UX.4600 Series Overview

There are 8 different 16-bit Digitizer cards in the UX4600 range. Cards are available offering 2 or 4 input channels and choice of maximum A/D sampling rates.

The UX PXI cards are used as lower cost, more flexible and deeper memory alternatives to oscilloscopes and transient recorders. The fast PCI-X bus gives direct integration with your preferred PC software, while the 100 MBytes/s data transfer delivers faster test times.

Applications

Typical applications include ATE, research, communications.

Table 1: Maximum sampling rates	SelectShow

Note: 1Sample=2Bytes

Standard mode…

The signals can be recorded to the onboard signal memory at the maximum A/D sampling rates using Standard mode. At the end of the measurement, the data is off-loaded to the PC using DMA at the maximum PXI bus data transfer rate of up to 100 MBytes/s

… and FIFO mode. Record continuously at 100 MBytes per second to PC!

Alternatively, all of the UltraFast boards also provide a FIFO mode that continuously transfers recorded data gap-free to the PC during the measurement at up to 100 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 PXI 33 MHz bus transfer rate, which is typically 100 MBytes/s, and the number of activated channels. For 16-bit A/D boards this equates to a max sampling rate of f=200M/2/n where n is the total number of activated channels (including all cards in the system).

Simultaneous sampling all channels, multiple cards

Each channel on the UX board is equipped with it’s own A/D converter for true simultaneous sampling without time-skew (or phase) errors. As PXI cards, these provide Star signals on the backplance for clock and trigger synchronization between multiple cards.

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 8 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 UltraFast 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. See the Application Note “Sampling Rate Determination”

External Clock and External Trigger

Need to synchronize with external equipment? As standard the UX 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 UX 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 UX A/D D/A and Digital cards to reduce programming times.

What’s included

The UX cards are supplied with:

• Windows (XP, XP64) and Linux drivers (Linux driver available July 2006)
• Extensive printed user manual with many programming examples
• Source code programming examples: c/c++, VB, Delphi
• SBench 6 oscilloscope / measurement program for Win/Linux (August 2006)
• Two years hardware warranty
• Lifetime software updates (inc. future Win/Linux drivers)
• Lifetime technical support from specialists