NEWS RELEASE – Dec. 21, 2004 – Design and test engineers now can use National Instruments LabVIEW FPGA software with two NI PXI timing and synchronization modules for custom, user-defined applications, including custom triggering, system timing control, multidevice synchronization and high-speed analog counters. The new integration is possible with the latest version of the NI-SYNC driver software, NI-SYNC 1.2, which is included with the PXI hardware and is available as a free download to engineers who already own the PXI module. The NI PXI-6653 and NI PXI-6652 timing and synchronization modules use the trigger bus, star trigger and system reference clock features of PXI to implement multidevice or multichassis synchronization.
With the LabVIEW FPGA Module, engineers can target the FPGA on the PXI-6653/2 modules to develop custom, user-defined applications that were previously impossible to implement with off-the-shelf hardware. The combination of the LabVIEW FPGA Module with the NI PXI-6653/2 timing and synchronization modules is ideal for a variety of industries including ATE, automotive, military/aerospace and scientific research. These industries require the timing and synchronization features of the PXI modules and the flexibility of an FPGA. The LabVIEW FPGA Module also works with National Instruments PXI- and PCI-based R Series reconfigurable I/O devices, compact vision systems and the CompactRIO platform. It improves the efficiency and functionality of embedded FPGA applications.
The latest version features single-cycle while loops that execute multiple functions within a single 25 ns “tick” of the 40 MHz global clock. With this new feature, engineers can use LabVIEW to develop FPGA code that executes as efficiently as hand-coded VHDL. They also can reuse their existing VHDL code in LabVIEW FPGA applications with a new HDL interface node.
About PXI
PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation (PXI) is an open specification governed by the PXI Systems Alliance (www.pxisa.org) that defines a rugged, CompactPCI-based platform optimized for test, measurement and control. PXI products are compatible with the CompactPCI industrial computer standard that is supported by more than 60 member companies and more than 1,000 products. PXI offers additional features such as environmental specifications, standardized software and built-in timing and synchronization.
About National Instruments
National Instruments ( www.ni.com )is a technology pioneer and leader in virtual instrumentation – a revolutionary concept that has changed the way engineers and scientists in industry, government and academia approach measurement and automation. Leveraging the PC and its related technologies, virtual instrumentation increases productivity and lowers costs through easy-to-integrate software, such as the NI LabVIEW graphical development environment, and modular hardware, such as PXI modules for data acquisition, instrument control and machine vision. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has more than 3,100 employees and direct operations in 41 countries.
In 2003, the company sold products to more than 25,000 companies in 90 countries.
