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DAQ Channel Wizard Tutorial

Analog Input

  1. You are now prompted to enter the channel's name and description. This name will be used to reference the channel throughout your design and the description will appear in the Windows Explorer.


  2. After you've entered the channel name and description, the next menu will ask you what type of sensor or measurement best matches your setup. The options include voltage, current, resistance, and frequency, among others. If you check the temperature signal box that's below the options menu below the options menu, then the units and values will automatically be adjusted for temperature.

  3. Once a measurement type is chosen, you will be asked for the units and range of the channel. For example, if you are using a frequency input module, you would enter Hz in the units field and, perhaps, a min of 0 and a max of 10,000 for the range.

  4. The next screen will prompt you for your scaling method. If you don't need your signal scaled, then choose No Scaling. If your input signal can be mapped directly (e.g., -5 to 5 volts maps to 0 to 10 volts), then select Map Ranges and enter in the new ranges in the newly visible fields.

    If your input signal cannot be mapped directly, then you will have to use a custom scale to represent it effectively. Your custom scale must be named and it's behavior can be described by one of three methods: Linear Scale, Polynomial Scale, and Table Scale. A linear scale will map the incoming value to a given linear equation, a polynomial scale will map the incoming value to a given polynomial equation, and a table scale will match the incoming value to values entered into a conversion table.


  5. The next window will ask you for information about your hardware. Select your DAQ board from the list and choose the channel of your incoming signal. Now choose the type of input mode you will be using for the channel.

    Note: Depending on the type of DAQ board you are using, you may not be able to change the input mode from within the Channel Wizard. If this is the case, quit the Channel Wizard and launch the NI-DAQ Configuration Utility to configure the card to the proper input mode. This will usually require you to shut down and reconfigure jumpers located on the board.


  6. Finally, press the Finish button. This will take you back to the main Channel Wizard screen. Here you can verify that all the information was entered correctly by right-clicking on the new channel from the list and selecting the Properties option. (An example is shown below.) Anytime you wish to adjust a channel's properties, you can make them here without having to go through the Channel Wizard again.


Back to steps 1-3

Return to the NI-DAQ Installation and Configuration page

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