UF3-3200 Series Overview

There are 4 different 12-bit Digitizer cards in the UF3-3200 range. Cards are available offering 1 or 2 input channels and choice of maximum A/D sampling rates:

Note: 1Sample=2Bytes

New Features and 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 5th generation – that now includes 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 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 tigger input or output lines. Inputs can be AND, OR with the external input signal

New ADC Module Features

There are two input paths per channel on the card. One path with 6 input ranges (+-200 mV … +-10 V) and the ability to use 1 MOhm input impedance and one path that delivers a bandwidth of 250 MHz but has 4 input ranges (+-500 mV … +-5 V). Limited the number of input ranges means fewer active components and therefore better signal quality at the higher bandwidth for the UF3-32xx.

The new frontend module now allows AC or DC coupling, and includes a user activated low pass filter. As with the UF2 ADC module each channel can be independently configured with 50 Ohm or 1 MOhm impedance, and have it’s own voltage range.

Waveform Digitizers, Transient Recorder, Oscilloscopes

Although we prefer the term Waveform Digitizers (often shortened to “Digitizers”), other manufacturers may call their products Transient Recorders or PC Oscilloscopes. In any event, the all of these are used to record analog signals at high-speed and with professional instrumentation accuracy.

Applications

Typical applications include ATE, RADAR, Lidar, communications.

Standard mode…

The signals can be recorded to the onboard signal memory at the maximum clock rate using Standard mode. At the end of the measurement, the data is off-loaded to the PC using DMA at the maximum PCI Express bus data transfer rate of up to 245 MBytes/s. While recording, the card operates independently of the host PC which is available for other tasks.

… and FIFO mode. Record continuously at 245 MBytes per second to PC

Alternatively, the UF3 boards also provide a FIFO mode that continuously transfers recorded data gap-free to the PC during the measurement at up to 245 MBytes/s. This mode has the advantage that more samples can be recorded than the available on-board memory.

Note that the maximum sampling rate is limited by the 66 MHz PCI bus transfer rate, which is typically 245 MBytes/s, and the number of activated channels. For 12-bit A/D boards this equates to a max sampling rate of f=245M/2/n where n is the total number of activated channels (including all cards in the system).

Synchronizing multiple-cards in a single PC

The Star Hub option is an add-on that allows multiple cards, even of different types, to be synchronized.

The Star Hub distributes the clock and trigger signals, so all channels are without time-skew errors and all cards start on the same trigger condition (any channel, any external TTL trigger). Any card can be defined as the clock master or trigger master by software. It’s also possible to configure AND/OR trigger conditions (channel or external TTL) across multiple cards.

Please note that the UF3 verion of the Star Hub is not compatible with the UF2 or UF Star Hub options.

Independent amplifers to match each channel to the sensor

Each channel has it’s own amplifier and dcV offset adjustment. This means you are able to select one of the 4 or 6 possible input voltage ranges and adjust the dcV offset to best match the output from your sensor, for every channel.

Fine Resolution Sampling Rates

Most other products limit you to a few fixed sampling rate choices, however with the UF3 cards you simply instruct the software which rate you require and the driver will automatically adjust the onboard PLL and hardware divider to achieve the closest sampling rate possible.

External Clock and External Trigger

Need to synchronize with external equipment? As standard the UF3 cards are supplied with connectors for external clock and trigger. Both can be programmed as input or output, so the card can receive a TTL clock or output the internal clock and the trigger connector can receive a TTL trigger event or generate a trigger event from either a software trigger or detected channel trigger.

Flexible Triggering

The UF3 cards offer an exceptional range of trigger possibilities to avoid false triggering:

• Edge and Level: positive, negative, both edges
• Window: define high/low levels; entry, exit
• Re-Arm : define a level that has to be crossed first, avoids triggering on noise
• Pulse-width: define a time period, trigger must occur inside/outside to be true
• External TTL: edge, can be used in combination with pulse-width
• Double edge: can be used with channel or external triggers
• AND/OR trigger masks: can be used with channel/ external and digital inputs
• Force trigger: used to start card if trigger not detected after given time
• Delay trigger: can delay AND/OR masks by up to 64 ksamples

Easy Programming

Only six key functions to define a complete setup. Small DLL or module (Linux) uses few system resources and does not conflict with other programs. On request, we will be pleased to send you the User Manual as a pdf so you can see the many examples.

The API is identical for all UF3 and UF2 A/D D/A and Digital cards to reduce programming times.

What’s included

The UF3 cards are supplied with:

• Windows (Vista, XP, XP64, 2000, NT) and Linux drivers (RedHat, Fedora, SuSe, SARGE)
• Extensive printed user manual with many programming examples
• Source code programming examples: .NET, c/c++, VB, Delphi, LabWindows
• SBench 6 oscilloscope / measurement program for Win/Linux
• Two years hardware warranty
• Lifetime software updates (inc. future Win/Linux drivers)
• Lifetime technical support from specialists