National Instruments USB-9213 User manual

USER GUIDE AND SPECIFICATIONS
NI USB-9213
16-Channel Thermocouple Input Module
This user guide describes how to use the National Instruments USB-9213
and lists the device specifications.
Introduction
The NI USB-9213 consists of two components: an NI 9213 module and an
NI USB-9162 carrier, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. NI USB-9213 Components
NI 9213
NI USB-9162
NI USB-9213
Hi-SPeed USB Carrier
NI USB-9162
Hi-Speed USB Carrier
NI USB-9162

NI USB-9213 User Guide and Specifications 2 ni.com
Dimensions
Figure 2 shows the NI USB-9213 device dimensions.
Figure 2. NI USB-9213 Device Dimensions in Millimeters (Inches)
Safety Guidelines
Operate the NI USB-9213 only as described in this user guide.
Hot Surface This icon denotes that the component may be hot. Touching this component
may result in bodily injury.
Safety Guidelines for Hazardous Voltages
If hazardous voltages are connected to the module, take the following
precautions. A hazardous voltage is a voltage greater than 42.4 Vpk or
60 VDC to earth ground.
Caution Ensure that hazardous voltage wiring is performed only by qualified personnel
adhering to local electrical standards.
Caution Do not mix hazardous voltage circuits and human-accessible circuits on the same
module.
Caution Make sure that devices and circuits connected to the module are properly
insulated from human contact.
Hi-Speed USB Carrier
NI USB-9162
120.68 mm
(4.751 in.)
118.26 mm
(4.656 in.)
88.12 mm
(3.469 in.)
25.34 mm
(0.998 in.)

©National Instruments Corporation 3 NI USB-9213 User Guide and Specifications
Caution When module terminals are hazardous voltage LIVE (>42.4 Vpk/60 VDC), you
must ensure that devices and circuits connected to the module are properly insulated from
human contact. You must use the NI 9940 connector backshell kit, shown in Figure 3, to
ensure that the terminals are not accessible.
Figure 3. NI 9940 Connector Backshell
Related Documentation
Each application software package and driver includes information about
writing applications for taking measurements and controlling measurement
devices. Check ni.com/manuals for the most recent hardware
documentation and specifications, and refer to Table 1 for a list of locations
for driver and application software documentation. The following
document location references assume you have NI-DAQmx 9.0 or later,
and where applicable, version 8.2.1 or later of the NI application software.

NI USB-9213 User Guide and Specifications 4 ni.com
Table 1. Related Documentation
Software Document/Description Location/Topic
NI-DAQmx for Windows The DAQ Getting Started
guides—describe how to
install the NI-DAQmx for
Windows software, your
NI-DAQmx supported DAQ
device, and how to confirm that
your device is operating
properly.
Start»All Programs»
National Instruments»
NI-DAQ
NI-DAQ Readme—lists which
devices are supported by this
version of NI-DAQmx.
Start»All Programs»
National Instruments»
NI-DAQ»NI-DAQ Readme
NI-DAQmx Help—contains
general information about
measurement concepts, key
NI-DAQmx concepts, and
common applications that
are applicable to all
programming environments.
Start»All Programs»
National Instruments»
NI-DAQ»NI-DAQmx Help
LabVIEW Getting Started with
LabVIEW—describes the
LabVIEW graphical
programming environment and
the basic LabVIEW features
you use to build data
acquisition and instrument
control application.
Start»All Programs»
National Instruments»
LabVIEW»LabVIEW
Manuals or navigate to the
labview\manuals directory
and open
LV_Getting_Started.pdf
LabVIEW Help—provides
information about LabVIEW
programming concepts,
step-by-step instructions for
using LabVIEW, and reference
information about LabVIEW
VIs, functions, palettes,
menus, and tools.
Help»Search the LabVIEW
Help

©National Instruments Corporation 5 NI USB-9213 User Guide and Specifications
LabVIEW Help Topics Specific to NI-DAQmx
Location Description
From the Contents tab,
Getting Started with
LabVIEW»Getting Started
with DAQ
Includes overview information and a tutorial to learn how to take
an NI-DAQmx measurement in LabVIEW using the DAQ
Assistant.
From the Contents tab,
VI and Function Reference»
Measurement I/O VIs and
Functions»DAQmx-Data
Acquisition VIs and
Functions
Describes the LabVIEW NI-DAQmx VIs and properties.
From the Contents tab,
Taking Measurements
Contains the conceptual and how-to information you need to
acquire and analyze measurement data in LabVIEW, including
common measurements, measurement fundamentals,
NI-DAQmx key concepts, and device considerations.
LabWindows™/CVI™LabWindows/CVI Help Data
Acquisition book—contains
NI-DAQmx measurement
concepts and step-by-step
instructions about creating a
measurement task using the
DAQ Assistant.
Help»Contents, then select
Using LabWindows/CVI»
Data Acquisition»Taking an
NI-DAQmx Measurement in
LabWindows/CVI
LabWindows/CVI Help
NI-DAQmx Library
book—contains NI-DAQmx
API overviews and function
reference.
Library Reference»
NI-DAQmx Library
Measurement Studio/
Microsoft Visual Studio .NET
Microsoft Visual Studio .NET
Help/NI Measurement Studio
Help—contains NI-DAQmx
methods and properties.
Measurement Studio»
NI Measurement Studio
Help
Table 1. Related Documentation (Continued)
Software Document/Description Location/Topic

NI USB-9213 User Guide and Specifications 6 ni.com
ANSI C without
NI Application Software
NI-DAQmx Help—contains
API overviews and general
information about measure-
ment concepts.
Start»All Programs»
National Instruments»
NI-DAQ»NI-DAQmx Help
NI-DAQmx C Reference
Help—describes the
NI-DAQmx Library functions.
Start»All Programs»
National Instruments»
NI-DAQ»NI-DAQmx
C Reference Help
.NET Languages without
NI Application Software*
NI-DAQmx .NET
Help—contains conceptual
topics for using NI-DAQmx
with Visual C# and Visual
Basic .NET.
To view the NI-DAQmx .NET
documentation, go to Start»
All Programs»National
Instruments»NI-DAQ»
Text-Based Code Support»
NI-DAQmx .NET Help.
For function reference, refer to
the following topics:
NationalInstruments.DAQmx
Namespace and
NationalInstruments.DAQmx.
ComponentModel Namespace
For conceptual help, refer to
the following sections: Using
the Measurement Studio
NI-DAQmx.NET Library and
Developing with Measurement
Studio NI-DAQmx
To get to the same help topics
from within Visual Studio, go
to Help»Contents and select
Measurement Studio from the
Filtered By drop-down list.
Visual Studio .NET
Help—contains conceptual
topics for using NI-DAQmx
with Visual C# and Visual
Basic .NET.
Help»Contents. Select
Measurement Studio from
the Filtered By drop-down
list and follow the location
instructions for the
NI-DAQmx .NET Help.
*With the Microsoft .NET Framework version 1.1 or later, you can use NI-DAQmx to create applications using Visual C#
and Visual Basic .NET without Measurement Studio. You need Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 or Microsoft Visual
Studio 2005 for the API documentation to be installed.
Table 1. Related Documentation (Continued)
Software Document/Description Location/Topic

©National Instruments Corporation 7 NI USB-9213 User Guide and Specifications
Training Courses
If you need more help getting started developing an application with
NI products, NI offers training courses. To enroll in a course or obtain
a detailed course outline, refer to ni.com/training.
Technical Support on the Web
For additional support, refer to ni.com/support or zone.ni.com.
Installing the Software
Software support for the NI USB-9213 for Windows Vista/XP is provided
by NI-DAQmx. The DAQ Getting Started guides, which you can download
at ni.com/manuals, offer NI-DAQmx users step-by-step instructions for
installing software and hardware, configuring channels and tasks, and
getting started developing an application.
Installing Other Software
If you are using other software, refer to the installation instructions that
accompany your software.
Example Programs
The NI-DAQmx media contains example programs that you can use to get
started programming with the NI USB-9213. Refer to the NI-DAQmx for
USB Devices Getting Started Guide that shipped with your device, and
is also accessible from Start»All Programs»National Instruments»
NI-DAQ, for more information.
Installing the NI USB-9213 Device
Before installing the device, you must install the software you plan to use
with the device. Refer to the Installing the Software section of this guide
and the documentation included with the software for more information.

NI USB-9213 User Guide and Specifications 8 ni.com
Mounting the NI USB-9213 to a Panel
Threaded inserts are located in the NI USB-9162 for mounting it to a panel.
Mount the NI USB-9162 before inserting the NI 9213. Refer to Figure 4 for
mounting dimensions.
Figure 4. Module Mounting Dimensions In Millimeters (Inches)
Installing the NI 9213 Device into the NI USB-9162 Carrier
The NI 9213 module and NI USB-9162 carrier are packaged separately.
Refer to Figure 5, while completing the following assembly steps:
1. Make sure that no signals are connected to the NI 9213 module and the
USB cable is not attached to the USB-9162.
2. Remove the protective cover from the 15-pin D-SUB connector.
3. Align the I/O module with the carrier, as shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5. Module Installation
72.2 mm
(2.84 in.)
85.7 mm
(3.37 in.)
76.1 mm
(3.00 in.)
Threaded Insert
M3 x 0.5
8.5 mm (0.34 in.) Max Depth

©National Instruments Corporation 9 NI USB-9213 User Guide and Specifications
4. Squeeze the latches and insert the NI 9213 module into the
NI USB-9162 carrier.
5. Press firmly on the connector side of the NI 9213 module until the
latches lock the module into place, as shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6. Locking Module into Place
Connecting the NI USB-9213 to a Computer
Plug one end of the USB cable into the NI USB-9213 and the other end into
an available USB port on the computer. Refer to the NI-DAQmx for USB
Devices Getting Started Guide that shipped with your device, and is also
accessible from Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQ,
for more information.
LED Indicator
The NI USB-9213 device has a green LED next to the USB connector. The
LED indicator indicates device status, as listed in Table 2. When the device
is connected to a USB port, the LED blinks steadily to indicate that the
device is initialized and is receiving power from the connection.
If the LED is not blinking, it may mean that the device is not initialized or the
computer is in standby mode. In order for the device to be recognized, the
device must be connected to a computer that has NI-DAQmx installed on it.
If your device is not blinking, make sure your computer has the latest version
of NI-DAQmx installed on it, and the computer is not in standby mode.
Table 2. LED State/Device Status
LED State Device Status
Not lit Device not connected or in suspend.
On, not blinking Device connected, but no module installed.
Single-blink Operating normally.
Double-blink Operating normally.
Quadruple-blink Device error. Refer to ni.com/support.

NI USB-9213 User Guide and Specifications 10 ni.com
Wiring the NI USB-9213 Device
The NI USB-9213 has a 36-terminal detachable spring-terminal connector
that provides connections for 16 thermocouple channels.
Caution The NI 9940 high voltage screw terminal backshell, shown in Figure 3, must be
installed when using hazardous voltages (>42.4 Vpk, 60 VDC).
Figure 7. NI USB-9213 Terminal Assignments
You can connect thermocouple input signals to the NI USB-9213. Connect
the positive lead of the thermocouple to the TC+ terminal and the negative
lead of the thermocouple to the TC– terminal. If you are unsure which of
the thermocouple leads is positive and which is negative, check the
thermocouple documentation or the thermocouple wire spool. The
NI USB-9213 also has two common terminals, COM, that are internally
connected to the isolated ground reference of the module.
EMC Compliance
To ensure proper performance in the specified EMC environments, any
connected cable must be provided with an overall shield that is connected
to earth ground using an equipment grounding conductor of the shortest
possible length. Ensure that any wires within the cable that extend beyond
the shield are as short as possible so that the shield covers as much of the
cable as possible. For the equipment grounding conductor, use AWG 16 or
NC
TC0+
TC1+
TC2+
TC3+
TC4+
TC5+
TC6+
TC7+
TC8+
TC9+
TC10+
TC11+
TC12+
TC13+
TC14+
TC15+
COM
NC
TC0–
TC1–
TC2–
TC3–
TC4–
TC5–
TC6–
TC7–
TC8–
TC9–
TC10–
TC11–
TC12–
TC13–
TC14–
TC15–
COM
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