DAS8X BOARD MENU CONTROLS:

• Channel
• Range
• Range Tracking
• Bits
• External Trigger
• DDisk Remote
• Averager Remote
• Pulse Output

CHANNEL CONTROL:

RANGE CONTROL:

Programmable gain models can also make use of Independent range tracking mode, such that you may set a different range for each channel. When you change channels, the range will be set automatically to the previously set value.

For fixed-gain models like the DAS-8 and DAS-8/LT, this item will stay at 5.0 V and be inaccessible to the cursor.

For the DAS08 or CYDAS 8 with switch-selectable gain, this control will serve to tell Daqarta which range you have set manually. There is no support on this board for reading the switch settings via software, so Daqarta won't know unless you tell it. Since the switches are on the typically hard-to-reach rear of the system, you will probably want to set this control via the Range parameter on the configuration line and just ignore it. But the control does remain active, just in case you do need to change things while operating.

Only with the switch-selectable models does this control allow a unipolar range (0->10 V), since if you need to have this range set for some other application, you probably don't want to crawl behind the system to change it just for Daqarta. The trace Y-axis will show an apparent bipolar +/- 10 Volt range, but the waveform will naturally never go below zero. If your data varies about some positive voltage, like +5 Volts, you may want to use the Zero option key to remove the DC value and make it appear to swing about zero Volts. This will allow you to use trace magnification to see smaller details, without magnifying them right off the top of the screen.

RANGE TRACKING (Ind / All):

Alternately, if you toggle this control to All, then all channels will have whatever Range is set.

On fixed and switch-selectable models this control is not accessible and is permanently set to All.

BITS CONTROL:

Is 12-bit always better than 8-bit? Define "better". Each has its own advantages, but in general you should probably use 12-bit mode wherever possible. Reserve 8-bit mode for instances when you need higher sample rates than you can get from 12-bit, or for when you will be recording long DDisk files and want to save space.

If you will be using waveform averaging with much more than 16 sweeps, you probably will not see any difference at all between 8 and 12 bits. That's because if the noise is larger than the ADC resolution, then at finer resolutions there is nothing more to resolve but noise. Any detail that you want to recover must come from averaging, not ADC resolution, so there is no clear advantage to the 12-bit mode. And, via the miracle of dither, you can recover any amount of detail that you want as long as you are willing to average enough sweeps.

HOWEVER, this comparison assumes that both signals are set to give full-scale inputs. In practice this is difficult to do, since the nature of your noisy signals may leave the upper and lower limits somewhat ambiguous. If you exceed the input limits, the result is clipping which can contaminate your data. Any data that gets clipped off can't contribute its share to an average and is lost.

Particularly severe problems occur with many biological signals having large low-frequency noise excursions that make the desired signal ride all over the range. In these conditions you will probably want to use artifact rejection to avoid trying to average the wilder traces, but in addition you can go to a 16-times less sensitive range in 12-bit mode and get the same resolution as 8-bit, but with a bigger range to wander before clipping.

EXTERNAL TRIGGER INPUT BIT:

Make sure that it is not the same bit as set for DDisk Remote or Averager Remote unless you are SURE you will not be using those options.

NOTE:
Daqarta always uses the word "trigger" to mean "start collecting a sweep of N samples". Board manufacturers sometimes use "trigger" to mean "start one ADC sample conversion", but the same manufacturer may alternate between these two meanings in different contexts. Be very wary of references to "external trigger" inputs in a manufacturer's literature: They usually mean "external pacer".

DDISK REMOTE CONTROL INPUT BIT:

AVERAGER REMOTE CONTROL INPUT BIT:

TRIGGER PULSE OUTPUT BIT:

CONNECTOR PINOUT DIAGRAMS:

• DAS08
• DAS08-PGH or -PGL
• DAS08-AOH or -AOL
• 8255 Parallel Port
• LPT Printer Port

               DAS08
              .------.
    +10V Ref  | 19    \
      LL Gnd  | 18  37 |  Ch0 In
      LL Gnd  | 17  36 |  Ch1 In
      LL Gnd  | 16  35 |  Ch2 In
      LL Gnd  | 15  34 |  Ch3 In
      LL Gnd  | 14  33 |  Ch4 In
      LL Gnd  | 13  32 |  Ch5 In
      LL Gnd  | 12  31 |  Ch6 In
   (Dig Com)  | 11  30 |  Ch7 In
   Dig Out 4  | 10  29 |  + 5 V Pwr
   Dig Out 3  |  9  28 |  Dig Gnd
   Dig Out 2  |  8  27 |  Dig In 3
   Dig Out 1  |  7  26 |  Dig In 2
  Cntr 2 Out  |  6  25 |  Dig In 1
  Cntr 1 Out  |  5  24 |  Interrupt In
   Cntr 1 In  |  4  23 |  Cntr 2 Gate
  Cntr 0 Out  |  3  22 |  Cntr 1 Gate
   Cntr 0 In  |  2  21 |  Cntr 0 Gate
  + 12 V Pwr  |  1  20 |  - 12 V Pwr
              |       /
              `------'

           DAS08-PGH or -PGL
              .------.
     Ch0 Low  | 19    \
     Ch1 Low  | 18  37 |  Ch0 High
     Ch2 Low  | 17  36 |  Ch1 High
     Ch3 Low  | 16  35 |  Ch2 High
     Ch4 Low  | 15  34 |  Ch3 High
     Ch5 Low  | 14  33 |  Ch4 High
     Ch6 Low  | 13  32 |  Ch5 High
     Ch7 Low  | 12  31 |  Ch6 High
    (LL Gnd)  | 11  30 |  Ch7 High
   Dig Out 4  | 10  29 |  + 5 V Pwr
   Dig Out 3  |  9  28 |  Dig Gnd
   Dig Out 2  |  8  27 |  Dig In 3
   Dig Out 1  |  7  26 |  Dig In 2
  Cntr 2 Out  |  6  25 |  Dig In 1
  Cntr 1 Out  |  5  24 |  Interrupt In
   Cntr 1 In  |  4  23 |  Cntr 2 Gate
  Cntr 0 Out  |  3  22 |  Cntr 1 Gate
   Cntr 0 In  |  2  21 |  Cntr 0 Gate
  + 12 V Pwr  |  1  20 |  - 12 V Pwr
              |       /
              `------'

          DAS08-AOH or -AOL
              .------.
     Ch0 Low  | 19    \
     Ch1 Low  | 18  37 |  Ch0 High
     Ch2 Low  | 17  36 |  Ch1 High
     Ch3 Low  | 16  35 |  Ch2 High
     Ch4 Low  | 15  34 |  Ch3 High
     Ch5 Low  | 14  33 |  Ch4 High
     Ch6 Low  | 13  32 |  Ch5 High
     Ch7 Low  | 12  31 |  Ch6 High
    (LL Gnd)  | 11  30 |  Ch7 High
   Dig Out 4  | 10  29 |  + 5 V Pwr
   Dig Out 3  |  9  28 |  Dig Gnd
   Dig Out 2  |  8  27 |  Dig In 3
   Dig Out 1  |  7  26 |  Dig In 2
  Cntr 2 Out  |  6  25 |  Dig In 1
  Cntr 1 Out  |  5  24 |  Interrupt In
   Cntr 1 In  |  4  23 |  Cntr 2 Gate
  Cntr 0 Out  |  3  22 |  Cntr 1 Gate
   Cntr 0 In  |  2  21 |  DAC LL Gnd
   DAC 1 Out  |  1  20 |  DAC 0 Out
              |       /
              `------'

         8255 Parallel Port
              .------.
         Gnd  | 19    \
       + 5 V  | 18  37 |  PA0
         Gnd  | 17  36 |  PA1
      + 12 V  | 16  35 |  PA2
         Gnd  | 15  34 |  PA3
      - 12 V  | 14  33 |  PA4
         Gnd  | 13  32 |  PA5
       - 5 V  | 12  31 |  PA6
         Gnd  | 11  30 |  PA7
         PB0  | 10  29 |  PC0
         PB1  |  9  28 |  PC1
         PB2  |  8  27 |  PC2
         PB3  |  7  26 |  PC3
         PB4  |  6  25 |  PC4
         PB5  |  5  24 |  PC5
         PB6  |  4  23 |  PC6
         PB7  |  3  22 |  PC7
        (NC)  |  2  21 |  Gnd
        (NC)  |  1  20 |  + 5 V
              |       /
              `------'

          LPT PRINTER PORT
              .------.
      Select  | 13    \
   Paper Out  | 12  25 |  Gnd
        Busy  | 11  24 |  Gnd
        -Ack  | 10  23 |  Gnd
          D7  |  9  22 |  Gnd
          D6  |  8  21 |  Gnd
          D5  |  7  20 |  Gnd
          D4  |  6  19 |  Gnd
          D3  |  5  18 |  Gnd
          D2  |  4  17 |  -Select Input
          D1  |  3  16 |  -Init
          D0  |  2  15 |  -Error
     -Strobe  |  1  14 |  -Auto Feed
              |       /
              `----- '

DAS8X.ADC Revision History:

 3-1-01     Added support for STIM3A Dynamic Mode, update for
            Daqarta v2.00.

 7-17-98    Requires Daqarta version 1.11 or greater.

            Bug Fix:  Changes made to certain main Daqarta
            (or STIM3) controls while Paused now take effect
            properly after unPause.

            Pulse output is now terminated during Pause.

            Cursor readout averages now reset automatically
            when changing input or stimulus output settings.

 8-6-97     Original Release.

DAS8X INDEX:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A:

 Address Parameter A: 
 All Range Tracking 
 AUTOEXEC.BAT ignored 
 Averager Remote Control Bit 

B:

 Bits (8/12 toggle) 
 Bits Parameter, 8/12/16 
 Board Menu Controls 

C:

 Channel Control 
 Channel Preset Parameter C: 
 Configuration Parameters 
 Connector Pinout Diagrams 
 Conversion Speed Parameter S: 

D:

 DAC Updates, Simultaneous 
 Digital Outputs, 8255 Ports 
 Digital Outputs, LPT Port 
 DDisk Remote Control Bit 

E:

 External Pacer 
 External Trigger Control 

F:

 F: Parameter (Help File Omit) 
 Features and Models 

G:

 Gain, Channel / Range Parameter Interactions 
 Gain, Programmable Models 
 Gain (Range) Control 
 Gain (Range) Preset Parameter R: 
 Gain (Range) Tracking 

H:

 Help File Parameter F: 
 Hypersampling Stimulus Outputs

I:

 Independent Range Tracking 
 Information Summary, Board 
 Input Range Control 
 Input Range Preset Parameter R: 
 Introduction - Supported Models and Features 
 IRQ (Interrupt Request) Parameter I: 

J:

 Jumper Parameter J: 

L:

 LPT Printer Port Connector Pinouts 
 LPT Printer Port for Digital Outputs 

M:

 Model Parameter M: 
 Models and Features Supported 

O:

 Oversampling Stimulus Outputs 

P:

 Pacer, External 
 Parallel Port Address Parameter P: 
 Parallel Port Connector Pinouts 
 Parameters, Configuration 
 Parameter Overview 
 Pinouts, Connector 
 Pulse Output Bit 

R:

 Range Control 
 Range Preset Parameter R: 
 Range Switches, DAS08 board 
 Range Table 
 Range Tracking Control 
 Range Tracking vs C: and R: Parameter Order 
 Remote Control Bit, Averager 
 Remote Control Bit, DDisk 
 Revision History 

S:

 Sample Rate vs Bits 
 Simultaneous DAC update 
 Speed, Conversion Parameter S: 
 Stimulus Generation, Oversampling and Hypersampling
 Stimulus Generation with 8255 Port Outputs 
 Stimulus Generation with LPT Outputs 
 Summary, Board Information 
 Supported Models 
 Switches, DAS08 Range 

T:

 Trigger Pulse Output Bit 
 Trigger, External 
 Trigger, Sweep vs Conversion Terminology 

U:

 Unipolar Input Ranges, Parameter Setting 
 Unipolar Input Ranges, Range Control Setting 

W:

 Wiring Diagrams, Connector 

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