Configuring The Hardware; Differential Input Mode - Measurement Computing PCI-DAS6013 User Manual

PCI-DAS6013 and PCI-DAS6014 User's Guide
3. To test your installation and configure your board, run the InstaCal utility you
installed in the previous section. Refer to the Software Installation Manual that
came with your board (www.mccdaq.com/PDFmanuals/sm-installation.pdf) for
information on how to initially set up and load InstaCal.
4. Allow your computer to warm up for at least 15 minutes before acquiring data with
this board. The high speed components used on the board generates heat, and it
takes this amount of time for a board to reach steady state if it has been powered off
for a significant amount of time.

Configuring the hardware

All hardware configuration options on the PCI-DAS6013 and PCI-DAS6014 are
software controlled. You can select some of the configuration options using InstaCal,
such as digital channel configuration (input or output). Once selected, any program that
uses the Universal Library initializes the hardware according to these selections.
Following is an overview of the available hardware configuration options for this board.
There is additional general information regarding analog signal connection and
configuration in the Guide to Signal Connections (available on our web site at
www.mccdaq.com/signals/signals.pdf).

Differential input mode

When all channels are configured for differential input mode, eight analog input
channels are available. In this mode, the input signal is measured with respect to the low
input. The input signal is delivered through three wires:
The wire carrying the signal to be measured connects to CH# IN HI.
The wire carrying the reference signal connects to CH# IN LO.
The third wire is connected to LLGND.
Differential input mode is the preferred configuration for applications in noisy
environments, or when the signal source is referenced to a potential other than PC
ground.
2-4
Installing the Board