Measurement Computing DataShuttle - Manual (Page 69)

DataShuttle and DynaRes 11-12-01 Introduction to the ACAO Board 7-1
Introduction to the ACAO Board 7
Thank you for selecting the ACAO for your project.
Our primary objective is to provide you with data acquisition systems that are easy to install, operate, and
maintain. We also strive to furnish the performance you need at the lowest overall cost. The benefits for you
are increased productivity, data you can count on, and, of course, meeting your budget.
We manufacture the ACAO as an enhancement board that readily mounts in an expansion slot in an IBM
PC, or compatible, computer.
This product’s guaranteed long-term stability makes it ideal both for the laboratory and for harsh industrial
environments.
Using the ACAO together with our graphical interface application software (such as DASYLab ® , or
QuickLog™), you can easily and very quickly implement a broad spectrum of research and commercial
tasks, in a wide variety of settings. You can, for example,
• Ramp, hold, or step analog outputs,
• Control processes with proportional or on/off control,
• Set alarm on any digital input,
• Control devices at preset levels (fans, pumps, heaters, etc.),
• Control devices from digital input (e. g., from switches or TTL signals), and
• Control processes unattended.
You can use the system interactively, operating controls or modifying your setup while the system is
running.
General Information
Development System
People who decide, to write their own software (rather than using an off-the-shelf application) can employ
the Analog Connection Development System™ hardware driver to address all features of the board from
within a program they design and code for their specific purpose.
Expandability
The ACAO has either two or eight analog output channels and eight digital input/output lines. You can add
one board at a time to your computer, for as many as 15 boards with a total of 120 analog output channels
and 120 digital I/Os. In addition, separate analog input cards may be used with the same software.
Ranges/Units of Output
The ACAO features switch-selectable ranges of 0-10V, 0-5V, or ±5V for voltage output, and 4-20mA for
current output. Self-calibration and self-diagnostics are built into the board to ensure that the output is
always accurate.
Data Presentation
The combination of our hardware and application software (DASYLab or QuickLog PC) enables both the
display of data on the screen, and the logging of data to disk for later analysis.