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How to control DAQ-PAD 6508 initialization?

We have a NI-DAQ 6508 that we are using for controlling relays. The manual says that the switch in the back controls the initialization state. While the initialized state matches the manual, the problem is that you must first configure a register to use it. The configuration seems to set the register to the logic low state, no matter what the switch is set to. Futhermore, you have to initialize the 3 registers of an 8255 before you can send data. In our case this means that large numbers of relays are active and creating undesired states before we can control them because we thought the initialization would be to what the switch indicated. What we do is initialize one 8255 and send data to it, initialize another 8255 and send
data to it, ... . This isn't completely satisfactory. Is there a better way to do this so that the relays are always in the off state?
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I would suggest setting their default state to floating and wire resistors to the lines to pull them high/low. This way, when the device turns on, it will automatically go the the state you desire.
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Thank you for you input, we are already doing that. I guess my question wasn't clear enough. The confusion is that we want the lines to stay high during the initialization process as they are at power up. We initialize a port and the 8 bits on that port go to the logic low state. Since all 3 ports have to be initialized before we can send a command to change them back to high we have 24 lines temporarily in the low state. They are controlling relays and are active, causing an unintended power drain as well as conflicts. I was hoping there was some software pixie dust that could solve the problem. An NI tech rep pointed me to an older page showing this question being asked about the PIO-96 board and it indicated that this was the way 82C55s initialize. It loo
ks like I am out of luck.
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