Measurement Computing PCI-DAS6071 - Manual (Page 8)

PCI-DAS6071 User's Guide Installing the PCI-DAS6071
8
Unpacking the board
As with any electronic device, you should take care while handling to avoid damage from static
electricity. Before removing the PCI-DAS6071 from its packaging, ground yourself using a wrist strap or by
simply touching the computer chassis or other grounded object to eliminate any stored static charge.
If any components are missing or damaged, notify Measurement Computing Corporation immediately by
phone, fax, or e-mail:
 Phone: 508-946-5100 and follow the instructions for reaching Tech Support.
 Fax: 508-946-9500 to the attention of Tech Support
 Email:
[email protected]
For international customers, contact your local distributor. Refer to the International Distributors section on our
web site at
www.mccdaq.com/International .
Installing the software
Refer to the Quick Start Guide for instructions on installing the software on the Measurement Computing Data
Acquisition Software CD. This booklet is available in PDF at
www.mccdaq.com/PDFmanuals/DAQ-Software-
Quick-Start.pdf .
Installing the hardware
The PCI-DAS6071 board is completely plug-and-play. There are no switches or jumpers to set. Configuration is
controlled by your system's BIOS. To install your board, follow the steps below.
Install the MCC DAQ software before you install your board
The driver needed to run your board is installed with the MCC DAQ software. Therefore, you need to install the
MCC DAQ software before you install your board. Refer to the Quick Start Guide for instructions on installing
the software.
1. Turn your computer off, open it up, and insert your board into any available PCI slot.
2. Close your computer and turn it on.
If you are using an operating system with support for plug-and-play, a dialog box notifies you that new
hardware has been detected. If the information file for this board is not already loaded onto your PC, you
will be prompted for the disk containing this file. The MCC DAQ software contains this file. If required,
insert the MCC DAQ CD and click
OK .
3. To test your installation and configure your board, run the InstaCal utility installed in the previous section.
Refer to the Quick Start Guide that came with your board for information on how to initially set up and
load InstaCal.
Allow your computer to warm up for at least 15 minutes before acquiring data with this board. The high speed
components used on the board generates heat, and it takes this amount of time for a board to reach steady state
if it has been powered off for a significant amount of time.
Configuring the hardware
All hardware configuration options on the PCI-DAS6071 are software controlled. You can select some of the
configuration options using InstaCal, such as the analog input configuration (64 single-ended or 32 differential
channels), the edge used for triggering when using an external pacer, and the source for the two independent
counters. Once selected, any program that uses the Universal Library will initialize the hardware according to
these selections.
Following is an overview of the available hardware configuration options for this board. There is additional
general information regarding analog signal connection and configuration in the Guide to Signal Connections
(available on our web site at
www.mccdaq.com/signals/signals.pdf ).