HybridADC signal conditioning technology

Which ADC converter is better? SAR ADC or Delta-sigma ADC? Well, now it doesn't matter anymore. SIRIUS XHS data acquisition systems introduce Hybrid ADC signal conditioning technology. HybridADC offers the best of both worlds. It allows users to select modes of operation for each analog input channel:

1. High bandwidth mode: This mode offers an extremely high bandwidth of 5 MHz and a 15 MS/s sampling rate. SIRIUS XHS instruments can perfectly acquire impulse, step, and square signals without any ringing or overshooting. Such a mode is perfect for transient recording and applications such as power analysis. Such acquisition mode is typically found in SAR ADCs.

2. High dynamic alias-free mode: This mode operates at sampling rates of up to 2 MS/s, acquiring data with a dynamic range of up to 150 dB. It employs an alias-free filter with a bandwidth closely aligned with the Nyquist criterion, making it ideal for frequency domain analysis of signals such as sound and vibration (NVH). This performance closely mirrors that of Sigma-Delta ADCs.

By today's data acquisition standard, you would need two independent data acquisition devices for the measurements mentioned above. The SIRIUS XHS DAQ systems allow you to select the sampling rate independently per channel. This ensures that all measurements fit your current testing application. All modes are available on one device and can also work in parallel - acquiring two channels at different rates, bandwidths, and dynamic ranges completely synchronous with each other.

SIRIUS® XHS digital counter inputs

As highlighted earlier, the SIRIUS® XHS data acquisition systems boast Dewesoft's cutting-edge SUPERCOUNTER® technology across all eight counter inputs. The counter inputs are available for all SIRIUS® XHS instruments, providing users with enhanced counter/encoder input capability.

Conveniently located on the back panel of the SIRIUS® XHS instrument, the counter inputs ensure easy accessibility and seamless connection of all sorts of counter and encoder sensors via the LEMO 1B 7-pin female connectors.

The counters boast a timebase of 150 MHz, a maximum bandwidth of 15 MHz, and a 32-bit resolution. Dewesoft SUPERCOUNTER® features advanced input filtering to address glitching issues. Counter inputs are compatible with 3.3 V TTL/CMOS logic levels.

SIRIUS® XHS counter inputs support all these modes:

• Event counting

• Waveform timing

• Encoder

• Tacho

• Geartooth

Each counter channel comes with three standard inputs (A, B, Z) necessary for encoder applications. It also provides +12 V and +5 V for sensor supply, along with digital output for alarming and fast triggering.

The counter channels can also be used as a digital output. Digital outputs utilize 5 V push-pull logic with a fast triggering option. The triggers out module enables digital outputs based on custom conditions. Either from the analog input channel or digital input channel. This trigger option operates in real-time on the hardware itself. Users have the flexibility to customize the shape of the output pulse in terms of delay and duration.

The total response time can go below 500 ns, proving beneficial in time-critical applications such as emergency shutdowns or alarms.

Channel-to-channel galvanic isolation

SIRIUS DAQ devices offer high galvanic channel-to-channel and channel-to-ground isolation (±1000 V). The DAQ systems even offer isolated sensor excitation.

With such isolation, we have no problem measuring high voltage potentials and no problem with common-mode voltages. We are also safe with measurements like vibrations, temperatures, or any other measurement where non-isolated sensors are placed next to the high voltage potential against the DAQ system ground. In such cases, a non-isolated DAQ system would burn or at least give faulty wrong results. With SIRIUS it is just one thing less to worry about.

Digital isolation has another big advantage - preserving the frequency bandwidth of the amplifiers. SIRIUS provides "worry-free" measurements, less noise, no ground loops, and the best possible signal quality.

For less demanding measurement and lower-cost applications, SIRIUS DAQs are also available in a differential version where only power supply isolation is offered.

Great connectivity with open and standard data protocols

SIRIUS® XHS has two ways of transmitting the data to the PC:

• Ethernet interface (GLAN): perfect for distributed data acquisition.

• USB 3.0 (Type C connector): perfect for very high-speed data acquisition.

SIRIUS® XHS acquires data with a very low load on the computer's CPU. It uses a​​​​​​​ DMA transfer on the system level to reduce loads.

In today’s world of open toolchains and intercommunication, devices should be compliant with standard protocols. SIRIUS® XHS can serve acquired data via these protocols, all in parallel to storing data on a PC running DewesoftX software.

• OPC UA: This is the industry standard and is a perfect framework where the devices can be integrated into any system, including SCADA, MES, ERP, and others.

• XCP: XCP is a very widely used protocol in the automotive industry for data exchange. In modern vehicles, the required data bandwidth is higher than ever. 1 GBIT XCP interface allows data transfers with as high as 1 Ms/s.

• CAN and CAN FD: Vehicle bus systems can be read through the included CAN FD interface. At the same time, SIRIUS XHS allows the measured data to be transmitted in the CAN FD format.

Next-gen power and power quality analyzer

The SIRIUS® XHS is a cutting-edge power analyzer capable of capturing voltage and current signals at up to 15 MS/s and with a 5 MHz bandwidth. This makes it exceptional for electrical power and power quality analysis, delivering the highest precision possible.

Bundled with DewesoftX software, the SIRIUS® XHS includes a power analysis module that calculates various power and energy parameters, such as P, Q, S, D, power factor, and Cos φ for each harmonic, among many others.

The SIRIUS® XHS stores raw data from all connected channels and automatically calculates the specified power, power quality, and mechanical parameters. These parameters can be visually displayed in multiple formats, including recorder graphs, digital and analog displays, scopes, and vectorscopes.

Leveraging a computer graphics card (GPU) as a multi-threaded calculation platform, the DewesoftX software and its power module can compute power parameters at full 15 MS/s sampling rate for multiple phases in real-time.

Learn more about Dewesoft electrical power measurement solutions:

• Electrical power analysis solution

• Power quality analysis solution

• Electric motor and inverter testing

5 years of making the SIRIUS® XHS data acquisition system

The high-speed SIRIUS® XHS data acquisition system has been in development for more than 5 years. At first, there was a dream. An idea. A drawing about something that we didn't know would work. After numerous revisions of electronics, firmware, and software versions, we realized that the dream finally became a reality. 

SIRIUS® XHS is an effort of many hardware, software, and mechanical engineers and is definitely a data acquisition system of the future.

To celebrate the release of SIRIUS® XHS we have recorded a special video tribute to the very successful SIRIUS data acquisition system. We climbed the tallest chimney in Europe (360m) and we compared the climb to 20 years of the Dewesoft company history. Enjoy the video.