figure 2-7 Connecting rate generation signals (shown for Counter Output 0; a software gate is used) ................... 2-13

Figure 2-8 Example of rate generation with a 75% duty cycle .................................................................................. 2-14

Figure 2-9 Example of rate generation with a 25% duty cycle ................................................................................. 2-14

Figure 2-10 Connecting one-shot signals (shown for Counter Output 0 and Gate 0) ................................................. 2-15

Figure 2-11 Example of one-shot application using a 99.99% duty cycle .................................................................. 2-16

Figure 2-12 Example of one-shot application using a 50% duty cycle ....................................................................... 2-16

Figure 2-13 Example of repetitive one-shot mode using a 99.99% duty cycle ........................................................... 2-18

Figure 2-14 Example of repetitive one-shot mode using a 50% duty cycle ................................................................ 2-18

3 Installation and Configuration

Figure 3-1 Inserting a KPCI-3140 board in the computer ........................................................................................... 3-6

Figure 3-2 Attaching the STP-3140 screw terminal panel to the KPCI-3140 board ................................................... 3-9

Figure 3-3 Layout of the STP-3140 screw terminal panel ........................................................................................... 3-9

Figure 3-4 Location for user-supplied resistors on the KPCI-3140 board ................................................................. 3-12

Figure 3-5 Connecting event counting applications to the STP-3140 screw terminal panel

(shown for Clock Input 0 and External Gate 0) ................................................................................. 3-13

Figure 3-6 Connecting event counting applications to the STP-3140 screw terminal panel

without an External Gate Input (shown for Clock Input 0) ............................................................... 3-13

Figure 3-7 Cascading counters (shown for event counting using Counters 0 and 2 and External Gate 0) ............... 3-14

Figure 3-8 Connecting frequency measurement applications to the STP-3140 screw terminal panel

(shown for Clock Input 0 and External Gate 0) ................................................................................. 3-15

Figure 3-9 Connecting pulse output applications to the STP-3140 screw terminal panel

(shown for Counter Output 0 and Gate 0) ......................................................................................... 3-15

Figure 3-10 Cascading counters (shown for rate generation using Counters 0 and 2 and External Gate 0) ............... 3-16

Figure 3-11 Cascading counters (shown for one-shot using Counters 0 and 2 and External Gate 2) ......................... 3-16

Figure 3-12 Connecting digital inputs to the STP-3140 screw terminal panel (Lines 0 and 1, Port A shown) .......... 3-17

Figure 3-13 Connecting digital outputs to the STP-3140 screw terminal panel (Line 0, Port B shown) ................... 3-17

v

List of Tables

1 Overview

Table 1-1 System requirements .................................................................................................................................. 1-3

2 Functional Description

Table 2-1 External C/T clock signals ......................................................................................................................... 2-5

Table 2-2 Gate input signals ....................................................................................................................................... 2-6

Table 2-3 Pulse output signals .................................................................................................................................... 2-7

Table 2-4 DriverLINX definition of logical channels for KPCI-3140 digital input subsystem ............................... 2-20

Table 2-5 Resolution, digital I/O lines, and number of channels ............................................................................. 2-21

3 Installation and Configuration

Table 3-1 Screw terminal assignments on the STP-3140 screw terminal panel ...................................................... 3-10

Table 3-2 Clock input signals and resistor use ......................................................................................................... 3-11

5 Troubleshooting

Table 5-1 Troubleshooting problems ......................................................................................................................... 5-4

A Specifications

Table A-1 C/T subsystem specifications ................................................................................................................... A-2

Table A-2 DIN/DOUT subsystem specifications ....................................................................................................... A-3

Table A-3 Power, physical, and environmental specifications .................................................................................. A-3

Table A-4 68-Pin connector specifications ................................................................................................................ A-4

B Connector Pin Assignments

Table B-1 Connector J1 pin assignments on the KPCI-3140 board .......................................................................... B-2

Table B-2 Screw terminal assignments on the STP-3140 screw terminal panel ....................................................... B-3

Table B-3 Screw terminal assignments for the STP-68 screw terminal panel ........................................................... B-4

vii

Preface

x Preface KPCI-3140 User’s Manual

This manual describes the features of the KPCI-3140 boards, the capabilities of the DriverLINX
software, and how to configure the KPCI-3140 board using DriverLINX. Troubleshooting and
calibration information is also provided.

Intended audience

This document is intended for engineers, scientists, technicians, or others responsible for using
and/or programming the KPCI-3140 boards for data acquisition operations in Microsoft Win­dows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT. It is assumed that you have some familiarity with data
acquisition principles and that you understand your application.

This manual focuses primarily on describing the KPCI-3140 boards and their capabilities, set­ting up the boards and their associated software, making typical hookups, and troubleshooting.
There are also sections that summarize characteristics of DriverLINX test-panel software.

What you should learn from this manual

This manual provides detailed information about the features of the KPCI-3140 board and the
capabilities of the KPCI-3140 DriverLINX software.

Section 1 — Describes the major features of the board, as well as the supported software and

accessories for the board.

Section 2 — Describes all of the board’s features and how to use them in your application.

Section 3 — Describes how to install DriverLINX software, install the KPCI-3140 board, wire

accessories, and configure the software to work with the board.

Section 4 — Describes the use of the DriverLINX Analog I/O Panel for testing board functions.

Section 5 — Provides information that you can use to resolve problems with the board,

computer, or DriverLINX should they occur.

Appendix A — Lists the specifications of the board and data acquisition subsystems and the

associated features accessible using DriverLINX for the KPCI-3140 board.

Appendix B — Shows the pin assignments for the connectors on the board and for the screw

termination panel.

Appendix C — Describes how to systematically isolate problems with the board, computer,

software, and programming.

An index completes this manual.

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KPCI-3140 User’s Manual Preface xi

Viewing the KPCI-3140 documentation online

The DriverLINX Manuals and this manual have been provided in electronic form (in PDF file
format) on the KPCI-3140 CD-ROM. To view these documents, you need to install Rev 3.01 or
later of Adobe Acrobat Reader on your hard drive (refer to DriverLINX for installation
instructions).

View the KPCI-3140 documentation by clicking the manual title.

Here are a few helpful hints about using Adobe Acrobat Reader:

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

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

To go back to the page from which the jump was made, click the right mouse button and Go

Back , or from the main menu, click View , then Go Back .

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

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

By default, text and monochrome images are smoothed in Acrobat Reader, resulting in
blurry images. If you wish, you can turn smoothing off by clicking File , then P references/

General , and unchecking Smooth Text and Monochrome Images .

Conventions used in this manual

The following conventions are used in this manual:

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

Items that you select or type are shown in bold .

Related information

Refer to the following documents for more information on using the KPCI-3140 board:

KPCI-3140 Read This First . This “Quick Start Guide” describes how to install the

KPCI-3140 board and related software.

DriverLINX Installation and Configuration

DriverLINX Appendix: Using DriverLINX with your Hardware: Keithley KPCI-3140 instal­lation information)

DriverLINX Technical Reference Manual

DriverLINX Analog I/O Programming Guide

DriverLINX Digital I/O Programming Guide

DriverLINX Counter/Timer Programming Guide

PCI Specification: PCI Local Bus Specification, PCI Special Interest Group, Portland, OR.

Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, and/or Windows NT user manuals

Other manuals appropriate to your installation

xii Preface KPCI-3140 User’s Manual

Where to get help

Should you run into problems installing or using a KPCI-3140 board, our Technical Support
Department is available to provide technical assistance. Refer to Section 5 for more information.
If you are outside the U.S. or Canada, call your local distributor, whose number is listed in your
Keithley product catalog.

1

Overview

1-2 Overview KPCI-3140 User’s Manual

Introduction

This manual is provided for persons needing to understand the installation, interface require­ments, functions, and operation of the KPCI-3140 boards.

This manual focuses primarily on describing the KPCI-3140 boards and their capabilities, set­ting up the boards and their associated software, making typical hookups, and troubleshooting.
There are also sections that summarize characteristics of DriverLINX test-panel software.

Features

The KPCI-3140 is a low-cost counter/timer and digital I/O board for the PCI bus. The
KPCI-3140 consists of the following major features:

Eight 16-bit counter/timers programmable for event counting, frequency measurement, rate
generation (continuous pulse output), one-shot pulse output, and repetitive one-shot pulse
output

Four 24-bit interval timers

Interrupt capability for each counter/timer and interval timer (interrupts can be individually
enabled for the eight counter/timers and the four interval timers)

Programmable gate types

Programmable pulse output polarities (output types) and duty cycles

Four 8-bit digital ports programmable as inputs or outputs on a per-port basis

Digital outputs capable of driving external solid-state relays (15mA)

Change on interrupt capability for one 8-bit digital port

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For a discussion of these features in detail, refer to Section 2.

KPCI-3140 User’s Manual Overview 1-3

System requirements

The system capabilities required to run the KPCI-3140 board, and to use the DriverLINX soft­ware supplied with the board, are listed in Table 1-1.

Table 1-1

System requirements

CPU Type

Operating system

Memory

Hard disk space

Other

*Any CD-ROM drive that came installed with the required computer should be satisfactory. However, if you have post-

installed an older CD-ROM drive or arrived at your present system by updating the microprocessor or replacing the
motherboard, some early CD-ROM drives may not support the long file names often used in 32-bit Windows files.

Pentium or higher processor on motherboard with PCI bus version 2.1

Windows 95 or 98

Windows NT version 4.0 or higher

16 MB or greater RAM when running Windows 95 or 98

32 MB or greater RAM when running Windows NT

4 MB for minimum installation

50 MB for maximum installation

A CD-ROM drive*

A free PCI-bus expansion slot capable of bus mastering

Enough reserve computer power supply capacity to power the
KPCI-3140 board, which draws 405mA at 5VDC.

•

•

DriverLINX software

The following software is available for use with the KPCI-3140 board:

KPCI-3140 standard software package — Shipped with KPCI-3140 boards. Includes

DriverLINX for Microsoft Windows and function libraries for writing application programs
under Windows in a high-level language such as C/C++, Visual Basic, Delphi, and TestPoint;
LabVIEW support files; utility programs; and language-specific example programs.

DriverLINX

application development includes:

•

•

•

•

•

•

— the high-performance real-time data-acquisition device drivers for Windows

DriverLINX API DLLs

Learn DriverLINX —

that includes a Digital Storage Oscilloscope

Source Code —

DriverLINX Application Programming Interface files —

DriverLINX On-line Help System —

DriverLINX

Supplemental Documentation —

and digital I/O programming; counter/timer programming; technical reference; and infor­mation specific to the KPCI-3140 hardware.

and drivers supporting the KPCI-3140 hardware

an interactive learning and demonstration program for DriverLINX

for the sample programs

for the KPCI-3140 interfaces

provides immediate help as you operate

on DriverLINX installation and configuration; analog

1-4 Overview KPCI-3140 User’s Manual

Other software options

The user can select a fully integrated data acquisition software package such as TestPoint or
LabVIEW or write a custom program supported by DriverLINX.

DriverLINX is the basic Application Programming Interface (API) for the KPCI-3140 boards:

• It supports programmers who wish to create custom applications using Visual C/C++, Visual

Basic, or Delphi.

• It accomplishes foreground and background tasks to perform data acquisition.

• It is the needed interface between TestPoint and LabVIEW and a KPCI-3140 board.

DriverLINX software and user’s documentation on a CD-ROM are included with your board.

TestPoint is an optional, fully featured, integrated application package with a graphical drag­and-drop interface which can be used to create data acquisition applications without
programming.

LabVIEW is an optional, fully featured graphical programming language used to create virtual
instrumentation.

Refer to Section 3, “Installation and Configuration,” for more information about DriverLINX,
TestPoint, and LabView.

Accessories

The following optional accessories are available for the KPCI-3140 board:

• STP-3140 screw terminal panel — A screw terminal panel designed specifically for the

KPCI-3140 board, and used in the CE configuration of the board. It measures 3-15/16 inches
by 3-15/16 inches (100mm × 100mm), and has one connector to accommodate the counter/
timer and digital I/O signals provided by the KPCI-3140 board.

• STP-68 screw terminal panel — A generic, 68-pin screw terminal panel that has one

connector to accommodate the counter/timer and digital I/O signals provided by the
KPCI-3140 board.

• CAB-305 cable — A 2-meter, twisted-pair, shielded cable that connects the 68-pin

connector (J1) on the KPCI-3140 board to the J1 connector on the STP-3140 or STP-68
screw terminal panel.

2

Functional Description

2-2 Functional Description KPCI-3140 User’s Manual

This section describes the counter/timer and digital I/O features of the KPCI-3140 board. To
frame the discussions, refer to the block diagram shown in Figure 2-1. Note that bold entries
indicate signals you can access.

Figure 2-1

Block diagram of the KPCI-3140 board

DIO Port D

C/T Clk [7:4]

C/T Gate [7:4]

C/T Out [7:4]

C/T Clk [3:0]

C/T Gate [3:0]

C/T Out [3:0]

Counter/Timer 1

4 Counter/Timers

(16 bits each)

-----------------------­2 Interval Timers

(24 bits each)

Counter/Timer 0

4 Counter/Timers

(16 bits each)

-----------------------­2 Interval Timers

(24 bits each)

16

I/T Out [3:2]

16

I/T Out [1:0]

8

8

8

8

In and Out

Registers

DIO Port C
In and Out

Registers

DIO Port B
In and Out

Registers

DIO Port A
In and Out

Registers

DIO Port D
[7:0]

DIO Port C
[7:0]

DIO Port B
[7:0]

DIO Port A
[7:0]

C/T Out [7:0]

I/T Out [3:0]

DIO Port D [7:0]

Interrupt

Generator

LD[15:0]

PCI Bus Interface

PCI Bus

KPCI-3140 User’s Manual Functional Description 2-3

Counter/Timer features

This section describes the following user counter/timer features:

• Units

• Clock sources

• Gate types

• Pulse output types and duty cycles

• Operation modes

Units

KPCI-3140 boards support eight 16-bit user counter/timer units (numbered 0 to 7). Each unit
accepts a clock input signal and gate input signal, and outputs a clock output signal (also called
a pulse output signal), as shown in Figure 2-2.

Figure 2-2

Counter/Timers

Clock Input SIgnal

(internal, external, or

internally cascaded)

Counter/Timer

Unit

Gate Input Signal

(software or

external input)

Clock Output

Signal

Each counter/timer unit corresponds to a counter/timer (C/T) channel. To select the unit to use in
software, specify the corresponding C/T channel. For example, to select counter/timer 0, specify
C/T channel 0; to select counter/timer 7, specify C/T channel 7.

2-4 Functional Description KPCI-3140 User’s Manual

Clock sources

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

• Internal C/T clock

• External C/T clock

• Internally cascaded clock

Refer to the following subsections for more information on these clock sources.

NOTE When using clock sources greater than 1MHz, it is recommended that

you use counter/timers 0 to 3. This is the CE configuration of the board.

Internal C/T clock

The internal C/T clock uses a 40MHz time base. Counter/timer operations start on the rising
edge of the clock input signal.

Through software, specify the clock source as internal and the frequency at which to pace the
counter/timer operation (this is the frequency of the clock output signal). Using the internal
clock source, the maximum frequency that you can specify for the clock output signal is
20MHz. The minimum frequency that you can specify for the clock output signal is 610Hz.

External C/T clock

The external C/T clock is useful when you want to pace counter/timer operations at rates not
available with the internal C/T clock, or if you want to pace at uneven intervals. The rising edge
of the external C/T clock input signal is the active edge.

Using software, specify the clock source as external and the clock divider used to determine the
frequency at which to pace the operation (this is the frequency of the clock output signal). The
minimum clock divider that you can specify is 2.0; the maximum clock divider that you can
specify is 65,535. For example, assume that you want to generate a continuous rate and you sup­plied an external C/T clock with a frequency of 5MHz. If you specify a clock divider of 5, the
resulting frequency of the external C/T clock output signal is 1MHz.

You can use an external C/T clock source with an input frequency of up to 20MHz; however, the
resulting frequency of the external C/T clock output signal must not exceed 10MHz.

KPCI-3140 User’s Manual Functional Description 2-5

Connect the external C/T clock to the board through the STP-3140 screw terminal panel.

Table 2-1 lists the screw terminals that correspond to the external C/T clock signals of each

counter/timer.

Table 2-1

External C/T clock signals

Counter/Timer Screw Terminal on STP-3140 Pin on Connector J1

0 0TB2 67

1 0TB6 33

2 TB11 62

3 TB15 28

4 TB18 41

5 TB22 07

6 TB27 36

7 TB31 02

Internally cascaded clock

You can also internally route the clock output signal from one counter/timer to the clock input
signal of the next counter/timer to internally cascade the counter/timers. In this way, you can
create a 32-bit counter/timer without externally connecting two counter/timers together.
KPCI-3140 boards support internal (software) cascading on the following counter/timers:

• 0 and 1

• 1 and 2

• 2 and 3

• 4 and 5

• 5 and 6

• 6 and 7

Use DriverLINX to specify internal cascade mode in software. The rising edge of the clock input
signal is active.

Using DriverLINX software, specify the clock source as internal and the frequency at which to
pace the counter/timer operation (this is the frequency of the clock output signal). The maximum
frequency that you can specify for the clock output signal is 10MHz. For a 32-bit cascaded
counter, the minimum frequency that you can specify for the clock output signal is 0.00931Hz,
which corresponds to a rate of once every 107 seconds.

NOTE In software, specify the clock input and gate input for the first counter/

timer in the cascaded pair. For example, if counter/timers 1 and 2 are
cascaded, specify the clock input and gate input for counter/timer 1.

2-6 Functional Description KPCI-3140 User’s Manual

Gate types

The active edge or level of the gate input to the counter enables counter/timer operations. The
operation starts when the clock input signal is received. KPCI-3140 boards provide the follow­ing gate input types:

• None — A software command enables any specified counter/timer operation immediately

after execution. This gate type is useful for all counter/timer modes.

• Logic-low level external gate input — Enables a counter/timer operation when the external

gate signal is low, and disables the counter/timer operation when the external gate signal is
high. Note that this gate type is used only for event counting, frequency measurement, and
rate generation; refer to page 2-8 for more information on these modes.

• Logic-high level external gate input — Enables a counter/timer operation when the exter-

nal gate signal is high, and disables a counter/timer operation when the external gate signal is
low. Note that this gate type is used only for event counting, frequency measurement, and
rate generation; refer to page 2-8 for more information on these modes.

• Falling-edge external gate input — Enables a counter/timer operation on the transition

from the high level to the low level (falling edge). In software, this is called a low-edge gate
type. Note that this gate type is used only for one-shot and repetitive one-shot mode; refer to

page 2-8 for more information on these modes.

• Rising-edge external gate input — Enables a counter/timer operation on the transition from

the low level to the high level (rising edge). In software, this is called a high-edge gate type.
Note that this gate type is used only for one-shot and repetitive one-shot mode; refer to

page 2-8 for more information on these modes.

Specify the gate type in software.

Table 2-2 lists the screw terminals that correspond to the gate input signals of each counter/

timer.

Table 2-2

Gate input signals

Counter/Timer Screw Terminal on STP-3140 Pin on Connector J1

0 0TB4 65

1 0TB8 31

2 0TB9 64

3 TB13 30

4 TB20 39

5 TB24 05

6 TB25 38

7 TB29 04

KPCI-3140 User’s Manual Functional Description 2-7

Pulse output types and duty cycles

KPCI-3140 boards can output pulses from each user counter/timer. Table 2-3 lists the screw ter-
minals that correspond to the pulse output signals of each counter/timer.

Table 2-3

Pulse output signals

Counter/Timer Screw Terminal on STP-3140 Pin on Connector J1

0 0TB3 66

1 0TB7 32

2 TB10 63

3 TB14 29

4 TB19 40

5 TB23 06

6 TB26 37

7 TB30 03

KPCI-3140 boards support the following pulse output types on the clock output signal:

• High-to-low transitions — The low portion of the total pulse output period is the active por-

tion of the counter/timer clock output signal.

• Low-to-high transitions — The high portion of the total pulse output period is the active

portion of the counter/timer pulse output signal.

You specify the pulse output type in software.

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

Figure 2-3 illustrates a low-to-high pulse with a duty cycle of approximately 30%.

Figure 2-3

Example of a low-to-high pulse output type

Active Pulse Width

High

Low

Total Pulse Period

2-8 Functional Description KPCI-3140 User’s Manual

Interrupts

You can use any of the eight user counter/timers to generate an interrupt to the host computer.
The interrupt occurs when the pulse output of the counter/timer changes from a low to a high
state.

In a typical pulse output application where you want an interrupt to occur, it is recommended
that you specify the pulse output type as high-to-low. When the pulse output changes from a low
to high state (based on the frequency and duty cycle of the pulse), the interrupt occurs. If the
pulse output type is low-to-high, you can use the duty cycle to generate an interrupt whenever
the pulse output changes from a low to high state.

In a typical event counting application where you want an interrupt to occur, the pulse output
falls sometime before the terminal count is reached, then rises when the counter rolls over from
the terminal count to the initial count. The terminal count is 2
timer or 232 for a cascaded counter/timer.

In a typical event notification application where you want an interrupt to occur after a specified
number of external events has occurred, use an external clock and specify an external clock
divider. In this case, the value for the external clock divider determines the number of events that
are counted before an interrupt is generated.

16

for a non-cascaded counter/

Hardware operation modes

There are 3 software selectable modes for each user counter/timer:

• Re-triggerable one shot

• Non re-triggerable one shot

• Continuous increment

In re-triggerable one shot mode, an external gate rising or falling edge, or a transition from soft­ware logic low to software logic high can be used as the trigger. When the trigger occurs, the
counter begins incrementing. When the counter increments to the value specified in the pulse
register, the user output is activated. The user output stays active until the counter increments to
the terminal count. The user output is then deactivated and the counter is automatically reloaded
with the initial count, which is specified in the period register. The user output then stays inac­tive, and the counter stays disabled, until the next trigger. Note that all triggers that occur while
the counter is incrementing are ignored.

Non re-triggerable one shot mode is the same as re-triggerable one shot mode with the following
exception: when the counter reaches the terminal count, the board clears the one shot trigger
enable bit. The board will ignore subsequent triggers until the host sets the one shot trigger
enable bit.

In continuous increment mode, an external gate high, external gate low, or software logic high
can be used to enable the counter to increment. When the counter increments to the value speci­fied in the pulse register, the user output is activated. The user output stays active until the
counter increments to the terminal count. The user output is then deactivated and the counter is
automatically reloaded with the initial count, which is specified in the period register. This
sequence is repeated as long as the counter is enabled by the gate.

The active polarity of each user output is software selectable.

KPCI-3140 User’s Manual Functional Description 2-9

DriverLINX subsystems and modes

The DriverLINX software, which accompanies the KPCI-3140 board, provides the application
programming interface (API) between the board and its applications. DriverlINX provides more
than 100 services for creating foreground and background tasks to perform input and output,
time and frequency measurement, event counting, pulse output, and period measurements. These
services are implemented through DriverLINX Service Requests.

DriverLINX subsystems

KPCI-3140 boards support the following DriverLINX counter/timer operation subsystems:

• Device — refers to the KPCI-3140 board as a whole.

• Digital Input — refers to the digital input ports as well as 1-bit digital control signals and

external clock inputs.

• Digital Output — refers to the digital output ports.

• Counter/Timer — refers to the onboard counter/timer channels for pacing analog input/out-

put or performing measuring and waveform generation functions.

Refer to the DriverLINX manuals that accompany your DriverLINX software for more details.

DriverLINX modes

Applications use modes in Service Requests to advise DriverlINX on their preferred hardware
data transfer technique. The DriverLINX modes are either foreground (synchronous) or back-
ground (asynchronous). KPCI-3140 boards support the following DriverLINX counter/timer
operation modes for its commands (Service Requests):

• Polled Mode — is a foreground (synchronous) mode used for simple, single-value I/O oper-

ations that the data-acquisition board can complete without significant delay.

• Interrupt Mode — is a background (asynchronous) operation that is used to transfer data

between the computer’s memory and the board using hardware interrupts and programmed
I/O transfers.

• Other Mode — is a foreground (synchronous) operation that is used for initialization, con-

figuration, calibration, data conversion, and timebase operations.

Refer to the DriverLINX manuals that accompany your DriverLINX software for more details.

DriverLINX service requests

The service request is the form you use to specify all data-acquisition tasks through Driver­LINX. A service request uses four major groups of properties to define tasks:

• Request Group — specifies the target logical device and logical channel of a task and the

data-acquisition mode and operation to perform.

• Events Group — specifies how DriverLINX should time or pace data acquisition, when

DriverLINX should start acquisition, and when it should end.

• Select Group — specifies the logical channels to acquire and the number and length of data

buffers to acquire.

• Results Group — DriverLINX uses these properties to return result codes and single data

values.

You can fill out service requests either interactively using the Edit Service Request property page
in DriverLINX or programmatically by assigning values to the required properties in each
group.

2-10 Functional Description KPCI-3140 User’s Manual

Typical applications

Some typical applications of the KPCI-3140 include event counting, frequency measurement,
rate generation, one-shot pulse output, and repetitive one-shot pulse output.

Event counting

Use event counting to count events from the counter’s external clock input source.

If you are using one counter/timer, you can count a maximum of 65,536 events before the
counter rolls over to 0 and starts counting again. If you are using a cascaded 32-bit counter, you
can count a maximum of 4,294,967,296 events before the counter rolls over to 0 and starts
counting again.

NOTE If interrupts are enabled for a C/T channel operating in event counting

mode, the interrupt occurs when the maximum number of events is
reached (before the counter rolls over to 0).

In event counting applications, use an external C/T clock source; refer to page 2-4 for more
information on the external C/T clock source.

NOTE An external clock divider is not used when counting events.

Use DriverLINX software to specify the counter/timer mode as event counting (count), the C/T
clock source as external, and the gate type that enables the operation. Refer to page 2-6 for infor­mation on gates.

Ensure that the signals are wired appropriately. Figure 2-4 shows one example of connecting an
event counting application to the STP-3140 screw terminal panel using user counter 0. In this
example, rising clock edges are counted while the gate is active.

Figure 2-4

Connecting event counting signals (shown for Clock Input 0 and External Gate 0)

Signal Source

External
Gating
Switch

Digital Ground

User Clock Input 0

Gate 0

Digital Ground

Shield

TB1

TB2

TB4

TB12

TB33

STP-3140 Panel

KPCI-3140 User’s Manual Functional Description 2-11

Figure 2-5 shows an example of an event counting operation. In this example, the gate type is

low level.

Figure 2-5

Example of event counting

High Level
Disables Operation

Gate Input
Signal

External C/T
Clock
Input Signal

Low Level Enables Operation

3 Events are counted while
the operation is enabled.

Event Counting
Operation Starts

Event Counting
Operation Stops

Frequency measurement

Use frequency measurement applications to measure the frequency of the signal from counter’s
external clock input source over a specified duration. In this mode, use an external C/T clock
source; refer to page 2-4 for more information on the external C/T clock source.

DriverLINX can measure the time-averaged frequency of an unknown frequency source con­nected to the Clock input. Frequency measurement requires two, or more counter/timers config­ured as gating and measurement counters. (See Figure 2-6.)

Figure 2-6

Frequency measurement using DriverLINX

Internal Clock

Unknown Frequency

Clock

Gate

Clock

Gate

Gating

Counter

Measurement

Counter

Output

Output