National Instruments NI 9401 User manual

NI-9401 Getting
Started
2022-07-06

Contents
Before You Begin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Safety Guidelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Safety Voltages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Safety Guidelines for Hazardous Locations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Electromagnetic Compatibility Guidelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Preparing the Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Connecting the NI-9401. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
NI-9401 Signals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Ports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Connecting a Serial Peripheral Interface Device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Connecting Digital Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Overcurrent/Short-Circuit Protection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Where to Go Next. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
NI Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
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NI-9401 Getting Started

Before You Begin
Read the NI-9401 Safety, Environmental, and Regulatory Information and
complete the soware and hardware installation procedures in your chassis
documentation.
Safety Guidelines
Caution Observe all instructions and cautions in the user documentation.
Using the product in a manner not specified can damage the product and
compromise the built-in safety protection.
Attention Suivez toutes les instructions et respectez toutes les mises
en garde de la documentation d'utilisation. L'utilisation du produit de
toute autre façon que celle spécifiée risque de l'endommager et de
compromettre la protection de sécurité intégrée.
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 V DC, Measurement Category I
Withstand 1,000 V RMS, verified by a 5 s dielectric withstand test
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NI-9401 Getting Started

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
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 Gc and Ex nA IIC T4 Gc 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, or Zone 2.
Caution The system must be installed in an enclosure certified for the
intended hazardous (classified) location, having a tool secured cover/door,
where a minimum protection of at least IP54 is provided.
Caution For Division 2 and Zone 2 applications, connected signals must
be within the following limits.
Capacitance 0.2 µF maximum
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 03ATEX 0324020X and is IECEx UL 14.0089X certified. Each NI 9401 is marked
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NI-9401 Getting Started

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.
Caution Transient protection shall be provided that is set at a level not
exceeding 140% of the peak rated voltage value of 85 V at the supply
terminals to the equipment.
Caution The system shall only be used in an area of not more than
Pollution Degree 2, as defined in IEC/EN 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.
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NI-9401 Getting Started

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:
■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 approved for marine (shipboard) applications. To verify marine
approval certification for a product, visit ni.com/product-certifications, search by
model number, and click the appropriate link.
Notice 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.
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NI-9401 Getting Started

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
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
Signal Description
COM Common reference connection to isolated ground
DIO Digital input/output signal connection
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NI-9401 Getting Started

Signal Description
NC No connection
Table 1. Signal Descriptions
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.
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
Connecting Digital Devices
You can connect several types of digital devices to the NI-9401.
Figure 4. Connecting Digital Devices to the NI-9401
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.
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NI-9401 Getting Started

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
NI Services
Visit ni.com/support to find support resources including documentation,
downloads, and troubleshooting and application development self-help such as
tutorials and examples.
Visit ni.com/services to learn about NI service oerings such as calibration options,
repair, and replacement.
Visit ni.com/register to register your NI product. Product registration facilitates
technical support and ensures that you receive important information updates from
NI.
NI corporate headquarters is located at 11500 N Mopac Expwy, Austin, TX,
78759-3504, USA.
© National Instruments 9
NI-9401 Getting Started
© 2022 National Instruments Corporation.