Two-Channel PCI DAQ Board Acquires 8 Gbytes At 800 Mbytes/s

June 7, 2004
The AD8-650x2DMA two-channel PCI data-acquisition (DAQ) board can acquire 8 Mbytes of continuous analog data at 800 Msamples/s on both channels simultaneously. This externally triggerable board from Ultraview Corp. is designed for high-speed,...

The AD8-650x2DMA two-channel PCI data-acquisition (DAQ) board can acquire 8 Mbytes of continuous analog data at 800 Msamples/s on both channels simultaneously. This externally triggerable board from Ultraview Corp. is designed for high-speed, low-jitter operation in defense, intelligence, scientific, industrial, and medical applications.

The board's 64-bit, 66-MHz DMA engine transfers data at more than 300 Mbytes/s into the large on-board memory. It uses eight standard on-board, low-power 1-Gbyte synchronous DRAM dual-inline memory modules to achieve its deep storage capacity. Also, it can operate with an internal or external clock of 1 to 800 MHz. It can measure signals with full-scale amplitudes of ±350 mV as well.

The AD8-650x2DMA's 50-Ω inputs use surface-mounted assembly (SMA) connectors. The 50-Ω clock input can accept an external clock of either a sine wave or square wave with an amplitude of 300 to 900 mV p-p. Its 50-Ω ac-coupled trigger input can accept PECL or ECL levels or any positive-going edge 1-V signal with any dc offset between −5 and 5 V.

The board was tested in 64-bit Sun Microsystems SunBlade 2500/2000/1000 and Ultra 80, E250, and E420/450 systems. It acquired data at 1.6 Msamples/s while simultaneously performing a sustained DMA transfer to host memory at 320 Mbytes/s.

Priced at $13,995 each, the AD8-650x2DMA includes drivers and sample C programs for Solaris 8 and 9 Unix systems. An optional dual-board bridge costs an additional $995. Availability is from stock.

Ultraview Corp. www.ultraviewcorp.com

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About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.

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