Product category:
CompactPCI Boards and Assemblies
News Release from: United Electronic Industries | Subject: PDXI modules
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 14 December 2001
Instrumentation modules fit cPCI or PXI
slots
UEI's PowerDAQ extensions for instrumentation modules work in CompactPCI or PXI slots; C-size chassis and CPU card implement the full PXI spec.
UEI's PowerDAQ extensions for instrumentation modules work in CompactPCI or PXI slots; C-size chassis and CPU card implement the full PXI spec PDXI stands for "PowerDAQ extensions for instrumentation", and it moves both the CompactPCI and PXI worlds steps ahead in terms of technical performance as well as commercial considerations
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 7 Feb 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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Indeed, thanks to PDXI, users of both CompactPCI and PXI systems now have an alternative supplier for all hardware and software elements needed to construct a total system.
Further, UEI ships completely preconfigured systems so that new users simply unpack the box, apply power, enter OS registration numbers and start collecting data.
UEI's PDXI family consists of a four-slot controller manufactured exclusively for the firm, a CPU card that integrates a hard disk preinstalled with Windows NT and real-time Linux, plus I/O cards based on the firm's proven PowerDAQ technology.
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The commercial PC and its PCI backplane have proven fraught with reliability problems when placed in service in industrial settings where shock, vibration, heat and EMI are serious issues.
As a result, the CompactPCI bus has established itself as the bus scheme of choice for industrial systems.
An extension of the PCI family, PXI (PCI extensions for instrumentation) adds control, data and trigger lines that optimise the scheme for instrumentation, acquisition and control applications.
The PXI specification, an open-industry concept now in Rev 2.0, is owned and administered by the PXI Systems Alliance (www.pxisa.org), of which UEI is an Associate Member.
Formed in June 1998, the PXI Systems Alliance is a group of more than 50 companies that share a common commitment to end-user success with open, multivendor CompactPCI systems for applications in test and measurement, industrial automation and data acquisition.
One goal of the PXI spec was to allow these backplanes also to accept and run CompactPCI cards (using only the P1 connector, not the P2 that handles the PXI extensions).
Because of this fact, confusion has arisen among end users.
Some suppliers of CompactPCI cards claim that their boards are suitable for PXI systems, but in reality they're not fully compatible.
In fact, virtually the only choice until now for a fully PXI-compatible system with all components has been National Instruments.
With today's introduction of PDXI, however, UEI gives the test community another high-performance alternative.
This array of products from UEI gives customers the convenience of one-stop shopping plus avoiding any unanticipated compatibility issues that might arise among products from different vendors due to the rapid pace of technological advancement.
The CPU cards come with either Windows 2000 or real-time Linux preinstalled.
Key elements of the PDXI family include: a four-slot C-size chassis/CPU combo, PDXI-4-P400 400MHz Pentium III, 256Mbyte of RAM, 10Gbyte hard disk, GPIB (IEEE488.2) interface, Ethernet, universal power supply, Windows 2000 or real-time Linux, plus all support software for PDXI I/O modules.
A wide range of I/O cards that mirror the firm's leading-edge PowerDAQ PCI cards, include: multifunction cards (with analogue and digital I/O); simultaneous-sampling cards (with as many as eight sample/hold amps); analogue outputs (as many as 32 D/As on one card); and digital I/O (with as many as 128 points).
The PDXI-4 Series systems (without I/O modules) sells for $5995.
PDXI I/O cards range from $395 to $3695.
Drivers and support software come free as part of the PowerDAQ software suite.
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