Spellman voltage supply 26 pin terminal block

[C_Wynn]

Hello. My senior design project will use a Spellman high voltage supply that has a 26 pin terminal block on the back for remote monitoring. We would like to be able to monitor the device through LabVIEW to log current and voltage data. 

I am unsure about how to go about taking data from the terminal block and getting it into LabVIEW. I'm assuming that this would involve some type of DAQ device, but I need to know where to start. Any guidance would be appreciated.  

[Dennis_Knutson]

Since you did not provide any information on the supply, start by defining the type of measurements (i.e. analog voltage, digital), how many of each, the ranges of the measurements (i.e. +/- 5, +/-10, etc), any sources (i.e. analog voltage, digital), how many of each, the ranges - well you should get the idea. Study well the instrument manual and determine whether it's capable of control/monitoring and whether you want to just monitor or control as well.

Once you have all of the details, then you can start looking at the DAQ devices. You can contact your local NI Sales Engineer for help. If you post your specifications here, you will also get some advice.

[C_Wynn]

Here are the specifications for the terminal block:

Message Edited by juliansolos on 01-26-2010 01:27 PM

[Dennis_Knutson]

Do NOT link to images hosted by some third-party.

Click on the 'Upload or insert an image' button on the toolbar right above the message and upload to here (From My Computer option) or click on 'Add Attachments' below and do it that way.

Message Edited by Dennis Knutson on 01-26-2010 12:38 PM

[HeatherBaker]

Hi,

We need more information about your application and what you are trying to accomplish with a DAQ card.  What data are you trying to acquire?  Can you also elaborate more on the terminal block and what you anticipate for its purpose?  How many inputs/outputs are you looking for?  What are the ranges?  These are very specific questions that we need to address to ensure we are on the same page and can make recommendations accordingly. The more information you can provide the better.

[C_Wynn]

The power supply is a spellman high voltage supply used to power an inertial electrostatic confinement fusion reactor. Its voltage and current are adjustable via knobs on the front of the supply. The voltage and current data are among the information supplied by the terminal block. We need to export this data from the device and log it in LabVIEW. The terminal block is the type you insert wires into. Current and voltage are represented as a range from 0 to 10 volts corresponding to 0% to 100%. I believe that the signals are analog. We only need to monitor the voltage and current, there are no plans at this point to control the power supply remotely.

[Dennis_Knutson]

You still need to make some decisions and provide more information. Exactly how many points do you want to monitor? DAQ boards have various numbers of analog inputs. How fast do you want to sample? Are there fast transients that you need to capture? This would effect the sample rate of the DAQ card. What kind of resolution do you need? DAQ cards have 8 bit, 12, 16 bit ADCs.

Once you have completed your design specifications for the system, post back or contact NI directly. 

And even though you say there are no plans to control it remotely right now, you might want to consider buying something that has that capability if the plans change.

Message Edited by Dennis Knutson on 01-28-2010 05:44 PM