Hardware Requirements

The following contains some hints on what hardware is needed / appropriate for data acquisition with Mr. Kick.

Computer

A IBM / Intel compatible computer (PC) is needed. The operating system should be Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP (not yet Vista). Screen resolution should be at least 1024x768 with 64k color. A 17" (or more) monitor is recommended.

What computer power is needed strongly depends on the amount of data and the 'speed' at which you'll acquire:

• Sample rate
• Sweep length
• Number of channels

As any of these parameters increase, the demands for computer power increase as well.

The minimum is a Pentium III 450 MHz with 256 MB Ram. That will do when sampling say 4-8 channels at a sample rate of 2 kHz with a sweep length of 1-2 seconds.
Any modern computer will meet the minimum requirements; regarding RAM and harddisk: The more the better!

Data Acquisition Hardware

In order to do data acquisition you'll need a MIO board from National Instruments. MIO means multi-function input/output, which refers to that these boards can sample analog data, generate analog signals and contain counter/timers as well as digital input/output lines. With respect to Mr. Kick any E-, M or S-series MIO board should do. — M-series is recommended.
At SMI the following boards are in use:

• PCI-MIO-16E-4 (PCI-6040E): All specifications of Mr. Kick was formulated with this board in mind. It features sample rates up to 250 kHz, i.e. more than 15 kHz per channel at 16 channels.
• PCI-6221 M-series board has replaced the above as the "default" at SMI: 16 channels, 16 bit, with a total sample rate of 250 kHz. For more channels (32) the PCI-6229 is recommended.
• USB-6251, USB-6229 and alike offers greater portablility due to the USB interface. Some are available with build-in BNC conncetors.
• PCI-6071E: Features 64 channels and an overall sample rate of 1.25 MHz!
• DAQCard-6062E for PCCard/PCMCIA bus: 16 channels with a total sample rate of 500 kHz.
• PCI-6024E or DAQCard-6024E: Low cost, still 16 channels and an overall sample rate of 200 kHz. Analog output only available at low update rates (or not at all with a PCI-6023E). Note: These boards do neither support analog trigger nor unipolar sampling!

Future versions of Mr. Kick may benefit from an extra timer board: If so, support for 10 or more event timers will be available. So far it has not been decided which timer board to support nor has the interface between the MIO- and the timer board been specified.

For more information on available hardware, that will fit your purpose, contact National Instruments.

Connections

BNC connections to the MIO board may be achieved through a BNC-2090 or a BNC-2110 box and a SH68-68-EP (E-series) or SHC68-68-EPM (M-series) shielded cable. The BNC-2090 supports both differential and single-ended connection to analog inputs, whereas the BNC-2110 only supports differential connection!

• In order to use internal trigger Digital I/O line #7 must be connected to PFI line #7 !!!.
• PFI lines #0-5 are used as external digital trigger inputs (TTL level) for data acquisition and event timing. PFI line #0 may alternatively be used as external analog trigger input.
• Timer #0 controls Time Zero in sweep in internal and external digital trigger modes.
• Timer #1 may be used to control timing of Analog Output if the out pin is connected to PFI line #6.
• A Trig Ready/Gate signal is available at Digital I/O line #6.