9323 Hamilton Mentor, Ohio 44060 - USA Tel:+1-440-357-1400 Fax:+1-440-357-1416

Scientific Solutions ^® Inc.

LabMaster ^® ADEX

Product Description

The LabMaster Advanced Design Extended (ADEX) brings the power, performance, and flexibility needed to handle the toughest assignments in engineering and scientific research. Designed for today's faster ISA systems, the LabMaster ADEX delivers the advanced features you expect in a data acquisition interface, with the precision of current technology and ease of use of an all software configurable interface.

LabMaster ADEX is an advanced data acquisition product. It features high speed analog-to-digital conversion, sample FIFO buffering, coordinated simultaneous ADC and DAC capabilities, programmable gain amplifiers, high speed counters/timers and digital I/O on a single card. The product comes complete with the LabMaster card, cabling, and desktop connector termination unit.

The 16-bit analog to digital converter (ADC) handles 16 to 64 input lines at rates up to 330,000 samples/second. Precision software programmable gain amplifiers handle voltage ranges between ±1.25V and ±10V. Two independent 16-bit digital to analog converters (DAC) supply a ±10V output range. Five 16-bit precision counters can time intervals with 250nsec. resolution or count events up to 6MHz. Digital I/O lines (8 input/16 output) connect to switches, LEDs, relays, etc. Connections are made using one 60-pin high density connector with included RF-shielded cable.

Our Solution Includes

• True 16-bit Analog-to-Digital and Digital-to-Analog Conversion.
• 1.5 meter double shielded cable
• Desktop Unit (several versions available)
• Software Drivers

Key Features

• True 16-bit Analog-to-Digital and Digital-to-Analog Conversion.
• Provides 100% compatibility with popular LabMaster AD.
• 16 Analog input channels expandable to 64.
• High data rates (330,000 samples/second) to provide maximum speed and versatility.
• Dual High-Speed (500KHz) Analog Outputs.
• Five 16-bit High Resolution Cascadable Timer/Counters.
• Digital I/O lines - 8 in, 8 out, 8 FIFO controlled for digital pattern generation or digital

In/Out expansion

• Digital output coordinated with DACs (can be used with DMA)
• Provisions for digital I/O & ADC expansion
• Precision Software programmable gain amplifiers.
• High-performance ADC Channel / Gain Array with auto-increment allows automatic sampling of the analog inputs in any order with different gains at full speed.
• Dedicated on-board FIFO memory for high-performance acquisition and waveform generation with reduced CPU overhead
• On-board timers provide timed, simultaneous ADC and DAC updates.
• Continuous DAC output with on-board memory buffering and DMA - excellent for clean waveform generation!
• Timed, simultaneous DAC updates ("no-jitter" analog outputs)
• Coordinated ADC and DAC on simultaneous DMA channels (allows for simultaneous "record & playback")
• Multiple active hardware interrupts
• Advanced Surface mount technology for high reliability
• Physical small size (8.3" length) for newer slim line computers.
• Advanced ESD protection against damage by human static discharge or lightning strikes.

Applications

• Energy Management
• Chromatography
• BioMedical (neuron stimulation, muscular stress)
• Psychology (infant stimulation, stimulus/response, interval timing, Galvanic skin response)
• Process Automation (relay control, stepper motor control, timing/counting, die cutting monitor)
• Test and Measurement (PC board tester, particle counter, component solderability determination)

Functional Description

The LabMaster ADEX installs into an ISA expansion slot of a computer. A single high-density connector is provided for easy access to all  input and output lines.  The  LabMaster ADEX is capable of multiple concurrent DMA and/or IRQ levels for optimal performance. Designed for maximum flexibility, all features on the LabMaster ADEX are software programmable.  The LabMaster ADEX provides complete compatibility with the LabMaster AD while providing higher resolution A/D and D/A functionality.  Existing LabMaster AD applications will run without modification.

Analog-to-Digital Conversion (ADC)

The Analog-to-Digital converter (ADC) is a 16-bit successive approximation converter with a 3µSec. conversion time for a maximum throughput of 330Khz. The analog inputs (single-ended or  true-differential) pass thru a programmable, precision gain amplifier prior to the analog-to-digital conversion.  Examples  of analog inputs are: Temperature, Flow, Displacement, Voltage, Current, Acceleration, Velocity, Level, Pressure,  Moisture, and Humidity.

A conversion can be started by a software command, a  trigger signal from one of the on-board precision timer/counters, a rising edge from an external source, or self-triggered by the end of the last conversion. An on-board channel/gain memory allows any combination of channels and gains with complete auto-sequencing and burst mode performance. Channels can be selected for conversion one at a time or as a set. The software enabled auto-scan feature automatically increments  the channel number with each conversion. Both the starting and ending channel in the sequence are software selectable.

Converted data is transferred to dedicated  on-board sample memory buffers.  The buffers permit full-speed operation under non-real time operating systems.  High speed transfer of the data to memory is possible using the Direct Memory Access (DMA) capabilities of the computer. When DMA is used, the end of the conversion strobe will initiate the DMA request. When not using  DMA, the end of a conversion can be detected by using an interrupt or  polling the status register. Data is transferred  by reading the converted data byte from the buffer memory or via automatic DMA transfer.

A/D conversions can be coordinated to occur simultaneously with D/A updates.  The LabMaster ADEX comes with 16 to 64 analog input channels.

Digital-to-Analog Conversion (DAC)

Two independent 16-bit Digital-to-Analog converters (DAC) can be accurately and simultaneously updated at a 500KHz rate.  The DACs have output ranges of ±10V.  Each output value is latched and remains constant until the next digital value is presented to the DAC.  The DACs are precisely updated from an on-board sample memory buffer with replay control for wave-from generation with zero CPU overhead.  The on-board memory buffer can be loaded using PIO instructions or from system memory using DMA.  The latching of the DAC data is controlled by an on-board precision timer which can be programmed to provide the desired "sample" (update) rate.  Alternatively, an external supplied signal can be used to update the DAC from the on-board memory.As an example of using the DAC, an application could fill the DAC on-board memory buffer with samples to generate a waveform.  The LabMaster ADEX could then be configured to play out the samples to the DAC at a very precise rate.  After the samples have been sent to the DAC, the waveform generation could then stop, or the waveform could be continuously played from the on-board memory if configured for "repetitive" mode.  The on-board timers are very precise and have very little jitter.  The use of the on-board precision timer source for controlling the DAC update results in waveform generation with very low harmonic distortion.

System Timer/Counter (STC)

Five independent 16-bit counters count TTL compatible pulses (rising or falling edge) generated from a wide range of equipment and sensors.  Six separate source and gate input lines are provided on the external connector for signals that can be used by any counter.  A TTL compatible pulse/level output signal is available from three counters for the user applications. Each gateable counter counts up or down (binary or BCD).  The accumulated count may be read at any time without disturbing the counting process.  Each of the counters can be connected to others to form a counter with resolution up to 80 bits.  The counters provide a resolution of 250nSec. to 2.5mSec.  External events can be counted at speeds to 6.25MHz.

Digital Input/Output (DIO)

Digital Input/Output is supported by dedicated 8 lines of digital input and 8 lines of digital output. An additional 8 digital output lines are provided and can be used for general outputs, or coordinated with the DAC outputs (including DMA control).  These lines can also be used with a strobe line as a bank select register to expand the Digital I/O up to 256 Bytes.

Interrupts

Hardware interrupts (IRQs) allow the computer to react to special events when they occur.  The LabMaster ADEX provides software enabled sources for up to three simultaneous interrupts. Internal interrupt sources are counter output, A/D or D/A data overrun, and A/D or D/A DMA transfer complete.  High speed Direct Memory Accessing (DMA) permit the transfer of data to/from the LabMaster card without CPU intervention.  Normally two DMA channels are used to allow simultaneous ADC and DAC operations.  A single interrupt can be used with the ISR interrogating a status register to determine the interrupt source.  Alternatively, two separate interrupt sources can be used for ADC and DAC operations.

System Resources

The LabMaster ADEX occupies a single ISA slot and is a short board for today's smaller computer cases.  The connection from the computer to the outside world is thru a small 60 pin High-Density connector.  The LabMaster ADEX comes with a double-shielded 1.5 meter cable.  The connectors on the cable and on the LabMaster ADEX are designed for only one correct alignment.  The cable connectors have retaining clips that lock the cable to the mating connector on the computer board.  These clips prevent the cable from being accidentally disconnected and provide a very fast and easy method of connection.

The following picture shows the pin out of the 60pin connector as viewed from the back of the LabMaster ADEX.

The LabMaster ADEX occupies 16 locations in the I/O space of the computer.  The address of each card in your computer must be unique.  The default base address of 02C0h can be easily changed if there is an address conflict or you are installing multiple LabMaster ADEX cards in your system.

Besides the Base Address I/O space, the LabMaster ADEX can also use Interrupt and DMA resources of your computer.  These resources are software setable and are generally selected by your application software or the LabMaster ADEX device driver.

The LabMaster ADEX provides 100% compatibility with the original LabMaster AD.  It adds features such as true 16-bit A/D and D/A and is a much smaller size for today's slim case computers.  The following picture compares the size of the LabMaster AD and the LabMaster ADEX.

Technical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

volts = (count) * (range) / (gain) / (2 raised to the power of "resolution")

Example: count of 3FFFh, range of -10v to +10v, gain = 1, resolution of 16bit:

note: 3FFFh = 16383 decimal

volts = (3FFF) * (20) / (1) / (2 raised to the power of 16)

volts = (16383) * (20) / (1) / (65536)

volts = 4.999

OUT 2C8, D0        ; disarm counter 5
OUT 2C9, 0           ; select Gain/Array table addr=0
OUT 2CA,0           ; write channel to convert, in this case channel=0
OUT 2C8,5            ; point to counter 5
OUT 2C6, 521       ; mode register
OUT 2C6,2            ; load register
OUT 2C8, 50         ; xfer load register to counter
OUT 2C8, 30         ; arm counter 5
OUT 2C8, F5        ; step counter 5
OUT 2CE, 80        ; enable ADC FIFO
OUT 2C9, 0          ; perform conversion of channel at Gain/Array table address =0