ICS AOB8/12 User manual

Model AOB8/12 & AOB16/12
Product Manual
MANUAL NUMBER : 00650-134-4C

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FOREWORD
This product manual provides information to install, operate and or program the referenced product(s)
manufactured or distributed by ICS Advent. The following pages contain information regarding the
warranty and repair policies.
Check our Web site (www.icsadvent.com) for technical information, manuals, and BIOS updates.
Technical assistance is also available at: 800-480-0044 (U.S.) or 858-677-0877 (international).
Customer Comments: If you experience any problems with this manual or just want to provide some
feedback, please send us a message using the online "Service Form" on our Web site (www.icsadvent.com)
under "Support." Detail any errors you find. We will correct the errors or problems as soon as possible and
post the revised manual in our online Support Library. Thank you.
The information in this document is provided for reference only. ICSAdvent does not assume any liability
arising from the application or use of the information or products described herein. This document may
contain or reference information and products protected by copyrights or patents and does not convey any
license under the patent rights of ICS Advent, nor the rights of others.
Copyright © 1995, a California Corporation, 6260 Sequence Drive, San Diego, CA92121-4371. ICSAdvent
is a Registered Trademark of ICS Advent. All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of
their respective owners. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publi-
cation may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, elec-
tronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording , or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the pub-
lisher.

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Shipments not in compliance with this Guarantee
and Limited Warranty Return Policy will not be ac-
cepted by ICS Advent.
Guarantee
A thirty day money-back guarantee is provided on all standard products sold. Special order products are
covered by our Limited Warranty, however they may not be returned for refund or credit. EPROMs,
RAM, Flash EPROMs or other forms of solid electronic media are not returnable for credit - but for
replacement only. Extended Warranty available. Consult factory.
Refunds
In order to receive a refund on a product for the purchase price, the product must not have been
damaged by the customer or by the common carrier chosen by the customer to return the goods and
the product must be returned complete (meaning all manuals, software, cables, etc.) within 30 days of
receipt and in an as-new and resalable condition. The Return Proceduremust be followed to assure
prompt refund.
Restocking Charges
Product returned after 30 days, and before 60 days, of the purchase will be subject to a minimum20%
restocking charge and charges for any damaged or missing parts. Products not returned within 60
days of purchase, or products which are not in an as-new and re-saleable condition, are not eligible
for credit return and will be returned to the customer.
Limited Warranty
Effective April 1, 1998, all products carry a 2-year limited warranty. Within two years of purchase,
ICS Advent will repair or replace, at our option, any defective product. ICS Advent will service the
warranty for all standard catalog products for the first two years from the date of shipment.
Please note: The 2-year warranty may not apply to special promotion items. Please consult the factory for
warranty verification.
The limited warranty is void if the product has been subjected to alteration, neglect, misuse, or abuse; if any
repairs have been attempted by anyone other than ICS Advent or its authorized agent; or if the failure is
caused by accident, acts of God, or other causes beyond the control of ICS Advent or the manufacturer.
Neglect, misuse, and abuse shall include any installation, operation, or maintenance of the product other than
in accordance with the user’s manual.
No agent, dealer, distributor, service company, or other party is authorized to change, modify, or extend the
terms of this Limited Warranty in any manner whatsoever. ICS Advent reserves the right to make changes
or improvements in any product without incurring any obligation to similarly alter products previously
purchased.

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Return Procedure
For any Guarantee or Limited Warranty return, please contact ICS Advent's Customer Service at
800-480-0044 (U.S.) or 858-677-0877 (international) and obtain a Return Material Authorization (RMA)
Number. All product(s) returned to ICS Advent for service or credit must be accompanied by a Return
MaterialAuthorization (RMA) Number. Freight on all returned itemsmust be prepaid by the customer who
is responsible for any loss or damage caused by common carrier in transit. Returns for Warranty must
include a Failure Report for each unit, by serial number(s), as well as a copy of the original invoice showing
date of purchase.
To reduce risk of damage, returns of product must be in an ICS Advent shipping container. If the original
container has been lost or damaged, new shipping containers may be obtained from ICS Advent Customer
Service at a nominal cost.
ICS Advent owns all parts removed from repaired products. ICS Advent uses new and reconditioned parts
made by various manufacturers in performing warranty repairs and building replacement products.
If ICS Advent repairs or replaces a product, its warranty term is not extended.
ICSAdvent will normally return your replacement or repaired items via Second DayAir. Overnight delivery
or delivery via other carriers is available at an additional charge.
Limitation of Liability
In no event shall ICS Advent be liable for any defect in hardware, software, loss, or inadequacy of data of
any kind, or for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages in connection with or arising out of
the performance or use of any product furnished hereunder. ICSAdvent liability shall in no event exceed the
purchase price of the product purchased hereunder. The foregoing limitation of liability shall be equally
applicable to any service provided by ICSAdvent or its authorized agent.
Some Sales Items and Customized Systems are not subject to the guarantee and limited warranty.
However in these instances , any deviations will be disclosed prior to sales and noted in the original invoice.
ICS Advent reserves the right to refuse returns or credits on software or special order items.

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Advisories
Three types of advisories are used throughout the manual to stress important points or warn of potential
hazards to the user or the system. They are the Note, the Caution, and theWarning. Following is an example
of each type of advisory:
Note: The note is used to present special instruction, or to provide extra information which may
help to simplify the use of the product.
CAUTION!
A Caution is used to alert you to a situation which if ignored may cause injury or
damage equipment.
WARNING!
AWarningisusedtoalertyouofasituationwhichifignoredwillcauseseriousinjury.
Cautions and Warnings are accented with triangular symbols. The exclamation symbol is used in all cautions
and warnings to help alert you to the important instructions. The lightning flash symbol is used on the left
hand side of a caution or a warning if the advisory relates to the presence of voltage which may be of
sufficient magnitude to cause electrical shock.
Use caution when servicing any electrical component. We have tried to identify the areas which may pose
a Caution or Warning condition in this manual; however, ICS Advent does not claim to have covered all
situations which might require the use of a Caution or Warning.
You must refer to the documentation for any component you install into a computer system to ensure proper
precautions and procedures are followed.

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Installation .................................................................................................. 1
Backing up the Disk ............................................................................................................................. 1
HardDiskInstallation............................................................................................................................ 1
InstallingtheCard ................................................................................................................................. 2
Howto remain CECompliant ................................................................................................................ 2
Chapter 2: Functional Description.............................................................................. 3
Chapter 3: Option Selection ........................................................................................5
OutputRanges............................................................................................................................... 6
AnalogOutputs Update .................................................................................................................. 6
Chapter 4: Address Selection...................................................................................... 7
Chapter 5: Programming .............................................................................................9
Chapter 6: Data Format..............................................................................................13
Chapter 7: Software ...................................................................................................15
Chapter 8: Calibration ................................................................................................ 17
Chapter 9: Connector Pin Assignments...................................................................19
Chapter 10: Specifications ........................................................................................21
Environmental ..................................................................................................................21
CE Declaration of Conformity
List of Figures
Figure2-1 Block Diagram........................................................................................................................... 4
Figure 3-1: Option Selection Map ............................................................................................................... 6
Figure4-1: StandardAddressAssignmentsfor PC andPC/XTComputers.................................................. 7
Current Revision 4C
December 2000

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Manual Number: 00650-134-4 Page 1
Chapter 1: Installation
Backing up the Disk
The software provided with theAOBx/12 is in MS-DOS format on diskette.You should make back-
up copies for everyday use and place your original master diskette in a safe location.You may make
as many back-up copies as needed.
The easiest way to make a back-up copy is to use the DOS DISKCOPY utility. First, use the DOS
command FORMAT/S to format a new diskette and then copy files from the master diskette.
In a single-drive system, the command is: DISKCOPY A: A:
You will need to swap disks as requested by the system.
In a two-disk system, the command is: DISKCOPY A: B:
This will copy the contents of the master disk in driveA to the back-up disk in drive B.
Hard Disk Installation
The files contained on the master diskette may also be copied onto your hard disk. To do this
perform the following:
1. Place the master diskette into a floppy drive.
2. Changetheactive drivetothedrivethat hasthemasterdisketteinstalled. Forexample,ifthe
diskette is the A drive, type A:
3. TypeINSTALL and follow the screen prompts.
Files contained on the disk are stored in separate directories as follows:
ROOT DIRECTORY: Contains the FINDBASE PROGRAM that will help you to decide
what base address to use with the card. Also contains the
DA12SET.EXE setup and calibration program.
PSAMPLES: Contains Pascal samples and the Pascal-linkable driver.
CSAMPLES: Contains “C” samples and the “C”-linkable driver.
BSAMPLES: Contains the BASIC and QuickBASIC samples as well as the
binaryandlinkabledrivers.
VBACCESS: VisualBASIC utility driver that includes PEEK and POKE
statements for reading and writing RAM as well as INPORT and
OUTPORT for reading and writing I/O. The driver is in the form
ofa DLL and allows you to access hardware as if thelanguage was
designed for it when you use VisualBASIC for Windows.

Manual Number: 00650-134-4Page 2
AOB8/12 & AOB16/12 Manual
Installing the Card
Before installing the card carefully read theAddress Selection and Option Selection sections of this
manual and configure the card according to your requirements. Be especially careful with address
selection. If the addresses of two installed functions overlap you will experience unpredictable
computer behavior. If unsure what locations are available, you can use the FINDBASE program
provided on our diskette to locate blocks of available addresses.
To install the card:
1. Turn off computer power.
2. Remove the computer cover.
3. Remove the blank I/O backplate.
4. Set switches for selected options. See the option selection section of this manual.
5. Select the base address on the card. See the address selection section of this manual
6. Install the card in an I/O expansion slot.
7. Install the I/O cable.
8. Inspect for proper fit of the card and cables, tighten screws.
9. Replace the computer cover and apply power.
How to remain CE Compliant
This device complies with CE Directives 72/23/EEC and EMC 89/336/EEC. CE compliance is
based on the interaction of all the components of a system. Any modifications made to the equip-
ment may affect the CE compliance and must be approved in writing by Industrial Computer
Source. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance
could void the user's authority to claim CE compliance.
The Model AOB8/12 & AOB16/12 are designed to be CE Compliant when used in an CE compli-
ant chassis. Maintaining CE Compliance also requires proper cabling and termination techniques.
The user is advised to follow proper cabling techniques from sensor to interface to ensure a com-
plete CE Compliant system. Industrial Computer Source does not offer engineering services for
designing cabling or termination systems. Although Industrial Computer Source offers accessory
cables and termination panels, it is the user's responsibility to ensure they are installed with proper
shielding to maintain CE Compliance.

Manual Number: 00650-134-4 Page 3
Chapter 2: Functional Description
TheAOB8/12 andAOB16/12 are full-size cards that can be installed in any long I/O slot of PC-AT
class computers. They contain either 8 or 16 double-buffered digital-to-analog converters (DAC)
and provide 8 or 16 independent analog output channels of 12-bit resolution. Each analog output
channel can be configured for ranges of:
0V to +2.5V
0V to +5V
0V to +10V
-2.5V to +2.5V
-5V to +5V
-10V to +10V
The analog output channels have a double-buffered input for single-step update and each is ad-
dressed at its own I/O location. TypeAD7237 double-buffered, dual, DAC chips are used. Data are
transferred into outer registers a byte at a time (eight LSB’s then eight MSB’s) and then transferred
into inner registers a word at a time. The analog outputs can be updated either independently or
simultaneously.
In order to prevent excessive outputs at power-up, the AOBx/12 contain automatic circuits that set
D/A outputs to less than 15% of span at system power-on. Upon power-up, the DAC reference
voltage is set to a low voltage and the card is set in the Simultaneous Update mode.After all DAC’s
have been loaded with the desired values, a software command can be used to switch the reference
voltage ON at its nominal value. Similarly, a software command can be used at any time to set the
reference voltage to zero causing all DAC outputs to be zero volts.
Software provided with the card includes a unique program called FINDBASE that will help you to
select an I/O bus address for this card that will not conflict with other resources installed in your
computer. Software provided also includes setup and calibration programs and sample programs.
The setup and calibration program provides pictorial representation and menu selection on the com-
puter monitor. For setup, of course, it is not necessary that the card be plugged into the computer.
TheAddress Selection and Option Selection sections of this manual provide amplifying information
about switch settings.

Manual Number: 00650-134-4Page 4
AOB8/12 & AOB16/12 Manual
OUTER
DATA
REGISTER
ADDRESS
DECODE
AND BUS
INTERFACE
ADDRESS
SELECT
SWITCH
OUTER
DATA
REGISTER
INNER
DATA
REGISTER
INNER
DATA
REGISTER
12-BIT
DAC #15
12-BIT
DAC #0
RANGE SELECT
DISABLE
OUTPUT
SWITCH
VREF
+12VDC VREF VREF to all DACs
GND
RESET
COMPUTER ISA BUS
DAC OUTPU
T
DAC's 1-14
Update DAC's DAC OUTPU
T
RANGE SELECT
Figure 2-1 Block Diagram

Manual Number: 00650-134-4 Page 5
Chapter 3: Option Selection
Voltage output ranges are determined by switch settings as described in the following paragraphs.
Also, the method to update D/A outputs is programmable as described here and in the Programming
section of this manual.
Output Ranges
There are three-position switches associated with each DAC channel to make voltage range selec-
tion: switches S17 (Channel 0) through S2 (Channel 15). A silk-screen illustration on the card de-
fines switch positions to use for each range. The following table presents the same information:
Voltage Range S1 S2 S3
0 to +2.5V OFF OFF ON
0 to +5V OFF OFF OFF
0 to +10V OFF ON OFF
-2.5V to +2.5V ON OFF ON
-5V to +5V ON OFF OFF
-10V to +10V ON ON OFF
Analog Outputs Update
Analog outputs are updated under program control in either one of two ways:
(a) Automatic Update: Each channel is updated individually when new data are written to the
related high-byte base address. Individual update mode may be set by a special read operation
as defined in the programming section of this manual.
OR
(b) SimultaneousUpdate:TheoutputsofallD/A’smaybeupdatedsimultaneously.Thisisdone
byfirstenablingsimultaneousupdatingforalloutputsandthenpreloadingthelowandhighbytes
of each DAC and then initiating a simultaneous update by software command.
Refer to the Programming section of this manual for more detail.

Manual Number: 00650-134-4Page 6
AOB8/12 & AOB16/12 Manual
Figure 3-1: Option Selection Map

Manual Number: 00650-134-4 Page 7
Chapter 4: Address Selection
The AOBx/12 requires 16 or 32 consecutive address locations in I/O space, respectively. The
starting, or base address, can be selected anywhere within an I/O address range 100-3FF hex
(except 1F0 through 1F8) inAT-class computers and 200- 3FF in XT-class computers, providing that
the address does not overlap with other functions. If in doubt refer to the table below for a list of
standard address assignments. The Base Address Locator program FINDBASE provided on dis-
kette will assist you in selecting a base address that will avoid this conflict.
Hex Range Usage
000-0FF Internal System - Not Usable
1F0-1FF AT Hard Disk
200-207 Game Control
278-27F Parallel Port (LPT2)
238-23B Bus Mouse
2E8-2EF Asynchronous Communications (COM4)
2F8-2FF Asynchronous Communications (COM2)
300-31F Prototype Card
320-32F XT Hard Disk
378-37F Parallel Port (LPT1)
380-38F SDLC Communications
3A0-3AF SDLC Communications
3B0-3BB MDA
3BC-3BF Alt. Parrallel Port
3C0-3CF EGA
3DO-3DF CGA
3E8-3EF Asynchronous Communications (COM3)
3F0-3F7 Floppy Disk
3F8-3FF Asynchronous Communications (COM1)
Figure 4-1: Standard Address Assignments for PC and PC/XT Computers

Manual Number: 00650-134-4Page 8
AOB8/12 & AOB16/12 Manual
The AOBx/12 base address bits A5 through A9 are set by DIP switch S1. The setup program
provided on diskette with your card includes an interactive base-address selection program. The
computer monitor presents a pictorial display of the DIP switch and, when you enter your desired
hex base address, the display changes to show proper switch settings for that address.
To understand how this works, consider the following. In order to select the base address, convert
the desired address to binary form. Then for each “1” of binary address set the corresponding
DIP switch to OFF, and for each “0” of binary address set the corresponding switch to ON.
Here’s an example showing how to program the base address to hex 300:
1. Convert hex 300 to binary
300 (hex) = 11 0000 0000 (binary)
2. Set the Address Selection DIP Switches
The AOB8/12 and AOB16/12 card occupy 16 and 32 bytes of I/O address space, respectively.
Address lines A5 through A9 are used to select the base address via DIP switches marked with the
same names.Address linesA0 - A4 are used to address registers at the digital-to-analog converters
and there are no DIP switches for these five lines.
Address 1 100000000
Switch A9 A8 A7 A6 A5 None
Setting OFF OFF ON ON ON None

Manual Number: 00650-134-4 Page 9
Chapter 5: Programming
Programming theAOB16/12 and AOB8/12 is very straightforward as there are only two operating
modes, three range-selection switches per channel, and one unique addition. The basic operation of
a Digital-to-Analog card is to write a 12-bit value to a Digital toAnalog Converter (DAC) preload
(outer) register where it is buffered and loaded by an update command to a DAC (inner) register.
Outputs of that register control a “ladder” network which produces the analog output. The output
voltage range is defined by settings of the range-selection switches for that channel.
In C: outport(BASE+(CH*2), Volts*4096/5+2048);
would output “Volts” volts to channel “ch”, assuming a bipolar 5V range. For other bipolar
ranges, substitute the positive Full-Scale-Volts in place of “5” in the equation. For unipolar
ranges, remove the “-2048” and use the appropriate FSV in place of the “5”;
Upon power-up, or hardware reset, the DAC registers are restricted to a save value and the card is
set in Simultaneous Update mode. Since the preload register is not cleared upon power-up, but left
at an undefined value, a known value must be written to the preload registers before using a “Clear
Restrict-Output-Voltage” command.
Simultaneous Update Mode is the power-up or default mode of operation for the DAC card. When
a value is written to a DAC address the output does not change until an output update is commanded
via a read to the BASE+8 address. (Alternatively, a read to BASE+10 will update the DAC regis-
ters and switch the board to Automatic Update Mode.) While in Simultaneous Update Mode, a
single read will load all DAC registers with the value waiting in the preload registers causing all
outputs to be updated and changed simultaneously.
Automatic Update Mode is the configuration which changes a DAC output immediately after the
high-byte of the new value is written to the DAC address. If the card is in Simultaneous Update
Mode a read to BASE+2 address will change the card back to Automatic Update Mode without
updating the outputs. Or, a read to BASE+10 will update all outputs simultaneously and then release
the card to the Automatic Update Mode.
Restrict-Output-Voltage is a unique addition to our DAC card which resets the DAC’s in a manner
similar to a hardware reset without changing the operating mode. This is done by sending a read to
Base Address +14. Since the preload registers are not cleared the previous outputs will be restored
from the preload register when a “Clear Restrict-Output-Voltage” command is issued by a write to
Base Address +15.

Manual Number: 00650-134-4Page 10
AOB8/12 & AOB16/12 Manual
TheAOB8/12 andAOB16/12 cards use 16 and 32 consecutive I/O addresses, respectively. The I/O
address map is as follows:
Address Write * Read
Base + 0 DAC 0 Low Byte Place card in Simultaneous Mode without updating outputs.
Base + 1 DAC 0 High Byte
Base + 2 DAC 1 Low Byte Release card from Simultaneous Mode without updating outputs
Base + 3 DAC 1 High Byte
Base + 4 DAC 2 Low Byte
Base + 5 DAC 2 High Byte
Base + 6 DAC 3 Low Byte
Base + 7 DAC 3 High Byte
Base + 8 DAC 4 Low Byte Update all outputs and place card in Simultaneous Mode
Base + 9 DAC 4 High Byte
Base + 10 DAC 5 Low Byte Update all outputs and release card from Simultaneous Mode
Base + 11 DAC 5 High Byte
Base + 12 DAC 6 Low Byte
Base + 13 DAC 6 High Byte
Base + 14 DAC 7 Low Byte Restrict-Output-Voltage (Limits outputs to 15% of full scale range)
Base + 15 DAC 7 High Byte Clear Restrict-Output-Voltage (Allows full operating output voltage)
Base + 16 DAC 8 Low Byte
Base + 17 DAC 8 High Byte
Base + 18 DAC 9 Low Byte
Base + 19 DAC 9 High Byte
Base + 20 DAC 10 Low Byte
Base + 21 DAC 10 High Byte
Base + 22 DAC 11 Low Byte
Base + 23 DAC 11 High Byte
Base + 24 DAC 12 Low Byte
Base + 25 DAC 12 High Byte
Base + 26 DAC 13 Low Byte
Base + 27 DAC 13 High Byte
Base + 28 DAC 14 Low Byte
Base + 29 DAC 14 High Byte
Base + 30 DAC 15 Low Byte
Base + 31 DAC 15 High Byte
* Although it is possible to write the low and high bytes separately as shown above, it is
much easier to write both bytes with a single OUT DX,AX instruction. In that case, only
even addresses are written.

Manual Number: 00650-134-4 Page 11
BIT D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1 D0
Low Byte B7 B6 B5 B4 B3 B2 B1 B0
High Byte xxxxB11B10B9B8