Data Translation DT9837A User manual

DT9837 Series
UM-22417-AJ
User’s Manual
Title Page

Sixteenth Edition
August, 2016
Data Translation, Inc.
100 Locke Drive
Marlboro, MA 01752-1192
[phone]
www.datatranslation.com
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Copyright © 2016 by Data Translation, Inc.
All rights reserved.
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, DT-Open Layers for .NET Class
LibraryTM, DataAcq SDKTM, QuickDAQTM, and LV-LinkTM are
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Copyright Page

Radio and Television Interference
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with CISPR EN55022 Class A and
EN61000-6-1 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 édicté par le Ministère des Communications du Canada.
FCC
Page

5
Table of Contents
About this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Intended Audience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
How this Manual is Organized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Conventions Used in this Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Related Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Where To Get Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Chapter 1: Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Hardware Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Key Features of the DT9837. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Key Features of the DT9837A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Key Features of the DT9837B. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Key Features of the DT9837C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Supported Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Supported Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Getting Started Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Part 1: Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Chapter 2: Setting Up and Installing the Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Attaching Modules to the Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Connecting Directly to the USB Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Connecting to an Expansion Hub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Configuring the DT9837 Series Device Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Chapter 3: Wiring Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Preparing to Wire Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Wiring Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Wiring Signals to the Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Connecting Analog Input Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Connecting an Analog Output Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Connecting a Tachometer Input Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Connecting a Gate Input Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Table of Contents

Contents
6
Chapter 4: Verifying the Operation of a Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Select the Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Acquire Data from an Analog Output Channel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Configure the Analog Output Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Configure the Analog Input Channel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Configure the Recording Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Configure the Acquisition Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Start the Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Part 2: Using Your Module. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Chapter 5: Principles of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Analog Input Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Analog Input Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Input Ranges and Gains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
IEPE Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Input Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Input Clock Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Analog Input Conversion Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Single-Value Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Single-Values Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Continuous Scan Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Input Triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Start Trigger Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Reference Trigger Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Data Format and Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Error Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Analog Output Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Analog Output Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Output Ranges and Gains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Output Resolution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Output Clocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Output Conversion Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Single-Value Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Waveform Generation Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Continuous Analog Output Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Reading the Analog Output Value in the Analog Input Data Stream
(DT9837A Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Output Trigger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Data Format and Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Error Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Contents
7
Tachometer Input Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Frequency or Period Measurements – Tachometer Counter 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Phase Measurements – Tachometer Counter 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Gate Input Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Triggering Acquisition on Multiple Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Synchronizing Acquisition on Multiple DT9837A, DT9837B, or DT9837C Modules . . . . 87
Chapter 6: Supported Device Driver Capabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Data Flow and Operation Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Buffering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Triggered Scan Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Data Encoding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Ranges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Current and Resistance Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Thermocouple, RTD, and Thermistor Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
IEPE Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Bridge and Strain Gage Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Start Triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Reference Triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Clocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Counter/Timers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Chapter 7: Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
General Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
If Your Module Needs Factory Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Chapter 8: Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Using the Calibration Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Calibrating the Analog Input Subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Connecting a Precision Voltage Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Using the Auto-Calibration Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Using the Manual Calibration Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Calibrating the Analog Output Subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Appendix A: Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Analog Input Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Analog Output Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Tachometer Input Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

Contents
8
Gate Input Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Trigger Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Master Oscillator Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Power, Physical, and Environmental Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Regulatory Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Connector Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Appendix B: Connector Pin Assignments and LED Status Indicators . . . . . . . . . 131
RJ45 (LVDS) Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Gate Input Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
LED Status Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Appendix C: Register-Level Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
DT9837 Register-Level Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Writing to the General Control Register 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Writing to EEPROM to Change the Coupling Type and Current Source . . . . . . . . . . 137
Writing to EEPROM to Change the High Power Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
DT9837A, DT9837B, and DT9837C Register-Level Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Writing to the General Control Register 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Writing to EEPROM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

9
About this Manual
The DT9837 Series includes the DT9837, DT9837A, DT9837B, and DT9837C modules. The first
part of this manual describes how to install and set up your DT9837 Series module and device
driver, and verify that your module is working properly.
The second part of this manual describes the features of the DT9837 Series modules, the
capabilities of the DT9837 Series Device Drivers, and how to program the DT9837 Series
modules using the DT-Open Layers for .NET Class Library™software. Troubleshooting
information is also provided.
Note: For more information on the class library, refer to the DT-Open Layers for .NET Class
Library User’s Manual. If you are using the DataAcq SDK or a software application to program
your device, refer to the documentation for that software for more information.
Intended Audience
This document is intended for engineers, scientists, technicians, or others responsible for
using and/or programming a DT9837 Series module for data acquisition operations in the
Microsoft® Windows Vista®, Windows 7, or Windows 8 operating system. It is assumed that
you have some familiarity with data acquisition principles and that you understand your
application.
How this Manual is Organized
This manual is organized as follows:
•Chapter 1, “Overview,” describes the major features of the DT9837 Series modules, as well
as the supported software and accessories for the modules.
•Chapter 2, “Setting Up and Installing the Module,” describes how to install a DT9837
Series module, how to apply power to the module, and how to configure the DT9837
Series Device Drivers.
•Chapter 3, “Wiring Signals,” describes how to wire signals to a DT9837 Series module.
•Chapter 4, “Verifying the Operation of a Module,” describes how to verify the operation
of a DT9837 Series module with the Quick DataAcq application.
•Chapter 5, “Principles of Operation,” describes all of the features of the DT9837 Series
modules and how to access them in your application.
•Chapter 6, “Supported Device Driver Capabilities,” lists the data acquisition subsystems
and the associated features accessible using the DT9837 Series Device Drivers.
•Chapter 7, “Troubleshooting,” provides information that you can use to resolve problems
with the DT9837 Series modules and DT9837 Series Device Driver, should they occur.
•Chapter 8, “Calibration,” describes how to calibrate the analog I/O circuitry of the
DT9837 Series modules.

About this Manual
10
•Appendix A, “Specifications,” lists the specifications of the DT9837 Series modules.
•Appendix B, “Connector Pin Assignments and LED Status Indicators,” lists the pin
assignments of the connectors on the DT9837 Series modules.
•Appendix C, “Register-Level Programming,” describes the registers for the DT9837 Series
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 in bold.
Related Information
Refer to the following documents for more information on using the DT9837 Series 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).
•QuickDAQ User’s Manual (UM-24774). This manual describes how to create a QuickDAQ
application to acquire and analyze data from a DT-Open Layers data acquisition module.
•DT-Open Layers for .NET User’s Manual (UM-22161). For programmers who are developing
their own application programs using Visual C# or Visual Basic .NET, this manual
describes how to use the DT-Open Layers for .NET Class Library to access the capabilities
of Data Translation data acquisition devices.
•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 SDK™to access the capabilities of Data Translation data
acquisition devices.
•LV-Link Online Help. This help file describes how to use LV-Link™with the LabVIEW™
graphical programming language to access the capabilities of Data Translation data
acquisition devices.
• Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 documentation.
• USB web site (http://www.usb.org).

About this Manual
11
Where To Get Help
Should you run into problems installing or using a DT9837 Series module, the Data
Translation Technical Support Department is available to provide technical assistance. Refer
to Chapter 7 for more information. If you are outside the United States or Canada, call your
local distributor, whose number is listed on our web site (www.datatranslation.com).

About this Manual
12

13
1
Overview
Hardware Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Supported Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Supported Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Getting Started Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Chapter 1
14
Hardware Features
The DT9837, DT9837A, DT9837B, and DT9837C are high-performance, multifunction data
acquisition modules for the USB (Ver. 2.0 or Ver. 1.1) bus.
Table 1 lists the major differences among the modules.
Table 1: Major Differences Among the DT9837 Series Modules
Feature DT9837 DT9837A DT9837B DT9837C
Connectors BNC BNC BNC BNC (on the DT9837C-BNC) or
Mini XLR (on the DT9837C-XLR)
Maximum A/D Throughput 52.734 kHz 52.734 kHz 105.469 kHz 105.469 kHz
AC Coupling at –3 dB 0.5 Hz 0.1 Hz 0.5 Hz 1 Hz
Current Source 4 mA 4 mA 4 mA 2 mA
A/D Threshold Triggera
a. For the start trigger on the DT9837, the threshold channel is channel 0 and the threshold level is fixed at 1.0 V.
For the start trigger on the DT9837A and DT9837B, the threshold channel is channel 0 and the analog threshold level is programmable from 0.2 V to
9.8 V with 0.1 V of hysteresis.
For the start trigger on the DT9837C, the threshold channel can be any of the analog input channels and the threshold level is programmable between
±10 V for a gain of 1 and ±1 V for a gain of 10.
For the reference trigger on all modules, the threshold channel can be any of the analog input channels and the threshold level is programmable
between ±10 V for a gain of 1 and ± 1 V for a gain of 10.
Fixed Programmable Programmable Programmable
Number of Tachometer Counters 1 2 (C/T 0 and 1) 2 (C/T 0 and 1) 0
Number of Gate Inputs 0 1b(C/T 2)
b. Available on the DT9837A-OEM version.
1c(C/T 2)
c. Available through a BNC connector on the DT9837B module.
0
Number of Analog Output
Channels
11 0 1
Analog Output Readback
Capability
No Yes No No
Maximum Analog Output
Throughput
46.875 kHz
(fixed)
52.734 kHz – 96 kHz
Analog Output Voltage 10 V @ 1 mA 10 V @ 3 mA – ±3 V @ 2 mA
Analog Output Trigger Types Software trigger
only
Software trigger,
external digital trigger
None Software trigger,
external digital trigger
RJ45 Synchronization Connector No Yes Yes Yes

Overview
15
Key Features of the DT9837
Figure 1 shows the layout of the DT9837 module.
Figure 1: DT9837 Module
The key features of the DT9837 module are as follows:
• Simultaneous analog input and waveform analog output operations
• Analog input subsystem:
−Four, simultaneous 24-bit A/D converters
−Throughput rate up to 52.734 kSamples/s for simultaneous, high-resolution
measurements
−Input range of ±10 V with software-selectable gains of 1 and 10 for an effective input
range of ±10 V and ±1 V
−Support for IEPE (Integrated Electronic Piezoelectric) inputs, including use of a 4 mA
current source and AC or DC coupling
−The ability to return the value of tachometer counter 0 in the analog input data stream,
allowing you to measure the period or frequency of the tachometer input signal
synchronously with analog input measurements
−Supports a start trigger for acquiring pre-trigger samples and a reference trigger for
acquiring post-trigger samples. You can specify the number of post-trigger samples to
acquire before stopping the operation.
−For the start trigger, supports a software-programmable trigger source (software,
external digital trigger, or a positive-going analog threshold trigger on analog input
channel 0). The threshold level is fixed at 1.0 V for the analog threshold trigger.

Chapter 1
16
−For the reference trigger, supports a positive- or negative-going analog threshold
trigger on any of the analog input channels. You can program the threshold value from
–10 V to +10 V.
• Analog output subsystem:
−One 24-bit D/A converter
−Waveform capability of up to 8,192 sample
−Output rate of 46.875 kSamples/s
−Output range of ±10 V
−A software trigger starts the analog output operation
• Internal clock source (shared between the analog input and analog output subsystems)
Key Features of the DT9837A
Figure 2 shows the layout of the DT9837A module.
Figure 2: DT9837A Module
The key hardware features of the DT9837A module are as follows:
• Simultaneous analog input and analog output operations (continuous or waveform
mode)
• Analog input subsystem:
−Four, simultaneous 24-bit A/D converters
−Throughput rate up to 52.734 kSamples/s for simultaneous, high-resolution
measurements

Overview
17
−Input range of ±10 V with software-selectable gains of 1 and 10 for an effective input
range of ±10 V and ±1 V
−Support for IEPE (Integrated Electronic Piezoelectric) inputs, including use of a 4 mA
current source with 18 V compliance voltage for AC or DC coupling
−The ability to return the value of tachometer counter 0 in the analog input data stream,
allowing you to measure the period or frequency of the tachometer input signal
synchronously with analog input measurements
−The ability to read the value of tachometer counter 1 in the analog input data stream,
allowing you to precisely correlate tachometer measurements with analog input
measurements
−Optional OEM version of this module, called the DT9837A-OEM, supports the ability
to read the value of gate counter 2 in the analog input data stream, allowing you to
precisely correlate gate input measurements with analog input measurements
−Supports reading analog output values in the analog input data stream, allowing you
to correlate input and output values
−Supports a start trigger for acquiring pre-trigger samples and a reference trigger for
acquiring post-trigger samples. You can specify the number of post-trigger samples to
acquire before stopping the operation.
−For the start trigger, supports a software-programmable trigger source (software,
external digital trigger, or a positive-going analog threshold trigger on analog input
channel 0). You can program the analog input threshold value from 0.2 V to 9.8 V with
0.1 V of hysteresis.
−For the reference trigger, supports a positive- or negative-going analog threshold
trigger on any of the analog input channels. You can program the threshold value from
–10 V to +10 V.
• Analog output subsystem:
−One 24-bit D/A converter
−Single value, waveform, and continuous streaming output
−Programmable output rate from 10 kSamples/s to 52.734 kSamples/s
−Output range of ±10 V
−Software-programmable trigger source (software trigger, external digital trigger, or
analog threshold trigger) to start the analog output operation.
• Internal clock source (shared between the analog input and analog output subsystems)
• RJ45 synchronization (LVDS) connector for synchronizing acquisition on up to four
DT9837A modules

Chapter 1
18
Key Features of the DT9837B
Figure 3 shows the layout of the DT9837B module.
Figure 3: DT9837B Module
The key hardware features of the DT9837B module are as follows:
• Four, simultaneous 24-bit A/D converters
• Internal clock source with a throughput rate up to 105.469 kSamples/s for simultaneous,
high-resolution analog input measurements
• Input range of ±10 V with software-selectable gains of 1 and 10 for an effective input
range of ±10 V and ±1 V
• Support for IEPE (Integrated Electronic Piezoelectric) inputs, including use of a 4 mA
current source with 18 V compliance voltage for AC or DC coupling
• The ability to return the value of tachometer counter 0 in the analog input data stream,
allowing you to measure the period or frequency of the tachometer input signal
synchronously with analog input measurements
• The ability to read the value of tachometer counter 1 in the analog input data stream,
allowing you to precisely correlate tachometer measurements with analog input
measurements
• The ability to read the value of gate counter 2 in the analog input data stream, allowing
you to precisely correlate gate input measurements with analog input measurements

Overview
19
• Supports a start trigger for acquiring pre-trigger samples and a reference trigger for
acquiring post-trigger samples. You can specify the number of post-trigger samples to
acquire before stopping the operation.
• For the start trigger, supports a software-programmable trigger source (software, external
digital trigger, or a positive-going analog threshold trigger on analog input channel 0).
You can program the analog input threshold value from 0.2 V to 9.8 V with 0.1 V of
hysteresis.
• For the reference trigger, supports a positive- or negative-going analog threshold trigger
on any of the analog input channels. You can program the threshold value from –10 V to
+10 V.
• RJ45 synchronization (LVDS) connector for synchronizing acquisition on up to four
DT9837B modules
Key Features of the DT9837C
Figure 4 shows the layout of DT9837C module. The model shown is the board-level, OEM
version with mini-XLR connectors.
Figure 4: DT9837C Module

Chapter 1
20
The key hardware features of the DT9837C module are as follows:
• Simultaneous analog input and analog output operations (continuous or waveform
mode)
• Mini-XLR connectors (on the DT9837C-XLR) or BNC connectors (on the DT9837C-BNC)
for connecting audio inputs
• Analog input subsystem:
−Four, simultaneous 24-bit A/D converters
−Throughput rate up to 105.469 kSamples/s for simultaneous, high-resolution
measurements
−Input range of ±10 V with software-selectable gains of 1 and 10 for an effective input
range of ±10 V and ±1 V
−Support for IEPE (Integrated Electronic Piezoelectric) inputs, including use of a 2 mA
current source with 18 V compliance voltage for AC and DC coupling
−1 Hz high-pass filter
−Supports a start trigger for acquiring pre-trigger samples and a reference trigger for
acquiring post-trigger samples. You can specify the number of post-trigger samples to
acquire before stopping the operation.
−For the start trigger, supports a software-programmable trigger source (software,
external digital trigger, or analog threshold trigger). You can program the analog input
threshold trigger to come from any analog input channel, to be positive- or
negative-going, and to have a threshold value from –10 V to +10 V.
−For the reference trigger, supports a positive- or negative-going analog threshold
trigger on any of the analog input channels. You can program the threshold value from
–10 V to +10 V.
• Analog output subsystem:
−One 24-bit D/A converter
−Single value, waveform, and continuous streaming output
−Programmable output rate from 10 kSamples/s to 96 kSamples/s
−Output range of ±3 V
−±2 mA output current
−Software-programmable trigger type (software trigger, external digital trigger, or
analog threshold trigger) to start the analog output operation.
• Internal clock source (shared between the analog input and analog output subsystems)
• RJ45 synchronization (LVDS) connector for synchronizing acquisition on up to four
DT9837C modules