How do I troubleshoot a SCB-68 Connector Board?

[gmartinez]

Hi!

I've had two SCB-68 connector blocks for a long time (probably 3 or 4 years), and I've usually used them with PCI 6220 cards. Today I connected the SCB-68 connector block and for some reason it doesn't want to read any of the thermocouples connected to it. I tried inputing a dummy voltage of around 3 volts using a power source, went into the NI MAX test panels for the connector block and tested almost every single AI channel of the connector block using RSE configurations, and the connector block does not read at all, it read at a constant 10.7 V which is not the voltage I'm inputing. 

I need help understanding what is going on or how can I find the problem with the connector blocks (both of them have this same problem).

Thanks!!

[KeaneSenses]

Hi gmartinez,

As you continue troubleshooting, it would be great to try to narrow the source of the issue.  Did anything in your set-up change between when it worked in the past and now?  Do you have any other cards that you could test with the connector block?  Could you try a different configuration other than RSE?  Perhaps you could try something like outputting a digital signal and probing to see if the measurement is expected.  This could help pinpoint whether the issue is only with the analog inputs or with the whole card.

[gmartinez]

Hey Michael!

Thanks for your suggestions! I went ahead and tried all the things that you told me I should try... Outputting a digital signal did not work, neither did changing the input configuration (i tried both differential and NRSE)... My guess is that the connector blocks are fried because I tried twith 3 different PCI 6220 cards and there was no change whatsoever. 

What do you think?

[gmartinez]

Hey Michael!

Thanks for your suggestions! I went ahead and tried all the things that you told me I should try... Outputting a digital signal did not work, neither did changing the input configuration (i tried both differential and NRSE)... My guess is that the connector blocks are fried because I tried twith 3 different PCI 6220 cards and there was no change whatsoever. 

What do you think?

[KeaneSenses]

That doesn't sound good - so sorry for the frustrations!  If you would like to discuss potentially sending in your device for repair, you can call 1866-275-6964 and open a service request.

[gmartinez]

Thanks for your help Michael!

[Dennis_Knutson]

Did you probe the cable itself without it plugged into the connector block? I think it's more likely that the cable is bad. A fried connector block would have some visible damage.

[gmartinez]

I didn't probe a specific cable because I used several cables (4 to be exact)

[Dennis_Knutson]

You don't want to isolate the problem to either the DAQ card or the connector block?