National Instruments USB-9421 User manual

USER GUIDE AND SPECIFICATIONS

NI USB-9421

8-Channel, 24 V Logic, Sinking Digital Input Device

This user guide describes how to use the National Instruments USB-9421

and lists the device specifications. In this user guide, the NI USB-9421 with

screw terminal and the NI USB-9421 with D-SUB are referred to

inclusively as the NI USB-9421.

Introduction

The NI USB-9421 data acquisition device provides a USB interface with

connections for eight digital input channels. The NI USB-9421 consists

of two components: an NI 9421 module and an NI USB-9162 carrier,

as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. NI USB-9421 Components

NI 9421

NI USB-9162

NI USB-9421

Hi-SPeed USB Carrier

NI USB-9162

Hi-Speed USB Carrier

NI USB-9162

NI USB-9421 User Guide and Specifications 2 ni.com

Dimensions

Figures 2 and 3 show the NI USB-9421 device dimensions.

Figure 2. NI USB-9421 (Screw Terminal) Device in Millimeters (Inches)

Figure 3. NI USB-9421 (D-SUB) Device in Millimeters (Inches)

Hi-Speed USB Carrier

NI USB-9162

140.23 mm

(5.521 in.)

137.82 mm

(5.426 in.)

120.68 mm

(4.751 in.)

118.26 mm

(4.656 in.)

88.12 mm

(3.469 in.)

25.34 mm

(0.998 in.)

Hi-Speed USB Carrier

NI USB-9162

125.76 mm

(4.951 in.)

123.38 mm

(4.857 in.)

120.68 mm

(4.751 in.)

118.26 mm

(4.656 in.)

88.12 mm

(3.469 in.)

25.34 mm

(0.998 in.)

©National Instruments Corporation 3 NI USB-9421 User Guide and Specifications

Safety Guidelines

Operate the NI USB-9421 only as described in these operating instructions.

Note Although the NI 9421 module may have more stringent certification standards than

the NI USB-9421, when used with the NI USB-9162 carrier, the combined system may be

limited. Refer to the Specifications section for more details.

Hot Surface This icon denotes that the component may be hot. Touching this component

may result in bodily injury.

Caution Do not disconnect I/O-side wires or connectors unless power has been switched

off or the area is known to be nonhazardous.

Caution Do not remove modules unless power has been switched off or the area is known

to be nonhazardous.

Caution The NI USB-9421 is not certified for use in hazardous locations.

Safety Guidelines for Hazardous Voltages

If hazardous voltages are connected to the module, take the following

precautions. A hazardous voltage is a voltage greater than 42.4 Vpk or

60 VDC to earth ground.

Caution Ensure that hazardous voltage wiring is performed only by qualified personnel

adhering to local electrical standards.

Caution Do not mix hazardous voltage circuits and human-accessible circuits on the same

module.

Caution Make sure that devices and circuits connected to the module are properly

insulated from human contact.

Caution When module terminals are live with hazardous voltages, make sure that the

terminals are not accessible by using the high voltage screw terminal backshell. Refer to

the Assembling the High Voltage Screw Terminal Backshell section for more information.

NI USB-9421 User Guide and Specifications 4 ni.com

Related Documentation

Each application software package and driver includes information about

writing applications for taking measurements and controlling measurement

devices. The following references to documents assume you have

NI-DAQmx 8.7 or later, and where applicable, version 7.1 or later of the

NI application software.

NI-DAQmx for Windows

The DAQ Getting Started Guide describes how to install your NI-DAQmx

for Windows software, your NI-DAQmx-supported DAQ device, and how

to confirm that your device is operating properly. Select Start»All

Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQ»DAQ Getting Started

Guide.

The NI-DAQ Readme lists which devices are supported by this version of

NI-DAQ. Select Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQ»

NI-DAQ Readme.

The NI-DAQmx Help contains general information about measurement

concepts, key NI-DAQmx concepts, and common applications that are

applicable to all programming environments. Select Start»All

Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQ»NI-DAQmx Help.

LabVIEW

If you are a new user, use the Getting Started with LabVIEW manual to

familiarize yourself with the LabVIEW graphical programming

environment and the basic LabVIEW features you use to build data

acquisition and instrument control applications. Open the Getting Started

with LabVIEW manual by selecting Start»All Programs»National

Instruments»LabVIEW»LabVIEW Manuals or by navigating to the

labview\manuals directory and opening LV_Getting_Started.pdf.

Use the LabVIEW Help, available by selecting Help»Search the

LabVIEW Help in LabVIEW, to access information about LabVIEW

programming concepts, step-by-step instructions for using LabVIEW, and

reference information about LabVIEW VIs, functions, palettes, menus, and

tools. Refer to the following locations on the Contents tab of the LabVIEW

Help for information about NI-DAQmx:

•Getting Started»Getting Started with DAQ—Includes overview

information and a tutorial to learn how to take an NI-DAQmx

measurement in LabVIEW using the DAQ Assistant.

•VI and Function Reference»Measurement I/O VIs and

Functions—Describes the LabVIEW NI-DAQmx VIs and properties.

©National Instruments Corporation 5 NI USB-9421 User Guide and Specifications

•Taking Measurements—Contains the conceptual and how-to

information you need to acquire and analyze measurement data in

LabVIEW, including common measurements, measurement

fundamentals, NI-DAQmx key concepts, and device considerations.

LabWindows/CVI

The Data Acquisition book of the LabWindows/CVI Help contains

measurement concepts for NI-DAQmx. This book also contains Taking

an NI-DAQmx Measurement in LabWindows/CVI, which includes

step-by-step instructions about creating a measurement task using the DAQ

Assistant. In LabWindows™/CVI™, select Help»Contents, then select

Using LabWindows/CVI»Data Acquisition.

The NI-DAQmx Library book of the LabWindows/CVI Help contains

API overviews and function reference for NI-DAQmx. Select Library

Reference»NI-DAQmx Library in the LabWindows/CVI Help.

Measurement Studio

If you program your NI-DAQmx-supported device in Measurement Studio

using Visual C++, Visual C#, or Visual Basic .NET, you can interactively

create channels and tasks by launching the DAQ Assistant from MAX or

from within Visual Studio .NET. You can generate the configuration code

based on your task or channel in Measurement Studio. Refer to the DAQ

Assistant Help for additional information about generating code. You also

can create channels and tasks, and write your own applications in your

ADE using the NI-DAQmx API.

For help with NI-DAQmx methods and properties, refer to the NI-DAQmx

.NET Class Library or the NI-DAQmx Visual C++ Class Library included

in the NI Measurement Studio Help. For general help with programming in

Measurement Studio, refer to the NI Measurement Studio Help, which is

fully integrated with the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET help. To view

this help file in Visual Studio. NET, select Measurement Studio»

NI Measurement Studio Help.

To create an application in Visual C++, Visual C#, or Visual Basic .NET,

follow these general steps:

1. In Visual Studio .NET, select File»New»Project to launch the New

Project dialog box.

2. Find the Measurement Studio folder for the language you want to

create a program in.

3. Choose a project type. You add DAQ tasks as a part of this step.

NI USB-9421 User Guide and Specifications 6 ni.com

ANSI C without NI Application Software

The NI-DAQmx Help contains API overviews and general information

about measurement concepts. Select Start»All Programs»National

Instruments»NI-DAQ»NI-DAQmx Help.

The NI-DAQmx C Reference Help describes the NI-DAQmx Library

functions, which you can use with National Instruments data acquisition

devices to develop instrumentation, acquisition, and control applications.

Select Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQ»

NI-DAQmx C Reference Help.

.NET Languages without NI Application Software

With the Microsoft .NET Framework version 1.1 or later, you can use

NI-DAQmx to create applications using Visual C# and Visual Basic

.NET without Measurement Studio. You need Microsoft Visual Studio

.NET 2003 or Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 for the API documentation

to be installed.

The installed documentation contains the NI-DAQmx API overview,

measurement tasks and concepts, and function reference. This help is fully

integrated into the Visual Studio .NET documentation. To view the

NI-DAQmx .NET documentation, go to Start»Programs»National

Instruments»NI-DAQ»NI-DAQmx .NET Reference Help. Expand

NI Measurement Studio Help»NI Measurement Studio .NET Class

Library»Reference to view the function reference. Expand NI

Measurement Studio Help»NI Measurement Studio .NET Class

Library»Using the Measurement Studio .NET Class Libraries to view

conceptual topics for using NI-DAQmx with Visual C# and Visual Basic

.NET.

To get to the same help topics from within Visual Studio, go to

Help»Contents. Select Measurement Studio from the Filtered By

drop-down list and follow the previous instructions.

Device Documentation and Specifications

NI-DAQmx includes the Device Document Browser, which contains

online documentation for supported DAQ, SCXI, and switch devices, such

as help files describing device pinouts, features, and operation, and PDF

files of the printed device documents. You can find, view, and/or print the

documents for each device using the Device Document Browser at any

time by inserting the CD. After installing the Device Document Browser,

device documents are accessible from Start»All Programs»National

Instruments»NI-DAQ»Browse Device Documentation.

Note You can download these documents at ni.com/manuals.

©National Instruments Corporation 7 NI USB-9421 User Guide and Specifications

Training Courses

If you need more help getting started developing an application with NI

products, NI offers training courses. To enroll in a course or obtain a

detailed course outline, refer to ni.com/training.

Technical Support on the Web

For additional support, refer to ni.com/support or zone.ni.com.

Installing the Software

Software support for the NI USB-9421 for Windows Vista/XP/2000 is

provided by NI-DAQmx. The DAQ Getting Started Guide, which you can

download at ni.com/manuals, offers NI-DAQmx users step-by-step

instructions for installing software and hardware, configuring channels and

tasks, and getting started developing an application.

Installing Other Software

If you are using other software, refer to the installation instructions that

accompany your software.

Example Programs

The NI-DAQmx CD contains example programs that you can use to get

started programming with the NI USB-9421. Refer to the NI-DAQmx for

USB Devices Getting Started Guide that shipped with your device, and

is also accessible from Start»All Programs»National Instruments»

NI-DAQ,for more information.

Installing the NI USB-9421 Device

Before installing the device, you must install the software you plan to use

with the device. Refer to the Installing the Software section of this guide

and the documentation included with the software for more information.

Installing the NI 9421 in the NI USB-9162 Carrier

The NI 9421 module and NI USB-9162 carrier are packaged separately.

Refer to Figure 4, while completing the following assembly steps:

1. Make sure that no signals are connected to the NI 9421 module.

2. Remove the protective cover from the 15-pin D-SUB connector.

NI USB-9421 User Guide and Specifications 8 ni.com

3. Align the I/O module with the carrier, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Module Installation

4. Squeeze the latches and insert the NI 9421 module into the

NI USB-9162 carrier.

5. Press firmly on the connector side of the NI 9421 module until the

latches lock the module into place, as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Locking Module into Place

1 High Voltage Screw Terminal Backshell

©National Instruments Corporation 9 NI USB-9421 User Guide and Specifications

Mounting the NI USB-9421 to a Panel

Threaded inserts are located in the NI USB-9421 for mounting it to a panel.

Refer to Figure 6 for dimensions.

Figure 6. Module Dimensions in Millimeters (Inches)

Connecting the NI USB-9421 to a Computer

Plug one end of the USB cable into the NI USB-9421 and the other end into

an available USB port on the computer. Refer to the NI-DAQmx for USB

Devices Getting Started Guide that shipped with your device, and is also

accessible from Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQ,

for more information.

LED Indicator

The NI USB-9421 device has a green LED next to the USB connector. The

LED indicator indicates device status, as listed in Table 1. When the device

is connected to a USB port, the LED blinks steadily to indicate that the

device is initialized and is receiving power from the connection.

If the LED is not blinking, it may mean that the device is not initialized or

the computer is in standby mode. In order for the device to be recognized,

the device must be connected to a computer that has NI-DAQmx installed

on it. If your device is not blinking, make sure your computer has the latest

version of NI-DAQmx installed on it, and the computer is not in standby

mode.

Threaded Insert

M3x 0.5

8.5 mm (0.34 in.) Max Depth

72.2 mm

(2.84 in.)

85.7 mm

(3.37 in.)

76.1 mm

(3.00 in.)

NI USB-9421 User Guide and Specifications 10 ni.com

Wiring the NI USB-9421 Device

Caution A high voltage screw terminal backshell must be installed when using hazardous

voltages (>42.4 Vpk, 60 VDC).

Note Table 2 illustrates the accessories available from ni.com for use with the

NI USB-9421.

Table 1. LED State/Device Status

LED State Device Status

Not lit Device not connected or in suspend.

On, not blinking Device connected, but no module installed.

Single-blink Operating normally.

Double-blink Operating normally.

Quadruple-blink Device error. Refer to ni.com/support.

Table 2. Accessories

Device Accessory Accessory Description

USB-9421 with Screw Terminal NI 9932 10-terminal, detachable, high

voltage, screw terminal backshell1

USB-9421 with 25-pin D-SUB NI 9934 25-pin D-SUB connector

1 For more information about installing the backshell, refer to the Assembling the High Voltage Screw Terminal Backshell

section.

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