Guest commentary: A PXI timeline
Carsten Puls, Key Crossing -- Test & Measurement World, 7/2/2007 12:23:00 PM
Editor’s note: The author submitted this commentary in response to our article “PXI turns 10.”
As the chief editor of the original PXI specification and founder and first chairman of the PXI Systems Alliance I find it’s great to look back and see how far PXI has come in the last ten years. I appreciate T&M World commemorating this anniversary with this article, and I thought I’d add some unique insight into the key events that led up to the formation of this successful world-wide standard.
Here’s a summarized timeline of how it all happened:
Summer of 1996: As a design engineer at National Instruments, I was tasked with developing a platform to support modular data acquisition within VXI. Our team identified the emerging CompactPCI standard as a candidate form factor that had many of our desired characteristics (used the high-speed PCI bus, had room for signal expansion, etc.). I joined the PICMG (the CompactPCI standards body) to learn more.
Late Summer of 1996: Together with several others at NI, I designed a double-wide VXI carrier module that could carry six CompactPCI data-acquisition cards. We assigned unused pins to timing signals that were already used in our standard PCI DAQ cards (called “RTSI”) to enable synchronization between the modules. In the design process, we stumbled on the concept of simply using these new modules on their own within a standard CompactPCI chassis. After all, why should we constrain the high-speed PCI bus within a dated VXI platform?
Fall of 1996: I presented the concept of using CompactPCI-based modules on their own (in addition to using them within the VXI carrier) at NI’s annual strategy and roadmap session that was attended by CEO Dr. James Truchard and then VP of R&D Carsten Thomsen. The concept was well received, and we were given the go-ahead to continue work on this. In the halls of NI, we started whispering that this could be called “PXI”—for “PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation.”
January 1997: At an NI Sales conference Dr. Truchard and Carsten Thomsen discussed this new concept and came up with the idea that not only should we create products in this area, but why not create an industry standard and a full platform? This kicked off a multidisciplinary task force that I led to create a specification around “PXI.” Dr. Truchard added the challenge that not only should we create a specification, but that we should also develop a chassis and controller and launch everything in just eight months at NIWeek!
Spring and Summer of 1997: Our team of engineers and marketers from throughout NI met every week to plan and develop the specification and products. During this time I was mentored by James Kimery, NI strategic marketing manager, who convinced me to transition from engineering into strategic marketing to help launch and develop the PXI business. James guided the team and me in the development of the overall launch strategy.
September 1, 1997: NI launched the PXI specification 1.0 and a full line-up of PXI modules, including GPIB and DAQ products. The specification, while written and controlled by NI at the time, was made open so that any vendor could build compatible products. The launch was tremendously successful and made the covers of trade magazines throughout the world. Thereafter, my phone started ringing non-stop: other vendors wanted to participate.
March 1998: By this time 15 companies from around the world stepped up to officially endorse the open PXI specification in a press release. This added fuel to the momentum behind PXI.
August 1998: At this point over 40 companies had endorsed PXI and had come together to form the PXI Systems Alliance to promote the PXI standard. This started the process of transitioning full control of the PXI specification to an independent body. In 1999, the PXISA engaged Fred Bode of Bode Enterprises to help with the transition and incorporate. The alliance would go on to develop new revisions to the standard and in August 2000 the PXISA was officially incorporated as a completely independent non-profit corporation. The picture shown in this article was taken on the day PXISA was incorporated (almost exactly three years after the original PXI launch). Those in the picture (from left to right) are Bob Stasonis, Treasurer; Fred Bode, Director; Darach Kelly, Secretary; and myself, Carsten Puls, Chairman.
Postscript: I moved out of T&M in late 2000 to the IT industry and helped start and grow the concept of “Blade Computing” at ClearCube Technology—interestingly enough, blade computing has many similarities with modular instrumentation (VXI, CPCI, and PXI), and few know that some of its actual roots started in the T&M industry.
Carsten Puls is managing director of Key Crossing.
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