National Instruments SCXI-1000 User manual

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373236E-01 © 2003–2005 National Instruments Corp. All rights reserved. February 2005
SCXI Quick Start Guide
Signal Conditioning eXtensions for Instrumentation
This document explains how to install and configure SCXI signal
conditioning modules in SCXI-1000, SCXI-1001, SCXI-1000DC, or
PXI/SCXI combination chassis, confirm the module and chassis are
operating properly, and set up multichassis systems. It also describes the
NI-DAQ 7.xsoftware relative to SCXI and integrated signal conditioning
products. This document assumes you have already installed, configured,
and tested the data acquisition (DAQ) device to which you will connect the
SCXI module. If you have not, refer to the DAQ Quick Start Guide included
with the DAQ device, and available on the NI-DAQ 7.xDevice
Documentation CD and from ni.com/manuals, before continuing.
This document does not cover installing and configuring SCXI switch
modules. If you are installing an SCXI switch, refer to the NI Switches
Getting Started Guide.
Contents
Conventions ............................................................................................ 2
Step 1. Unpack the Chassis, Module, and Accessories........................... 3
Step 2. Verify the Components ............................................................... 4
Step 3. Set Up the Chassis ...................................................................... 5
SCXI Chassis ................................................................................... 5
PXI/SCXI Combination Chassis...................................................... 5
Step 4. Install the Modules...................................................................... 6
PXI/SCXI Combination Chassis...................................................... 6
SCXI Chassis ................................................................................... 7
SCXI USB Modules......................................................................... 8
Adding a Module to an Existing SCXI System ............................... 8
Step 5. Attach Sensors and Signal Lines................................................. 9
Step 6. Attach the Terminal Blocks ........................................................ 10
SCXI Chassis or PXI/SCXI Combination Chassis .......................... 10
Step 7. Install the Cable Adapter ............................................................ 11
Single-Chassis System..................................................................... 11
Multichassis System ........................................................................ 12
Step 8. Connect the Modules to the DAQ Device .................................. 13
Single-Chassis System..................................................................... 13
Multichassis System ........................................................................ 14
Step 9. Power On the SCXI Chassis ....................................................... 15
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SCXI Quick Start Guide 2 ni.com
Step 10. Launch Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) ............15
Step 11. Confirm That the Chassis and Modules Are Recognized .........15
Step 12. Add the Chassis .........................................................................16
Identify the PXI Controller...............................................................16
Add the SCXI Chassis in NI-DAQmx..............................................17
Add the SCXI Chassis in Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) ................17
Step 13. Configure the Chassis and Modules ..........................................18
Configure the Chassis and Modules in NI-DAQmx.........................18
Add Modules to an Existing System in NI-DAQmx........................22
Configure the Chassis and Modules in Traditional
NI-DAQ (Legacy)..........................................................................22
Add Modules to an Existing Local System in Traditional
NI-DAQ (Legacy)..........................................................................25
Step 14. Test the Chassis .........................................................................26
Step 15. Configure Channels and Tasks..................................................27
Getting Started Developing an Application.............................................27
Troubleshooting.......................................................................................27
Tips...................................................................................................27
Resources..........................................................................................28
Frequently Asked Questions.............................................................28
Worldwide Technical Support.................................................................31
Specifications...........................................................................................32
Safety................................................................................................32
Electromagnetic Compatibility.........................................................32
CE Compliance.................................................................................32
Conventions
The following conventions are used in this guide.
<> Angle brackets indicate function keys.
»The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options
to a final action. The sequence File»Page Setup»Options directs you to
pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item, and select Options.
This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.
This icon denotes a caution, which advises you of precautions to take
to avoid injury, data loss, or a system crash. When this symbol is marked
on a product, refer to the Read Me First: Safety and Radio-Frequency
Interference document, shipped with the device, for precautions to take.
When this symbol is marked on a product, it denotes a warning advising
you to take precautions to avoid electrical shock.

©National Instruments Corporation 3 SCXI Quick Start Guide
When this symbol is marked on a product, it denotes a component that may
be hot. Touching this component may result in bodily injury.
bold Bold text denotes items that you must select or click in the software, such
as menu items and dialog box options.
italic Italic text denotes a cross reference, an introduction to a key concept,
hardware labels, or text that is a placeholder for a word or value that you
must supply.
monospace Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter from
the keyboard, proper names of disk drives, paths, directories, programs,
functions, filenames, and extensions.
monospace bold Bold text in this font denotes the messages and responses that the computer
automatically prints to the screen. This font also emphasizes lines of code
that are different from the other examples.
Step 1. Unpack the Chassis, Module, and Accessories
Your module is shipped in an antistatic package to prevent electrostatic
damage (ESD) to the module and its components.
Caution Never touch the exposed pins of connectors.
To avoid such damage, take the following precautions:
• Ground yourself using a grounding strap or by touching a grounded
object.
• Touch the antistatic package to a metal part of the chassis before
removing the module from the package.
Remove the chassis, module, and accessory from the packaging and inspect
the products for loose components or any sign of damage. Notify NI if any
of the products appear damaged in any way. Do not install a damaged
device.
Store the module in the antistatic package when the module is not in use.
For safety and compliance information, refer to the device documentation
packaged with your device or on the NI-DAQ 7.xDevice Documentation
CD in the NI-DAQ software kit or at ni.com/support. After you install
the Device Document Browser, device documents are accessible from
Start»Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQ»Browse Device
Documentation.

SCXI Quick Start Guide 4 ni.com
Step 2. Verify the Components
Make sure you have the SCXI system components shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. SCXI System Components
In addition, you need the following items:
•NI-DAQ7.xsoftware and documentation
• At least one of the following software packages and documentation:
–LabVIEW
– LabWindows™/CVI™
– Visual C++
– Visual Basic
• SCXI product manuals
• 1/8 in. flathead screwdriver
• Numbers 1 and 2 Phillips screwdrivers
• Wire insulation strippers
• Long nose pliers
1 Terminal Block or TBX Accessories (optional)
2 PXI Module
3 SCXI Modules
4 PXI/SCXI Combination Chassis with Controller
5 SCXI Chassis
6 Chassis Power Cord
7 For SCXI Chassis Only
8 Chassis Adapter Assembly
9DAQDevice
10 USB Cable
11 SCXI USB Device
12 Personal Computer
12
89
Or Or
11
10
1 3 5 6
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V12 345 678910111213141516V
SCXI1140
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MAINFRAME
SCXI
5
4
3
2
1
POWER
RESET
ADDRESS
OrOr
2 4
7

©National Instruments Corporation 5 SCXI Quick Start Guide
Step 3. Set Up the Chassis
Caution Refer to the Read Me First: Safety and Radio-Frequency Interference document
packaged with your chassis before removing equipment covers or connecting or
disconnecting any signal wires. Follow proper ESD precautions to ensure you are grounded
before installing the hardware.
SCXI Chassis
1. Power off and unplug the chassis.
2. Set the chassis address if your chassis is addressable. Some older
chassis are not addressable.
• If the chassis has address switches, set the positions to off.
In Figure 2, all switches are shown in the off position.
• Some older chassis use jumpers inside the front panel instead of
chassis address switches. Older chassis also differ in fuses and
AC power selection. Refer to the chassis documentation for more
information.
3. Confirm the correct power settings (100, 120, 220, or 240 VAC).
4. Connect the power cord.
Figure 2. SCXI Chassis Setup
PXI/SCXI Combination Chassis
Note A system controller must be installed in the PXI side of the chassis. Refer to
ni.com/info and type rdfis5 for more information on ordering a configured PXI/SCXI
combination chassis through Factory Installation Services.
1 Front
2Back
3 Chassis Power Switch
4 Chassis Address Switch
5 Voltage Selection Tumbler
6 Power Cord Connector
RESET
ADDRESS
ON
5
4
3
2
1
SCXI
120Vac
~
®
5
4
3
2
1
POWER
RESET
ADDRESS
1 2
5
6
4
3

SCXI Quick Start Guide 6 ni.com
1. Power off both the PXI and SCXI power switches, and unplug the
chassis.
2. Set the SCXI address switches positions to off. In Figure 3, all
switches are shown in the off position.
3. Set the voltage selection tumbler to the correct voltage for your
application. Refer to the chassis documentation for more information.
4. Connect the power cord.
Figure 3. PXI/SCXI Combination Chassis Setup
Step 4. Install the Modules
Caution Make sure the chassis is completely powered off. SCXI modules are not
hot-swappable. Adding or removing modules while the chassis is powered on can result in
blown chassis fuses or damage to the chassis and modules.
PXI/SCXI Combination Chassis
To install the PXI E Series or M Series DAQ communicating device in the
right-most slot of the PXI chassis, complete the following steps:
1. Touch any metal part of the chassis to discharge static electricity.
2. Place the module edges into the top and bottom PXI module guides,
as shown in Figure 4.
1 Front
2Back
3 Voltage Selection Tumbler
4 Power Cord Connector
5 Address Switch
6 SCXI Power Switch
7 PXI Power Switch
8 System Controller
SCXI
120Vac
~
RESET
ADDRESS
ON
5
4
3
2
1
21
8
5
3
4
6
7

©National Instruments Corporation 7 SCXI Quick Start Guide
3. Slide the module to the rear of the chassis. Make sure that the
injector/ejector handle is pushed down.
4. When you begin to feel resistance, pull up on the injector/ejector
handle to inject the module into the frame.
5. Secure the module to the chassis front panel mounting rail using the
two screws.
Figure 4. Installing the PXI Module in a New Chassis
SCXI Chassis
1. Touch any metal part of the chassis to discharge static electricity.
2. Insert the module into the SCXI slot.
3. Secure the module to the chassis front panel mounting rail using the
two thumbscrews.
Figure 5. Installing the SCXI Module in a New Chassis
1 PXI DAQ Module
2 Injector/Ejector Handle
3 Injector/Ejector Rail
1 Thumbscrews 2 Module
3
1
2
®
5
4
3
2
1
1
21

SCXI Quick Start Guide 8 ni.com
SCXI USB Modules
Note SCXI USB modules, such as the SCXI-1600, cannot be used in a PXI/SCXI
combination chassis or in multichassis systems.
SCXI USB modules are plug-and-play, integrated signal conditioning
modules that communicate between an SCXI system and a
USB-compatible computer or USB hub, so no intermediate DAQ device is
needed. After you install the module in the chassis, complete the following
steps:
1. Connect the USB cable from the computer port or from any other USB
hub to the USB port on the SCXI USB module.
2. Attach the cable to the strain relief using a cable tie.
Figure 6. Installing an SCXI USB Module
Adding a Module to an Existing SCXI System
You also can add a module to an existing SCXI system in multiplexed
mode. If your system already has a controller established, you can simply
install additional SCXI modules in any available chassis slots as previously
described. Refer to the list of SCXI modules in Step 7. Install the Cable
Adapter to determine which module to connect to the cable adapter,
if applicable.
1 Personal Computer
2USBHub
3 USB Cable
4 SCXI USB Device
Or
®
5
4
3
2
1
ADDRESS
4
3
2
1

©National Instruments Corporation 9 SCXI Quick Start Guide
Figure 7. Installing the SCXI Module in an Existing System
Step 5. Attach Sensors and Signal Lines
Wire sensors and signal lines to the terminal block, accessory, or module
terminals. Helpful information is available as follows:
• Signal and terminal connections:
– You can view and print a connection diagram for NI-DAQmx
tasks and virtual channels in your system through the DAQ
Assistant. Select the task or virtual channel and click the
Connection Diagram tab. Select each virtual channel in the task
to view the terminal names and numbers for connections from
sensor to connector block.
– Module and accessory documentation is on the Device Document
Browser.
– Pin assignments also are located in the Device Terminals topics
of the Measurement and Automation Explorer Help for
NI-DAQmx and Measurement and Automation Explorer for
Traditional NI-DAQ, both accessible from the MAX Help menu.
• Switch or jumper settings—Refer to the module user manual for more
information about configuring the hardware.
•Sensors:
– Refer to ni.com/sensors.
– If you are using LabVIEW, refer to the LabVIEW Measurements
Manual packaged with LabVIEW or available from
ni.com/manuals.
1 New SCXI Module
2 Existing SCXI Module
3 SCXI Chassis
4 Existing DAQ Device
ON
8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
12
9
10
11
ADDRESS BAUD
1
3
2
4

SCXI Quick Start Guide 10 ni.com
– If you are using NI-DAQmx, refer to the Sensors topic of the
NI-DAQmx Help, which you can access from Start»Programs»
National Instruments»NI-DAQ»NI-DAQmx Help.
– If you are using Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy), refer to Chapter 5,
Transducer Conversion Functions, of the Traditional NI-DAQ
User Manual, which you can access from Start»Programs»
National Instruments»NI-DAQ»Traditional NI-DAQ User
Manual.
– For information on IEEE 1451.4 TEDS smart sensors, refer to
ni.com/zone.
Step 6. Attach the Terminal Blocks
SCXI Chassis or PXI/SCXI Combination Chassis
Note If you installed direct-connect modules, skip to Step 7. Install the Cable Adapter.
Attach the terminal blocks to the front of the modules. Refer to
ni.com/products to determine valid terminal block and module
combinations. Refer to the TBX installation guide if you are using a
TBX terminal block.
Figure 8. Attaching Terminal Blocks
1 Modules with Installed Terminal Blocks
2 Attaching a Terminal Block to the SCXI Module
3 SCXI Module Front Panels
®
5
4
3
2
1
ADDRESS
1
2
3