National Instruments DAQ PCI E Series User manual

PCI E Series
User Manual
Multifunction I/O Boards for
PCI Bus Computers
January 1999 Edition
Part Number 320945D-01
© Copyright 1995, 1999 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.

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Important Information
Warranty
The PCI E Series boards are warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the
date of shipment, as evidenced by receipts or other documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or
replace equipment that proves to be defective during the warranty period. This warranty includes parts and labor.
The media on which you receive National Instruments software are warranted not to fail to execute programming
instructions, due to defects in materials and workmanship, for a period of 90 days from date of shipment, as evidenced
by receipts or other documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace software media that do
not execute programming instructions if National Instruments receives notice of such defects during the warranty
period. National Instruments does not warrant that the operation of the software shall be uninterrupted or error free.
A Return Material Authorization (RMA) number must be obtained from the factory and clearly marked on the outside
of the package before any equipment will be accepted for warranty work. National Instruments will pay the shipping
costs of returning to the owner parts which are covered by warranty.
National Instruments believes that the information in this document is accurate. The document has been carefully
reviewed for technical accuracy. In the event thattechnical or typographical errors exist,National Instruments reserves
the right to make changes to subsequent editions of this document without prior notice to holders of this edition. The
reader should consult National Instruments if errors are suspected. In no event shall National Instruments be liable for
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ComponentWorks™, CVI™, DAQ-STC™, LabVIEW™, NI-DAQ™, Measure™, MITE™, NI-PGIA™, RTSI™,
SCXI™, and VirtualBench™ are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation.
Product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.
WARNING REGARDING MEDICAL AND CLINICAL USE OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS
National Instruments products are not designed with components and testing intended to ensure a level of reliability
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part of the user or application designer. Any use or application of National Instruments products for or involving
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or death should always continue to be used when National Instruments products are being used. National Instruments
products are NOT intended to be a substitute for any form of established process, procedure, or equipment used to
monitor or safeguard human health and safety in medical or clinical treatment.

© National Instruments Corporation v PCI E Series User Manual
Table of
Contents
About This Manual
Organization of This Manual........................................................................................xi
Conventions Used in This Manual................................................................................xii
National Instruments Documentation...........................................................................xiii
Related Documentation.................................................................................................xiv
Customer Communication............................................................................................xv
Chapter 1
Introduction
About the PCI E Series.................................................................................................1-1
What You Need to Get Started .....................................................................................1-2
Software Programming Choices...................................................................................1-2
National Instruments Application Software...................................................1-3
NI-DAQ Driver Software...............................................................................1-3
Register-Level Programming .........................................................................1-5
Optional Equipment......................................................................................................1-5
Custom Cabling ............................................................................................................1-6
Unpacking.....................................................................................................................1-7
Chapter 2
Installation and Configuration
Software Installation.....................................................................................................2-1
Hardware Installation....................................................................................................2-1
Board Configuration .....................................................................................................2-2
Chapter 3
Hardware Overview
Analog Input .................................................................................................................3-4
Input Mode .....................................................................................................3-4
Input Polarity and Input Range.......................................................................3-5
Considerations for Selecting Input Ranges......................................3-8
Dither..............................................................................................................3-9
Multichannel Scanning Considerations..........................................................3-10

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PCI E Series User Manual vi
© National Instruments Corporation
Analog Output .............................................................................................................. 3-12
Analog Output Reference Selection............................................................... 3-12
Analog Output Polarity Selection.................................................................. 3-12
Analog Output Reglitch Selection ................................................................. 3-13
Analog Trigger ............................................................................................................. 3-14
Digital I/O.....................................................................................................................3-17
Timing Signal Routing................................................................................................. 3-17
Programmable Function Inputs...................................................................... 3-19
Board and RTSI Clocks ................................................................................. 3-19
RTSI Triggers ................................................................................................ 3-19
Chapter 4
Signal Connections
I/O Connector............................................................................................................... 4-1
I/O Connector Signal Descriptions................................................................ 4-4
Analog Input Signal Connections................................................................................. 4-12
Types of Signal Sources............................................................................................... 4-14
Floating Signal Sources ................................................................................. 4-14
Ground-Referenced Signal Sources............................................................... 4-14
Input Configurations..................................................................................................... 4-14
Differential Connection Considerations (DIFF Input Configuration) ........... 4-16
Differential Connections for Ground-Referenced
Signal Sources .............................................................................. 4-17
Differential Connections for Nonreferenced or Floating
Signal Sources .............................................................................. 4-18
Single-Ended Connection Considerations ..................................................... 4-20
Single-Ended Connections for Floating Signal Sources
(RSE Configuration)..................................................................... 4-21
Single-Ended Connections for Grounded Signal Sources
(NRSE Configuration).................................................................. 4-21
Common-Mode Signal Rejection Considerations.......................................... 4-22
Analog Output Signal Connections.............................................................................. 4-23
Digital I/O Signal Connections .................................................................................... 4-24
Power Connections....................................................................................................... 4-26
Timing Connections ..................................................................................................... 4-26
Programmable Function Input Connections .................................................. 4-27
DAQ Timing Connections............................................................................. 4-28
SCANCLK Signal ........................................................................... 4-29
EXTSTROBE* Signal..................................................................... 4-29
TRIG1 Signal................................................................................... 4-30
TRIG2 Signal................................................................................... 4-31
STARTSCAN Signal....................................................................... 4-33

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© National Instruments Corporation vii PCI E Series User Manual
CONVERT* Signal..........................................................................4-34
AIGATE Signal................................................................................4-36
SISOURCE Signal...........................................................................4-36
Waveform Generation Timing Connections ..................................................4-37
WFTRIG Signal...............................................................................4-37
UPDATE* Signal.............................................................................4-38
UISOURCE Signal ..........................................................................4-39
General-Purpose Timing Signal Connections................................................4-40
GPCTR0_SOURCE Signal..............................................................4-40
GPCTR0_GATE Signal...................................................................4-41
GPCTR0_OUT Signal .....................................................................4-42
GPCTR0_UP_DOWN Signal..........................................................4-42
GPCTR1_SOURCE Signal..............................................................4-43
GPCTR1_GATE Signal...................................................................4-43
GPCTR1_OUT Signal .....................................................................4-44
GPCTR1_UP_DOWN Signal..........................................................4-45
FREQ_OUT Signal..........................................................................4-46
Field Wiring Considerations.........................................................................................4-46
Chapter 5
Calibration
Loading Calibration Constants .....................................................................................5-1
Self-Calibration.............................................................................................................5-2
External Calibration......................................................................................................5-2
Other Considerations ....................................................................................................5-3
Appendix A
Specifications
Appendix B
Optional Cable Connector Descriptions
Appendix C
Common Questions
Appendix D
Customer Communication

Table of Contents
PCI E Series User Manual viii
© National Instruments Corporation
Glossary
Index
Figures
Figure 1-1. The Relationship between the Programming Environment,
NI-DAQ, and Your Hardware............................................................... 1-4
Figure 3-1. PCI-MIO-16E-1, PCI-MIO-16E-4 and PCI-6071E Block Diagram..... 3-1
Figure 3-2. PCI-MIO-16XE-10 and PCI-6031E Block Diagram ............................ 3-2
Figure 3-3. PCI-6032E and PCI-6033E Block Diagram.......................................... 3-3
Figure 3-4. PCI-MIO-16XE-50 Block Diagram...................................................... 3-4
Figure 3-5. Dither..................................................................................................... 3-10
Figure 3-6. Analog Trigger Block Diagram............................................................. 3-14
Figure 3-7. Below-Low-Level Analog Triggering Mode ........................................ 3-15
Figure 3-8. Above-High-Level Analog Triggering Mode ....................................... 3-15
Figure 3-9. Inside-Region Analog Triggering Mode............................................... 3-16
Figure 3-10. High-Hysteresis Analog Triggering Mode............................................ 3-16
Figure 3-11. Low-Hysteresis Analog Triggering Mode ............................................ 3-17
Figure 3-12. CONVERT* Signal Routing................................................................. 3-18
Figure 3-13. RTSI Bus Signal Connection ................................................................ 3-20
Figure 4-1. I/O Connector Pin Assignment for the PCI-MIO-16E-1,
PCI-MIO-16E-4, PCI-MIO-16XE-50, PCI-MIO-16XE-10,
and PCI-6032E ...................................................................................... 4-2
Figure 4-2. I/O Connector Pin assignment for the PCI-6071E, 6031E,
and 6033E.............................................................................................. 4-3
Figure 4-3. PCI E Series PGIA ................................................................................ 4-13
Figure 4-4. Summary of Analog Input Connections................................................ 4-15
Figure 4-5. Differential Input Connections for Ground-Referenced Signals........... 4-17
Figure 4-6. Differential Input Connections for Nonreferenced Signals................... 4-18
Figure 4-7. Single-Ended Input Connections for Nonreferenced
or Floating Signals................................................................................. 4-21
Figure 4-8. Single-Ended Input Connections for Ground-Referenced Signals........ 4-22
Figure 4-9. Analog Output Connections.................................................................. 4-24
Figure 4-10. Digital I/O Connections......................................................................... 4-25
Figure 4-11. Timing I/O Connections........................................................................ 4-27
Figure 4-12. Typical Posttriggered Acquisition......................................................... 4-28
Figure 4-13. Typical Pretriggered Acquisition .......................................................... 4-29
Figure 4-14. SCANCLK Signal Timing .................................................................... 4-29
Figure 4-15. EXTSTROBE* Signal Timing.............................................................. 4-30
Figure 4-16. TRIG1 Input Signal Timing .................................................................. 4-31
Figure 4-17. TRIG1 Output Signal Timing................................................................ 4-31

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© National Instruments Corporation ix PCI E Series User Manual
Figure 4-18. TRIG2 Input Signal Timing...................................................................4-32
Figure 4-19. TRIG2 Output Signal Timing................................................................4-32
Figure 4-20. STARTSCAN Input Signal Timing.......................................................4-33
Figure 4-21. STARTSCAN Output Signal Timing....................................................4-34
Figure 4-22. CONVERT* Input Signal Timing.........................................................4-35
Figure 4-23. CONVERT* Output Signal Timing ......................................................4-35
Figure 4-24. SISOURCE Signal Timing....................................................................4-37
Figure 4-25. WFTRIG Input Signal Timing...............................................................4-38
Figure 4-26. WFTRIG Output Signal Timing............................................................4-38
Figure 4-27. UPDATE* Input Signal Timing............................................................4-39
Figure 4-28. UPDATE* Output Signal Timing..........................................................4-39
Figure 4-29. UISOURCE Signal Timing ...................................................................4-40
Figure 4-30. GPCTR0_SOURCE Signal Timing.......................................................4-41
Figure 4-31. GPCTR0_GATE Signal Timing in Edge-Detection Mode ...................4-42
Figure 4-32. GPCTR0_OUT Signal Timing ..............................................................4-42
Figure 4-33. GPCTR1_SOURCE Signal Timing.......................................................4-43
Figure 4-34. GPCTR1_GATE Signal Timing in Edge-Detection Mode ...................4-44
Figure 4-35. GPCTR1_OUT Signal Timing ..............................................................4-44
Figure 4-36. GPCTR Timing Summary.....................................................................4-45
Figure B-1. 68-Pin E Series Connector Pin Assignments.........................................B-2
Figure B-2. 68-Pin Extended Analog Input Connector Pin Assignments.................B-3
Figure B-3. 50-Pin E Series Connector Pin Assignments........................................B-4
Figure B-4. 50-Pin Extended Analog Input Connector Pin Assignments.................B-5
Tables
Table 3-1. Available Input Configurations for the PCI E Series ............................3-5
Table 3-2. Actual Range and Measurement Precision, PCI-MIO-16E-1,
PCI-MIO-16E-4, and PCI-6071E..........................................................3-6
Table 3-3. Actual Range and Measurement Precision, PCI-MIO-16XE-10,
PCI-MIO-16XE-50, PCI-6031E, PCI-6032E, and PCI-6033E .............3-8
Table 4-1. I/O Signal Summary, PCI-MIO-16E-1, PCI-MIO-16E-4,
and PCI-6071E.......................................................................................4-7
Table 4-2. I/O Signal Summary, PCI-MIO-16XE-10, PCI-6031E,
PCI-6032E, and PCI-6033E...................................................................4-8
Table 4-3. I/O Signal Summary, PCI-MIO-16XE-50.............................................4-10

© National Instruments Corporation xi PCI E Series User Manual
About
This
Manual
This manual describes the electrical and mechanical aspects of each
board in the PCI E Series product line and contains information
concerning their operation and programming. Unless otherwise noted,
text applies to all boards in the PCI E Series.
The PCI E Series includes the following boards:
• PCI-MIO-16E-1
• PCI-MIO-16E-4
• PCI-MIO-16XE-10
• PCI-MIO-16XE-50
• PCI-6031E (MIO-64XE-10)
• PCI-6032E (AI-16XE-10)
• PCI-6033E (AI-64XE-10)
• PCI-6071E (MIO-64E-1)
The PCI E Series boards are high-performance multifunction analog,
digital, and timing I/O boards for PCI bus computers. Supported
functions include analog input, analog output, digital I/O, and
timing I/O.
Organization of This Manual
The PCI E Series User Manual is organized as follows:
• Chapter 1, Introduction, describes the PCI E Series boards, lists
what you need to get started, describes the optional software and
optional equipment, and explains how to unpack your PCI E Series
board.
• Chapter 2, Installation and Configuration, explains how to install
and configure your PCI E Series board.
• Chapter 3, Hardware Overview, presents an overview of the
hardware functions on your PCI E Series board.

About This Manual
PCI E Series User Manual xii
© National Instruments Corporation
• Chapter 4, Signal Connections, describes how to make input and
output signal connections to your PCI E Series board via the board
I/O connector.
• Chapter 5, Calibration, discusses the calibration procedures for
your PCI E Series board.
• Appendix A, Specifications, lists the specifications of each PCI E
Series board.
• Appendix B, Optional Cable Connector Descriptions, describes
the connectors on the optional cables for the PCI E Series boards.
• Appendix C, Common Questions, contains a list of commonly
asked questions and their answers relating to usage and special
features of your PCI E Series board.
• Appendix D, Customer Communication, contains forms you can
use to request help from National Instruments or to comment on
our products.
•The
Glossary contains an alphabetical list and description of terms
used in this manual, including acronyms, abbreviations, definitions
metric prefixes, mnemonics, and symbols.
•The
Index alphabetically lists topics covered in this manual,
including the page where you can find the topic.
Conventions Used in This Manual
The following conventions are used in this manual.
<> Angle brackets enclose the name of a key on the keyboard (for example,
<option>). Angle brackets containing numbers separated by an ellipsis
represent a range of values associated with a bit or signal name (for
example, DIO<3..0>).
♦The ♦symbol indicates that the text following it applies only tospecific
PCI E Series boards.
This icon to the left of bold italicized text denotes a note, which alerts
you to important information.
This icon to the left of bold italicized text denotes a caution, which
advises you of precautions to take to avoid injury, data loss, or a
system crash.
This icon to the left of bold italicized text denotes a warning, which
advises you of precautions to take to avoid being electrically shocked.
!

About This Manual
© National Instruments Corporation xiii PCI E Series User Manual
bold Bold text denotes the names of menus, menu items, parameters, dialog
boxes, dialog boxbuttons or options, icons, windows, Windows 95tabs,
or LEDs.
bold italic Bold italic text denotes a note, caution, or warning.
italic Italic text denotes emphasis, a cross reference, or an introduction to a
key concept. This font also denotes text from which you supply the
appropriate word or value, as in Windows 3.x.
Macintosh Macintosh refers to all Macintosh computers with PCI bus, unless
otherwise noted.
monospace Text in this font denotes text or characters that should literally enter
from the keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and
syntax examples. This font is also used for the proper names of disk
drives, paths, directories, programs, subprograms, subroutines, device
names, functions, operations, variables, file names and extensions, and
for statements and comments taken from programs.
NI-DAQ NI-DAQ refers to the NI-DAQ driver software for Macintosh or
PC compatible computers unless otherwise noted.
PC Refers to all PC AT series computers with PCI bus unless otherwise
noted.
SCXI SCXI stands for Signal Conditioning eXtensions for Instrumentation
and is a National Instruments product line designed to perform
front-end signal conditioning for National Instruments plug-in DAQ
boards.
The Glossary lists abbreviations, acronyms, metric prefixes,
mnemonics, symbols, and terms.
National Instruments Documentation
The PCI E Series User Manual is one piece of the documentation set for
your DAQ system. You could have any of several types of manuals
depending on the hardware and software in your system. Use the
manuals you have as follows:
•Getting Started with SCXI—If you are using SCXI, this is the first
manual you should read. It gives an overview of the SCXI system
and contains the most commonly needed information for the
modules, chassis, and software.
• Your SCXI hardware user manuals—If you are using SCXI, read
these manuals next for detailed information about signal

About This Manual
PCI E Series User Manual xiv
© National Instruments Corporation
connections and module configuration. They also explain ingreater
detail how the module works and contain application hints.
• Your DAQ hardware documentation—This documentation has
detailed information about the DAQ hardware that plugs into or is
connected to your computer. Use this documentation for hardware
installation and configuration instructions, specification
information about your DAQ hardware, and application hints.
• Softwaredocumentation—Youmayhave both application software
and NI-DAQ software documentation. National Instruments
application software includes ComponentWorks, LabVIEW,
LabWindows®/CVI, Measure, and VirtualBench. After you set up
your hardware system, use either your application software
documentation or the NI-DAQ documentation to help you write
your application. If you have a large, complicated system, it is
worthwhile to look through the software documentation before you
configure your hardware.
• Accessory installation guides or manuals—If you are using
accessory products, read the terminal block and cable assembly
installation guides. They explain how to physically connect the
relevant pieces of the system. Consult these guides when you are
making your connections.
•SCXI Chassis Manual—If you are using SCXI, read this manual for
maintenance information on the chassis and installation
instructions.
Related Documentation
The following documents contain information you may find helpful:
• DAQ-STC Technical Reference Manual
• National Instruments Application Note 025, Field Wiring and Noise
Considerations for Analog Signals
• PCI Local Bus Specification Revision 2.0
The following National Instruments manual contains detailed
information for the register-level programmer:
• PCI E Series Register-Level Programmer Manual
This manual is available from National Instruments by request.
You should not need the register-level programmer manual if you
are using National Instruments driver or application software.
Using NI-DAQ, ComponentWorks, LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI,

About This Manual
© National Instruments Corporation xv PCI E Series User Manual
Measure, or VirtualBench software is easier than the low-level
programming described in the register-level programmer manual.
Customer Communication
National Instruments wants to receive your comments on our products
and manuals. We are interested in the applications you develop with our
products, and we want to help if you have problems with them. To make
it easy for you to contact us, this manual contains comment and
configuration forms for you to complete. These forms are in
Appendix D, Customer Communication, at the end of this manual.

© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 PCI E Series User Manual
Chapter
1
Introduction
This chapter describes the PCI E Series boards, lists what you need to
get started, describes the optional software and optional equipment, and
explains how to unpack your PCI E Series board.
About the PCI E Series
Thank you for buying a National Instruments PCI E Series board. The
PCI E Series boards are completely Plug and Play, multifunction
analog, digital, and timing I/O boards for PCI bus computers. This
family of boards features 12-bit and 16-bit ADCs with 16and 64 analog
inputs, 12-bit and 16-bit DACs with voltage outputs, eight lines of
TTL-compatible digital I/O, and two 24-bit counter/timers for timing
I/O. Because the PCI E Series boards have no DIP switches, jumpers,
or potentiometers, they are easily software-configured and calibrated.
The PCI E Series boards are completely switchless and jumperless data
acquisition (DAQ) boards for the PCI bus. This feature is made possible
by the National Instruments MITE bus interface chip that connects the
board to the PCI I/O bus. The MITE implements the PCI Local Bus
Specification so that the interrupts and base memory addresses are all
software configured.
The PCI E Series boards use the National Instruments DAQ-STC
system timing controller for time-related functions. The DAQ-STC
consists of three timing groups that control analog input, analog output,
and general-purpose counter/timer functions. These groups include a
total of seven 24-bit and three 16-bit counters and a maximum timing
resolution of 50 ns. The DAQ-STC makes possible such applications as
buffered pulse generation, equivalent time sampling, and seamlessly
changing the sampling rate.
Often with DAQ boards, you cannot easily synchronize several
measurement functions to a common trigger or timing event. The PCI E
Series boards have the Real-Time System Integration (RTSI) bus to
solve this problem. The RTSI bus consists of our RTSI bus interface and

Chapter 1 Introduction
PCI E Series User Manual 1-2
© National Instruments Corporation
a ribbon cable to route timing and trigger signals between several
functions on as many as five DAQ boards in your computer.
The PCI E Series boards can interface to an SCXI system so that you
can acquire over 3,000 analog signals from thermocouples, RTDs,
strain gauges, voltage sources, and current sources. You can also
acquire or generate digital signals for communication and control.
SCXI is the instrumentation front end for plug-in DAQ boards.
Detailed specifications of the PCI E Series boards are in Appendix A,
Specifications.
What You Need to Get Started
To set up and use your PCI E Series board, you will need the following:
❑One of the following boards:
PCI-MIO-16E-1 PCI-6031E
PCI-MIO-16E-4 PCI-6032E
PCI-MIO-16XE-10 PCI-6033E
PCI-MIO-16XE-50 PCI-6071E
❑PCI E Series User Manual
❑One of the following software packages and documentation:
ComponentWorks
LabVIEW for Macintosh
LabVIEW for Windows
LabWindows/CVI for Windows
Measure
NI-DAQ for Macintosh
NI-DAQ for PC Compatibles
VirtualBench
❑Your computer
Software Programming Choices
You have several options to choose from when programming your
National Instruments DAQ and SCXI hardware. You can use National
Instruments application software, NI-DAQ, or register-level
programming.

Chapter 1 Introduction
© National Instruments Corporation 1-3 PCI E Series User Manual
National Instruments Application Software
ComponentWorks contains tools for data acquisition and instrument
control built on NI-DAQ driver software. ComponentWorks provides
a higher-level programming interface for building virtual instruments
through standard OLE controls and DLLs. With ComponentWorks, you
can use all of the configuration tools, resource management utilities,
and interactive control utilities included with NI-DAQ.
LabVIEW features interactive graphics, a state-of-the-art user
interface, and a powerful graphical programming language. The
LabVIEW Data Acquisition VI Library, a series of VIs for using
LabVIEW with National Instruments DAQ hardware, is included with
LabVIEW. The LabVIEW Data Acquisition VI Library is functionally
equivalent to NI-DAQ software.
LabWindows/CVI features interactive graphics, state-of-the-art user
interface, and uses the ANSI standard C programming language. The
LabWindows/CVI Data Acquisition Library, a series of functions for
using LabWindows/CVI with National Instruments DAQ hardware, is
included with the NI-DAQ software kit. The LabWindows/CVI Data
Acquisition Library is functionally equivalent to the NI-DAQ software.
VirtualBench features virtual instruments that combine DAQ products,
software, and your computer to create a stand-alone instrument with the
added benefit of the processing, display, and storage capabilities of
your computer. VirtualBench instruments load and save waveform data
to disk in the same forms that can be used in popular spreadsheet
programs and word processors.
Using ComponentWorks, LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, or
VirtualBench software will greatly reduce the development time
for your data acquisition and control application.
NI-DAQ Driver Software
The NI-DAQ driver software is included at no charge with all National
Instruments DAQ hardware. NI-DAQ is not packaged with SCXI or
accessory products, except for the SCXI-1200. NI-DAQ has an
extensive library of functions that you can call from your application
programming environment. These functions include routines for analog
input (A/D conversion), buffered data acquisition (high-speed A/D
conversion), analog output (D/A conversion), waveform generation
(timed D/A conversion), digital I/O, counter/timer operations, SCXI,

Chapter 1 Introduction
PCI E Series User Manual 1-4
© National Instruments Corporation
RTSI, self-calibration, messaging, and acquiring data to extended
memory.
NI-DAQ has both high-level DAQ I/O functions for maximum ease of
use and low-level DAQ I/O functions for maximum flexibility and
performance. Examples of high-level functions are streaming data to
disk or acquiring a certain number of data points. An example of a
low-level function is writing directly to registers on the DAQ device.
NI-DAQ does not sacrifice the performance of National Instruments
DAQ devices because it lets multiple devices operate at their peak.
NI-DAQ also internally addresses many of the complex issues between
the computer and the DAQ hardware such as programming interrupts
and DMA controllers. NI-DAQ maintains a consistent software
interface among its different versions so that you can change platforms
with minimal modifications to your code. Whether you are using
conventional programming languages or National Instruments
application software, your application uses the NI-DAQ driver
software, as illustrated in Figure 1-1.
Figure 1-1. The Relationship between the Programming Environment,
NI-DAQ, and Your Hardware
ComponentWorks,
LabVIEW,
LabWindows/CVI, or
VirtualBench
Conventional
Programming Environment
NI-DAQ
Driver Software
DAQ or
SCXI Hardware
Personal
Computer or
Workstation

Chapter 1 Introduction
© National Instruments Corporation 1-5 PCI E Series User Manual
Register-Level Programming
The final option for programming any National Instruments DAQ
hardware is to write register-level software. Writing register-level
programming software can be very time-consuming and inefficient, and
is not recommended for most users.
Even if you are an experienced register-level programmer, using
NI-DAQ or application software to program your National Instruments
DAQ hardware is easier than, and as flexible as, register-level
programming, and can save weeks of development time.
Optional Equipment
National Instruments offers a variety of products to use with your PCI E
Series board, including cables, connector blocks, and other accessories,
as follows:
• Cables and cable assemblies, shielded and ribbon
• Connector blocks, shielded and unshielded 50 and 68-pin screw
terminals
• Real Time System Integration (RTSI) bus cables
• SCXI modules and accessories for isolating, amplifying, exciting,
and multiplexing signals for relays and analog output. With SCXI
you can condition and acquire up to 3,072 channels.
• Low channel count signal conditioning modules, boards, and
accessories, including conditioning for strain gauges and RTDs,
simultaneous sample and hold, and relays
For more specific information about these products, refer to your
National Instruments catalogue or call the office nearest you.

Chapter 1 Introduction
PCI E Series User Manual 1-6
© National Instruments Corporation
Custom Cabling
National Instruments offers cables and accessories for you to prototype
your application or to use if you frequently change board
interconnections.
If you want to develop your own cable, however, the following
guidelines may be useful:
• For the analog input signals, shielded twisted-pair wires for each
analog input pair yield the best results, assuming that you use
differential inputs. Tie the shield for each signal pair to the ground
reference at the source.
• You should route the analog lines separately from the digital lines.
• When using a cable shield, use separate shields for the analog and
digital halves of the cable. Failure to do so results in noise coupling
into the analog signals from transient digital signals.
The following list gives recommended part numbers for connectors that
mate to the I/O connector on your PCI E Series board.
Mating connectors and a backshell kit for making custom 68-pin cables
are available from National Instruments (part number 776832-01)
♦PCI-MIO-16E-1, PCI-MIO-16E-4, PCI-MIO-16XE-10, PCI-6032E, and
the PCI-MIO-16XE-50
Honda 68-position, solder cup, female connector (part number
PCS-E68FS)
Honda backshell (part number PCS-E68LKPA)
♦PCI-6031E, PCI-6033E, and the PCI-6071E
AMP 100-position IDC male connector (part number 1-750913-9)
AMP backshell, 0.50 max O.D. cable (part number 749081-1)
AMP backshell, 0.55 max O.D. cable, (part number 749854-1)