National Instruments NI 9215 Manual

CALIBRATION PROCEDURE
NI 9215
This document contains the verification and adjustment procedures for the National
Instruments 9215. In this document, the NI 9215 with screw terminal and the NI 9215 with BNC
are referred to inclusively as the NI 9215. For more information about calibration solutions, visit
ni.com/calibration.
Contents
Software Requirements............................................................................................................. 1
Documentation Requirements .................................................................................................. 2
Test Equipment......................................................................................................................... 3
Test Conditions......................................................................................................................... 3
Initial Setup............................................................................................................................... 3
Verification ............................................................................................................................... 4
Accuracy Verification....................................................................................................... 4
Adjustment................................................................................................................................ 6
Accuracy Adjustment ....................................................................................................... 6
EEPROM Update ..................................................................................................................... 7
Re-Verification ......................................................................................................................... 7
Accuracy Under Calibration Conditions .................................................................................. 7
Where to Go for Support .......................................................................................................... 8
Software
Calibrating the NI 9215 requires the installation of NI-DAQmx 9.2 or later on the calibration
system. You can download NI-DAQmx from ni.com/downloads. NI-DAQmx supports
LabVIEW, LabWindows™/CVI™, C/C++, C#, and Visual Basic .NET. When you install
NI-DAQmx, you only need to install support for the application software that you intend to use.

2|ni.com |NI 9215 Calibration Procedure
Documentation
Consult the following documents for information about the NI 9215, NI-DAQmx, and your
application software. All documents are available on ni.com and help files install with the
software.
NI cDAQ-9174/9178 Quick Start
NI-DAQmx installation and hardware setup
NI 9215 Operating Instructions and Specifications
NI 9215 specific information, specifications, and calibration interval
NI-DAQmx Readme
Operating system and application software support in NI-DAQmx
LabVIEW Help
LabVIEW programming concepts and reference information about NI-DAQmx VIs and
functions
NI-DAQmx C Reference Help
Reference information for NI-DAQmx C functions and NI-DAQmx C properties
NI-DAQmx .NET Help Support for Visual Studio
Reference information for NI-DAQmx .NET methods and NI-DAQmx .NET properties, key
concepts, and a C enum to .NET enum mapping table

NI 9215 Calibration Procedure |© National Instruments |3
Test Equipment
Table 1 lists the equipment required for the performance verification and adjustment procedures.
If the recommended equipment is not available, select a substitute using the requirements listed
in Table 1.
Test Conditions
The following setup and environmental conditions are required to ensure the NI 9215 meets
published specifications.
• Keep connections to the NI 9215 as short as possible. Long cables and wires act as
antennae, picking up extra noise that can affect measurements.
• Verify that all connections to the NI 9215 are secure.
• Use shielded copper wire for all cable connections to the NI 9215. Use twisted-pairs wire
to eliminate noise and thermal offsets.
• Maintain an ambient temperature of 23 °C ±5 °C. The NI 9215 temperature will be greater
than the ambient temperature.
• Keep relative humidity below 80%.
• Allow a warm-up time of at least 10 minutes to ensure that the NI 9215 measurement
circuitry is at a stable operating temperature.
Initial Setup
Complete the following steps to set up the NI 9215.
1. Install NI-DAQmx.
2. Make sure the NI cDAQ-9178 power source is not connected.
3. Install the module in slot 8 of the NI cDAQ-9178 chassis. Leave slots 1 through 7 of the
NI cDAQ-9178 chassis empty.
4. Connect the NI cDAQ-9178 chassis to your host computer.
5. Connect the power source to the NI cDAQ-9178 chassis.
Table 1. Recommended Equipment
Equipment
Recommended
Model Requirements
Calibrator Fluke 5700A Use a high-precision voltage source with an
accuracy ≤15 ppm and an output impedance of
≤50 Ω.
Chassis NI cDAQ-9178 —
Screw-Terminal
Connection
Accessory
NI 9932 —

4|ni.com |NI 9215 Calibration Procedure
6. Launch Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX).
7. Right-click the device name and select Self-Test to ensure that the module is working
properly.
Verification
The following performance verification procedure describes the sequence of operation and test
points required to verify the NI 9215 and assumes that adequate traceable uncertainties are
available for the calibration references.
Accuracy Verification
Complete the following procedure to determine the As-Found status of the NI 9215.
1. Set the calibrator to Standby mode (STBY).
2. Connect the NI 9215 to the calibrator. Refer to Figure 1 for a connection diagram for the
NI 9215 with screw and refer to Figure 2 for a connection diagram for the NI 9215 with
BNC.
Figure 1. Accuracy Connections for the NI 9215 with Screw Terminal
1 Connections when using a calibrator with a guard connection.
2 Connections when using a calibrator with no guard connection.
NI 9215 with
screw terminal
Calibrator
HI
LO AI0
–
+
AI1
–
+
AI2
–
+
AI3
–
+
COM
NI 9215 with
screw terminal
Calibrator
HI
LO
Guard
AI0
–
+
AI1
–
+
AI2
–
+
AI3
–
+
COM
1 2

NI 9215 Calibration Procedure |© National Instruments |5
Figure 2. Accuracy Connections for the NI 9215 with BNC
Note If the calibrator outputs are truly floating, connect the negative output to a
quiet earth ground as well as COM to give the entire system a ground reference.
3. Set the calibrator to Operate mode (OPR).
4. Set the calibrator voltage to a Test Point value indicated in Table 4.
5. Acquire and average samples.
a. Create and configure an AI voltage channel according to Table 2.
b. Configure the AI voltage channel timing according to Table 3.
c. Start the task.
d. Read samples from the NI 9215.
e. Average the samples for each channel.
f. Clear the task.
1 Connections when using a calibrator with a guard connection.
2 Connections when using a calibrator with no guard connection.
Table 2. NI 9215 AI Voltage Channel Configuration
Input Range
Scaled Units Terminal ConfigurationMin Max
-10 10 Vo l t s Differential
Table 3. NI 9215 Timing Configuration
Samples Per Channel Acquisition Mode Rate (S/s)
10 k Finite 100 k
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
NI 9215
with BNC
Calibrator
HI
LO AI0
AI1
AI2
AI3
+
–
+
–
+
–
+
–
NI 9215
with BNC
Calibrator
HI
LO
Guard
AI0
AI1
AI2
AI3
1 2

6|ni.com |NI 9215 Calibration Procedure
6. Compare the average sample for each channel to the test limits in Table 4.
7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 for each Test Point in Table 4.
8. Set the calibrator to Standby mode (STBY).
9. Disconnect the NI 9215 from the calibrator.
Adjustment
The following performance adjustment procedure describes the sequence of operation required
to adjust the NI 9215.
Accuracy Adjustment
Complete the following procedure to adjust the accuracy performance of the NI 9215.
1. Set the calibrator to Standby mode (STBY).
2. Connect the NI 9215 to the calibrator. Refer to Figure 1 for a connection diagram for the
NI 9215 with screw and refer to Figure 2 for a connection diagram for the NI 9215 with
BNC.
3. Adjust the NI 9215.
a. Initialize a calibration session on the NI 9215. The default password is NI.
b. Input the external temperature in degrees Celsius.
c. Call the NI 9215 get C Series adjustment points function to obtain an array of
recommended calibration voltages for the NI 9215.
d. Set the calibrator to a reference value determined by the array of recommended
calibration voltages.
e. Set the calibrator to Operate mode (OPR).
f. Call and configure the NI 9215 adjustment function according to Table 5.
g. Set the calibrator to Standby mode (STBY).
Table 4. NI 9215 Test Limits
Range (V) Test Point 1-Year Limits
Min Max Location Value (V) Lower Limit (V) Upper Limit (V)
-10.000 10.000 Max 9.500000 9.494700 9.505300
-10.000 10.000 Mid 0.000000 -0.001500 0.001500
-10.000 10.000 Min -9.500000 -9.505300 -9.494700
Table 5. Adjustment Configuration
Physical Channel Reference Value
cDAQMod8/aixThe reference value from the array of adjustment points

NI 9215 Calibration Procedure |© National Instruments |7
h. Repeat steps d through g for each calibration voltage in the array.
i. Close the calibration session.
4. Disconnect the NI 9215 from the calibrator.
5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 for each channel on the NI 9215.
EEPROM Update
When an adjustment procedure is completed, the NI 9215 internal calibration memory
(EEPROM) is immediately updated.
If you do not want to perform an adjustment, you can update the calibration date and onboard
calibration temperature without making any adjustments by initializing an external calibration,
setting the C Series calibration temperature, and closing the external calibration.
Re-Verification
Repeat the Verification section to determine the As-Left status of the device.
Note If any test fails Re-Verification after performing an adjustment, verify that
you have met the Test Conditions before returning your device to NI. Refer to Where
to Go for Support for assistance in returning the device to NI.
Accuracy Under Calibration Conditions
The following calibration specifications are valid under the following conditions:
• Ambient temperature 23 °C ±5 °C
• NI 9215 installed in slot 8 of an NI cDAQ-9178 chassis
• Slots 1 through 7 of the NI cDAQ-9178 chassis are empty
Note The limits listed in Table 4 are derived using the values in Table 6.
Note For operational specifications, refer to the most recent NI 9215 Operating
Instructions and Specifications online at ni.com/manuals.
Table 6. NI 9215 Accuracy Under Calibration Conditions
Gain Error Offset Error
0.04% 1.5 mV

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372026B-01 Jan13
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