TAMS 1800 Series Guide

TAMS 1800 Series
USB Controlled Switches
Installation & Operation
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TAMS 1800 Series USB Controlled Switches
Installation & Operation
Test & Measurement Systems Inc.
750 14th Street SW
Loveland, Colorado 80537
USA
Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]
Web Site www.tamsinc.com
Copyright © Test & Measurement Systems Inc. 2005
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Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................... 5
Hardware Warranty......................................................................................................... 6
Install the software first.................................................................................................... 7
System requirements....................................................................................................... 7
Then connect the hardware.............................................................................................. 8
Controlling Switches with the TAMS Switch Front Panel............................................ 8
Start the GUI...................................................................................................................8
Printing.......................................................................................................................... 10
Changing colors ............................................................................................................ 10
Resource names or Descriptors..................................................................................... 10
Error messages.............................................................................................................. 11
Hardware Installation .................................................................................................... 11
Installation Requirements and Options......................................................................... 11
USB Power Considerations........................................................................................... 12
Connecting switches to other switches ......................................................................... 12
Connecting switches to your Product Under Test......................................................... 12
Connecting switches to instruments.............................................................................. 13
Grounding and Signal Integrity .................................................................................... 13
Writing test programs .................................................................................................... 14
Direct IO ....................................................................................................................... 14
IVI Device Specific Driver / National Instruments LabWindows................................ 15
IVI Driver / National Instruments LabWindows .......................................................... 16
National Instruments LabVIEW ................................................................................... 17
Appendix A: Installation Reference.............................................................................. 19
Appendix B: Error Messages........................................................................................ 21
Appendix C: Software License Agreement.................................................................. 22
Warranty Information.................................................................................................... 24
Safety................................................................................................................................ 25
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Declaration of Conformity ............................................................................................. 27
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Introduction
The TAMS 1800 Series USB Controlled Switches provide a flexible, scalable switching
solution for functional test.
Switches are available in multiplexer, matrix, and general-purpose configurations. Each
switch can be used stand-alone, or they can be combined to build larger and more
complex configurations. The easiest way to combine switches is via the “Analog Bus”, a
common set of connections on the rear of each module. These Analog Bus connections
can be daisy chained together with simple flex cables or ribbon cables. The Analog Bus
contains a 4 wire signal path, Trigger In and Trigger Out, and a Product Under Test
Common/Ground.
All signal switches contain a Product Under Test Common/Ground design that provides
for many ground connections, wide ground planes under all user signals, and complete
isolation between the Product Under Test Common/Ground and the PC/USB ground.
Software is provided for a Graphical User Interface and a VXIplug&play driver and an
IVI Switch Class driver. The switches are USBTMC (Universal Serial Bus, Test and
Measurement Class) devices, so they can be directly controlled with SPCI (Standard
Commands for Programmable Instruments) commands via a traditional instrument IO
library such as SICL or VISA. This allows a user to write test programs in virtually any
language or environment, include NI TestStand, NI LabVIEW, NI LabWindows, Agilent
VEE, Microsoft VisualBASIC, C, C++, etc.
The Graphical User Interface provides interactive control and readback of each device.
This is very useful for debugging, since the GUI shows the state of each device even
while a user-written test program is controlling the device.
The TAMS 1800 Series Switches connects to a PC through a standard USB cable. Both
USB 1.1 and 2.0 are supported. The TAMS 1800 Series Switches operates at USB Full
Speed.
This manual explains the common aspects of each switch. An addendum for each switch
explains the switch specifics. The TAMS Application Note “AN-1801: Switching in the
real world” explains how to build a practical switching system from the TAMS 18xx
switch building blocks.
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Please observe all safety precautions listed at the end of this manual.
Note: all specifications are subject to change without notice.
Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks
of their respective companies or mark holders.
Hardware Warranty
All TAMS products use the highest quality components and are assembled to the highest
specifications. Should a defect exist, or a failure occur, we apologize. Any defective unit
will be repaired or replaced immediately.
Please follow the instructions below for service response.
• In the US please return it to TAMS. Please call or Fax for return instructions.
• Internationally, please contact the local distributor for return instructions.
Any customer may contact TAMS, or return products directly to TAMS, but for
customers outside the US, this may cause a delay, which could be avoided by working
with the local distributor.
The complete hardware warranty information is in the back of this manual.
For software warranty information see the Software License in Appendix D.
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Install the software first
System requirements.
The TAMS 1800 software requires all of the following:
• Microsoft Windows 2000 or Microsoft Windows XP
• Color display resolution of at least 1024 x 768 for the Graphical User Interface
• Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.01 or later
• Microsoft .NET Framework version 1.1
• Adobe PDF reader
• Either one of the following IO libraries: 1
o National Instruments VISA library
o Agilent IO Libaries Version M or newer
1. Insert the installation media into the drive and wait for the busy light to remain off.
2. If the installation does not start automatically, then click Start / Run… and then type
D:setup.exe
where D: is the CD-ROM drive. This will install the Microsoft .NET Framework on
the PC, if needed, and then install the TAMS 1800 Series software.
3. The Adobe PDF Reader can be downloaded for free from www.adobe.com.
The software will be copied to the hard drive and the PC will be configured to recognize
your device when it is first plugged into the USB.
If you are going to use the VXIplug&play or IVI driver, that driver and some supporting
software must be installed as well. The supporting software is called the “NI IVI
Compliance Package (ICP)”, and it is available for free download from National
Instruments at www.ni.com/ivi/ivi_prod.htm.
1Do NOT install both the NI and Agilent IO libraries on the same controller.
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After installing the ICP, install the VXIplug&play or IVI driver by selecting Start /
TAMS 1800 Series Switch Software / Drivers and selecting your driver from the list.
You are now ready to connect the hardware.
Then connect the hardware
Be certain that the software is installed before the hardware.
1. Connect the TAMS 18xx device to the host PC or USB hub via the supplied USB
cable. The PC will detect new USB hardware and will automatically configure
and load the USBTMC driver, since that was installed above.
2. The activity light on the front of the TAMS 18xx will flicker.
You are now ready to verify operation with the TAMS 18xx Switch Front Panel. For
more detailed hardware installation, see “Hardware Installation”.
Controlling Switches with the TAMS Switch Front Panel
This chapter will walk through the Graphical User Interface (or GUI) in order to explore
its functions.
Start the GUI
Start the GUI by selecting Start / Programs / TAMS 1800 Series Switch Software /
TAMS Switch Front Panel. The GUI will start and display a window for each TAMS
1800 switch found. If your switch does not appear, click View/Refresh on the menu.
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If no TAMS switch is connected, select File / New to bring up a new device window.
The device window shows the switches and their interconnects, and always shows the
current state of each switch. To operate a switch, simply click on it with the mouse.
Printing
Selecting File / Print… will print each window on a separate page.
Changing colors
Selecting Tools / Options … allows changing the colors of the GUI.
Resource names or Descriptors
Resource Names or Resource Descriptors are used to identify the switch device when
writing your test program. Selecting Tools / Resource Name… shows the Resource
Name for the currently active device. Click “Yes” to copy this string to the clipboard.
Then paste the string into the development environment for your test program. For
example, the following function call to viOpen in VISA will open the device with serial
number SN1805-00001.
status = viOpen(resource_manager_handle,
“USB0::0x142E::0x1805::SN1805-00001::INSTR”,
VI_NULL, VI_NULL, vi)
For more information on writing your test program, see “Writing Test Programs”.
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Error messages
The blank area of the window will show any error messages from the device. Note that
the error message will continue to be displayed until the error string is read via the
“SYST:ERR?” query, or the message is cleared by clicking on the red area.
Hardware Installation
Installation Requirements and Options
This product must be mounted to an earth grounded rack or chassis.
In general, the switches can be mounted either above a deck or chassis, or behind a
bulkhead or panel in a chassis. Devices should not be mounted closer than 1.2” center to
center. There are threaded inserts for #6 Machine Screws on two different sides. The
screws may protrude a maximum 0.25” inside of the product.
The bottom surface provides two mounting holes 1.75” (or one “Rack Unit”) apart, for
mounting to the side rack rails of a 19” rack. These can also be used to mount on a deck
inside of a chassis.
The front surface provides two mounting holes, which can be used to mount the product
behind a panel or bulkhead in your chassis or fixture box. The file dimension.pdf
contains a drawing showing basic dimensions for panel mounting. See
Help/Documentation/dimension.pdf.
Depending upon the switch configuration, each switch device will draw a minimum of
approximately 30mA and a maximum of approximately 450mA, so you may have to use
powered USB hubs to supply this level of current.
The switch devices operate with USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 full speed.
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USB Power Considerations
The TAMS 1800 Series Switches are powered from the USB bus. This power must
always be applied, otherwise the switches would lose their state. Therefore, power
management should be disabled in applications where the switches cannot be powered
down. Power management on the PC can be disabled via Power Options in the Windows
Control Panel.
Connecting switches to other switches
TAMS 1800A series switches can be interconnected via the “Analog Bus” on the rear of
each unit. This bus contains four analog lines, two grounds or commons, a trigger in, and
a trigger out. The switches can be “daisy-chained” together until you run out of USB
devices (127 max, 5 levels of hubs).
An example part number for the interconnect cable is Digi-Key A9BBG-0803F-ND.
For operation above 42V, note that a second level of insulation is required for this
interconnect cable. Typically, the switches will be mounted inside of a chassis or rack,
which could provide the necessary screw access for the second level of insulation.
With most signal switches, there would be a concern about connecting too many switches
together, as the signal path capacitance increases, especially for large matrix switches.
Note, however, that for the TAMS 18xx switches, each switch can be separately
connected or disconnected from the “Analog Bus”, greatly reducing stray capacitance.
For more information, see TAMS Application Note “AN 1801: Switching in the real
world.”
Connecting switches to your Product Under Test
The various switch modules have a variety of different connectors to make connections
out to your product under test. The switch modules that use high density “D-
subminiature” connections can easily be mated to standard cables available from www.l-
com.com or other vendors. The switch modules that use screw terminal blocks are easily
connected with custom wiring. Note that a second level of insulation must be provided
for custom cabling that contains any voltages above 42V.
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For more information, see TAMS Application Note “AN 1801: Switching in the real
world.”
Connecting switches to instruments
There are two ways to connect the switches to your instruments. The first is via the
Analog Bus on the rear of the switches. A cable is provided which will allow
application-specific connection from the Analog Bus to instruments. Note that for
signals above 42V, a second level of insulation must be provided. Typically, the
switches will be mounted inside of a chassis or rack, which could provide the necessary
screw access for the second level.
The second method of connecting switches to instruments is via the front panel
connectors. D-subminiature cables and connectors are so common that there are a variety
of ways to make these connections, including building them up from crimped pins or
adapting molded cables.
Trigger in/trigger out connections are made via the Analog bus. The Trigger Out is
pulled up to 5V nominal by a 3.3K Ohm resistor. When a TAMS 18xx sends a Trigger
Out, the line is driven low for 2-4uS. The Trigger In is falling edge active. Typical
connections are:
TAMS 18xx Digital Voltmeter
Trigger Out Trigger In
Trigger In Voltmeter Complete/Trigger Out
For more information, see TAMS Application Note “AN 1801: Switching in the real
world.”
Grounding and Signal Integrity
The TAMS 1800 Series signal switches were designed for high signal integrity. The
“Analog Common” or “A-Common” terminals are intended to connect with the ground of
the Product Under Test. Starting with the front connections, there is an Analog Common
pin for each signal pin, allowing twisted pair cabling out to your Product Under Test.
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These A-Common pins are all connected to a ground plane that runs beneath all the
signal paths on the circuit board. This ground plan is also connected to the rear “Analog
Bus” A-Common connections.
This A-Common signal is completely isolated from the PC/USB ground.
Writing test programs
There are a number of ways to write a test program to control the TAMS 1800 Series
Switches. They provide trade-offs in throughput, features, and integration into your
existing test programming environment.
Direct IO
Direct IO is the fastest method of controlling the switch, and it allows the most flexible
access to all features of the switch. Direct IO requires using an IO library such as VISA
or SICL, available from NI or Agilent. Applications like NI LabVIEW and Agilent VEE
also support Direct IO.
The SCPI (Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments) and IEEE 448.2
commands are used to control the switch, providing some compatibility and familiarity if
you have experience with other switch products.
The basic commands are OPEN, CLOSE, and OPEN ALL. For example,
OPEN (@1) -- open relay number 1
OPEN (@1:5) -- open relays 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
OPEN (@1, 2, 3, 10:15, 60)
-- open relays 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 60
CLOSE (@1) -- close relay number 1
CLOSE (@1:5) -- close relays 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
CLOSE (@1, 2, 3, 10:15, 60)
-- close relays 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, & 60
OPEN ALL -- open every relay on the device
The OPEN and CLOSE commands reference relay numbers, not pin or terminal numbers.
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For a simple example showing the basic commands, see Example1.vb or Example1.cpp
or Example1.vi or Example1.vee. See Help/Examples in the TAMS 18xx Switch Front
Panel.
To learn the complete command set, see the menu Help/Documentation/Direct IO.pdf in
the TAMS 18xx Switch Front Panel.
IVI Device Specific Driver / National Instruments LabWindows
The IVI Device Specific Driver (or VXIplug&play-style driver) provides a slightly
higher level of access to the commands, allowing you to ignore the detailed syntax of
command strings. However, the advanced features of the switch, such as interrupts /
service requests and scanning, are not supported in this driver model.
Note that IVI Device Specific drivers may not be re-usable with other devices, since the
name of the device is “hard-coded” into the function calls. If this is an issue for your
application, see the IVI driver below.
IVI uses a “connect pin to pin” model, and therefore refers to the pin or terminal names
rather than the relay names. IVI calls the product pin or terminals “channels”.
Consider this example for a TAMS 1805A card. This example is written in “C” using
National Instruments LabWindows.
static ViStatus s; // Status returned from calls
static ViSession h; // Instrument handle
s = ts1805a_init (
"USB0::0x142E::0x1805::SN1805-00001::INSTR",
VI_TRUE, // Query the device
VI_TRUE, // Reset the device
&h);
ts1805a_Connect (h, "1", "1c"); // Close relay 1
s = ts1805a_close (h);
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The call to “ts1805a_Connect” connects channel “1” with channel “1c”. In other words,
it closes relay 1. This call opens relay 1:
ts1805a_Connect (h, "1", "1o");
If you are going to use the IVI driver, that driver and some supporting software must be
installed as well. The supporting software is called the “NI IVI Compliance Package
(ICP)”, and it is available for free download from National Instruments at
www.ni.com/ivi/ivi_prod.htm.
After installing the ICP, install the IVI driver by selecting Start / TAMS 1800 Series
Switch Software / Drivers and selecting your driver from the list.
Note that calls of the form
ts1805a_Connect (h, "1", "1c"); // Close relay 1
dvm_Read (dvm, &reading); // Read from DVM
are likely to fail, because the _Connect call returns before the switches are debounced.
See the functions ts1805_IsDebounced and ts1805_WaitForDebounce in
example-ivi.c for sample code to synchronize the switching with other instrument
operations.
For a simple example showing the IVI driver, see example-ivi.c. To learn the complete
IVI driver, load the files in the TS1805A subdirectory (usually installed at C:\Program
Files\IVI) into NI LabWindows and explore the detailed help of the “Function Panel”.
IVI Driver / National Instruments LabWindows
The IVI Driver provides the highest level of access to the commands, and provides some
degree of code reuse via device portability. However, the advanced features of the
switch, such as interrupts / service requests and scanning, are not supported in the IVI
driver model.
Please review the previous section on the IVI Device Specific Driver, as the IVI Driver is
built on the IVI Device Specific driver, and therefore uses the same connection model,
installation requirements, and debounce synchronization requirements.
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Consider this example code. This was developed in National Instruments LabWindows,
using the IVISwtch driver.
static ViStatus s; // Status returned from calls
static ViSession h; // Instrument handle
s = IviSwtch_init (
“SwitchLogicalName”,
// Set the Logical_name using NI’s MAX –
// Measurement and Automation Explorer
VI_TRUE, // Query the device
VI_TRUE, // Reset the device
&h);
IviSwtch_Connect (h, "1", "1c"); // Close relay 1
s = IviSwtch_close (h);
For a simple example showing the IVI driver, see example-ivi.c. To learn the complete
IVI Swtch driver, load the files in the IviSwtch subdirectory (usually installed at
C:\Program Files\IVI) into NI LabWindows and explore the detailed help of the
“Function Panel”.
National Instruments LabVIEW
There are two methods to program the TAMS Switches in LabVIEW. The first is to use
Direct IO commands sent directly to the device. See the Direct IO section above for
more information on this method.
The second method is to convert the supplied IVI driver to a LabVIEW driver and
program calls to this converted driver. For this method, follow these steps:
1. Install the IVI driver as described above in section “IVI Device Specific Driver”.
2. Create a LabVIEW driver from the IVI driver.
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a. In the LabVIEW block diagram window, select menu Tools /
Instrumentation / Import CVI driver
b. Import the .fp file for your device (typically at C:\Program
Files\IVI\Drivers\ts18??.fp, where ?? is the model number of your device)
c. In the dialog box “CVI Functional Panel Converter”, browse to the correct
DLL file (typically at C:\Program Files\IVI\Bin\ts18??, where ?? is the
model number of your device)
d. Click OK twice
3. Create a LabVIEW block diagram that calls this converted driver
a. From the Functions Palette, choose Input / Instr drivers, and then choose
your device.
b. Place Initialize, Connect, Close, and other functions in your program as
needed.
c. Use the TAMS Switch Front Panel / Tools /Resource Name to copy the
resource name to the clipboard
d. Paste the resource name into a string constant to be input to the Initialize
function.
An example program is shown in example1.vi. It uses the LabVIEW sequencer to first
Initialize the device, then connect channels “1” and “1c”, then wait 1000 ms, then
disconnect channels “1” and “1c”, and then close the device.
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Appendix A: Installation Reference
The installation procedure places files in the following directories.
The default install_dir is C:\Program Files\TAMS\TAMS 1800 Series Switch Software.
The default IVI or VXIplug&play directory is C:\Program Files\IVI
Table 1
File Location Description
TAMS18xx.exe install_dir Graphical User Interface
Installation and
Operation.pdf
install_dir This manual.
TAMS18xx.pdf install_dir Manual for the specific switch
*.c, *.h, *.vb, *.vee, *.vi install_dir\Examples Example programs
TS18xxa.msi install_dir\Drivers VXIplug&play and IVI driver
install package
TS18xx.dll IVI_dir\bin IVI / VXIplug&play driver
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TS18xx.h IVI_dir\include IVI / VXIplug&play driver
include file
TS18xx.lib IVI_dir\lib\msc IVI / VXIplug&play driver
library
TS18xx.c IVI_dir\Drivers\ts18xxa Driver source code
TS18xx.fp IVI_dir\Drivers\ts18xxa NI LabWindows function panel
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