Spectrum Instrumentation offers five more models of its general purpose M2p.59xx series of PCIe 16-bit digitizer cards. The new versions extend the performance range by increasing the maximum sampling rate from 80 MS/s up to 125 MS/s. The increased sampling rate, together with higher overall bandwidth, enables the new cards to capture a wider range of electronic signals, making them viable for use in applications where signals in the DC to 50 MHz frequency range need to be acquired and analyzed with speed and accuracy.
Based on the latest 16-bit analog to digital (ADC) technology, the latest series includes models that provide 1, 2, 4 or 8 input channels. Multi-channel models each have their own ADC and signal conditioning circuitry to allow fully synchronous acquisitions on all the inputs. Importantly, the high-resolution 16-bit ADCs deliver sixteen times more resolution than digitizers using older 12-bit technology and 256 times more resolution than what is available from digital scopes that commonly use 8-bit ADCs. The extra resolution translates directly into improved measurement capabilities and superior dynamic performance. It delivers a higher Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), better Spurious Free Dynamic Range (SFDR) and less distortion than 12- or 14-bit products.
The complete product has been packed into a half-length PCIe card, yet it still offers a full set of digitizer features. Each channel has its own programmable input amplifier with ranges between ±200 mV and ±10 V, programmable input offset for unipolar measurements, programmable input termination of 50 Ω and 1 MΩ and an integrated calibration circuit. Models are available with up to 8 single-ended and up to 4 differential channels.
To match nearly every application requirement, the units come with a variety of signal triggering techniques, an impressive on-board memory of 1 GByte and a number of intelligent acquisition modes, such as multiple recording, gated sampling or ABA (the combination of fast and slow continuous acquisitions). At 167-mm long, these multi-function digitizers fit into much smaller PC systems.
The software design of the new cards is based on Spectrum’s own general driver API that was introduced in 2006. Nowadays more than 400 different products share this common driver library allowing easy switching from slow to fast products and combining PCIe, PXIe or Ethernet/LXI products with one common software interface. A complete SDK based on Windows and Linux is included in the delivery. Drivers and examples for nearly every programming language on the market are included leaving the decision of the preferred programming interface to the customer. The current SDK includes C, C++, C#, Delphi, VB.NET, J#, Python, Java, LabVIEW, MATLAB and LabWindows/CVI. For more information, checkout the datasheet.