National Instruments Measure Data Acquisition User manual

Measure®
Data Acquisition
User Manual
August 1996 Edition
Part Number 321004B-01
© Copyright 1995,1996 National Instruments Corporation.
All rights reserved.
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© National Instruments Corporation v Measure Data Acquisition User Manual
About This Manual
Organization of This Manual
Conventions Used in This Manual
Customer Communication xi
Chapter 1
Introduction
Using Measure with Your DAQ Device
DAQ Device Overview
Installing Measure
Manually Adding or Removing the DAQ Add-In
Uninstalling Measure
Chapter 2
Getting Started with Data Acquisition Tasks
Selecting a Data Acquisition Task
Configuring an Analog Input Task
Configuring an Analog Output Task
Adding Tasks to the DAQ Menu
Saving Tasks
Managing Tasks in a Workbook
Chapter 3
Using SCXI with Measure DAQ
SCXI Operating Modes
SCXI Analog Input
Multiple SCXI Modules and Chassis
SCXI Analog Output

Table of Contents
Measure Data Acquisition User Manual vi © National Instruments Corporation
Chapter 4
Analog Input Reference
DAQ Device Overview
Analog Input Configuration Overview
Analog Input Scan List
Channels
High Limit
Low Limit
Scan Information
Number of scans
Scale to volts
Timing Settings
Scans/second
External scan clock
Display At cell
In Columns
In Rows
Trigger Reference
Mode Reference
Advanced Timing Settings
Chapter 5
Analog Output Reference
Analog Output Configuration Overview
Advanced Configuration
Chapter 6
Using Measure Data Acquisition Tasks with VBA
Function Reference
DAQ
GetDAQErrorMessage
Appendix A
DAQ Hardware Capabilities
SCXI Information
MIO and AI Device Hardware Capabilities
Lab and 1200 Series and Portable Devices Hardware Capabilities
SCXI Module Hardware Capabilities
Analog Output Only Devices Hardware Capabilities

Table of Contents
© National Instruments Corporation vii Measure Data Acquisition User Manual
Appendix B
Error Codes
Appendix C
Trouble Shooting
Appendix D
Customer Communication
Glossary
Index
Figures
Figure 1-1. Add-Ins Dialog Box
Figure 2-1. DAQ Tasks Dialog Box
Figure 2-2. Analog Input Configuration
Figure 2-3. Task Description Dialog Box
Figure 2-4. DAQ Tasks Dialog Box
Figure 2-5. Analog Output Configuration Dialog Box
Figure 2-6. DAQ Tasks Dialog Box
Figure 2-7. Adding Tasks to the DAQ Menu
Figure 2-8. The DAQ Menu
Figure 2-9. DAQ Tasks Dialog Box
Figure 3-1. Selecting the Add>> button
Figure 4-1. Analog Input Configuration Dialog Box
Figure 4-2. Scan Clock and Channel Clock
Figure 4-3. Round Robin Scanning
Figure 4-4. Hardware Digital Trigger Dialog Box
Figure 4-5. Analog Input Mode Dialog Box
Figure 4-6. Advanced Timing Settings Option
Figure 5-1. Analog Output Configuration
Figure 5-2. Advanced Analog Output Configuration Dialog Box

Table of Contents
Measure Data Acquisition User Manual viii © National Instruments Corporation
Tables
Table 2-1. DAQ Tasks Dialog Box Options
Table 3-1. SCXI Channel Strings Syntax
Table 4-1. Examples of Valid Channel Strings
Table 4-2. Analog Input Configuration Buttons/Options
Table 4-3. Choices for Hardware Digital Trigger
Table 4-4. Choices for Analog Input Mode Dialog Box
Table 4-5. Choices for Advanced Timing
Table 5-1. Analog Output Configuration Reference
Table 5-2. Advanced Analog Output Configuration Options
Table A-1. Analog Input Configuration Programmability—MIO and AI Devices
Table A-2. Analog Input Characteristics—MIO and AI Devices (Part 1)
Table A-3. Analog Input Characteristics—MIO and AI Devices (Part 2)
Table A-4. Analog Output Characteristics—MIO and AI Devices
Table A-5. Analog Input Configuration Programmability—Lab,
1200 Series, Portable Devices
Table A-6. Analog Input Characteristics—Lab, 1200 Series, Portable Devices (Part 1)
Table A-7. Analog Input Characteristics—Lab, 1200 Series, Portable Devices (Part 2)
Table A-8. Analog Output Characteristics—Lab, 1200 Series, Portable Devices
Table A-9. Analog Input Characteristics—SCXI Modules
Table A-10. Terminal Block Selection Guide—SCXI Modules
Table A-11. Analog Output Characteristics—Analog Output Only Devices
Table B-1. Data Acquisition Error Codes

© National Instruments Corporation ix Measure Data Acquisition User Manual
The Measure Data Acquisition User Manual describes how to use the
Measure Data Acquisition Add-In with National Instruments data
acquisition boards to acquire data into Microsoft Excel. You should be
familiar with the operation of Microsoft Excel, your computer, your
computer’s operating system, and your data acquisition (DAQ) board.
Organization of This Manual
The Measure Data Acquisition User Manual is organized as follows.
• Chapter 1, Introduction, helps you install the Measure Data
Acquisition (DAQ) Add-In. You should have installed and
configured your DAQ hardware already.
• Chapter 2, Getting Started with Data Acquisition Tasks, contains a
tutorial for the following basic functions: Selecting a data
acquisition task, configuring an analog input task, configuring an
analog output task, adding tasks to the DAQ menu, saving tasks,
and managing tasks in a workbook.
• Chapter 3, Using SCXI with Measure DAQ, describes how to use
the Measure Data Acquisition Add-In in Excel with your Signal
Conditioning Extension for Instrumentation (SCXI) equipment.
• Chapter 4, Analog Input Reference, introduces some basic
concepts of data acquisition and contains a reference for analog
input configuration, hardware digital triggering, analog input
modes, and advanced timing. You should be familiar with the
hardware characteristics of your data acquisition device.
• Chapter 5, Analog Output Reference, introduces some concepts of
data acquisition and contains a reference for basic and advanced
Analog Output Configuration.

About This Manual
Measure Data Acquisition User Manual x © National Instruments Corporation
• Chapter 6, Using Measure Data Acquisition Tasks with VBA,
describes how to run tasks from within Visual Basic for
Applications.
• Appendix A, DAQ Hardware Capabilities, contains SCXI
information and tables that summarize the analog I/O capabilities
of National Instruments data acquisition devices you might use
with Measure for Windows.
• Appendix B, Error Codes, describes the errors that can occur
while using the Measure DAQ Add-In.
• Appendix C, Troubleshooting, describes solutions to problems that
you might encounter using the Measure DAQ Add-In.
• Appendix D, Customer Communication, contains forms you can
use to request help from National Instruments or to comment on
our products and manuals.
• The Glossary contains an alphabetical list and descriptions of
terms used in this manual, including abbreviations, acronyms,
metric prefixes, mnemonics, and symbols.
• The Index contains an alphabetical list of key terms and topics in
this manual, including the page where you can find each one.
Conventions Used in This Manual
The following conventions are used in this manual.
bold Bold text denotes a parameter, or the introduction of menus, menu
items, or dialog box buttons or options.
italic Italic text denotes emphasis, a cross reference, or an introduction to a
key concept.
bold italic Bold italic text denotes a note, caution, or warning.

About This Manual
© National Instruments Corporation xi Measure Data Acquisition User Manual
monospace Text in this font denotes text or characters that are to be literally input
from the keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and
syntax examples. This font is also used for the proper names of disk
drives, paths, directories, programs, subprograms, subroutines, device
names, functions, variables, filenames, and extensions, and for
statements and comments taken from program code.
» The » symbol leads you through nested menu items, and dialog box
options to a final action. The sequence
Files»Page Setup»Options»Substitute Fonts
directs you to pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item,
select Options, and finally select the Substitute Fonts option from the
last dialog box.
Note: This icon to the left of bold italicized text denotes a note, which alerts
you to important information.
Customer Communication
National Instruments wants to receive your comments on our products
and manuals. We are interested in the applications you develop with
our products, and we want to help if you have problems with them. To
make it easy for you to contact us, this manual contains comment and
configuration forms for you to complete. These forms are in
Appendix D, Customer Communication, at the end of this manual.
Related Documentation
The following document contains information that you may find
helpful as you read this manual:
• NI-DAQ User Manual for PC Compatibles