National Instruments Claims Highest-Performance VXI Embedded Controller

“We use National Instruments embedded VXI controllers in our multi-site test platform to test programmable magnetic sensors known as Hall effect sensors,” said Achim Lott, Test Engineer for Micronas, a supplier of integrated circuits and sensor systems. “With the NI VXIpc-882 controller, we can more efficiently test up to four devices in parallel. Overall, the new controller reduced our total test time by 23 percent.”

With the high-performance peripheral I/O on the VXIpc-882, engineers can create hybrid systems by connecting external instruments to the VXI system through the GPIB, Ethernet, USB or serial ports or the ExpressCard/34 slot. This makes it possible for them to build on their existing systems using the latest technologies. Additionally, engineers can gain flexibility by adding a second VXI chassis to their systems with the NI VXI-MXI-Express remote controller connected to the VXIpc-882 via the ExpressCard/34 slot.

Engineers requiring maximum performance and reliability can upgrade the VXIpc-882 controller to include a 32 GB solid-state hard drive instead of the standard rotating magnetic disk drive. When paired with the 32 GB solid-state hard drive, the controller offers increased reliability and speed when reading and writing to files and streaming data. It also provides increased durability when exposed to shock and vibration because the drive has no moving parts.

Engineers can achieve even better performance from their existing VXI systems by combining the controller with LabVIEW 8.6 graphical programming software. Using the enhanced multicore capabilities of the latest version of the software, engineers can take full advantage of the VXIpc-882 by simplifying multithreaded application development to improve performance without making major changes to existing LabVIEW code.