Chapter 1
Introduction
©
National Instruments Corporation
1-3
PXI-8150 Series User Manual
All models in the PXI-8150 Series are compatible with PC-compatible
software tools, the National Instruments LabVIEW and
LabWindows/CVI application software, and the NI-VISA, NI-488.2M,
and NI-DAQ software.
Hardware Description
Benefits of PXI
The PXI-8150 Series PXI/CompactPCI embedded computers are
high-performance CompactPCI-compatible system controllers that are
compatible with the PXI bus specification. PXI defines a compact
modular PC platform for industrial instrumentation. PXI leverages the
PCI bus, which is the de facto standard for today’s desktop computer
software and hardware designs. As a result, PXI users receive all the
benefits of PCI within an architecture that supports mechanical,
electrical, and software features tailored to industrial instrumentation,
data acquisition, and automation applications.
Well-suited for industrial applications, PXI leverages from the
CompactPCI specification, which defines a rugged form factor for PCI
that offers superior mechanical integrity and easy installation and
removal of hardware components. PXI products offer higher and more
carefully defined levels of environmental performance required by the
vibration, shock, temperature, and humidity extremes of industrial
environments. PXI adds mandatory environmental testing and active
cooling to the CompactPCI mechanical specification to ease system
integration and ensure multivendor interoperability.
Additionally, PXI meets the more specific needs of instrumentation
users by adding an integrated trigger bus and reference clock for
multiple-board synchronization, a star trigger bus for very precise
timing, and local buses for side-band communication between adjacent
peripherals.
PXI-8150 Series Design
The PXI-8150 Series PXI embedded computers are high-performance
PXI system controllers with all the standard I/O features built in. The
PXI-8150 Series uses state-of-the-art technology and packaging to
create a fully PC-compatible controller for PXI. Due to the unique
design and packaging, these computers have onboard PCI video and are
