Connecting PCI 6259 M Series to a DC power supply

[Stephenx]

Hi,

I'm trying to resistively heat a wire using a DC power supply.  I've already done this with a basic DC power supply (at approximately 5V and 2A), but would like to be able to control it via LabVIEW (with temperature readings from a separate thermocouple embedded near to the wire, so I can keep a constant temperature).  We already have a PCI-6259 M Series DAQ and an SCB-68 connector block, however we've not yet got the power supply.  What I'd like to know is, is it possible to control a DC power supply with the equipment we already have and if so, what connections will I need to use (and need to make sure the power supply we get has).  If the equipment we have isn't going to be able to control the supply, what other things would we need to get?  

Many thanks in advance

[AnalogKid2DigitalMan]

The simplest method would be to procure a power supply that has an analog input that can program the supply to set the voltage or current to a given level. Use an analog output on your 6259 to generate the voltage to control the supply.

Other options that could be use are supplies that communicate via serial port (RS-232) or GPIB (which would require an additional GPIB card in your PC).

-AK2DM