Page 1
EX1403
16-CHANNEL
BRIDGE/STRAIN BENCHTOP DIGITIZER
USER’S MANUAL
P/N: 82-0161-000 Rev A
Released July 2019
AMETEK Programmable Power
9250 Brown Deer Road
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 450-0085
Page 2
Page 3
www.powerandtest.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
About AMETEK ................................................................................................................................................... 8
Trademarks ........................................................................................................................................................... 8
Exclusion for Documentation ............................................................................................................................... 8
Contact Information .............................................................................................................................................. 8
Certification .......................................................................................................................................................... 9
Warranty Terms .................................................................................................................................................... 9
Product Return Procedure ..................................................................................................................................... 9
GENERAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS ........................................................................................................................... 13
Terms and Symbols ............................................................................................................................................ 13
Warnings ............................................................................................................................................................. 13
SECTION 1.................................................................................................................................................................. 15
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................... 15
Overview ............................................................................................................................................................ 15
Features ............................................................................................................................................................... 15
High Density Solution ................................................................................................................................... 15
Data Integrity................................................................................................................................................. 15
Excitation Source .......................................................................................................................................... 16
Programmable Bridge Configurations ........................................................................................................... 16
Simplified Installation, Setup and Control .................................................................................................... 16
Channel Independence .................................................................................................................................. 16
Shunt Calibration ........................................................................................................................................... 16
TEDS Transducer Support ............................................................................................................................ 16
Digital Filter .................................................................................................................................................. 17
Input Connectors ........................................................................................................................................... 17
Sampling Rate ............................................................................................................................................... 17
Digital I/O and Limits ................................................................................................................................... 17
Triggering ...................................................................................................................................................... 17
Multi-Function Display ................................................................................................................................. 17
USB Data Recording ..................................................................................................................................... 17
Self-test ......................................................................................................................................................... 18
EX1403 Specifications ....................................................................................................................................... 19
Input Specifications ....................................................................................................................................... 19
Voltage Excitation Specifications ................................................................................................................. 20
Current Excitation ......................................................................................................................................... 20
ADC Specifications ............................................................................................................................................ 20
ADC Synchronization and Triggering ................................................................................................................ 21
Trigger Input Specifications .......................................................................................................................... 21
Trigger Output Specifications ....................................................................................................................... 21
Clock Input/Output Specifications...................................................................................................................... 22
Ethernet ............................................................................................................................................................... 22
USB 2.0 .............................................................................................................................................................. 22
Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS) ......................................................................................................... 22
Power .................................................................................................................................................................. 22
Environmental .................................................................................................................................................... 23
Physical Specifications ....................................................................................................................................... 23
Connectors .......................................................................................................................................................... 24
EX1403 Dimensional Diagram ........................................................................................................................... 26
EX1403 Rack Mount Kit Dimensional Diagram ................................................................................................ 26
Transducer Connections for Different Bridge Configurations ............................................................................ 27
EX1403 Preface 3
Page 4
VTI Instruments
SECTION 2.................................................................................................................................................................. 29
PREPARATION FOR USE ........................................................................................................................................... 29
Unpacking EX1403 ............................................................................................................................................ 29
Installation Location ........................................................................................................................................... 29
Location of connectors ....................................................................................................................................... 30
Installation Options ............................................................................................................................................. 31
Rack-shelf Installation Option of EX1403 .................................................................................................... 31
Tabletop Installation Option .......................................................................................................................... 32
Warm-Up Time................................................................................................................................................... 33
Powering Up and Grounding .............................................................................................................................. 33
EX1403 Safety Precautions ................................................................................................................................ 35
Software Installation ........................................................................................................................................... 36
Driver Installation ............................................................................................................................................... 36
IVI Shared Components Installation (Windows Only) ................................................................................. 36
Instrument Driver Installation ....................................................................................................................... 37
Platform/LXISync Instrument Driver Installation ......................................................................................... 37
Network Configuration ....................................................................................................................................... 38
Network Configuration Reset for EX1403 .................................................................................................... 38
Network Troubleshooting ................................................................................................................................... 39
Using Multiple Network Cards ..................................................................................................................... 39
Time Configuration ............................................................................................................................................ 41
SECTION 3.................................................................................................................................................................. 42
BASIC OPERATION .................................................................................................................................................. 42
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 42
Engineering Unit (EU) Conversion .................................................................................................................... 42
Hardware/Analog Anti-Alias Filter .................................................................................................................... 42
Digital Filter ....................................................................................................................................................... 42
LED Indications .................................................................................................................................................. 42
Power LED (PWR) ........................................................................................................................................ 42
LAN LED ...................................................................................................................................................... 42
IEEE 1588 LED ............................................................................................................................................ 43
LEDs on Network Port .................................................................................................................................. 43
Channel LED Indicators ................................................................................................................................ 43
Digital I/O ........................................................................................................................................................... 43
Triggering ........................................................................................................................................................... 44
Data Format ........................................................................................................................................................ 44
Acquiring Data ................................................................................................................................................... 44
Retrieving Data ................................................................................................................................................... 45
User-defined Conversions .................................................................................................................................. 45
LCD Display ....................................................................................................................................................... 45
Hostname ....................................................................................................................................................... 46
IPv4 Address ................................................................................................................................................. 46
IPv6 Addresses .............................................................................................................................................. 46
MAC Address ................................................................................................................................................ 46
LAN Reset ..................................................................................................................................................... 47
Fan ................................................................................................................................................................. 47
Self-Test ........................................................................................................................................................ 47
USB ............................................................................................................................................................... 47
USB Memory Devices ........................................................................................................................................ 48
Storage Devices APIs .................................................................................................................................... 48
Stored Configurations.................................................................................................................................... 48
Data Logging ................................................................................................................................................. 48
SECTION 4.................................................................................................................................................................. 51
WEB PAGE OPERATION ........................................................................................................................................... 51
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 51
Common Issues................................................................................................................................................... 52
4 EX1403 Preface
Page 5
www.powerandtest.com
Multiple Network Ports ................................................................................................................................. 52
Firewall ......................................................................................................................................................... 52
General Web Page Operation ............................................................................................................................. 52
Login................................................................................................................................................................... 54
Index ................................................................................................................................................................... 55
Instrument ........................................................................................................................................................... 55
Soft Front Panel .................................................................................................................................................. 57
USB Storage ....................................................................................................................................................... 60
Network Configuration ....................................................................................................................................... 61
Instrument Health ............................................................................................................................................... 63
Time Configuration ............................................................................................................................................ 63
LXI Synchronization .......................................................................................................................................... 64
LXI Identification ............................................................................................................................................... 65
Blink LAN Indicator ........................................................................................................................................... 67
Change Password ................................................................................................................................................ 68
Nonvolatile Memory ........................................................................................................................................... 68
Upgrade .............................................................................................................................................................. 69
Reset ................................................................................................................................................................... 69
Reboot................................................................................................................................................................. 69
SECTION 5.................................................................................................................................................................. 70
INSTRUMENT DRIVERS ............................................................................................................................................ 70
Overview ............................................................................................................................................................ 70
IVI Drivers .......................................................................................................................................................... 70
Header and Library Files ............................................................................................................................... 70
Drivers for Linux OS .......................................................................................................................................... 70
Header and Library Files ............................................................................................................................... 71
Building and Running Example Programs ......................................................................................................... 71
Windows Examples ....................................................................................................................................... 71
Linux Examples............................................................................................................................................. 72
COMPATIBILITY ...................................................................................................................................................... 72
Driver and Firmware Revisions .......................................................................................................................... 72
Driver API and Instruments ................................................................................................................................ 72
DRIVER STRUCTURE ............................................................................................................................................... 74
Measurement ...................................................................................................................................................... 74
Channels and Channel Groups ............................................................................................................................ 74
Voltage Channel Configuration .......................................................................................................................... 75
Resistance Channel Configuration...................................................................................................................... 75
Strain Channel Configuration ............................................................................................................................. 75
Start, Arm, Trigger, and Alarm........................................................................................................................... 76
Sync ............................................................................................................................................................... 76
Start ............................................................................................................................................................... 77
Arm ............................................................................................................................................................... 77
Trigger ........................................................................................................................................................... 77
Trigger Holdoff ............................................................................................................................................. 78
Alarms ........................................................................................................................................................... 80
Retrieving Data ................................................................................................................................................... 81
FIFO Read ..................................................................................................................................................... 81
Streaming ...................................................................................................................................................... 81
Reference Clock and Time Stamps ..................................................................................................................... 81
LXI and LAN Events .......................................................................................................................................... 82
IVI Class Compliant Interfaces........................................................................................................................... 82
MULTIPLE INSTRUMENTS ........................................................................................................................................ 83
Initializing with Multiple Instruments ................................................................................................................ 83
Multiple Instrument Coordination ...................................................................................................................... 83
DATA ACQUISITION ................................................................................................................................................ 85
Data Flow ........................................................................................................................................................... 85
FIFO ................................................................................................................................................................... 85
EX1403 Preface 5
Page 6
VTI Instruments
Data Streaming ................................................................................................................................................... 86
Memory Streaming ........................................................................................................................................ 86
Disk Streaming .............................................................................................................................................. 86
Callback Streaming ....................................................................................................................................... 87
Sampling Rates ................................................................................................................................................... 87
ClockFrequency ............................................................................................................................................ 87
Prescaler ........................................................................................................................................................ 87
DownsamplingFactor .................................................................................................................................... 87
FilterType ...................................................................................................................................................... 87
SampleRate ................................................................................................................................................... 88
Span ............................................................................................................................................................... 88
FilterCoefficients ........................................................................................................................................... 88
GroupDelay ................................................................................................................................................... 88
RecordSize .................................................................................................................................................... 88
Oversample ................................................................................................................................................... 89
Multipass ....................................................................................................................................................... 89
DIO Sample Rate .......................................................................................................................................... 89
Overload Detection ............................................................................................................................................. 89
Time Stamp ........................................................................................................................................................ 89
Additional Data................................................................................................................................................... 90
Engineering Unit (EU) Conversion .................................................................................................................... 90
Strain Measurement ....................................................................................................................................... 91
Resistance Measurement ............................................................................................................................... 94
Linear Conversion ......................................................................................................................................... 95
MEASUREMENT PROCESS ....................................................................................................................................... 96
Measurement Setup ............................................................................................................................................ 96
Sync and Coordination .................................................................................................................................. 96
Start, Arm, and Trigger ................................................................................................................................. 96
Sampling Parameters ..................................................................................................................................... 96
Analog Front End .......................................................................................................................................... 96
Measurement Initiation ....................................................................................................................................... 96
Measurement Loop ............................................................................................................................................. 96
Arming ................................................................................................................................................................ 97
Self-arming .................................................................................................................................................... 97
Arming by User’s Command ........................................................................................................................ 97
Arming at a Certain Time Interval ................................................................................................................ 97
Arming by External Pulse ............................................................................................................................. 97
Arming from DIO Lines ................................................................................................................................ 97
Arming from LAN Events by Other Instruments .......................................................................................... 97
Triggering ........................................................................................................................................................... 97
Self-triggering ............................................................................................................................................... 97
Triggering by User’s Command .................................................................................................................... 97
Triggering at a Certain Time Interval ............................................................................................................ 97
Triggering by Analog Signal ......................................................................................................................... 97
Triggering by External Pulse ......................................................................................................................... 98
Triggering from DIO Lines ........................................................................................................................... 98
Triggering from LAN Events by Other Instruments ..................................................................................... 98
Data Retrieval ..................................................................................................................................................... 98
Pipeline Delay and Latency ........................................................................................................................... 98
Events ................................................................................................................................................................. 99
WHERE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION .................................................................................................................. 100
Driver API Reference ....................................................................................................................................... 100
Specification Information ................................................................................................................................. 100
SECTION 6................................................................................................................................................................ 101
OPERATION OF DATA LOGGER ............................................................................................................................. 101
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 101
USB Disk Selection and Preparation ................................................................................................................ 101
6 EX1403 Preface
Page 7
www.powerandtest.com
USB Disk Insertion and Safe Removal ............................................................................................................. 101
Configuration of USB Disk .............................................................................................................................. 102
Saving Data to USB Disk ................................................................................................................................. 102
HDF5 File Hierarchy ........................................................................................................................................ 102
CSV File Format ............................................................................................................................................... 103
SECTION 7 ............................................................................................................................................................. 104
ONBOARD MEMORY ............................................................................................................................................. 104
Onboard Memory and Clearing Procedure ....................................................................................................... 104
APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................................................. 105
MULTIPLE INSTRUMENT SYSTEM .......................................................................................................................... 105
Overview .......................................................................................................................................................... 105
Master and Slave .............................................................................................................................................. 105
Synchronization Performance ........................................................................................................................... 105
INDEX ................................................................................................................................................................... 107
EX1403 Preface 7
Page 8
VTI Instruments
800 733 5427 (toll free in North America)
858 450 0085 (direct)
858 458 0267
www.programmablepower.com
ABOUT AMETEK
AMETEK Programmable Power, Inc., a Division of AMETEK, Inc., is a global leader in the design and manufacture
of precision, programmable power supplies for R&D, test and measurement, process control, power bus simulation
and power conditioning applications across diverse industrial segments. From bench top supplies to rackmounted
industrial power subsystems, AMETEK Programmable Power is the proud manufacturer of Elgar, Sorensen,
California Instruments, Amrel brand power supplies. Also VTI Instruments brand which delivers precision modular
instrumentation and systems for electronic signal distribution, acquisition, and monitoring, used in the world's most
demanding test applications.
AMETEK, Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices with
annualized sales of $4 billion. The Company has over 15,000 colleagues working at nearly 150 manufacturing
facilities and nearly 150 sales and service centers in the United States and 30 other countries around the world.
TRADEMARKS
AMETEK is a registered trademark of AMETEK, Inc. VTI Instruments is a trademark owned by AMETEK, Inc.
Other trademarks, registered trademarks, and product names are the property of their respective owners and are used
herein for identification purposes only.
Notice of Copyright
EX14xx Series User Manual © 2018 AMETEK Programmable Power, Inc. All rights reserved.
EXCLUSION FOR DOCUMENTATION
UNLESS SPECIFICALLY AGREED TO IN WRITING, AMETEK PROGRAMMABLE POWER, INC.
(“AMETEK”):
(a) MAKES NO WARRANTY AS TO THE ACCURACY, SUFFICIENCY OR SUITABILITY OF
ANY TECHNICAL OR OTHER INFORMATION PROVIDED IN ITS MANUALS OR OTHER
DOCUMENTATION.
(b) ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR LOSSES, DAMAGES, COSTS OR
EXPENSES, WHETHER SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL OR
INCIDENTAL, WHICH MIGHT ARISE OUT OF THE USE OF SUCH INFORMATION. THE
USE OF ANY SUCH INFORMATION WILL BE ENTIRELY AT THE USER’S RISK, AND
(c) GIVES NOTIFICATION THAT, IF THIS MANUAL IS IN ANY LANGUAGE OTHER THAN
ENGLISH, ALTHOUGH STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO MAINTAIN THE ACCURACY OF
THE TRANSLATION, THE ACCURACY CANNOT BE GUARANTEED. APPROVED AMETEK
CONTENT IS WITHIN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE VERSION, WHICH IS POSTED AT
WWW.PROGRAMMABLEPOWER.COM.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Telephone:
Fax:
Email:
Web:
8 EX1403 Preface
Page 9
www.powerandtest.com
CERTIFICATION
VTI Instruments (VTI) certifies that this product met its published specifications at the time of shipment from the
factory. VTI further certifies that its calibration measurements are traceable to the United States National Institute of
Standards and Technology (formerly National Bureau of Standards), to the extent allowed by that organization’s
calibration facility, and to the calibration facilities of other International Standards Organization members.
WARRANTY TERMS
The product referred to herein is warranted against defects in material and workmanship for a period of one year from
the receipt date of the product at customer’s facility.
AMETEK Programmable Power, Inc. (“AMETEK”), provides this written warranty covering the Product stated
above, and if the Buyer discovers and notifies AMETEK in writing of any defect in material or workmanship within
the applicable warranty period stated above, then AMETEK may, at its option: repair or replace the Product; or issue
a credit note for the defective Product; or provide the Buyer with replacement parts for the Product.
The Buyer will, at its expense, return the defective Product or parts thereof to AMETEK in accordance with the return
procedure specified below. AMETEK will, at its expense, deliver the repaired or replaced Product or parts to the
Buyer. Any warranty of AMETEK will not apply if the Buyer is in default under the Purchase Order Agreement or
where the Product, or any part thereof, is as follows:
damaged by misuse, accident, negligence or failure to maintain the same as specified or required by
AMETEK;
damaged by modifications, alterations or attachments thereto which are not authorized by AMETEK;
installed or operated contrary to the instructions of AMETEK;
opened, modified, or disassembled in any way without AMETEK’s consent;
used in combination with items, articles or materials not authorized by AMETEK.
The Buyer may not assert any claim that the Products are not in conformity with any warranty until the Buyer has
made all payments to AMETEK provided for in the Purchase Order Agreement.
PRODUCT RETURN PROCEDURE
Request a Return Material Authorization (RMA) number from the repair facility (must be done in the country in
which it was purchased):
In the USA, contact the AMETEK Customer Service Department prior to the return of the product
to AMETEK for repair:
Telephone: 800-733-5427, ext. 2295 or ext. 2463 (toll free North America)
858-450-0085, ext. 2295 or ext. 2463 (direct)
Outside the United States, contact the nearest Authorized Service Center (ASC). A full listing can
be found either through your local distributor, or on our website, www.programmablepower.com, by
tapping Support button or going to the Service Centers tab.
When requesting an RMA, have the following information ready:
Model number
Serial number
Description of the problem
NOTE: Unauthorized returns will not be accepted and will be returned at the shipper’s expense.
NOTE: A returned product found upon inspection by AMETEK to be in specification is subject to an evaluation fee
and applicable freight charges.
EX1403 Preface 9
Page 10
VTI Instruments
10 EX1403 Preface
Page 11
www.powerandtest.com
EX1403 Preface 11
Page 12
VTI Instruments
12 EX1403 Preface
Page 13
www.powerandtest.com
These terms may appear in this manual:
or loss of data.
These symbols may appear on the product:
Fees for take
-
back and recycling will apply if not prohibited by national law.
Follow these precautions to
avoid injury or damage to the product:
the safety earth ground cable.
GENERAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Review the following safety precautions to avoid bodily injury and/or damage to the product. These
precautions must be observed during all phases of operation or service of this product. Failure to
comply with these precautions, or with specific warnings elsewhere in this manual, violates safety
standards of design, manufacture, and intended use of the product. Note that this product contains
no user serviceable parts or spare parts.
Service should only be performed by qualified personnel. Disconnect all power before servicing.
TERMS AND SYMBOLS
WARNING
CAUTION
Indicates that a procedure or condition may cause bodily injury or death.
Indicates that a procedure or condition could possibly cause damage to equipment
WARNINGS
Attention and Warning - Important safety instructions, refer to manual
Warning, possibility of electric shock, refer to manual
Frame or chassis ground
Safety ground, required to be connected to local earth ground
Indicates that the product was manufactured after August 13, 2005. This mark is
placed in accordance with EN 50419, Marking of electrical and electronic
equipment in accordance with Article 11(2) of Directive 2002/96/EC (WEEE).
End-of-life product can be returned to AMETEK by obtaining an RMA number.
Apply local earth ground
EX1403 Preface 13
The safety earth ground cable provided with this instrument meets
the required regulatory and statutory safety standards as indicated by
this product’s declaration of conformity. The green/yellow safety
cable must be applied between the safety ground on the rear of the
unit and the local safety earth ground. This is required for safe
operation of the equipment. Refer to the manual on how to apply
Page 14
VTI Instruments
for this product
.
overheating.
personnel
Conformity is checked by inspection.
Use Proper PoE+ Source
Use Proper AUX Source
Avoid Electric Shock
Operating Conditions
This unit can be powered over Ethernet via PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at).
When using PoE+ to power your unit, only use VTI recommended
powered Ethernet switches, a list is available in this manual. Using
a powered switch that is not on VTI’s recommended list may not
work.
This unit can be optionally powered with an external DC source.
When using the AUX DC Input to power your unit, VTI recommends
using external supply (VTI# 56-0739-120). If desired, a different DC
supply can be used if it meets the voltage, power, connector, and
safety requirements. Use a power source that meets the same safety
and CE requirements listed on the declaration of conformity for this
product. Verify that the connector pin-out is the same as required
To avoid electric shock or fire hazard, do not operate this product
with the covers removed. Do not connect or disconnect any cable,
probes, test leads, etc. while they are connected to a voltage source.
Remove all power and unplug unit before performing any service.
Service should only be performed by qualified personnel.
To avoid injury, electric shock or fire hazard:
- Do not operate in wet or damp conditions.
- Do not operate in an explosive atmosphere.
- Operate or store only in specified temperature range.
- Provide proper clearance for product ventilation to prevent
Improper Use
- DO NOT operate if any damage to this product is suspected.
Product should be inspected or serviced only by qualified
The operator of this instrument is advised that if the equipment is
used in a manner not specified in this manual, the protection
provided by the equipment may be impaired.
14 EX1403 Preface
Page 15
www.powerandtest.com
SECTION 1
INTRODUCTION
OVERVIEW
The EX1403 is a 16-channel high-performance strain gage measurement instrument. Its combination of measurement
performance and integrity, configuration flexibility, package density, and network connectivity make it the most
powerful, yet easy-to-use, instrument of its kind. The EX1403 is a complete, self-contained strain measurement system
that communicates over Ethernet. Unlike other data acquisition offerings in its class, the EX1403 offers a tightly
integrated solution that frees the user from the complexity of marrying terminal blocks, signal conditioning cards,
digitizer, excitation source, and chassis together
FEATURES
High Density Solution
The EX1403 provides 16 channels of strain conditioning, bridge completion, and excitation in a single 1U rack-mount
enclosure. Its density and integration simplify the task of assembling a test station. Most applications require only the
simple connection of power, Ethernet communication, and input connections. Moreover, test consistency and reliability
is greatly increased because its base configuration requires no accessory modules or other equipment to be connected or
cabled together. The design of the EX1403 provides full configuration flexibility, with all bridge completion and
excitation source configurations set programmatically. There is no need to manually reconfigure hardware to make
measurement changes. The EX1403 can operate independently or, for large data acquisition applications, multiple
instruments can be synchronized via IEEE-1588-2008 and LXI Lan Event Messages, or via hardware TTL Triggers. This
design allows for numerous units to be controlled by a single host computer by utilizing a programmable master-slave
relationship Scalable for Synchronized High-Speed and High-Channel Count
In addition to base class LXI compliance, this instrument also provides extended capabilities like LXI Clock
Synchronization Event Messaging, and LXI Time Stamped Data, to support easy integration and synchronization of
multiple devices.
Data Integrity
The design of the EX1403 placed paramount importance on maintaining data integrity under all measurement conditions.
Each input channel is an independent measurement system, with discrete signal conditioning circuitry, and 24-bit ADC.
Each channel is individually protected against shorts to ground, across the gage, or to another gage, as well as overvoltage.
EX1403 provide superior high-frequency common mode noise rejection. Finally, an analog filter provides anti-alias
protection for dynamic applications
EX1403 Introduction 15
Page 16
VTI Instruments
Excitation Source
The EX1403 features bridge excitation, programmable and regulated on a per channel basis. The excitation voltages and
current are independently programmed.
Voltage Excitation: 0.5V, +1V, +2V, +5V, +10V. 30mA Drive. Customizable to up to 10V
Current Excitation: 1mA, 5mA, 6mA. 10V Compliance. Customizable to up to 6mA
This Programming independence provides the flexibility of balanced or imbalanced excitation. Finally, remote sense lines
on each input connector can be employed for improved half-bridge and full-bridge performance
Programmable Bridge Configurations
Complete bridge configuration support is selectable under program control on a per channel basis. Options include full,
half, quarter120, quarter350, quarter1000, quarter User bridges, as well as direct 2-wire or 4-wire resistance measurement
of the gauge. Moreover, a high impedance voltage mode provides direct voltage measurements up to ±10 V.
Simplified Installation, Setup and Control
In addition to compliance to LXI base specifications, the EX1403 also implemented the LXI Clock Synchronization, and
LXI Event Messaging, Time Stamps and Event Logs. These features make the EX1403 instruments ideal for distributed
measurements throughout a facility – reducing cabling and installation expense. The ability to connect directly to an
Ethernet network using industry standard Ethernet cable and connections makes it easy for network administrators to
oversee the installation. Using a PoE+ enabled Ethernet switch allows both power and measurement data on a single wire.
Experience how IVI Digitizer class driver compliance simplifies installation and setup.
An onboard, web-accessible user interface allows you to instantly verify communications and instrument functionality,
while IVI drivers provide a familiar application programming interface to further reduce integration and program
development time. For comprehensive, programming-free data recording setup, management and viewing, use EX1403
instruments with one of VTI’s full-featured, turnkey software solutions, such as EXLab.
Channel Independence
Each of the EX1403’s 16 differential input channels is an independent signal conditioning path, complete with
amplification This independence frees the user from the problem of channel-to-channel crosstalk that is pervasive in most
multi-channel data acquisition systems. In the EX1403, channels have no influence on each other, regardless of scanning
speed or channel state.
Shunt Calibration
The traditional shunt calibration process is supported to ensure correct bridge performance. Each input channel provides
a unique, precision 50 kΩ and 100 kΩ resistor that can be programmatically connected locally for quarter-bridge shunting
or remotely for full- or half-bridge shunting. Moreover, an external resistor may be connected into each of two front panel
connectors, one for each group of 8 input channels. Similarly, this front panel resistor may be programmatically connected
locally or remotely.
TEDS Transducer Support
The EX1403 provides support to read TEDS-equipped sensors to allow direct input of bridge configuration parameters
and input configuration management.
16 EX1403 Introduction
Page 17
www.powerandtest.com
Digital Filter
The EX1403 allows the user to configure different types of digital filters per channel. These digital filters are implemented
inside the FPGA of the device, such that they perform consistently and without loading the host computer resources.
Users can optimize the filter settings for aggressive filter performance or lower data latency time. In addition, users can
customize the FIR filter performance by editing the coefficients of the filter. This provides ultimate flexibility in designing
a filter to suit the application needs.
Input Connectors
The EX1403 features a standard RJ-45 telecom connector for each input channel. Not only are these connectors reliable,
but low-cost construction of custom length cables is also readily available. Reconfiguration or replacement of strain gage
connections is as easy as connecting a telephone
Sampling Rate
The EX1403 is designed for sampling speeds up to a 128 kSa/s per channel, regardless of the number of enabled channels.
Digital I/O and Limits
The EX1403 allows the users to define a unique set of programmable limits that are used for open transducer detection
as well as general purpose input channel monitoring. These limits are programmable on a per channel basis and are
evaluated, within the instrument with each completed scan. The output of limit evaluations is presented via front panel
LEDs, digital I/O port, LAN events, and through the instrument driver.
The EX1403 features an 8-channel digital I/O port on the rear panel of the instrument. This port can be used as an
arm/trigger source, for presentation of limit evaluation information, and as a general-purpose output device. As a generalpurpose output device, each DIO channel can be independently programmed with regards to its output functionality and
its static level to assume when enabled as an output. For expanded and more automated operation, each DIO channel can
be independently linked to one or multiple limit conditions on one or more input channels. The digital I/O port is bank
isolated to reduce ground loop noise issues with external equipment.
Triggering
The EX1403 supports a full function trigger model with a separate arm source and trigger source event structure. Trigger
and arm source events can be independently programmed from a variety of sources including Immediate, Software,
External TTL, Digital I/O, , and LXI alarms.
Multi-Function Display
The menu driven LCD display available on the rear side of the instrument provides instrument status, diagnostic reports,
network details, and can also start, stop, and monitor measurement sequences that log data to an external USB disk without
PC control.
USB Data Recording
The EX1403 can export acquisition data at full speed to an external USB memory device, so that it can be used as a
standalone data logger. This will also be useful to keep a redundant back up of data for high reliability applications, while
streaming data over the Ethernet interface. It supports standard maximum partition size of all of EXT2, EXT3, EXT4,
VFAT/FAT32, and MSDOSFS filesystems. The data can be stored in Hierarchical Data Format, HDF5 file format or
comma-separated-value format (CSV). HDF5 being an open standard data file format, users can choose from a wide
variety of tools to decompress, view and export the time stamped measurement data. VTI Instruments also provides the
HDF5 Data Viewer and Converter utility. This application can read the HDF5 format written by the EX1403 and allows
users to view and export channel data to CSV, and to view and save metadata. For more information on HDF5 file formats
and tools, visit the HDF Group’s website: https://www.hdfgroup.org. The external USB memory device can also be used
to store the user’s desired instrument configuration.
EX1403 Introduction 17
Page 18
VTI Instruments
Self-test
The EX1403 can perform internal diagnostics through self-test mechanism. This Built-In-Self-Test (BIST) checks for
internal board voltage levels, system temperature, various status indicators, LEDs, cooling fan, LCD display and +2.5V
reference voltage. This Built-In-Self-Test provides test system confidence and peace of mind by ensuring that the
complete instrumentation measurement path is functional and delivers the most accurate result possible.
18 EX1403 Introduction
Page 19
www.powerandtest.com
No. of Channels
16
channels
Sample Rate
128 kSamples per second
Input Connector
RJ45
Single
-
Ended: Input needs to be connected to GND externally
20Vpk
-
pk for Differential ;
+10V/
-
9V for Single
-
Ended or Common
-
Mode
Temperature Drift: ±(50PPM/°C Rdng +5PPM/°C Rng)
Temperature Drift: ±(55PPM/°C Rdng +4µε/°C)
Temperature Drift: ±(55PPM/°C Rdng +0.5µε/°C)
Input
Coupling
DC
-
90dB Typical, 1kHz
– 10kHz
Overdriving 1 channel does not affect performance of other channels
Input
Protection
ESD: ±12V Bidirectional TVS
IEC61000
-4-2, ±30kV
Contact,
±30kV
Air
Bridge Balance
Software nulling
Bridge
Types
Full, Half (½), Quarter (¼)
stored during Factory Calibration
Ratio Stability: ±25
ppm/°C; Ratio Drift: ±20
ppm/year
conversion from Ohms to °C/°F
EX1403 SPECIFICATIONS
All specifications are typical (stated at the 95% confidence interval at 23°C ±5°C) unless otherwise stated
Input Specifications
Parameter Specification
Input Type
Input Range
Accuracy
Input Impedance
Common Mode Rejection, DC Coupling
Differential
±1Vpk, ±0.1Vpk
STRAIN ¼ Bridge (including bridge imbalance), GF=2
±19kµε @10V, ±38kµε @5V, ±90kµε @2V, ±160kµε @1V
STRAIN FULL Bridge
±5kµε @10V, ±10kµε @5V, ±25kµε @2V, ±50kµε @1V, ±100kµε @0.5V
2W/4W Resistance/RTD: 10kΩ, 2kΩ, 1kΩ, 200Ω, 100Ω, 20Ω
Typical (2σ): ±(0.03% Rdng + 0.01% Rng)
Maximum: ±(0.05% Rdng + 0.01% Rng)
STRAIN ¼ Bridge
Typical (2σ): ±0.05% Rdng
Maximum: ±0.1% Rdng
4-Wire Resistance/RTD
Typical (2σ): ±(0.08% Rdng + 0.02% Rng)
Maximum: ±(0.15% Rdng + 0.04% Rng)
10 MΩ Typical each input to ground
-120dB Typical, <100 Hz
-100dB Typical, 100Hz – 1kHz
Channel-to-Channel Crosstalk
¼ Bridge Completion
Resistances are measured within ±0.1% and
½ Bridge Completion
Resistance/RTD
EX1403 Introduction 19
-120dB Typical, <1kHz
Software Selectable: OFF, 120Ω, 350Ω, 1000Ω, User- Specified Resistor
Type: SMD Thin Film, ±10 ppm/°C
10k-10k thin film RNET; Ratio Accuracy: 0.1%;
2 Wire or 4 -Wire ohms. 10kΩ, 1kΩ, 100Ω, 2kΩ, 200Ω, 20Ω, depending on
Excitation Current and Input Voltage Range
Note: EX1403 provides RTD resistance in Ohms. User needs to make
Page 20
VTI Instruments
Voltage Excitation
Monitoring
Can be enabled on a per
-
channel basis
, for
internal
ly-supplied
excitation
.
Excitation Sensing
Max. Allowable Voltage Difference Between ±P & ±PS: 1V
Load Regulation
<0.1% for Load change 0V to 5V
NA 19,531.25
10,000,000
Hz
65,536
32,768
16,
777,216 Hz
78,125
39062.5
20,000,000
Hz
100,000
50,000
25,600,000 Hz
102,400
51,200
26,214,400 Hz
128,000
64,000
32,768,000 Hz
ADC 24-bit ADS1278 (
Δ)
SPS ±100PPM
Voltage Excitation Specifications
Parameter Specification
Levels
Stability
Load Regulation
Current Limit
Current Excitation
Parameter Specification
Levels
Stability
Compliance Voltage
ADC SPECIFICATIONS
+0.5V, +1V, +2V, +5V, +10V; selectable per channel
±30ppm/°C ±12μV/°C ±50ppm/year
<0.2% for load change <30mA
30mA; Output Impedance: <0.1Ω
Selectable 1mA, 5mA,6ma ±0.2%
±230ppm/°C ±50ppm/year
>10V; Output Impedance: >10MΩ, DC to 20kHz
There is one 24-bit delta-sigma analog-to-digital converter for each channel. The ADC runs at a fixed sampling rate so
there is no need to change the corner of the analog anti-aliasing filter. The table below shows the available ADC
sample/data rates:
Oversampling Ratio ( f
256 512
Data Rate (f
) - Samples per Second
DATA
(SPS)
CLK
/ f
DATA
)
Oversampling
Clock (f
CLK
)
TABLE 1-1: AVAILABLE ADC DATA/SAMPLING RATES
Parameter Specification
∑
Programmable with multiple decimation types from 19.53125k, 32.768k,
ADC Data Rate (SPS) (f
DATA
)
39.0625k, 32.768k, 50k, 51.2k, 64k, 65.536k, 78.125k, 100k, 102.4k, or 128k
20 EX1403 Introduction
Page 21
www.powerandtest.com
ADC Digital Filter Passband (±0.05% ripple)
0.417 *
f
ADC
-
3dB Bandwidth
0.424 *
f
Group Delay
39 /
f
Settling Time (Latency)
78
f
1 -
65536 (selectable)
Maximum Input Voltage
-0.5V to 5V
, ESD protected
Input Impedance
Signal is pul
led high by a 4.7k Ohm resistor
Minimum
I
nput Pulse Width Detection
1 µs
VIL < 0.5V
VIH > 2.5V
Output Swing
0V to 5V
Input Impedance
Signal is pul
led high by a 4.7k Ohm resistor
Output
Pulse Width for trigger event
1 us
Output Drive
Can drive 50 Ohm coax. Source series termination for 50 Ohms
Parameter Specification
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
EX1403 supports decimated sample rates in addition to the base clock frequencies listed in the above table.
Programmable Digital Filters Specification
None (No Filter)
High Performance (FIR
Low Latency (CIC)
Medium Latency (CIC+CFIR)
Post Filter Blind Divider
Raw data
1 to 16 number of /2 stages (Selectable & Customizable)
/4 to /8192 (Selectable)
Low latency CIC filter, followed by /4 FIR Filter (Customizable)
ADC SYNCHRONIZATION AND TRIGGERING
The ADC can be synchronized to an external clock signal or to an IEEE 1588 PTP grand master clock via Ethernet. The
unit can be triggered by an external trigger input signal or by an LXI LAN event. The unit can also generate LXI LAN
events or issue a trigger output signal. The trigger SMB connector can be configured as input or output.
Trigger Input Specifications
Parameter Specification
Trigger Output Specifications
Parameter Specification
EX1403 Introduction 21
Page 22
VTI Instruments
Output Swing
0V to
3V
Duty Cycle
40% to 60%
Frequency
10 MHz
phase locked to the ADC sample rate
Enable/Disable
Software control
Speeds
10BASE
-
T/100BASE
-
T/1000BASE
-
T with auto
-
negotiation
Connector
RJ45
Speeds
USB full speed (480Mbps)
Connector
USB type A
Protocol
MicroLAN
Baud Rate
9600 Baud
Electrical Specifications
5V
Driver type
Maxim
Integrated DS2480B
+
Capacitance Loading (1
-
Wire input)
< 2000pF
POE+
IEEE 802.3at
Auxiliary Power
+10VDC to +
50VDC
Max.
Input Power Requirements
25 Watt (includes
7
W maximum to bridge transducer)
Power Input Protection
+50VDC
& Reverse polarity protection
AUX power, and whether
power is good.
Ripple to Meet All Specs
<1% pk
-pk
CLOCK INPUT/OUTPUT SPECIFICATIONS
Parameter Specification
ETHERNET
Parameter Specification
USB 2.0
This port is used to store data to an external memory device and not for control and/or data streaming to a host computer.
Parameter Specification
TRANSDUCER ELECTRONIC DATA SHEET (TEDS)
The unit can read and write 1 TEDS memory device per sensor input connector using industry standard MicroLAN
(MLAN) protocol through the input RJ45 connectors pins 4 & 5
Parameter Specification
POWER
The unit can be powered from either POE+ (25.5W) or an auxiliary DC input.
Parameter Specification
Power Control
22 EX1403 Introduction
The unit can identify if the unit is operating from a POE+ type 2 PSE or from
Page 23
Storage Temperature:
-40
°C to +
71
°C
MIL-PRF-28800 Class 3
MIL-PRF-28800 Class 3
Vibration & Shock
MIL-PRF-28800F Class 3
Altitude
4600M,
MIL-PRF-28800 Class 3
CE Compliance
YES
EMC Directive
EMC EN 61326 Class A, Criteria A.
Service Life
> 10 Years
Dimensions
1U, half
-
rack, approximately 8” deep
Weight
3 kg (est.)
Material
Steel
Color
Powder Coating
Black Texture Semi
-
Gloss
Cardinal C241
-
BK01
ENVIRONMENTAL
Parameter Specification
www.powerandtest.com
Temperature
Relative Humidity, non-condensing
PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Parameter Specification
Operating Temperature: 0°C to +50°C without loss of accuracy or reliability
Operating: 10%-90%
Storage: 5% to 95%
EX1403 Introduction 23
Page 24
VTI Instruments
Auxiliary Power
1 4-
pin DIN Receptacle mates to
CUI PDP
-
40 Plug
CUI PD
-
40S
Bridge /Analog
Input 16 RJ-45 RJHSE
-
5481
Ethernet
1 RJ-
45
CONN MAGJACK 1PORT 1000 BASE
-T
0826-1X1T
-GH-F
USB Type A
1
Receptacle USB
Type A
2.0 4 Position
292303
-1
Trigger
1 SMB 131-3701-301
Clock
1
SMB 131-3701-301
Digital
IO 1
CONN,
DSUB, 9 PIN, FEMALE, RT, 0.318
TE-
1734354
-2
CONNECTORS
QTY
FIGURE 1: EX1403 DIMENSIONS
Description Part No.
24 EX1403 Introduction
Page 25
Shield Gnd
Excitation Sense
R Cal
Shield Gnd
www.powerandtest.com
+
-
7
1
Excitation
Shield Gnd
2
4
3
6
5
8
+
SenseSense
Excitation Sense
Sense
-
+
R Cal
-
+
-
Sense
Excitation
Shield Gnd
321 4 5 6 7 8
Color Coding per TIA/EIA-568-B
Pin 1 - Orange/White
Pin 2 - Orange
Pin 3 - Green/White
Pin 4 - Blue
Pin 5 - Blue/White
Pin 6 - Green
Pin 7 - Brown/White
Pin 8 - Brown
FIGURE 2: RJ-45 TRANSDUCER INPUT CONNECTOR PIN ASSIGNMENT
FIGURE 3: POWER CONNECTOR RECEPTACLE & PLUG
EX1403 Introduction 25
Page 26
VTI Instruments
EX1403 DIMENSIONAL DIAGRAM
Note: All dimensions are in inches
EX1403 RACK MOUNT KIT DIMENSIONAL DIAGRAM
26 EX1403 Introduction
Page 27
Note: All dimensions are in inches
TRANSDUCER CONNECTIONS FOR DIFFERENT BRIDGE CONFIGURATIONS
TRANSDUCER CONNECTION: FULL BRIDGE
www.powerandtest.com
½ Bridge, 5/7-Wire
Rw1
Rw6
Rw3
Rw7
Rw4
Rw2
Rw8 49.9k
Rw9
TRANSDUCER CONNECTION: HALF BRIDGE
¼ Bridge, 3/5-Wire
Rw1
Rw6
Rw3
Rw7
Rw4
Rw2
Rw8 49.9k
Rw9
P+
PS+
S+
PS-
P-
S-
Rsh+
Rsh-
P+
PS+
S+
PS-
P-
S-
Rsh+
Rsh-
Vexc or Iexc
1V, 2V, 5V, 10V
1mA, 10mA
Vexc or Iexc
1V, 2V, 5V, 10V
1mA, 10mA
LPF1
LPF1
S+,S-
P+,P-
½ P±,S-
BIST
GND
1k
350
120
S+,S-
P+,P-
½ P±,S-
BIST
GND
1k
350
120
0.1V, 1V, 10V
DC
AC
0.1V, 1V, 10V
DC
AC
LPF2
204.8ksps
24-bit ADC
Decimating
Dig. Filter
Gain & Offset
Calibration
LPF2
204.8ksps
24-bit ADC
Decimating
Dig. Filter
Gain & Offset
Calibration
TRANSDUCER CONNECTION: QUARTER BRIDGE WITH 350Ω COMPLETION
EX1403 Introduction 27
Page 28
VTI Instruments
TRANSDUCER CONNECTION: 2-WIRE OHMS (2WΩ)
TRANSDUCER CONNECTION: 4-WIRE OHMS (4WΩ)
28 EX1403 Introduction
Page 29
www.powerandtest.com
SECTION 2
PREPARATION FOR USE
UNPACKING EX1403
When the EX1403 is unpacked from its shipping carton, the contents should include the following items:
EX1403 Strain/Bridge Digitizer
LXI Quick Start Guide
VTI Instruments Corp. Drivers and Product Manuals CD
Auxiliary Power Adaptor
All components should be immediately inspected for damage upon receipt of the unit.
CD Contents:
LXI Quick Start Guide
EX1403 User’s Manual (this manual)
Product Drivers and Product Manuals CD
EXLab Software/Manual (Optional)
It also contains IVI shared components required to be installed for the device identification purpose. The LXI
discovery utility provided on the CD is helpful to discover the EX1403 and other LXI devices connected in the
network.
INSTALLATION LOCATION
The EX1403 is designed to be largely insensitive to external electrical, magnetic, and thermal disturbances. However,
as with all precision instrumentation, certain precautions, if taken into consideration, can help achieve maximum
performance.
1) The unit, particularly its front panel, should be located away from sources of high or low temperatures.
When used in a rack-mount application with other heat-generating instruments, the EX1403 should be
located as far away from the other instruments as possible, 1U minimum. Multiple EX1403 units,
however, can be stacked directly on top of one another without any performance degradation.
2) The front panel of the EX1403 should not be exposed to strong air currents. Typical problematic sources
include building ventilation and instrument or cabinet fans.
3) The unit should be located away from sources of high magnetic fields such as motors, generators, and
power transformers.
EX1403 Preparation for Use 29
Page 30
VTI Instruments
3
LOCATION OF CONNECTORS
Given below are the locations of various buttons, indicators and connectors on EX1403.
1
2
6
7
1. Earth point socket (standard Banana socket)
2. LXI System status indicators
3. Input Connector (RJ45)
4. External Shunt Connectors
5. Chassis Earth point stud, Safety ground
6. Digital IO port (Standard D-Sub 9 pin Female/Socket)
7. Power Switch
8. Cooling fan exhaust
9. Auxiliary power connector
10. Ethernet/LAN Port (PoE+ enabled)
11. Menu Button
12. USB 2.0 host port (Type A Female) for external data logging disk drive
13. Trigger Connector (Standard SMB Male)
14. External Clock Connector (Standard SMB Male)
15. Display
8
9
10 11 12
13
14
4
15 5
30 EX1403 Basic Operation
Page 31
www.powerandtest.com
1 1 Bracket, Rackmount, EX1403 Chassis
2 4 Screw,
4-40 x 3/16", Flat
82° Undercut
Phillips,
Black Oxide
INSTALLATION OPTIONS
The EX1403 can be optionally rack mounted, using the rack mount kit accessory (P/N: 70-0626-900). This must be
installed prior to installation into the rack. This option is not included with the EX1403 and must be ordered separately,
if needed.
Rack-shelf Installation Option of EX1403
The shelf/tray installation option includes all the parts necessary to mount the EX1403 to the front of a standard test
rack.
Required Tools
1) #2 Phillips screwdriver
Parts List
Item# Qty Description VTI P/N
70-0626-900
Assembly Procedure
1) Place the chassis on a protected work surface with its input connectors facing front.
( Bracket Rack Mount)
2) Using a #2 Phillips screwdriver, install the rack shelf/tray on the bottom of the EX1403 using
four (4) 4-40 x 3/16", Flat 82° Undercut Phillips, Black Oxide screws, as shown in below
diagram.
EX1403 Preparation for Use 31
FIGURE 2-1: RACK SHELF INSTALLATION DIAGRAM
Page 32
VTI Instruments
1 4 Screw, 6
-
32 x 3/
8”, Pan Head Phillips
2 2 Bezel, Cap, EX1403
Chassis
Tabletop Installation Option
The tabletop installation option can be used when the EX1403 will not be installed in a rack, but will be employed as
a bench top or desktop instrument.
Required Tools
2) #2 Phillips screwdriver
Parts List
Item# Qty Description VTI P/N
41-0620-003
Assembly Procedure
3) Place the chassis on a protected work surface, upside down, with its input connectors facing
front.
4) Using Figure 2-2, locate the installation locations (on the bottom of the chassis) for each rubber
cap bezel.
5) Using the #2 Phillips screw driver, install the four rubber feet using four (4) 6-32 x 3/8” pan
head Phillips screws to secure the bottom.
FIGURE 2-2: TABLE TOP FEET INSTALLATION DIAGRAM
32 EX1403 Basic Operation
Page 33
www.powerandtest.com
FIGURE 2-3: EX1403 SAMPLE RACK MOUNT KIT INSTALLATION
WARM-UP TIME
The specified warm-up time of the EX1403 is 45 minutes. If, however, the unit is being subjected to an ambient
temperature change greater than 5 ºC, extra stabilization time is recommended to achieve maximum performance.
POWERING UP AND GROUNDING
The EX1403 is designed to be powered by a DC power source. It can be provided by either using a PoE+ enabled
Ethernet port (which injects DC power into the network lines, such that there is no need of additional wiring), or
through an external DC power adaptor. Many PoE+ enabled switches are compatible with EX1403. Some of the PoE+
switches that have been tested for compatibility are listed below.
Cisco SF302-08PP (8-port PoE+ managed switch)
Intellinet Model 560856 (8-port PoE+ switch)
Trendnet TPE-115I/A (Power Injector)
The maximum power consumption of the unit is 15W. The unit accepts and performs within the specifications, when
the Auxiliary Supply voltage is between +10VDC to +50VDC. The power inputs are protected for reverse polarity by
up to 50V in reverse direction. If the AUX input connector is used to supply power to the unit, then the power supplied
must be isolated from earth ground by 1500Vrms to maintain isolated Ethernet. (The AUX negative terminal is
connected to one side of the Ethernet’s twisted pair common mode.)
EX1403 Preparation for Use 33
Page 34
VTI Instruments
FIGURE 2-4: AUX DC IN CONNECTOR PINOUT
The power inputs (both POE+ and AUX DC IN) are isolated from chassis, as are the analog inputs and digital IO.
Hence users are required to earth ground the EX1403 chassis for safe operation. The safety ground connection is on
the rear panel and is required to be connected to the local earth ground using the provided cable (VTI# 53-0070-072).
Do not use the banana jack on the front panel for earth grounding the EX1403. This connector is for reference only,
and is not meant to be a safety ground connection. The front side connector is a standard Banana socket (ITT Pomona
3267), while the rear side connector is 10-32 size stud.
34 EX1403 Basic Operation
Page 35
www.powerandtest.com
EX1403 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
The EX1403 is designed to be powered by an isolated DC power source complying with the requirements for
reinforced insulation. It can be provided by either using a PoE+ enabled Ethernet port (which injects DC power into
the network lines, such that there is no need of additional wiring), or through an external isolated DC power adaptor.
The below Block Diagram shows EX1403 Power Topology.
SELV
Many PoE+ enabled switches are compatible with EX1403. Some of the PoE+ switches that have been tested for
compatibility are listed below and are qualified for safety
Cisco SF302-08PP (8-port PoE+ managed switch)
Intellinet Model 560856 (8-port PoE+ switch)
Trendnet TPE-115I/A (Power Injector).
The POE and Aux power input’s must be from an isolated source of supply complying with SELV and
reinforced insulation requirements
The unit accepts and performs within the specifications, when the Auxiliary Supply voltage is from an isolated
source complying with the requirements for reinforced insulation, between +10VDC to +50VDC. The power inputs
are protected for reverse polarity by up to 50V in reverse direction. If the AUX input connector is used to supply
power to the unit, then the power supplied must be isolated from earth ground by 1500Vrms to maintain isolated
Ethernet. The AUX supply must be SELV and isolated from the primary by reinforced insulation.
(The AUX negative terminal is connected to one side of the Ethernet’s twisted pair common mode.)
When using the AUX DC Input to power your unit, VTI recommends using external supply (VTI# 56-0739-000).It
meets ITE Safety standards viz. IEC60950-1 (Ed.2,2005)
Note: If desired, a different DC supply can be used if it meets the voltage, power, connector, and safety
requirements. Use a power source that meets the same safety and CE requirements listed on the declaration
of conformity for this product.
The power inputs (both POE+ and AUX DC IN) are isolated from chassis and digital IO. Hence users are required
to earth ground the EX1401 chassis for safe operation. The safety ground connection is on the rear panel and is
required to be connected to the main protective earth ground using the provided cable (VTI# 53-0070-072). Do not
use the banana jack on the front panel for earth grounding the EX1401. This connector is for reference only, and is
not meant to be a safety ground connection. The front side connector is a standard Banana socket (ITT Pomona
3267), while the rear side connector is 10-32 size stud.
Note: Please note that all the channel inputs are SELV only. The maximum analog input
voltage is limited to +/-10V for all conditions.
EX1403 Preparation for Use 35
Page 36
VTI Instruments
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
The fastest way to begin controlling an EX1403 is to discover the unit using the LXI Discovery Tool utility (a free
tool available from LXI Consortium). For more information, refer to:
http://lxistandard.org/Resources/LXIDiscoveryTool.aspx
The LXI Discovery Tool searches for all LXI Devices on the LAN Subnet. It uses mDNS and VXI-11 protocols to
detect the LXI Instruments. It may be necessary to download “Apple Bonjour Print Services”in order to use mDNS
service as the discovery mechanism. However, it is not mandatory to install this service, since the EX1403 can also
be discovered via VXI-11.
DRIVER INSTALLATION
VTI Instruments provides two types of drivers for this instrument. For Windows, there is an IVI driver, based on the
industry standard IVI driver architecture specifications. The IVI driver exposes both IVI-COM and IVI-C interface
APIs. The IVI-COM interface can be used from any programming language that supports Microsoft COM
(Component Object Model). For Linux, there is a driver that provides a C++ API. Both Windows and Linux drivers
have a consistent API design so that the application software developed for one can be easily migrated to the other.
The drivers are compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems. In general, the API descriptions in this
document apply to both the Windows and Linux drivers unless otherwise specified.
To control the EX1403 series instruments programmatically (via a user generated program or through tools such as
Agilent VEE®, NI LabVIEW®, Mathworks Matlab®, etc.), two additional components must be installed: the IVI
Shared Components library (for Windows OS only) or the VTI Common Library (for Linux OS only) and the provided
VTI Instruments driver. For 32-bit Windows OS, install the 32-bit driver. For Windows 7 (64-bit), Windows 8 (64bit), and Windows 10 (64-bit), the 64-bit driver installer includes both 64-bit and 32-bit compatible drivers. These
drivers are available for free download on the Ametek Instruments web portal (www.powerandtest.com), in the
respective product page, under download tab. The following sections describe installing the required software.
IVI Shared Components Installation (Windows Only)
If this component was installed during a previous LXI instrument installation, please proceed to Instrument Driver
Installation. First, close all other open programs, leaving only Windows Explorer open. Navigate to the <CD-ROM
Drive>:\EX Platform Requisites directory on the CD and run the
36 EX1403 Basic Operation
Page 37
www.powerandtest.com
IVISharedComponentsX.X.X.exe program. Next, follow the on-screen instructions. Do not proceed to the
next step until this installation completes successfully. If instructed to reboot the PC, it will be necessary to do so at
that time. Alternatively, the latest IVI shared components can be downloaded and installed from IVI Foundation Web
page, www.ivifoundation.org.
FIGURE 2-5: IVI SHARED COMPONENT INSTALLATION
Instrument Driver Installation
If the VTEXDigitizer instrument driver was installed previously on the host PC, you may skip this step of the
installation process, and proceed to Platform/LXISync Instrument Driver Installation. The previously installed driver
may need to be updated to the most recently released version to support the EX1403. To install the VTEXDigitizer
instrument driver, navigate to <CD-ROM Drive>:\Drivers\LXI Drivers\EX Series, on the CD, open
the appropriate zip file in this directory, and then run the .msi installer. Alternately the drivers are available for free
download from VTI Instruments online portal (www.vtiinstruments.com) under the specific product’s download page.
FIGURE 2-6: INSTRUMENT DRIVER INSTALLATION
The Linux driver (32-bit and 64-bit) is located under <CD-ROM Drive>:\Drivers\Linux Drivers\Linux
EX Series. Open the appropriate zip file in this directory and then run the RPM Installer. Alternately the instrument
drivers for Linux OS are also available for free download from VTI Instrument website, www.vtiinstruments.com
Platform/LXISync Instrument Driver Installation
NOTE Complete this step only if the LXISync capabilities of the EX platform are required. If this
driver was installed previously on the host PC, software installation is now complete.
To install the Platform/LXISync Instrument driver, navigate to <CD-ROM Drive>:\LXI Drivers\EMX Platform
Driver, IVI on the CD and run the .msi installer located in this directory. Please refer to the VTEX Digitizer Driver’s
online help file for programming guidelines. Additional information about IVI drivers can be found on the web at
EX1403 Preparation for Use 37
Page 38
VTI Instruments
00:0D:3F:01:00:01
169.254.1.1
00:0D:3F:01:01:01
169.254.1.1
00:0D:3F:01:A3:28
169.254.163.40
00:0D:3F:01:FE:FE
169.254.254.254
00:0D:3F:01:FF:FE
169.254.254.254
http://ivifoundation.org. Information about the LXI standard and LXI technology can be found at
http://www.lxistandard.org.
NETWORK CONFIGURATION
By default, the EX1403 will attempt to locate a DHCP server. If one is found, the IP address assigned by the DHCP
server will be assumed. Otherwise, after a timeout of 20 seconds, the unit will attempt to obtain an IP address by using
Auto IP.
Auto IP is a mechanism for finding an unused IP address in the range 169.254.X.Y where X is in the range 1 - 254
and Y is in the range 0 - 255. The device will first attempt to obtain the specific address 169.254.X.Y, where X and Y
are the second-to-last and last octets of the device’s MAC address. However, X will be set to 1 if it is 0 in the MAC
address, and to 254 if it is 255 in the MAC address. If this address is already in use, the unit will attempt to obtain
other IP addresses in a pseudorandom fashion until it finds one that is available.
To illustrate the Auto IP mechanism, Table 2-1 lists the Auto IP default address for some example MAC addresses.
MAC Address Auto IP Default Address
TABLE 2-1: AUTO IP DEFAULT ADDRESS ASSIGNMENT
If a static IP address assignment is preferred, one can be optionally assigned via the embedded web page interface.
This is done by clicking the Network Configuration link, disabling DHCP, and then assigning a static IP address.
However, a much more convenient and recommended way to obtain the benefits of a static IP address is to employ
DHCP, but assign the instrument a reserved IP address in your company’s DHCP server configuration. This reserved
address, linked to the EX1403’s MAC address on the DHCP server, would be assigned to the EX1403 at power up
initialization without having to manually set it on the EX1403. The DHCP server configuration provides a centralized,
controlled database of assigned IP addresses, preventing accidental assignment of the same IP address to multiple
instruments. Consult your company’s Information Technology department for assistance.
VXI-11, and mDNS Device discovery methods are supported by the EX1403. This allows all EX1403s on a local
network to be found without knowledge of their MAC address or IP address with the use of a broadcast message.
Also, the LCD display on the EX1403 provides the current IP Address configuration of the instrument, at any given
instant. Refer to IPv4 Address in Section 3 for more details on LCD menu operation.
Network Configuration Reset for EX1403
There is no dedicated network reset button on the EX1403. The "menu" button cycles through different screens on the
LCD display. On the LAN Reset page, holding the menu in for more than 4 seconds will initiate a LAN Reset. The
screen counts down as you hold in the button, and releasing the button during this stage will abort the reset operation.
The LAN Reset is useful for recovery from an incorrect or unknown network configuration. Note that the LXI reset
function is not a processor reset or reboot. Initiating a LAN Reset will:
1) Enable DHCP and AutoIP
2) Disable Static IP
3) Set the mDNS hostname and service name to the last user-configured values, or the factory
default values if the user hasn't changed those values
4) Enable IPv6
5) Remove the password (if any)
6) Set the time source to PTPv2 (if it was set to Manual or NTP)
7) Set the LXI event domain to 0
38 EX1403 Basic Operation
Page 39
www.powerandtest.com
NETWORK TROUBLESHOOTING
If an error occurs, when trying to discover the EX1403 you may refer to Common Issues in Section 4 If none of these
resolutions help resolve the network connectivity issue, it may be necessary to change the network settings for the
EX1403 and the host PC. By using the following methodology, most network-related issues can be resolved:
1. Navigate to the IPv4 address status page on the LCD screen using the menu button
2. Note the current IP address and subnet details which are currently assigned to the instrument
3. Note the current network configuration of the PC, and get ready to change the IP address
4. Change the IP address of the PC, such that it will be compatible with EX1403 network
5. Disable all network interfaces (including WiFi) except that wired network, which is connected
to the EX1403 mainframe
6. Connect the EX1403 to PC directly through Ethernet cable. Since EX1403 supports auto
MDI-X feature, either Direct cable or Cross cable can be used to connect to the PC.
7. Open the embedded SFP webpage, of EX1403 and navigate to Network Configuration page
8. Make changes to the network as you need, and remember to “submit” the changes
9. Power cycle the EX1403 instrument
10. You can now disconnect the EX1403 instrument from PC, and change the PC Network
configurations again, as needed.
Using Multiple Network Cards
When multiple network cards exist in a single PC, it may be necessary to define a static IP address to both the host
PC NIC card that will interface with the EX1403 instrument as well as the EX1403 instrument itself. This process is
only necessary if a DCHP server is not connected to the network to which the device is connected and typically occurs
when the NIC is connected directly to the instrument.
The following process can be used to ensure proper functionality:
1) Navigate to Start → Settings → Network Connections.
2) Disable all network interfaces except the one that is connected to the EX1403 mainframe.
This is done by right clicking on the interface, then selecting Disable.
3) Open the web page of the EX1403 mainframe.
4) Click the IP Configuration link. A prompt may appear to log into the EX1403 mainframe.
5) Unselect DHCP and AutoIP and ensure that Static is selected.
6) Enter an IP address into the IP Address field. For more information on valid IP addresses,
please consult with an IT administrator.
7) Set the Subnet Mask.
EX1403 Preparation for Use 39
Page 40
VTI Instruments
IGURE 2-7: COMPLETED EX1403 MAINFRAME STATIC IP CONFIGURATION
8) Click the Submit button. Once this is done, it is no longer possible to communication with the
EX1403 mainframe. This is normal and is addressed in the following steps.
9) Set a static IP address for the NIC card by doing the following:
a) Navigate to Start → Settings → Network Connections.
b) Right click on the NIC card that the EX1403 mainframe is connected to and select
Properties.
c) Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties.
FIGURE 2-8: TCI/IP SELECTION
40 EX1403 Basic Operation
Page 41
www.powerandtest.com
d) Click the Use the following IP address radio button.
e) Enter the desired IP address.
f) If not automatically completed after the IP address is entered, set the Subnet mask field
to suitable address range
FIGURE 2-9: COMPLETED NIC STATIC IP CONFIGURATION
g) Click OK to exit the network configuration properties.
TIME CONFIGURATION
By default, the EX1403 will be configured to receive its time through PTPv2 (Precision Time Protocol). The user
can also set time using SNTP (Simple Network Time Protocol) or the time can be set manually. The manual setting
is necessary if the network environment is such that the unit cannot reach the Internet/Intranet time server. For more
information, see Time Configuration IN SECTION 4.
EX1403 Preparation for Use 41
Page 42
VTI Instruments
SECTION 3
BASIC OPERATION
INTRODUCTION
This section expands on the description of the EX1403’s features and explains how to best use them.
ENGINEERING UNIT (EU) CONVERSION
Each EX1403 input channel can be individually configured for bridge/strain and voltage measurements. The EX1403
provides ±0.01 V, ±1.0 V, and ±10.0 V voltage measurement ranges on all input channels. Voltage measurement range
is programmable on a per-channel basis. The default selection for voltage channels is the ±10 V range.
HARDWARE/ANALOG ANTI-ALIAS FILTER
Each EX1403 input channel has a fixed, 2-pole, 65kHz RC low pass filter for anti-alias filtering.
DIGITAL FILTER
The EX1403 allows the user to configure different types of digital filters per channel. These digital filters are
implemented inside the FPGA of the device, such that they perform consistently and without loading the host computer
resources. Users can optimize the filter settings for aggressive filter performance or lower data latency time. In
addition, users can customize the FIR filter performance by editing the coefficients of the filter. This provides ultimate
flexibility in designing a filter to suit the application needs. The digital filter parameters for each channel can be
defined independently. Final data throughput is a complex parameter and depends on the basic sampling rate and
digital filter selection. Choosing the correct sampling rate and digital filter parameters is critical for achieving optimum
performance levels of common model signal rejection, roll-off rate, and data latency.
LED INDICATIONS
As an LXI standard compliant instrument, the EX1403 instrument provides multiple LED indicators on the front and
rear of the instrument to indicate the power, network connectivity and synchronization status.
Power LED (PWR)
This is a single colored LED. If the LED is glowing Solid Green, it indicates that power is applied to instrument, and
is in active states.
LAN LED
This is a Bi-color LED (Red/Green), used for indicating the basic network connectivity status. The LED glows in solid
green color, when the device is successfully connected to a network, without any conflict/error. If there is a problem
with the LAN connectivity, this indicator turns to solid red color. If the LED is blinking/flashing green, it indicates
that the Device Identification command was received over the LAN. The status indicator shall continue to flash green
until commanded to do otherwise. Refer Blink LAN Indicator section under web page operation section for more
details.
42 EX1403 Basic Operation
Page 43
www.powerandtest.com
LED Color (s)
Single (Green)
Off Not Slave, Not Master, and Not
Faulty
On –
Solid Green
Slave
On –
Blinking Green once every second
Master but not Grandmaster
On –
Blinking Green once every two seconds
Master and also
Grandmaster
On –
Solid Red
Faulty
1 DIO Channel 0
2 DIO Channel 1
3 DIO Channel 2
4 DIO Channel 3
5 DIO Channel 4
6 DIO Channel 5
7 DIO Channel 6
8 DIO Channel 7
9 GND
1
4
5
9
IEEE 1588 LED
The IEEE 1588 Clock Status Indicator is designed to show both the status and the type of clock in the EX1403 device.
This indicator is a single, bi-color LED (Red/Green) whose states are identified as follows:
State of LED PTP Clock/Sync State
TABLE 3-1: IEEE 1588 LED STATES
LEDs on Network Port
There are two LEDs present on the RJ45 Ethernet connector, placed on the rear side of EX1403. The right-yellow
LED indicates network activity. The blink rate is roughly proportional to amount of network traffic. The left-bicolor
(green/amber) LED indicates connectivity and rate. Green indicates connected at 100Mbs and amber indicates
connected at 10Mbs. If both LEDs are off, it indicates that network is not connected. Network connectivity does not
mean the device has obtained an IP address or has access to the connected network. The LAN indicator on the front
provides that function.
Channel LED Indicators
In addition to the system status indicators, the EX1403 also features LED’s for each channel on its front panel,
embedded to RJ45 connectors. The behavior of this LED can be controlled by setting the Channel.Overload.Indicator
property. This is a mask with the same bit values as the Overload Status described above. Whenever
Channel.Overload.Status & Channel.Overload.Indicator != 0, the LED will be lit yellow. Otherwise, the LED will
be green.
DIGITAL I/O
The EX1403 features an 8-channel digital I/O port on the rear panel of the instrument. This port can be used for various
functions, such as arm/trigger source, for presentation of limit evaluation information, and as a general-purpose
input/output device. The digital I/O connector is a standard DB-9 with the following pin assignment:
Pin Function
2 3
6 7 8
EX1403 Basic Operation 43
TABLE 3-2: DIGITAL I/O CONNECTOR & PIN ASSIGNMENT
Page 44
VTI Instruments
As a general-purpose output device, each DIO channel can be independently programmed with regards to its output
functionality and its logic state, when enabled as an output. When not enabled as an output, a channel becomes tristated, preventing conflict with other potential voltage drivers. Refer the port’s electrical specifications for voltage
tolerance limits and output drive capabilities. Regardless of output functionality, each channel provides constant input
functionality. That is, the input level on each channel can be accessed without a specific enable function call. It is also
possible for the DIO data to be acquired and reported along with the analog channel data. Unless linked to a limit
condition, as discussed below, the DIO port’s operation is completely autonomous.
The default selections for each DIO channel are:
output enable is off
output level is 0
The electrical specifications for the digital I/O port are provided in EX1403 Specifications.
The Digital IO port is bank isolated from chassis ground/earth potential for up to ±250VPEAK. However, there is no
inter-channel isolation between digital channels. The Digital I/O port is ESD protected on all IO pins. Use a shielded
cable when connecting to the Digital IO port for CE.
NOTE Each Input channel of the Digital IO port is pulled down through 10K Ohm resistor to its ground
TRIGGERING
The EX1403 supports a full function trigger model with a separate arm source and trigger source event structure. For
a complete explanation of the trigger model, see Start, Arm, Trigger, and Alarm in Section 5. In summary, an
acquisition sequence is enabled with a trigger initialize command. Scanning is then initiated upon the receipt of the
programmed arm source event followed by the receipt of the programmed trigger source event. Trigger and arm source
events can be independently programmed from a variety of sources including Immediate, Software, External trigger,
Digital I/O, and LXI alarms. Channel data levels can also be used as Trigger sources. Analog triggers (channel inputs)
are also supported
DATA FORMAT
By default, the data returned during data retrieval is limited to the channel readings and the absolute time of
measurement initiation.
ACQUIRING DATA
In general, the acquisition and retrieval of data on the EX1403 are conducted with discrete commands that are often
separated in time to a large degree. The EX1403 utilizes a 256 MB FIFO memory storage to buffer acquisition data
prior to retrieval. This reading buffer is cleared upon receipt of the trigger initialize command in preparation for
reading storage, and begins storing new data in a circular buffer immediately. Then, upon fulfillment of the
programmed trigger model conditions, the EX1403 marks one or more records in the circular buffer for user retrieval.
It continues scanning and storing the acquisition data until the trigger and arm count quantities are reached or the
acquisition is aborted. At that point, data acquisition ceases and the trigger model is returned to the Idle state.
The amount of records that can be buffered within the memory is dependent on the number of channels enabled and
the requested record size. Specifically, the number of records that can be buffered (Record_Count) is determined by
the following formula:
Sample_Size = 4
Record_Bytes = Record_Size * Sample_Size * (Channel_Count + DIO_Reporting)
Record_Count = 268435456 / Record_Bytes
where: Channel_Count 0-16 (number of channels enabled)
Record_Size 1-65527 (number of samples per record)
DIO_Reporting 0 or 1 (1 – YES, 0 – NO)
44 EX1403 Basic Operation
Page 45
www.powerandtest.com
1 0 1024 65536
0 1
1024 65536
8 0
1024 8192 16 0 1024 4096
16 0 4096 1024
16 0 1 4194304
16 1
1024 3852
16 1 4096 963
Regardless of the RecordSize, each channel’s circular buffer is then truncated to make its total size evenly divisible
by 4096.
Record Count sizes for some typical configurations are the following:
Channel_Count DIO_Reporting Record Size Record Count
TABLE 3-3: EXAMPLE RECORD COUNT SIZES
If the circular buffer fills to the point that it would overwrite a record marked for retrieval by a trigger before it has
been read out, the instrument will abort the acquisition and return to the Idle state.
NOTE The reading buffer memory is volatile and is cleared upon an instrument reset or power cycle.
RETRIEVING DATA
Acquisition data can be retrieved from the EX1403 with any of three methods. First, it can be manually read out of
the instrument’s FIFO sometime after it is measured. This method is the simplest, but runs the risk of aborting the
measurement early if the data is not retrieved before the 256MB circular buffer is filled. The data can also be streamed
to one or more endpoints. Streaming endpoints can include one instrument driver session and any number of attached
USB storage devices. When streaming to the instrument driver is enabled, the instrument will send binary encoded
data directly to the driver as soon as it becomes available. The instrument driver can then either buffer the data in PC
memory for retrieval at the user’s convenience, save the data directly to hard disk, or call a user callback with the new
data. When a USB storage device is enabled for streaming data, the data will be written directly to the device as soon
as it becomes available in the selected file format (HDF5 or CSV).
In either case, retrieved data is fully calibrated and compensated by the EX1403 and output directly in the requested
units. No post-acquisition user manipulations are required. In order to provide the maximum reading buffer capacity
for future acquisitions, data is deleted from the FIFO memory upon retrieval.
Applications may retrieve data from this FIFO using either the Read FIFO or Streaming Data interfaces. Please refer
to Data Acquisition in Section 5 for further details. Once data is retrieved from the FIFO, via any method, it is no
longer kept within the FIFO.
USER-DEFINED CONVERSIONS
The EX1403 provides the capability to apply a user gain and offset after the standard EU conversion for the selected
Function. These values are exposed via the Channel.Transducer.Conversion property as an array consisting of first
the offset, then the gain. The value of data returned will be:
(UserGain * EUValue) + UserOffset
LCD DISPLAY
The display on the rear side of EX1403 is a 20 x 2 backlit LCD. It can display several screens that can be cycled
through using the Menu button. Some screens allow you to initiate an action. This is done by holding the menu button
in for several seconds. A countdown of remaining seconds is shown while the button is pressed. The action is activated
on release of the menu button; releasing before the countdown completes will cancel the action. Screens with actions
are LAN Reset, Self-Test, USB Eject, USB Data Logging, and Fan.
EX1403 Basic Operation 45
Page 46
VTI Instruments
Hostname
IPv4 Address
IPv6 Addresses
Hostname
EX1403-681514_______
IPv4 Address********
10.87.37.24_______
If the device does not have an IPv4 address, the display will show “Network unavailable” instead
of the IPv4 address.
IPv4 Address********
Network unavailable
The IPv6 address screens show one or two addresses on two or three screens. Because an IPv6 address is too large to
fit on a screen the addresses are split between the HostID, which is the lower 64-bits, and the Subnet, which is the
upper-64 bits. If the device does not have a global IPv6 address, it will show as “Network unavailable”. If IPv6 is
disabled, then all IPV6 screens will show “Network unavailable”. Note that the HostID portion is common to both the
Local and Global addresses and so is only displayed once.
IPv6 Local Subnet
fe80:0000:0000:0000*
IPv6 HostID
020d:3fff:fe01:1f9c*
IPv6 Global Subnet*
Network unavailable
MAC Address
MAC Address
00:0d:3f:01:1f:9c
46 EX1403 Basic Operation
Page 47
LAN Reset
RPM
Fan
Self-Test
www.powerandtest.com
LAN Config Reset
Hold MENU to reset
Fan High 2272
Hold MENU to change
Holding MENU will cycle between the three available fan modes: High, Off, and Auto. If the fan is
configured for Auto, but internal temperature sensors are below target temperature, the status will
be displayed as “Auto (Off)”. If the fan is set to High (or Auto and cooling is required), its current
detected RPM will be displayed.
Fan Auto (Off)
Hold MENU to change
Self Test
Hold MENU to start
The results of the self-test will show “Passed” or “Failed”. Use the web interface for detailed results
of the last self-test.
Self Test
Passed
USB
USB at sda1
SP UFD U3
USB at sda1
Safe to remove
A USB device screen shows both the unique device name and the volume label. Holding the Menu button on a USB
device screen will safely eject the device.
Data Logger: sda1
SP UFD U3
Each USB device also has a screen for use as a Data Logger. Holding the Menu button on this screen will cause the
instrument to load a stored configuration file from the USB device and start a measurement. If the stored configuration
file specifies, measured data may also be saved to the USB device during a Data Logger measurement. While a Data
Logger measurement is in progress, a status screen will be displayed.
EX1403 Basic Operation 47
Page 48
VTI Instruments
Meas 10 recs
15% Trigs 1:42m
The status screen shows four items: Measurement State, Acquired Records, Completed Triggers, and Trigger Time
Remaining.
Measurement State: This indicates the current state of the measurement’s trigger state
machine. Possible values are:
o Idle: Not running
o Settle: Waiting for digital filters to settle
o Start: Waiting for the configured Start event to occur
o ArmWait: Waiting for the configured Arm event to occur
o TrigWait: Waiting for the configured Trigger event to occur
o PreTrig: Waiting for pre-trigger samples to be buffered
o Meas: Measuring data after a trigger
Acquired Records: The number of records measured so far this measurement.
Completed Triggers: If Trigger Count is finite, the percentage of total triggers completed
so far. If infinite, the number of triggers completed.
Trigger Time Remaining: The amount of time remaining until the current trigger’s data
collection phase is complete. This is only displayed when Measurement State is Meas.
USB MEMORY DEVICES
The EX1403 provides a single USB 2.0 port on its rear panel. Any USB 2.0 or earlier compatible memory device can
be attached. A USB hub may also be used to attach many USB memory devices at the same time. For more
information, related to standalone data logging and USB memory device configuration, please refer to Operation of
Data Logger in Section 6
Storage Devices APIs
The Instrument Driver includes a repeated capability exposing all attached USB memory devices at Storage.Devices.
If any devices are attached or removed after initializing the instrument driver, the Storage.Devices.Update method
will refresh the list. The Enabled parameter of each Storage Device item controls whether data will be saved to the
storage device during measurement. The other properties allow querying information about the storage device and
configuring the filename and other parameters about how data is saved.
All data stored to USB storage devices is written in either HDF5 or CSV format. The Disk Streaming feature of the
Instrument Driver also supports saving data in the same HDF5 format used when writing to USB. Files generated by
either method can be read by the same software in the same way.
Stored Configurations
The EX1403 has the ability to store its configuration parameters as a JSON file on any attached USB memory
device. This configuration file can then be loaded via the instrument driver at a later date, in order to restore the
precise configuration at the time of saving. This configuration file is also used when a Data Logger measurement is
performed via the instrument’s rear-panel LCD display. Use the Instrument Driver’s
Configuration.SaveConfigurationToStorageDevice, Configuration.LoadConfigurationFromStorageDevice,
Configuration.ClearConfigurationFromStorageDevice, and
Configuration.GetConfigurationDigestFromStorageDevice APIs to access the configuration file. Each of these APIs
takes the Storage Devices repeated capability name as an argument.
Data Logging
The Storage Devices APIs and Stored Configurations features, along with the rear-panel LCD display, enable the
EX1403 to act as a stand-alone Data Logger device.
48 EX1403 Basic Operation
Page 49
www.powerandtest.com
To make use of stand-alone data logging with a USB memory device, the instrument should first be configured using
the Soft Front Panel or Instrument Driver for the desired measurement parameters. This includes using the
Storage.Devices APIs to enabling saving data to the USB device, if desired. The
Configuration.SaveConfigurationToStorageDevice method should then be called to save the desired measurement
configuration to the USB device. The USB device can then be inserted into any EX1403 and used to perform the
configured measurement via the rear-panel LCD display. For more information on using the LCD display for Data
Logging, see Operation of Data Logger in Section 6.
EX1403 Basic Operation 49
Page 50
Page 51
www.powerandtest.com
SECTION 4
WEB PAGE OPERATION
INTRODUCTION
The EX1403 instrument hosts an internal web page, which allows easy configuration, management and
troubleshooting of the device. This internal Soft Front Panel (SFP) is a JavaScript based application which is designed
to work within any modern web browser. It can be accessed by typing the instrument IP address or hostname into the
browser address bar.
There are several methods to determine the instrument IP address, hostname, and other network settings. The simplest
option is to refer to the display on the rear of the device and use the menu button to navigate between pages. If the
device display is not physically accessible, the instrument can be discovered using the LXI Discovery tool, National
Instruments Measurement and Automation Explorer (MAX), or Keysight (formerly Agilent) Connection Expert
(ACE). The EX1403 also supports the mDNS protocol; any tool for Zero Configuration networking, such as Apple ®
Bonjour ® or Avahi, can also be used to discover the instrument. For more information on installation of these software
utilities, please refer to their respective vendors.
The LXI Discovery tool is a free utility, available for download from the LXI Consortium. It uses the VXI-11 and
mDNS protocols to detect any LXI instruments present on the network. Once installed, this software will discover
EX1403 instruments, if available, as shown below.
FIGURE 4-1: LXI DISCOVERY TOOL WITH EX1403 SELECTED
EX1403 Web Page Operation 51
Page 52
VTI Instruments
Multicast 224.0.0251, FF02::FB
HTTP
80
TCP Instrument web pages (SFP)
and driver communication
ICMPv4
ICMP
Typically enables echo request/respond for ping
IPv6 addresses, RDDNS
Arp
Arp Used to confirm address assignments
DHCPv4
67/68
UDP/TCP
IPv4 address assignment, DNS Server, Dynamic DNS, Gateway
DNS 53 UDP Naming service
SSH 22
TCP Bidirectional
interactive text oriented communication
mapper
port is current in use
number is 5044
multicast 224.0.1.129, FF02::181
multicast 224.0.1.129, FF02::181
Data stream
9901 TCP Driver data stream
Alternatively, the EX1403 may also be discovered using Internet Explorer’s Bonjour for Windows plug-in. By default,
the EX1403 will first attempt to use DHCP to set its IP Address. If DHCP is not available on the network it is connected
to, it will instead use Auto IP. Determining the Auto IP address is discussed in the Network Configuration portion of
Section 2. Other discovery methods, such as VXI-11, can be used as well.
COMMON ISSUES
Certain networking issues may prevent instrument discovery, such as connecting the instrument and host computer to
different sub-nets. You may need to contact your network administrator for assistance with these issues. This section
describes possible solutions for other common issues.
Multiple Network Ports
Your computer may have multiple physical or virtual network adaptors. For example, a laptop may have wi-fi enabled
as well as a wired Ethernet connection to the network containing the LXI device. Some applications also create virtual
network adaptors. To resolve this problem, disable all other network adaptors to force the computer to select the
network used by the instrument.
Firewall
A firewall may block some or all network traffic between your computer and the LXI device. Contact your network
administer for assistance with creating exceptions in the firewall configuration to communication with the instrument.
See the table below for a list of ports and protocols typically used by the EX1403 and other LXI devices.
Protocol /
Service
mDNS 5353 UDP/TCP Zero-config protocol for
ICMPv6 ICMP Optional - Typically enables echo request/respond for ping, also SLAAC for
RPC port-
VXI-11 Varies TCP VXI-11 instrument discovery
LXI-eventsvc 5044 UDP/TCP LXI Event support for instrument triggering; multicast
Ptp-event 319 UDP/TCP LXI Profile IEEE 1588
Ptp-general 320 UDP/TCP LXI Profile IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP);
Port Base
Protocol
111 UDP/TCP Builds upon Sun-RPC and port-mapper
Remarks
<hostname>.local address resolution; service discovery;
The exact port number varies; query the RPC port-mapper to determine which
224.0.23.159, FF02::138. LXI Events can use other ports also, but default port
Precision Time Protocol (PTP);
TABLE 4-1: STANDARD PORTS, PROTOCOLS, AND SERVICES
GENERAL WEB PAGE OPERATION
When initial connection is made to the EX1403, the instrument home page, or Index, appears. This page displays
instrument-specific information. This page is accessible from any other instrument page by clicking on the EX1403
web page header. The EX1403 Navigation Menu is displayed on the left-hand side of every internal web page. The
entries on the Navigation Menu represent two types of pages:
52 EX1403 Web Page Operation
Page 53
www.powerandtest.com
Status: These pages perform no actions and accept no entries. It provides operational status and information only. The
Index page is an example of a status page.
Entry: These pages display and accept changes to the configuration of the instrument. The Network Configuration
page is an example of an entry page. Use of the entry-type web pages in the EX1403 are governed by a common set
of operational characteristics:
Pages initially load with the currently-entered selections displayed.
Each page contains a Submit button to accept newly entered changes. Leaving a page before submitting any
changes has the effect of canceling the changes, leaving the instrument in its original state.
Navigation through a parameter screen is done with the Tab key. The Enter key has the same function as
clicking the Submit button and cannot be used for navigation.
EX1403 Web Page Operation 53
Page 54
VTI Instruments
LOGIN
When accessing a page that allows changing configuration parameters of the EX1403, a password may be required.
If so, the Login page will appear.
To log in, simply enter the password in the given text field, and press the Submit button. By default, the EX1403 has
no password. To change the password, visit the Change Password page. If the password is unknown, performing a
network reset operation will reset the EX1403 to no password.
54 EX1403 Web Page Operation
Page 55
INDEX
The Index page provides the general information about the EX1403.
www.powerandtest.com
Model: The model number of the module.
Manufacturer: The module manufacturer.
Serial Number: The module’s serial number.
Description: A brief, user-configurable description of the module.
LXI Version: Indicates which version of the LXI specification the module conforms to.
Extended Functions: Indicates which LXI Extended functions are supported.
Hostname: Indicates the Full Qualified Domain Names of the module. The first part of each
FQDN is the user-configured hostname.
MAC Address: Indicates the factory-assigned MAC address of the module.
IPv4 Address: Indicate the current IPv4 address of the module.
IPv6 Address: Indicates the current IPv6 address(es) of the module.
Instrument Address String: Indicates the resource string(s) by which the module can be accessed
via its instrument driver.
Firmware Revision: Indicates the current revision of the module’s firmware.
IEEE-1588 Time: The current IEEE-1588 time.
Current source of time: Indicates from which source the module is deriving its time.
Local time: The module’s current time, as expressed in the currently configured time zone.
INSTRUMENT
The Instrument page lists all modules of the EX1403. Because the EX1403 is not a modular instrument, this consists
solely of one module: inst0.
EX1403 Web Page Operation 55
Page 56
VTI Instruments
The following information is provided for each module:
Device: The bus and slot number of the module. Clicking on the name will launch the instrument
control Soft Front Panel.
Model: The model number of the module.
Revision: The firmware version of the module.
Serial: The serial number of the module.
Description: A brief description of the module.
Resource: A resource string that can be used to access the module via its instrument driver.
56 EX1403 Web Page Operation
Page 57
www.powerandtest.com
SOFT FRONT PANEL
The Soft Front Panel popup allows configuration and control of the instrument. It includes access to all firmware APIs
exposed by the instrument driver and presents them via an AJAX-enabled web page.
The Soft Front Panel is organized into tabs via a menu of the left-hand side. Each tab contains a set of related options.
Clicking a tab will highlight it in the menu and open its contents in the main section of the page. Each tab also has a
lock icon. Clicking on the lock will lock the tab, keeping its content visible even when other tabs are opened. Clicking
the lock again will unlock the tab, hiding its content. The state of locked and opened tabs is stored in a browser cookie,
so that they will persist the next time the SFP is opened in the same browser.
Most of the Soft Front Panel’s fields correspond 1-to-1 with the APIs of the Instrument Driver. Refer to the Driver
Structure section for basic information on how to configure the instrument, which is all applicable to the SFP as well.
Changing the value in most of the text entry, drop-down menu, and check box controls of the SFP will cause your
browser to send an HTTP PUT request to the instrument, changing the appropriate setting. The browser will then
immediately send a GET request for the same property, and update the contents of the field with the result. This allows
the SFP to keep up to date when the firmware coerces or rejects a value. Some settings can also affect the value of
other properties. When this happens, the response to the HTTP PUT will include a cache invalidation header for those
properties, prompting the SFP to submit HTTP GET requests for those fields as well.
Some fields in the SFP (such as Overload Status, FIFO Records, and Time) are read-only. These can be polled for
updates by clicking on them. The firmware will submit a GET request for any read-only field whenever it is clicked.
To begin a measurement in the SFP, click the “Initiate Measurement” button in the Measurement tab. While the
measurement is running, the State, FIFO Records, and Acquired Records fields will be updated up to 4 times per
second, showing the state of the measurement. The “Current Value” field of the Channels table will also be updated
with the latest measured value from each enabled channel while the measurement is running. If the DIO setting
“Reporting Enabled” is checked, then the current input state of the DIO port will also be updated during measurement
EX1403 Web Page Operation 57
Page 58
VTI Instruments
in the “7” through “0” fields. Note that the data shown under “Current Value” is not necessarily part of a record – it
is simply the newest data in the instrument’s circular buffer FIFO.
Any records in the instrument FIFO can be downloaded by clicking the “Download CSV” button in the Measurement
tab. The “Download Records” field indicates how many records will be removed from the FIFO and converted to
CSV format for download. Checking the “All” box causes the SFP to download all available records instead.
Measured data can also be plotted in the Data Plot tab. The following options are available:
Plot Type controls the plot’s mode of operation and has two options:
o Poll Current Value Table will plot each new data point that is polled from the
Current Value Table in real time, whenever a measurement is running. When
this mode is selected, the following parameters are available:
CVT Polling Frequency (ms) controls the amount of time waited
between polling of the instrument’s measurement state and Current
Value Table. Valid values are from 100 to 10000 ms.
Maximum CVT Points is the maximum number of Current Value
Table points to plot at one time. After this many points is reached, the
oldest will be removed from the plot whenever a new one is added.
Valid values are from 8 to 512.
o Download Records From FIFO allows records to be downloaded from the
instrument’s FIFO and plotted directly in the SFP. When this mode is selected,
the following buttons are available:
Plot Next FIFO Record pops a record from the FIFO, downloads it,
and adds it to the current plot.
Clear Plotted Records removes all currently plotted records. Because
all data is plotted on a common time-axis, adding data that was
acquired far apart in time can create a large gap in the plot. It is
recommended to clear the plot before adding more data if the next
record is not close in time to the already plotted data.
Save Plotted Records downloads all currently plotted data in CSV
format.
Draw Points controls whether a marker is drawn on each plotted data point, in addition
to the line. Turning this on is helpful with small data sets, but with large amounts of data,
it can slow down plotting significantly, as well making the plot itself less readable.
All channel data is plotted via a shared Y-axis, in the selected units for each channel, even if not all
channels are configured to use the same units.
The plot’s X-axis is always the time axis, in units of seconds. The values on the axis will always be
offset by the seconds portion of the first plotted point’s time value after clearing the plot (FIFO
mode) or starting a new measurement (CVT mode). The offset value will be displayed next to the
X-axis label. For instance, if the timestamp of the first plotted value is 34.567, the X-axis label will
read “Seconds (+34)” and the first plotted value will appear at 0.567 seconds on the plot. This allows
large IEEE 1588 time values to be plotted without crowding the X-axis tick labels.
Hovering the mouse pointer over any plotted point will pop up a message identifying the channel
name, as well as both the X- and Y-axis values for the point. X-axis values in this message are the
full offset-corrected values.
Hovering the mouse over a channel’s name in the legend will cause the data for that channel to be
highlighted. Clicking on the channel name will toggle whether that channel’s data is visible. The
plot’s X-axis can be zoomed in by clicking and dragging anywhere in the plot to define the new
range of values to display. After doing this, buttons will appear at the top of the plot: Pan, which
changes clicking-and-dragging to pan the visible data instead of zooming further; and Reset, which
resets to the original zoom level.
58 EX1403 Web Page Operation
Page 59
www.powerandtest.com
DIO data cannot be plotted via the SFP. But, if the DIO Reporting Enabled property is True, any
DIO records associated with plotted channel data records will be included in CSV data that is
downloaded via the Save Plotted Records button.
EX1403 Web Page Operation 59
Page 60
VTI Instruments
USB STORAGE
The USB Storage page lists all USB storage devices connected to the instrument.
The following information is provided for each USB Storage device:
Device Name: The unique name of the storage device.
Label: The volume label.
Size: The total amount of storage space available.
Used: The amount of space used.
Use %: The percentage of total space used.
Each device also includes an Eject link. Clicking this will cause the instrument to disconnect the storage device so
that it can be safely removed.
60 EX1403 Web Page Operation
Page 61
www.powerandtest.com
NETWORK CONFIGURATION
The Network Configuration Page contains information concerning the configuration of the EX1403’s network
interfaces and provides the ability to modify it.
IPv4 Address Source: The IPv4 address for the EX1403 is determined by one of three sequenced
mechanisms: DHCP → AutoIP → Static. If an IP address cannot be obtained with the first
mechanism, it will progress to the next method. The user also has the ability to enable or disable either
of these methods by utilizing the adjacent checkboxes.
o DHCP: A protocol that obtains an IP address automatically if the EX1403 is connected to a
network with a DHCP server. By default, the EX1403 will attempt to locate a DHCP server. If
one is found, the IP address assigned by the DHCP server will be assumed. Otherwise, after a
timeout of 20 seconds, the unit will attempt to obtain an IP address by using AutoIP.
o AutoIP: A protocol that automatically creates a link-local IP address based on theEX1403’s
MAC address. If the IP address created is not available on a network, another IP will be
chosen randomly.
o Static: A user-configured IP address which remains constant. Both DHCP and AutoIP
generated IP addresses may change after a reset condition.
Disable IPv6: When checked, IPv6 addressing will be disabled, and the EX1403 will only be
accessible via IPv4.
Hostname: Indicates a name which other devices may use to communicate with the EX1403 instead of
using its IP address. When mDNS service discovery is used, the host name for the unit will appear.
The default hostname is “EX1403-[serial number]”. To reset the hostname to the factory default, delete
the current value and submit the page with nothing in this field.
Device Description: This user-configurable field can be used to provide additional information
regarding the module (i.e. location, use, etc.). This is visible on the Index page without the need for a
password. If set, this description will be used as the Service Name for mDNS service discover instead
EX1403 Web Page Operation 61
Page 62
VTI Instruments
of the hostname above. To reset the description to the factory default, delete the current value and
submit the page with nothing in this field.
Static IP Configuration: This configuration section is used to create a Static IP address.
o IP Address: The user-configured IP address is entered into this text field.
o Subnet Mask: Defines the range of IP addresses the EX1403 will attempt to connect to
directly (255.255.255.0 means match all but the last number, etc.).
o Gateway Address: The IP address of a server that EX1403 can use to contact IP addresses
external to its network.
o DNS Servers: This field is used to provide the IP Addresses of servers that the EX1403
module may use to look up hostnames (e.g. www.powerandtest.com).
Network Status: Indicates the current network settings for the EX1403’s IPv4 Address, Subnet Mask,
Gateway Address, MAC Address, and IPv6 Address.
62 EX1403 Web Page Operation
Page 63
www.powerandtest.com
INSTRUMENT HEALTH
The Instrument Health Page contains information concerning the EX1403’s board sensors and fan controls.
Fan Mode:
o Off: The fan will remain off at all times.
o On: The fan will run at all times.
o Auto: The fan will turn on whenever any of the temperature sensors’ Current
Value is above its Auto Fan Target.
Temperature Sensors: This table lists all of the available temperature sensors in the
instrument, along with their Current Value and Auto Fan Target.
o BOARD: This temperature sensor is located in the digital section near the rear
of the instrument, directly attached to the main circuit board.
o CPU: This is the embedded temperature sensor in the CPU die.
TIME CONFIGURATION
The Time Configuration Page contains information concerning the configuration of the EX1403’s source of time and
provides the ability to modify it.
EX1403 Web Page Operation 63
Page 64
VTI Instruments
Time Configuration:
o Time Zone: Allows the user to select the time zone for displaying the current local time.
o Time Source: Selects the method to use for setting the EX1403’s time.
o NTP Server: The IP Address or hostname of the server from which to derive time when the NTP
option is selected. If this is left blank, one of the following values will be used by instead:
o Set Time: Checking the Set Time box causes the Date and Time fields to appear. They will be
automatically populated with the current time of the user’s PC. When using the Manual option,
this sets the EX1403’s current date and time. When using the PTP2 option, this causes a message
to be sent to the current master clock, requesting that it set its time.
Time Status:
o Current Time: The current date and time of the EX1403, translated to the UTC time-base and the
selected time zone.
o PTP Status: The current state of the PTP2 protocol within the EX1403.
o Offset from Master (ns): An estimate of the current error, in nanoseconds, of the EX1403’s time
from that of its PTP master.
PTP2: Precision Time Protocol Version 2 (IEEE 1588-2008) will be used to synchronize
the EX1403’s time with a master clock on the network, or to act as master clock, based
on the IEEE 1588 Best Master Clock algorithm.
NTP: Network Time Protocol will be used to synchronize the EX1403’s time to a remote
server, which is specified in the NTP Server field below.
Manual: The time will be set manually by the user via the Set Time option below.
If the EX1403 is configured for DHCP, and if the DHCP server supplies the address of an
NTP server, that will be used.
Otherwise, the default value of pool.ntp.org will be used.
LXI SYNCHRONIZATION
The LXI Synchronization page provides status on the EX1403’s synchronization status.
64 EX1403 Web Page Operation
Page 65
www.powerandtest.com
IEEE 1588 Parameters
o PTP Grandmaster Clock MAC: The MAC address of the device on the network to which all
other IEEE 1588 compliant devices are synchronized.
o PTP Parent Clock MAC: The MAC address of the device to which the EX1403 is
synchronized. In a hierarchical IEEE 1588 system with boundary clocks, this indicates the
MAC address of the parent clock on the local link.
o PTP State: Indicates whether the EX1403 is initializing, faulty, disabled, listening, pre-
master, master, passive, uncalibrated, or slave.
o Current PTP Time: The current time on the EX1403, expressed as the number of seconds
since midnight January 1, 1970 TAI.
o Current Local Time: The current date and time of the EX1403, translated to the UTC time-
base and the selected time zone.
o Grandmaster Traceability to UTC: Indicates how the grandmaster is synchronized to UTC.
The values provide an indicator of how closely synchronized the grandmaster is to UTC
time.
o Current Observed Variance of Parent: This function is not supported by the EX1403.
o IEEE 1588 Domain: The instrument’s PTP domain. Typically, this indicator is 0.
LXI Module to Module Parameters
o LXI Domain: An 8-bit number, 0 to 255, which indicates the domain the EX1403 is using for
LAN Events. All events sent by this device will include this number. Likewise, the device
will only accept events that include the same LXI Domain number.
LXI IDENTIFICATION
The LXI Identification page is a XML document providing identifying information on the EX1403.
EX1403 Web Page Operation 65
Page 66
VTI Instruments
Manufacturer: The module manufacturer.
Model: The model number of the module.
SerialNumber: The module’s serial number.
FirmwareRevision: Indicates the current revision of the module’s firmware.
ManufacturerDescription: A brief description of the module.
HomepageURL: The address of the manufacturer home page.
UserDescription: The user-configurable description field.
IdentificationURL: The canonical URL of this document.
Network Interface Information: The following fields will be repeated once for each network
interface present in the module:
o InstrumentAddressString: Indicates the resource string by which the module can be
accessed via its instrument driver.
o Hostname: Indicates the Full Qualified Domain Name of the module. The first part of
the FQDN is the user-configured hostname.
o IP Address: Indicate the current IP address of the module.
o SubnetMask: Indicates the range of IP addresses the EX1403 will attempt to connect to
directly.
66 EX1403 Web Page Operation
Page 67
www.powerandtest.com
o MAC Address: Indicates the factory-assigned MAC address of the module.
o Gateway: The IP address of a server that EX1403 can use to contact IP addresses
external to its network.
o DHCPEnabled: Indicates whether DHCP is enabled on the interface.
o AutoIPEnabled: Indicates whether AutoIP is enabled on the interface.
IVISoftwareModuleName: Indicates the name and description of an IVI-compliant instrument
driver that can be used to control the instrument.
Domain: The LXI LAN Event Domain number, 0-255.
LXIVersion: Indicates which version of the LXI specification the module conforms to.
Function: Indicates an LXI Extended Function, and its version, that is supported by the module.
BLINK LAN INDICATOR
The Blink LAN Indicator page allows identification of the device being accessed by causing its LAN LED to blink.
This is helpful when there are multiple instruments present in your system and you need to identify a specific device
by its IP address.
Turn On: Cause the EX1403’s LAN LED to blink.
Turn Off: Cause the EX1403’s LAN LED to stop blinking.
EX1403 Web Page Operation 67
Page 68
VTI Instruments
CHANGE PASSWORD
The Change Password page allows the password to be updated.
Password: Set a new password to control access to configuring the EX1403. Setting an
empty password disables password requirements.
NONVOLATILE MEMORY
The Nonvolatile Memory web page provides the ability to securely erase the contents of the EX1403’s user-writable
memory devices.
config: Securely erases the instrument configuration partition of the main instrument flash. This
includes all settings that can be configured through the instrument web page and any stored
instrument configurations saved via the instrument driver of Soft Front Panel.
main_full_cal: Securely erases the user full calibration portion of the main board’s calibration and
identification EEPROM. This contains all of the user-supplied calibration information for CH1-8.
The factory-supplied full calibration will not be affected.
mezz_full_cal: Securely erases the user full calibration portion of the mezzanine board’s
calibration and identification EEPROM. This contains all of the user-supplied calibration
information for CH9-16. The factory-supplied full calibration will not be affected.
68 EX1403 Web Page Operation
Page 69
www.powerandtest.com
UPGRADE
The Upgrade web page provides the ability to upgrade the firmware of the EX1403. Upgrade files are available from
the VTI Instruments User’s Manuals and Drivers CD, or from the VTI Instruments web site, at
https://www.powerandtest.com/.
File: Choose an upgrade file.
RESET
The Reset web page allows the EX1403 to be returned to power-on default settings. This operation is faster than a
reboot but does not load new firmware.
Reset: Click this button to reset the EX1403 to power-on defaults.
REBOOT
The Reboot web page allows the EX1403 to reboot. This operation has the same effect as power-cycling the unit – it
will re-load firmware from nonvolatile memory and return to power-on defaults.
Reboot Device: Click this button to reboot the EX1403.
EX1403 Web Page Operation 69
Page 70
VTI Instruments
SECTION 5
INSTRUMENT DRIVERS
OVERVIEW
Three drivers, VTEXDigitizer, VTEXDsa, and VTEXPlatform (or libDigitizer, libDsa, and libPlatform, respectively,
for Linux), are used to program the EX1403 instruments. The “Digitizer” drivers are common drivers used by all EX
Series and EMX Series digitizer devices provided by VTI Instruments. For a simple data acquisition application, the
“Digitizer” driver may be the only driver the user needs to use. The “DSA” driver is essentially a super set of the
“Digitizer” driver. In addition to the data acquisition functionalities in the “Digitizer” driver, the “DSA” driver also
supports the EMX-1434’s signal output and tachometer input capabilities. The “Platform” driver is used to configure
the EX1403’s LXI device specific features, as per IVILXISync API guidelines.
IVI DRIVERS
The IVI Foundation defines IVI driver specifications. IVI specification information is available at the IVI Foundation
website, www.ivifoundation.org. The IVI-3.2 Inherent Capability Specification defines a common set of basic
functionality that all IVI driver must support. This ensures that users can perform basic operations and identify its
capability for any IVI driver using the exact same API functions. The IVI drivers are implemented using a common
code provided by the IVI Foundation in order to guarantee this consistent behavior. This common code is called the
IVI Shared Components. The IVI Shared Components must be installed separately prior to any IVI drivers from VTI.
The shared components installer is available for download from the IVI Foundation website.
The IVI Foundation specifies that the IVI driver be based on Microsoft Component Object Model, called IVI-COM
and an IVI driver using standard C language API, called IVI-C. For those who develop applications in Windows .NET
languages, such as C#, VB.NET, or other Object Oriented Language, such as C++, IVI-COM gives APIs logically
organized by interfaces. IVI-C gives more traditional C language functions.
While VTI’s IVI drivers are architected based on IVI-COM, the driver installer also installs a wrapper library that
exposes IVI-C functions so that the user can use develop in both types of environment.
Header and Library Files
The IVI driver specification defines the install directory structure and software components to be installed. For 32-bit
Windows systems, the root of install directory is C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\IVI. For 64-bit
Windows systems, the 32-bit driver is installed at C:\Program Files (x86)\IVI Foundation\IVI and
the 64-bit driver is installed at C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\IVI. Driver header files and library
files are installed in several sub directories. The Bin subdirectory contains IVI-COM and IVI-C driver DLL files. The
Component subdirectory contains IVI-COM and IVI-C shared components files. The Drivers subdirectory contains
the driver specific sub directories. The driver’s online help files and example programs are installed here. The Include
subdirectory contains header files. The Lib subdirectory contains 32-bit import library files. The Lib_x64 subdirectory
contains 64-bit import library files.
DRIVERS FOR LINUX OS
In addition to the IVI drivers for Windows OS, C++ libraries are provided for the Linux operating system. The Linux
drivers are supported on distributions running Linux kernel version 2.6.32 or later. In addition, the Linux drivers
require GCC version 4.4 or later and glibc 2.12 or later. The driver for Linux organizes and names each C++ class and
70 EX1403 Instrument Drivers
Page 71
www.powerandtest.com
members consistent to the IVI-COM driver. The driver description in this manual applies to both IVI driver and the
library for Linux OS.
The Linux drivers are supplied as RPM packages which are supported by a wide variety of distributions. In
distributions which natively support RPM packages, such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Fedora Linux, or CentOS, the
driver packages can be installed by running the command:
rpm –Uvh packagename.rpm
There are many other popular Linux distributions which do not natively support RPM packages, but instead use thirdparty tools to install them. Debian and Ubuntu Linux are both very popular, but do not support RPM packages out of
the box. To use these packages on these systems, ‘alien’ is recommended which should be available in the package
repository for these distributions. To install the drivers using alien, run the command:
alien –i packagename.rpm
Currently, there are both 32- and 64-bit driver packages for libDigitizer, libDsa, and libPlatform. There is also a
package which installs common libraries and dependencies used by all drivers, libCommon. The appropriate
libCommon package (32-bit or 64-bit) must be installed before installing any of the other driver packages. The release
notes for the libCommon package include information on the exact compiler version used for a release.
Header and Library Files
/opt/vti/include sub directory contains header files.
/opt/vti/lib sub directory contains driver shared object files.
/opt/vti/share/doc sub directory contains release notes, driver online help and example
programs
BUILDING AND RUNNING EXAMPLE PROGRAMS
Windows Examples
The instrument drivers come with example programs that the user can build and execute. Example programs are in
C++ and C# (Windows only) programming language. They are installed in the Examples sub-folder under the standard
IVI driver installation folder, which is usually found at C:\Program Files (x86)\IVI
Foundation\IVI\Drivers\VTEXDigitizer\Examples or C:\Program Files\IVI
Foundation\IVI\Drivers\VTEXDigitizer\Examples. A link to the example programs can also be found in the Start
Menu.
EX1403 Instrument Drivers 71
Page 72
VTI Instruments
RPM (DSA), Pattern (DSA) not supported
by digitizer devices
Self-calibration not supported
Mode: Differential
Pulse not supported
Linux Examples
Linux examples are stored at /opt/vti/share/doc/digitizer/examples/. To build them, copy that folder to a writable location,
change directory to the examples folder and run make.
COMPATIBILITY
DRIVER AND FIRMWARE REVISIONS
The instrument driver and firmware have three revision fields: <Major>, <Minor>, and <Build>. For the firmware
installed on the instrument to be compatible with the driver being used, the <Major> version number must be equal
and the <Minor> version must be equal or newer than the driver. Otherwise, the firmware needs to be updated. It is
recommended to use the same <Major> and <Minor> version pair, if possible.
DRIVER API AND INSTRUMENTS
The Digitizer driver is designed to work with many digitizer products from VTI Instruments. Not all API functions
defined in the driver apply to every digitizer product, since each model has a unique feature set. Calling unsupported
API functions will result in a property not supported or method not supported error. See the manuals for the other
digitizer products for more details on their supported features.
Digitizer APIs EX1403 Support
Alarms Supported
Arm Supported
Calibration Supported
Channels Supported
AutoCal, AutoRange, Filter, Measurement, Temperature, Weighting are not
supported
Function: Voltage, Strain, Cal, Resistance
Coupling: DC
72 EX1403 Instrument Drivers
Configuration Supported
Dio Supported
Events Supported
Page 73
Digitizer APIs EX1403 Support
FIFOMode: Stop only
Channel interfaces)
Prescaler: must be 1
PXIClk10 not supported
MaxQueueSize, QueueEnabled not supported
Measurement Supported
DataFormat: EUReal32, VReal32,
RawInt32
www.powerandtest.com
Sampling
(Measurement and
Platform Supported
ReferenceOscillator Supported
SelfTest Supported
Start Supported
Storage Devices Supported
StreamingData Supported
Sync Supported
Temperature Supported
Time Supported
Trigger Supported
TABLE 5-1: SUPPORTED FUNCTIONS IN COMMON DIGITIZER APIS
Supported
Multipass, Oversample not supported
EX1403 Instrument Drivers 73
Page 74
VTI Instruments
DRIVER STRUCTURE
MEASUREMENT
This section provides information related to configuring the basic measurement setup and control. The basic
measurement configuration and control can be done through the driver’s Measurement interface. The Measurement
interface configures parameters that are global to entire system, rather than individual channels, or instrument modules
when more than one module is included in the driver.
The parameters the user can set using the Measurement interface are:
Sampling parameters, including ADC sampling rate, digital decimation filters span, and data record size
Number of data acquisition records at each trigger event
FIFO mode of operation
Data format
The Measurement interface can be used to query the current measurement state information:
Measurement state machine state
Total number of records available in FIFO
Methods to control measurement, such as:
Initiating measurement
Aborting measurement
Retrieving acquired data
CHANNELS AND CHANNEL GROUPS
This section provides information related to using channels and channel groups. For more detailed information, see
the online help file provided with the Digitizer driver.
The Channels interface contains both channel objects and channel group objects in the same array. A channel object
represents an individual analog input channel. A channel group object represents one or more analog input channels
as a group. When a driver is initialized or reset, the repeated capability contains the analog channels, one channel
group representing all the analog channels, and one or more channel groups representing the analog channels from
each digitizer model in the driver session. For example, when there are two EX1403 instruments and one EMX-4350
in a single driver session, the Channels interface contains an array totaling 39 channel objects. Those channels are 32
individual EX1403 analog input channels (16 from each EX1403), four EMX-4350 individual analog input channels,
one channel group object that represents all 36 analog input channels, one channel group for all 32 EX1403 inputs,
and one channel group for all four EMX-4350 inputs. These channel groups are named “All”, “EX1403”, and “EMX4350”.
The channel array is created in ascending slot order for modular instruments (such as the EMX family). The first
element in the array is the first analog input of the digitizer card that is installed at the lowest slot in a chassis. When
more than one instrument is included in the total system, the channel order is determined by the resource string used
in the driver’s Initialize call.
The individual channel objects are used to configure or query individual input channel properties.
The channel group objects can be used to configure multiple channels to the same value. In general, the user can
configure multiple channels faster using a channel group than setting channels individually. Querying the current
setting through channel groups works only when all channels are set to the same value.
The channel name is defined as <slot no>!CH<channel no>. For example, 2!CH2 indicates the 2nd channel of a card
installed at slot2 of a chassis. The predefined channel group names are “ALL” or an instrument model number such
74 EX1403 Instrument Drivers
Page 75
www.powerandtest.com
as “EX1403”. Optionally, the user can create new custom channel groups using AddChannelGroup method. When
more than one instrument are in the session, the channel name of the 2nd instrument adds 100 to the slot number, such
as 102!CH2, and 200 for the 3rd instrument, 300 for the 4th, etc. The RX0124 and RX0224 instruments each consist of
only one digitizer slot, slot 2, to maintain compatibility with EMX products. The EX1403 instrument consists of a
single digitizer slot called inst0.
The NumChannels property gives the total number of individual input channels, while the Count property is the total
number of channel or channel group objects in the array.
VOLTAGE CHANNEL CONFIGURATION
When Function is set to Voltage, the EX1403’s channels can each be configured for Range, the maximum voltage that
can be measured, and Mode, which selects either SingleEnded or Differential measurement types.
RESISTANCE CHANNEL CONFIGURATION
When Function is set to Resistance, the EX1403 channels’ configuration options are similar to Voltage mode, with a
few exceptions. The value of the Mode property is ignored; all measurements are Differential.
When Strain.ExcitationType is Current, the range Range property is in units of Ohms, with supported values equal to
each of the supported Voltage ranges divided by each of the supported excitation currents. When Strain.ExcitationType
is External, the range Range property is in units of Volts, and the user must configure the externally supplied current
via the Strain.ExcitationLevel property to ensure proper EU conversion of data into Ohms.
If Strain.BridgeType is set to FourWireOhm, resistance measurements will use four wire mode. For any other setting
of Strain.BridgeType, resistance measurements will be performed in two wire mode.
STRAIN CHANNEL CONFIGURATION
When Function is set to Strain, a wide variety of channel configuration options are available. Like with Resistance,
the Mode property is ignored; all Strain measurements are Differential.Strain.ExcitationType controls the type of
excitation applied to the channel – Voltage, Current, or External. If External is selected, the user instrument turns off
its internal excitation supplies, and the user may supply a custom excitation externally. Current should only be used
when Strain.BridgeType is TwoWireOhmor FourWireOhm. Voltage should be used for all other bridge types.
Strain.ExcitationLevel specifies the value of the excitation. For Voltage and Current, setting this selects from the
internally generated values, and reading it returns the last measured or calibrated value of the current selection.
Strain.MeasureExcitaionLevel() will cause the instrument to perform an internal measurement of the Voltage
excitation and is not supported for other types. For External, Strain.ExcitationLevel allows the user to specify the
magnitude of their externally supplied excitation, for use in EU conversions. When Strain.ExcitationType is Current,
the channel Range has units of Ohms, and setting it will also select the appropriate value of Strain.ExcitationLevel.
Strain.DynamicExcitationEnabled controls whether the channel’s voltage excitation is continuously monitored via
internal measurements. A single auxiliary ADC scans through all channels for which this is true at approximately 20
readings per second (thus if all 16 channels are enabled, it will take about 800ms to measure them all once), and
applies an exponential filter to the data, weighting the previous result at 0.8.
Strain.BridgeType selects the type of bridge to use, configuring the channel hardware and EU conversion
appropriately. For the TwoWireOhm and FourWireOhm values, the nominal gauge resistance must be specified via
the Strain.OhmGaugeResistance property.
Strain.ShuntEnabled controls whether the EX1403 will shunt the bridge using the resistor selected by the
Strain.ShuntSource property. The available resistors on EX1403 are 50kOhm (InternalCustom1), 100kOhm
(InternalCustom2), and External, to use the user-supplied resistor connected to the spring terminal blocks labeled
Shunt Cal Res A and B. Because only one user-supplied resistor is available for each group of 8 channels, the External
source can only be enabled on one channel out of each group at a time. Strain.RemoteShuntEnabled selects whether
the shunt will be applied internally or via the Remote Shunt pins (pins 4&5 of the channel RJ45 connector). For quarter
bridge types, it is not possible to internally shunt the bridge, and so Strain.RemoteShuntEnabled must be set to true
when shunting channels configured in this mode.
EX1403 Instrument Drivers 75
Page 76
VTI Instruments
Strain.GaugeFactor specifies the sensitivity of the strain gauge. StrainUnstrainedVoltage is the bridge voltage when
the gauges are at rest. Strain.MeasureUnstrainedVoltage() can be called to cause the firmware to measure this.
Strain.PoissonRatio represents Poisson’s Ratio for use in the EU conversion of bridge types HalfPoisson, FullPoisson,
and FullBendingPoisson. Strain.LeadWireResistance specifies the resistance of the wiring from the instrument to the
gauge. This should always be used in quarter bridge or TwoWireOhm modes to compensate for desensitization caused
by this wiring resistance. It can also be used with half and full bridge modes if the external excitation sense lines are
not utilized to bypass this effect. Strain.MeasureLeadWireResistance() can be called to have the EX1403 measure this
resistance itself. For TwoWireOhm mode, the resistance of the bridge at the time of measurement must be known
precisely for this measurement to work; it should be specified before measuring via the Strain.OhmGaugeResistance
property.
START, ARM, TRIGGER, AND ALARM
The EX1403 implements a sophisticated Arm/Trigger model as show in Figure 5-1. This trigger model conforms to
industry stand trigger models defined in the IVI Digitizer specification and IVI LXI Sync specification, with some
additional features.
FIGURE 5-1 TRIGGER MODEL
Sync
Sync is an event that synchronizes the entire system. The Sync interface is used to configure the synchronization
between cards. All cards are simultaneously started by the SYNC signal and then they synchronize the state machine
76 EX1403 Instrument Drivers
Page 77
www.powerandtest.com
transition with each other through a coordination signal. The Line and CoordinationLine properties define which PXI
trigger lines and/or Alarms to use to send these signals.
Start
Once the measurement is initiated by the Initiate command, the instrument completes all preparation and becomes
ready to start taking data immediately. Then the state machine moves to the Wait for Start state. The Start interface
provides methods and properties to advance to the next state. The amount of time it takes to reach to Wait for Start
after measurement Initiate command varies depending on the measurement configuration. For example, it takes longer
when the measurement sample rate (or measurement span) is low because the filter settling time is longer. The Start
interface is useful when the user wants to have the instrument complete all the preparation and hold in that state, so
that it can start taking data immediately without any delay.
Arm
The instruments must be armed before triggering data acquisition. The Arm interface is used to configure this arming
condition. The Sources property in the Arm interface defines the arming event sources. The default arming source is
Immediate, which means automatic arming. The SourceOperator property allows the user to define an arming
condition by logically combining multiple arming sources. The Delay property defines amount of time the instrument
waits before moving out from Wait for Arm state after the defined arming conditions are met. The ArmCount property
defines how many times the measurement repeats arming and triggering before it completes. The default is once.
Setting ArmCount to 0 forces the measurement to repeat arm and trigger indefinitely until it is aborted by Abort
command.
Trigger
Data acquisition begins when a triggering condition is met. The triggering condition is configured using the Trigger
interface. Similar to Arm interface, the Sources property in the Trigger interface define the triggering event sources.
Trigger sources can be logically combined using SourceOperator in the Trigger interface. The Delay property defines
the amount of time between the trigger event and the beginning of the data acquisition. The Delay value can be
negative indicating pre-trigger data acquisition. In this case, the acquired data block starts earlier than the trigger event.
This is achieved by buffering the data in the instrument’s FIFO prior to the trigger event. For more information, see
the Data Acquisition section.
FIGURE 5-2: POSITIVE TRIGGER DELAY
EX1403 Instrument Drivers 77
Page 78
VTI Instruments
FIGURE 5-3: NEGATIVE TRIGGER DELAY
The TriggerCount property defines how many times the trigger events are accepted and data blocks are acquired. After
“TriggerCount” triggers are processed, the measurement waits for the next arming condition or finishes. The Holdoff
time specifies the minimum amount of time the measurement has to wait before it can be triggered again once a trigger
is detected. Any trigger events that occurred during the Holdoff time are ignored. When the specified Holdoff time is
shorter than one data record period, the two successive data records may be overlapped.
FIGURE 5-4: OVERLAPPED DATA ACQUISITION
Trigger Holdoff
The ability to configure the TRIG event source to be an external event such as a Digital I/O channel level or a Trigger
Bus channel edge is a powerful test feature, allowing measurements to be precisely correlated with external events.
External events, however, could nominally be generated at a rate far faster than the EX1403 can completely and
correctly execute the DEVICE layer. To prevent the instrument from being overdriven, the trigger model contains an
internal holdoff timer. Once the trigger event has been satisfied, this timer disables the recognition of all trigger events
for a time period of 1 sample period. Trigger events that occur during this period are ignored, not buffered. This is
similar in concept to the fact that, for example, additional ARM events are ignored if the trigger model is not
78 EX1403 Instrument Drivers
Page 79
www.powerandtest.com
specifically waiting for an ARM event. Due to this action, triggering the EX1403 with a burst of external pulses that
exceeds the configured sample rate will result in not only fewer readings than trigger events, but also a reading rate
that is potentially far less than the maximum rate.
Consider an example in which the trigger model is set to the following configuration:
Start Source Immediate
Arm Source Immediate
Arm Count 1
Arm Delay 0
Trig Source DIO Channel 0 Positive Edge
Trig Count 100
Trig Delay 0
SampleRate 1000
Once initialized, the EX1403 is driven by a burst of 100 positive edge transitions at a rate of 1.5 kHz. At 1.5 kHz, the
time between trigger events is 667 µs. Since this time is less than 1 ms, every other trigger event will be ignored.
Consequently, this burst will generate 50 readings at a rate of 750 Hz. Note that the actual reading output rate is far
less than the 1 kSa/s maximum rate. To achieve the maximum output rate, the TRIG event source should be set to
Immediate.
Start, Trigger and Arm events
There are three events that control the progress through the trigger model: The Start, Arm, and Trigger events. Each
of these events can be programmed independently to be activated from any of the External Trigger, Digital I/O port,
LAN events, Channel Analog Levels, and LXI alarms. In addition, each event can be programmed to be Immediate,
creating a permanent satisfaction of the event monitor. Each event monitor can also be bypassed on command with
the issuance of a Software Start, Software Arm, or Software Trigger, as appropriate. The full list of sources includes:
Digital Sources:
o Immediate
o Software
o ALARM0-1
o EXT
o DIO0-7
o LAN0-7
Analog Sources:
o CH1 to CH16
The Start event source can be any one of the Digital sources, and is always a Falling Edge event.
The Arm event source can be any combination of the Digital sources, via either a Boolean AND or a Boolean OR of
all enabled sources. Each enabled source can be a High Level, Low Level, Rising Edge, or Falling Edge event.
The Trigger event source can be a combination of either any of the Digital or any of the Analog sources, via either a
Boolean AND or a Boolean OR of all enabled sources. Each enabled source can be a High Level, Low Level, Rising
Edge, or Falling Edge event. Analog and Digital trigger sources cannot be enabled at the same time.
The Digital I/O port and the External Trigger monitor the digital hardware ports on the rear panel of the instrument.
An Arm or Trigger event can be controlled by any combination of the eight channels of each port.
LAN Events are triggered through the eight LAN Event channels via Ethernet packets (UPD/multicast or TCP
messages). They are configured in a manner similar to the Digital I/O port. These events can occur in “past time”,
“now”, or “future time”. “Past time” events have an IEEE 1588 time that occurred in the past. These will cause data
starting from the time indicated in the packet to be marked for retrieval. But, if the instrument was not in the
EX1403 Instrument Drivers 79
Page 80
VTI Instruments
WaitingForTrigger state at the specified time, the packet will be ignored. “Now” events have a IEEE 1588 time of
“0”, indicating that the event will occur immediately after it is received. Because they have a time of “0”, the event
log will only identify when this event was received. “Future time” events have an IEEE 1588 time that has not yet
occurred. Because these events occur in the future, they can be prepared for and provide a better response time than
either “past” or “now” events.
LXI alarms are specified by IVI 3.15, IVILxiSync specification. The LXI alarm will cause an event based on IEEE
1588 time and always occur at the pre-programmed time. The alarm period can be set for this event as well, allowing
the LXI alarm to fire repeatedly at a defined interval.
NOTE: The extensive flexibility of the trigger model system permits the creation of very specialized trigger
conditions, which is a powerful application tool. However, it also permits the creation of trigger
conditions that would be very difficult to satisfy in practice. For example, if edge conditions are
specified on multiple digital hardware channels, the edges must occur within 25 ns of each other to
be recognized as having occurred simultaneously.
Alarms
LXI alarms are a mechanism that generates events at a fixed time interval as specified by IVI 3.15, IVILxiSync
specification. When the Enabled property is true, the alarm starts at the time specified by TimeSeconds and
TimeFraction and repeats for RepeatCount times. The Period property defines the interval between the two successive
alarm events. Setting the RepeatCount property to 0 causes the alarm to continue firing at the specified Period until
the Enabled property is set to false. Setting the Period to 0 causes the alarm to fire only once. The alarm properties
can only be modified when the alarm is disabled.
As an extension to the LXI alarm capabilities, the EX1403 also supports “now” alarms (similar to “now” LAN events).
Setting the TimeSeconds and TimeFraction properties to 0 causes the alarm to fire as soon as it is enabled.
Alarms can be used as an arm or a trigger event source.
80 EX1403 Instrument Drivers
Page 81
www.powerandtest.com
RETRIEVING DATA
The Digitizer driver provides two ways to retrieve data from EX1403. By default, the acquired data is stored in the
instrument’s FIFO buffer. The data in the FIFO can then be read using the standard Read method. An alternative
option is to use data streaming. The streaming mechanism makes it possible to transfer data with less latency and
overhead than the standard FIFO Read method; complete records will be pushed to the driver by the firmware as soon
as they become available.
FIFO Read
Once the measurement is triggered and data becomes available in the instrument’s FIFO buffer, data can be retrieved
using the Read method in the Measurement interface. The Read method returns the specified number of data records
from all enabled input channels in a channel order in the Channels array. The NumFIFORecords property in
Measurement interface returns the number of data records currently available in the instrument’s FIFO buffer. This
value decreases when the data is retrieved by the host, and increases when new trigger events are processed. FIFO
buffer overflow may happen when the trigger events arrive faster than the host can retrieve data. See the Error!
Reference source not found. description in the Data Acquisition section for more information.
Streaming
Streaming data is an alternative method for retrieving data from the EX1403. Unlike the FIFO read function,
instruments send new data records to the host PC as soon as it becomes available when streaming data. The data is
kept in the host memory buffer managed by Digitizer driver. The data in this memory buffer is then retrieved to the
user’s application through the MemoryRead method. The streamed data can be directly written into disk files or passed
to a user’s callback method. In order to use this streaming mechanism, it must be enabled by calling the
EnableStreaming method in the StreamingData interface.
The key advantage of the streaming method over the FIFO Read method is data transfer speed and latency.
Host Disk
Stream
Files
Sampled
Data
EX1403
FIFO
Buffer
Streaming
Host
Memory
Read
Memory
User Application
Disk
Stream
FIGURE 5-5: FIFO READ AND STREAMING
REFERENCE CLOCK AND TIME STAMPS
The Source property and TimestampSource property in the ReferenceOscillator interface configure the reference
oscillator to generate an ADC sampling clock and data time stamp clock. The PXIe_CLK100 (100 MHz) reference
signal is used by default. When the system is synchronized to the IEEE 1588 PTP grand master via Ethernet, the
IEEE 1588 clock can be used as a reference oscillator be selecting “System”.
EX1403 Instrument Drivers 81
Page 82
VTI Instruments
LXI AND LAN EVENTS
The EX1403 can act as an LXI device. These instruments can be synchronized to an IEEE 1588 PTP grand master
clock. They can be armed or triggered by LAN events or they can generate LXI LAN events to synchronize with other
LXI devices through the IVI-LXISync interface defined in the IVI driver specifications.
FIGURE 5-6: LXI AND LAN EVENTS
IVI CLASS COMPLIANT INTERFACES
In addition to the IVI-LXISync interface, the VTEXDigitizer/VTEXDsa drivers expose the IVI-Digitizer and
IVI-Scope class compliant interfaces. These interfaces are exposed for the instruments interchangeability, but their
use is not recommended. These IVI interfaces do not support the full capabilities of the EX1403’s sophisticated trigger
model and many other features.
82 EX1403 Instrument Drivers
Page 83
www.powerandtest.com
MULTIPLE INSTRUMENTS
INITIALIZING WITH MULTIPLE INSTRUMENTS
Unlike many typical instrument drivers, the Digitizer drivers allow multiple EX1403 devices and other EMX devices
to be controlled as if they were a single, collective instrument. The user can initialize a single driver for two EX1403
devices and treat them as a single, 32-channel instrument instead of creating two driver sessions with 16 input channels
each. Multiple types of device can also be included in the driver session.
When initializing the driver session, the resource name is passed as an argument to the Initialize method that specifies
which instruments will communicate. The resource name has the following syntax:
<address 1>[ ::<slot 1>,<slot 2>,..,slot N> ] | <address 2> [
::<slot 1>,<slot 2>,…,<slot M> ] | …
Where:
<address x> is the IP address or host name of the EX1403 or EMX-2500 controller (of the PXIe
chassis, where EMX series cards are installed)
<slot x> is the slot number identifier of the instrument in a chassis. The slot number identifier is
a string such as “slot0_5” which indicates the 5th slot of the first chassis controlled by an EMX-
2500. An identifier such as “slot1_6” indicates the 6th slot of the 2nd chassis extended by a bus
extender. (Bus extenders are not supported by all devices.)
The slot numbers are optional. When no slot numbers are specified, all supported instruments within the chassis will
be used. The slot number for all EX1403 instruments is “inst0”, but this can always be safely omitted.
When connecting to more than one EX1403 or EMX-2500 controller, the addresses must be concatenated with the “|”
(pipe) character.
The resource string to connect to a particular device can be found on the Index web page (see Index in Section 4.
MULTIPLE INSTRUMENT COORDINATION
When the driver session contains multiple EX1403 and EMX devices, the Sync and ReferenceOscillator interfaces
must be used to synchronize the sampling clocks and trigger models on each device to have the best sample-to-sample
alignment during measurements.
EX1403 Instrument Drivers 83
Page 84
VTI Instruments
FIGURE 5-7: LAN COORDINATION
Before enabling LAN coordination, each EX1403 and EMX-2500 controller must be configured to use PTP2 as the
time source (see Time Configuration in Section 4). All devices must use the same value for the PTP Domain. They
must also be configured to use the same value for LXI Domain via the web page or using the Platform driver.
After opening the Digitizer/DSA driver session, the ReferenceOscillator.Source and
ReferenceOscillator.TimestampSource properties must be set to “System” (IEEE 1588). The Sync.Line property must
be set to a comma-separated list of sources for the sync signal, such as “ALARM0” or “ALARM0,PXI0”. The
Sync.CoordinationLine property must be set to a comma-separated list of signals (beginning with “LAN”) to use for
the coordination subsystem, e.g., “LAN” or “LAN,PXI0”. Note that EMX devices require specifying a hardware line
in addition to LAN when setting the Sync.CoordinationLine property. See the Digitizer/DSA driver documentation
for more information.
The most convenient way to ensure the correct settings for synchronization/coordination is to configure the desired
arm sources, events, and trigger sources, then call the Sync.AutoConfigure method. This selects the best values for the
Sync.Line and Sync.CoordinationLine properties based on the devices in the driver session. See the Digitizer/DSA
driver documentation for more information.
LAN coordination may cause unexpected confusion in rare circumstances if the devices are separated by a long
distance or network communication is slow. For example, when an analog channel detects a trigger, it sends a LAN
message to all devices so that they trigger at the same time. If another channel from a different device also detects a
trigger condition before it receives the LAN event from the device that detected the previous trigger condition, the
multiple triggers cannot be processed correctly. In order to avoid this scenario, the user may need to set restrictions so
that only certain channels can detect trigger events.
84 EX1403 Instrument Drivers
Page 85
www.powerandtest.com
DATA ACQUISITION
DATA FLOW
The EX1403 instruments have a dedicated A/D converter at each analog input channel. The A/D converter samples
analog data at fixed frequency specified by a multiple of the ClockFrequency (FC). The output data rate of the ADC
is FC. The digitized data by the A/D converter is decimated and filtered by multiple stages of digital filters until the
signal is band limited to the desired frequency span and the sample rate (FS). These band-limited samples are
constantly sent to the FIFO memory buffer located in DRAM.
FIGURE 5-8: DECIMATION FILTER AND MEASUREMENT SPAN
FIFO
The decimated and band-limited samples by decimation filters are temporarily stored in a circular buffer (or FIFO)
until the data is read out and transferred to the host.
The figure below illustrates the circular data buffer (FIFO). The figure shows three unread data records in the data
buffer. The white unused space and over-writable space are the areas where new data can be written until this data
buffer becomes full.
EX1403 Instrument Drivers 85
Page 86
VTI Instruments
FIGURE 5-9: CIRCULAR FIFO
When the FIFO buffer is full and there is no more space to write new data to the FIFO, the measurement is aborted.
After the last data record in the FIFO is read, a FIFO overflow error will be issued to indicate why the acquisition was
stopped.
DATA STREAMING
The digitizer and DSA driver comes with an optimized data-reading interface for high speed and/or low-latency
acquisitions. This interface relies on a separate thread which receives data asynchronously from the instrument as soon
as it is available and acts on it immediately based on user-set preferences. There are several streaming modes, any of
which can be enabled at the same time.
Memory Streaming
Memory streaming is the default mode for these instruments. When the user enables Streaming without any
configuration, the data is streamed into a dynamically allocated buffer on the host PC and then retrieved via a Readlike interface. This is the fastest streaming interface, since memory is the fastest storage device on the PC. However,
this mode is unsuited for long acquisitions because it can grow beyond the memory limits of the device and start
paging to disk. The internal buffer grows as needed but does not shrink until streaming is disabled.
Additionally, this mode can be set to watch only select channels of interest. If the MemoryChannelsList property is
set, the data for only the selected channels will be streamed to memory.
If another type of streaming is enabled while memory streaming is enabled, memory streaming is disabled unless the
MemoryChannelList property is set.
Disk Streaming
Disk streaming is intended for high performance applications and/or long acquisitions. When enabled by setting a
filename, the driver optimizes the data path by not converting the data from the native VRT data format. The data is
written to disk in the HDF5 data format. For more information on HDF5 file formats and tools, visit the HDF Group’s
website: https://www.hdfgroup.org.
The Digitizer driver uses an HDF5 file hierarchy that is very similar to the layout used for the Data Logger feature.
See HDF5 File Hierarchy in Section 6 for more details.
The disk streaming file includes several HDF attributes that describe the instrument configuration at the time that an
acquisition was initiated. Additional user-defined attributes can be set by using the SetCustomAttributes method. The
GetCustomAttributes method allows the user to inspect the attributes that are currently set. RemoveCustomAttribute
and RemoveAllCustomAttributes can be used to remove attributes that are no longer needed.
If Measurement.Initiate is called multiple times without changing the Filename property, the existing file will be
overwritten with the new acquisition data.
Disk streaming has the same limitations as the underlying filesystem. For example, a FAT32 filesystem cannot support
files larger than 4GB. If disk streaming is used on a FAT32 filesystem and the file grows too large, errors and data
loss may occur. In addition, disk streaming throughput may suffer when the underlying filesystem is very slow, such
as a USB 2.0 external drive.
86 EX1403 Instrument Drivers
Page 87
www.powerandtest.com
Callback Streaming
Callback streaming is enabled when the user registers one or more callback functions, which are called with available
data when it is ready. The user’s code may then act on the data. To register a callback, the user will have to override
the COM abstract interface (when using the IVI driver) or C++ pure-virtual callback class (when using the Linux
driver), and then pass this class to the RegisterStreamingCallback method. The data is returned in the same format as
the MemoryRead method, as can be determined from examining these classes.
Support for registering a callback to receive data only from certain channels, similar to using the MemoryChannelList,
is scheduled for a future driver release.
SAMPLING RATES
The properties in the Sampling interface configure the A/D converter and decimation filters to specify the sampling
rate and frequency span of the data to be acquired. Some properties in this interface are interrelated. Changing one
property value can affect the other.
There is a Sampling property in the Measurement interface as well as the individual Channel interface. The properties
in the global Sampling interface that apply to all channels as well as DIO can be configured from the Measurement
interface, while the Channel interface allows the user to configure each channel independently.
ClockFrequency
The ClockFrequency specifies the A/D conversion rate. This property determines the highest SampleRate of the data
acquisition session. The highest rate can be achieved by bypassing all decimation filters. There are discrete sets of
ClockFrequency values that the user can specify depending on the instrument model. See instrument specification for
the list of ClockFrequency values. ClockFrequency is a global parameter. It cannot have different values for each
channel. While it is possible to have different ClockFrequency values between instruments in a single driver session,
it would be more convenient to have multiple driver instances for each ClockFrequency.
Prescaler
This is the sampling rate divider before the ADC data is decimated by the ½ decimation filter stages. The EX1403
only supports a value of 1 for Prescaler, which has no effect on measurement data.
DownsamplingFactor
This is the amount of unfiltered downsampling that will be performed after the decimation filtering by the selected
FilterType. The EX1403 supports all integers from 1 to 65536.
FilterType
This specifies the type of digital filter that will be used to decimate and filter the data. Four options are available;
High Performance, Medium Latency, Low Latency, and None. None disables all digital filtering, such that effective
SampleRate is equal to ClockFrequency divided by DownsamplingFactor.
FilterType=None configures the instrument the same way as setting SampleRate=ClockFrequency with any other
FilterType -- that is, all digital filtering is disabled, and the undecimated data from the ADC is passed straight to the
user (after calibration and EU conversion of course). This means the group delay of digital filter is 0.
HighPerformance is an FIR filter with 0-16 divide-by-2 stages. This provides optimal performance but has high group
delay. The decimation ratio can only be powers of two up to 216. This filter’s response can be customized by providing
normalized filter coefficients. LowLatency is a CIC filter capable of any integer decimation ratio from 4 to 8192. This
provides the lowest group delay but is only suitable for use with DC inputs. MedLatency pairs the CIC filter with a
Compensating FIR (with decimation ratio of 4) at its output. This increases the group delay, slightly, while providing
a better response across a variety of input frequencies. Valid decimation ratios are all multiples of 4 from 16 to 65536.
The MedLatency filter’s CFIR can also be customized by supplying normalized filter coefficients.
EX1403 Instrument Drivers 87
Page 88
VTI Instruments
SampleRate
This is the effective data rate. The inverse of SampleRate specifies the interval between data samples that the user can
obtain. The ClockFrequency, DownsamplingFactor, and SampleRate determines the amount of decimation and
filtering performed by the filter indicated by FilterType. Some instruments support setting different SampleRate values
on channels in a single instrument. For EX1403, the SampleRate is a global property and will always be the same for
all channels in the same instrument. The decimation ratio of the selected filter will be set to ClockFrequency /
DownsamplingFactor / SampleRate, rounded down to the next valid value for the chosen FilterType.
Span
The Span is the nominal frequency range of the acquired signal. The value of Span is determined by the decimation
filter’s cutoff frequency. The ratio between Span and SampleRate varies based on the selected FilterType. See the
instrument specifications table for the precise value for each filter.
FilterCoefficients
The normalized filter coefficients of the HighPerformance and MedLatency filters can be programmed by the user to
achieve optimal results for their particular application. These are each 32-tap FIR filters with 64 coefficients.
GroupDelay
The GroupDelay parameter specifies the delay of each stage of the FIR and CFIR filters used by the HighPerformance
and MedLatency filters, respectively, in units of undecimated samples. By default, this value will be correct for the
preprogrammed value of FilterCoefficients. If, however, a custom set of coefficients is supplied, this property should
be set with the correct group delay for those coefficients. This allows the firmware to perform group delay
compensation on measured data correctly with the customized filter response.
RecordSize
The RecordSize specifies the number of data samples read back from the instrument at a time. The total number of
data samples captured for each trigger is equal to the product of RecordSize and the
Measurement.NumRecordsPerTrigger property -- that is, NumRecordsPerTrigger records are captured, and each is of
size RecordSize. The figure below shows the case where NumRecordsPerTrigger = 4. As a special case, when
NumRecordsPerTrigger is set to 0, an infinite number of data records are returned in RecordSize sample chunks after
a trigger event until the measurement is aborted.
FIGURE 5-10: RECORD SIZE AND NUMRECORDSPERTRIGGER
88 EX1403 Instrument Drivers
Page 89
www.powerandtest.com
0x00000008
Exceed upper user limit
Yes 0x00000010
Exceed lower user limit
Yes
common mode
overload)
0x00080000
Analog Power Fault
Yes
With EX1403, the minimum RecordSize is 1 and the maximum power of 2 RecordSize is 32768. Since each data
packet transferred from the instrument to the host contains one data record from each ADC channel, in general, the
user can achieve higher data transfer using a larger RecordSize value due to reduced overhead, but this affects the data
update interval, as the amount of time to acquire one data record is: T = RecordSize/SampleRate.
Oversample
When the Oversample is set to true, the data is twice oversampled than Nyquist sample rate. The SampleRate becomes
5.12 times of Span. The Oversample mode is currently not supported.
Multipass
When the Multipass property is set to true, the data record contains data samples from multiple ½ decimation spans
below the current decimation span specified by Span property. The RecordSize/2 samples is at Span, RecordSize/4
samples is at Span/2, RecordSize/8 samples is Span/4, etc., until it reaches less than 1 sample or the lowest decimation
stage. Multipass is currently not supported.
DIO Sample Rate
The EX1403’s DIO port can record its input state at the same rate as the analog input channels. Because this data is
purely digital and binary, it cannot be decimated. All DIO data is downsampled with no filtering such that the DIO
sample rate is always equal to the analog channels’ final sample rate. For that reason, only ClockFrequency and
SampleRate are available in the DIO.Sampling interface – FilterType is not supported. Attempting to set either the
channel or DIO sample rate will always cause the other to be set to the same value.
OVERLOAD DETECTION
When the analog signal amplitude exceeds the input range, the digitized samples are truncated resulting in a distorted
waveform. To avoid this, users can increase the input range of the instrument, attenuate the signal level, or discard
overloaded data from processing. Apart from over-range, there are other fault conditions that can invalidate
measurement data, such as open transducer. The EX1403 is capable of detecting some of these common fault
conditions and reporting it, allowing the user to act.
The fault status can be queried from the Digitizer and DSA driver’s API. The status can be indicated at the front panel
LED’s on RJ45 connector. The information is also associated to the acquired data record and returned in
AdditionalData string.
The Digitizer and DSA drivers define each fault status as an Overload Status bit field. The user can configure which
fault conditions to reported, if an LED indicator is shown, or it can latch so that the momentarily fault won’t be
overlooked.
Bit Field Description EX1403
TABLE 2: GENERAL FAULT STATUS BIT SUPPORT
Bit Field Description EX1403
0x00010000 ADC overload (This
includes differential and
Yes
TIME STAMP
During data acquisition, the EX1403 returns timestamps along with digitized analog data. The timestamps are created
based on the TimestampSource clock specified in ReferenceOscillator interface. When IEEE 1588 synchronized time
EX1403 Instrument Drivers 89
TABLE 3: INSTRUMENT-SPECIFIC FAULT STATUS BIT SUPPORT
Page 90
VTI Instruments
System (IEEE
1588)
PTP or TAI (International Atomic Time)
40 ns
PXIe_CLK100
Elapsed time from last SYNC
40 ns
timestamp_sec
Over-range start time in seconds
timestamp_frac
The fraction portion of over
-
range start time
Over-Range Count
# of over ranged samples from the
start time.
Seconds
Fraction
occurred
. timestamp_frac
The fraction portion.
Trigger Dropped
The channel name of the lost trigger.
occurred
. timestamp_frac
The fraction portion.
Fifo Overflow
The channel name of the fifo
overflow.
stamps are desired, the TimestampSource property must be set to ReferenceOscillatorTimestampSourceSystem.
Otherwise, the time returned will be the time elapsed since the SYNC signal was received.
When measurement data is retrieved, both a timestamp of the data record and a timestamp of trigger event are returned.
The combination of TimeSeconds and TimeFraction parameters indicate the time of the first data sample in each
retrieved data record. The time of trigger event is returned in the AdditionalData parameter.
Timestamp Source Timestamp value Resolution
TABLE 4: TIMESTAMP SOURCE AND RESOLUTION
ADDITIONAL DATA
The additional information associated with the data records are returned as a JSON (Java Script Object Notation) array
of name/value pairs:
[[JSON array for channel 1’s first record], [JSON array for channel 2’s first record], ….]
The JSON object array for each channel is:
[{Object1}, {Object2}, …]
Each object is a list of name/value pairs:
{name1:value1, name2: value2,…}
Object Name String Value
Over range
Trigger time Trigger Timestamp
Trigger Timestamp
Dropped trigger timestamp_sec The timestamp of when the trigger would have
Fifo Overflow timestamp_sec The timestamp of when the fifo overflow
The trigger timestamp in seconds
The fraction portion of trigger timestamp.
ENGINEERING UNIT (EU) CONVERSION
Each EX1403 input channel can be individually configured for strain or resistance measurement by specifying input
channel Function to Strain or Resistance. In these measurement functions, the properties under Strain interface are
used to configure the instrument. Returned data are converted to engineering units.
90 EX1403 Instrument Drivers
TABLE 5: ADDITIONAL DATA JSON NAMES AND VALUES
Page 91
www.powerandtest.com
Strain Measurement
By specifying input channel Function to Strain, and BridgeType to one of predefined types, the instrument
automatically configures internal circuit and returned data is converted to strain.
Common terms used in the conversion equations are the following:
𝑉
= 𝑉
− 𝑉
Vbridge: Voltage measured across Bridge the by the front-end Instrumentation Amplifier
Vunstrained: Vbridge when strain (ε) = 0
RG: Gauge Resistance
RL: Lead Wire resistance used to compute lead wire desensitization factor 1 +
GF: Gauge Factor =
VExc: Excitation Voltage
IExc: Excitation Current
VR: Voltage measured across the Resistor by the front-end Instrumentation Amplifier
Quarter-Bridge
These quarter bridge conversions apply to the following bridge configuration:
FIGURE 5-11: QUARTER-BRIDGE CONFIGURATION
The specific conversion is selected to match the nominal resistance of the active gage.
The quarter-bridge strain conversion is calculated according to:
𝑅= 𝑅
−4𝑉
+ 2𝑉
1 +
)
𝜀 =
(𝐺𝐹)(𝑉
𝑅
𝑅
Setting this conversion automatically configures the input path for quarter-bridge mode, in which the required
completion resistor is enabled, and the back-half resistors are connected.
Half-Bridge Bending
These half bridge conversion applies to the following bridge configuration:
EX1403 Instrument Drivers 91
Page 92
VTI Instruments
FIGURE 5-12: HALF-BRIDGE CONFIGURATION
The half-bridge bending strain conversion is calculated according to:
𝑅=
𝑅+ 𝑅
2
Half Bridge Bending
𝜀=
−𝟐𝑉
(𝐺𝐹)(𝑉
1 +
)
𝑅
𝑅
Setting this conversion automatically configures the input path for half-bridge mode.
Half-Bridge Poisson
The half-bridge Poisson strain conversion is calculated according to
Half Bridge Poisson
−4𝑉
𝜀 =
(𝐺𝐹)𝑉
(𝜈 + 1) −2𝑉
(𝜈 − 1)
Setting this conversion automatically configures the input path for half-bridge mode.
1 +
𝑅
𝑅
92 EX1403 Instrument Drivers
Page 93
Full-Bridge Bending (Ratio-metric Transducer)
These full bridge conversion applies to the following bridge configuration:
FIGURE 5-13: FULL-BRIDGE CONFIGURATION
The full-bridge bending strain conversion is calculated according to:
www.powerandtest.com
𝑅= 𝑅+ 𝑅
Full Bridge Bending
𝜀 =
−𝑉
(𝐺𝐹)(𝑉
)
1 +
𝑅
𝑅
Setting this conversion automatically configures the input path for full-bridge mode.
The user can use this bridge type when Wheatstone bridge based ratio-metric transducer, such as loadcell or Pressure
sensor is used. The GaugeFactor property can be set to the transducer’s sensitivity to perform proper EU conversion.
Full-Bridge Poisson
The full-bridge Poisson strain conversion is calculated according to:
𝜀 =
(𝐺𝐹)𝑉
−2𝑉
(𝜈 + 1) − 𝑉
(𝜈 − 1)
1 +
𝑅
𝑅
Setting this conversion automatically configures the input path for full-bridge mode.
Full-Bridge Bending Poisson
The full-bridge bending strain conversion is calculated according to:
𝜀 =
()[
()
1 +
]
Setting this conversion automatically configures the input path for full-bridge mode.
EX1403 Instrument Drivers 93
Page 94
VTI Instruments
Resistance Measurement
By specifying input channel Function to Resistance, and BridgeType to one of predefined types, the instrument
automatically configures internal circuit and returned data is converted to Ohms.
Common terms used in the conversion equations are the following:
𝛺 = resistance
VR = the voltage measured.
I
= the excitation current (automatically selected based on channel Range)
exci
Rg = gage resistance
Rw1, Rw2 = lead wire resistance
(i) Two-wire Ohm
This conversion applies to the following two-wire configuration:
FIGURE 5-14: TWO-WIRE OHM
The two-wire resistance conversion is calculated according to:
2-Wire Ohm DC
−𝑉
𝛺=
= 𝑅+ 𝑅+ 𝑅
𝐼
Setting this conversion automatically configures the input path for dynamic strain.
(ii) Four-wire Ohm
This conversion applies to the following two-wire configuration:
FIGURE 5-15: FOUR-WIRE OHM
94 EX1403 Instrument Drivers
Page 95
www.powerandtest.com
The four-wire resistance conversion is calculated according to:
4-Wire Ohm DC
−𝑉
𝐼
= 𝑅
𝛺=
Setting this conversion automatically configures the input path for dynamic strain.
Linear Conversion
EX1403 can perform linear EU conversion by specifying a polynomial coefficients using
Channel.Transducer.SetConversion() method. Only the first order polynomial (mx+b) is supported. This conversion
applies in addition to the standard EU conversion performed by the Channel.Function.
EX1403 Instrument Drivers 95
Page 96
VTI Instruments
MEASUREMENT PROCESS
MEASUREMENT SETUP
When the driver session is initialized by the Initialize method, the driver session is reset, or after the previous
measurement is finished, the instrument is in the Idle state. While in the Idle state, the user prepares for the next data
acquisition by configuring the setup parameters. For more information, please refer to IVILXISync standard API
documentation.
Sync and Coordination
The Sync interface controls how the EX1403 synchronizes its ADCs and its timestamp counter. When a sync event
occurs, all ADCs in the system are synchronized to each-other, and all data timestamp counters are reset and, if using
the System Timestamp Source, synchronized to the IEEE 1588 clock. If the Sync.CoordinationLine property is set to
“LAN”, all instruments in the driver session will use LXI Lan Event messages to coordinate their trigger state
machines, ensuring that all arm and trigger events are shared between all instruments in the system.
Start, Arm, and Trigger
Properties in the Start, Arm, and Trigger interfaces configure the data acquisition gating condition and timing. Start
determines when the data acquisition starts and when the instrument is ready for the next acquisition. All hardware
configuration and filters settling should be completed before the Start event in order to ensure valid data is acquired.
Sampling Parameters
The sampling parameters are specified by properties in Sampling interface. Sampling in the Measurement interface
configures parameters common to the entire system. Optionally, the user can configure the parameters of individual
input channels using the Channels interface (with some restrictions).
Analog Front End
While some parameters can be changed during data acquisition, most configuration options should be performed prior
to data acquisition to avoid data glitches. Most front end parameters can be configured independently for each input
channel. The front end configuration includes input range, voltage/strain/resistance input function, and functionspecific properties. Note that not all of these properties are supported by the EX1403.
MEASUREMENT INITIATION
After the user has completed configuring the instrument, the user can initiate the data acquisition process by calling
the Initiate method in the Measurement interface. During measurement initiation, the instrument starts to prepare for
the actual data acquisition. If the ADC has not been synchronized, the SYNC signal is sent and ADC then begins
digitization. When the ADC’s reference oscillator has been changed, the ADC sampling clock must be re-locked with
the PLL. Filter settling also occurs at this time. Once the filters have settled and the instrument is ready to acquire
valid data, the measurement moves to the Wait for Start state. The source of the Start event is Immediate by default.
In this case, the measurement starts automatically. Otherwise, it must be started by an event specified by the Source
property of the Start interface.
During this period, the digitized signal from the A/D converter is continuously filtered and discarded until the filters
have settled. Once settled, the filtered data samples are stored in the internal data buffer.
MEASUREMENT LOOP
Once the measurement begins, the state machine cycles through arming and triggering for the number of times
specified by ArmCount and TriggerCount. The measurement stops when the specified number of arm and trigger loops
are completed, when it is aborted by an Abort command, or when the FIFO buffer becomes full and the FIFO mode
is set to Stop.
96 EX1403 Instrument Drivers
Page 97
www.powerandtest.com
ARMING
Arm is the gating condition to acquire data. In order to trigger data acquisition, the measurement must be armed first.
There are several ways to arm a measurement. The default condition is to arm automatically (or Immediate arming).
Self-arming
When the Immediate arm source is enabled, the EX1403 arms by itself.
Arming by User’s Command
The EX1403 arms by the SendSoftwareArm method when a Software arm source is enabled.
Arming at a Certain Time Interval
The EX1403 can be armed at a specific time interval using the ALARM0-1 arm sources. In addition to enabling the
alarm as an arm source, it must be configured and enabled using the Alarm interface.
Arming by External Pulse
The EX1403 can receive an arm from the back panel trigger SMB connector by enabling the EXT arm source.
Arming from DIO Lines
The EX1403 can receive an arm event from the digital I/O port by enabling the DIO arm sources.
Arming from LAN Events by Other Instruments
The user, or another LXI device, can send LAN events to arm the EX1403 using the Digitizer driver. Alternatively, a
LAN event can be sent to the EX1403 using the Platform driver.
TRIGGERING
When the measurement is armed and when there are enough digitized samples already collected in the FIFO for pretrigger delay, the measurement becomes ready to receive a trigger event.
Self-triggering
When the Immediate trigger source is enabled, the EX1403 triggers automatically and acquires data records as soon
as it is ready to receive a new trigger event.
Triggering by User’s Command
The EX1403 triggers by the SendSoftwareTrigger method when a software trigger source is enabled.
Triggering at a Certain Time Interval
The EX1403 can be triggered at a specific time interval using the ALARM0-1 trigger sources. In addition to enabling
the alarm as a trigger source, it must be configured and enabled using the Alarm interface.
Triggering by Analog Signal
The EX1403 is triggered when an analog signal at an input channel crosses the trigger threshold level. In order to
trigger from the analog signal, the channel must be enabled as a trigger.
EX1403 Instrument Drivers 97
Page 98
VTI Instruments
FIGURE 5-16: TRIGGERING BY ANALOG SIGNAL
Triggering by External Pulse
The EX1403 can receive a trigger from the back-panel trigger SMB connector by enabling the EXT trigger source.
Triggering from DIO Lines
The EX1403 can receive a trigger event from the digital I/O port by enabling the DIO trigger sources.
Triggering from LAN Events by Other Instruments
The user, or other LXI device, can send a LAN event to trigger the EX1403 using the Digitizer driver. Alternatively,
a LAN event can be sent to the EX1403 using the Platform driver.
DATA RETRIEVAL
After a measurement is triggered and at least one record of data (the number of samples specified by RecordSize
property in Sampling) is available in FIFO buffer, it can be retrieved using the Read method in Measurement interface
or via the Streaming method described in the Data Acquisition section in this manual. At each trigger event, the
number of contiguous records specified by NumRecordsPerTrigger are acquired. Multiple records can be read
separately or all in once if they are available in the instrument’s FIFO buffer. The Read method in Measurement
returns at least one record from all enabled channels.
When the user wishes to acquire continuous samples indefinitely after a single trigger event, set the
NumRecordsPerTrigger property to 0 (infinite) and set FIFO mode to Stop. The data acquisition stops when the user
aborted using the Abort method or when the FIFO buffer becomes full (FIFO overflow). In this setup, the user must
retrieve data faster than the ADC data filling into FIFO in order to avoid FIFO buffer from overflowing.
Pipeline Delay and Latency
For high speed data recording, data transfer speed is key. For applications that require real-time data monitoring or
processing, on the other hand, the data update rate becomes more important. A real-time closed loop control is an
example. It is necessary to understand that there are delays at almost every stage of the data acquisition process. Some
are within the instrument while others occur outside of the instrument, such as at the transducer or in the user’s
application.
The analog signal conditioning circuit introduces some delay before the signal reaches the A/D converter. Usually the
delay in the analog section is small and negligible.
In the digital section, the digital filters in the A/D converter and decimation filters introduce a group delay. With the
LowLatency filter, it is 24.75 ms at 100 Sa/s and increases at lower frequency spans. The filtered data is transferred to
the FIFO buffer at a specified interval (enough sample periods to cover at least 3.2 ms). Once a trigger is detected, the
data in the FIFO can be read out to the user’s application in blocks of RecordSize samples.
98 EX1403 Instrument Drivers
Page 99
www.powerandtest.com
Decimation
Filters
Transfer
Buffer
l
B
o
c
n
r
a
T
f
s
FIFO
k
r
e
FIFO
Accumulation
Block
Transfer
Host PC
Analog
Input
Range
Selection
Analog Delay Digital Filter Group Delay
Analog Anti-
Alias Filter
ADC
ADC
FIGURE 5-17: DELAYS IN DATA PATH
EVENTS
Events are an optional feature allowing the EX1403 to send notifications to the user, or other instruments, when a
specified event occurs. The notification can be via LAN message, EXT trigger line, or DIO output. The user can
specify an event when the measurement state is armed, triggered, finished, or when an overload condition is detected
on one or more channels. See the Digitizer driver’s online help for more information.
EX1403 Instrument Drivers 99
Page 100
VTI Instruments
WHERE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION
DRIVER API REFERENCE
The complete driver’s API reference is available as online help. Each driver comes with a .chm format help file in
both Windows and Linux. Newer driver revisions also integrate the driver help content into the Microsoft Help
Viewer, which is used by Visual Studio 2010 and later.
Each driver comes with several useful example programs in C++ and C#.
SPECIFICATION INFORMATION
The EX1403 conforms to many industry standards in both hardware and software architecture. Although products can
be used without knowing these standards, some knowledge can be useful to take full advantage of VTI Instruments
products.
LXI specification is available from LXI consortium at www.lxistandard.org
IVI driver specification is available from IVI Foundation at www.ivifoundation.org
IEEE 1588 Precision Synchronization Protocol Standard at www.nist.gov/el/isd/ieee
ANSI/VITA 49.0 (VRT) is specified as a part of VITA specification at www.vita.com
100 EX1403 Instrument Drivers
Loading...