FPGAs and high-performance data converters.

A new PXI FlexRIO architecture that integrates mezzanine I/O modules with Xilinx Kintex UltraScale FPGAs has been announced by National Instruments (NI). The first wave of products based on this new architecture includes two high-resolution PXI FlexRIO Digitizers, three dedicated PXI FlexRIO Coprocessor Modules and a module development kit that helps with custom front-end development.

The FlexRIO product line combines customizable I/O and user-programmable FPGAs into high-performance, reconfigurable instruments users can program with the LabVIEW FPGA Module. With Kintex UltraScale FPGAs, the new FlexRIO architecture offers more programmable resources than previous Kintex-7-based FlexRIO modules. In addition, the new mezzanine architecture fits both the I/O module and the FPGA back end within a single, integrated 3U PXI module. For high-speed communication with other modules in the chassis, these new FlexRIO modules feature PCI Express Gen 3 x8 connectivity for up to 7 GB/s of streaming bandwidth.

“FPGAs and high-performance data converters are essential technologies when pushing the boundaries of discovery and innovation, but implementing them in a custom design can be cumbersome,” said Steve Warntjes, NI vice president of R&D, modular instruments. “FlexRIO has consistently helped engineers and scientists bring ideas to fruition faster with an off-the-shelf solution that includes the latest FPGA and converter technology. The new FlexRIO architecture furthers this mission.”

The new FlexRIO modules take advantage of the highest-performance FPGA and A/D converter technology, which makes them ideal for applications that require advanced capabilities like remote sensing, signals intelligence, communications and particle physics. New modules include:

· Digitizer Modules – New PXI FlexRIO Digitizers deliver high-speed sampling rates and wide bandwidth without compromising dynamic range. The PXIe-5763 and PXIe-5764 provide 500 MS/s and 1 GS/s sampling rates, respectively. Both modules offer 16-bit resolution and up to 400 MHz of bandwidth on all four channels.
· Coprocessor Modules – Add real-time signal processing capabilities to a system with dedicated Kintex UltraScale PXI FlexRIO Coprocessor Modules. A chassis full of these modules delivers the highest density of computational resources per U of rack space of any NI system.
· Module Development Kit – Start with a FlexRIO FPGA back end programmable by LabVIEW and then design custom I/O modules to meet more unique application requirements.

FlexRIO instruments are an important part of the NI ecosystem that engineers can use to build smarter test and measurement systems. These systems benefit from more than 600 PXI products ranging from DC to mmWave and feature high-throughput data movement using PCI Express bus interfaces and sub-nanosecond synchronization with integrated timing and triggering. Supported by a vibrant ecosystem of partners, add-on IP and applications engineers, the NI platform helps dramatically lower the cost of test, reduce time to market and future-proof testers for tomorrow’s challenging requirements.

Read this white paper to learn more about how the new FlexRIO architecture helps engineers build smarter test and measurement systems.

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