Introduction Chapter 1
Lab-NB User Manual 1-4 © National Instruments Corporation

Register-Level Programming

The final option for programming any National Instruments DAQ hardware is to write register-
level software. Writing register-level programming software can be very time-consuming and
inefficient, and is not recommended for most users.
Even if you are an experienced register-level programmer, consider using NI-DAQ, LabVIEW,
or LabWindows/CVI to program your National Instruments DAQ hardware. Using the NI-DAQ,
LabVIEW, or LabWindows/CVI software is easier than, and as flexible as, register-level
programming, and can save weeks of development time.
Optional Equipment
National Instruments offers a variety of products to use with your Lab-NB board, including
cables, connector blocks, and other accessories, as follows:
• Cables and cable assemblies, shielded and ribbon
• Connector blocks, shielded and unshielded 50-pin screw terminals
• Real Time System Integration (RTSI) bus cables
• Signal conditioning eXtensions for Instrumentation (SCXI) modules and accessories for
isolating, amplifying, exciting, and multiplexing signals for relays and analog output. With
SCXI you can condition and acquire up to 3,072 channels.
• Low channel count signal conditioning modules, boards, and accessories, including
conditioning for strain gauges and RTDs, simultaneous sample and hold, and relays.
For more specific information about these products, refer to your National Instruments catalog or
call the office nearest you.

Cabling

National Instruments offers cables and accessories for you to prototype your application or to use
if you frequently change board interconnections.
If you want to develop your own cable, however, the following guidelines may be useful:
National Instruments currently offers a cable termination accessory, the CB-50, for use with the
Lab-NB board. This kit includes a terminated, 50-conductor, flat ribbon cable and a connector
block. Signal input and output wires can be attached to screw terminals on the connector block
and thereby connected to the Lab-NB I/O connector.
The CB-50 is useful for initially prototyping an application or in situations where Lab-NB
interconnections are frequently changed. When you develop a final field wiring scheme,
however, you may wish to develop your own cable.