PXI marches on
Martin Rowe, Senior Technical Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 2/1/2005 2:00:00 AM
|
| Loofie Gutterman, president of Geotest and president of the PXI Systems Alliance. Courtesy of Geotest. |
|
Read other articles from this PXI Test Report: Editor's note PXI marches on PXI vendor looks for synergy with LXI PXI Web sites worth a visit |
Once considered a minor leaguer by IEEE 488 and VXI proponents, PXI has finally reached the majors. "In the last two years, PXI has penetrated the military and aerospace test market that VXI used to dominate," said Loofie Gutterman, president of Geotest and president of the PXI Systems Alliance. "Bids for automated test systems that once required VXI now allow and even prefer PXI." In addition, telecom equipment manufacturers have begun specifying PXI-based test systems. No longer simply a data-acquisition platform, PXI has marched into the mil/aero and telecom test markets because it now has a breadth of instruments comparable to VXI. "Two years ago," said Gutterman, "PXI was shallow in the RF instrument category." That changed as companies such as Aeroflex (signal generator), Agilent Technologies (CompactPCI waveform generator), Geotest (switches), and National Instruments (signal analyzer) added RF instruments to their PXI product lines. (Instruments in the 26–40 GHz range are still built in IEEE 488 configurations only.)
Although he called Agilent's CompactPCI 1.25-Gsample/s waveform generator a "major breakthrough," Gutterman still sees a need for more RF test products in PXI. He also noted that PXI can use a precision timing module to break into semiconductor test applications. Timing modules, he said, are currently available in IEEE 488 format only.
Low cost is big draw
"PXI appeals to test engineers because of its size, weight, and price," added Gutterman. "On average, a PXI-based test system will cost 40% to 50% less than a comparable VXI system. PXI-based systems that contain mostly switching will save you about 20%, whereas instrument-heavy PXI systems will save as much as 70% over VXI."
Size matters, too. A system that required nine racks of equipment 20 years ago needed three racks in VXI and two racks with PXI. Because of its small size and weight, PXI is also well-suited to portable applications that aren't practical in other platforms, yet it is rugged and complies with EMI regulations.
Based on CompactPCI, PXI's theoretical 132-Mbyte/s transfer speed is more than fast enough for most test applications. The bus may, however, slow down applications that require streaming data to disk. "A 32-channel application that must stream data to disk may have a transfer rate of 25 MHz," said Gutterman.
Still, PXI will move with the times. That means is will eventually adopt PCI Express as its computer bus. Desktop computers have already begun the migration, and the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturer's group expects to release a specification for Compact PCI Express in the first quarter of 2005. The PXI Systems Alliance will do the same.
"By the end of 2005, the PXI Systems Alliance will release PXI specification 2.3, which will include provisions for PCI Express to be called PXI Express," said Gutterman. He predicted that PXI chassis manufacturers will introduce card cages with both PCI and PCI Express buses (plus the instrumentation extensions) within two to three years. "Most test applications won't benefit from PXI Express," claimed Gutterman. "Applications that use DMMs, switches, oscilloscopes, and waveform generators won't see a speed improvement." The market will decide if PXI equipment manufacturers will migrate their cards to PXI Express.
Regardless of when PXI Express becomes a reality, PXI has proven its worthiness as an instrumentation platform. Instrument choices in PXI continue to grow, which makes the platform ever more appealing.
PXI Express debuts
08/31/2005PXI turns 10
05/01/2007Behind the boom in PXI
11/30/2006Riding the PXI wave
05/31/2006
-
FLIR offers IR camera for under $3000
-
Don't let the economy compromise quality (Guest commentary)
-
Danaher speeds up restructuring, acquires life-sciences businesses
-
Agilent’s Cover-Extend technology eliminates need for physical test points for in-circuit test
-
So many combinations: Testing a switch-matrix board
View All Webcasts
