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Product Name: PXI and CompactPCI

Product Description

Introduction
PXI (PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation) is a rugged PC-based platform for measurement and automation systems. PXI combines PCI electrical-bus features with the rugged, modular, Eurocard packaging of CompactPCI, and then adds specialized synchronization buses and key software features. PXI is both a high-performance and low-cost deployment platform for measurement and automation systems. These systems serve applications such as manufacturing test, military and aerospace, machine monitoring, automotive, and industrial test.

Developed in 1997 and launched in 1998, PXI was introduced as an open industry standard to meet the increasing demands of complex instrumentation systems. Today, PXI is governed by the PXI Systems Alliance (PXISA), a group of more than 65 companies chartered to promote the PXI standard, ensure interoperability, and maintain the PXI specification. For more information on the PXISA, including the PXI specification, refer to the PXISA website at www.pxisa.org. 
Hardware Architecture

PXI systems are comprised of three basic components – chassis, system controller, and peripheral modules.PXI Chassis
The chassis provides the rugged and modular packaging for the system. Chassis, generally ranging in size from 4-slots to 18-slots, are also available with special features such as DC power supplies and integrated signal conditioning. The chassis contains the high-performance PXI backplane, which includes the PCI bus and timing and triggering buses (Figure 2). Using these timing and triggering buses, users can develop systems for applications requiring precise synchronization. 
Learn more about PXI Chassis. 

PXI Controllers
As defined by the PXI Hardware Specification, all PXI chassis contain a system controller slot located in the leftmost slot of the chassis (slot 1). Controller options include remote controllers from a desktop, workstation, server, or a laptop computer and high-performance embedded controllers with either a Microsoft OS (Windows 2000/XP) or a real-time OS (LabVIEW Real-Time)

PXI Remote Controllers
There are two types of PXI remote controllers: 
Laptop control of PXI 
PC control of PXI

Laptop Control of PXI
With ExpressCard MXI (Measurement eXtensions for Instrumentation) and PCMCIA CardBus interface kits, users can control PXI systems directly from laptop computers. During boot-up, the laptop computer will recognize all peripheral modules in the PXI system as PCI devices.

The ExpressCard MXI interface kit provides a 110 MB/s PCI Express -to- PCI bridge from the laptop computer to the PXI chassis. The PCMCIA CardBus interface kit provides a 50 MB/s PCI -to- PCI bridge from the laptop computer to the PXI chassis. Users now have the advantage of mobile/portable PXI systems with laptop control of PXI. You can purchase any ExpressCard MXI compatible laptop or PCMCIA CardBus compatible laptop to remotely control your PXI system. For more information please refer to Laptop control of PXI.

PC Control of PXI
With MXI-Express and MXI-4 interface kits, users can control PXI systems directly from desktop, workstation, or server computers. During boot-up, the computer will recognize all peripheral modules in the PXI system as PCI devices.

The MXI-Express interface kit provides a 110 MB/s PCI Express -to- PCI bridge from the PC to the PXI chassis. With the NI PXI-PCIe8362 2-port interface kit, users will be able to control two PXI systems simultaneously from a single PC.

The MXI-4 interface kit provides a 78 MB/s PCI -to- PCI bridge from PC to the PXI system. MXI-4 interface kit comes with low-cost copper links or fiber-optic links for both extended distances and electrical isolation. As shown in Figure 4b, you can build multichassis PXI systems with MXI-4 as well. Using a MXI-4 link, you can implement either a daisy-chain or a star topology to build multichassis systems. For more information on topologies for multichassis configurations, refer to the MXI-4 Series User Manual. You can purchase any desktop, workstation or server computer, and then remotely control your PXI system using either MXI-Express or copper/fiber optic MXI-4 serial link. For more information please refer to PC control of PXI.

With PXI remote controllers, you can maximize processor performance with minimized cost by using a desktop computer or laptop to remotely control a PXI system. Because all remote control products are software transparent, no additional programming is required.

PXI Embedded Controllers
Embedded controllers eliminate the need for an external PC, therefore providing a complete system contained in the PXI chassis. PXI embedded controllers are typically built using standard PC components in a small, PXI package. For example, the NI PXI-8187 controller has a Pentium 4-M 2.5 GHz processor, up to 1 GB of DDR RAM, a hard drive, and standard PC peripherals such as USB 2.0, Ethernet, serial, and parallel ports. Additionally, you can install your choice of OSs on the PXI controller, including Windows 2000/XP or LabVIEW Real-Time.

Embedded controllers are ideal for portable systems and contained "single-box" applications where the chassis is moved from one location to the next. For more information please refer to PXI controllers.

PXI Peripheral Modules
National Instruments offers more than 100 different PXI modules; and because PXI is an open industry standard, nearly 1000 modules are available from the 65+ members of the PXI Systems Alliance.

Company Details

In 1976, three talented entrepreneurs seeded the Measurement Revolution by launching a little-known startup named National Instruments. Throughout its history, NI has defined that revolution -- the dynamic development of computer-based and... more