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Frequently asked questions

The FAQ's are seperated into functional groups listed below. "Drill Down" into a group to reveal the questions and answers just click the group title and then one of the questions revealed.


Signal Conditioning
Q. Why do I need signal conditioning Q. What is the difference between a two, three and four wire PT100 sensor? Q. How do I stop my thermocouple readings drifting? Q. What is cold junction compensation (CJC)? Q. How do I stop noise being picked up on my signal cables?
Data Communications
Q. I need two additional RS232 ports and two RS485 ports, what do I need? Q. How can I establish communications with an N-Port Express to change its configuration? Q. How do I use an NPort Express across the Internet? Q. My USB-232/485i comms converter appears in Device Manager but does not have an associated COM number. How do I correct this? Q. What is the pin out of the CN20060? Q. What is the size of the receive and transmit buffers on an NPort Express? Q. How can I clear the transmit and receive buffers on an NPort Express? Q. What cable type is recommended for RS422/RS485 communication cabling? Q. Can you have two PCI-GPIB cards in one system? We have configured the first card in CBCONF32 as board0 and the second card as board1, but config just keeps telling us there is a configuration error, and when we try CBTEST32 it will only test board0. Q. Is the Earth pin on the standard 9 Vdc power supply connected to anything? Q. Can a USB GPIB card be used with my Mac PC? Q. How can I test the installation of my dual port Kvaser Can bus controller? Q. When trying to monitor signals on a 2-wire RS485 line I get signals from both directions appearing in the same window. Can this be changed? Q. I cannot use the com ports on my NPort unit even though it is found by the Configurator? Q. I have changed the IP address on my N-Port and now I cannot communicate with it, why? Q. How can I test a NE-4000? Q. Is it possible to shorten the timeout when I open the COM ports of NPort 5410 if the NPort is not on the network? Q. Is there Visual Basic support for Kvaser CAN products? Q. How do I upgrade my Kvaser CAN drivers? Q. What is the typical software for analysing serial communications? Q. On the octopus cable that is used with the PCI244H, which cable is for Port 1? Q. I have installed the NPort Modbus Gateway configuration utility and I get the error message stating "The system DLL user32.dll has been relocated in memory". What is the solution? Q. What are the versions and speeds of a Universal Serial Bus (USB)? Q. What is the turn-around speed of a Moxa RS485 port with ADDC™? Q. How to configure the SSID and WEP encryption for the SW5001? Q. What is the maximum delay time between activating the transmit/receive and enable/disable RS232 pins and the actual transmit/receive being enabled/disabled on the 2089F? Q. Does the Software Application have to take control of one or more of the RS232 pins of the 2089F in order to enable/disable the RS485 transmitter whilst simultaneously disabling/enabling the RS485 receiver? Q. I have installed the PCI-3488 but cannot get Labview to see the card. What is the procedure for installing the PCI-3488 in Labview? Q. The NPort 6000 Series has support for any baud rate but what is the minimum and maximum allowed baud rates? Q. What operating modes are available on the SE5001? Q. Can I use a pair of SE5001's to replace an existing serial cable? Q. What security measures are available on the SE5001? Q. What is the Packet Delimiter used for? Q. How do I mount a SE5001 on to DIN-Rail? Q. What is the secondary Antenna used for on the Digi ConnectPort WAN VPN? Q. How many USB devices can I connect to my USB extender? Q. What are the modes of operation for the serial ports of a Digi ConnectPort WAN VPN? Q. What are the modes of operation for the OnCell G2150I? Q. What is the Maximum distance a W2150/2250 plus can connect to an Access Point? Q. How many W2150/2250 plus devices can connect to an Access Point? Q. Are the antennas for the W2150/W2250 compatible with the W2150/2250 plus versions? Q. If the NPort W2150/2250+ is installed in a roaming enviroment. what is the spped that can be acheived while still maintaining communications? Q. What does USB 2.0 Compliant mean? Q. I want to install my own cabling for the USB extenders. What are the pin numbers for the cable? Q. Can I use the WiRanger USB extender with a Data Acquisition System? Q. I have lost the password for my Multenet Mobile Router. How do I reset the password? Q. What are the power requirements for the USB Ranger and Rover Series? Q. Can I cascade USB Extenders together for longer distances? Q. Can I use a mouse or a keyboard connected to a Rover 1300 USB extender? Q. Do the USB 2.0 extenders have Support for USB 1.1 devices? Q. When using the Max Connection function on the NPorts, how many hosts can connect to the serial port? Q. What is the maximum length for a SMS message in a single data packet on the OnCell GSM/GPRS Modem? Q. How do you configure the IP address for the NM-TX01 module? Q. How to choose the correct antenna for my GSM/GPRS application?
Industrial Computing
Q. Hardware: My old ISA card will not work or is unreliable in my new system Q. Software: After changing my AWARD BIOS settings my machine no longer boots up Q. Software: When installing NT my large hard disk only shows up as 8.4Gb on the install screen Q. Hardware: Where do I connect my chassis power LED? Q. Software: I have lost my Windows licence key Q. Hardware: What problems would I encounter using an industrial rackmount computer on my desktop? Q. Hardware: What is the life cycle for an industrial computer? Q. Software: Which systems support Microsoft Windows Vista? Q. Hardware: What is PICMG1.3? Q. Hardware: What is a RAID Edition SATA drive? Q. Hardware: What size PSU do I need in my computer? Q. Hardware: My PEAK870VL SBC shows only 3.2GB of RAM with 4GB installed Q. Hardware: Can Impact-E systems be battery powered? Q. Hardware: Do Impact-Es support -12V PCI cards? Q. Hardware: I have an Impact-E which I am using in an embedded application without a screen, however; if I connect a screen once the operating system has booted, it is not detected and there is no picture, what is the solution to this?
ADLINK Data Acquisition Products
Q. I am using a PCI9112 and am trying to program in VEE via the instrument manager, but it is not working? Q. How to wire NUDAM 6060 to test Digital inputs ? Q. Am using a PCI7300 and have been looking for Delphi examples, but have not seen any? Q. Can the PCI9113A be externally clocked? Q. The jumpers for setting the input range for the PCI-9113A in the manual and on the board are contradictory. What settings do I use? Q. What current can be drawn from the Termpower pins? Q. How do I calibrate a NuDAM? Q. Is there a datasheet available for the ACL10137-1 cable? Q. What is the pin out of the 37 way connector of a ACL-10337 cable when connected to a PCI9112 card? Q. Does the PCI7432 have a read back function? Q. How do I configure a NuDAM analogue input module for a 4-20 mA process control loop? Q. Are there any more program samples available for the ADLINK PCI data acquisition cards other than the samples provided? Q. How can I test an ND-6530 module without connecting it to a NuDAM network? Q. I have installed DAQBench on one machine and now want to install it on another. However, I keep getting the error msg "demo version". Q. Are the digital outputs of the PCI-6308 capable of sinking 50mA each channel or is it 50mA total for all four outputs combined? Q. Are there Dasylab drivers available for the ADLINK cards? Q. What is the SSI/PXI mapping for the PXI-2010? Q. What is the minimum load that can be connected to a NuDAM 6024? Q. How do I allocate a data buffer in Delphi? Q. Why can I not order ADLINK cable and screw terminal panels (STP) under one part number any more?
Power Supplies
Q. I have a power supply but the open circuit voltage (VOC) is outside the published specification? Q. We have a CD7500 (7512S24hdi) and using with special DC/DC converter. Are ouputs floating and independent of inputs? Want to isolate them, can I do this with no affect on current & voltage? Q. On a Martek 2512S48HN 25 watt DC/DC, does the remote shutdown refer to just disconnecting the o/ps or powering down the whole device? Q. What is the control signal spec for the enable/disable function of the Martek 2512S48HN 25 watt DC/DC? Q. What is the King Series UPS signal lead wiring? Q. Where can I get the case drawings for Protek power supplies from? Q. What are the mains connections for the PFC200 series power supply unit? Q. Using a Riello UPS unit and Windows I get the error message "Communications error. The system is not protected". How can I rectify this?
Panel Instrumentation
Q. How can I rescale a MAG45-30? Q. I want to convert my MAG35 to 110vac from 240vac, how do I do this? Q. How do I configure a MAG35-32 as there is not enough adjustment on the front-panel SPAN potentiometer? Q. What are the main connection differences between an AP25 and AP24 printer? Q. What is the pinout of a Model 40 (M40) panel meter? Q. I need to rescale and re-range a panel meter but the manual gives a table of values for components at various ranges that do not meet my requirements Q. What are the 4-wire RS422 connections for the DataTrack Tracker 220 (not the 221 or 222), 240 and 280 series panel meters when connected to an Amplicon RS422/485 converter/port.
DAQ General
Q. When I try to access the help within DAP View, I receive an error message that starts "This file is not a Windows Help file." and continues "A newer version of Help is needed to view this Help file.". Is there a solution to this? Q. How can I get iNET working with LabVIEW ? Q. I have lost the original distribution disk(s) that were supplied with my Amplicon board, can I get replacement software? Q. I want to use iNet with Dasylab, when I install Dasylab I do not have GW instruments drivers as an option, how do I proceed ? Q. What are the main differences between board registration methods for Amplicon DAQ boards using the Windows 95 and NT 200 Series drivers (version 2.01)? Q. I want to program DAPL in a Windows environment, what do I need? Q. Using iNET-230, where can I find the driver for Windows 2000? Q. What are multiplexed (MUX) inputs Q. Why is my card measuring too low a signal frequency Q. What is meant by the term common mode rejection (CMR). Q. What is meant by the term program I/O (software controlled sampling). Q. What is meant by the term simultaneous sampling Q. What is interrupt (IRQ) controlled sampling Q. What is DMA (Direct Memory Access) controlled sampling Q. Are there Windows 2000/ME drivers available for the iNET200? There only seems to be software for Windows 95 and NT. Q. I require a Certificate of Origin or a Certificate of Conformity, how do I arrange this? Q. Are the drivers and manual available for the PC14AT/LP card? Q. I have installed multiple PC/104 boards and my machine does not boot. Q. Is there a manual available for the Benchlink software used with the Agilent data logger? Q. My Nudam module is stuck in default, what can I do to rectify this? Q. What is the maximum sample rate an integration for the iNET100? Q. When I try to update the instruNET software, I receive the message "1155:File .... INSTMSIW.exe not found". How do I update the instruNET software? Q. Can the NuDAM ND-6531 be connected to Modbus devices? Q. I have installed the latest copy in the instruNet drivers but I an receiving error messages related to the driver, how can this be repaired? Q. What is over sampling and how can it improve my data acquisition? Q. What is the upgrade path for Measurement Computing's Universal Library?
RS232 and RS485 Converters and adapters
Q. Using Magic485 is it ok to use 12vdc supply? Q. How is TX turnaround controlled on the 485HF9? Q. What is the polarity info for 485 connection on the 485HF9? Q. Using Magic, 9 way and pin outs, is pin 2 or pin 3 an input? Q. What connections do I need to make to the screw terminal side of the Magic 485 for half duplex operation? Q. How many devices that can be connected to an RS-485 multidrop network Q. How can I use a powered converter in a portable application Q. Magic 485 failing to communicate or data being corrupted. Q. What are the polarities and directions of the data connections on a 485HF25/485HM25 converter Q. What are the power requirements of an isolated 485 converter such as a 485F9i or a 485Fi? Q. Is a manual for the 232i available? Q. Using a 232/485 converter, which protocol do I use for a multi-drop application? Q. Can I use a 232i in a three wire configuration? Q. In a multi-drop RS-485 network, on which devices do I enable the termination resistors? Q. When the Tx lines of my Patton 2089F converter are connected to a Moxa device, the device causes failure during port configuration and some bizarre application errors. Q. Which RS-232 lines does the 2085M converter take the power from? Q. What are the factory default settings of the dipswitches on the dymec 5845/46HRT industrail fibre optic link/ repeaters? Q. How do I calculate a divider, the actual baud, and the error a USB-232U/USB-485Ui will need, run at, and has for a given target baud? Q. How does the Magic 485 Converter work?
200 Series Serial Boards
Q. When installing PCI248hi in Windows ME and trying to test with PCITest, it does not work? Q. What should dip switches be set to when configuring the card to run on a computer with Windows 2000? Q. What configuration differences are required for a four-wire multidrop full duplex network compared to a point-to-point network Q. Are there any differences between the pinouts on the PC248H and the PCI248H series boards Q. My computer has an Amplicon Data Acquisition/Serial Communication PCI board plugged in to it, but it is not seen by the operating system Q. I have a PC247/9H(i) and need to use it in a DOS application, will it work without modification? Q. What software drivers do I need for the PC231/PC241 in DOS? Q. Is there Windows 2000 support for the PCI244H? Q. After installing a PCI244H, the port numbers do not match the markings on the octopus cable, why? Q. What communication protocols are available on the PC248H(i) Q. What driver software do I need for the PC248H and PCI248? Q. What Setup Information (.inf) files from SERIAL32.exe are used during an installation of Amplicon Serial boards in 32bit Windows operating systems such Windows XP and Windows 98? Q. Can you use the standard Windows drivers to address the boards? Q. I have recently purchased a PCI248Hi RS485 driver card. Is any example Visual Basic code available to indicate the procedure of sending and receiving data from devices on a RS 485 network?
200 Series DAQ Boards

EX200 Series Expansion Panels
Q. What is the recommended DIN Rail for the EX200 series of panels? Q. Is the documentation for the EX213 available on CD or on-line Q. What is the operating speed of the relays and logic on an EX213? Q. How does the channel numbering on the EX213 expansion panel relate to the channel numbering on the Amplicon PC200 series board in the computer? Q. The expansion panels connected to my EX233 have stopped working why? Q. When I apply 24 Vdc power to an EX221, the relays chatter, what is the solution?
Industrial Ethernet
Q. Can the Moxa ME50 Series Media Converter be set up to work with a single fibre cable only? Q. Is it possible to add a media converter to a turbo ring? Q. Can I use a media converter in a VLAN environment? Q. What is a Redundant Ring?
Test and Measurement
Q. Do any of your oscilloscopes have Roll Mode?
Distributed I/O
Q. What is the maximum distance between a Delphin TopMessage Master and a Slave(s)? Q. Does DAQFactory work with licenses, and if yes, how many licenses are available in the cost? Q. Can DAQFactory work on several PCs at the same time? Q. Can DAQFactory be accessed over the internet?
PAC (Programmable Automation Controller)
Q. How can I view and manipulate all the variables in my application? Q. How do I determine which version of MultiProg (MPROGADV33 or MPROG-BAS33) I need for my ADAM-5550KW project? Q. How do I delete an existing program on the ADAM 5550KW? Q. How do I upload an existing program from an ADAM 5550KW?
NI LabVIEW
Q. Does LabVIEW support Modbus? Q. Where can I download Modbus drivers for LabVIEW? Q. How do I use Modbus in LabVIEW?
PXI
Q. What is PXI? Q. What makes PXI different from PCI or CompactPCI? Q. Is PXI a National Instruments standard? Q. Will the Amplicon range of PXI hardware work with National Instruments LabVIEW software? Q. Can I use cPCI cards in a PXI chassis? Q. Can I use my desktop PC to control a PXI system? Q. What is the performance of PCI/PXI-8570? Q. How do I calibrate the PXI-2000 series? Q. How can I synchronise multiple PXI chassis?

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