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I have a data acquisition card (Matrox Solios) which uses an input trigger signal to trigger a connected camera. This card is connected into the computer through a PCIe port. The device came with a collection of C functions; however, none of them can actually output the trigger waveform that is coming into the card.
For troubleshooting reasons I want to see that the signal the card is getting is the trigger signal we are sending it. My adviser believes that this information (although digitized) is accessible through the PCIe port. Suppose that this information is actually being outputted into the computer. How do I access this information?
JamesMarshall
Posted 2012-09-06T14:16:13.380
Reputation: 31
Buy a decent Oscilloscope? – EBGreen – 2012-09-06T14:17:38.843
2@EBGreen I mean yes, I've measured the out put signal of the cable connecting the measuring device to the card. The signal is consistent. However, triggering is not occurring properly; so, we want to try to see what the card (specifically, the part of the card that actually does the triggering is seeing. If the output signal of the card into the PC is different, it may suggest that something internal is going wrong. – JamesMarshall – 2012-09-06T14:23:21.467
So scope on the card. If you want to see the physical signal that the card gets then look at the actual physical signal. If you have the schematics that is handy. Even if you don't, follow the traces. If you want to see what is actually presented to the card at the port, scope there. Your concern appears to be "What physical signal is presented to the hardware". If that is what you want to determine, then look at the physical signal. If instead you want to know what the firmware/software is doing with that signal, that is a different question. – EBGreen – 2012-09-06T14:44:37.157