Go east, PXI . . . Far East

As we progress through the 11th year of the PXI standard, I thought it would be a good time to concentrate on a slightly different aspect of the PXI market—not at what we have done technically, but where we are geographically.

It is my perception that PXI is often thought of as a Western standard. Of course, the PXI Systems Alliance (PXISA) does have active members from Asia, such as ADlink and Chroma in Taiwan, but the majority of companies come from what we call the Western World.

That is starting to change. More companies in Asia are either specifying PXI products and systems or actually planning to build PXI modules of their own. Taking off my PXISA marketing hat and putting on my regular job hat, my company has seen business in Asia really take off in the last two years.

In my travels to Asia over the last decade, I initially saw hardware mostly from other platforms. What was surprising was that much of the hardware included custom designs. This was a practical solution for Asia as labor rates were very low; it was cheaper for companies to build hardware themselves than to purchase an off-the-shelf solution. As salaries have risen in recent times, that is becoming less practical. So, instrument platform standards like PXI are being embraced with an enthusiasm on a level with the rest of the world.

A telling indication of this acceptance is the PXI TAC (Technology Applications Conference), which was founded by National Instruments and includes technical presentations that demonstrate the benefits of PXI. Positioned as a showcase for PXI in test and automation, the PXI TAC is held annually in one Chinese city (Beijing and Xian are two that have hosted the event in recent years) and in Taipei, Taiwan. NI has always tried to involve other PXI members in the conference. ADlink, Advantech, Aeroflex, Pickering Interfaces, and others, along with several systems integrators, have participated in the PXI TAC. Attendance is in the hundreds and has been rising with the increased interest in PXI.

There are now many Chinese companies interested in producing PXI products. The PXISA is reaching out to them to ensure that they have the assistance they need and that their products meet the standard so that users will have the peace of mind that their test and automation systems will operate as planned.

As part of this outreach, the PXISA will hold its first general meeting in China on May 29, the day after this year's PXI TAC in Beijing. The purpose is to educate attendees in the implementation of PXI and discuss the platform's direction. We will also encourage these potential new members to join the PXISA and participate in technical and marketing opportunities. I can foresee that our conference calls may soon take place at different times to accommodate the many time zones that PXI now spans!

The bottom line is the PXISA is growing in terms of new ideas, more PXI products, and increased market share. As a user, you can count on more choices and better support worldwide.