DT9826 Series

Portable, Simultaneous, Multifunction
USB Data Acquisition ModuleOverview
The DT9826 is a high-performance, multifunction DAQ
module for USB. The DT9826 features 16 simultaneous
analog inputs, 16 digital input/output lines, 2 counter/timers, and a tachometer channel on a single plug-andplay device. Available as a board-level OEM version forembedded test applications, or installed in a metal BNC
connection box for easy sensor connections.

Portable measurements can now be made with 4, 8, or 16
individual A/D channels. Each 24-bit sigma-delta A/D runsin parallel to prevent interference between channels. The
DT9826 is fully featured with DIO, 32-bit counter/timers,tachometer, and multi-trigger modes. Software options
abound to accommodate any environment. Available in BNC
box or as embedded board-level OEM version.

Key Features• 16 simultaneous, 24-bit Delta-Sigma A/D channels
with ±10 V input range• Sample rates up to 41.6 kS/s per channel• Simultaneous subsystem operation: analog input,
digital I/O, counter/timer, and tachometer• 16 DIO, two 32-bit counter/timer channels,
1 tachometer• ±500 V galvanic isolation prevents ground loops• Board-only OEM version available• Compatible with LabVIEW and MATLAB• Includes free QuickDAQ software to get up andrunning quickly• Bus-powered for portability

Supported Operating Systems• Windows® 10/8/7/Vista®/XP 32/64-bitAnalog Input Channels
The DT9826 supports 16 single-ended analog inputs.
Each channel features its own 24-bit A/D converter, withsample rates up to 41.6 kS/s. Using the DT9826 module,
data can be acquired from a single analog input channel
or from a group of analog input channels using theanalog input channel list.

Ext. ADC
Trigger

24-BitADC

Analog Input
0.
.
.

24-BitADC

Analog Input
15

16 Simultaneous A/D Channels

500V Isolation Barrier

Threshold
Trigger Detect(Any ADCChannel)

.
.
.

Input
FIFO

TachInput

Tachometer

UserClock[1:0]

UserClock[1:0]

UserGate[1:0]

UserGate[1:0]

UserOut[1:0]

UserOut[1:0]

DigitalIn[7:0]

DigitalOut[7:0]

Control &Trigger
LogicUSB
InterfaceUSB

2 x 32-bit
Up/Down
Counter/Timers

8-bit
DigitalIn8-bit
DigitalOut

Block Diagram.
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High-Density, Simultaneous USB
The DT9826 is designed on an 8-layer board, using both the front and back, to provide superior performance under
all conditions. Particular emphasis on the layout is critical to this performance

DC-DC Converters provide
internal analog voltages
Simultaneous Analog Inputs

Provide power to buffers

4, 8, or 16 Individual 24-bit
sigma-delta A/D per channel

Fully protected±500 V galvanic isolation
protects your PC andmaintains signal integrity,
breakdown gap in etch
Ultra Digital I/O
8 digital input lines & 8
digital output lines withflexibility for time stamping,pattern recognition, andsynchronizing with external
eventsSignal conditioning
and ESD protection
Thin film resistors,capacitors, diode clamping
provide scaling to highimpedance buffers

Full-featured
Counter/Timers
Two 32-bit C/T channels forcounting events, up/down,edge-to-edge, discrete orcontinuous, pulse output –ideal for testing apps
Synchronous 32-bit
tachometer input channel

Analog isolation barrier

Reads rotation valuesof period or frequency
synchronously with analog
input measurements

Serial data from 16 A/D channelsMulti-trigger modes
Software, external, oranalog threshold trigger
available as trigger sources
High-Speed USB 2.0
USB 2.0 connector fordata transfer at 480 Mbps,optional pin substitute for
embedded OEM use(508) 946-5100

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Analog Input Conversion Modes

Digital I/O Lines

The DT9826 module supports the following conversion
modes:

DT9826 modules support one digital input port,
consisting of 8 digital input lines, and one digital output
port, consisting of 8 digital output lines. The resolution isfixed at 8-bits.

• Single-value mode
• Continuous scan mode

A digital line is high if its value is 1; a digital line is low
if its value is 0. On power up or reset, a low value (0) isoutput from each of the digital output lines.

Input Sample Clock Sources
The DT9826 module provides an internal A/D clock
source for pacing analog input operations. The input
sample clock also paces the acquisition of the digital
input port, counter/timers, and tachometer if specified in
the analog input channel list.

The DT9826 module supports the following digital I/O
operation modes:• Single-value operations• Continuous digital input

Input Triggers

Counter/Timer Channels

A trigger is an event that occurs based on a specified
set of conditions. On the DT9826, a start trigger andreference trigger can be specified. Pre-trigger acquisition
starts when the module detects the start trigger event.
When the reference trigger occurs, pre-trigger acquisition
stops.

The DT9826 modules provide two 32-bit counter/timers.
Each counter accepts a clock input signal and gate input
signal and outputs a pulse (pulse output signal). Usingsoftware, one or both of the counter/timers can be
specified in the analog input channel list (as channels 17and 18).

The DT9826 module supports the following trigger
sources:

Counter/Timer Operation Modes
DT9826 modules support numerous counter/timer
operation modes, including event counting, up/down
counting, frequency measurement, edge-to-edgemeasurement, continuous edge-to-edge measurement,
rate generation, one-shot, and repetitive one-shot.

• Software trigger (for the start trigger)• External digital (TTL) trigger (for the start trigger)• Analog threshold trigger

Data Transfer
Before an acquisition begins, the buffers must be
allocated to hold the data. An event is raised whenevera buffer is filled allowing data to be moved and/orprocessed as needed. Data is written to multiple allocatedinput buffers continuously; when no more empty buffers
are available, the operation stops. The data is gap-free.

Counter/Timer Clock Sources
The following clock sources are available for the counter/timers:• Internal counter/timer clock• External counter/timer clock

Gate Types

Tachometer Input Features

The edge or level of the Counter n Gate signal determines
when a counter/timer operation is enabled.

The DT9826 module supports a tachometer signal with arange of ±30 V. This signal has a maximum frequency of
1 MHz and minimum pulse width of 0.4 µs. The thresholdvoltage is fixed at +2 V with 0.5 V of hysteresis.

The DT9826 module supports the following gate types:• None• Logic-low level external gate input• Logic-high level external gate input• Falling-edge external gate input• Rising-edge external gate input

The software automatically synchronizes the value of thetachometer input with the analog input measurements,
so that all measurements are correlated in time. Thetachometer input is treated like any other channel in theanalog input channel list; therefore, all the triggering andconversion modes supported for analog input channels
are supported for the tachometer input.

Pulse Output Types and Duty Cycles
The DT9826 modules can output the following types ofpulses from each counter/timer:• High-to-low transitions• Low-to-high transitions
The pulse output type is specified in software. The duty
cycle (or pulse width) indicates the percentage of thetotal pulse output period that is active.

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QuickDAQ
QuickDAQ allows you to acquire and display from all
Data Translation USB and Ethernet data acquisition
devices that support analog input streaming. Combine
QuickDAQ with Data Translation hardware to acquiredata, record data to disk, display the results in both aplot and digital display, and read a recorded data file.
Be productive right out of the box with this powerfuldata logging software. Data can be exported to otherapplications like Microsoft Excel® and The MathworksMATLAB® for more advanced analysis. Two additional
options can be purchased to add FFT analysis capabilities
to the base package.

QuickDAQ ships free-of-charge and allows you to get up andrunning quickly.

Key Features:

Other Software Options• QuickDAQ Base Package (Free)
oo Ready-to-measure application software
oo Configure, acquire, log, display, and analyze yourdata
oo Customize many aspects of the acquisition,
display, and recording functions to suit yourneeds• FFT Analysis Option (License Required)oo Includes all the features of the QuickDAQ BasePackage
oo Perform single-channel FFT operations including:◊◊ Auto Spectrum◊◊ Spectrum◊◊ Power Spectral Density
oo Configure and view dynamic performancestatistics
oo Supports Hanning, Hamming, Bartlett, Blackman,Blackman Harris, and Flat Top response windows• Advanced FFT Analysis Option (License Required)oo Includes all the features of the QuickDAQ Base
Package and FFT Analysis Package
oo Perform 2-channel FFT operations including:◊◊ FRF◊◊ Cross-Spectrum◊◊ Cross Power Spectral Density◊◊ Coherence◊◊ Coherent Output Poweroo Supports real, imaginary, and Nyquist display
functionsoo Additional FFT analysis functions supported:
Exponential, Force, Cosiner Taperoo Save data to .uff file format(508) 946-5100

There are many software choices available for application
development, from ready-to-measure applications toprogramming environments.
The following software is available for use with theDT9826 Series modules and is provided on the Data
Acquisition Omni CD:• DT9826 Series Device Driver –The device driverallows you to use a DT9826 Series module with anyof the supported software packages or utilities.
• DT9826 Series Calibration Utility – This utility allows
you to calibrate features of a DT9826 Series module.
• Quick DataAcq application – The Quick DataAcq
application provides a quick way to get up andrunning. Using this application, verify key featuresof the module, display data on the screen, and savedata to disk.
• DT-Open Layers® for .NET Class Library – Use thisclass library if you want to use Visual C#® or Visual
Basic® for .NET to develop application software
using Visual Studio® 2003-2012; the class librarycomplies with the DT-Open Layers standard.
• DataAcq SDK – Use the DataAcq SDK to use VisualStudio 6.0 and Microsoft® C or C++ to develop
application software using Windows 10/8/7/Vista/
XP 32/64-bit; the DataAcq SDK complies with theDT-Open Layers standard.
• DAQ Adaptor for MATLAB – Data Translation’s
DAQ Adaptor provides an interface between theMATLAB® Data Acquisition (DAQ) toolbox fromThe MathWorks™ and Data Translation’s DT-Open
Layers architecture.
• LV-Link – Data Translation’s LV-Link is a library ofVIs that enable LabVIEW™ programmers to accessthe data acquisition features of DT-Open Layers
compliant USB and PCI devices.

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Making Dynamic Measurements
The FFT plots show the dynamic performance of the DT9826. Many users believe that a 24-bit A/D system will
give 24 bit accuracy or at least close to that accuracy. But when measuring a dynamic signal, i.e. with frequency
components above DC, other factors degrade the measurement in attaining that 24 bit accuracy. Noise andharmonic distortion are key factors to degrading accuracy. Also phase shift becomes an issue at low bandwidths.
But it isn’t just the circuitry – layout of the critical circuit etch, spacing between noise-generating and noise-sensitive
devices as well as analog and digital etch patterns, and thermal effects from one circuit to another are all culprits indegrading accuracy.

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Therefore, DC specifications are useful, and the following two plots yield the best ENOB figures of merit at 16-bit
accuracy from all errors at operating sample rates of 40 kS/s and 20 kS/s. But this is with zero signal level.

0 V input, 40 kS/s sample rate.

0 V input, 20 kS/s sample rate.

But dynamic FFT plots at higher input voltage, and maximum operating frequency give the best indicator ofaccuracy. These next two plots show results at ½ full scale (-6 dB) and yield good results at approximately 15 bits
ENOB (Effective Number if Bits) performance.

1/2 full scale, 40 kS/s sample rate.

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1/2 full scale, 20 kS/s sample rate.

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These last two plots represent the worst case – a maximum signal level of ±10 V and sample rates of 40 kS/s and20 kS/s. The ENOB plot shows 14.3, rather than the full 24-bit accuracy. This number is actually outstanding and has
been attained through careful design with many years of experience.

Full scale, 40 kS/s sample rate.

Full scale, 20 kS/s sample rate.

So conditions of use really determine the accuracy for dynamic measurements. The ENOB number can be higher
as shown in the following two figures if less than full scale is used (for example, ½ scale), but this would give amisleading picture for many users.
Download the ENOB white paper: www.mccdaq.com/PDFs/anpdf/DT-Application-Notes/ENOB-Overall-Accuracy.
pdf(508) 946-5100

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±500 V Galvanic Isolation Protects Your Data

Ordering Summary

Computers are susceptible to ground-spikes through any external port.
These spikes can cause system crashes and may even cause permanent
damage to the computer. The DT9826 module features ±500 volts ofgalvanic isolation to protect the computer from ground-spikes and to ensurea reliable stream of data.

Technical Support
Application engineers are available by phone and email during normalbusiness hours to discuss your application requirements. Extensive productinformation, including drivers, example code, pinouts, a searchable
Knowledge Base, and much more, is available 24 hours a day on our website at www.mccdaq.com/Support.aspx.

Accessories
The following optional accessories are available for use with the DT9826
module:HARDWARE• DT9826• DT9826-OEM
ACCESSORIES• BNC DIN Rail Kit — Kit for mounting USB
modules in BNC enclosure to a DIN rail.
Includes mounting clips, screws, andinstructions. DIN Rail not included.
• EP355 — Screw terminal panel
FREE SOFTWARE• QuickDAQ• DAQ Adaptor for MATLAB — Access theanalysis and visualization tools of MATLAB®.
• LV-Link — Access the power of Data
Translation boards through LabVIEW™.
OPTIONAL SOFTWARE• QuickDAQ FFT Analysis Option (LicenseRequired)• QuickDAQ Advanced FFT Analysis Option(License Required)• BNC DIN Rail Kit — Kit for mounting USB
modules in BNC enclosure to a DIN rail.
Includes mounting clips, screws, andinstructions. DIN Rail not included.
• EP355 — This screw terminal panel
provides a 14-position screw terminal
block for attaching analog input, digital
I/O, counter/timer, and clock signals.
(For OEM configurations only.)

With the optional DIN rail
mounting kit (BNC DINRAIL KIT), you can mountthe DT9826 BNC model to a
standard DIN rail.

(508) 946-5100		
DT9826 Datasheet		

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April 2018. Rev 8© Measurement Computing Corporation