© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 Lab-NB User Manual
Chapter 1Introduction

This chapter describes the Lab-NB, lists what you need to get started, software programming
choices, optional equipment, and explains how to unpack the Lab-NB.

About the Lab-NB

Thank you for buying the National Instruments Lab-NB. The Lab-NB is a low-cost multi-
function analog, digital, and timing I/O board for Macintosh NuBus computers. It contains a
12-bit successive-approximation ADC with eight analog inputs, two 12-bit DACs with voltage
outputs, 24 lines of TTL-compatible digital I/O, and six 16-bit counter/timer channels for timing
I/O.
The low cost of a Lab-NB-based system makes it ideal for laboratory work in industrial and
academic environments. The multichannel analog input is useful in signal analysis and data
logging. The 12-bit ADC is useful in high-resolution applications such as chromatography,
temperature measurement, and DC voltage measurement. The analog output channels can be
used to generate experiment stimuli and are also useful for machine and process control and
analog function generation. The 24 TTL-compatible digital I/O lines can be used for switching
external devices such as transistors and solid-state relays, for reading the status of external digital
logic, and for generating interrupts. The counter/timers can be used to synchronize events,
generate pulses, and measure frequency and time. The Lab-NB, used in conjunction with the
Macintosh, is a versatile, cost-effective platform for laboratory test, measurement, and control.
Note: The Lab-NB cannot sink sufficient current to drive the SSR-OAC-5 and
SSR-OAC-5A output modules. However, it can drive the SSR-ODC-5 output module
and all SSR input modules available from National Instruments.
If you need to drive a SSR-OAC-5 or SSR-OAC-5A, you can use a non-inverting digital
buffer chip between the Lab-NB and the SSR backplane.
Detailed Lab-NB specifications are in Appendix A, Specifications.