Problems triggering a flash using nidaq

Hi,

I am trying to trigger a flash (Qflash X5d-R) using a NI-PIXe-6124 (nidaq) card. This is for the purpose of trying to obtain the carrier lifetime of a solar cell. This is the following code I am using, but several modifications have failed to trigger the flash.

% This m-file contains the actual flash pulse and data acquisition % ================================================================

function [final_time,final_data,base_ref,base_samp] = flash(data_points,duration_in,ref_limit,samp_limit,duration_out,voltage_out,signal,f,t_A); warning off

% ANALOG INPUT % ============

    SampleRate_in  = 500000; % sample rate in Hz  Default: 5000000 Hz  
    data_points_in = duration_in * SampleRate_in;

    % Create an analog input object with two channels
    % -----------------------------------------------
    ai       = analoginput('nidaq','Dev1');
    chan_in0 = addchannel(ai,0);
    chan_in1 = addchannel(ai,1);                                   

    % Configure the analog input rate and trigger mode
    % ------------------------------------------------
    set(ai,'SampleRate',SampleRate_in)
    set(ai,'SamplesPerTrigger',SampleRate_in)
    %set(ai,'TriggerType','manual')
    set(ai,'TriggerRepeat',ceil(duration_in))
    set(ai,'LogFileName','data_file.daq')
    set(ai,'LoggingMode','Disk&Memory')
    set(ai,'LogToDiskMode','Overwrite')

    % Set the scaling range
    % ---------------------
    sensor_min   = -10;
    sensor_max   = 10;
    units_min    = sensor_min * 10;
    units_max    = sensor_max * 10;
    sensor_range = sensor_max-sensor_min;
    units_range  = units_max-units_min;

    % Channel 1
    % ---------
    set(chan_in0,'SensorRange',[sensor_min sensor_max])
    set(chan_in0,'InputRange',[0 ref_limit])
    set(chan_in0,'UnitsRange',[units_min units_max])
    set(chan_in0,'Units','g''s (1g = 9.80 m/s/s)')

    % Channel 2
    % ---------
    set(chan_in1,'SensorRange',[sensor_min sensor_max])              
    set(chan_in1,'InputRange',[0 samp_limit])
    set(chan_in1,'UnitsRange',[units_min units_max])
    set(chan_in1,'Units','g''s (1g = 9.80 m/s/s)')

% ANALOG OUTPUT % =============

    SampleRate_out  = 500000; % sample rate in Hz  
    data_points_out = duration_out * SampleRate_out;

    % Set output voltage to zero
    % --------------------------
    ao          = analogoutput('nidaq','Dev1');
    chan_out0   = addchannel(ao,1);
    set(ao,'SampleRate',SampleRate_out)
    x0          = linspace(0,0,duration_out)';
    putdata(ao,x0)
    start(ao)
    stop(ao)
    delete(ao)
    clear ao

    % Create an analog output object with one channel
    % -----------------------------------------------
    ao        = analogoutput('nidaq','Dev1');
    chan_out0 = addchannel(ao,1);

    % Configure the analog output rate and trigger mode
    % -------------------------------------------------
    set(ao,'SampleRate',SampleRate_out)
    set(ao,'TriggerType','manual')

% DATA ACQUISITION % ================

    % Put data into buffer, start device and trigger
    % ----------------------------------------------
    putdata(ao,voltage_out)
    start(ao)
    trigger(ao)
    start(ai)
    %trigger(ai)
    pause(duration_in*1.5)
    stop(ai)

    % Obtain data for each trigger and get an average cycle of the measurement data
    % -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    V_ref  = [];
    V_samp = [];
    for m = 1:ceil(duration_in);
        if duration_in-m > 0
            t_trigger = [0 1];
            n         = 1;
        else 
            t_trigger = [0 duration_in-(m-1)];
        end

        [data,time]     = daqread('data_file.daq','Time',t_trigger);
        n               = floor(t_trigger(2)*f);
        l_freq          = SampleRate_in/f;

        for i=1:n-1
            data_1(:,i) = data((i-1)*l_freq+1:i*l_freq ,1);
            data_2(:,i) = data((i-1)*l_freq+1:i*l_freq ,2);               
    end
        V_ref(:,m)      = mean(data_1,2);
    V_samp(:,m)     = mean(data_2,2);
        t2              = time(1:l_freq,1);
        clear data_1 data_2 data time
    end

    delete(ai)
    clear ai
    stop(ao)
    delete(ao)
    clear ao
    delete('data_file.daq')

    % Set output voltage to zero
    % --------------------------
    ao          = analogoutput('nidaq','Dev1');
    chan_out0   = addchannel(ao,1);
    set(ao,'SampleRate',SampleRate_out)
    putdata(ao,x0)
    start(ao)
    stop(ao)
    delete(ao)
    clear ao

    % Average over every trigger cycle and scale back the data
    % --------------------------------------------------------
    x2(:,1)   = mean(V_ref,2);
    x2(:,2)   = mean(V_samp,2);
    x2        = x2.*sensor_range./units_range;

    % Get the dark voltage
    % --------------------
    base_ref  = abs(mean(x2(1:floor(l_freq/10),1)));
    base_samp = abs(mean(x2(1:floor(l_freq/10),2)));

% TRIGGERING BY SOFTWARE % ======================

    % Sawtooth signal
    % ---------------
    if signal == 1

        % Delete the data points before the onset of the flash pulse
        % this first routine is done for both the reference and sample signal.
        % the onset value k is determined so that both signal show a sudden increase
        % --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        trigger_value = (max(x2(:,1)) - base_ref)/50 + base_ref;
        k = [];
        for i = 1:l_freq
            if x2(i,:) > trigger_value &...
            x2(i+1,:) > trigger_value &...
            x2(i+2,:) > trigger_value &...
            x2(i+3,:) > trigger_value &...
            x2(i+4,:) > trigger_value &...
            x2(i+5,:) > trigger_value 

                k = i;
                break
            end
        end

        % Define the final time length of the signal that will be given back to 'function'.
        % It should be a bit larger then the applied length t_A,
        % since the actual signal of the LED will always be a bit stretched out.
        % ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        l_sig  = min(SampleRate_in*t_A*2,length(x2)-k); % In this case the time length is t_A*2

        try
            trigger_data = x2(k:l_sig+k,:);
            trigger_time = t2(k:l_sig+k) - t2(k);
  
        % This contains the second routine if the sample signal failes to produce an onset (k == [])
        % in this routine, only the onset of the reference cell is determined.
        % ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        catch
            for i = 1:l_freq
                if x2(i,1) > trigger_value &...
                   x2(i+1,1) > trigger_value &...
                   x2(i+2,1) > trigger_value &...
                   x2(i+3,1) > trigger_value &...
                   x2(i+4,1) > trigger_value 

                    k = i;
                    break
                end
            end

            % Define the final time length of the signal that will be given back to 'function'.
            % It should be a bit larger then the applied length t_A,
            % since the actual signal of the LED will always be a bit stretched out.
            % ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            l_sig  = min(SampleRate_in*t_A*2,length(x2)-k); % In this case the time length is t_A*2

            trigger_data = x2(k:l_sig+k,:);
            trigger_time = t2(k:l_sig+k) - t2(k);
        end

    % Calibration signal
    % ------------------
    elseif signal == 2;

        % Get the first maximum of the window signal
        % ------------------------------------------
        [mx,i]       = max(x2(:,1));
        k            = i - SampleRate_in*t_A/2;
        l_sig        = min(SampleRate_in*t_A*2,length(x2)-k); % In this case the time length is t_A*2
        trigger_data = x2(k:l_sig+k,:);
        trigger_time = t2(k:l_sig+k) - t2(k);

    end
    clear t2 x2

% AVERAGING % =========

    % Average the cycle into number of data points
    % --------------------------------------------
    period     = floor(l_sig/data_points);
    final_data = zeros(data_points,2);                            
    final_time = zeros(data_points,1);
    m = 1;
    for i = 1:data_points
        final_data(i,:) = mean(trigger_data((m-1)*period+1:period*m,:));
        final_time(i)   = mean(trigger_time((m-1)*period+1:period*m));
        m=m+1;
    end