And don't forget, you can find PXI suppliers in Test & Measurement World's Online Buyer's Guide at www.tmworld.com/bg, and you can search our archives for PXI-related articles at www.tmworld.com/archives.

A good first stop is the PXI Systems Alliance homepage:

www.pxisa.org

The PXI System Alliance’s Web site is home to the PXI hardware and software specifications.

If that's more detail than you need, you might appreciate the overview "What is PXI?" posted on National Instruments' site. Go to: zone.ni.com/zone/jsp/zone.jsp.

Then type pxi tutorial into the search box. The tutorial provides an overview of PXI, including the PXI hardware architecture, software architecture, and an introduction to configuring PXI systems. It's complemented by the "PXI Specification Tutorial" and other information that is linked at NI's Developer's Zone.

Ztec Instruments also takes a look at "What is PXI?" at this link: www.ztec-inc.com/downloads/AppNotes/What_is_PXI.pdf.

Authors representing Chroma ATE, LeCroy, JTAG Technologies, National Instruments, and Virginia Panel weigh in on the benefits of PXI in the article "PXI: The Industry Standard Platform for Manufacturing Test," hosted on LeCroy's Web site at this link: www.lecroy.com/tm/Library/WhitePapers/PDF/WP_PXI_MV.pdf

The authors present the case that an effective platform must be able to meet changing needs through the release of new products while continuing to support legacy hardware. They conclude that PXI meets those needs for many test systems.

The LeCroy site is also home to a FAQ that contrasts PXI with other architectures such as VXI: www.lecroy.com/tm/products/modularinstruments/FAQ.asp

Test & Measurement World looked at the VXI vs. PXI question in early 2003 in the article "VXI or PXI? Neither is the clear winner." Many of the comments are still relevant today: www.reed-electronics.com/tmworld/article/CA267424.