National Instruments DAQCard-1200 - Manual (Page 12)

© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 DAQCard-1200 User Manual
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Introduction
This chapter describes the DAQCard-1200; lists what you need to get
started, the optional software, and optional equipment; and explains how to
unpack the DAQCard-1200.
About the DAQCard-1200
Thank you for your purchase of the National Instruments DAQCard-1200.
The DAQCard-1200 is a low-cost, low-power analog input, analog output,
digital I/O, and timing I/O card for PCs equipped with a Type II PC Card
slot. The card contains a 12-bit, successive-approximation ADC with
eight inputs, which you can configure as eight single-ended or four
differential channels. The DAQCard-1200 also has two 12-bit DACs
with voltage outputs, 24 lines of TTL-compatible digital I/O and
three 16-bit counter/timer channels for timing I/O. The specially designed
standard 50-pin I/O connector for the DAQCard-1200 enables you to
connect all your analog, digital, and timing signals directly to the card.
The DAQCard-1200 is fully software-configurable and calibrated so that
you can easily install the card and begin your acquisition.
The small size and weight of the DAQCard-1200 coupled with its low
power consumption make this card ideal for use in portable computers,
making portable data acquisition practical. The card requires very little
power when operating, thus extending the life of your computer batteries.
In addition, the low cost and multifunctional nature of a system based on
the DAQCard-1200 makes it ideal for laboratory work in industrial and
academic environments. The multichannel analog input is useful in signal
analysis and data logging. The 12-bit ADC is useful in high-resolution
applications such as chromatography, temperature measurement, and
DC voltage measurement. You can use the analog output channels to
generate experimental stimuli or for machine and process control and
analog function generation. You can use the 24 TTL-compatible digital I/O
line for switching external devices such as transistors and solid-state relays,
for reading the status of external digital logic, and for generating interrupts.
You can use the counter/timers to synchronize events, generate pulses, and
measure frequency and time. The DAQCard-1200, used in conjunction