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PowerLab SP Owner`s Guide - Artisan Technology Group

1. J Ka e lt C Output Dgital Input WY im 7 Do not obstruct fan outlet Rated Voltage Fuse Rating Serial No Termination Made by dlanstemens Pty Ltd Castle Hill fustana Bee 30 VA Son aY CE 2 Pa Serial USB FC Digital Input Earth Device rating number connector connector connector information The USB Port The PowerLab can connect to your computer using a USB universal serial bus port which provides an alternative to the SCSI connection This works with USB 1 1 compliant computers with USB connectors or a USB card USB needs a Power Macintosh with Mac OS 8 5 or later or a PC with Windows 98 or later A USB connection is a bit slower than SCSI for data transfer and so may limit sampling rates in Chart or increase delay times between sweeps in Scope but it is less fussy You can safely turn on or off or disconnect or reconnect a USB connected PowerLab while the Chapter 1 Overview computer remains on this is not the case with SCSI The application program Chart or Scope should not be on while this occurs though Please read the details on USB in Chapter 2 of this guide before connecting your PowerLab to your computer using USB The SCSI Port The PowerLab can connect to your computer using a SCSI port which provides an alternative to the USB connection SCSI is an acronym for small computer system interface and is pronounced scuzzy whic
2. e Turn everything off and then turn the PowerLab back on again after at least five seconds Turn on the computer and try using the software again Windows NT may not have the right SCSI driver available it does not have many already installed as do Windows 95 and 98 e The driver might have to be installed manually perhaps from the original NT system CD The SCSI card should have instructions on the driver it needs and how to perform the installation The PowerLab is connected via USB and the computer does not properly support USB e USB needs a USB 1 1 compliant PC with Windows 98 Me 2000 or later it simply will not work with earlier operating systems such as Windows 95 or Windows NT 4 use SCSI with these The computer hangs up while recording or there is data loss A poor connection between PowerLab and computer or bad cable e Ensure that the cable is firmly attached at both ends and try again If there is still a problem try a new cable SCSI problems two SCSI devices on the bus have the same SCSI ID or termination is incorrect or unsuitable e Check that each device has a unique ID number and that the SCSI chain is terminated correctly As a last resort if the PowerLab is the only connected SCSI device try leaving it unterminated The PowerLab doesn t work or the program crashes after a short time The SCSI adapter card is incompatible with the computer or the PowerLab or both We cannot guarantee tha
3. Controller Controller ROM SCSI Controller 7 POWER MC68340 SUPPLY CPU z 50 60Hz MAINS SYNC SYSTEM GLUE FIFO ae FIFO LATCH SAMPLING CONTROL 16 BIT ADC GLUE A Multiplexer oI s 5 RE RE RE TP RE IPR RE E O op O O yp Analog Output External Trigger Analog Input Appendix A Technical Aspects 29 voltage exceeds 2 9 volts This signal is fed to circuitry that notifies the CPU that an external trigger event has been detected The CPU then carries out the task for which the trigger is being used such as pre triggering or post triggering When the trigger threshold is crossed the indicator beside the trigger connector glows yellow Two 14 bit DACs digital to analog converters are used to control the analog outputs of the PowerLab marked Output 1 and Output 2 on the front panel The DACs produce waveforms under software control that are fed through an attenuation network to produce different full scale ranges The signals are then buffered by a power SC
4. 0 1 Q typical 10 V ps 2 us to 0 01 of FSR for LSB change 48 PowerLab Owner s Guide Linearity error Output ranges External Trigger Trigger threshold Hysteresis Input load Maximum input voltage Minimum pulse width Processor Memory Data communication Expansion Ports PC expansion port Digital output Digital input 1 LSB from 0 C to 70 C 200 mV to 10 V full scale in six steps 10V 5V 2V 1V 500 mV 200 mV 2 9 V TTL compatible 1 1 V turns off at 1 8 V 1 TTL load 12 V 5 us Microprocessor and Data Communication 16 MHz 68340 512 K RAM SCSI up to 4 megabytes s maximum dependent on computer USB up to 500 kilobytes s maximum dependent on setup Power and control bus for front end units Supports up to 16 front ends but limited to the PowerLab s free connectors Interface communications rate of up to 10 000 bits s 8 independent lines TTL output level 50 mA maximum load per line 250 mA maximum total load 8 independent lines TTL input level threshold 2 2 V Appendix C Specifications 49 Physical Configuration Dimensions w xh x d Weight Operating voltage Nominal power needs Maximum power needs Replacement fuses Operating temperature range 300 mm x 60 mm x 300 mm 11 8 x 2 4 x 11 8 4 5 kg 9 Ib 13 oz 220 240 V or 110 120 V internally set 12 5 VA no front
5. Power Status o 9 RACE O T Power Status Trigger i vy light light light Analog output connectors Analog input connectors PowerLab Owner s Guide Table 1 1 Status indicator states don t worry too much about these A Caution PowerLab inputs and outputs are not electrically isolated Human subjects must not be connected directly to the PowerLab If such measurements are to be made an isolated front end must be used such as the Bio Amp Power and Status Indicators The Power indicator on the front panel is a green light which simply shows that the PowerLab is getting power The indicator next to it the Status indicator provides a visual indication of what the PowerLab is doing and will flash different patterns and colours depending on the state of the PowerLab Status Indicator Meaning Off Idle and not yet initialised by the software Yellow flashes When the PowerLab is powered up the indicator flashes yellow a number of times equal to the SCSI ID For example 4 yellow flashes would indicate a SCSI ID number of 4 Green constant Idle initialised and waiting for a command from the computer Yellow constant Sampling or communicating with the computer Yellow flash then This indicates that the PowerLab has detected an internal fault during one or more red the power up test The number of red flashes after the yellow flash flashes indicates the type of error that has been
6. SCSI difficulties can cause data loss failure of the computer to recognise that SCSI devices are attached to it and difficulties using other SCSI devices Incompatible SCSI adapter cards and cables may also cause problems Obviously the SCSI problems will not apply if you use USB The PowerLab Status indicator light flashes yellow then red when the PowerLab is turned on If the pattern is simply an alternating red flash and yellow flash then the SCSI ID has been set to the numbers 0 or 7 which cannot be used by an SP series PowerLab Only 1 to 6 are valid SCSI ID numbers 42 PowerLab Owner s Guide V Refer Self Test p 16 e Switch off your PowerLab and any other connected devices change the SCSI ID for the PowerLab using the control on the back panel wait about five seconds and then switch it back on Check any other connected SCSI devices as well at the same time An internal problem has been discovered by the diagnostic self test this is performed by the PowerLab each time it powers up Turn everything off and then after at least five seconds turn the PowerLab back on again This should clear a temporary problem If not then the PowerLab may need repair Take note of the flashing pattern and consult your ADInstruments distributor When Windows starts up it doesn t recognise the PowerLab This should happen only the first time PowerLab hardware is connected to the computer Windows may bring up the N
7. This section is essential reading before trying to use your PowerLab with SCSI The user s guide for your computer may have a section on connecting SCSI devices in which case you should read that as well The PowerLab is fitted with a SCSI port which provides an alternative to the USB connection SCSI small computer system interface is simply a communication standard for connecting a single chain of SCSI devices together on a common high speed bus information carrying pathway A SCSI connection can easily handle the 4 megabytes per second maximum data transfer rate of the PowerLab although the speed of your computer may limit this The PowerLab must be placed at the end of the SCSI chain if it is the only device then connected directly to the SCSI port of or to an installed SCSI card in the computer SCSI Connection Rules 1 Never alter the SCSI chain while any SCSI devices are on Disconnecting a SCSI device while there is SCSI hard disk activity 20 PowerLab Owner s Guide Figure 2 3 A SCSI chain up to six or seven devices can be linked to the computer C Up to 6 or 7 linked SCSI devices each with a unique ID ae N omputer reserves SCSI ID 7 for a SCSI card The last SCSI device ost adapter or 0 and 7 if SCSI is built in must be terminated may cause data loss or electrical damage Switch all devices off including the computer before adding or remo
8. analog output signals These storage areas help increase the processing capacity of the hardware by relieving the load on the PowerLab microprocessor PowerLab Owner s Guide 27 The PowerLab can use SCSI or USB whether built in or via a card to communicate with the computer SCSI small computer system interface provides data transfer rates of up to 4 MB per second on fast computers The lower speed USB universal serial bus provides data transfer rates of up to 500 kB per second The PowerLab has four PowerLab 4sp eight PowerLab 8sP or 16 PowerLab 16sP analog inputs used to record external signals The outputs of their input amplifiers are multiplexed to a 16 bit ADC Figure A 1 Block diagram of the PowerLab 4sp SCSI Port 1c Port USB Port Digital Output Digital Input T JHQ kd J f N k C USB 3 Controller Controller ROM k SCSI I k k Controller MC68340 POWER RAM CPU SUPPLY k k k k k k ss T k IATCH 50 OHz gt a SS TT
9. connection USBicon Computer or hub connection USB Connection Rules 1 Cable length should be less than 5 metres 16 feet between devices Devices include USB hubs There are a maximum of five hubs on any branch so the maximum distance between the computer and the Powerlab is 30 metres 98 feet Do not use extension cables use hubs between approved high speed cables Chapter 2 Setting Up 19 2 Never attempt to make your own USB cable or modify one USB is sensitive to cable impedances and cable lengths Only use a certified USB cable from a reliable supplier never a cheap brand or something the workshop whipped up Your PowerLab is supplied with the proper USB cable If you need additional USB cables you should buy high speed cables fully shielded twisted pair and with standard USB connections for reliable results 3 Don t disconnect the PowerLab while a program is using it Disconnecting a PowerLab while it is sampling is a bad idea and may cause problems in some circumstances It is better to be safe than sorry and not even disconnect a PowerLab while Chart or Scope is open Stop sampling and quit the program first before disconnecting a PowerLab from USB You can safely turn on or off or disconnect or reconnect a USB connected PowerLab while the computer remains on as long as the application program Chart or Scope is off when you do it The SCSI Connection
10. recording Once the PowerLab transfers the data to the computer the data are available for display manipulation printing storage and retrieval The PowerLab 4sp has four inputs for recording external signals the PowerLab 8sp has eight and the PowerLab 16spP has 16 Computer Requirements Computer requirements for both Windows and Macintosh depend on whether you connect your 4sP 8SP or 16SP PowerLab unit to your computer using a SCSI or a USB interface SCSI allows faster transfer rates but is less straightforward to use Windows e A computer with a Pentium processor or better e 32 MB free RAM 48 MB for Windows NT or 2000 Chapter 1 Overview Windows 95 98 Me NT 4 0 2000 or later Windows operating system Additional requirements for USB A USB interface on your computer this may be added via a card if necessary Microsoft Windows 98 Me 2000 or later Windows 95 and NT will not work with USB Additional requirements for SCSI An appropriate SCSI card and cable we recommend that you use a card and cable supplied by ADInstruments others may be suitable but you should seek technical advice if in doubt a software component called ASPI ASPI will already be on your computer unless you are using Windows NT or 2000 in which case you can install it using the installer located on the PowerLab Installer CD Macintosh These requirements assume you are using the latest version of Chart An old
11. through the Pod connectors 2 mV to 10 V full scale in 12 steps 15 volts 1MQ 47 pF DC 1 2 5 10 or 20 kHz software selectable DC or 0 1 Hz software selectable 20 kHz 10 V full scale all ranges PowerLab Owner s Guide 47 DC drift CMRR differential Input crosstalk Input noise Pod connectors Supply voltage Maximum current Communications Signal input Connector type Sampling ADC resolution Linearity error Maximum sampling rates Available sampling rates Output Amplifier Number of outputs Output configuration Output resolution Maximum output current Output impedance Slew rate Settling time Software corrected 96 dB 50 Hz typical 110 dB typical lt 1pUV ms referred to input Combine power IC and single ended or differential analog input signals on one connector support Pods particular transducers etc 5 V regulated 50 mA per pod port 2 wire C Positive and negative analog inputs 8 pin DIN 16 bits 150 uV resolution at 10 V range 1 LSB from 0 C to 70 C 200 kHz on one channel 100 kHz on two channels 40 kHz on three or four channels 200 kHz down to 0 003 Hz using Chart 200 kHz down to 2 Hz using Scope 200 kHz to 1 Hz using Chart for Windows Sampling on USB rather than SCSI may limit the maximum sampling rates 2 Single ended or differential 14 bits 0 6 mV resolution at 10 V range 25 mA
12. 1 4 The front panel of the PowerLab 16sP The PowerLab 4sp has three indicators at the left of the front panel one BNC connector for the external trigger two BNC connectors for output and four BNC connectors marked Input 1 to Input 4 with four alternative Pod DIN connectors for recording external signals Output 1 Input 1 Input2 Input3 Input 4 PowerLab 4sp ADInstruments Trigger Output 2 O o Power Status light Trigger light Trigger light Analog output connectors Analog input connectors The PowerLab 8sp has three indicators at the left of the front panel one BNC connector for the external trigger two BNC connectors for output and eight BNC connectors marked Input 1 to Input 8 for recording external signals Output 1 Input 1 Input2 Input3 Input 4 oa Trigger Output 2 Inputs Input 6 Input7 Input 8 Power Status light Trigger vY light Trigger light Analog output connectors Analog input connectors The PowerLab 16sP has three indicators at the left of the front panel one BNC connector for the external trigger two BNC connectors for output and 16 BNC connectors marked Input 1 to Input 16 for recording external signals Output 1 Input 1 Input 2 Input3 Input Input Input 6 Input Input8 PowerLab 16sp ADInstruments o 6 Input 9 Inputil Inputi2 inputi Input 14 Input 15 Input 16
13. 20 SCSI Connection Rules 20 Setting the SCSIID Number 22 SCSI Termination Rules 23 Connecting the PowerLab Macintosh 23 Connecting the PowerLab Windows 24 SCSI Strikes Back 26 A Technical Aspects 27 How Does it Work 27 The Analog Inputs 31 PowerLab Accuracy 33 The External Trigger 33 The Analog Output 34 Connections 35 USB Port 35 SCSI Port 35 IC Expansion Port 36 Digital Input and Output Ports 37 Pod Connectors 37 B Troubleshooting 39 Problems Macintosh 39 Problems Windows 42 C Specifications 47 PowerLab 4sp Specifications 47 PowerLab 8sp Specifications 50 PowerLab 16sp Specifications 53 Glossary 57 Index 61 Licensing amp Warranty Agreement 63 PowerLab Owner s Guide iii iv PowerLab Owner s Guide Safety Notes Table S 1 Applicable safety standards met by ADInstruments isolated front ends Product Intention PowerLab systems have been designed only for use in teaching and research applications They are not intended for clinical or critical life care use and should never be used for these purposes nor for the prevention diagnosis curing treatment or alleviation of disease injury or handicap Applicable Safety Standards When used with insulated transducers or ADInstruments isolated front ends PowerLab systems are safe for human connection The ML132 Bio Amp ML135 Dual Bio Amp ML408 Dual Bio Amp Stimulator ML116 GSR Amp ML117 BP Amp
14. It is recommended and sound practice to calibrate a measuring system from the transducer to the output After applying two known values to a transducer say at 20 and 80 of full scale and recording the signal you can use the units conversion feature of ADInstruments applications to convert and display transducer readings in the appropriate units This will compensate for any minor inaccuracies in amplifier gain and transducer calibration The External Trigger The external trigger provides a digital input for synchronising sampling to external devices The external trigger input represents 1 TTL transistor transistor logic load The input is off for input voltages between 12 V and the external trigger level and on between that and 12 V The input will be overloaded if the voltage is outside the range 12 V to 12 V The external trigger level is 2 9 V 0 25V once on the trigger turns off at 1 8 V 0 25V giving a hysteresis voltage of 1 1 V When the external trigger input is on the indicator beside it is on Appendix A Technical Aspects 33 Figure A 6 The equivalent circuit of the external trigger input Figure A 7 The analog output stage set up for a differential stimulus The PowerLab has an optically isolated external trigger input thus there is no direct connection between the external trigger ground and the ground of the device connected to it This removes ground noise and current problems and impr
15. PowerLab should work reliably are sold by ADInstruments Make sure that you have the correct 25 pin to 25 pin SCSI cable to connect up your PowerLab Most PowerBooks and Duo Docks have a special space saving square 29 pin SCSI connector which requires another connector or adapter This can be purchased separately from your Apple dealer Chapter 2 Setting Up 23 Figure 2 5 Connecting a PowerLab to the computer look for the SCSI icon if the back panel is different If the PowerLab is the only SCSI device to connect to the computer then simply connect the two together with the correct SCSI cable and turn the SCSI termination switch on If you wish to use multiple SCSI devices with the computer the first and last devices in the chain should be terminated The PowerLab must be at the end of the chain since it has only one SCSI connector and its internal terminator must be switched on Macintosh or Macintosh compatible PowerLab 4sp PowerLab 8sp PowerLab 16sP SSSR Xx SCSI icon Termination Switch 25 pin connector SCSI cable Connecting the PowerLab Windows Most modern PC computers should have SCSI available through a card some have it built in Not all SCSI cards are suitable especially high end ones ultra wide SCSI and the like ADInstruments sells SCSI cards and cables with which the PowerLab should work reliably It may not be possib
16. UV ms referred to input 16 bits 150 uV resolution at 10 V range 1 LSB from 0 C to 70 C 200 kHz on one channel 100 kHz on two channels 40 kHz on three or four channels 20 kHz on five to eight channels 10 kHz on nine to sixteen channels 200 kHz down to 0 003 Hz using Chart 200 kHz down to 2 Hz using Scope 200 kHz to 1 Hz using Chart for Windows Sampling on USB rather than SCSI may limit the maximum sampling rates 2 Single ended or differential 14 bits 0 6 mV resolution at 10 V range 25 mA 0 1 Q typical 10 V ps 2 us to 0 01 of FSR for LSB change 1 LSB from 0 C to 70 C 54 PowerLab Owner s Guide Output ranges External Trigger Trigger threshold Hysteresis Input load Maximum input voltage Minimum pulse width Processor Memory Data communication Expansion Ports PC expansion port Digital output Digital input 200 mV to 10 V full scale in six steps 10V t5V 2V 1V 500 mV 200 mV 2 9 V TTL compatible 1 1 V turns off at 1 8 V 1 TTL load 12 V 5 Us Microprocessor and Data Communication 16 MHz 68340 512 K RAM SCSI up to 4 megabytes s maximum dependent on computer USB up to 500 kilobytes s maximum dependent on setup Power and control bus for front end units Supports up to 16 front ends but limited to the PowerLab s free connectors Interface communications rate of up to 10 000 bits s 8 ind
17. a h 2 gt oo 3 Ex za Instrument E 4 amplifier 2 50 Hz low 2 pass filter 1MQ The input amplifiers can be set to pass both DC and AC signals or to pass only AC signals without passing DC signals Input impedance is one megohm 1 MQ 32 PowerLab Owner s Guide Each input produces either a filtered or an unfiltered signal Each input is fitted with a software selectable low pass filter a fourth order anti aliasing filter which can be set at a range of frequencies from 20 kHz down to 1 kHz The unfiltered signal has an effective bandwidth of 45 kHz within the Nyquist frequency when sampling at 100 000 samples per second PowerLab Accuracy Your PowerLab was calibrated at the factory to an accuracy of better than 0 1 Some zero drift or gain drift can occur with time This can affect the accuracy of measurements especially at the highest input gains The unit can be recalibrated but in most circumstances this is not necessary in its lifetime There are several reasons for this DC drift compensation Each time that recording is started manually or by triggering or the gain is changed that is very often in most cases the input to the amplifier is grounded and any DC due to the amplifier s drift with temperature and age is measured The measured voltage is removed from the readings for that input through software correction in a process transparent to the user Calibration facilities
18. additional signal conditioning and other features and extend the types of experiments you can conduct and the data you can record For instance the Bio Amp is available if you need to perform electrically isolated measurements of biological signals PowerLabs should never be connected to humans directly unless it is through connections marked as safe A PowerLab can have as many front ends connected to it as it has analog inputs roughly speaking Front ends are easily added to or transferred between PowerLabs They are automatically recognised by the PowerLab system and seamlessly integrated into its programs operating under full software control Your ADInstruments distributor will have full information on available front ends and their uses and specifications and will be happy to discuss your requirements The PowerLab It is a good idea to get familiar with some of the external features of your PowerLab before connecting it to a power source The rest of this chapter discusses the different features connectors and indicators of the PowerLab 4sp PowerLab 8sp and PowerLab 1659P The Front Panel The front panel of your PowerLab provides most of the connectors for interfacing with external signals and indicators for various functions This section describes each of the front panel features Chapter 1 Overview Figure 1 2 The front panel of the PowerLab 4sP Figure 1 3 The front panel of the PowerLab 8sP Figure
19. amplifiers can be set by the software to be either single ended positive or negative or differential In the differential setting the amplifier Appendix A Technical Aspects 31 Figure A 4 Block schematic diagram of the input amplifier circuitry for BNC only inputs Figure A 5 Block schematic diagram of the input amplifier circuitry for dual BNC and Pod inputs measures the difference between the positive and negative inputs of a Pod connector irrespective of ground Differential signals can only be recorded using the Pod connectors on the PowerLab 4sp the BNC analog inputs on the PowerLabs are all single ended It is important to note that the PowerLab grounds the inputs to amplifiers not in use It also grounds each amplifier and measures the DC offset voltage when the gain is changed In this way the software corrects for any DC drift or offset in the circuits that may develop over time or between readings The operation of the input amplifiers is illustrated by the block diagrams below i Channel control bus AC DC Grounding Gain coupling and input control control selection 2 o Q S 5 S 5 E E z iS A 50 Hz low 2 pass filter me Analog input i 4 ll Channel control bus AC DC Grounding coupling and input Gain Sipa contro selection control
20. and ML180 front ends conform to international safety requirements Specifically these requirements are IEC601 1 and its addenda Table S 1 and various harmonised standards worldwide UL2601 1 in the USA and AS NZS3200 1 in Australia and New Zealand In accordance with European standards they also comply with the electromagnetic compatibility requirements under EN60601 1 which encompasses the EMC directive Further information is available on request EC Standard No International Standard Medical electrical equipment IEC601 1 1988 General requirements for safety IEC601 1 1 1992 Safety requirements for medical electrical systems IEC601 1 2 1993 Electromagnetic compatibility PowerLab Owner s Guide General Safety Instructions e Since the PowerLab is used in conjunction with a computer which has much higher leakage currents the subject must be at least 1 83 metres 6 feet away from any of the equipment to avoid contact with the computer The Bio Amp or BP Amp cable provides enough distance Alternatively an isolation transformer can be used to supply power to both the PowerLab and the computer e The PowerLab 4sp PowerLab 8SP and PowerLab 16sP should always be fitted with the recommended fuses for safe operation Specific information on fuse types and replacement is given in a later chapter e The PowerLab 4sp PowerLab 8SP and PowerLab 16sP are classified as Class I medical equipment whic
21. could generate up to a 20 volt pulse given a 10 V stimulus The outputs can be used for independent stimulation in Scope and the Macintosh version of Chart but not in the current version of Chart for Windows v3 4 The details are discussed in the software user s guides PowerLab Owner s Guide Figure 1 5 The back panel of the PowerLab 4sp PowerLab 8sp and PowerLab 16sP Trigger The external trigger connector allows you to use a digital signal level to synchronise recording to an external event This input can handle voltages of up to 12 V The threshold voltage the voltage above which the trigger circuit activates is 2 9 volts for the SP series PowerLabs When the trigger threshold is crossed the indicator beside the external trigger connector will glow yellow The external trigger is described in more detail in Appendix A and the software documentation covers its practical use in normal recording The Back Panel The PowerLab back panel provides the sockets to connect the PowerLab to the computer front ends the power outlet and so on This section describes each of the back panel features The back panels are the same for all the SP series PowerLabs SCSI SCSI termination SCSIID Digital Output Cooling Power Fuse Power connector Wi switch connector fan socket holder switch A fet intended tor human connection s b Inless connections marked approp ately Dgital Output
22. ends attached 18 VA full complement of front ends 100 120 V 1 Amp 5 x 20 mm slow blow voltage rating 120 or 250 V 220 240 V 400 mA 5 x 20 mm slow blow voltage rating 250 V only 0 to 35 C 0 to 90 humidity non condensing PowerLab 8sP Specifications Input Number of inputs Input configuration Amplification ranges Maximum input voltage Input impedance 8 Single ended 2 mV to 10 V full scale in 12 steps 10V 5V 2V 1V 0 5V 0 2 V 0 1 V 50 mV 20 mV 10 mV 5mV 2mV 15 volts 1 MQ 47 pF DC 50 PowerLab Owner s Guide Low pass filtering AC coupling Frequency response 3 dB DC drift CMRR differential Input crosstalk Input noise Sampling ADC resolution Linearity error Maximum sampling rates Available sampling rates Output Amplifier Number of outputs Output configuration Output resolution Maximum output current Output impedance Slew rate Settling time Linearity error 1 2 5 10 or 20 kHz software selectable DC or 0 1 Hz software selectable 20 kHz 10 V full scale all gain ranges Software corrected 96 dB 50 Hz typical 110 dB typical lt 1 UVims referred to input 16 bits 150 uV resolution at 10 V range 1 LSB from 0 C to 70 C 200 kHz on one channel 100 kHz on two channels 40 kHz on three or four channels 20 kHz on five to eight channels 200 kHz down to
23. later The Pod connectors on the PowerLab 4sP do not handle transducers directly unless the transducers are so labelled unsuitable transducers will give a very weak signal Transducers designed for direct connection can be provided with power and control since the Pod connectors provide some functions of the C output as well as alternative analog inputs to the BNC connectors The PowerLab 8sp has eight independent analog inputs marked Input 1 to Input 8 All inputs are single ended with the signal referenced to ground and have only positive connectors The PowerLab 16sp has 16 independent analog inputs marked Input 1 to Input 16 All inputs are single ended with the signal referenced to ground and have only positive connectors Analog Output The PowerLab can generate a stimulus voltage through its analog output sockets marked Output 1 and Output 2 giving positive negative differential or independent stimuli depending on the sockets used and the software settings By default the outputs are used for complementary differential stimulation where Output 1 is positive and Output 2 is negative When Output 1 is used a positive stimulus voltage set up in the software gives a positive voltage output and a negative voltage a negative one When Output 2 is used the voltage outputs are inverted When both output sockets are used the stimulus is the difference between the voltages at the positive and negative outputs you
24. s Guide 57 bus A data carrying electrical pathway Chart An application supplied with a PowerLab that emulates a multi channel chart recorder with other powerful options Macintosh and Windows versions differ connector A plug socket jack or port used to connect one electronic device to another via a cable a PowerLab to a computer say CPU central processing unit A hardware device that performs logical and arithmetical operations on data as specified in the instructions the heart of most computers DAC digital to analog converter A device that converts digital information into some corresponding analog voltage or current DC offset The amount of DC direct current voltage present at the output of an amplifier when zero voltage is applied to the input or the amount of DC voltage present in a transducer in its equilibrium state differential input Input using both positive and negative inputs on a PowerLab The recorded signal is the difference between the positive and negative input voltages if both were fed exactly the same signal zero would result Can reduce the noise from long leads digital Varying discretely A digital signal changes to discrete values rather than varying continuously A digital time display might read 2 57 instead of using the positions of a pair of hands ona clock face DIN Deutsche Industrie Norm A sort of cable or connector there are various sorts with differen
25. 0 003 Hz using Chart 200 kHz down to 2 Hz using Scope 200 kHz to 1 Hz using Chart for Windows Sampling on USB rather than SCSI may limit the maximum sampling rates 2 Single ended or differential 14 bits 0 6 mV resolution at 10 V range 25 mA 0 1 Q typical 10 V ps 2 us to 0 01 of FSR for LSB change 1 LSB from 0 C to 70 C Appendix C Specifications 51 Output ranges External Trigger Trigger threshold Hysteresis Input load Maximum input voltage Minimum pulse width 200 mV to 10 V full scale in six steps 10V 5V 2V 1V 500 mV 200 mV 2 9 V TTL compatible 1 1 V turns off at 1 8 V 1 TTL load 12 V 5 us Microprocessor and Data Communication Processor Memory Data communication Expansion Ports PC expansion port Digital output Digital input 16 MHz 68340 512 K RAM SCSI up to 4 megabytes s maximum dependent on computer USB up to 500 kilobytes s maximum dependent on setup Power and control bus for front end units Supports up to 16 front ends but limited to the PowerLab s free connectors Interface communications rate of up to 10 000 bits s 8 independent lines TTL output level 50 mA maximum load per line 250 mA maximum total load 8 independent lines TTL input level threshold 2 2 V 52 PowerLab Owner s Guide Physical Configuration Dimensions w x h x d Weight Operating voltage No
26. 4 or later Windows 98 Me 2000 or later is needed for USB 60 PowerLab Owner s Guide Index A ADC analog to digital converter 28 ADInstruments contacts ii analog input 7 8 analog output 8 30 34 35 analog to digital converter 29 ASPI 4 43 B back panel 9 13 Body protected symbol vii C calibration 33 Cardiac protected symbol vii changing fuses 12 Chart 4 5 checking the PowerLab 2 computer requirements Macintosh 4 Windows 3 connections ground 11 I2C 31 36 Macintosh 23 24 Pod 7 8 37 38 portable computers 24 PowerBook 23 PowerLab to computer 17 26 safe to humans 5 7 31 safety v viii SCSI 20 26 36 USB 17 20 35 Windows 24 26 contacting ADInstruments ii cooling fan 13 D DAC digital to analog converter 30 DC drift 32 digital input 31 37 digital output 31 37 digital to analog converter 30 E equipotential connection 11 error patterns 16 17 external trigger 9 29 30 33 F fan 13 FIFO devices 27 29 front panel 5 9 front ends 5 fuse holder 12 fuses changing 12 G ground connection 11 I I2C port 8 10 36 38 installation problems 43 M Macintosh PowerBook 23 maintenance viii PowerLab Owner s Guide 61 N New Hardware wizard 43 P Pod connection 7 8 37 38 Pods 8 portable computers 24 Power indicator 7 power switch 12 PowerLab accuracy 33 back panel 9 13 calibration 33 connec
27. ADInstruments PowerLab SP Owner s Guide for PowerLab 4sp PowerLab 8sp and PowerLab 16sP models PowerLab 4sp ADInstruments Trigger jut 2 Power Status 0 S72 li O O O 2 y O Ste om KAIN Ste oo 21S Oho 1s Power PowerLab 8sp ADInstruments Status O O O Output 1 3 Output 2 Trigger o PowerLab 16sP ADInstruments Trigger Power Status Output 1 Output 2 Input 1 Input 2 Input 3 Input 4 Input 5 Input 6 Input 7 Input 8 Input Input 10 Inputll Input12 Inputl3 Inputl4 Input15 Input 16 MacLab System PowerLab System This document was as far as possible accurate at the time of printing Changes may have been made to the software and hardware it describes since then though ADInstruments reserves the right to alter specifications as required Late breaking information may be supplied separately Trademarks of ADInstruments MacLab PowerChrom and PowerLab are registered trademarks of ADInstruments Pty Ltd E Corder and the names of specific recording units such as PowerLab 16spP are trademarks of ADInstruments Pty Ltd Chart EChem Histogram Keeper Peaks Scope Translate UpdateMaker and UpdateUser application programs are trademarks of ADInstruments Pty Ltd Other Trademarks Apple the Apple logo Mac Macintosh and PowerBook are registered trademarks of Apple Computer Inc
28. BNC inputs only Do not attempt to record from both the BNC and Pod connectors for an input at the same time or the signals will compete Pod connectors allow the connection of ADInstruments Pods small low cost units that provide alternatives to front ends for specific tasks for use with precalibrated transducers and so on Pods are supported by Scope v3 6 3 and later Chart for Macintosh v3 6 3 and later and Chart for Windows v3 4 7 and later The Pod Appendix A Technical Aspects 37 connectors on the PowerLab 4sp do not handle transducers directly unless the transducers are so labelled unsuitable transducers will give a very weak signal Transducers designed for direct connection can be provided with power and control since the Pod connectors provide some functions of the I C output as well as alternative analog inputs to the BNC connectors Input gt Figure A 12 The pin assignments for the Negative 5 V Pod connector SCL Positive 5 V Input Input ref Analog Ground Digital Ground 38 PowerLab Owner s Guide Ao eee SE SINE Dee TE Troubleshooting V Refer Self Test p 16 This appendix describes most of the common problems that can occur with your PowerLab recording unit It covers how these problems are caused and what you can do to alleviate them If the solutions here do not work your software guide may contain remedies for possible s
29. Power Macintosh iMac and System 7 are trademarks of Apple Computer Inc PowerPC is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation Pentium is a registered trademark of the Intel Corporation Windows and Windows 95 are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation Windows NT is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners Product PowerLab 4sP ML750 PowerLab 8sP ML785 PowerLab 16sP ML795 Hardware Michael Macknight Boris Schlensky Tim Spencer Graham Milliken Indulus Kradzins Documentation by staff of ADInstruments Document Number U ML003S OG 002E Copyright September 2001 ADInstruments Pty Ltd Unit 6 4 Gladstone Rd Castle Hill NSW 2154 Australia Web _ http www adinstruments com E mail support adinstruments com All rights reserved No part of this document may be reproduced by any means without the prior written permission of ADInstruments Pty Ltd ii PowerLab Owner s Guide Contents Contents iii Safety Notes v 1 Overview 1 How to Use this Guide 2 First Check Your PowerLab 2 The PowerLab System 3 Computer Requirements 3 The Application Programs 4 ADInstruments Front Ends 5 The PowerLab 5 The Front Panel 5 The Back Panel 9 2 Setting Up 15 Self Test 16 The USB Connection 17 Connecting the PowerLab Using USB 18 USB Connection Rules 19 The SCSI Connection
30. S 8 5 or later it simply will not work with earlier hardware such as a 68K Macintosh or earlier operating systems such as System 7 use SCSI with these The computer hangs up while recording or there is data loss A poor connection between PowerLab and computer or bad cable e Ensure that the cable is firmly attached at both ends and try again If there is still a problem try a new cable SCSI problems two SCSI devices on the bus have the same SCSI ID or termination is incorrect or unsuitable e Check that each device has a unique ID number and that the SCSI chain is terminated correctly As a last resort if the PowerLab is the only connected SCSI device try leaving it unterminated The PowerLab doesn t work or the program crashes after a short time A poor connection between PowerLab and computer or bad cable e Ensure that the cable is firmly attached at both ends and try again If there is still a problem try a new cable SCSI problems two SCSI devices on the bus have the same SCSI ID or termination is incorrect or unsuitable e Check that each device has a unique ID number and that the SCSI chain is terminated correctly As a last resort if the PowerLab is the only connected SCSI device try leaving it unterminated The SCSI adapter card is incompatible with the computer or the PowerLab or both We cannot guarantee that the PowerLab will work reliably with a card we did not supply e Try another card prefera
31. SI PORT C Port USB Port Digital Output Digital Input Figure A 3 a n DID Block diagram of the a a PowerLab 1 6SP Controller Controller SCSI Controller 7 POWER 68340 SUPPLY CPU z A 50 60Hz MAINS SYNC SYSTEM GLUE FIFO pata FIFO LATCH SAMPLING CONTROL 16 BIT ADC GLUE XK Multiplexer i ie 5 3 E aa 4 gt op op O O amp Analog Outpu External Trigger Analog Input 30 PowerLab Owner s Guide A Caution PowerLab inputs and outputs are not electrically isolated Human subjects must not be connected directly to the PowerLab If such measurements are to be made an isolated front end must be used such as the Bio Amp A Caution Applying more than 15 V to the input can damage the channel input circuits amplifier to give them the capability to drive heavier loads The PowerLab can store stimulation data in FIFOs so that it can stimulate at a frequency independent of the analog input sampling rate The FIFOs also allow the generation of much faster stimuli and continuous waveforms with little or no load on the CPU The PowerLab is also fitted with an IC front end expansion port This 9 pin port supplies both power and control to ADInstruments front ends using a 4 wire serial bus two wires for standard C and two control lines The digital input and output connectors provide a means of using the PowerLab to monitor and to control external devices respectively The dig
32. Take note of pattern switch off your PowerLab wait about five seconds and then switch it back on If it still continues to flash the pattern then the PowerLab needs repair Contact your authorised ADInstruments distributor as soon as possible Do not attempt to repair the PowerLab yourself If your PowerLab has successfully performed its internal self test read on to find out how to connect it to your computer The USB Connection This section is essential reading before trying to use your PowerLab with USB The PowerLab is fitted with a USB universal serial bus port which provides an alternative to the SCSI connection This works with USB 1 1 compliant computers with USB connectors or a USB card On a PC USB requires Windows 98 Me 2000 or later 95 or NT 4 won t do On a Macintosh USB needs a Power Macintosh with Mac OS 8 5 or later but note that the latest PowerLab software requires Mac OS 8 6 USB devices are connected in a tree like structure with the host the computer forming the root of the tree and hubs allowing multiple devices to connect to them like the branches of the tree Up to 126 linked USB z devices Computer root hub for the USB tree Chapter 2 Setting Up 17 A hub is simply a device that lets you extend the USB tree It connects to a USB device such as the computer and multiple USB device
33. be at the end of the chain since it has only one SCSI connector and its internal terminator must be switched on PC computer PowerLab 4sp PowerLab 8sp PowerLab 16sP SCSI card A A 25 pin connector Termination Switch SCSI cable SCSI Cards with Windows NT or Older Computers Windows 95 and 98 both come with a number of generic SCSI drivers already installed that should work with most cards including any that ADInstruments supplies Windows NT may not have the right Chapter 2 Setting Up 25 SCSI driver available so the driver might have to be installed manually perhaps from the original NT system CD The SCSI card should have instructions on the driver it needs and how to install it Older pre PCI computers require a special ISA or ISO bus SCSI card Such a card should come with its own manual and may take some effort to set up It will probably require assistance from a PC technical support person SCSI Strikes Back Not following the SCSI device connection and termination protocols can lead to more problems than you might think The possible dangers include loss of data intermittent communications corruption of data on a SCSI hard disk failure of the computer to boot from a SCSI drive and failure of the computer to recognise SCSI devices connected to it Such problems are very unlikely however if you follow the rules 26 Powe
34. bly one we supplied Partitioning problems on the hard disk while rare this can happen even with new disks e Use disk checking utility applications to check the SCSI driver and root directory on the hard disk Partitioning programs may Appendix B Troubleshooting 41 also have effective low level disk checking The programs will probably fix the problems or otherwise indicate what needs to be done such as reinstalling the SCSI driver and their manuals should explain the technical details involved The PowerBook computer stops working normally and instead shows a diamond with its SCSI ID number on screen The PowerBook is acting as a SCSI hard disk This means that the wrong 30 pin connector and cable were used to connect it to the PowerLab You need a different 29 pin cable and connector to make a normal SCSI connection to peripherals e Use the correct cable to connect your PowerBook to the PowerLab the cable should be available from your Apple dealer Signals seem weak or interacting on the PowerLab 4sP You may be using both the BNC connector and the Pod connector for an input at the same time with resultant signal competition e Make certain that you use only one of the alternative connectors BNC or Pod for an input when recording Problems Windows Most problems that users encounter are connection problems and SCSI problems Improper connections can result in a loss of all or some of a signal
35. cover hardware modified in any way subjected to unusual physical electrical or environmental stress used with incorrectly wired or substandard connectors or cables or with the original identification marks altered Software License The Purchaser has the non exclusive right to use the supplied ADI software The Purchaser s employees or students for instance are entitled to use it provided they adhere to this Agreement The Purchaser can make as many backup copies of ADI software as is reasonable Each separate purchase of a software program however licenses it to be used on only one computer at any given time Although multiple copies of a purchased program may exist two or more copies must not be used simultaneously Site licenses multiple user licenses are treated as if five copies of a program were purchased separately even if only one CD or set of disks is provided Technical Support Once a customer registration form has been filled out and sent in the Purchaser is entitled to free technical support for any ADI product for one year from its date of purchase A customer registration form should be included with each product if for some reason you cannot find one contact ADI for another This involves help and advice concerning installation operation particular uses and problems with ADI products Services not directly related to ADI products may incur a charge Jurisdiction This Agreement shall be gove
36. ctively unattenuated up to 150 Hz and is 0 707 of the original value at 200 Hz 58 PowerLab Owner s Guide front end An ancillary device that extends PowerLab capabilities providing additional signal conditioning and features for specialised work Front ends are recognised automatically by the PowerLab system and seamlessly integrated into its applications operating under full software control gain The amount of amplification of a signal half bridge transducer A bridge transducer only using half of the full bridge circuit It consists of two elements of equal value with an excitation voltage applied across them The output of the transducer is taken at the junction of the two elements hertz Hz The unit of frequency of vibration or oscillation defined as the number of cycles per second The PowerLab s maximum sampling rate can be up to 100 kHz for E series and 200 kHz for sp and st PowerLabs high pass filter HPF A filter that passes high frequency signals but filters low ones by blocking DC voltages and attenuating frequencies below a certain frequency called the cutoff or 3 dB frequency PC The IC eye squared sea connection is used by the PowerLab to control front ends It provides power and communications using a 4 wire serial bus two wires for standard IC and two control lines IEC International Electrotechnical Commission low pass filter LPF A filter that passes low frequency
37. detected This display will keep repeating until the power to the PowerLab is turned off Analog Inputs The analog inputs used to record external signals can handle signals from 10 V down to the microvolt uV range without the need for additional external amplification Each PowerLab analog input has an independently programmable gain amplifier with its own filtering and AC DC coupling You can set up each input independently to suit your requirements using the software Note that applying more than 15 V to the analog inputs can damage the circuitry The PowerLab 4sp has four independent analog inputs marked Input 1 to Input 4 each with alternative connectors The top BNC connector can be used for single ended input and the 8 pin DIN Pod connector below can be used for either single ended or differential input Single ended inputs record the difference between signal and ground and differential ones record the difference between positive and negative input signals Do not attempt to record from both the BNC and Pod connectors for an input at the same time or the signals will compete Chapter 1 Overview Pod connectors allow the connection of ADInstruments Pods small low cost units that provide alternatives to front ends for specific tasks for use with precalibrated transducers and so on Pods are supported by Scope v3 6 3 and later Chart for Macintosh v3 6 3 and later and Chart for Windows v3 4 7 and
38. e cable is firmly attached at both ends and try again If there is still a problem try a new cable SCSI problems two SCSI devices on the bus have the same SCSI ID or termination is incorrect or unsuitable e Check that each device has a unique ID number and that the SCSI chain is terminated correctly As a last resort if the PowerLab is the only connected SCSI device try leaving it unterminated The computer is running off a SCSI hard drive and the PowerLab has an internal problem or has hung e Turn everything off and then after at least five seconds turn the PowerLab back on again Turn on the computer and try using the software again The computer can t find the PowerLab The PowerLab is off or the power is switched off at the wall the power cable is not connected firmly or a fuse has blown e Check switches power connections and fuses A poor connection between PowerLab and computer or bad cable e Ensure that the cable is firmly attached at both ends and try again If there is still a problem try a new cable SCSI problems two SCSI devices on the bus have the same SCSI ID or termination is incorrect or unsuitable 44 PowerLab Owner s Guide e Check that each device has a unique ID number and that the SCSI chain is terminated correctly As a last resort if the PowerLab is the only connected SCSI device try leaving it unterminated The PowerLab has an internal problem or has hung
39. em consists of a PowerChrom recording unit and the Glossary 59 PowerChrom program It provides general purpose manual or automatic recording and analysis of chromatographic peaks PowerLab The PowerLab hardware unit is a self contained data acquisition hardware unit that connects to a Windows or Macintosh computer When used in conjunction with programs such as Chart and Scope it functions as a versatile laboratory instrument PowerLab system The system consists of a hardware unit and applications software and possibly ancillary devices It provides a multi purpose data recording display and analysis environment for experimental data range In Chart and Scope the range is the greatest positive and negative voltage that can be displayed usually from 2 mV to 10 V in 12 steps Range is inversely propor tional to gain the extent of amplification Scope An application supplied with a PowerLab that emulates a two channel storage oscilloscope with added powerful options Macintosh and Windows versions are very similar SCSI small computer system interface A connection protocol that provides a computer with fast access to peripheral devices but has to be set up carefully SCSI devices can be linked together in a chain and require termination to prevent signal loss serial A connection protocol for sending information sequentially one bit at a time over a single wire The PowerLab 800 has a slo
40. ependent lines TTL output level 50 mA maximum load per line 250 mA maximum total load 8 independent lines TTL input level threshold 2 2 V Appendix C Specifications 55 Physical Configuration Dimensions w xh x d Weight Operating voltage Nominal power needs Maximum power needs Replacement fuses Operating temperature range 300 mm x 60 mm x 300 mm 11 8 x 2 4 x 11 8 5 kg 10 lb 10 oz 220 240 V or 110 120 V internally set 25 VA no front ends attached 35 VA full complement of front ends 100 120 V 1 Amp 5 x 20 mm slow blow voltage rating 120 or 250 V 220 240 V 400 mA 5 x 20 mm slow blow voltage rating 250 V only 0 to 35 C 0 to 90 humidity non condensing ADInstruments reserves the right to alter these specifications at any time 56 PowerLab Owner s Guide Glossary This covers terms used in this owner s guide those for ADInstruments front ends and the user s guides for ADInstruments software General and specific computer terminology should be covered in the material that came with your computer or in a recent dictionary AC coupling A filter option When AC coupling is chosen a 0 1 Hz high pass filter before the first amplification stage removes DC and frequency components below 0 1 Hz This removes slowly changing baselines ADC analog to digital converter A device that converts analog informa
41. er version of Chart is available for use with older Macintosh computers A Power Macintosh computer or computer with a PowerPC microprocessor 32 MB free RAM 64 MB recommended Mac OS 8 6 or later Mac OS 9 0 or later recommended Additional requirement for USB A USB interface on your computer this may be added via a card if necessary Additional requirement for SCSI Either built in SCSI or an appropriate SCSI card and cable we recommend that you use a card and cable supplied by ADInstruments others may be suitable but you should seek technical advice if in doubt The Application Programs Two main application programs and their documentation are provided with each PowerLab Scope emulates a two channel storage oscilloscope Chart emulates a multi channel chart recorder up to 16 PowerLab Owner s Guide channels depending on the PowerLab model Both provide many other powerful features in addition including computed functions triggering options software controlled stimulus generation and automated recording and analysis Their user s guides describe them in full the Getting Started with PowerLab manual gives summaries You must install the software to use your PowerLab Installation instructions are included in the user s guides for the software ADInstruments Front Ends Front ends are optional ancillary devices that can be connected to the PowerLab to extend the system s capabilities They afford
42. ermination Rules Terminating the SCSI bus is essential to preserve the integrity of the high speed signals present on the bus Termination helps keep these signals free from noise and prevents unwanted signal reflections up and down the bus Without correct termination the SCSI signals could be swamped by reflections from previous signals resulting in a jumble of meaningless electronic noise The way in which you terminate the SCSI chain will depend on the number of SCSI devices you wish to connect to your computer along with the PowerLab The SCSI connection between your PowerLab and computer is a very good way to provide safe and reliable high speed data transfer provided that you follow the rules for proper termination ASCSI chain is correctly terminated by placing terminators at each end of the chain The computer is terminated internally so forming one end of the chain A SCSI host adapter will be terminated if the SCSI controller and internal SCSI hard disk are both terminated you may have to alter things see the documentation that came with the card or computer The PowerLab should be at the other end of the chain with its SCSI termination switch on Connecting the PowerLab Macintosh Those Macintosh computers without USB and even some with USB should have SCSI built in or available through a card Not all SCSI cards are suitable especially high end ones ultra wide SCSI and the like SCSI cards and cables with which the
43. es from the C port it is designed for use only with ADInstruments front ends Only 50 mA maximum current can 10 PowerLab Owner s Guide be provided through this bus so it should not be used for third party devices drawing more current Digital Input and Output Ports The digital input and output connectors let you monitor and control external devices respectively with the PowerLab These recording automation and control features are available in the Macintosh version of Chart but not in the current version of Chart for Windows v3 4 or in Scope The digital input monitors state changes you can have a predefined comment automatically inserted during recording when a digital input changes to a particular state The eight lines of the connector allow monitoring of up to eight devices The digital output can turn on and off external devices for example pumps relays and indicator lights or can signal to some other device The eight lines of the connector allow control of up to eight devices Technical details of the digital input and output connectors are given later in this guide please refer to the descriptions before attempting to connect equipment to them More information on the use of digital inputs and outputs is given in the user s guide for the software Ground Connection A special earthing grounding stud has been provided on the rear of the PowerLab This is an equipotential bonding connection post co
44. esults SCSI Port The PowerLab uses a single 25 pin D type female connector for the SCSI port If you are using a Macintosh you probably need a 25 pin Appendix A Technical Aspects 35 Figure A 9 The 25 pin SCSI connector Figure A 10 The pin assignments for the 7C port to 25 pin cable If you are using a Windows PC the connection at the other end of the cable depends on your set up O00000 00O Q Cerner SCSI is sensitive to cable impedances and connection lengths The incorrect wiring of a SCSI cable can result in damage to the SCSI circuitry or random SCSI activities being performed You should therefore use only approved SCSI cables such as the ones available from ADInstruments and never attempt to make your own IC Expansion Port The I C port on the back panel of the PowerLab provides expansion support for ADInstruments front ends This port provides both power and control signals for these front ends The I C bus has a daisy chain structure that allows simple connection of additional front ends to the system A PowerLab can have as many front ends connected to it as it has analog inputs roughly speaking You should not attempt to run other external devices from the PC port it is designed for use only with ADInstruments front ends Only 50 mA maximum current can be provided through this bus so it should not be used for third party devices drawing more current Front e
45. ew Hardware wizard and ask if you want to install a driver e Leave the wizard on its default settings and click the OK button Insert the CD or Disk 1 of the provided installation disks The PowerLab setup information file should be selected in the dialog box that appears Click the OK button and continue There is an alert about ASPI when the software starts up ADInstruments software needs ASPI advanced SCSI programming interface to communicate with the PowerLab An alert appears if it can t be found ASPI is present by default in Windows 95 or later although it could have been removed but not in Windows NT 4 A version suitable for most SCSI cards supplied by ADInstruments is provided on the software CD Other SCSI cards should come with instructions on what to do e Install the appropriate version of ASPI on the computer or ask your PC technical support person or IS manager to do it The computer refuses to boot with the PowerLab connected The SCSI adapter card is incompatible with the computer or the PowerLab or both We cannot guarantee that the PowerLab will work Appendix B Troubleshooting 43 reliably with a card we did not supply and some computers and SCSI adapter cards just won t work together e Try another card preferably one we supplied Ask your PC technical support person or IS manager to check compatibility A poor connection between PowerLab and computer or bad cable e Ensure that th
46. h means that protection against electric shock in the event of a fault relies on a direct connection through the power cable to your building s earth conductor The power cable supplied with your PowerLab provides the required ground connection to the power outlet If your building does not have power outlet sockets with a good ground connection then you may use the ground connection on the rear of the PowerLab to provide the equipotential connection to the building s earth conductor A ground connection is an essential part of this equipment s safety Never use the PowerLab without a ground connection Safety Symbol Explanation Every ADInstruments device designed for connection to humans including the Bio Amp BP Amp GSR Amp and Stimulus Isolator carries one or more of three safety symbols as shown in Figure S 1 These symbols appear next to those input and output connectors that can be directly connected to human subjects vi PowerLab Owner s Guide Figure S 1 Equipment safety symbols on ADInstruments devices designed for safe connection to humans BF symbol Body Warning symbol see CF symbol Cardiac protected equipment documentation protected equipment The three symbols are BF body protected symbol This means that the input connectors are suitable for connection to humans provided there is no direct electrical connection to the heart e Warning symbol The exclamation mark inside a triangle mea
47. h shows that engineers have no taste in acronyms SCSI provides fast data transfer but requires that specific rules be followed in order for it to work correctly it is the most complex aspect of setting up a PowerLab system Please read the details on SCSI in Chapter 2 of this guide before connecting your PowerLab to your computer using SCSI Each PowerLab has a single 25 pin connector for connecting SCSI cables so it has to be used at the end of a SCSI chain It is terminated internally but the termination can be switched on and off using the SCSI Termination switch beside the SCSI connector it should be on The SCSI ID Switch The SCSI ID switch is there if you need to change the SCSI ID number of your PowerLab The PowerLab is factory set to an identification number of 4 The SCSI ID can be changed simply by pressing the control buttons while the PowerLab is turned off The new ID takes effect when the PowerLab starts up again Only some numbers are valid they depend on the type of computer whether it has built in SCSI or a SCSI card and the number of built in and peripheral SCSI devices in the SCSI chain This is discussed in the next chapter C Output The I7C output is a special port designed to connect to front ends made by ADInstruments It supplies power and communications A PowerLab can have as many front ends connected to it as it has analog inputs roughly speaking Note You should not attempt to run other external devic
48. his chapter starts with the PowerLab s internal self test then looks at the USB connection It also looks at the SCSI connection in some detail including connection and termination rules and setting the SCSI ID number It discusses how to connect up your PowerLab to a Windows or Macintosh computer PowerLab Owner s Guide 15 Self Test Now that you are familiar with some of the features of your PowerLab you should check that it is working properly before you connect it to your computer The PowerLab performs a diagnostic self test each time it is switched on whether or not it is connected to a computer To test that your PowerLab is functioning properly when you turn it on follow the instructions below and observe the effects 1 Connect the PowerLab to a power outlet using the power cable that came with your unit Turn the power on at the wall 2 Turn on the power switch located on the rear of the unit The Power indicator on the front panel should glow green while the PowerLab is on see Figure 1 2 Figure 1 3 and Figure 1 4 The Status indicator should flash yellow a number of times equal to the SCSI ID of the PowerLab see Table 1 1 If the internal diagnostic check finds no problems the Status indicator turns off showing that the PowerLab is idle it only goes green when the software is running If the indicators perform as described above then your PowerLab has successfully performed its internal
49. ital input monitors state changes the eight lines of the connector allow monitoring of up to eight devices The digital output can turn on and off external devices or can signal to some other device The eight lines of the connector allow control of up to eight devices These recording automation and control features are available in the Macintosh version of Chart but not in the current version of Chart for Windows v3 4 or in Scope The PowerLab uses an IEC601 1 compliant linear power supply not a switching power supply which makes it a little heavier but a lot quieter electrically It is important to note that the PowerLab has a limited amount of power available for external devices Because of these power restrictions you should not use the PowerLab as a power source for external devices other than front ends produced by ADInstruments The Analog Inputs PowerLab input amplifiers have been designed with a considerable amount of computer controlled gain up to x 5000 Thus it is possible to record a variety of signals without any external pre amplification Each analog input is a separate DC amplifier with programmable gain able to be set independently the gain is set through the software range control the less the range the more the gain The input amplifiers of the PowerLab 8sp and PowerLab 16s are single ended but can be set by the software to be either positive or negative inverting or non inverting The PowerLab 4sp input
50. le to find a cable to fit all connections though Make sure that you have the correct SCSI cable to connect up your PowerLab It requires a 25 pin D style connector for the PowerLab If you have a portable computer with a PC card SCSI adapter then the card probably needs the specific cable that came with that particular card You may have to purchase separately a cable adapter to connect the end of your SCSI cable to the 25 pin connector for the PowerLab 24 PowerLab Owner s Guide Figure 2 6 Connecting a PowerLab to the computer 25 pin connector shown The card should have full instructions on installation with it The SCSI adapter card will usually be terminated and at one end of the chain this is always the case for PC card SCSI adapters although if the computer has built in SCSI you may have an internal SCSI device in your PC that is terminated with the host adapter in the middle of the chain If there is a problem with cables or you are unsure about any devices such as a hard disk connected to your computer on SCSI internally your PC technical support person or IS manager should be able to help you If the PowerLab is the only SCSI device to connect to the computer then simply connect the two together with the correct SCSI cable and turn the SCSI termination switch on If you wish to use multiple SCSI devices with the computer the first and last devices in the chain should be terminated The PowerLab must
51. ltage output and a negative voltage a 34 PowerLab Owner s Guide Figure A 8 The USB connector negative one When Output 2 is used the voltage outputs are inverted When both output sockets are used the stimulus is the difference between the voltages at the positive and negative outputs you could generate up to a 20 volt pulse given a 10 V stimulus The outputs can be used for independent stimulation in Scope and the Macintosh version of Chart but not in the current version of Chart for Windows v3 4 The details are discussed in the software user s guides Connections This section of the appendix contains pinout and electrical details of some of the connectors fitted to the PowerLab You should read it carefully before attempting to connect cables other than those supplied with the unit to the PowerLab Using cables that are wired incorrectly can cause internal damage to the PowerLab and will void your rights under warranty USB Port The PowerLab is fitted with a USB universal serial bus port which provides an alternative to the SCSI connection This works with computers with USB connectors or a USB card USB needs a Power Macintosh with Mac OS 8 5 or later or a PC with Windows 98 or later Your PowerLab is supplied with a proper high speed USB cable If you need additional USB cables you should buy high speed cables fully shielded twisted pair and with standard USB connections for reliable r
52. minal power needs Maximum power needs Replacement fuses Operating temperature range Input Number of inputs Input configuration Amplification ranges Maximum input voltage Input impedance 300 mm x 60 mm x 300 mm 11 8 x 2 4 x 11 8 4 8 kg 10 lb 8 oz 220 240 V or 110 120 V internally set 17 VA no front ends attached 30 VA full complement of front ends 100 120 V 1 Amp 5 x 20 mm slow blow voltage rating 120 or 250 V 220 240 V 400 mA 5 x 20 mm slow blow voltage rating 250 V only 0 to 35 C 0 to 90 humidity non condensing PowerLab 16sP Specifications 16 Single ended 2 mV to 10 V full scale in 12 steps 10V t5V 2V t1V 0 5 V 0 2 V 0 11 V 50 mV 20 mV 10 mV 5mV 2mvV 15 volts 1MQ 47 pF DC Appendix C Specifications 53 Low pass filtering AC coupling Frequency response 3 dB DC drift CMRR differential Input crosstalk Input noise Sampling ADC resolution Linearity error Maximum sampling rates Available sampling rates Output Amplifier Number of outputs Output configuration Output resolution Maximum output current Output impedance Slew rate Settling time Linearity error 1 2 5 10 or 20 kHz software selectable DC or 0 1 Hz software selectable 20 kHz 10 V full scale all gain ranges Software corrected 96 dB 50 Hz typical 110 dB typical lt 1
53. mpatible with the DIN 42801 standard If the ground connector post is used the power cord ground connection should not be used a power cord with no ground connection should be used instead The ground connector post on the rear panel is used as a primary earth connection equipotential connection point in situations that require this type of connection or if there is no ground provided via the power cord Safety standards in laboratories and similar environments may require additional grounding protection when connecting equipment to human subjects In such cases an equipotential connection may be used for all linked equipment to prevent ground loops and power cords with no ground connections should be available Chapter 1 Overview 11 Figure 1 6 The power switch fuse holder and power socket Power Connections The power switch on the back right of the PowerLab turns the PowerLab on and off the 3 pin IEC power socket is used to connect your PowerLab to a 3 pin earthed grounded power cable Power switch Fuse holder Power socket Fuse Replacement The fuse holder is located beside the power socket and can only be opened when the power cable is removed To check the fuses remove the power cable from the PowerLab and lever the fuse holder out using the tab at its left which is recessed in the power socket The fuse holder contains two slow blow fuses which protect your PowerLab from p
54. nd power IC control signals z gt S SA TEE Z a a Q lt A SZZZ iGZAaBE ASS5IZARAZ 36 PowerLab Owner s Guide Figure A 11 The pin assignments for the digital input and output connectors Digital Input and Output Ports The digital input port and digital output port are 15 pin connectors situated on the back panel of the PowerLab The eight digital input lines respond to standard TTL signals with a threshold of 2 2 V The eight digital output lines can turn on and off or signal to up to eight external TTL devices The digital output lines are capable of driving five TTL loads overall 50 mA maximum load per line 250 mA maximum total load Digital input Digital output aN ODO HT WO Pm CO os Leap E EE PREEPREPRPE Zee eee aS 588538558 S inne reel ele Sa oedema ee feed P E a ee e a Ca E yoke sale E ls ol ala al Ewa ele fe wile cl kes looo0oo0oo000o08 8000000001 9000000015 500000009 TE gt e 5522 Sss 5 ZSEE ee z A Eee Ee aa Oo a SERB Ze RAP 2 hay Sy oy OO A OO These recording automation and control features are available in the Macintosh version of Chart but not in the current version of Chart for Windows v3 4 or in Scope Pod Connectors The Pod connectors on the PowerLab 4sp are 8 pin DIN connectors The PowerLab 8sP and PowerLab 16sP have single ended
55. nges to this Agreement must be recorded in writing and have ADI s and the Purchaser s consent Copyright and Trademarks ADI develops proprietary computer software and hardware including MacLab PowerChrom and PowerLab units All ADI software hardware and documentation is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced or altered in any way nor may products be derived from or based on it ADI retains the exclusive ownership of the trademarks and registered trademarks represented by its company name logo and product names Responsibilities The Purchaser and any others using any ADI product agree to use it in a sensible manner for purposes for which it is suited and agree to take responsibility for their actions and the results of their actions If problems arise with an ADI product ADI will make all reasonable efforts to fix them This service may incur a charge depending on the nature of the problems and is subject to the other conditions in this Agreement Limitations ADI products are produced to high standards and should perform substantially as described in the supplied documentation There is a limited hardware warranty and technical support is provided for all products Nevertheless since ADI products could be affected by external factors for instance the computer system on which they run absolute performance and reliability cannot be guaranteed No warranty either express or implied or statu
56. ni Mains Sync k 3 IATCH IATCH FIFO l L A SAMPING 16BIT ADC CONTROL Multiplexer LOGIC z TX R Pod wW V Control Analog Output External Trigger Analog Input 28 PowerLab Owner s Guide Figure A 2 Block diagram of the PowerLab 8sP analog to digital converter The ADC can sample at up to 200 000 samples per second The CPU assembles groups of samples into blocks and then transmits them to the computer where the application program receives records and displays the data Sampled data from the ADC are stored in FIFOs until the CPU is ready to read them The FIFOs let the CPU know when they are getting full at which point it will read all of their data very quickly This frees the CPU from the need to read every sample from the ADC as it is ready so that it can perform other tasks The external trigger input marked Trigger on the front panel is connected to a comparator circuit that triggers when the input SCSI PORT PC Port USB Port Digital Output Digital Input 1 Pc USB P
57. ns that you should consult the supplied documentation you re reading it for operating information or cautionary and safety information before using the device e CF cardiac protected symbol Appears on some models of Bio Amp and every BP Amp This means that the input connectors are suitable for connection to humans even when there is direct electrical connection to the heart Cleaning and Sterilisation This system is not supplied with materials or components likely to need sterilisation If you need to clean peripherals likely to be in contact with different subjects they can be cold sterilised with an appropriate sterilising agent No part of the system can be autoclaved Storage It is recommended that the hardware be kept below 40 C and above 0 C ina moisture free or low humidity environment when not in use storage only Electronic components are susceptible to corrosive substances and atmospheres so it is also advisable to keep the system away from laboratory chemicals Safety Notes vii Preventative Inspection and Maintenance Both PowerLab systems and ADInstruments front ends are maintenance free and do not require periodic calibration or adjustment to ensure medical safety Internal diagnostic software performs system checks during power up and will report errors if a significant problem is found There is no need to open the instrument for inspection or maintenance and doing so within the warranty
58. oftware problems If none of the solutions here or in the software guide appears to help then consult your ADInstruments distributor Problems Macintosh Nearly all the problems that users encounter are connection problems and SCSI problems Improper connections can result in a loss of all or some of a signal SCSI difficulties can cause data loss failure of the computer to recognise that SCSI devices are attached to it and difficulties using other SCSI devices Incompatible SCSI adapter cards and cables may also cause problems Obviously the SCSI problems will not apply if you use USB The PowerLab Status indicator light flashes yellow then red when the PowerLab is turned on If the pattern is simply an alternating red flash and yellow flash then the SCSI ID has been set to the numbers 0 or 7 which cannot be used by an SP series PowerLab Only 1 to 6 are valid SCSI ID numbers e Switch off your PowerLab and any other connected devices change the SCSI ID for the PowerLab using the control on the back panel wait about five seconds and then switch it back on Check any other connected SCSI devices as well at the same time PowerLab Owner s Guide 39 An internal problem has been discovered by the diagnostic self test this is performed by the PowerLab each time it powers up e Turn everything off and then after at least five seconds turn the PowerLab back on again This should clear a temporary problem If not then
59. oves static discharge immunity In order for the external trigger to work though a voltage must be applied between the outer ring and the inner pin on the connector Applying a voltage to the centre pin won t result in triggering as it could on earlier PowerLabs The equivalent circuit of the external trigger is basically an LED light emitting diode in series with a resistor thus the device driving the external trigger must be capable of supplying at least 1 mA of current to cause the optocoupler to work The second diode shown below protects the optocoupler Centre pin of BNC Optocoupler 500 Q resistor o Outside ring Ea A of BNC e The Analog Output The analog outputs provide computer controlled variable outputs 10 V that can be used with the Chart and Scope applications either directly as a stimulator or to control peripheral devices All stimulation voltage is generated by the PowerLab via the output sockets on the front of the PowerLab marked Output 1 and Output 2 giving positive negative differential or independent stimuli depending on the sockets used and the software settings 10V From DAC 10V Ground 10V 10V By default the outputs are used for complementary differential stimulation where Output 1 is positive and Output 2 is negative When Output 1 is used a positive stimulus voltage set up in an application gives a positive vo
60. ower surges Figure 1 7 Fuses To change fuses in the PowerLab remove blown ones from the fuse holder Fuse and slide new ones into place holder in the empty sockets Replacement fuses must be of the correct type as specified below for 100 120 volts or 220 240 volts operation e 100 120 V 1 Amp 5 x 20 mm slow blow voltage rating 120 or 250 V 12 PowerLab Owner s Guide e 220 240 V 400 mA 5 x 20 mm slow blow voltage rating 250 V only The correct voltage for your country is shown on the back of the PowerLab by the power switch see Figure 1 1 page 3 Cooling Fan The sP series PowerLabs can generate a fair amount of heat so all of them are fitted with a cooling fan The cooling fan is visible in the rear panel of the PowerLab It maintains sufficient airflow in the enclosure to keep the circuitry within operating tolerances The fan outlet must be kept unobstructed and far enough from walls or other devices at least three inches 8 cm so as to not impede ventilation It is also important to make sure that the air inlets underneath the PowerLab are unobstructed Blocking the grilles may result in the PowerLab heating up enough internally to affect the performance of the system and reduce reliability Chapter 1 Overview 13 14 PowerLab Owner s Guide C HAPTER TWO Setting Up T
61. period will void the warranty If you so wish your PowerLab system can be periodically checked for basic medical safety by using an appropriate medical safety testing device Tests such as earth leakage earth bond insulation resistance patient leakage and auxiliary currents and power cable integrity can all be performed on the PowerLab system without having to remove the covers You should follow the instructions for the testing device if performing such tests If the PowerLab system is found not to comply with such testing you should contact your PowerLab dealer to arrange for the equipment to be checked and serviced You should not attempt to service the device yourself viii PowerLab Owner s Guide Grea PP TE R ONE Overview Your PowerLab recording unit together with a range of specialised application programs provides a versatile data recording and analysis system when used with a Windows or Macintosh computer This chapter provides an overview of the PowerLab system and describes the basic features connectors and indicators of the SP series PowerLabs the PowerLab 4sp PowerLab 8sp and PowerLab 16sP PowerLab Owner s Guide How to Use this Guide This owner s guide describes how to set up and begin using your PowerLab recording unit The chapters provide an overview of the PowerLab sys
62. r captive one end is permanently fixed to the device or use a custom connection not a standard USB one All detachable USB cables are high speed with fully shielded twisted pair cables and standard USB connections a narrow rectangular A plug at one end and a squarer B plug with a bevelled top at the other All devices that can act as hubs have high speed connections The PowerLab needs a high speed connection and is provided with a suitable cable Connecting the PowerLab Using USB Use the USB cable supplied with your PowerLab to connect the USB port on its back panel to the USB port on the computer or to an active USB hub connected to the computer USB ports and cables should be marked with a trident like icon some non standard ones might have 18 PowerLab Owner s Guide Figure 2 2 Connecting a PowerLab to a computer with USB the letters USB instead USB cables are directional and can only be connected one way the narrow rectangular A plug connects to a hub including the computer and the squarer B plug with the bevelled top connects to a USB device such as the PowerLab Connecting Macintosh or Windows computers should be much the same in this case just look for the icons If the connection is to a USB card installed in the computer there might not be any icons on the card The narrow rectangular sockets for the USB A plug are distinctive though Any USB icons on the plugs should be on top PowerLab
63. rLab Owner s Guide AJP P EON AIDS ths axe A Technical Aspects This appendix describes some of the important technical aspects of the PowerLab 4sp PowerLab 8sp and PowerLab 16sp to give some insight into how they work You do not need to know the material here to use your PowerLab It is likely to be of especial interest to the technically minded indicating what the PowerLab can and cannot do and its suitability for particular purposes You should not use it as a service manual remember that user modification of the PowerLab voids your rights under warranty How Does it Work The PowerLab is essentially a smart peripheral device specifically designed to perform the various functions needed for data acquisition signal conditioning and pre processing It contains its own microprocessor memory and specialised analog amplifiers for signal conditioning The block diagrams in Figure A 1 Figure A 2 and Figure A 3 show the essential elements of each PowerLab All sampling output and communication functions are controlled by an internal 32 bit 68340 microprocessor running at 16 MHz 16 million cycles per second This CPU central processing unit has access to 512 kilobytes of RAM random access memory for data storage and buffering prior to transmission to the computer The PowerLab makes use of FIFO first in first out memory devices which provide a temporary storage area for both analog input and
64. re placement and this can result in problems when they are Chapter 2 Setting Up 21 Figure 2 4 The SCSI ID switch used together Also whenever possible avoid using cable joiners and junctions to extend cable lengths 7 Never attempt to make your own SCSI cable or modify one SCSI is sensitive to cable impedances and cable lengths Only use an approved SCSI cable from a reliable supplier never something the workshop whipped up If you need additional SCSI cables you should buy cables that are double shielded foil and braid with twisted pairs and shielded connector hoods for the most reliable results ADInstruments sells approved SCSI cables Setting the SCSI ID Number Your PowerLab was set to a SCSI ID number of 4 at the factory before shipping To change its SCSI ID turn off the PowerLab and all other connected devices in the SCSI chain before changing the SCSI ID number The SCSI ID switch is located on the back panel of the PowerLab A small panel with push buttons above and below it displays the SCSI ID number Press the button above the indicator to decrease it or the button below the indicator to increase it Do not set the SCSI ID to numbers already used by other SCSI devices in the chain The maximum number of devices within the same SCSI chain is eight Each device in the chain must have a unique SCSI identification number assigned to it The n
65. rned by the laws of New South Wales in Australia and any proceedings concerning it shall be heard and resolved by the Supreme Court of New South Wales in Australia 64 PowerLab Owner s Guide
66. s including other hubs can connect to it in turn It provides power for those attached devices that need it Up to five hubs can be connected between the computer and the furthest USB device As many as 127 devices can be connected on one tree counting the computer The cable between any USB devices including hubs must allow a signal to be transmitted in a certain time in practical terms this means it must be no more than 5 metres 16 feet in length Thus no device can be more than 30 metres 98 feet from the computer USB is more tolerant than SCSI It lets one plug in and remove devices while the computer is on It re enumerates provides addresses for devices as they are connected and disconnected rather than requiring fixed ID numbers It has only one pair of connector types unlike SCSI and does not need termination as SCSI does USB still has some restrictions A USB connection is a bit slower than SCSI for data transfer and so may limit sampling rates in Chart or increase delay times between sweeps in Scope Since all the devices on a USB tree have a common communication pathway if you have many devices with a lot of information to transfer they compete for time Using a video camera and a scanner at the same time as a PowerLab may limit the sampling rates considerably USB has two sorts of cables which it should not be possible to interchange Low speed cables are cheaper and suitable for mice and so on They are eithe
67. self test and it can be safely connected to your computer If your PowerLab would not successfully complete its self test something is wrong If the Power indicator does not glow green when the power switch is turned on then either the fuse has blown or there is a problem with the power cable or PowerLab itself If an error is detected during the self test the Status indicator will flash yellow and then a certain number of red flashes depending on the fault Flashing lights are used when the problem is one that prevents the PowerLab communicating with the computer such as a hardware fault and so cannot be shown in the software The error pattern will continue to be displayed allowing you to take note of the type of error that occurred The number of red flashes indicates the probable problem area If the pattern is simply an alternating red 16 PowerLab Owner s Guide Figure 2 1 A USB tree up to 126 devices can be linked to the computer flash and yellow flash then the SCSI ID has been set to the numbers 0 or 7 which cannot be used for an SP series PowerLab Switch off your PowerLab change the SCSI ID for the PowerLab using the control on its back panel wait about five seconds and then switch it back on If the error pattern is not simple alternating red and yellow flashes then something may be wrong with the hardware itself The pattern of red flashes indicates the likely problem area to ADInstruments technicians
68. signals and DC voltages but filters high ones by attenuating frequencies above a certain frequency called the cutoff or 3 dB frequency Macintosh A family of Apple computers with built in graphics and an elegant user interface Of the Mac OS operating system versions System 7 is needed and System 7 6 recommended normally a Power Macintosh and Mac OS 8 5 or later are needed for USB MacLab An earlier name for the PowerLab before it became cross platform Peaks A simple chromatography analysis package It reads acquired data from Macintosh Chart Scope or text files Available for Macintosh only Pod connector A special 8 pin DIN connector on some PowerLabs giving differential or single sided connections for some analog inputs Inputs 1 to 4 on the PowerLab 4sp Pods can connect to them and they can also provide power and control for some types of transducers Pods Small low cost units that connect to the Pod connectors on the PowerLab They give alternatives to front ends for specific tasks for use with precalibrated transducers and so on port A socket in a computer where you plug in a cable for connection to a network or a peripheral device Also any connection for transferring data for instance between the CPU and main memory PowerChrom A versatile flexible and powerful chromatography program for use with a PowerChrom recording unit Available for Macintosh only PowerChrom System The syst
69. t numbers of pins envelope form The overall shape of a signal outlined by the minimum and maximum recorded values Often used to display quickly changing signals excitation voltage The voltage supplied to a bridge circuit from which the transducer output signal is derived Manipulating the transducer changes the measurement elements of the bridge circuit producing a change in its output voltage external trigger Refers to the connector on the front of the PowerLab marked Trigger This input lets recording be started from an external source The trigger level the voltage necessary to have an effect depends on the hardware and cannot be changed filter An electronic device or a program that alters data in accordance with specific criteria Filters in the PowerLab can be used to reduce or to eliminate electronic noise or drift from data readings frequency The number of complete cycles per second of a waveform Frequency is usually expressed in hertz Hz cycles per second kilohertz kHz thousands of cycles per second or megahertz MHz millions of cycles per second frequency response The bandwidth in which a circuit passes a signal without too much attenuation A low pass filter s frequency response is the frequency where the output voltage becomes 0 707 1 V2 of the input voltage or has been attenuated by 3 decibels If a low pass filter has a frequency response of 200 Hz say then the signal is effe
70. t the PowerLab will work Appendix B Troubleshooting 45 reliably with a card we did not supply and some computers and SCSI adapter cards just won t work together e Try another card preferably one we supplied Ask your PC technical support person or IS manager to check compatibility A poor connection between PowerLab and computer or bad cable e Ensure that the cable is firmly attached at both ends and try again If there is still a problem try a new cable SCSI problems two SCSI devices on the bus have the same SCSI ID or termination is incorrect or unsuitable e Check that each device has a unique ID number and that the SCSI chain is terminated correctly As a last resort if the PowerLab is the only connected SCSI device try leaving it unterminated Signals seem weak or interacting on the PowerLab 4sP You may be using both the BNC connector and the Pod connector for an input at the same time with resultant signal competition e Make certain that you use only one of the alternative connectors BNC or Pod for an input when recording 46 PowerLab Owner s Guide ee ES IN IDs aX ee Specifications PowerLab 4sP Specifications Input Number of inputs Input configuration Amplification ranges Maximum input voltage Input impedance Low pass filtering AC coupling Frequency response 3 dB 4 Single ended or differential the latter only
71. tem the combined software and hardware package and a more detailed look at the features of your recording unit and its connection to your computer The appendixes provide technical information about the recording unit and solutions to problems At the end of this guide is a glossary of hardware terms an index and warranty information The specifications and diagrams included in the appendixes are there to help the more technically minded to understand what the PowerLab can and cannot do but this is not a service manual only an authorised ADInstruments distributor should attempt repairs If you modify the recording unit yourself you void any rights you have under warranty The user s guides for the Chart and Scope application programs provide detailed information on the software side of the PowerLab system and its uses in acquiring storing and analysing data Read them after you have connected the PowerLab to your computer First Check Your PowerLab Please do not attempt to connect the PowerLab to a power outlet or computer or turn it on until you have read the first two chapters of this owner s guide and have checked it as described below 1 Check that all items in the accompanying packing list are included in the box 2 Check that there are no obvious signs of external damage to the PowerLab 3 Check that there are no obvious signs of internal damage such as rattling Pick the PowerLab up tilt it gently from side
72. the PowerLab may need repair Take note of the flashing pattern and consult your ADInstruments distributor The computer refuses to boot with the PowerLab connected or the computer can t find the PowerLab The PowerLab is off or the power is switched off at the wall the power cable is not connected firmly or a fuse has blown e Check switches power connections and fuses A poor connection between PowerLab and computer or bad cable e Ensure that the cable is firmly attached at both ends and try again If there is still a problem try a new cable SCSI problems two SCSI devices on the bus have the same SCSI ID or termination is incorrect or unsuitable e Check that each device has a unique ID number and that the SCSI chain is terminated correctly As a last resort if the PowerLab is the only connected SCSI device try leaving it unterminated The SCSI adapter card is incompatible with the computer or the PowerLab or both We cannot guarantee that the PowerLab will work reliably with a card we did not supply e Try another card preferably one we supplied The PowerLab has an internal problem or has hung e Turn everything off and then after at least five seconds turn the PowerLab back on again Turn on the computer and try using the software again The PowerLab is connected via USB and the computer does not properly support USB 40 PowerLab Owner s Guide e USB needs a Power Macintosh with Mac O
73. tion into some corresponding digital voltage or current amplitude The maximum vertical distance of a periodic wave from the zero or mean position about which the wave oscillates analog Varying smoothly and continuously over a range An analog signal varies continuously over time rather than changing in discrete steps analog input This refers to the connectors on the front of the PowerLab marked Input These inputs are designed to accept up to 10 volts Inputs can be either single sided or differential the latter only in the case of the Pod connectors analog output This refers to the connectors on the front of the PowerLab marked Output The analog output provides a software controlled variable output 10 V that can be used with applications either directly as a stimulator or to control peripheral devices analysis When the PowerLab is not physically connected to the computer then ADInstruments software can be used to analyse and manipulate existing files if the analysis option is chosen BNC A sort of cable or connector a BNC to BNC cable connects two BNC connectors bridge transducer A type of transducer using a Wheatstone bridge circuit In its basic form the bridge consists of four two terminal elements usually strain gauges connected to form a quadrilateral An excitation source is connected across one diagonal and the transducer output is taken across the other PowerLab Owner
74. to side and listen for anything that appears to be loose 4 Check that the correct voltage for your country is shown on the back of the unit Your PowerLab should be delivered with the PowerLab Owner s Guide Figure 1 1 The voltage rating on the back panel of the PowerLab Check the voltage rating beneath the power switch appropriate mains power voltage set at either 100 120 volts or 220 240 volts The setting is indicated at the right of the back panel of the unit beneath the power switch If anything is missing or the PowerLab seems to be damaged in any way or if no voltage or the wrong voltage is shown on the back panel of the unit contact your authorised ADInstruments distributor immediately and describe the problem Arrangements can be made to replace or repair the PowerLab Up to date contact addresses are available in the software see Appendix B in one of the software user s guides for details The PowerLab System The PowerLab system is an integrated system of hardware and software designed to record display and analyse experimental data The hardware consists of the PowerLab recording unit and possible ancillary devices front ends the software consists of the application programs such as Chart and Scope that run on the computer to which the PowerLab is connected Your SP series PowerLab has considerable computing power of its own and performs many tasks that are necessary during data
75. tors 35 38 front panel 5 9 input amplifiers 31 power supply 31 safety v viii 5 7 31 self test 16 17 user modification 27 voltage rating 3 PowerLab system 3 problems and solutions Macintosh 39 42 Windows 42 46 R replacing fuses 12 S safety v viii 5 7 31 Scope 4 5 SCSI cables 21 22 23 card 23 26 43 chain 22 connection 20 26 36 connection rules 20 20 22 ID number 21 22 multiple devices 24 25 port 10 35 problems 39 46 termination rules 23 SCSI ID switch 10 22 SCSIProbe 22 self test 16 17 Status indicator 7 23 storage vii T technical specifications PowerLab 16sp 53 56 PowerLab 4sp 47 50 PowerLab 8sp 50 53 termination rules for SCSI 23 transistor transistor logic 33 trigger 9 Trigger indicator 9 TTL transistor transistor logic 33 U USB cables 20 connection 17 20 35 connection rules 19 20 port 9 user modification 27 V vent holes 13 voltage rating 2 3 W Warning Symbol vii 62 PowerLab Owner s Guide Licensing amp Warranty Agreement Extent This Agreement is between ADInstruments Pty Ltd ADI and the purchaser the Purchaser of any ADI product software hardware or both and covers all obligations and liabilities on the part of ADI the Purchaser and other users of the product The Purchaser or any user accepts the terms of this Agreement by using the product Any cha
76. tory other than that contained in this Agreement is made in respect to ADI products The Purchaser therefore assumes all risks as to the performance and reliability of the products and the results gained using them ADI is not responsible for any problems with the computer system not directly related to ADI products No claim for damages of any sort arising from the use or misuse of ADI products can be made against ADI or its agents or employees PowerLab Owner s Guide 63 Hardware Warranty ADI warrants that the hardware purchased by the Purchaser shall be free of defects in material and workmanship for one year from its date of purchase If there is such a defect ADI will repair or replace the equipment as appropriate and the duration of the warranty shall be extended by the length of time needed for repair or replacement To obtain service under this warranty the Purchaser must notify ADI of the defect before the warranty expires Unless other arrangements are made ADI will provide an RMA Return Merchandise Authority number and a service centre address to which the Purchaser must ship the defective product at his or her own expense The product should be packed safely preferably in its original packaging and have the RMA number on the shipping label beneath the address ADI will pay return shipping This warranty applies only to hardware used normally and within its operating specifications It does not
77. umbers range from 0 to 7 with 7 the highest priority device A computer with built in SCSI usually reserves the values 0 and 7 On the Macintosh 7 is used for the computer and 0 may be used for an internal SCSI hard disk an internal SCSI CD if there is one usually takes ID 3 as well On a PC SCSI ID number 7 is usually reserved by a SCSI card host adapter or built in SCSI controller and SCSI ID number 0 is used by an internal SCSI hard disk if there is one To prevent most problems therefore the numbers 0 or 7 cannot be used for an SP series PowerLab Externally connected devices should have readable SCSI ID switches you can check although some may have ID switches that are difficult to see or read Internally connected devices should be described in the manual that came with your computer If you are unsure about the SCSI devices connected to a Macintosh computer you can use tools such as SCS Probe a free utility available from the Internet and user groups which lists all SCSI devices attached what they are and which SCSI ID they use If you are unsure about the SCSI devices 22 PowerLab Owner s Guide connected to a Windows computer particularly internal ones your PC technical support person or IS manager may be able to help To confirm that you have set the right SCSI ID number turn on the PowerLab and watch to see if the Status indicator flashes yellow a number of times equal to its SCSI ID number SCSI T
78. ving SCSI devices Each SCSI device must have its own unique SCSI ID number No two SCSI devices can have the same SCSI ID number or malfunctions may result SCSI ID numbers are discussed later Total cable length should be less than 6 metres 20 feet The SCSI circuits can only transmit data reliably over short lengths of cable The total length of the chain is important including short lengths of cable inside the computer and other SCSI devices Internal cabling can be from 10 to 30 cm 4 inches to 1 foot depending on the device The SCSI chain must be terminated correctly Failure to terminate the chain properly can result in intermittent communication no communication or failure of the computer to boot up The correct way of terminating is discussed later Turn SCSI devices on and off in the right sequence Turn on all external SCSI devices before the computer this ensures that the SCSI bus is stable before your computer tries to use it Turn off the computer before turning off other devices This prevents external SCSI devices from hanging the SCSI bus and preventing further access Never operate with some devices in a chain turned off as this degrades performance and signal quality Avoid mixing cable types brands and styles A common source of trouble is mixing poor quality SCSI cables with approved high quality SCSI cables Different cable types or brands may have different types of construction impedance and wi
79. w serial connection for use with early Macintosh computers TChart A simplified version of the Chart program once used for teaching Its manual of experiments is now available for Chart terminator A device used in a SCSI chain to maintain signal integrity Some models of PowerLab have them built in transducer A physical device that converts a mechanical thermal or electrical stimulus into a proportional electrical output For example there are common transducers to measure force displacement temperature pressure and similar parameters trigger A signal such as a voltage pulse used to determine when sampling will begin Sampling can be made to begin when the trigger level is reached after it or even prior to it See also external trigger TTL transistor transistor logic A family of integrated circuits with bipolar circuit logic used in computers and related devices TTL is also a standard for interconnecting such ICs defining the voltages used to represent logical zeroes and ones binary 0 and 1 USB universal serial bus A relatively new low to medium speed connection protocol for linking multiple peripherals from mice to printers Available on new PowerLabs such as the SP series PowerLabs waveform The shape of a wave a graph of a wave s amplitude over time Windows An operating system for PCs with a graphical user interface Chart for Windows and Scope for Windows require Windows 95 or NT

PowerLab SP Owner`s Guide - Artisan Technology Group

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