Single-Ended Channel Connections

Analog Input Connections

The PCI-1710/1710L/1710HG/1710HGL/1716/1716L supports both16-channel Single-Ended or 8 differential A/D Input, however thePCI-1711/1711L only supports 16 single-ended analog inputs. Each

individual input channel is software-selected.

Single-ended Channel Connections

The single-ended input configuration has only one signal wire foreach channel, and the measured voltage (Vm) is the voltage of thewire as referenced against the common ground.

A signal source without a local ground is also called a “floatingsource”. It is fairly simple to connect a single-ended channel to afloating signal source. In this mode, the PCI-1710/1710L/1710HG/

1710HGL/1711/1711L/1716/1716L provides a reference ground forexternal floating signal sources. Fig. 3-2 shows a single-endedchannel connection between a floating signal source and an inputchannel on the PCI-1710/1710L/ 1710HG/1710HGL/1711/1711L/1716/ 1716L.

Fig. 3-2 Single-ended input channel connection

Differential Channel Connections

The differential input channels operate with two signal wires for eachchannel, and the voltage difference between both signal wires ismeasured. On the PCI-1710/1710L/1710HG/1710HGL/1716/1716L,when all channels are configured to differential input, up to 8 analogchannels are available.

If one side of the signal source is connected to a local ground, thesignal source is ground-referenced. Therefore, the ground of thesignal source and the ground of the card will not be exactly of thesame voltage. The difference between the ground voltages forms acommon-mode voltage (V cm ).

To avoid the ground loop noise effect caused by common-modevoltages, you can connect the signal ground to the Low input.Fig. 3-3 shows a differential channel connection between aground-reference signal source and an input channel on thePCI-1710/1710L/1710HG/1710HGL/1716/1716L. With thisconnection, the PGIA rejects a common-mode voltage V cm betweenthe signal source and the PCI-1710/1710L/1710HG/1710HGL/1716/1716L ground, shown as V cm in Fig. 3-3.

Fig. 3-3 Differential input channel connection – groundreference signal source

If a floating signal source is connected to the differential inputchannel, the signal source might exceed the common-mode signalrange of the PGIA, and the PGIA will be saturated with erroneousvoltage-readings. You must therefore reference the signal sourceagainst the AIGND.

Fig. 3-4 shows a differential channel connection between a floatingsignal source and an input channel on the PCI-1710/1710L/1710HG/1710HGL/1716/1716L. In this figure, each side of thefloating signal source is connected through a resistor to the AIGND.

This connection can reject the common-mode voltage between thesignal source and the PCI-1710/1710L/1710HG/1710HGL/1716/1716L ground.

Fig. 3-4 Differential input channel connection – floating signal source

However, this connection has the disadvantage of loading the sourcedown with the series combination (sum) of the two resistors. For raand rb, for example, if the input impedance rs is 1 kW, and each of thetwo resistors is 100 kW, then the resistors load down the signalsource with 200 kW (100 kW + 100 kW), resulting in a –0.5% gainerror. The following gives a simplified representation of the circuitand calculating process.