- 50 MHz bandwidth
- 128 MSample to 2 GSample on-board memory
- 6 input ranges: ±100 mV up to ±5 V
- 50 Ohm/1 MOhm, AC/DC, bandwidth filter software selectable
- Automatic on-board calibration
- 2 synchronous digital channels with multi-purpose I/O
- 20 internal trigger modes plus 7 external trigger modes
- Up to 8 cards can be synchronized
- Multiple Recording and Timestamp options
- SDK's for Windows, Linux, VxWorks and third-party programs
Overview
The new UF3 digitizer cards are our latest generation of Waveform Digitizer / Oscilloscope instrument cards. The six models in the UF3 series deliver exceptional performance with sampling rates of up to 400 MS/s on 14 bits, the deepest memory in this product segment and savings from $1000 to $3000 on comparable, but less capable products from other manufacturers.
Like all of the Strategic Test cards, the UF3 series are designed to offer maximum versatility, ease of programming, highest fidelity recording, longterm reliability and low power consumption. Manufactured in Germany the instrument cards include a two year hardware warranty combined with lifetime technical support and software updates - which includes new drivers for future operating systems and third-party software.
New Features Compared to UF2 Series
The UF3 series is the latest generation of digitizer cards from Strategic Test. The UF3 is based on a totally new carrier board design - our 4th generation - and more than 20 years experience. Compared to the UF2 series, the UF3 series has the following updated or new features:
- Higher transfer rates from ADC's to onboard memory. This was essential to enable recording at faster sample rates with high ADC resolutions.
- Additional connections. Five multi-purpose connectors are routed to clock input, clock output, trigger input, trigger output and 2 freely programmable I/O connections. These can be used as :
- fast digital inputs that are synchronous with the analog channels
- asynchronous digital i/o for reading or writing status information
- extra trigger input or output lines. Inputs can be AND, OR with the external input signal
Analog Inputs
The UF3-4111 Waveform Digitizer card allows you to record analog signals with sampling rates from 1 kSamples per second to 100 MSamples per second on 2 channels synchronously. Each channel has a single-ended input and a monolithic 14-bit ADC for true simultaneous sampling without phase errors.
There are two user-selectable input paths per channel on the card. The first path has 6 input ranges from ±100 mV to ±5 V and a choice of 50 Ohm or 1 MOhm input impedances. The second path delivers a bandwidth of >50 MHz, has 4 input ranges from ±500 mV to ±5 V and has 50 Ohm impedance. The new front-end module now allows AC or DC coupling, and includes a user activated low pass filter.
Deep Signal Memory and Streaming to the PC
The Digitizer comes with 256 MBytes signal memory that can be expanded at the factory in increments up to 4 GBytes. Like all of the Strategic Test digitizer cards there are two operating modes. In Standard mode the measured data is stored to the onboard memory and then transferred to the PC when the required number of samples has been reached. In this mode, you can sample at the maximum rate of the card and the card operates independently of the PC so the cpu is free for other tasks.
Alternatively, the FIFO mode allows data to be continuously transferred during the measurement to the host PC RAM or hard disk(s), so that much longer signals than the onboard memory can be recorded. However, the PCI-X bus has a maximum continuous transfer rate (not to be confused with Burst Transfer which is higher) of approximately 225 MBytes/s - so this effectively limits the maximum sample rate during streaming to approximately 112 MS/s when measuring at 14 bit (2 Byte) resolution.
Sampling Clock
Unlike other digitizer cards that offer a limited choice of fixed sample rates, the UF2 cards allow you to obtain a sampling rate with a fine degree of accuracy by using one of the six different modes available that use a combination of internal 10 MHz reference clock, PLL, hardware divider, quartz clock, external reference clock and external clock. There is also a factory option to install a second quartz for applications that require highest accuracy and stability at a customer-specific sample rate. The external clock connector can be programmed as either an input or as an output when you want to synchronize external equipment.
Flexible Triggering
The UF2 digitizers have more than 20 internal trigger modes, 7 external trigger modes and AND/OR functions that allows the user to minimize the possibility of recording false data or triggering on noise and therefore save time. In addition to the standard external TTL trigger, the XBaseIO option can be used to AND/OR two more external trigger inputs.
The External Trigger connector can be set to either input or output when you need to synchronize the start of measurement with external equipment.
Synchronization
The Star Hub option is available in two versions that synchronize the clock and trigger signals of either up to 5 cards or 16 cards within the PC. Systems with up to 256 analog inputs can be perfectly synchronized. It's also possible to configure mixed mode systems that contain a mixture of digitizer, arbitrary waveform generator and high-speed digital I/O instrument cards.
This option only needs to be purchased for one card in the system and consists of a small daughterboard that is factory-installed to the card. The clock and trigger signals are then distributed by small ribbon cables to this and the other cards. The 16 card version being larger in size does require an additional PCI slot width.
For larger configurations, the System Star Hub option allows up to 271 cards to be synchronized by distributing the clock and trigger signals across up to 17 PC's.
Applications
Typical applications include: Ultrasound, ATE, RADAR, Lidar, communications.
What's Included?
We believe that the Strategic Test instrument cards offer the best price vs performance and lowest cost-of ownership available. The following items are included:
- 256 MByte onboard memory
- +100 page printed user manual
- SDK's for Microsoft Windows and Linux
- Example source code programs for Visual Basic, Visual C++, Borland C++ Builder, Gnu C, Borland Delphi, VB.NET, C#, J#
- SBench measurement and generation program
- Two year hardware warranty, optional 5 years
- Lifetime technical support
- Lifetime updates for Windows and Linux SDK's, including future versions
- Lifetime updates for optional third-party drivers (if purchased), also future version releases
Specifications
General
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Bustype: | |
| OS support: | Linux 2.4, Linux 2.6, VxWorks, Windows 2000, Windows Vista, Windows XP, |
| Program examples: | C++, VB, DELPHI, VB.NET, C#, J#, |
| Software: | SPviewIT, SPviewIT multiple card license, SPviewIT remote control license, SBench 5.0, |
| SDK | DASYLab, LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, Matlab, VEE, |
| SDK examples: | Yes |
Operating Modes
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Standard | Record to card memory, then transfer to PC |
| FIFO (streaming) | Continuous streaming to PC up to 225 MBytes/s |
Analog Input
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of channels | 2 SE |
| Resolution | 14 bits |
| Maximum sample rate | 100 MS/s |
| Bandwidth | 50 MHz |
| Simultanous Sampling | Yes |
| Memory | 128 to 2048 MSamples |
| Maximum voltage range | ± 5 V |
| Sensitivity | 4.89 mV |
| Minimum voltage range | ± 100 mV |
| Sensitivity | 12.2 uV |
| Programmable input offset | TBD |
| Offset error | can be calibrated by user |
| Crosstalk 1 MHz signal, 50 Ohm | TBD |
| Input signal with 50 Ohm termination | max. 5 Vrms |
| Analog input impedance (high Z path) | 50 Ohm / 1 MOhm, 25 pF |
| Analog input impedance (high B/W path) | 50 Ohm, TBD pF |
| range ≤ ± 1.0 V | TBD/TBD (AC/DC coupled) |
| range ≥ ± 1.0 V | TBD/TBD (AC/DC coupled) |
| Connector | 3 mm SMB male |
Dynamic Specifications
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Bandwidth (buffered path) | 50 MHz |
| Bandwidth (50 Ohm path, BW limit disabled) | 50 MHz |
| Bandwidth (50 Ohm path, BW limit enabled) | 20 MHz |
| Signal to noise ratio (SNR) | TBD |
| Total harmonic distortion (THD) | TBD |
| Spurious Free Dynamic Range (SFDR) | TBD |
| Effective Number of Bits (SNR) | TBD |
| Effective Number of Bits (SINAD) | TBD |
Clock
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Internal clock range | 1 kS/s to 100 MS/s |
| External clock range | 1 MS/s to 100 MS/s |
Trigger
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Re-arming time: Multiple Recording | < TBD samples |
| Max pretrigger for Multiple Recording or FIFO | 8176 Samples as sum of all active channels |
| External trigger type | Analog window comparator |
| External trigger connector | MMCX female |
| Trigger output delay | TBD |
Power consumption
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| At 3.3V, max speed, 128 MS memory | TBD |
| At 12V, max speed, 128 MS memory | TBD |
Physical specifications
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Dimensions, PCB only | 312 mm x 107 mm (full PCI length) |
| Width | 1 full size slot |
| Width, inc. Star Hub option | 2 full size slots |
| Windth, inc. BaseXIO option | 1 full and 1 half size slots |
| Weight | 290g (2 ch) |
Options
Application options
| Prodnr | Name | Desc |
|---|---|---|
| UF3-4100-mr | Multiple Recording | The Multiple Recording option allows a series of trigger events to be recorded without restarting the instrument board. This is often used to record a series of high-speed waveforms that occur at a very high repetition rate, such as RADAR and ultrasound signals. Pre-trigger is available. Factory or local installed |
| UF3-4100-bxio | BaseXIO | The BaseXIO option adds 8 asynchronous digital I/O lines to the instrument card. Factory installed option. |
| UF3-4100-sh4 | Star Hub option for synchronizing up to 4 UF3-series cards | This Star Hub option allows up to 4 instrument cards to be synchronized by sampling clock and trigger to obtain simultaneous sampling across all channels. Factory installed option. |
| UF3-4100-sh8 | Star Hub option for synchronizing up to 8 UF3-series cards | This Star Hub option allows up to 8 instrument cards to be synchronized by sampling clock and trigger to obtain simultaneous sampling across all channels. Factory installed option. |
Cables
| Prodnr | Name | Desc |
|---|---|---|
| Cab-3f-9m-80 | SMB female to 9mm BNC male 80 cm | For analog inputs and outputs, external clock and external trigger |
| Cab-3f-9m-200 | SMB female to 9mm BNC male 200 cm | For analog inputs and outputs, external clock and external trigger |
| Cab-3f-9f-80 | SMB female to 9mm BNC female 80 cm | For analog inputs and outputs, external clock and external trigger |
| Cab-3f-9f-200 | SMB female to 9mm BNC female 200 cm | For analog inputs and outputs, external clock and external trigger |
| Cab-3f-3f-80 | SMB female to SMB female 80 cm | For external clock and external trigger |
| Cab-3f-3f-200 | SMB female to SMB female 200 cm | For external clock and external trigger |
| Cab-3f-3f-5 | SMB female to SMB female 5 cm | For oscilloscope probes |
| Cab-1m-9m-80 | MMCX male to 9mm BNC male 80 cm | For analog inputs |
| Cab-1m-9m-200 | MMCX male to 9mm BNC male 200 cm | For analog inputs |
| Cab-1m-9f-80 | MMCX male to 9mm BNC female 80 cm | For analog inputs |
| Cab-1m-9f-200 | MMCX male to 9mm BNC female 200 cm | For analog inputs |
Software
| Prodnr | Name | Desc |
|---|---|---|
| SPviewIT-str | SPviewIT | Software that streams measurement data to hard disks at up to 80 MBytes/s. |
| SPviewIT-mlt | SPviewIT multiple card license | License to use up to 8 instrument cards with SPviewIT |
| SPviewIT-rmt | SPviewIT remote control license | SPviewIT Remote Control option. Allows instrument cards to be controlled over Ethernet. |
| SBench 5.0 |