About This Manual; Organization Of This Manual - National Instruments ER-8 User Manual

About This Manual

This manual describes the electrical and mechanical aspects of the ER-8 and ER-16 and contains
information concerning their setup, operation, and safety. Both the ER-8 and ER-16 are single-
pole double-throw (SPDT) relay accessories for use with other data acquisition (DAQ) products.
The ER-8 has eight channels; the ER-16 has 16 channels.
Throughout this manual, ER-8/16 refers to either the ER-8 or ER-16, unless otherwise noted.
The ER-8/16 interfaces to any National Instruments DAQ device with digital I/O capabilities for
the Macintosh and PC/XT/AT (AT Series, Lab) computers. More specifically, the National
Instruments product families that interface with the ER-8/16 are the DIO-24, DIO-32, Lab,
E Series, MIO, DAQCards, and 1200 Series devices.
This accessory is designed for low-cost control applications in laboratory testing, production
testing, and industrial process monitoring and control.

Organization of This Manual

The ER-8/16 User Manual is organized as follows:
• Chapter 1, Introduction, describes the ER-8/16; lists what you need to get started and
optional equipment; describes software support; and explains how to unpack the ER-8/16.
• Chapter 2, Setup, describes how to set up the ER-8/16.
• Chapter 3, Signal Connections, describes the signal connections, channel connections, and
digital interface to the ER-8/16.
• Chapter 4, Theory of Operation, contains a functional overview of the ER-8/16 and explains
the operation of each functional unit making up the ER-8/16.
• Appendix A, Specifications, lists the specifications of the ER-8/16.
• Appendix B, I/O Connectors, contains the connector pinouts and pin descriptions for the
ER-8/16.
• Appendix C, Contact Protection, contains technical data on contact protection when you are
switching inductive loads.
• Appendix D, Takamisawa VE Series Relay Technical Data, contains a manufacturer data
sheet for the relay used on the ER-8/16.
• Appendix E, Customer Communication, contains forms you can use to request help from
National Instruments or to comment on our products.
• The Glossary contains an alphabetical list and description of terms used in this manual,
including abbreviations, acronyms, metric prefixes, mnemonics, symbols, and terms.
© National Instruments Corporation ix ER-8/16 User Manual