Chapter 2
Using the Module
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To perform Reference Clock Synchronization when using multiple NI-DAQmx tasks that are
acquiring at the same rate, complete the following steps to synchronize the hardware.
1.
Specify PXIe_CLK100 as the reference clock source for all modules to force all the
modules to lock to the reference clock on the PXIe chassis.
2.
Choose an arbitrary NI PXIe-4330/4331 master module to issue a sync pulse on one of
the PXIe Trigger lines. The sync pulse resets the ADCs and oversample clocks, phase
aligning all the clocks in the system to within nanoseconds.
3.
Configure the rest of the modules in your system to receive their sync pulse from the sync
pulse master module. This will ensure all ADCs are running in lockstep.
4.
Choose one module to be the start trigger master. This does not have to be the same
module you chose in step 3, depending on your application.
5.
Configure the rest of the modules in your system to receive their start trigger from the
start trigger master module. This ensures that all modules will begin returning data on the
same sample.
6.
Set the synchronization type of the Start Trigger slaves at
DAQmx Trigger»Advanced»
Synchronization» Synchronization Type
to Slave and that of the Master to Master.
Also query
DAQmx Timing»More»Synchronization Pulse»Synchronization Time
on all modules being synchronized, choose the maximum value and set that as the
DAQmx Timing»More»Synchronization Pulse»Minimum Delay To Start
on all
modules.
7.
Commit all of the sync pulse slave module tasks using the DAQmxTaskControl
VI/Function. This sets them up to expect the sync pulse from the master.
8.
Commit the sync pulse master module task using the DAQmxTaskControl VI/Function.
This will issue the sync pulse.
9.
Start all of the start trigger slave module tasks. This sets them up to expect the start trigger
from the master.
10. Start the start trigger master module task. You can now acquire data.
Consider using a Multi-Device task when synchronizing multiple devices at the same rate.
Refer to Multi-Device Synch-Analog Input-Cont Acq-Multi Rate-PXIe-433x VI for an
example of how to synchronize when acquiring at different rates.
Consider the following caveat to using Reference Clock synchronization:
•
The NI PXIe-4330/4331 automatically compensates for its filter group delay. However,
some other device families do not compensate for their filter delay. In this case, you
might need to compensate for group delay in the waveforms when you synchronize
between device families.