Tektronix KPCMCIA-12AI, KPCMCIA User manual

KPCMCIA-12AI/16AI PCMCIA

Data Acquisition System
User’s Manual

A GREATER MEASURE OF CONFIDENCE

WARRANTY

Hardware

Keithley Instruments, Inc. warrants that, for a period of one (1) year from the date of shipment (3 years for Models 2000, 2001, 2002, 2010 and 2700), 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]
FINLAND: Tietäjäntie 2 • 02130 Espoo • Phone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]
FRANCE: 3, allée des Garays • 91127 Palaiseau Cédex • 01-64 53 20 20 • Fax: [phone]
GERMANY: Landsberger Strasse 65 • 82110 Germering • 089/84 93 07-40 • Fax: [phone]
GREAT BRITAIN: Unit 2 Commerce Park, Brunel Road • Theale • Berkshire RG7 4AB • 0118 929 7500 • Fax: [phone]
INDIA: Flat 2B, Willocrissa • 14, Rest House Crescent • Bangalore 560 001 • 91-80-509-1320/21 • Fax: [phone]
ITALY: Viale San Gimignano, 38 • 20146 Milano • 02-48 39 16 01 • Fax: [phone]
JAPAN: New Pier Takeshiba North Tower 13F • 11-1, Kaigan 1-chome • Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0022 • 81-3-5733-7555 • Fax: [phone]
KOREA: 2FL., URI Building • 2-14 Yangjae-Dong • Seocho-Gu, Seoul 137-888 • 82-2-574-7778 • Fax: [phone]
NETHERLANDS: Postbus 559 • 4200 AN Gorinchem • 0183-635333 • Fax: [phone]
SWEDEN: c/o Regus Business Centre • Frosundaviks Allé 15, 4tr • 169 70 Solna • 08-509 04 679 • Fax: [phone]
SWITZERLAND: Kriesbachstrasse 4 • 8600 Dübendorf • 01-821 94 44 • Fax: [phone]
TAIWAN: 1FL., 85 Po Ai Street • Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C. • 886-3-572-9077• Fax: [phone]

4/02

KPCMCIA-12AI/16AI

PCMCIA Data Acquisition System

User’s Manual

©1999, Keithley Instruments, Inc.

All rights reserved.

Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.

Fourth Printing, August 2002

Document Number: 98933 Rev. D

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 98933)................................................................................................... July 1997

Revision B (Document Number 98933).......................................................................................... December 1997

Revision C (Document Number 98933)......................................................................................... September 1999

Revision D (Document Number 98933)............................................................................................... August 2002

All Keithley product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of Keithley Instruments, Inc.

Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Safety Precautions

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

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

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

The types of product users are:

Responsible body is the individual or group responsible for the use

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

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

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

Maintenance personnel perform routine procedures on the product

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

the circuit may be exposed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5/02

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

!

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

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

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

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

Instrumentation and accessories shall not be connected to humans.

Before performing any maintenance, disconnect the line cord and
all test cables.

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

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

1 Introduction

Table of Contents

Getting started ...................................................................................................................................................... 1-2

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

Technical support................................................................................................................................................. 1-3

2 Installation

Hardware setup ....................................................................................................................................................2-2

Software setup......................................................................................................................................................2-2

3 Theory of Operation

Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................... 3-2

DC/DC power supply...........................................................................................................................................3-2

Analog input multiplexer .....................................................................................................................................3-2

Programmable gain control.................................................................................................................................. 3-3

Scan list ................................................................................................................................................................ 3-3

Trigger circuit ......................................................................................................................................................3-3

A/D converter and data FIFO............................................................................................................................... 3-4

Interrupt and status...............................................................................................................................................3-4

Digital I/O ............................................................................................................................................................3-4

A/D state machine................................................................................................................................................ 3-5

4 I/O Connections

Cable assembly ....................................................................................................................................................4-2

i

5 Optional Accessories

Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................................5-2

Attaching accessories ...........................................................................................................................................5-2

Attaching an STP-37 screw terminal panel ..................................................................................................5-2

Attaching an EXP-1600 expansion accessory..............................................................................................5-3

Attaching multiple EXP-1600 expansion accessories..................................................................................5-4

A Specifications

B PCMCIA Interface

Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................B-2

Configuration and option register (COR)............................................................................................................B-3

Card configuration and status register (CCSR) ................................................................................................... B-3

C I/O Registers

Introduction .........................................................................................................................................................C-2

Data FIFO register (base + 0)..............................................................................................................................C-2

Data FIFO operation modes ........................................................................................................................C-3

Mode setting ................................................................................................................................................ C-4

FIFO flags.................................................................................................................................................... C-4

Scan list queue register (base + 1, write only).....................................................................................................C-5

Scan list queue programming ...................................................................................................................... C-5

Channel configuration ................................................................................................................................. C-6

Analog input offset correction.....................................................................................................................C-7

Control register (base + 2, write)......................................................................................................................... C-7

Clock source ................................................................................................................................................ C-7

Expansion mode ..........................................................................................................................................C-7

Interrupt enable............................................................................................................................................ C-7

Trigger mode ............................................................................................................................................... C-8

Trigger source.............................................................................................................................................. C-8

Trigger edge.................................................................................................................................................C-8

Status register (base + 2, read) ............................................................................................................................C-8

Digital output register (base + 3, write)...............................................................................................................C-9

Digital input register (base + 3, read)..................................................................................................................C-9

Pacer clock (base + 4, +5, +6, write only)......................................................................................................... C-10

Auxiliary control register (base + 7, write only) ............................................................................................... C-11

Trigger/arm command ............................................................................................................................... C-11

Flush data FIFO command ........................................................................................................................ C-11

Flush scan list queue command.................................................................................................................C-11

Stop A/D command ................................................................................................................................... C-12

Data FIFO program/access control............................................................................................................ C-12

Scan rate selection ..................................................................................................................................... C-13

ii

3 Theory of Operation

List of Illustrations

Figure 3-1 State transition diagram of A/D conversion process............................................................................................ 3-5

4 I/O Connections

Figure 4-1 KPCMCIA-12AI/16AI PC card D-37 output connector, KCAB-AI................................................................... 4-3

5 Optional Accessories

Figure 5-1 Attaching an STP-37 screw terminal panel.......................................................................................................... 5-2

Figure 5-2 Attaching an EXP-1600 expansion accessory......................................................................................................5-3

Figure 5-3 Attaching multiple EXP-1600 expansion accessories..........................................................................................5-4

C I/O Registers

Figure C-1 Pacer clock block diagram ................................................................................................................................ C-10

iii

4 I/O Connections

List of Tables

Table 4-1 KPCMCIA-12AI/16AI PC card cable mapping ..................................................................................................4-2

B PCMCIA Interface

Table B-1 PCMCIA configuration registers ........................................................................................................................ B-2

Table B-2 COR bit definitions ............................................................................................................................................. B-3

Table B-3 CCSR bit definitions ........................................................................................................................................... B-3

C I/O Registers

Table C-1 KPCMCIA-12AI/16AI PC card register map..................................................................................................... C-2

Table C-2 Data FIFO register bit allocation ........................................................................................................................ C-2

Table C-3 Data FIFO operation mode ................................................................................................................................. C-3

Table C-4 Data FIFO threshold setting................................................................................................................................ C-3

Table C-5 Data FIFO flag status .......................................................................................................................................... C-4

Table C-6 Scan list queue entry bit definitions.................................................................................................................... C-5

Table C-7 Scan list queue programming example 1 ............................................................................................................ C-6

Table C-8 Scan list queue programming example 2 ............................................................................................................ C-6

Table C-9 Control register bit definitions ............................................................................................................................ C-7

Table C-10 Status register bit definitions............................................................................................................................... C-8

Table C-11 Digital output register bit definitions .................................................................................................................. C-9

Table C-12 Digital input register bit definitions .................................................................................................................... C-9

Table C-13 Auxiliary control register bit definitions........................................................................................................... C-11

Table C-14 Data FIFO threshold setting .............................................................................................................................. C-12

v

1

Introduction

1-2 Introduction KPCMCIA-12AI/16AI User’s Manual

Getting started

The KPCMCIA-12AI/16AI PC cards are PCMCIA type II data acquisition systems with eight
differential or 16 single-ended analog input channels. The number of input channels can be
expanded to 256 with input expansion cards. Each channel has a bipolar input range of ±10V,
±5V, ±2.5V, or ±1.25V (programmable gains of 1, 2, 4, or 8). These PC cards support sampling
rates up to 100kHz at either 12-bit or 16-bit resolution.

Equipped with a data FIFO (first in first out) of 2048 samples, the KPCMCIA-12AI/16AI PC cards
can achieve full-speed data acquisition under Windows 95/98 and Windows NT. The cards have a
scan FIFO of the same size that supports full-speed, random-order channel scanning and gain
selection for all the input channels (up to 256 channels when using the input expansion cards).

These PC cards also include a 24-bit pacer clock and a programmable divided-by-2, by-10, or by ­100 pre-scaler. The pacer clock can also be used with an external clock source. With the 10MHz
internal clock source, the pacer clock can generate accurate sampling rate from 0.006Hz to 100kHz.

Both cards have four digital inputs and four digital output channels, which are all TTL compatible
and may be used for control or monitoring in addition to analog data acquisition.

The DriverLINX software drivers provided support various programming languages including
Visual C/C++, Visual Basic and Delphi. A Dynamic Link Library (DLL) is provided for all pro­gramming languages under Microsoft Windows, as well as the Visual Basic Controls (VBX). The
KPCMCIA-12AI/16AI PC card also has turn-key software supports for TestPoint and LabView.

Features

The KPCMCIA-12AI/16AI is provided with a KCAB-AI cable with an industry standard D-37
female connector for interfacing to optional terminal blocks and expansion boards. These
optional accessories are described in Section 5.

The KPCMCIA-12AI/16AI PC card offers the following features:

•

12- or 16-bit resolution

Eight differential or 16 single-ended analog input channels, expandable to 256 channels

•

•

Bipolar input range up to ±10V

•

Truly programmable gains of 1, 2, 4, or 8

Full-speed channel scanning and gain selection for all analog input channels

•

•

Data FIFO of 2048 samples

Sampling rate up to 100kHz

•

•

24-bit pacer clock with variable pre-scalers and external clock source*

Digital input/output channels

•

•

Flexible trigger mode (internal/external*, one-shot/continuous, rising/falling edge)

Software drivers for Windows 95/98 and Windows NT as well as canned software packages

•

for TestPoint. An optional LabView driver is available.

*NOTE In “Paced” mode, the same input pin is shared between external clock and external trigger,

therefore only one function can be used (not both simultaneously).

KPCMCIA-12AI/16AI User’s Manual Introduction 1-3

Technical support

Before returning any equipment for repair, call Keithley Instruments, Inc., for technical support
at:

1-888-KEITHLEY

Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time

An applications engineer will help you diagnose and resolve your problem over the telephone.

If a telephone resolution is not possible, the applications engineer will issue you a Return Material
Authorization (RMA) number and ask you to return the equipment. Include the RMA number
with any documentation regarding the equipment.

When returning equipment for repair, include the following information:

•

Your name, address, and telephone number.

•

The invoice or order number and date of equipment purchase.

A description of the problem or its symptoms.

•

•

The RMA number on the outside of the package.

Repackage the equipment using the original anti-static wrapping, if possible, and handle it with
ground protection. Ship the equipment to:

ATTN: RMA # __________

Repair Department

Keithley Instruments, Inc.

28775 Aurora Road

Cleveland, OH 44139

Telephone 1-888-KEITHLEY

FAX [phone]

NOTES If you are submitting your equipment for repair under warranty, you

must include the invoice number and date of purchase.

To enable Keithley Instruments, Inc., to respond as quickly as possible,
you must include the RMA number on the outside of the package.

2

Installation

2-2 Installation KPCMCIA-12AI/16AI User’s Manual

Hardware setup

To install the KPCMCIA-12AI/16AI PC card, insert the adapter into any type II PCMCIA socket.
All other configuration options are determined by the DriverLINX Software operating system as
discussed in your DriverLINX manuals.

Software setup

Refer to your DriverLINX documentation for a detailed description of the software installation
procedure.