Measurement Computing PCM-DAS16x/16 - Manual (Page 19)

6 ANALOG CONNECTIONS
6.1 ANALOG INPUTS
Analog signal connection is one of the most challenging aspects of applying a data
acquisition board. If you are an Analog Electrical Engineer then this section is not for
you, but if you are like most PC data acquisition users, the best way to connect your
analog inputs may not be obvious. Though complete coverage of this topic is well
beyond the scope of this manual, the following section provides some explanations
and helpful hints regarding these analog input connections. This section is designed to
help you achieve the optimum performance from your PCM-DAS16x/16 series board.
Prior to jumping into actual connection schemes, you should have at least a basic
understanding of Single-Ended/Differential inputs and system grounding/isolation. If
you are already comfortable with these concepts you may wish to skip to the next sec-
tion (on wiring configurations).
6.1.1 Single-Ended and Differential Inputs
The PCM-DAS16x/16 provides either 8 differential or 16 single-ended input
channels. The concepts of single-ended and differential inputs are discussed in the fol-
lowing section.
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