<s>
PCI	B-Architecture
eXtensions	I-Architecture
for	I-Architecture
Instrumentation	I-Architecture
(	O
PXI	B-Architecture
)	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
several	O
modular	O
electronic	O
instrumentation	O
platforms	O
in	O
current	O
use	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
platforms	O
are	O
used	O
as	O
a	O
basis	O
for	O
building	O
electronic	O
test	O
equipment	O
,	O
automation	B-Application
systems	O
,	O
and	O
modular	O
laboratory	O
instruments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PXI	B-Architecture
is	O
based	O
on	O
industry-Industry-standard	O
computer	B-General_Concept
buses	I-General_Concept
and	O
permits	O
flexibility	O
in	O
building	O
equipment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PXI	B-Architecture
is	O
designed	O
for	O
measurement	O
and	O
automation	B-Application
applications	O
that	O
require	O
high-performance	O
and	O
a	O
rugged	O
industrial	O
form-factor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
PXI	B-Architecture
,	O
one	O
can	O
select	O
the	O
modules	O
from	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
vendors	O
and	O
integrate	O
them	O
into	O
a	O
single	O
PXI	B-Architecture
system	O
,	O
over	O
1150	O
module	O
types	O
available	O
in	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
typical	O
3U	O
PXI	B-Architecture
module	O
measures	O
approximately	O
(	O
4x6	O
"	O
)	O
in	O
size	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
typical	O
8-slot	O
PXI	B-Architecture
chassis	O
is	O
4U	O
high	O
and	O
half	O
rack	O
width	O
,	O
full	O
width	O
chassis	O
contain	O
up	O
to	O
18	O
PXI	B-Architecture
slots	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PXI	B-Architecture
uses	O
PCI-based	O
technology	O
and	O
an	O
industry	O
standard	O
governed	O
by	O
the	O
PXI	B-Architecture
Systems	O
Alliance	O
(	O
PXISA	O
)	O
to	O
ensure	O
standards	O
compliance	O
and	O
system	O
interoperability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
PXI	B-Architecture
modules	O
available	O
for	O
almost	O
every	O
conceivable	O
test	O
,	O
measurement	O
,	O
and	O
automation	B-Application
application	O
,	O
from	O
the	O
ubiquitous	O
switching	O
modules	O
and	O
DMMs	O
,	O
to	O
high-performance	O
microwave	O
vector	O
signal	O
generation	O
and	O
analysis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
also	O
companies	O
specializing	O
in	O
writing	O
software	O
for	O
PXI	B-Architecture
modules	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
companies	O
providing	O
PXI	B-Architecture
hardware-software	O
integration	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PXI	B-Architecture
is	O
based	O
on	O
CompactPCI	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
offers	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
benefits	O
of	O
the	O
PCI	B-Protocol
architecture	O
including	O
performance	O
,	O
industry	O
adoption	O
,	O
COTS	O
technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PXI	B-Architecture
adds	O
a	O
rugged	O
CompactPCI	O
mechanical	O
form-factor	O
,	O
an	O
industry	O
consortium	O
that	O
defines	O
hardware	O
,	O
electrical	O
,	O
software	O
,	O
power	O
and	O
cooling	O
requirements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Then	O
PXI	B-Architecture
adds	O
integrated	O
timing	O
and	O
synchronization	O
that	O
is	O
used	O
to	O
route	O
synchronization	O
clocks	O
,	O
and	O
triggers	O
internally	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PXI	B-Architecture
is	O
a	O
future-proof	O
technology	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
designed	O
to	O
be	O
simply	O
and	O
quickly	O
reprogrammed	O
as	O
test	O
,	O
measurement	O
,	O
and	O
automation	B-Application
requirements	O
change	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
PXI	B-Architecture
instrument	O
modules	O
are	O
register-based	O
products	O
,	O
which	O
use	O
software	O
drivers	O
hosted	O
on	O
a	O
PC	O
to	O
configure	O
them	O
as	O
useful	O
instruments	O
,	O
taking	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
increasing	O
power	O
of	O
PCs	O
to	O
improve	O
hardware	O
access	O
and	O
simplify	O
embedded	O
software	O
in	O
the	O
modules	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
open	B-Architecture
architecture	I-Architecture
allows	O
hardware	O
to	O
be	O
reconfigured	O
to	O
provide	O
new	O
facilities	O
and	O
features	O
that	O
are	O
difficult	O
to	O
emulate	O
in	O
comparable	O
bench	O
instruments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PXI	B-Architecture
system	O
data	O
bandwidth	O
performance	O
easily	O
exceeds	O
the	O
performance	O
of	O
the	O
older	O
VXI	B-Architecture
test	O
standard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
is	O
debate	O
within	O
the	O
technical	O
community	O
as	O
to	O
whether	O
newer	O
standards	O
such	O
as	O
LXI	O
will	O
surpass	O
PXI	B-Architecture
in	O
both	O
performance	O
and	O
overall	O
cost	O
of	O
ownership	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PXI	B-Architecture
modules	O
providing	O
the	O
instrument	O
functions	O
are	O
plugged	O
into	O
a	O
PXI	B-Architecture
chassis	O
which	O
may	O
include	O
its	O
own	O
controller	O
running	O
an	O
industry	O
standard	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
such	O
as	O
Windows	B-Device
7	I-Device
,	O
Windows	B-Application
XP	I-Application
,	O
Windows	B-Application
2000	I-Application
,	O
or	O
Linux	B-Application
,	O
or	O
a	O
PCI-to-PXI	O
bridge	O
that	O
provides	O
a	O
high-speed	O
link	O
to	O
a	O
desktop	O
PC	O
controller	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Likewise	O
,	O
multiple	O
PXI	B-Architecture
racks	O
can	O
be	O
linked	O
together	O
with	O
PCI	B-Protocol
bridge	I-Protocol
cards	O
,	O
to	O
build	O
very	O
large	O
systems	O
such	O
as	O
multiple	O
source	O
microwave	O
signal	O
generator	O
test	O
stands	O
for	O
complex	O
ATE	O
applications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
CompactPCI	O
and	O
PXI	B-Architecture
products	O
are	O
interchangeable	O
,	O
i.e.	O
</s>
<s>
they	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
in	O
either	O
CompactPCI	O
or	O
PXI	B-Architecture
chassis	O
,	O
but	O
installation	O
in	O
the	O
alternative	O
chassis	O
type	O
may	O
eliminate	O
certain	O
clocking	O
and	O
triggering	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
So	O
for	O
example	O
you	O
could	O
mount	O
a	O
CompactPCI	O
Network	O
interface	O
controller	O
in	O
a	O
PXI	B-Architecture
rack	O
to	O
provide	O
additional	O
network	O
interface	O
functions	O
to	O
a	O
test	O
stand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Conversely	O
,	O
a	O
PXI	B-Architecture
module	O
installed	O
in	O
a	O
CompactPCI	O
chassis	O
would	O
not	O
utilize	O
the	O
additional	O
clocking	O
and	O
triggering	O
features	O
of	O
the	O
PXI	B-Architecture
module	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PCI	B-Architecture
eXtensions	I-Architecture
for	I-Architecture
Instrumentation	I-Architecture
(	O
PXI	B-Architecture
)	O
is	O
a	O
modular	O
instrumentation	O
platform	O
originally	O
introduced	O
in	O
1997	O
by	O
National	O
Instruments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PXI	B-Architecture
is	O
promoted	O
by	O
the	O
69-member	O
PXI	B-Architecture
Systems	O
Alliance	O
(	O
PXISA	O
)	O
,	O
whose	O
sponsor	O
members	O
are	O
(	O
in	O
alphabetical	O
order	O
)	O
ADLINK	O
,	O
Cobham	O
Wireless	O
,	O
Keysight	O
Technologies	O
,	O
Marvin	O
Test	O
Solutions	O
,	O
National	O
Instruments	O
,	O
Pickering	O
Interfaces	O
and	O
Teradyne	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Executive	O
Members	O
of	O
the	O
alliance	O
include	O
Alfamation	O
,	O
Beijing	O
Pansino	O
Solutions	O
Technology	O
Co.	O
,	O
CHROMA	O
ATE	O
Inc	O
,	O
GOEPEL	O
electronic	O
,	O
MAC	O
Panel	O
,	O
and	O
Virginia	O
Panel	O
Corp	O
.	O
Another	O
56	O
associate	O
member	O
organizations	O
that	O
do	O
not	O
have	O
voting	O
rights	O
are	O
supporting	O
PXI	B-Architecture
and	O
use	O
the	O
PXI	B-Architecture
logo	O
on	O
their	O
products	O
and	O
marketing	O
material	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2006	O
two	O
major	O
players	O
,	O
National	O
Instruments	O
and	O
Agilent	O
Technologies	O
(	O
now	O
Keysight	O
Technologies	O
)	O
,	O
entered	O
the	O
PXI	B-Architecture
test	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
National	O
Instruments	O
;	O
National	O
Instruments	O
introduced	O
the	O
CompactPCI-based	O
PXI	B-Architecture
standard	O
in	O
1990s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
National	O
Instruments	O
is	O
the	O
major	O
PXI	B-Architecture
provider	O
on	O
the	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PXIT	O
;	O
an	O
early	O
PXI	B-Architecture
entrant	O
(	O
acquired	O
by	O
Agilent	O
Nov	O
2006	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Keithley	O
Instruments	O
;	O
launched	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
35	O
Data	O
Acquisition	O
and	O
Instrumentation	O
PXI	B-Architecture
cards	O
in	O
Nov	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PXI	B-Architecture
worldwide	O
market	O
size	O
,	O
estimated	O
in	O
2007	O
,	O
was	O
and	O
was	O
expected	O
to	O
grow	O
to	O
over	O
by	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PXI	B-Architecture
market	O
is	O
also	O
larger	O
than	O
the	O
VME	B-Architecture
eXtensions	I-Architecture
for	I-Architecture
Instrumentation	I-Architecture
(	O
VXI	B-Architecture
)	O
market	O
at	O
an	O
estimated	O
size	O
in	O
2007	O
of	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PXI	B-Architecture
Express	O
is	O
an	O
adaptation	O
of	O
PCI	B-Protocol
Express	O
to	O
the	O
PXI	B-Architecture
form	O
factor	O
,	O
developed	O
in	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PXI	B-Architecture
Express	O
also	O
allows	O
for	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
hybrid	O
slots	O
,	O
compatible	O
with	O
both	O
PXI	B-Architecture
and	O
PXI	B-Architecture
Express	O
modules	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2015	O
National	O
Instruments	O
extended	O
the	O
standard	O
to	O
use	O
PCI	B-Protocol
Express	O
3.x	O
,	O
increasing	O
the	O
system	O
bandwidth	O
to	O
24	O
GByte/s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
MXI	O
link	O
provides	O
a	O
PC	O
with	O
direct	O
control	O
over	O
the	O
PXI	B-Architecture
backplane	B-Architecture
and	O
connected	O
cards	O
using	O
a	O
PXI	B-Architecture
card	O
and	O
a	O
connected	O
PCI/CompactPCI	O
card	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PXImc	O
is	O
an	O
interconnection	O
standard	O
that	O
allows	O
multiple	O
PXI	B-Architecture
systems	O
to	O
be	O
linked	O
together	O
,	O
with	O
each	O
system	O
potentially	O
including	O
both	O
instrumentation	O
and	O
processing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
PXImc	O
,	O
data	O
gathered	O
from	O
one	O
system	O
can	O
be	O
processed	O
in	O
parallel	O
on	O
multiple	O
computing	O
nodes	O
,	O
or	O
a	O
single	O
PC	O
can	O
access	O
instruments	O
in	O
several	O
PXI	B-Architecture
chassis	O
.	O
</s>
