Goepel looks to PXI Express

During the recent Virtual Instruments in Practice (VIP) event sponsored by National Instruments Germany, Goepel electronic introduced the development of a new series of JTAG/boundary-scan controllers with PXI Express interfaces as part of its ScanFlex boundary-scan hardware platform. The prototype of the new ScanFlex Boundary Scan controller family (SFX controllers) is named SFX/PXIe1149-(x) and includes three models for different performance classes, which differ in offering maximum TCK frequencies of 20, 50, and 80 MHz, respectively.

The new controller family's x1 configuration achieves transfer rates up to 264 Mbytes/s in zero-wait-state burst mode and is based upon the PXI Express hardware specification 1.0. In combination with additional modular ScanFlex components, PXI Express-based boundary-scan systems with up to eight Test Access Ports can be configured and synchronized with other functional modules. All TAPs provide programmable input and output voltage as well as programmable input and output impedance. Furthermore, resources such as 32 dynamic I/O, two analog I/O channels, three static I/O, and trigger lines are standard features.

"We rate PXI Express as one of the most important strategic test and measurement standards for modular instrumentations with an enormous market potential in the future," said Thomas Wenzel, director of the boundary-scan business unit at Goepel electronic. "The new series of SFX controllers will be the first to apply the PXI Express standard's performance to extended JTAG/boundary-scan applications. On this basis, an unrivaled data throughput for complex tests, as well as high-speed in-system programming of Flash and PLD components, can be achieved." www.goepel.com.