SDP-B Quick Start (Eval+ Software)

All the products described on this page include ESD (electrostatic discharge) sensitive devices. Electrostatic charges as high as 4000V readily accumulate on the human body or test equipment and can discharge without detection. Although the boards feature ESD protection circuitry, permanent damage may occur on devices subjected to high-energy electrostatic discharges. Therefore, proper ESD precautions are recommended to avoid performance degradation or loss of functionality. This includes removing static charge on external equipment, cables, or antennas before connecting to the device.

This guide describes how to use the AD7124 evaluation boards with the SDP-B controller board and the AD7124 Eval+ Software.

This quickstart applies to the following evaluation boards:

Prerequisites

See Prerequisites for the full list.

Hardware:

  • AD7124 evaluation board (one of the four boards listed above)

  • SDP-B controller board

  • USB cable

  • DC signal source

  • PC running Windows with a USB 2.0 port

  • 7–9 V DC power supply (for EVAL-AD7124-4SDZ / EVAL-AD7124-8SDZ only)

Software:

Software installation

Warning

The evaluation software and drivers must be installed before connecting the evaluation board and controller board to the USB port of the PC, to ensure the system is correctly recognized.

Installing the AD7124 Eval+ Software

  1. With the SDP-B disconnected from the PC, run the Eval+ Software installer (setup.exe from the CD or downloaded package).

  2. Select the installation location (default: C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\AD7124 EVAL+).

  3. Accept the license agreement and click Next to complete the installation.

Installing the SDP-B drivers

The SDP-B driver installation begins automatically after the Eval+ Software installation completes.

  1. With the SDP-B still disconnected, select the driver installation location (default: C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SDP\Drivers).

  2. Click Install to install the drivers.

  3. Click Finish and restart the PC before using the evaluation board.

Setting up the hardware

  1. Connect the SDP-B to the evaluation board via the 120-pin SDP connector. Screw the two boards together using the plastic screw and washer set included in the evaluation board kit.

  2. For the EVAL-AD7124-4SDZ / EVAL-AD7124-8SDZ: apply 7–9 V DC to connector J3 (bench top) or J5 (wall wart/DC plug). No external supply is needed for the EVAL-AD7124-4ASDZ / EVAL-AD7124-8ASDZ.

  3. Connect the SDP-B to the PC using a USB cable.

  4. Verify the board is recognized: open Device Manager on the PC and check that the SDP-B appears under ADI Development Tools.

Launching the software

  1. From the Start menu, navigate to Programs > Analog Devices > AD7124 Eval+ > AD7124 Eval+.

  2. Select your evaluation board from the interface selection dialog:

    • EVAL-AD7124-4SDZ or EVAL-AD7124-8SDZ for the SDZ boards

    • EVAL-AD7124-4ASDZ or EVAL-AD7124-8ASDZ for the ASDZ boards

  3. If the evaluation system is not detected, a connectivity error appears. Connect the board, wait a few seconds, and click Rescan. Press the RESET button on the SDP-B board if needed.

Using the Eval+ Software

The main window contains four tabs:

Configuration tab

Shows a functional block diagram of the AD7124. Clicking a configuration button on the diagram opens a pop-up window to configure that functional block.

Key features:

  • ADC RESET – performs a software reset of the AD7124 (no hardware reset pin; remove power for a hard reset)

  • External Reference – set the Refin1(+/-) field to match the reference voltage being used (default: 2.5 V from the on-board ADR4525)

  • CONFIG SUMMARY – displays channel configuration, setup information, and any errors present

  • DEMO MODES – pre-configured modes for Thermocouple, 3-Wire RTD, 4-Wire RTD, and Noise Test. Each includes a help file.

  • TUTORIAL – opens a tutorial on using the software

Waveform tab

Graphs the ADC conversions and performs noise analysis:

  • Waveform graph showing each successive ADC sample

  • Noise analysis displaying: number of samples, mean, max, min, peak-to- peak noise, RMS noise, peak-to-peak resolution, and RMS resolution

  • Channel selection to choose which channels to display

  • Display units toggle between volts and codes

  • Batch control for single run or continuous capture

Histogram tab

Generates a histogram of gathered samples with the same noise analysis metrics as the Waveform tab.

Register Map tab

Direct access to all AD7124 registers. Individual bit fields can be modified through drop-down menus. Register configurations can be saved and loaded.

Noise test demonstration

  1. On the Configuration tab, click the NOISE TEST demo button.

  2. The device is configured with: output data rate = 9.38 SPS, sinc4 digital filter, full power mode, external reference REFIN1(+/-).

  3. Switch to the Waveform tab, set the desired number of samples, and click SAMPLE.

  4. View the noise analysis results below the waveform graph.

To save conversion data, use File at the top of the window. To export as Excel, right-click the waveform graph and select Export Data.