Experiment 1

Introduction to NI Elvis, DATEX experimental add-on

module soft front panel control and experimenting signal
basics in Emona DATEX
Preliminary discussion
The digital multimeter and oscilloscope are probably the two
most used pieces of test equipment in the electronics industry.
The bulk of measurements needed to test and/or repair
electronics systems can be performed with just these two
devices.
At the same time, there would be very few electronics
laboratories or workshops that don't also have a DC Power
Supply and Function Generator. As well as generating DC test
voltages, the power supply can be used to power the equipment
under test. The function generator is used to provide a variety of
AC test signals.
Importantly, NI ELVIS II has these four essential pieces of laboratory equipment in one unit (and
others). However, instead of each having its own digital readout or display (like the equipment
pictured), NI ELVIS II sends the information via USB to a personal computer where the
measurements are displayed on one screen.
On the computer, the NI ELVIS II devices are called "virtual instruments". However, don't let the
term mislead you. The digital multimeter and scope are real measuring devices, not software
simulations. Similarly, the DC power supply and function generator output real voltages.
The experiments in this manual make use of all four NI ELVIS II devices and others so it's
important that you're familiar with their operation.

The experiment
This experiment introduces you to the NI ELVIS II digital multimeter, variable DC power supplies
(there are two of them), oscilloscope and function generator. Importantly, the oscilloscope can be
a tricky device to use if you don't do it so often. So, this experiment also gives you a procedure
that'll set it up ready to display a stable 2kHz 4Vp-p signal every time. Importantly, it's
recommended that you use this procedure as a starting point for the other experiments in this
manual.
It should take you about 50 minutes to complete this experiment.

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Equipment

■ Personal computer with appropriate software installed

■ NI ELVIS II plus USB cable and power pack
■ Emona DATEx experimental add-in module
■ Two BNC to 2mm banana-plug leads
■ Assorted 2mm banana-plug patch leads

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 Some things you need to know for the experiment
This box contains definitions for some electrical terms used in this experiment.
Although you've probably seen them before, it's worth taking a minute to read
them to check your understanding.

The amplitude of a signal is its physical size and is measured in volts (V). It is
usually measured either from the middle of the waveform to the top (called the
peak voltage) or from the bottom to the top (called the peak-to-peak voltage).

The period of a signal is the time taken to complete one cycle and is measured in
seconds (s). When the period is small, it is expressed in milli seconds (ms) and
even micro seconds (µs).

The frequency of a signal is the number of cycles every second and is measured
in hertz (Hz). When there are many cycles per second, the frequency is
expressed in kilo hertz (kHz) and even mega hertz (MHz).

A sinewave is a repetitive signal with the shape

shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

A squarewave is a repetitive signal with the shape

shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

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Procedure
Part A - Getting started
1. Ensure that the NI ELVIS II power switch at the back of the unit is off.
2. Carefully plug the Emona DATEx experimental add-in module into the NI ELVIS II.
3. Set the Control Mode switch on the DATEx module (top right corner) to Manual.
4. Connect the NI ELVIS II to the PC using the USB cable.
Note: This may already have been done for you.
5. Turn on the NI ELVIS II power switch at the rear of the unit then turn on its
Prototyping Board Power switch at the top right corner near the power indicator.
6. Turn on the PC and let it boot-up.
7. Launch the NI ELVISmx software per the instructor's directions.
Note: If the NI ELVISmx software has launched successfully, the window called "ELVIS -
Instrument Launcher" will be visible (see Figure 3).

Figure 3

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Part B - The NI ELVIS II Digital Multimeter

The NI ELVIS II Digital Multimeter (DMM) is an instrument that can measure the following
electrical properties: DC & AC voltages, DC & AC currents, resistance, capacitance and
inductance. Its operation is briefly introduced next.
8. Use the mouse to click on the "DMM" button on the NI ELVISmx Instrument Launcher.
Note: If the digital multimeter virtual instrument has launched successfully, the instrument's
window will be visible (see Figure 4).

Figure 4
The digital multimeter's measurement options are selected using the Measurement and Settings
controls on the virtual instrument (near the mouse-pointer in Figure 4).
9. Move the mouse-pointer over these controls but don't click on any of them yet.
Note: As you do this, you'll notice that a pop-up appears to tell you by name what measurement
mode the controls activate.

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 10. Click back and forth between one of the Voltage controls (marked V) and one of the
Current controls (marked A).
Note 1: As you do, notice that the buttons on the virtual instrument are animated. The selected
control fades as though it has been physically pressed in.
Note 2: Notice also that the Banana Jack Connections window is updated to tell you which of the
DMM's banana jacks to use on the left side of the NI ELIVS II for that particular measurement.

Importantly, simply launching the DMM virtual instrument doesn't activate the instrument's
hardware. This must be done every time the DMM virtual instrument is launched using its Run
control (the button with the green arrow).
11. Click on the DMM's Run control.
12. Click on each of the Measurement and Settings controls in turn while watching the
DMM's readout.
Note: As you do, notice that the readout updates to tell you the unit of measurement (eg V for
volts, A for amps, etc). The readout also indicates the relative size of the measurement (for
example, m for milli, M for mega, etc). See the instructor for more information if you're not
familiar with the metric system of multiples and sub-multiples.
Question 1
Given you've not been asked to connect the digital multimeter's inputs to anything yet, why does
the DMM read very small values of voltage and current instead of zero?

If you examine the DMM virtual instrument closely you'll notice that there are other settings on
the DMM virtual instrument that can be adjusted including the Mode, Null Offset and Acquisition
Mode. These controls default to appropriate settings for regular use so we'll not discuss them
further here. Where adjustment of these controls is necessary, they'll be explained at the
appropriate place in the experiments.

Ask the instructor to check

your work before
continuing.

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Part C - The NI ELVIS II Variable Power Supplies

The NI ELVIS II Variable Power Supplies (VPS) is an instrument that can simultaneously output
two DC voltages (one positive and one negative) to terminals on the Emona DATEx. Its operation
is briefly discussed next.
13. Use the mouse to click on the "VPS" button on the NI ELVISmx Instrument Launcher.
Note 1: Don't close the NI ELVISmx DMM virtual instrument because you'll be using it to verify
the operation of the Variable Power Supplies.
Note 2: If the Variable Power Supplies virtual instrument has launched successfully, the
instrument's window will be visible (see Figure 5).

Figure 5

14. Put the NI ELVIS II Variable Power Supplies into Manual mode by checking the boxes
next to the word Manual on both the positive and negative sides of the virtual instrument.
Tip: One of the boxes is near the mouse-pointer in Figure 5.
Note: Once you've performed this step, you'll notice that the virtual controls fade. This tells you
that the virtual power supplies' outputs are controlled manually using the controls on the top right
of the NI ELVIS II (directly below the USB Ready & Active indicators).

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 15. Click on the DMM's control to put the unit into DC voltage measuring mode.
16. Set the two Variable Power Supplies Voltage controls to about half of their travel.
17. Connect the set-up shown in Figure 6 below.
Tip: Use the 4mm banana plug to 2mm banana plug patch lead.
Note: As you perform this step, you should see some activity on the DMM virtual instrument and
the measurement on its readout change to about 6V.

DMM

VW
GND

FUNCTION
GENERATOR
COM

ANALOG I/ O

ACH0 DAC0

VARIABLE DC
+

Figure 6
18. Use the Voltage control to determine the Variable Power Supplies' minimum and
maximum positive output voltages. Record these in Table 1 below.
19. Connect the DMM to the Variable Power Supplies' negative output and repeat Step 18.

Table 1 Minimum output Minimum output

voltage voltage
Positive (+) output

Negative (-) output

Ask the instructor to check

your work before
continuing.

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While the DMM can be used for measuring the Variable Power Supplies' outputs, the instrument
can monitor its own outputs freeing the digital multimeter for other uses. The next steps
demonstrate this.
20. Check the box at the top of the NI ELVIS II Variable Power Supplies' virtual instrument
shown in Figure 7 below.

Figure 7
21. Vary the Variable Power Supplies' negative Voltage control and compare the values on the
displays of the two virtual instruments - they should be the same.

Ask the instructor to check

your work before
continuing.

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Part D - The NI ELVIS II Oscilloscope
The NI ELVIS II Oscilloscope (or just "scope") is a fully functional dual channel oscilloscope that
allows engineers and technicians to measure AC waveforms and view their shape. Its operation is
briefly discussed next.
22. Close the virtual instruments for the digital multimeter and Variable Power Supplies.
23. Use the mouse to click on the "Scope" button on the NI ELVISmx Instrument Launcher.
Note: If the scope virtual instrument has launched successfully, the instrument's window will be
visible (see Figure 8).

Figure 8

The NI ELVIS II Oscilloscope is operated using the controls on its virtual instrument. Although
operating the NI ELVIS II Oscilloscope is much easier than operating other types of scopes, it can
still be a little tricky to use when you're new to this piece of test equipment. The procedure on the
next page is one that you can use to set it up ready to reliably view waveforms and take
measurements when undertaking DATEx experiments.

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Procedure for setting up the NI ELVIS II Oscilloscope
24. Follow the procedure below. Call the instructor for assistance if you can't find a particular
control.
Note: Much of this procedure simply involves checking that control settings are in the default
positions used by the NI ELVIS II Oscilloscope at the time of writing this manual.
General
i) Check that the Cursors On box is doesn't have a tick in it.
Vertical
i) Check that the Channel 0 Source control is set to SCOPE CH 0 and the Channel 1
Source control is set to SCOPE CH 1.
ii) Check that the Probe control for both channels is set to 1x.
iii) Set the Coupling control for both channels to AC.
iv) Check that the Scale Volts/Div control for both channels is set to 1V/div.
v) Check that the Vertical Position control for both channels is in the middle of their
travel.
Timebase
i) Set the Time/Div control to the 500µs/div position.
Trigger
i) Set the Type control to Edge.
ii) Set the Source control to CH 0 Source.
iii) Check that the Level control is set to 0.

iv) Check that the Slope control is set to the position.

25. Activate the scope's hardware by clicking on its Run control.

Ask the instructor to check

your work before
continuing.

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The next part of this experiment lets you familiarise yourself with NI ELVIS II Oscilloscope by
observing and measuring a DATEx signal.
26. Connect the set-up shown in Figure 9 below.
Note: Notice that the connection to the Master Signals' 2kHz SINE output must be made with the
red banana plug. The black banana plug should be connected to any one of the ground (GND)
sockets on the Emona DATEx.

SCOPE
10VDC
7Vrms max

CH 0

MASTER
SIGNALS
CH 1

100kHz
SINE
100kHz
COS

100kHz
DIGITAL

8kHz
DIGITAL

2kHz
DIGITAL

2kHz
GND SINE
BLK
RED

Figure 9
When measuring the amplitude of an AC waveform
using a scope, it's common to measure its peak-to-
Peak-
peak voltage. That is, the difference between its to-peak
lowest point and its highest point. This is shown in
Figure 10. Importantly, knowing the waveform's
peak-to-peak voltage allows us to calculate its RMS The period of one cycle
voltage where required.

The other dimension of an AC waveform that's Figure 10

important to measure is its period. The period is the time it takes to complete one cycle, and this is
also shown in Figure 10. While knowing the waveform's period may be useful, it also allows us to
calculate the signal's frequency using the equation:
f= 1
Period

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Measuring the amplitude of signals and determining their frequency using conventional scopes is
a little more involved than using a digital multimeter. As such, it can be easy for the novice to
make mistakes. Helpfully, the NI ELVIS II Oscilloscope includes meters that measure voltage and
frequency for you and readout the information on the display. The location of this information on
the virtual instrument is below the graticule as shown in Figure 11 below.

Figure 11
27. Record the scope's measured values for voltage (RMS and peak-to-peak) and frequency in
Table 2 below.
28. Use the signal's frequency to work backwards to calculate and record its period.
Tip: You'll have to transpose the equation on the previous page to make period (P) the subject.
Table 2

RMS voltage

Frequency

Pk-Pk voltage

Period

Ask the instructor to check

your work before
continuing.

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Part E - The NI ELVIS II Function Generator
The NI ELVIS II Function Generator (FGEN) is an instrument that can output AC signals of
various shapes and at various frequencies to terminals on the Emona DATEx. Its operation is
briefly discussed next.
29. Use the mouse to click on the "FGEN" button on the NI ELVISmx Instrument Launcher.
Note 1: Don't close the NI ELVISmx Scope virtual instrument because you'll be using it to verify
the operation of the function generator.
Note 2: If the function generator virtual instrument has launched successfully, the instrument's
window will be visible (see Figure 12).

Figure 12
30. Check the box that puts the function generator into Manual Mode.
Note: Once you've performed this step, you'll notice that the virtual controls fade. This tells you
that the function generator's output is now a sinewave whose amplitude and frequency are
controlled manually by the Frequency and Amplitude controls on the right side of the NI ELVIS
II.
31. Set the function generator's Amplitude control on the right side of the NI ELVIS II to
about half its travel.

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 32. To observe the function generator's output, connect the set-up shown in Figure 13 below.
Note: Again, the connection to the function generator's output must be made using the lead's red
banana plug.

SCOPE
10VDC
7Vrms max
CH 0 BLK
GND

FUNCTION
GENERATOR
CH 1

RED
ANALOG I/ O

ACH0 DAC0

VARIABLE DC

Figure 13
33. Adjust the scope's Timebase control for 1ms/div.
Note: Once this step has been performed, you should see one complete cycle of a sinewave.
34. Vary the function generator's Amplitude control left and right and observe the effect on the
function generator's output.
35. Determine the function generator's manually adjustable minimum and maximum output
voltages and record your measurements in Table 3 below.

Table 3

Minimum output V

Maximum output V

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 36. Vary the function generator's Frequency control on the right side of the NI ELVIS II and
observe the effect on the function generator's output.
Note 1: If this control doesn't seem to have an effect, keep turning it.
Note 2: This control can vary the frequency of the function generator's output between 0.2Hz
and 5MHz. However, it would take a lot of turns of the manual Frequency control to sweep
between them. Experiment 3 introduces you to the controls on the function generator's virtual
instrument which are more convenient to use.

Ask the instructor to check

your work before finishing.

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