PAR8CH SPEC SHEET

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PAR8CH -- click for photo tour

Other PARxCH are the PAR1CH and PAR4CH

PARxCH A/D Common Features

   • 24 bit resolution
   • Individual A/D converter per channel
   • Sampling rates from DC to 5 kHZ
   • 4 digital inputs, 4 digital outputs
   • Connects to PC parallel port
   • Application software with source

Additional PAR8CH Specific Features

   • Eight analog channels
   • Simultaneous digital recording  New
   • 800ns GPS time stamping  New
   • Low 180 milliamp current draw
   • Price $950
   • Specs Table
   • Options Table

Product Description

The PAR8CH is the 8 channel member of a family of 24 bit realtime continuous data acquisition systems with an individual A/D per channel architecture. 1 and 4 channel units are also available.

For the PAR8CH 24 bit A/D, highest resolution occurs at 10-1000 Hz, with maximum sampling rates of 5 kHz sustained. All PAR8CH inputs are differential with amplitude ranges of +/- 10 volts. The on board 2 MB DRAMs allow continuous no loss data acquisition even on heavily interrupted and multitasking PCs. The PAR8CH sits outside the PC for improved noise performance and communicates its acquired data using the standard PC parallel port.

Several features beyond those shared with the 1 and 4 channel PARxCH products are standard on the PAR8CH including improved digital I/O and GPS time stamping. While all three PARxCH can poll the digital inputs, the PAR8CH automatically samples the digital inputs each time a new analog data point is ready and includes the digital data in the regular data stream. The PAR8CH also has an 800ns on board counter that can be used in place of the PC's high speed counter when time stamping data with the PARGPS. This enhances accuracy since variation in PC interrupt latencies no longer influences the timing calculation.

For all the PARxCH products, a full-featured acquisition and display program is included, so you can be up and running immediately; controlling acquisition rates and continuously saving acquired data to disk. For developing custom applications, low level functions that control the PAR8CH are supplied as static, DLL or shared libraries and as National Instruments LabVIEW drivers. Full source code is included and the PDF user manual contains circuit diagrams.

The pair of 2 MB DRAM data buffers act as a back up to make sure data is not lost even if the PC is interrupted for long periods on other tasks. There are no "fall through" times or buffer latencies. As soon as any data is ready from the PAR8CH, the PC is notified so it can get the data. Any additional data that comes in while the PC is getting around to servicing the PAR8CH is simply stored up. With 4 MB of buffering at 10 Hz sampling, you have more than 4 hours of back up, with proportionally shorter times at higher frequencies. These times are more than enough to satisfy typical PC latencies.

The PAR8CH comes with all the accessories you need to start acquiring data. These include software, manual (PDF), 9 VDC power supply, 6' parallel port cable, TRM25E 8 channel terminal board, and desktop enclosure.

For additional information see:  Manual Excerpts,  Software,  PARGPS,  PAR1CH,  PAR4CH

Specifications Table

Options Table

Some users may want to consider these additional options.