ADLINK Technology PXI-9816 User manual

Advance Technologies; Automate the World.
Manual Rev. 2.00
Revision Date: October 27, 2008
Part No: 50-17031-1000
PXI-9816/26/46
4-CH 16-Bit 10/20/40 MS/s Digitizer
with 512 MB SDRAM
User’s Manual

Copyright 2008 ADLINK TECHNOLOGY INC.
All Rights Reserved.
The information in this document is subject to change without prior
notice in order to improve reliability, design, and function and does
not represent a commitment on the part of the manufacturer.
In no event will the manufacturer be liable for direct, indirect, spe-
cial, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of the use or
inability to use the product or documentation, even if advised of
the possibility of such damages.
This document contains proprietary information protected by copy-
right. All rights are reserved. No part of this manual may be repro-
duced by any mechanical, electronic, or other means in any form
without prior written permission of the manufacturer.
Trademarks
NuDAQ, NuIPC, DAQBench are registered trademarks of ADLINK
TECHNOLOGY INC.
Product names mentioned herein are used for identification pur-
poses only and may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks
of their respective companies.

Getting Service from ADLINK
Customer Satisfaction is top priority for ADLINK Technology Inc.
Please contact us should you require any service or assistance.
ADLINK TECHNOLOGY INC.
Web Site: http://www.adlinktech.com
Sales & Service: [email protected]
TEL: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
Address: 9F, No. 166, Jian Yi Road, Chungho City,
Taipei, 235 Taiwan
Please email or FAX this completed service form for prompt and
satisfactory service.
Company Information
Company/Organization
Contact Person
E-mail Address
Address
Country
TEL FAX:
Web Site
Product Information
Product Model
Environment
OS:
M/B: CPU:
Chipset: BIOS:
Please give a detailed description of the problem(s):

Table of Contents i
Table of Contents
Table of Contents..................................................................... i
List of Tables.......................................................................... iii
List of Figures........................................................................ iv
1 Introduction ........................................................................ 1
1.1 Features............................................................................... 3
1.2 Applications ......................................................................... 3
1.3 Specifications....................................................................... 4
2 Getting Started ................................................................. 17
2.1 Installation Environment .................................................... 17
2.2 Package Contents ............................................................. 18
2.3 Mechanical Drawing and I/O Connectors .......................... 19
2.4 Installing the module.......................................................... 20
2.5 Software Support ............................................................... 21
Driver Support for Windows .......................................... 21
WD-DASK (Legacy Drivers and Support) ..................... 23
3 Operation Theory ............................................................. 25
3.1 Functional Block Diagram.................................................. 25
3.2 Basic AI Acquisition ........................................................... 26
Analog Input Path ......................................................... 26
Basic Acquisition Timing ............................................... 26
AI Data Format ............................................................. 28
3.3 ADC Sampling Rate and TIMEBASE Control.................... 29
Internal Oscillator .......................................................... 29
External Clock Through Front Panel ............................. 29
External Clock from PXI Interfaces ............................... 30
Sampling Rate Control .................................................. 30
Timebase Exporting ...................................................... 31
3.4 Trigger Sources ................................................................. 32
Software Trigger ........................................................... 32
External Digital Trigger ................................................. 33
Analog Trigger .............................................................. 34
PXI STAR Trigger ......................................................... 35
PXI Trigger Bus ............................................................ 35

ii Table of Contents
Trigger Signal Exporting ............................................... 36
3.5 Trigger Modes.................................................................... 37
Post-trigger Acquisition ................................................. 37
Pre-trigger Acquisition .................................................. 38
Middle-trigger Acquisition ............................................. 39
Delay-trigger Acquisition ............................................... 39
Post-trigger or Delay-trigger Acquisition with Re-trigger 40
3.6 Data Transfers ................................................................... 41
3.7 Synchronizing Multiple Modules ........................................ 42
SSI_TIMEBASE ............................................................ 43
SSI_TRIG1 ................................................................... 44
SSI_TRIG2 and SSI_START_OP ................................. 45
Comparing the Different Trigger Sources from SSI ...... 46
Important Safety Instructions............................................... 49

List of Tables iii
List of Tables
Table 1-1: Analog Input Specifications ...................................... 4
Table 1-2: System Noise ........................................................... 6
Table 1-3: Spectral Characteristics – PXI-9816 ......................... 7
Table 1-4: Spectral Characteristics – PXI-9826 ......................... 9
Table 1-5: Spectral Characteristics – PXI-9846 ....................... 11
Table 1-6: Timebase ................................................................ 13
Table 1-7: Triggering ............................................................... 14
Table 1-8: Data Storage and Transfer ..................................... 15
Table 1-9: Onboard Reference ................................................ 15
Table 1-10: General Information ................................................ 16
Table 2-1: Connector Pin Assignments ................................... 19
Table 3-1: Basic Counters ....................................................... 27
Table 3-2: AI Data Format ....................................................... 28
Table 3-3: Ideal Transfer Characteristics for Analog Triggers . 34
Table 3-4: Summary of SSI timing Signals and the
Corresponding Function ......................................... 42

iv List of Figures
List of Figures
Figure 1-1: PXI-9816 Bandwidth Chart ........................................ 5
Figure 1-2: PXI-9826 Bandwidth Chart ........................................ 5
Figure 1-3: PXI-9846 Bandwidth Chart ........................................ 6
Figure 1-4: PXI-9816 FFT with ±0.2 V Input Range..................... 7
Figure 1-5: PXI-9816 FFT with ±1 V Input Range........................ 8
Figure 1-6: PXI-9826 FFT with ±0.2 V Input Range..................... 9
Figure 1-7: PXI-9826 FFT with ±1 V Input Range...................... 10
Figure 1-8: PXI-9846 FFT with ±0.2 V Input Range................... 11
Figure 1-9: PXI-9846 FFT with ±1 V Input Range...................... 12
Figure 2-1: PXI-98x6 Mechanical Drawing................................. 19
Figure 2-2: DAQPilot Main Interface .......................................... 21
Figure 2-3: DAQMaster Device Manager................................... 22
Figure 2-4: Legacy Software Support Overview ........................ 23
Figure 3-1: PXI-98x6 Functional Block Diagram ........................ 25
Figure 3-2: Analog Input Signal Block Diagram ......................... 26
Figure 3-3: Basic Acquisition Timing Of Digitizer ....................... 28
Figure 3-4: PXI-98x6 Timebase Source and Architecture.......... 29
Figure 3-5: Configuring Different Sampling Rate of a Digitizer. . 31
Figure 3-6: PXI-98x6 Trigger Architecture ................................. 32
Figure 3-7: External Digital Trigger Polarity and
Pulse Width Requirement. ....................................... 33
Figure 3-8: Analog Trigger Conditions ....................................... 35
Figure 3-9: TRG IO Output Signal Timing.................................. 36
Figure 3-10: Post-trigger Acquisition............................................ 37
Figure 3-11: Pre-trigger Mode Operation ..................................... 38
Figure 3-12: Pre-trigger Mode Operation ..................................... 38
Figure 3-13: Middle-trigger Mode Operation ................................ 39
Figure 3-14: Delay-trigger Mode Operation ................................. 39
Figure 3-15: Re-trigger Mode Operation. ..................................... 40
Figure 3-16: Scatter-Gather DMA for Data Transfer .................... 41
Figure 3-17: SSI Architecture....................................................... 43
Figure 3-18: SSI_TRIG1 Input and Output Timing
Characteristics ......................................................... 44
Figure 3-19: SSI_TRIG2 Output Timing....................................... 45
Figure 3-20: SSI_TRIG2 Input Timing Requirement .................... 45
Figure 3-21: SSI_START_OP Output and Input Timing
Characteristics ......................................................... 46

Introduction 1
1 Introduction
The ADLINK PXI-9816/9826/9846 are 10 MS/s, 20 MS/s, and 40
MS/s sampling 16-bit 4-CH digitizers designed for digitizing high
frequency and wide dynamic range signals with an input frequency
up to 20 MHz. The analog input range can be programmed via
software to ±1 V or ±0.2 V. With deep onboard acquisition memory
up to 512 MB, the PXI-9816/PXI-9826/PXI-9846 are not limited by
the data transfer rate of the PCI bus to enable the recording of
waveforms for extended periods of time.
The PXI-9816/PXI-9826/PXI-9846 are equipped with four high lin-
earity 16-bit A/D converters ideal for demanding applications with
a high dynamic range such as radar, ultrasound, and software-
defined radio.
Analog Input
The PXI-9816/PXI-9826/PXI-9846 each feature four analog input
channels. The bandwidth of each channel can be up to 5 MHz, 10
MHz, and 20 MHz for PXI-9816, PXI-9826, and PXI-9846, respec-
tively. The input ranges are software programmable as either ±1 V
or ±0.2 V. Software selectable 50 Ωinput impedance makes it
easy to interface with high-speed, high-frequency signals.
Acquisition System and On-board Memory
The PXI-9816/PXI-9826/PXI-9846 include four 16-bit A/D convert-
ers to digitize the input signals. These four channels sample sig-
nals simultaneously at a maximum sampling rate of 10 MS/s, 20
MS/s, and 40 MS/s, respectively. The PXI-9816/PXI-9826/PXI-
9846 supports a total of 512 MB on-board memory. The digitized
data is stored in the on-board memory before being transferred to
the host memory. The data transfer is performed using scatter-
gather DMA, which provides a high data throughput rate and uses
system memory more effectively. If the data throughput from digi-
tizer is less than the available PCI bus bandwidth, the PXI-9816/
PXI-9826/PXI-9846 also features an on-board 2 K-sample FIFO to
achieve real-time transfer directly to the host memory by bypass-
ing the on-board memory.

2 Introduction
Flexible Triggering
The PXI-9816/PXI-9826/PXI-9846 feature flexible triggering
options such as a software trigger, external digital trigger, an ana-
log trigger from any of the analog input channels and triggers from
the PXI trigger bus. These versatile trigger sources allow you to
configure the PXI-9816/PXI-9826/PXI-9846 to fit your application
needs. Post-trigger, delay-trigger, pre-trigger and middle-trigger
modes are also available to acquire data around the trigger event.
The PXI-9816/PXI-9826/PXI-9846 also features repeated trigger
acquisition, so you can acquire data in multiple segments with suc-
cessive trigger events at extremely short rearming intervals.
Multiple-Module Synchronization
The versatile trigger options provided by the PXI backplane allow
the PXI-9816/PXI-9826/PXI-9846 to achieve multi-module syn-
chronization in a simplified way. Utilizing the PXI Trigger bus, the
PXI-9816/PXI-9826/PXI-9846 can output trigger signals and the
timebase to the PXI trigger bus when configured as a master, or
receive trigger signals and the timebase from the PXI trigger bus
when configured as a slave. Moreover, when the PXI-9816/PXI-
9826/PXI-9846 is plugged into a peripheral slot of a PXI system,
they can also receive triggers or the timebase from the PXI star
trigger controller slot. The precision 10 MHz clock that comes from
the PXI backplane can also be used as one of the timebase
sources. Combining these PXI trigger features with the interface of
the PXI-9816/PXI-9826/PXI-9846 makes it very easy to synchro-
nize multiple modules.
Calibration
The PXI-9816/PXI-9826/PXI-9846 include a precision on-board
reference with very low temperature drift. This feature not only
provides a stable calibration source for auto-calibration but also
maintains stable acquisition accuracy over a wide temperature
range. The automated calibration process can be done through
software without need for any manually adjustments. Once the
calibration process has completed, the calibration information will
be stored in the on-board EEPROM so that the values can be
loaded and used as needed by the board.

Introduction 3
1.1 Features
3U Eurocard form factor
Support 5 V and 3.3 V PCI signaling
Support 32-bit / 66 MHz PCI interface
4 channels simultaneous single-ended analog input
16-bit high resolution ADC
Up to 10 MS/s, 20 MS/s and 40 MS/s per channel
512 MB onboard memory for data storage
Software selectable 50 Ωor 1 MΩinput impedance
Programmable input voltage range: ±0.2 V, ±1 V
5 MHz, 10 MHz and 20 MHz analog input bandwidth for
PXI-9816, PXI-9826 and PXI-9846, respectively
Multiple modules synchronization through PXI trigger bus
Support scatter gather DMA transfer
Fully auto calibration
1.2 Applications
Software radio/wireless communication
Radar/Sonar/Lidar
Ultrasound
Imaging
Military/Laboratory/Research

4 Introduction
1.3 Specifications
Analog Input
Specification Value
Number of Channels 4 single-ended channels
Input Connector BNC
Input Impedance 50 Ωor 1 MΩ, software selectable
Input Coupling DC
Input Range ±0.2V, ±1V, software selectable
Overvoltage Protection ±5 V
ADC Resolution 16-Bit, 1 in 65536
Offset Error ±0.2 mV for all models in both input ranges
Gain Error ±0.2V input range: ±0.1% of reading
±1V input range: ±0.05% of reading
Crosstalk <-75dB from DC to 1 MHz
PXI-9816 PXI-9826 PXI-9846
-3dB Bandwidth, typi-
cal, for ±0.2V and ±1V
input range
5.1 MHz 9.6 MHz 20 MHz
Table 1-1: Analog Input Specifications

Introduction 5
Figure 1-1: PXI-9816 Bandwidth Chart
Figure 1-2: PXI-9826 Bandwidth Chart
0.1M 1M 10M
-10
-9
-8
-7
-6
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
1
Frequency (Hz)
Amplitude (dB)
PXI-9816
0.1M 1M 10M
-10
-9
-8
-7
-6
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
1
Frequency (Hz)
Amplitude (dB)
PXI-9826

6 Introduction
Figure 1-3: PXI-9846 Bandwidth Chart
System Noise
Specification Value
PXI-9816 PXI-9826 PXI-9846
±1 V Range 3.0 LSBRMS 4.0 LSBRMS 7.0 LSBRMS
±0.2 V Range 9.0 LSBRMS 12.0 LSBRMS 17.0 LSBRMS
Table 1-2: System Noise
0.1M 1M 10M
-10
-9
-8
-7
-6
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
1
Frequency (Hz)
Amplitude (dB)
PXI-9846

Introduction 7
Spectral Characteristics – PXI-9816
Figure 1-4: PXI-9816 FFT with ±0.2 V Input Range
Specification Input Range
±1 V ±0.2 V
Signal to Noise and Distortion (SINAD), typical 77.8 dBc 69.0 dBc
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), typical 78.4 dBc 69.1 dBc
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), typical -84.8 dBc -90 dBc
Spurious Free Dynamic Range (SFDR), typical 85.4 dBc 91.9 dBc
Effective Number of Bit (ENOB), typical 12.6-Bit 11.1-Bit
Test Conditions: Input signal frequency is 1 MHz with -0.2dBFS. Digitizer
sampling rate at 10 MHz with 50 Ωinput impedance. Calculated with 64 K-
point data.
Note that these dynamic parameters may vary from one unit to another, with
input frequency and with the full scale input range selected.
Table 1-3: Spectral Characteristics – PXI-9816
01M 2M 3M 4M 5M
-120
-100
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
Frequency (Hz)
Magnitude (dB)
PXI-9816, ±0.2V Input Range

8 Introduction
Figure 1-5: PXI-9816 FFT with ±1 V Input Range
01M 2M 3M 4M 5M
-120
-100
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
Frequency (Hz)
Magnitude (dB)
PXI-9816, ±1V Input Range

Introduction 9
Spectral Characteristics – PXI-9826
Figure 1-6: PXI-9826 FFT with ±0.2 V Input Range
Specification Input Range
±1 V ±0.2 V
Signal to Noise and Distortion (SINAD), typical 76.8 dBc 67.0 dBc
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), typical 77.4 dBc 67.1 dBc
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), typical -83.6 dBc -86.9 dBc
Spurious Free Dynamic Range (SFDR), typical 84.5 dBc 90.2 dBc
Effective Number of Bit (ENOB), typical 12.4-Bit 10.8-Bit
Test Conditions: Input signal frequency is 1 MHz with -0.2dBFS. Digitizer
sampling rate at 10 MHz with 50 Ωinput impedance. Calculated with 64 K-
point data.
Note that these dynamic parameters may vary from one unit to another, with
input frequency and with the full scale input range selected.
Table 1-4: Spectral Characteristics – PXI-9826
0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M
-120
-100
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
Frequency (Hz)
Magnitude (dB)
PXI-9826, ±0.2V Input Range

10 Introduction
Figure 1-7: PXI-9826 FFT with ±1 V Input Range
0 2M 4M 6M 8M 10M
-120
-100
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
Frequency (Hz)
Magnitude (dB)
PXI-9826, ±1V Input Range

Introduction 11
Spectral Characteristics – PXI-9846
Figure 1-8: PXI-9846 FFT with ±0.2 V Input Range
Specification Input Range
±1 V ±0.2 V
Signal to Noise and Distortion (SINAD), typical 74.1 dBc 64.1 dBc
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), typical 74.4 dBc 64.1 dBc
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD), typical -84.7 dBc -86.1 dBc
Spurious Free Dynamic Range (SFDR), typical 84.3 dBc 88.2 dBc
Effective Number of Bit (ENOB), typical 12.0-Bit 10.3-Bit
Test Conditions: Input signal frequency is 1 MHz with -0.2dBFS. Digitizer
sampling rate at 10 MHz with 50 Ωinput impedance. Calculated with 64 K-
point data.
Note that these dynamic parameters may vary from one unit to another, with
input frequency and with the full scale input range selected.
Table 1-5: Spectral Characteristics – PXI-9846
0 5M 10M 15M 20M
-120
-100
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
Frequency (Hz)
Magnitude (dB)
PXI-9846, ±0.2V Input Range

12 Introduction
Figure 1-9: PXI-9846 FFT with ±1 V Input Range
0 5M 10M 15M 20M
-120
-100
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
Frequency (Hz)
Magnitude (dB)
PXI-9846, ±1V Input Range