National Instruments NI 9401 User manual

NI-9401
2023-04-25

Contents
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Safety Guidelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Safety Voltages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Safety Guidelines for Hazardous Locations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Electromagnetic Compatibility Guidelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Preparing the Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Connecting the NI 9401. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
NI 9401 Signals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Connecting a Serial Peripheral Interface Device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Connecting Digital Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Overcurrent/Short-Circuit Protection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Where to Go Next. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Worldwide Support and Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
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Overview
This document explains how to connect to the NI 9401.
Note Before you begin, complete the soware and hardware installation
procedures in your chassis documentation.
Note The guidelines in this document are specific to the NI 9401. The
other components in the system might not meet the same safety ratings.
Refer to the documentation for each component in the system to
determine the safety and EMC ratings for the entire system.
© 2005–2015National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved. Refer to the
<National Instruments>\_Legal Information directory for information about NI
copyright, patents, trademarks, warranties, product warnings, and export
compliance.
Safety Guidelines
Operate the NI 9401 only as described in this document.
Caution Do not operate the NI 9401 in a manner not specified in this
document. Product misuse can result in a hazard. You can compromise the
safety protection built into the product if the product is damaged in any
way. If the product is damaged, return it to NI for repair.
© National Instruments 3
NI-9401

Safety Voltages
Connect only voltages that are within the following limits:
Maximum voltage[1]
Channel-to-COM ±30 V maximum on one channel at a time,
Measurement Category I
Isolation voltages
Channel-to-channel None
Channel-to-earth ground
Continuous 60 VDC, Measurement Category I
Withstand 1,000 Vrms, verified by a 5 s dielectric withstand
test
Measurement Category I is for measurements performed on circuits not directly
connected to the electrical distribution system referred to as MAINS voltage. MAINS
is a hazardous live electrical supply system that powers equipment. This category is
for measurements of voltages from specially protected secondary circuits. Such
voltage measurements include signal levels, special equipment, limited-energy
parts of equipment, circuits powered by regulated low-voltage sources, and
electronics.
Caution Do not connect the NI 9401 to signals or use for measurements
within Measurement Categories II, III, or IV.
Note Measurement Categories CAT I and CAT O are equivalent. These test
and measurement circuits are not intended for direct connection to the
MAINS building installations of Measurement Categories CAT II, CAT III, or
CAT IV.
1 The maximum voltage that can be applied or output between any channel and
COM without damaging the module or other devices.
Safety Guidelines for Hazardous Locations
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NI-9401

The NI 9401 is suitable for use in Class I, Division 2, Groups A, B, C, D, T4 hazardous
locations; Class I, Zone 2, AEx nA IIC T4 and Ex nA IIC T4 hazardous locations; and
nonhazardous locations only. Follow these guidelines if you are installing the
NI 9401 in a potentially explosive environment. Not following these guidelines may
result in serious injury or death.
Caution Do not disconnect I/O-side wires or connectors unless power
has been switched o or the area is known to be nonhazardous.
Caution Do not remove modules unless power has been switched o or
the area is known to be nonhazardous.
Caution Substitution of components may impair suitability for Class I,
Division 2.
Caution For Division 2 and Zone 2 applications, install the system in an
enclosure rated to at least IP54 as defined by IEC/EN 60079-15.
Caution For Division 2 and Zone 2 applications, connected signals must
be within the following limits.
Capacitance 0.2 µF max
Special Conditions for Hazardous Locations Use in Europe and
Internationally
The NI 9401 has been evaluated as Ex nA IIC T4 Gc equipment under DEMKO
Certificate No. 03 ATEX 0324020X and is IECEx UL 14.0089X certified. Each NI 9401 is
marked II 3G and is suitable for use in Zone 2 hazardous locations, in ambient
temperatures of -40 °C ≤ Ta ≤ 70 °C. If you are using the NI 9401 in Gas Group IIC
hazardous locations, you must use the device in an NI chassis that has been
evaluated as Ex nC IIC T4, Ex IIC T4, Ex nA IIC T4, or Ex nL IIC T4 equipment.
© National Instruments 5
NI-9401

Caution You must make sure that transient disturbances do not exceed
140% of the rated voltage.
Caution The system shall only be used in an area of not more than
Pollution Degree 2, as defined in IEC 60664-1.
Caution The system shall be mounted in an ATEX/IECEx-certified
enclosure with a minimum ingress protection rating of at least IP54 as
defined in IEC/EN 60079-15.
Caution The enclosure must have a door or cover accessible only by the
use of a tool.
Electromagnetic Compatibility Guidelines
This product was tested and complies with the regulatory requirements and limits
for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) stated in the product specifications. These
requirements and limits provide reasonable protection against harmful interference
when the product is operated in the intended operational electromagnetic
environment.
This product is intended for use in industrial locations. However, harmful
interference may occur in some installations, when the product is connected to a
peripheral device or test object, or if the product is used in residential or
commercial areas. To minimize interference with radio and television reception and
prevent unacceptable performance degradation, install and use this product in strict
accordance with the instructions in the product documentation.
Furthermore, any changes or modifications to the product not expressly approved
by National Instruments could void your authority to operate it under your local
regulatory rules.
Cable Requirements for EMC Compliance
Select and install cables for the NI 9401 in accordance with the following
requirements:
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■Install a clamp-on ferrite bead (782803-01) on the cable that you are
connecting to NI 9401.
■The clamp-on ferrite bead must be connected to the cable as close to the
module as possible. Placing the ferrite elsewhere on the cable noticeably
impairs its eectiveness.
Figure 1. Installing a Ferrite Bead
1 2
1. Installing a ferrite bead on a 25-pin DSUB cable.
2. Installing a ferrite bead on the cable of the terminal block.
Special Conditions for Marine Applications
Some products are Lloyd’s Register (LR) Type Approved for marine (shipboard)
applications. To verify Lloyd’s Register certification for a product, visit ni.com/
certification and search for the LR certificate, or look for the Lloyd’s Register mark
on the product.
Caution In order to meet the EMC requirements for marine applications,
install the product in a shielded enclosure with shielded and/or filtered
power and input/output ports. In addition, take precautions when
designing, selecting, and installing measurement probes and cables to
ensure that the desired EMC performance is attained.
Preparing the Environment
Ensure that the environment in which you are using the NI 9401 meets the following
specifications.
Operating temperature
(IEC 60068-2-1, IEC 60068-2-2)
-40 °C to 70 °C
Operating humidity (IEC 60068-2-78) 10% RH to 90% RH, noncondensing
© National Instruments 7
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Pollution Degree 2
Maximum altitude 2,000 m
Indoor use only.
Note Refer to the device datasheet on ni.com/manuals for complete
specifications.
Connecting the NI 9401
The NI 9401 provides connections for 8 digital input/output channels.
Figure 2. NI 9401 Pinout
COM
NC
COM
COM
NC
COM
COM
NC
COM
COM
NC
COM
COM
DIO0
NC
DIO1
DIO2
NC
DIO3
DIO4
NC
DIO5
DIO6
NC
DIO7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
NI 9401 Signals
Table 1. Signal Descriptions
Signal Description
COM Common reference connection to isolated
ground
DIO Digital input/output signal connection
NC No connection
Ports
The DIO channels are grouped in two ports, one containing channels 0, 1, 2, and 3,
and one containing channels 4, 5, 6, and 7. You can independently configure each
digital port in soware for input or output. Note that all four channels in the port
must share the same line direction.
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Connecting a Serial Peripheral Interface Device
You can connect a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) device to the NI 9401.
Figure 3. Connecting an SPI Device to the NI 9401
NI 9401
DIO3:0
Configured
for Output
DIO7:4
Configured
for Input
SPI Device
SCLK
MOSI
MISO
SS DIO0
DIO1
DIO2
DIO4
Connecting Digital Devices
You can connect several types of digital devices to the NI 9401.
Figure 4. Connecting Digital Devices to the NI 9401
+5 V
+5 V DIO1
COM
DIO7
NI 9401LED
Switch
DIO0
TTL Signal DIO3:0
Configured
for Input
DIO7:4
Configured
for Output
Overcurrent/Short-Circuit Protection
The overcurrent protection allows only a specified amount of current through the
output channels to protect the NI 9401 from short circuits. If the NI 9401 goes into an
overcurrent state, the module sets all the DIO channels to high impedance for
approximately 280 ms.
When the channels are in an overcurrent state, the NI 9401 can accept new line
direction configuration and output state data but cannot pass valid input data to the
soware.
Where to Go Next
© National Instruments 9
NI-9401

Located at ni.com/manuals Installs with the software
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Worldwide Support and Services
The NI website is your complete resource for technical support. At ni.com/support,
you have access to everything from troubleshooting and application development
self-help resources to email and phone assistance from NI Application Engineers.
Visit ni.com/services for NI Factory Installation Services, repairs, extended warranty,
and other services.
Visit ni.com/register to register your NI product. Product registration facilitates
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NI.
A Declaration of Conformity (DoC) is our claim of compliance with the Council of the
European Communities using the manufacturer’s declaration of conformity. This
system aords the user protection for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and
product safety. You can obtain the DoC for your product by visiting ni.com/
certification. If your product supports calibration, you can obtain the calibration
certificate for your product at ni.com/calibration.
NI corporate headquarters is located at 11500 North Mopac Expressway, Austin,
Texas, 78759-3504. NI also has oices located around the world. For telephone
support in the United States, create your service request at ni.com/support or dial
1 866 ASK MYNI (275 6964). For telephone support outside the United States, visit
the Worldwide Oices section of ni.com/niglobal to access the branch oice
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NI-9401

websites, which provide up-to-date contact information, support phone numbers,
email addresses, and current events.
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NI-9401
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