Keithley KPCMCIA-12AIAOH, User Manual, Page: 12 / 58

1-2 Introduction KPCMCIA-12AIAOH User’s Manual
Getting started
The KPCMCIA-12AIAOH PC card is a PCMCIA type II data acquisition system with four dif-
ferential or eight single-ended analog input channels. The number of input channels can be
expanded to 128 with input expansion cards. Each channel has a bipolar input range from ±0.01V
(gain = 1000), ±0.1V (gain =100), ±1V (gain =10), and ±10V (gain = 1) with programmable gains
of 1, 10, 100, and 1000. The KPCMCIA-12AIAOH PC card supports sampling rates up to 100
kHz at either 12-bit or 16-bit resolution.
Equipped with a data FIFO of 2048 samples, the KPCMCIA-12AIAOH PC card can achieve full
speed data acquisition under Windows 95/98 and Windows NT. It also has a scan FIFO of the
same size that supports full-speed, random-order channel scanning and gain selection for all the
input channels (up to 128 channels when using the input expansion cards).
The KPCMCIA-12AIAOH PC card has a 24-bit pacer clock and a programmable divided-by-2,
by-10, or by-100 pre-scaler. The pacer clock can also be used with an external clock source. With
the 10MHz internal clock source, the pacer clock can generate accurate sampling rates from
0.006Hz to 100kHz.
The KPCMCIA-12AIAOH PC cards are also equipped with two independent 12-bit D/A output
channels with a bipolar output range from -5 to +5V. The D/A channels can be updated directly
when writing to the corresponding D/A port (direct mode) or simultaneously when a synchroni-
zation signal (timer overflow, gate control goes low to high, or pacer clock fires) comes.
The analog trigger and pre-trigger are two new features added to the KPCMCIA-12AIAOH PC
cards. One of the D/A channels (channel 1) can be used to set up the analog trigger level anywhere
in the full input range of the A/D converter (±10V). The pre-trigger mode, when enabled, keeps
the most recently received data samples in the data FIFO before the actual trigger comes so these
samples can be recorded together with those after the trigger.
The 16-bit timer/counter with auto-reload and read-out latch provides independent timing for the
D/A channels. It can also be used as an independent timer/counter for other purposes. The timer/
counter operates with internal or external clock sources and with internal or external gate control.
Its latched read-out guarantees the integrity whenever the timer/counter’s content is referenced.
The KPCMCIA-12AIAOH PC card also has four digital input and four digital output channels,
all are TTL compatible, which may be used for controlling or monitoring in addition to analog
data acquisition.
The DriverLINX software drivers provided support various programming languages including
Visual C/C++, Visual Basic and Delphi. A Dynamic Link Library (DLL) is provided for all types
of programming languages under Microsoft Windows and Visual Basic Controls (VBX). The
KPCMCIA-12AIAOH PC card also has turn-key software support for TestPoint with optional
software support for LabView.
The KPCMCIA-12AIAOH PC card is packaged with a cable terminating in a 37-pin
D-type female connector. Refer to Section 6 for a description of the connector pin assignments.
For applications requiring discrete wire hook-ups, an optional screw terminal adapter is also
available to convert the D-37 connector into 37 discrete screw terminal blocks.