Fast Multifunction DAQ Boards Handle PCI, USB

A family of eight data-acquisition boards from Measurement Computing Corp. comprises four PCI and four USB versions (see the Figure). The boards offer multifunction high-speed performance with varying numbers of analog inputs and waveform-capable analog outputs. All the boards provide 24 high-speed digital I/O lines, four 32-bit counter/quadrature inputs, and two 16-bit timers. The PCI-2511 has 16 single-ended analog input and one fixed analog input range of ±10 V. The rest of the line features seven programmable input ranges of ±100 mV to ±10 V, full-scale. Most of those boards offer 16 single-ended or eight double-ended input, except for the two high-end USB boards, which provide 64 single-ended or 32 double-ended inputs. The 16-bit, 1-MHz converter on each board can scan any sequence of channels a 1 µs/channel.

All eight boards in the PCI-25xx/USB-25xx series feature a unique, low-latency control output mode, whereby any input — analog, digital, or counter — can control an output — digital, analog, or timer — based on predefined limits. The outputs are controlled directly from the board and do not require PC intervention, resulting in response times that are deterministic and measured in microseconds, versus non-deterministic response times measured in milliseconds for PC-based control outputs.