Thermal Shutdown

NI-SCOPE driver software supports thermal shutdown capability for SMC-based digitizers. This capability allows the digitizer to detect when it has reached an over temperature range condition, and to then power down, preventing damage to the digitizer.

Air circulation paths, fan settings, and space allowances are several factors that can influence device temperature. To prevent thermal shutdown, follow the guidelines described in the Maintain Forced-Air Cooling Note to Users document that shipped with your device. Refer to the specifications document for your device to find the correct operating temperature range.

In the event that the digitizer powers down, you are notified with an error message in one of the following ways:

  • NI-SCOPE returns an error when you use any of the functions that program the hardware or check hardware status, for example, the commit function and the self-calibration function.
  • Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) returns an error message if you run a self-test on your device after it exceeds the thermal shutdown temperature.

Re-enabling the Device After Thermal Shutdown

To re-enable your device after thermal shutdown, use one of the following methods:

  • Power down the computer and the chassis that contains the digitizer (required for the NI PXIe-5185/5186).
  • For the NI PXIe-5160/5162, you can disable and enable the device from the Device Manager.
  • For PXI and PCI devices, you can call niScope_ResetDevice or perform a device reset in MAX. For more information on resetting a device in MAX, select Help»Help Topics»NI-DAQmx»MAX Help for NI-DAQmx within MAX.

The thermal shutdown error continues to be reported until the device is successfully reset.

Note   
  • When overheating occurs on the NI PXI-5122, the Active LED turns red and the Access LED may turn red, depending on the hardware revision you have.
  • When overheating occurs on the NI PXI-5124/5142/5152/5153/5154/5922 or the NI PXIe-5122/5185/5186/5622, the Active LED turns red.
  • For the NI 5185/5186, you must follow the guidelines described in the Maintain Forced-Air Cooling Note to Users to prolong the life of the device. If the NI 5185/5186 goes into thermal shutdown, a power cycle is required to re-enable the device. You can read the current temperature of the device using LabVIEW by selecting the Device Temperature property in the NI-SCOPE property node. It is recommended that this value stay below 100 °C to maximize the life of the NI 5185/5186. The NI 5185/5186 will go into thermal shutdown when its temperature exceeds 107 °C.

Related Topics

Features Supported by SMC-Based Devices and USB Devices