This tool is highly valuable for troubleshooting and performance evaluation, and it is recommended to use it to verify hardware status before writing applications.
Typical application scenarios and key points of system integration
7.1 Applicable Applications
Radar intermediate frequency digitization: synchronous sampling of I/Q signals, requiring high sampling rate and low phase error.
Ultrasound imaging: Multi channel array probes synchronously receive and generate high-quality images.
Video digitization: Synchronize sampling of RGB or YUV components of composite video signals.
Vibration/shock testing: Multiple accelerometers synchronously collect data for modal analysis.
7.2 System Integration Precautions
Input impedance matching: For high-frequency signals (such as>10MHz), a 50 Ω impedance should be selected and the cable characteristic impedance should be matched to avoid reflection.
High impedance mode warning: If selecting a 15M Ω input, be sure to connect a low impedance source to prevent charge accumulation from burning out the ADC.
Clock quality: The external clock requires low jitter, and the sine wave needs to have sufficient amplitude (2Vpp). The square wave needs to meet the TTL level (2.4V~5V) and have a fast rising edge.
Bus bandwidth planning: At 4 channels of 20MS/s, the sustained data rate is 160MB/s, which exceeds the PCI bandwidth. At this point, we can only rely on FIFO to collect a limited length (8K samples per channel), or reduce the sampling rate/number of channels. If long-term continuous collection is required, a double buffering scheme must be adopted and the processing speed must be matched.
Multi card synchronization: If multi card synchronization is necessary, it is recommended that all cards share the same external clock source and measure the phase difference of each card's sampling clock through an oscilloscope, and then compensate for it through software delay (or accept a fixed phase difference).
Maintenance and troubleshooting
Startup failure: Check if the PCI slot supports bus master (mostly supported), and if the BIOS has assigned IRQ and I/O addresses.
Data overflow (FIFOOR set): Indicates that the data transfer rate is lower than the sampling rate, which can reduce the sampling rate, decrease the number of channels, optimize PCI bus load, or use a higher performance motherboard.
Trigger failure: Check if the trigger level is set within the signal range, if the polarity is correct, and if the external trigger signal meets electrical specifications.
Driver installation: Windows 95/98 requires inserting a card and booting up first. The system prompts to specify the CD path X: Win95inf9812 when installing the driver. If using Windows NT or higher versions, a separate PCIS-DASK driver package needs to be purchased.
Selection and Upgrade Suggestions
PCI-9812/10 is still in service in many high-end testing systems today. If the system originally used a low-speed ISA or PXI acquisition card, upgrading to this card can significantly improve sampling rate and synchronization. Attention should be paid when selecting:
If only 10 bit resolution is required, choosing PCI-9810 would be more cost-effective.
If higher precision (>12 bits) or higher sampling rate (>20MS/s) is required, Linghua's new generation PCIe or PXIe products, such as PCI-9846 (16 bit, 40MS/s), should be considered.
Software migration: Existing programs based on DOS or Win95 can continue to be used, but for modern Windows systems, it is recommended to use PCIS-DASK (NT/2000/XP) or Linux drivers (to be developed independently or consulted with Linghua).
