DT8824

High Stability, High Accuracy, Ethernet
Instrument Module
Overview
The DT8824 Ethernet data acquisition (DAQ) module
offers the highest stability and accuracy for measuring
analog signals. Every signal input, both analog anddigital, is fully isolated from each other. This technology,
ISO-Channel™, guarantees that all signals are protectedfrom any environmental or system noise.
The DT8824 is ideally suited for chromatography, seismic,
weigh scale, and medical applications where accuracy andstability are imperative.

The high stability design of this module offers four
distinct advantages:• 10 ppm accuracy• a temperature coefficient of ±0.05 µV/° C• a CMRR of greater than 150 dB• 1.5 ppm maximum noise

Analog Input Channels
The DT8824 supports four, simultaneous, analog
input channels, configured differentially. The DT8824
instrument module uses 24-bit, Delta-Sigma analogto-digital converters (ADCs) that provide anti-aliasing
filters based on the clock rate. These filters remove
aliasing, which is a condition where high frequency input
components erroneously appear as lower frequencies
after sampling.

Key Features• 4 simultaneous, 24-bit analog input channels• Sample rate: up to 4.8 kS/s per channel• Input ranges of ±10 V• Continuously paced analog input operations• Software-programmable trigger type
• Software calibration of the analog input subsystem• 4 opto-isolated digital output lines• Digital outputs: galvanically isolated to ±250 V• Channel expansion: up to 64 voltage inputs via theInput Ranges and GainsThe DT8824 supports a bipolar range of ±10 V.
In addition, you can choose from up to 4 gains (1, 8, 16,or 32). The following table lists the supported gains andeffective input range of each input range on the DT8824
instrument module.

Trigger Bus• Ethernet (LXI compliant) instrument module• ±500 V galvanic isolation: ISO-Channel protects
signal integrity

Gain• Includes free QuickDAQ software to get up andrunning quickly

Supported Operating Systems• Windows® 10/8/7/Vista®/XP 32/64-bit

Input Range of DT8824

1±10 V8±1.25 V

16±0.625 V

32±0.3125 V

Choose the gain that has the smallest effective range thatincludes the signal you want to measure. For example, ifthe range of your analog input signal is ±1.05 V, specify
a range of ±10 V for the A/D subsystem and use a gainof 8 for the channel; the effective input range for thischannel is then ±1.25 V, which provides the best sampling
accuracy for that channel.

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DT8824

ISO-Channel™ Input 1
Isolated
DC-DC

Auto Zero123
4

123ESDPGA
Gains
1-8-16-32

N/C

24-Bit
A/D±500 V+/-500 Volts
Galvanic Isolation

ESDAnalog 1 Return4ExternalPowerChannel 1ISO-Channel™ Input 2Auto Zero

1234123

ESD
PGA
Gains
1-8-16-32

N/C

24-Bit
A/D±500 V

Channel 2Timing& Control
Isolated
DC-DC

Auto Zero

23423

External Trigger

ESDPGAGains
1-8-16-32

N/C

24-Bit
A/D±500 V

15 Pin DConn

ESD
Analog 3 Return

4Channel 3±250 V

ISO-Channel™ Input 4Auto Zero

12341234

Status LEDs

Wired
Trigger
Bus(WTB)

Analog 2 Return

41

RESET

ESD

ISO-Channel™ Input 31RJ-45

Ethernet
10/100Base-TInterface

Isolated
DC-DC

Isolated
DC-DC

Up to ±30V @ 400mAESDPGAGains
1-8-16-32

N/C

24-BitA/DDigitalOut±500 VESD
Analog 4 ReturnLegend
Galvanic Isolation

Channel 4The DT8824 block diagram shows the 4 separate ISO-Channel analog inputs with their separate “ground” return paths. Eachanalog input has its own 24-bit Sigma-Delta A/D and auto-zero programmable gain amplifier (PGA) to achieve unprecedented
stability and accuracy.

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The dynamic performance of the DT8824 is shown with at a sample rate of approximately 1 kHz in the FFT graph. The ENOB
(Effective Number of Bits) figure of merit for all errors is 17 bits. Also the SFDR (Spurious Free Dynamic Range) of 110.4 dB is
the difference between the fundamental and 1st harmonic. With a lower sample rate of 10 S/s, the ENOB rating improves togreater than 20-bit accuracy because of the smaller dynamic errors.

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A/D Sample ClockSynchronize the start of acquisition on multipleinstrument modules using LXI triggers on the Trigger Bus
or LAN trigger packets. To make the clock synchronous,
use the Trigger Bus.

The DT8824 supports an internal master clock and aninternal sync signal that synchronizes all the analogto-digital converters on the instrument module. Use
software to specify the internal clock source, the internal
A/D sync signal, and the frequency at which to pace
the input operations and to start the sample clock. The
sampling frequency ranges from 1.175 Hz to 4800 Hz
per channel. All channels that are specified in the analog
input channel list are sampled simultaneously at thespecified sampling frequency.

Using the Trigger Bus
Up to 16 LXI devices can be connected together using theTrigger Bus. DT8824 can be connected using a daisy-chain
configuration, as shown in Figure 4, using the 25-pin J7Trigger Bus connectors.

Input Buffer
The DT8824 uses an 8 MB input buffer for storing datafrom each of up to 4 enabled input channels (analog
input channels 1, 2, 3, 4). One sample from each of theenabled input channels is called a scan. Specify oneof the following wrap modes for the input buffer insoftware:• Continuous wrap mode
• No wrap mode
Triggers
A trigger is an event that occurs based on a specified setof conditions. Once the analog input subsystem is armed
using software (and if the trigger source is immediate,
started using software), acquisition starts when theinstrument module detects the initial trigger event andstops when either the input buffer has been filled (if nowrap mode was selected), or you stop the operation (ifcontinuous mode is selected).
The DT8824 supports the following trigger sources forstarting analog input operations:Multiple DT8824 modules in daisy-chain configuration.

• Software trigger• External trigger• Trigger bus• LAN trigger packet

LAN Trigger Packets
When multiple DT8824 modules are connected together
over the local area network (LAN), as show in the figure
below, you can synchronize the start of acquisition bytransmitting one of eight LAN trigger packets (LAN0 toLAN7) over the network.

Digital Output Lines
The DT8824 features four latched and isolated digital
output lines. The outputs are solid-state relays that
operate at ±30 V and 400 mA peak (AC or DC).
The DT8824 includes channel-to-channel isolation of up to±250 V between digital output lines.

LANSync up to 64 channels
DT8824 #1

Up to 16 instrument modules can be stacked for parallel
operation of 64 voltage inputs. These modules aresynchronized via the Wired Trigger Bus and can be
externally triggered in various ways.

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DT8824 #2

DT8824 #3

DT8824 #4

Synchronizing the start of acquisition when triggering
instrument modules over the LAN.

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QuickDAQ
QuickDAQ allows you to acquire and display from allData 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 Mathworks
MATLAB® 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)• Ready-to-measure application software

The following software is available for use with theDT8824 module and is on the CD included with yourhardware:oo Configure, acquire, log, display, and analyze yourdata
oo Customize many aspects of the acquisition,• Eureka Discovery Utility – This utility helps you

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• 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

locate, or discover, all LXI (Ethernet) instrumentsthat are connected to your system and provides
the following information about your instrument:
the IP address, manufacturer, model number, serial
number, and version of the firmware that is runningon your instrument. In addition, you can use thisutility to configure Windows firewall settings andupdate the firmware for your Data Translation LXI
instrument module.
• DT8824 Web Interface – This built-in interfaceallows you to verify the operation of your DT8824
instrument module and perform basic functions
using a web browser and no additional software.
Using it, you can configure your instrument module,measure input signals, and save results to disk.
• DT8824 IVI-COM driver – This driver provides
access to the DT8824 instrument module functions
through a COM server. The IVI-COM driver works inany development environment that supports COM
programming, including MATLAB, Visual Basic.
NET, Visual C#.NET, Agilent VEE Pro, LabVIEW,LabWindows, and others.
• SCPI commands – Use SCPI commands to program
DT8824 LXI instrument modules. Refer to the SCPI
Programmer’s Manual for the DT8824 (UM-24017)
for information on the supported SCPI commandsand example programs.

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DT8824 Web Interface

Ordering Summary
INSTRUMENT MODULE• DT8824 - ±10 V Input Range
ACCESSORIES• EP377 Trigger Bus cables (25-pin, .5 M)• EP379 Dual-Rack mount kit• EP380 Single-Rack mount kit

The main web page displays information about your instrument module on thenetwork.

The measurement and control web pages are used to start or stop dataacquisition and display live data in a numerical channel.

The configuration web pages are used to setup your analog input parameters.

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DT8824-Datasheet		

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June 2017. Rev 6© Measurement Computing Corporation