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AlazarTech ATS850 User Manual

8 bit, 50 ms/s waveform digitizer for pci bus
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ATS850 User Manual
8 Bit, 50 MS/s
Waveform Digitizer for PCI Bus
Written for Hardware Version 1.3
October 2007 Edition
Part Number: 850-USR-5

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  • Page 1 ATS850 User Manual 8 Bit, 50 MS/s Waveform Digitizer for PCI Bus Written for Hardware Version 1.3 October 2007 Edition Part Number: 850-USR-5...
  • Page 3 Kirkland, Quebec Canada H9H 3C4 Telephone: (514) 633-0001 Fax: (514) 633-0021 E-mail: info@alazartech.com Web site: www.alazartech.com To comment on the documentation for ATS850, send e-mail to support@alazartech.com. Information required when contacting AlazarTech for technical support: Owned by: ___________________________ Serial Number:...

  • Page 4: Important Information

    Important Information Warranty The ATS850 is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of shipment, as evidenced by receipts or other documentation. AlazarTech, Inc. will, at its option, repair or replace equipment that proves to be defective during the warranty period.
  • Page 5 ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFYING AND VALIDATING THE SUITABILITY OF ALAZARTECH INC. PRODUCTS WHENEVER ALAZARTECH, INC. PRODUCTS ARE INCORPORATED IN A SYSTEM OR APPLICATION, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE APPROPRIATE DESIGN, PROCESS AND SAFETY LEVEL OF SUCH SYSTEM OR APPLICATION. ATS850 User Manual...

  • Page 6: Federal Communications Commission

    Canadian Department of Communications This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference- Causing Equipment Regulations. Cet appareil numérique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada. ATS850 User Manual...

  • Page 7: Environmental Compliance

    Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. All manufacturing has been done using RoHS-compliant components and lead-free soldering. ATS850 User Manual...

  • Page 8: Table Of Contents

    Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION ..........1 About Your ATS850 ..............2 Acquiring Data with Your ATS850..........3 Interactively Controlling your ATS850 with AlazarDSO ...4 ATS-SDK API ................5 ATS-VI LabVIEW VI..............5 ATS-Linux .................6 Optional Upgrades ...............7 CHAPTER 2 - INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION...8 What You Need to Get Started ............9...

  • Page 9: Chapter 1 - Introduction

    Chapter 1 - Introduction This chapter describes the ATS850 and lists additional equipment. ATS850 User Manual...

  • Page 10: About Your Ats850

    About Your ATS850 Thank you for your purchase of an ATS850. The ATS850 PCI based waveform digitizer has the following features: • Two 8-bit resolution analog input channels • Half length PCI bus card • Real-time sampling rate of 50 MS/s to 10 KS/s •...

  • Page 11: Acquiring Data With Your Ats850

    You can acquire data either programmatically by writing an application for your ATS850 or interactively with the AlazarDSO software. If you want to integrate the ATS850 in your test and measurement or embedded OEM application, you can program the digitizer using C/C++, Visual BASIC or LabVIEW.

  • Page 12: Interactively Controlling Your Ats850 With Alazardso

    Interactively Controlling your ATS850 with AlazarDSO The AlazarDSO Soft Front Panel allows you to interactively control your ATS850 as you would a desktop oscilloscope. To launch the Scope Soft Front Panel, select Start » Programs » AlazarTech » AlazarDSO The following screen will be displayed. If you connect the input to a signal generator and click on Start button, you should see the signal on the screen.

  • Page 13: Ats-Sdk Api

    ATS-SDK API The ATS-SDK API is used for programming the ATS850 in C/C++ or Visual BASIC. It provides the exact same API that is used for writing AlazarDSO software. To help you get started, ATS-SDK comes with examples you can use or modify.

  • Page 14: Ats-Linux

    ATS-Linux ATS-Linux allows you to integrate the ATS850 into a Linux application written in C. Linux drivers are provided as a binary file, whereas all sample programs are supplied in C source code. Compatible with kernel versions up to and including 2.6.

  • Page 15: Optional Upgrades

    Optional Upgrades AlazarTech offers the following upgrades and accessories for use with your ATS850 digitizer: • ATS850: External Clock Upgrade • ATS850: Master/Slave SyncBoard 2 position • ATS850: Master/Slave SyncBoard 4 position • ATS850: Master/Slave SyncBoard 8 position • ATS850: Trigger Out Upgrade...

  • Page 16: Chapter 2 - Installation And Configuration

    Chapter 2 - Installation and Configuration This chapter describes how to unpack, install, and configure your ATS850. ATS850 User Manual...

  • Page 17: What You Need To Get Started

    What You Need to Get Started To set up and use your ATS850, you will need the following: • One or more ATS850 digitizers • ATS850 Install Disk • For Master/Slave operation only: SyncBoard of appropriate width SyncBoard 2X for up to 2 digitizers...
  • Page 18 SyncBoard 4X for up to 4 digitizers SyncBoard 8X for up to 8 digitizers ATS850 User Manual...

  • Page 19: Unpacking

    Notify AlazarTech if the digitizer appears damaged in any way. Do not install a damaged digitizer into your computer. • Never touch the exposed pins of the connectors. ATS850 User Manual...

  • Page 20: Installing The Ats850

    There are four main steps involved in installation: 1. Physically install the digitizer(s) and SyncBoard, if any, in your computer 2. Install ATS850 software driver, when prompted 3. Install AlazarDSO software that allows you to setup the hardware, acquire signals and view and archive them 4.
  • Page 21 1. Physically install the digitizer in your computer Make sure that your computer is powered off before you attempt to insert the ATS850 digitizer in one of the free PCI slots. For best noise performance, leave as much room as possible between your ATS850 and other hardware.
  • Page 22 For Master/Slave Installation If you are installing multiple ATS850 digitizers that will be configured as a Master/Slave system, make sure that you insert all cards in adjacent slots. The connector on the SyncBoard that is labeled as “M” (Master), must be inserted into the Master/Slave connector of the left-most digitizer, if you are facing the BNC connectors of the ATS850 digitizers.
  • Page 23 SyncBoard connectors must be on the right- hand side of the digitizers, if you are facing the BNC connectors of the ATS850 digitizers. Zoomed in, this should look as shown below: Once you have completed this step, you should power the computer on.
  • Page 24 2. Install ATS850 software driver, when prompted The following instructions guide you through the process of installing the ATS850 in a computer running Windows XP, Windows 2000 or Windows 98SE operating systems. Other operating systems, such as Windows NT, are not covered here.
  • Page 25 Installing ATS850 Driver In Windows 98SE When you first plug in an ATS850 digitizer into a computer, the plug-n-play Windows 98SE operating system will detect the presence of a new PCI card and ask you to provide the device driver.
  • Page 26 Operating system will display the Select a Device Driver dialog box again. Make sure the AlazarTech ATS850 PCI Digitizer is selected. Then click Next. g) Operating system will display the Update Driver Warning. This warning is meant to tell you that Windows does not recognize the hardware.
  • Page 27 Typically, you should be the Administrator for the computer you are installing device drivers on. When you first plug in an ATS850 digitizer into a computer, the plug-n-play Windows 2000 operating system will detect the presence of a new PCI card and ask you to provide the device driver.
  • Page 28 Operating system will display the Select a Device Driver dialog box again. Make sure the AlazarTech ATS850 PCI Digitizer is selected. Then click Next. h) Operating system will display the Update Driver Warning. This warning is meant to tell you that Windows does not recognize the hardware.
  • Page 29 Typically, you should be the Administrator for the computer you are installing device drivers on. When you first plug in an ATS850 digitizer into a computer, the plug-n-play Windows XP/Vista operating system will detect the presence of a new PCI card and ask you to provide the device driver.
  • Page 30 Operating system will display the Install from Disk dialog box Make sure the path points to D:\, or wherever the ATS850.INF file resides. If you are using a floppy disk or a CD, make sure the disk is inserted in the drive.
  • Page 31 • Insert the ATS850 Install disk • Use Windows Explorer to navigate to the appropriate AlazarDSO folder on the ATS850 Install Disk. Run Setup.exe program. • Note that AlazarDSO is available in two versions: 32-bit and 64-bit. Please install the version appropriate for your operating system.
  • Page 32 If, for any reason, installation does not start automatically, run the SETUP.EXE program. Follow the instructions on the screen. Note that you must have already installed the ATS850 drivers for any of the sample programs included with the ATS-SDK or ATS-VI to work properly. ATS850 User Manual...

  • Page 33: Installing The Ats850 In A Linux System

    Installing the ATS850 in a Linux System ATS850 is fully compatible with the popular Linux operating system. AlazarTech supplies binary Linux drivers that have been compiled for Fedora Core 5 (kernel 2.6). Customers who require drivers for another version of Linux must contact the factory to obtain source code for the drivers (requires a Non-Disclosure Agreement).

  • Page 34: Compiling The Ats850 Linux Driver

    Compiling the ATS850 Linux Driver If you need to compile the ATS850 driver for a version of Linux other than Fedora Core 5, follow the following steps: 1. Install the Linux kernel header files. 2. Extract the driver sources using the command "tar xvfz PlxLinux-2006.01.10.tgz".

  • Page 35: Configuring Internet Security And Virus Protection Software To Allow Proper Operation Of Ats Class Digitizers

    PCI devices that have not been assigned to a software application by the user. Users of AlazarTech PCI digitizers must configure their security software to allow access to the PCI digitizers.
  • Page 36 Make sure AlazarTech hardware and software are fully functional • Re-install Norton Anti-Virus software AlazarTech PCI digitizer products are fully compatible with all internet security and anti-virus software. Users must make sure that their security software has been updated and configured properly. ATS850 User Manual...

  • Page 37: Updating Ats850 Driver

    These updates may be required for product enhancements or for bug fixes. This section of the manual takes you through the steps required to update the device driver for the ATS850 PCI digitizer. In other words, this section shows you how to install a newer version of the driver, when you already have a previous version of the driver installed on your machine.
  • Page 38 If more than one such devices are present, choose the first one in the list 5. This will open up the ATS850 Properties page 6. Click on the Driver tab 7. Click on Update Driver button near the bottom-right corner of the page 8.

  • Page 39: Chapter 3 - Hardware Overview

    Chapter 3 - Hardware Overview This chapter includes an overview of the ATS850, explains the operation of each functional unit making up your ATS850, and describes the signal connections. Following is a high- level block diagram of ATS850. CH A...

  • Page 40: Input Connectors

    Input Connectors These ATS850 digitizers have two standard BNC female connectors for CH A and CH B analog input connections, one standard BNC female connector for the EXT (External Trigger) input and one standard BNC female connector for the optional ECLK (External Clock) input.

  • Page 41: Signal Connections

    Use the EXT input for an external analog trigger only; data on the TRIG channel cannot be digitized. If External Clock Upgrade is installed on your ATS850, use the ECLK input for clocking the ATS850 in applications that require an external clock. Note that the frequency of the signal injected into the ECLK connector must remain between 50 MS/s and 10 KS/s.

  • Page 42: Analog Input

    For accurate measurements, make sure the signal being measured is referenced to the same ground as your ATS850 by attaching the probe’s ground clip to the signal ground. The EXTernal Trigger input has a programmable input range of ±5 V or ±1 V.

  • Page 43: Pipelined Adc

    Pipelined ADC The ADC on the ATS850 is a pipelined flash converter with a maximum conversion rate of 50 MS/s. If you use an external clock, you must provide a free-running clock to ensure reliable operation. You also must follow all the timing specifications on the external clock as described in Appendix A, Specifications.

  • Page 44: Specifying Pretrigger Depth

    Specifying Pretrigger Depth ATS850 acquires a certain number of samples, called the pretrigger depth, before it allows the trigger circuitry to operate, thereby guaranteeing that the required number of sample points will be captured before trigger occurs. User is allowed to set pretrigger depth for an acquisition session.

  • Page 45: Calibration

    Externally recalibrate the ATS850 when this calibration interval has expired. This requires three very simple steps: 1. Verify whether or not ATS850 is still within its specifications. If it is, then your calibration can be extended by another one-year period 2.

  • Page 46: Master/Slave Operation

    Master/Slave Operation You can use two or more ATS850 digitizers in one system to increase the number of channels for your application by synchronizing digitizers using the appropriate SyncBoard. Currently, up to 16 channel (8 board) systems are supported for ATS850. For higher channel counts, contact the factory for special system configuration.

  • Page 47: Restrictions

    Good Installation Bad Installation • You must connect the appropriate SyncBoard to all of the ATS850 digitizers in your system. Note that all SyncBoards are polarized, so you cannot make a mistake in inserting them • If you are using fewer than the maximum number of digitizers allowed by the SyncBoard, make sure that the connector labeled “M”...
  • Page 48 The presence of a SyncBoard is detected by the ATS850 driver when the ATSApi DLL is loaded. This DLL gets loaded when you run any application program written for ATS850. Examples of such application programs are AlazarDSO, one of the sample programs supplied with ATS-SDK or ATS-VI or any custom software written using ATS-SDK or ATS-VI.

  • Page 49: Optional Trigger Out Upgrade

    Such synchronization is almost essential if multiple acquisitions have to be averaged. ATS850 uses a high quality crystal-controlled clock oscillator as its timebase. It should be noted that crystal oscillators are one of the most reliable and repeatable types of clock source available.
  • Page 50 TRIGGER OUT ECHO SIGNAL (TRIG OUT OUTPUT) (CHA INPUT) Pulser- Receiver ULTRASONIC PROBE When connected as shown in the diagram above, the system works as follows: CLOCK TRIGGER TRIG OUT PULSER OUTPUT TRIGGER DELAY ECHO RECORD LENGTH ATS850 User Manual...

  • Page 51: Appendix A - Specifications

    Appendix A - Specifications This appendix lists the specifications of the ATS850. These specifications are typical at 25 °C unless otherwise stated. The operating temperature range is 0 to 50 °C. System Requirements Pentium based computer with at least one free PCI slot, 128 MB RAM, 20 MB of free hard disk space, SVGA display adaptor and monitor with at least an 800 x 600 resolution.
  • Page 52 Timebase options Internal Clock or External Clock (Optional) Internal Sample Rates 50 MS/s, 25 MS/s, 10 MS/s, 5 MS/s, 2 MS/s, 1 MS/s, 500 KS/s, 200 KS/s, 100KS/s, 50 KS/s, 20KS/s, 10KS/s Internal Clock accuracy ±100 ppm ATS850 User Manual...
  • Page 53 Dynamic Parameters Typical values measured using a randomly selected ATS850 in ±1V input range, DC coupling and 50Ω impedance. Input was provided by a HP8656A signal generator, followed by a 9-pole, 1 MHz band-pass filter. Input frequency was set at 1 MHz and amplitude was 650 mV rms (92% of full scale input).
  • Page 54 ±100mA. Capable of driving 5V into 50Ω Synchronization Clock Sampling Clock Certification and Compliances CE Mark Compliance Materials Supplied One ATS850 Digitizer One ATS850 Install Disk (CD) One ATS850 User Manual All specifications are subject to change without notice ATS850 User Manual...
  • Page 55 ATS850 User Manual...
  • Page 56 ATS850 User Manual...
  • Page 58 ALAZAR TECHNOLOGIES INC. 3551 St-Charles, Unit 640 Kirkland, QC CANADA H9H 3C4 Tel: (514) 633-0001 Fax: (514) 633-0021 E-mail: info@alazartech.com Web: www.alazartech.com...

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