Data Translation DT9820 Series User manual

DT9820 Series
UM-18221-B
User’s Manual

Second Edition
March, 2002
Data Translation, Inc.
100 Locke Drive
Marlboro, MA 01752-1192
[phone]
www.datatranslation.com
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Copyright © 2001, 2002 by Data Translation,
Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form by any means,
electronic, mechanical, by photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of Data Translation, Inc.
Information furnished by Data Translation, Inc.
is believed to be accurate and reliable; however,
no responsibility is assumed by Data Translation,
Inc. for its use; nor for any infringements of
patents or other rights of third parties which
may result from its use. No license is granted by
implication or otherwise under any patent rights
of Data Translation, Inc.
Use, duplication, or disclosure by the United
States Government is subject to restrictions as set
forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in
Technical Data and Computer software clause at
48 C.F.R, 252.227-7013, or in subparagraph (c)(2)
of the Commercial computer Software -
Registered Rights clause at 48 C.F.R., 52-227-19 as
applicable. Data Translation, Inc., 100 Locke
Drive, Marlboro, MA 01752
Data Translation® is a registered trademark of
Data Translation, Inc. DT-Open LayersTM,
DataAcq SDKTM, DT-LV LinkTM, DTx-EZTM, and
DT VPITM are trademarks of Data Translation,
Inc.
All other brand and product names are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective companies.

Radio and Television Interference
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with CISPR
EN55022 Class A, and EN50082-1 (CE) requirements and also with
the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a
commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in
a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case
the user will be required to correct the interference at his own
expense.
Changes or modifications to this equipment not expressly approved
by Data Translation could void your authority to operate the
equipment under Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Note: This product was verified to meet FCC requirements under
test conditions that included use of shielded cables and connectors
between system components. It is important that you use shielded
cables and connectors to reduce the possibility of causing
interference to radio, television, and other electronic devices.
Canadian Department of Communications Statement
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio
noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio
Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of
Communications.
Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques
dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils numériques de la class
A prescrites dans le Règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique
édictépar le Ministère des Communications du Canada.

v
Table of Contents
About this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Intended Audience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
What You Should Learn from this Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Conventions Used in this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x
Related Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
Where To Get Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii
Chapter 1: Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Supported Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter 2: Principles of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Analog Input Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Input Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Analog Input Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Input Ranges and Gains. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
A/D Sample Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Analog Input Conversion Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Data Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Converting an Offset Code to a Voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Converting a Twos Complement Code to a Voltage . . 18
Data Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Error Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Synchronizing A/D Subsystems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Synchronizing the Triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Synchronizing the Clocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Contents
vi
Analog Output Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Output Resolution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Analog Output Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Output Ranges and Gains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Conversion Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Data Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Digital I/O Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Digital I/O Lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Resolution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Operation Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Chapter 3: Supported Device Driver Capabilities. . . . . . . . 29
Chapter 4: Programming Flowcharts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Single-Value Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Continuous A/D Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Simultaneous Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Chapter 5: Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Running the Calibration Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Calibrating the Analog Output Subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Chapter 6: Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
General Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Service and Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Telephone Technical Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
E-Mail and Fax Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
World-Wide Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
If Your Board Needs Factory Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Appendix A: Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Contents
vii
Appendix B: Connector Pin Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

Contents
viii

ix
About this Manual
This manual describes the features of the DT9820 Series function
modules, the capabilities of the DT9820 Series Device Driver, and
how to program the DT9820 Series function modules using DT-Open
Layerssoftware. Calibration and troubleshooting information is
also provided.
Intended Audience
This document is intended for engineers, scientists, technicians, or
others responsible for using and/or programming the DT9820 Series
function modules for data acquisition operations in the Microsoft®
Windows®98, Windows Me (Millennium Edition), Windows 2000,
and Windows XP operating systems. It is assumed that you have
some familiarity with data acquisition principles and that you
understand your application.
What You Should Learn from this Manual
This manual provides detailed information about the features of the
DT9820 Series function modules and the capabilities of the DT9820
Series Device Driver. The manual is organized as follows:
•Chapter 1, “Overview,”describes the major features of the
modules, as well as the supported software and accessories for
the modules.
•Chapter 2, “Principles of Operation,”describes all of the features
of the modules and how to use them in your application.
•Chapter 3, “Supported Device Driver Capabilities,”lists the data
acquisition subsystems and the associated features accessible
using the DT9820 Series Device Driver.

About this Manual
x
•Chapter 4, “Programming Flowcharts,”describes the processes
you must follow to program the subsystems on the DT9820 Series
module using DT-Open Layers-compliant software.
•Chapter 5, “Calibration,”describes how to calibrate the analog
output circuitry of the DT9822 function modules.
•Chapter 6, “Troubleshooting,”provides information that you can
use to resolve problems with the modules and the device driver,
should they occur.
•Appendix A, “Specifications,”lists the specifications of the
modules.
•Appendix B, “Connector Pin Assignments,”shows the pin
assignments for the connectors and the screw terminal
assignments for the modules.
•An index completes this manual.
Conventions Used in this Manual
The following conventions are used in this manual:
•Notes provide useful information or information that requires
special emphasis, cautions provide information to help you avoid
losing data or damaging your equipment, and warnings provide
information to help you avoid catastrophic damage to yourself or
your equipment.
•Items that you select or type are shown inbold.

About this Manual
xi
Related Information
Refer to the following documents for more information on using the
DT9820 Series function modules:
•Benefits of the Universal Serial Bus for Data Acquisition. This white
paper describes why USB is an attractive alternative for data
acquisition. It is available on the Data Translation web site
(www.datatranslation.com).
•DT9820 Series Getting Started Manual(UM-18219). This manual
describes the how to install the DT9820 Series function modules
and related software.
• DT Measure Foundry Getting Started Manual (UM-19298) and
online help. These documents describe how to use DT Measure
Foundry™to build drag-and-drop test and measurement
applications for Data Translation®data acquisition devices
without programming.
•DataAcq SDK User’s Manual (UM-18326). For programmers who
are developing their own application programs using the
Microsoft C compiler, this manual describes how to use the
DT-Open Layers DataAcq SDKTM to access the capabilities of
Data Translation data acquisition devices.
•DTx-EZ Getting Started Manual (UM-15428). This manual
describes how to use the ActiveX controls provided in DTx-EZTM
to access the capabilities of Data Translation data acquisition
devices in Microsoft Visual Basic®or Visual C++®.
•DT VPI User Manual (UM-16150). This manual describes how to
use DT VPITM and the Agilent®VEE™visual programming
language to access the capabilities of Data Translation data
acquisition devices.
•DT-LV Link Getting Started Manual (UM-15790). This manual
describes how to use DT-LV LinkTM with the LabVIEW®
graphical programming language to access the capabilities of
Data Translation data acquisition devices.

About this Manual
xii
•Microsoft Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000, or
Windows XP documentation.
•USB web site (http://www.usb.org).
Where To Get Help
Should you run into problems installing or using a DT9820 Series
function module, the Data Translation Technical Support Department
is available to provide technical assistance. Refer to Chapter 6 for
more information. If you are outside the United States or Canada, call
your local distributor, whose number is listed in your Data
Translation product handbook.

1
1
Overview
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Supported Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Chapter 1
2
Features
The DT9820 Series is a high-resolution (24-bit) family of data
acquisition modules for the Universal Serial Bus (USB). USB is a new
standard for connecting PCs to peripheral devices, such as printers,
mice, and modems, and was developed to make more low-cost ports
available for the increasing number of these devices.
Most new computers have two USB ports that allow direct
connection to USB devices.You can expand the number of USB
devices attached to a single USB port by using expansion hubs.
DT9820 Series function modules are part of the high-power,
bus-powered USB class; therefore, the modules do not require
external power, but the expansion hubs do require external power.
DT9820 Series function modules reside outside of the PC and install
with a single cable to ease installation. Modules can be “hot
swapped”or plugged and unplugged while the PC is on, making
them useful for many data acquisition applications.
The DT9820 Series includes the DT9821 and DT9822. Table 1 lists the
key features of each module.
Table 1: Key Features Among the DT9820 Series
Function
Modules #ofAnalog Inputs
Analog Input
Sample Rate # ofAnalog
Outputs # of Digital I/O Lines
60 Hz 50 Hz
DT9821 4with24-bit
resolutiona
a. The channels are configured as differential.
960 Hz 800 Hz 0 8 inputb,
8 output
b. Digital input lines 0 to 3 can be used to start A/D conversions. Digital input lines 4 to 7 can
be used to stop A/D conversions.
DT9822 4with24-bit
resolutiona960 Hz 800 Hz 2, 16-bit resolution 8 inputb, 8 output

Overview
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Both DT9820 Series function modules share the following major
features:
•USB compatibility;
•Software configurable termination resistance for differential
analog inputs on a channel-by-channel basis.
•Software configurable 100 Hz analog input filters;
•Input gains of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64;
•Continuously paced analog input operations;
•One 8-bit digital input port; high-to-low transitions on digital
input lines 0 to 3 can start A/D conversions on A/D subsystems
0 to 3; high-to-low transitions on digital input lines 4 to 7 can stop
A/D conversions on A/D subsystems 0 to 3;
•One 8-bit digital output port; digital outputs can drive external
solid-state relays; and
•Automatic software calibration of the analog I/O subsystems.

Chapter 1
4
Supported Software
The following software is available for use with the DT9820 Series
modules:
•DT9820 Series Device Driver −This software is provided on the
Data Acquisition OMNI CD that is shipped with the module. The
device driver allows you to use a DT9820 Series function module
with any of the supported software packages or utilities. Refer to
the DT9820 Series Getting Started Manual (UM-18219) for more
information on configuring the device driver.
•DT9820 Series Calibration Utility −This software is provided on
the Data Acquisition OMNI CD-ROM. The DT9820 Series
Calibration Utility allows you to calibrate the analog output
circuitry of the DT9822 function modules. The analog input
circuitry is automatically calibrated when the module is powered
up. Refer to Chapter 5 for more information on this utility.
•Quick Data Acq application − This software is provided on the
Data Acquisition OMNI CD that is shipped with the module. The
Quick Data Acq application provides a quick way to get up and
running using a DT9820 Series function module. Using this
application, you can verify key features of the module, display
data on the screen, and save data to disk. Refer to the DT9820
Series Getting Started Manual for more information on using the
Quick Data Acq application.
•Scope application −This software is shipped with the board on
the Data Acquisition OMNI CD. This application emulates three
basic instruments: a simple oscilloscope chart recorder, a data
logger, and a multi-channel oscilloscope. Using the Scope
application, you can monitor data online and capture it to disk.
Refer to the online documentation provided on the CD-ROM for
more information.

Overview
5
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
•DT Measure Foundry − An evaluation version of this software is
included on the Data Acquisition OMNI CD. DT Measure
Foundry is drag-and-drop test and measurement application
builder designed to give you top performance with ease-of-use
development. Order the full development version of this
software package to develop your own application using real
hardware.
•DataAcq SDK −This software is shipped on the Data Acquisition
OMNI CD. Use the Data Acq SDK if you want to useWindows
98, Windows Me, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows
XP to develop your own application software for the DT9820
Series boards using the Microsoft C compiler; the DataAcq SDK
complies with the DT-Open Layers standard.
•DTx-EZ −Order this optional software package if you want to
use ActiveX controls to access the capabilities of the DT9820
Series boards using Microsoft Visual Basic or Visual C++; DTx-EZ
complies with the DT-Open Layersstandard.
•DT VPI −Order this optional software package if you want to
use the Aglient VEE visual programming language to access the
capabilities of the DT9820 Series boards.
•DT-LV Link −Order this optional software package if you want
to use the LabVIEW graphical programming language to access
the capabilities of the DT9820 Series boards.
•Testpoint −Order this optional software package if you want use
a drag-and-drop software environment for designing test,
measurement, and data acquisition applications.
Refer to the Data Translation data acquisition catalog for information
about selecting the right software package for your needs.

Chapter 1
6
Accessories
The following accessories are provided for the DT9820 Series:
•EP310 −a 2-meter, USB cable that connects the USB connector of
the DT9820 Series function module to the USB connector on the
host computer. An EP310 cable is shipped with each DT9820
Series function module. In addition, if you want to buy
additional USB cables, EP310 is available as an accessory product
for the DT9820 Series.
•EP316 −a 5-meter, USB cable that connects the USB connector of
the DT9820 Series function module to the USB connector on the
host computer.
•STP9820 −a 100 mm x 160 mm screw terminal panel that
connects to the DT9820 Series function module either directly or
by using an EP777 cable. This screw terminal panel allows you to
connect all of the input and output connections that are
supported by aDT9820 Series module.
•EP777 −a 6-foot cable that connects the DT9820 Series module to
the STP9820 screw terminal panel.

7
2
Principles of Operation
Analog Input Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Analog Output Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Digital I/O Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Chapter 2
8
Figure 1 shows a block diagram of the DT9820 Series function
modules. Note that bold entries indicate signals you can access.
Figure 1: Block Diagram of the DT9820 Series Function Modules
500 V Isolation Barrier
Isolated Power
Power Control
DC to DC
Microcontroller
and FIFO 32K SRAM
USB Interface
+5 V D + D - GND
High-Speed
Isolated Data Path
CH 0
24-Bit
A/D
CH 1
24-Bit
A/D
CH 2
24-Bit
A/D
CH 3
24-Bit
A/D
1, 2, 4,
8, 16, 32,
64 Gain &
Selectable
100 Hz
Filter
1, 2, 4,
8, 16, 32,
64 Gain &
Selectable
100 Hz
Filter
1, 2, 4,
8, 16, 32,
64 Gain &
Selectable
100 Hz
Filter
1, 2, 4,
8, 16, 32,
64 Gain &
Selectable
100 Hz
Filter
16 Bit
DACs
8 Digital Inputs
with 22K
Pullups to +5K
8 Digital Outputs
with 22K Pullups
to +5K
Controller
and Clocks
A/D 0
Hi Low A/D1 Hi Low A/D 2 Hi Low A/D 3 Hi Low DAC0 &
DAC1 8 Digital Inputs 8 Digital Outputs
+5 V