The PXI architecture, explained
The open measurement, control and test platform derived from CompactPCI, with added trigger signals and a reference clock. Here you find the standard, the PXISA ecosystem and where the catalog starts.
What PXI is: the CompactPCI that can measure
PXI is the open measurement, control and test platform derived from the CompactPCI specification, adding triggering signals and a shared reference clock.
That addition makes the difference: the trigger bus and common clock let multiple modular instruments in the same chassis — data acquisition, oscilloscopes, waveform generators, switching systems — synchronize like one coordinated instrument. Manufacturers offer a wide range of chassis, embedded and remote controllers and instrumentation modules; interoperability is guaranteed by the PXISA consortium.
The PXI Express version brings PCI Express into the backplane with bandwidth up to 12 GB/s, keeping the platform's logic: high performance at contained cost for production test, machinery monitoring and automotive and aerospace applications.
The service: custom platforms and microracks How the engineering team works
What the specification says
The platform, item by item
The base, the Express evolution and the interoperability guarantee.3 entries
PXI
CompactPCI + instrumentation
It takes 3U CompactPCI mechanics and bus and specializes them for measurement: a trigger bus across slots, star trigger for precision synchronization, a 10 MHz reference clock distributed to every module.
PXI Express
PCIe in the backplane
It replaces the parallel bus with PCI Express up to 12 GB/s, keeping triggers and clock: for instruments that move a lot of data — fast digitizers, RF, imaging.
PXISA
The consortium
The manufacturers' alliance maintaining the specifications and guaranteeing interoperability: chassis, controllers and modules from different brands work in the same system.
Where PXI works
Production test, monitoring, research: where measurement must be synchronized.
Nearby architectures
Where it comes from and what it borders: the pages to compare.
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