SpinCore Technologies PulseBlasterESR-PRO User manual

PulseBlasterESR-PRO™
(PCI Board SP18A)
(USB Enclosure System SP47 SP51)
(Rackmount Front Panel SP51)
(PCIe Board SP49 SP56)
Owner’s Manual
SpinCore Technologies Inc.
http://www.spincore.com

PulseBlasterESR-PRO
Congratulations and thank you for choosing a design from SpinCore
Technologies Inc.
We appreciate your business!
At SpinCore we aim to fully support the needs of our customers. If you
are in need of assistance please contact us and we will strive to
provide the necessary support.
© 2000-2022 SpinCore Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.
SpinCore Technologies, Inc. reserves the right to make changes to the product s) or information herein without notice.
PulseBlasterESR™, PulseBlaster™, SpinCore, and the SpinCore Technologies, Inc. logos are trademarks of SpinCore Technologies, Inc.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
SpinCore Technologies, Inc. makes every effort to verify the correct operation of the equipment. This equipment version is not intended
for use in a system in which the failure of a SpinCore device will threaten the safety of equipment or person s).
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PulseBlasterESR-PRO
Table of Contents
I. Introduction .................................................................................................. 5
Product Overview .................................................................................................................... 5
Board Architecture .................................................................................................................. 6
Block Diagram ........................................................................................................... 6
Output Signals ........................................................................................................... 6
Timing Characteristics ............................................................................................... 7
Instruction Set ............................................................................................................ 7
External Triggering ..................................................................................................... 7
Summary .................................................................................................................... 7
Specifications ........................................................................................................................... 8
TTL Speci ications ..................................................................................................... 8
Pulse Parameters (using 500 MHz clock requency) ................................................ 8
Pulse Program Control Flow (Common) .................................................................... 8
II. Installation ................................................................................................... 9
Installing the PulseBlasterESR-PRO ....................................................................................... 9
III. Programming the PulseBlasterESR-PRO .............................................. 10
The PulseBlaster Interpreter .................................................................................................. 10
LabVIEW Extensions .............................................................................................................. 11
C/C++ Programming ............................................................................................................... 12
Using C Functions to Program the PulseBlasterESR-PRO ................................................. 14
IV. Connecting to the PulseBlasterESR-PRO ............................................. 17
Connector Information for PulseBlasterESR-PRO Boards .................................................. 17
BNC Headers ........................................................................................................... 17
IDC Headers or SP18A, SP49, and SP56 .............................................................. 18
Connector Locations or the SP18A board .............................................................. 20
SMA Headers for SP18A ................................................................................................................................. 20
HW_Trig/Reset Header for SP18A ................................................................................................................. 20
Connector Locations or the SP49 and SP56 boards .............................................. 21
SMA Headers for SP49 and SP56 ................................................................................................................... 21
300 Header for SP49 and SP56 ..................................................................................................................... 21
SMA Connector CLK_OUT .............................................................................................................................. 22
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PulseBlasterESR-PRO
SMA Connector EXT_CLK ............................................................................................................................... 22
Connector Information for 2U BNC Rackmount Enclosure and Rackmount Front Panel . 22
Connectors or 2U BNC Rackmount Enclosure and Rackmount Front Panel ........ 22
DB9 Connector (Trig/Res/Stat) or 2U BNC Rackmount Enclosure and Rackmount
Front Panel .............................................................................................................. 23
Power Connector or the Rackmount Front Panel ................................................... 24
Status and Hardware Pins ...................................................................................................... 24
Status Pins Description ............................................................................................ 24
Hardware Reset ...................................................................................................... 25
Hardware Trigger .................................................................................................... 25
Clock Oscillator Header ......................................................................................................... 26
Appendix I: Controlling the PulseBlasterESR-PRO with SpinAPI ............ 28
Instruction Set Architecture ................................................................................................... 28
Machine-Word De inition ......................................................................................... 28
Breakdown o 80-bit Instruction Word ..................................................................... 28
Output Pattern and Control Word ................................................................................................................. 29
Short Pulse Feature ........................................................................................................................................ 29
Data Field and OpCode .................................................................................................................................. 31
Delay Count .................................................................................................................................................... 32
About SpinAPI ......................................................................................................................... 32
Related Products and Accessories ............................................................. 33
Contact Information ...................................................................................... 38
Document Information .................................................................................. 38
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PulseBlasterESR-PRO
I. Introduction
Product Overview
The PulseBlasterESR-PRO™ is a high-speed, intelligent pulse/pattern/delay generator designed for
outputting precisely timed TTL patterns. The intelligence of the PulseBlasterESR-PRO comes from an
embedded microprogrammed controller core nicknamed the PulseBlaster™. The controller is able to execute
instructions that allow it to control program flow much like a general purpose microcontroller. The speed of
the PulseBlasterESR-PRO comes from a maximum available clock of 500 MHz.
The PulseBlasterESR-PRO’s microprogrammed controller core is different from the general-purpose
microcontroller in that it contains a set of highly optimized instructions developed specifically for timing and
control applications. A unique and distinguishing feature of the PulseBlasterESR-PRO processor is that the
execution time for instructions is user programmable. This feature makes the PulseBlasterESR-PRO
processor capable of executing complex timing patterns at greatly varying update rates, ranging from
nanoseconds to months, with a constant setting accuracy of just one clock period.
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PulseBlasterESR-PRO
Board Architecture
Block Diagram
Figure 1 presents the general architecture of the PulseBlasterESR-PRO system. The major building
blocks are the SRAM memory, the PulseBlaster core, the integrated bus controller IBC), the counter, and
the output buffers. The entire logic design, including the SRAM memory and output buffers, is contained
on a single silicon chip, making it a System-on-a-Chip design. User control to the system is provided
through the IBC over the peripheral component interconnect PCI), peripheral component interconnect
express PCIe) bus or universal serial bus USB).
Output Signals
The PulseBlasterESR-PRO allows for 21 digital output signal lines. On the PCI and PCIe boards, all
21 signal lines are routed to two sets of 26-pin IDC on-board connectors. The first four output bits are
also routed to four bracket mounted BNC connectors. On the USB system, all 21 signal lines are routed
to 21 BNC connectors. The output signals are impedance matched to 50 ohm.
The 21 individually controlled digital output bits comply with the 3.3V TTL-levels’ standard, and are
capable of delivering 25 mA per bit/channel. Keep in mind that this is sufficient to provide a signal to a
132 ohm load, but if more current is necessary beyond this, the individual bits/channels can be driven in
parallel.
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Figure 1: PulseBlasterESR-PRO Board Architecture. The clock oscillator signal is derived
from an on-chip PLL circuit typically using a 50 MHz on-board reference clock.

PulseBlasterESR-PRO
Timing Characteristics
The PulseBlaster core's timing controller accepts an external on-board) crystal oscillator of 50 MHz.
The input frequency is internally multiplied. The PulseBlasterESR-PRO is available with 500 MHz internal
clock frequency. The innovative architecture of the timing controller allows the processing of either simple
timing instructions with delays of up to 232 clock cycles or 8.59 s at 500 MHz), or double-length timing
instructions up to 252 clock cycles long – over 100 days at 500 MHz!). Regardless of the type of timing
instruction, the timing resolution remains constant for any delay – just one clock period e.g., 2 ns at 500
MHz).
The PulseBlaster core-timing controller has a very short minimum instruction time – only five clock
periods1. This translates to a 10 ns machine instruction time at 500 MHz. The PulseBlasterESR-PRO is
also capable of generating pulses on all outputs of lengths down to one clock cycle. For more information
on this feature, please see the Short Pulse Feature section in Appendix I.
Instruction Set
The PulseBlaster core features a set of instructions for creating highly flexible pulse program flow
control. The micro-programmed controller allows for programs to include branches, subroutines, and
loops at up to 8 nested levels – all this to assist the user in creating dense pulse programs that cycle
through repetitious events, especially useful in numerous multidimensional spectroscopy and imaging
applications.
External Triggering
The PulseBlasterESR-PRO can be triggered and/or reset externally via dedicated hardware lines.
These lines combine the convenience of triggering e.g., in cardiac gating) with the safety of the
"stop/reset" line firmware-dependent).
Summary
The PulseBlasterESR-PRO is a versatile, high-performance pulse/pattern TTL signal generator
operating at speeds of up to 500 MHz and capable of generating pulses ranging from 2 ns to 104 days
per instruction at intervals ranging from 10 ns to 8.59 s per instruction using a 500 MHz clock signal). It
can accommodate pulse programs with highly flexible control commands of up to 4096 instruction words.
Its high-current output logic bits are individually controlled with an unterminated output voltage of 3.3 V2.
1 NOTE: For PBESR-PRO-500-PCI design 17-16), PBESR-PRO-500-USB-RM design 27-8, and 33-1), PBESR-PRO-500-USB-RM-FP
design 33-1) and PBESR-PRO-500-PCIe design 31-1) instructions with CONTINUE, JSR, RTS, LONG_DELAY, WAIT, and STOP
OpCodes, require a minimum instruction time of at least 6 clock-cycles.
2 NOTE: For PBESR-PRO-500-PCIe, the unterminated output voltage is 3 V.
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PulseBlasterESR-PRO
Specifications
TTL Speci ications
21 individually controlled digital output lines LVTTL levels, 3.3 V logical “one” unterminated)3
4 bracket mounted BNC connectors, impedance matched to 50 ohm, for board
24 BNC connectors for rackmount system and rackmount front panel, 21 of which are individually
controlled output channels
Variable pulses/delays for every TTL line
25 mA output current per TTL line
Pulse Parameters (using 500 MHz clock requency)
2 ns shortest pulse
10 ns shortest interval4
104 days longest pulse/interval using the long delay instruction)
2 ns pulse/interval resolution
4096 instructions
External triggering and reset – 3.3V LVTTL levels
Pulse Program Control Flow (Common)
Loops, nested 8 levels deep
20 bit loop counters max. 1,048,576 repetitions)
Subroutines, nested 8 levels deep
Wait for trigger – 8 clock cycle latency 16ns at 500 MHz), adjustable to 0.89 seconds in duration
15 MHz max. re-triggering frequency
3 NOTE: For PBESR-PRO-500-PCIe, the unterminated output voltage is 3 V.
4 NOTE: For PBESR-PRO-500-PCI design 17-16), PBESR-PRO-500-USB-RM design 27-8, and 33-1), PBESR-PRO-500-USB-RM-FP
design 33-1) and PBESR-PRO-500-PCIe design 31-1) instructions with CONTINUE, JSR, RTS, LONG_DELAY, WAIT, and STOP
OpCodes, require a minimum instruction time of at least 6 clock-cycles.
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PulseBlasterESR-PRO
II. Installation
Installing the PulseBlasterESR-PRO
Whenever installing or uninstalling the PulseBlasterESR-PRO, always have it disconnected from the
computer initially. Uninstall any previous version of SpinAPI.
1. Install the latest version of SpinAPI found at: http://www.spincore.com/support/spinapi/ .
•SpinAPI is a custom Application Programming Interface developed by SpinCore Technologies,
Inc. for use with the PulseBlasterESR-PRO and most of SpinCore's other products. It can be
utilized using C/C++ or graphically using the options in the next section below. The API will also
install the necessary drivers.
2. Shut down the computer, unplug the power cord.
3. Connect the product to the computer.
a) For the PCI: Insert the PulseBlasterESR-PRO-PCI card into an available PCI slot and fasten the
PC bracket securely with a screw.
b) For the PCIe: Insert the PulseBlasterESR-PRO-PCIe card into an available PCIe slot and fasten
the PC bracket securely with a screw.
c) For the USB system: Plug one end of the USB cable into the PulseBlasterESR-PRO-USB and the
other end into the host computer.
•Next, power the rackmount using a C13 cable for the PBESR-PRO-USB-RM or a 4 pin molex
SP51 powers via +5 V DC) for the PBESR-PRO-USB-RM-FP.
4. Plug the PC power cord back in, turn on the computer and follow the installation prompts.
5. The simplest way to test whether the device has been installed properly and can be controlled as
intended is to run a simple test program. These example files can be found in the SpinAPI package.
6. To open the SpinAPI package on a Windows 10 PC, simply click the Window Start icon, and scroll
down to find and open the "SpinCore" folder. Example .exe files and their C source code can be
found in the folder /SpinAPI/examples. From there, you may select the “PulseBlasterESR-PRO”
folder and run all .exe programs to test your PulseBlaster.
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PulseBlasterESR-PRO
III. Programming the PulseBlasterESR-PRO
SpinCore Technologies Inc. is dedicated to providing an easy and efficient method of programming your
board. Various control methods available are detailed below, making PulseBlaster products flexible for any
number of applications.
Special consideration of the ESR-PRO Short Pulse feature must be taken when programming or
operating this board. For signals of instruction time greater than 10 ns, the Short Pulse feature must be
disabled by setting output bits 21-23 to HIGH at all times firmware-dependent). For more information, see
Appendix I.
The PulseBlaster Interpreter
The PulseBlasterESR-PRO can be programmed using PulseBlaster Interpreter, which is a free
programming utility provided by SpinCore for writing pulse programs. This easy-to-use editor allows you to
create, edit, save, and run your pulse sequence. Figure 2, below, shows the PulseBlaster Interpreter being
used with an example program.
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Figure 2: Graphical Interface of PulseBlaster Interpreter. The example shown
creates a pulse that toggles all TTL bits on for 100 ms, then off for 500 ms, and
repeats.

PulseBlasterESR-PRO
The PulseBlaster Interpreter is available as part of the SpinCore driver suite, and will be automatically
installed during the setup process setup process is described in Section II. Installation). For convenience, a
shortcut to the PulseBlaster Interpreter will be added to your desktop. For more information on programming
using the PulseBlaster Interpreter, see the manual located at http://www.spincore.com/support/SPBI/Doc/.
LabVIEW Extensions
The SpinCore PulseBlaster LabVIEW Extensions PBLV) provide the ability to program and control the
functionality of PulseBlaster boards using the simple National Instruments NI) LabVIEW graphical
programming interface. The package contains basic subVIs that can be used to include PulseBlaster
interaction from your own LabVIEW programs, as well as some complete example VIs. Additionally, all of the
examples are available as stand-alone applications to control.
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Figure 3: Example of PulseBlaster LabVIEW
Extensions User Interface.

PulseBlasterESR-PRO
There are two versions of the LabVIEW extensions available free of charge on our website. The first is
for those who do not have LabVIEW or who are not familiar with LabVIEW programming. This option is a
stand-alone GUI see Figure 3 above) that comes in executable form and utilizes the LabVIEW runtime
environment. The second is for those who have LabVIEW and would like to make a custom interface for the
PulseBlasterESR-PRO. For more information and downloads please visit:
http://www.spincore.com/support/PBLV/
C/C++ Programming
The most dynamic and flexible way to program the PulseBlasterESR-PRO board is with C/C++ using the
SpinAPI package. The GUI based approaches to programming the board are designed for simplicity so they
can be used by someone with no programming experience.
While GUI's are easier to use, coding in C/C++ allows you to better utilize the various features of the
board and, in some cases, it may be easier to copy and paste lines of code than to make 100 instructions on
a GUI. The instructions to compile on Windows can be found at
http://www.spincore.com/support/spinapi/Windows_Help.shtml. After configuring the compiler, changing one
of our example programs and recompiling the executable file for use with your PulseBlasterESR-PRO board
is as easy as clicking “Rebuild All” see Figure 4 below).
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Figure 4: Compiling a C program to run the PulseBlasterESR-PRO board is easy!

PulseBlasterESR-PRO
Making changes to an example program requires understanding of only a few lines of code. The
following C code example generates a 50% duty cycle square wave with a 400.0 ms period.
A breakdown of the previous C code segment is as follows:
• Line 1: Initialize communication with the selected board. This must be called before any other
functions that communicate with the board.
• Line 2: Set the internal block clock frequency in MHz). This must be called to insure proper timings
in the pulse program.
• Lines 7-10: Programs the board's pulse program memory.
◦ Line 7: pb_start_programming PULSE_PROGRAM) must be called before using the
pb_inst ..) function.
◦ Line 8, instruction 1: Turn on bit 0 for 200.0 ms then continue to the next instruction. The
address of this instruction is stored in the “start” variable.
▪ Note: I the output is high or more than 5 clock cycles, it is necessary to turn o the Short
Pulse eature by settings bits 21-23 o the lag bits to “111.” This can be easily accomplished
by using the C-macro “ON” de ined in “spinapi.h.”
◦ Line 9, instruction 2: All bits off for 200.0 ms, then branch to “start.”
◦ Line 10: pb_stop_programming ) must be called before calling any other SpinAPI functions.
• Line 12: Start the board executing the Pulse Program.
• Line 13: Close communication with the board Pulse Program execution will continue).
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1: pb_init(); /*Initialize communication with the board*/
2: pb_core_clock (CL CK); /*Set the internal clock frequency value – this
3: will be either 250, 300, 400, or 500 MHz
4: depending on your product */
5:
6: /*Start programming the Pulse Program*/
7: pb_start_programming (PULSE_PR GRAM);
8: start=pb_inst( N|0x01, C NTINUE, 0, 200.0*ms); /*Bit 0 on, 200ms*/
9: pb_inst(0x00, BRANCH, start, 200.0*ms);/*All bits off, 200ms*/
10: pb_stop_programming();
11:
12: pb_start(); /*Start the board executing*/
13: pb_close(); /*Close the communication with the board*/

PulseBlasterESR-PRO
Using C Functions to Program the PulseBlasterESR-PRO
A series of functions have been written to control the board and facilitate the construction of pulse
program instructions. It should be noted that the pb_inst C function accepts any delay value greater than 10
ns. Since the clock period is 3.3 ns for a 300 MHz clock, values which are not integer multiples of the clock
will be rounded to the closest integer multiple.
In order to use these functions, the DLL spinapi.dll), the library file libspinapi.a for MinGW, spinapilibgcc
for Borland, and spinapi.lib for MSVC), and the header file spinapi.h), must be in the working directory of your
C compiler5.
int pb_init();
Initializes the PulseBlasterESR-PRO board. Needs to be called before calling any functions using the
device. It returns a 0 on success or a negative number on an error.
int pb_close();
Releases the PulseBlasterESR-PRO board. Needs to be called as last command in pulse program.
It returns a 0 on success or a negative number on an error.
void pb_core_clock(double clock_freq);
Used to set the clock frequency of the board. The variable clock_frequency is specified in MHz
when no units are entered. Valid units are MHz, kHz, and Hz.
int pb_start_programming(int device);
Used to initialize the system to receive programming information. It accepts a parameter referencing
the target for the instructions. The only valid value for device is PULSE_PROGRAM. It returns a 0
on success or a negative number on an error.
5 These functions and library files have been generated and tested with MinGW (www.mingw.com), Borland 5.5 (www.borland.com), MS
Visual Studio 2003 (msdn.microsoft.com) compilers.
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PulseBlasterESR-PRO
int pb_inst(int flags, int inst, int inst_data, double length);
Used to send one instruction of the pulse program. Should only be called after
pb_start_programming PULSE_PROGRAM) has been called. It returns a negative number on an
error, or the instruction number upon success. If the function returns –99, an invalid parameter was
passed to the function. Instructions are numbered starting at 0.
int flags – determines state of each TTL output bit. Valid values are 0x000000 to 0xFFFFFF. For
example, 0x000010 would correspond to bit 4 being on, and all other bits being off.
int inst – determines which type of instruction is to be executed. Please see Table 8 for details.
int inst_data – data to be used with the previous inst field. Please see Table 8 for details.
double length – duration of this pulse program instruction, specified in nanoseconds ns),
microseconds us) or milliseconds ms).
The largest value for the delay field of the pb_inst is 8589 ms (using a 500 MHz clock).
For longer delays, use the L NG_DELAY instruction (see Table 8). The maximum value for
the data field of the L NG_DELAY is 1048576. Even longer delays can be achieved using
the L NG_DELAY instruction inside of a loop.
int pb_stop_programming();
Used to tell that programming the board is complete. Board execution cannot start until this
command is received. It returns a 0 on success or a negative number on an error.
int pb_start();
Once board has been programmed, this instruction will start execution of pulse program. It returns a
0 on success or a negative number on an error.
int pb_stop();
Stop the Pulse Program execution. TTL outputs will either remain in their last state or return to zero,
depending on the firmware version of the board. It returns a 0 on success or a negative number on
an error.
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PulseBlasterESR-PRO
There are currently six example C programs available with the SpinAPI package in the PulseBlasterESR-
PRO directory.
Example Use of C Functions
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#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#define PBESRPR
#include "spinapi.h"
#define CL CK 400.0 // PulseBlaster core clock rate
int main (int argc, char **argv)
{
int start;
printf ("Copyright (c) 2010 SpinCore Technologies, Inc.\n\n");
printf("Using SpinAPI library version %s\n", pb_get_version());
if (pb_init () != 0) {
printf ("Error initializing board: %s\n", pb_get_error());
system("pause");
}
// Tell driver what clock frequency the board uses
pb_core_clock(CL CK);
// Prepare the board to receive pulse program instructions
pb_start_programming(PULSE_PR GRAM);
// Instruction 0 - Continue to instruction 1 in 20ns. The lower 4 bits
// (all BNC connectors) will be driving high. For PBESR-PR boards,
// or-ing THREE_PERI D with the flags causes a 3 period short
// pulse to be used.
start = pb_inst(THREE_PERI D | 0xF, C NTINUE, 0, 20.0 * ns);
// Instruction 1 - Continue to instruction 2 in 40ns
// The BNC1-3 will be driving high the entire 40ns.
pb_inst( N | 0xE, C NTINUE, 0, 40.0 * ns);
// Instruction 2 - Branch to "start" (Instruction 0) in 40ns
// utputs are off
pb_inst(0, BRANCH, start, 40.0 * ns);
pb_stop_programming(); // Finished sending instructions
pb_reset();
pb_start(); // Trigger the pulse program
// End communication with PulseBlasterESR-PR board. The pulse program
// will continue to run even after this is called.
pb_close();
return 0;
}

PulseBlasterESR-PRO
IV. Connecting to the PulseBlasterESR-PRO
The PulseBlasterESR-PRO functionality is available on SP18A, SP49, SP56 boards, SP47, and SP51
USB rackmounts. The connectors for the PulseBlasterESR-PRO boards and USB rackmounts are explained
below in their respective sections.
Connector Information for PulseBlasterESR-PRO Boards
On the PCI SP18A) and PCIe boards SP49, SP56), there are four main connector banks: the BNC
headers, the IDC headers, the SMA headers, and the Trigger/Reset header. Please refer to the sections
below for detailed connector information.
BNC Headers
The four BNC headers provide access to the least significant four bits of the flag word. Bit 3 is
connected to the output farthest from the PCI or PCIe connector, and Bit 0 is connected to the connector
closest to the PCI or PCIe connector. Please note that the BNC connectors have the same configuration for
all board models.
If using a high input impedance oscilloscope to monitor the PulseBlasterESR-PRO's output via the
BNC connectors, place a resistor that matches the characteristic impedance of the transmission line in
parallel with the coaxial transmission line at the oscilloscope input e.g., a 50 Ω resistor with a 50 Ω
transmission line, see Figures 5, below, and 6 on the next page). When using an oscilloscope with an
adjustable bandwidth, set the bandwidth to as large as possible. Failure to do so may yield inaccurate
readouts on the oscilloscope.
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Figure 5: Left: BNC T-Adapter and Right: BNC 50 Ohm resistor.

PulseBlasterESR-PRO
IDC Headers or SP18A, SP49, and SP56
There are three IDC headers on SP18A, SP49, and SP56 boards, which provide access to all digital
21 outputs as well as the status bits. These are labeled on the SP18A board as Flag0..11_Out,
Flag12..23_Out and Flag24..35_Out. On the SP49 and SP56 boards, these are labeled as Flag0..11,
Flag12..23, Flag24..35. On each IDC header, the top row of pins 14-26) are grounds, and the signals
are carried on pins 1-13. The recommended mating connector for IDC header can be obtained through
Digi-Key Part Number: CKR26G-ND.
Each pin on an IDC header corresponds to a bit in the flag field of an instruction. The association
between bits and pins for the PCI and PCIe boards can be found in Table 1 and 2, respectively.
Alternatively, the IDC headers can be connected to IDC-MMCX adapter boards Figures 20 and 21)
which allow the use of MMCX cables. This enables the individual bits of the PulseBlasterESR-PRO to be
more easily accessed. Pin 1 on the MMCX adapters can be identified with a square pin.
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Figure 7: IDC header Pin-Out.
14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Figure 6: BNC T-Adapter on the oscilloscope with coaxial
transmission line connected on the left and BNC 50 Ohm resistor
connected on the right, to terminate the line.

PulseBlasterESR-PRO
The status pins are set or cleared based on the state of the PulseBlasterESR-PRO. For the SP18A
boards, the pins are located on IDC header Flag24...35, from pin 1 to pin 4. The status pins of the SP49
and SP56 boards are located on IDC header Flag24...35, from pin 1 to pin 3 and does not have a pin for
the Stopped status. Please refer to the Status Pins Description for additional information on the status
pins.
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Pin Assignments
Pin# Flag0..11 Flag12..23 Flag24..35
1 Bit 0 Bit 12 Reset
2 Bit 1 Bit 13 Running
3 Bit 2 Bit 14 Waiting
4 Bit 3 Bit 15 Unused
5 Bit 4 Bit 16 Unused
6 Bit 5 Bit 17 Unused
7 Bit 6 Bit 18 Unused
8 Bit 7 Bit 19 Unused
9 Bit 8 Bit 20 Unused
10 Bit 9 Bit 21 Unused
11 Bit 10 Bit 22 Unused
12 Bit 11 Bit 23 Unused
13 Unused Unused Unused
14-26 Ground Ground Ground
Table 2: IDC connector pin outs for SP49 and SP56 boards.
Pin Assignments
Pin# Flag0..11 Flag12..23 Flag24..35
1 Bit 0 Bit 12 Stopped
2 Bit 1 Bit 13 Reset
3 Bit 2 Bit 14 Running
4 Bit 3 Bit 15 Waiting
5 Bit 4 Bit 16 Unused
6 Bit 5 Bit 17 Unused
7 Bit 6 Bit 18 Unused
8 Bit 7 Bit 19 Unused
9 Bit 8 Bit 20 Unused
10 Bit 9 Bit 21 Unused
11 Bit 10 Bit 22 Unused
12 Bit 11 Bit 23 Unused
13 Unused Unused Unused
14-26 Ground Ground Ground
Table 1: IDC connector pin outs for SP18A boards.

9 7 5 3 1
10 8 6 4 2
PulseBlasterESR-PRO
Connector Locations or the SP18A board
SMA Headers or SP18A
The eight SMA headers provide access to the flag bits 4 through 11. SMA0, the header closest to the
BNC headers, corresponds to flag bit 4. SMA7, the header furthest from the BNC header, corresponds to
flag bit 11.
HW_Trig/Reset Header or SP18A
This is an input connector for hardware triggering HW_Trigger) and resetting HW_Reset). Pins 8
and 10 are the HW_Reset and HW_Trigger pins, respectively. Pins 2, 4, and 6 are reserved. Pins 1, 3, 5,
7, and 9 are all grounds. The part number for this header is 5103308-1. Please refer to the Hardware
Reset and Hardware Trigger sections for more information on these hardware pins.
CAUTION: Applying voltages to the input pins that are greater than 3.3 V or less than 0 V will
damage the PulseBlasterESR-PRO.
http://www.spincore.com 20 2022/09/27
Figure 9: HW_Trig/Reset Header Pin-Out SP18A).
Figure 8: Connector Locations SP18A).
HW_TRIG/RESET
SMA7SMA6SMA5SMA4SMA3SMA2SMA1
SMA0
Flag24..35 Out
Flag12..23 OutFlag0...11 Out
BNC3
BNC2
BNC1
BNC0