Measurement Computing TempBook rev.3.0 - Manual (Page 7)

Introduction and Quick Start
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TempBook User’s Manual, 11-14-00 Introduction and Quick Start 1-1
Overview
This chapter describes the TempBook in general terms including specifications. Also, a Quick Start can
help you get a simple system up and running (chapter 2 has more detailed installation instructions).
Description
TempBook/66 Block Diagram
The TempBook/66 adds voltage and thermocouple measurement capability to notebook PCs for portable
test applications. The TempBook also provides an effective alternative to plug-in boards for desktop PCs.
The TempBook provides 12-bit, 100 kHz data acquisition and can support up to 800 Kbyte/s data transfer
to a PC via an enhanced parallel port interface or PCMCIA link. The unit can also connect to a standard
parallel port and transfer readings directly to disk at up to 100K readings/s. As an external module with the
same footprint as a typical notebook PC, the TempBook can be attached directly under a notebook PC for
portability.
The TempBook has a built-in analog capability that permits it to measure 8 channels in a differential mode
or 16 channels in single-ended mode. Its on-board programmable-gain instrumentation amplifier can be set
to gains of ×1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 or 200 on a per channel basis. Its A/D converter scans selected
channels at a constant 10 us/channel rate, minimizing the time skew between consecutive channels. The
time between the start of each scan sequence can be programmed to start immediately or at intervals of up
to 10 hours. The TempBook features a hardware-based digital/TTL trigger that minimizes trigger latency to
less than 10 us. The TempBook can also be triggered from a command from the PC.
The TempBook/66 can be powered by an included AC adapter, a standard 12V car battery, any +9 to 20
VDC source, or an optional rechargeable nickel-cadmium battery module (DBK30A). This makes it ideal
for field and remote data acquisition applications.
Software included with the TempBook includes TempView and PostView. TempView is a 16-bit
Windows-based program that allows you to set up your acquisition and save acquired data directly to disk.
The package also includes thermocouple linearization for direct readout of temperatures. PostView is a
Windows-based post application waveform display application that permits you to display previously
acquired data.