PXI instrumentation architecture gains momentum

VERO Electronics Inc. of Wallingford, Conn., is endorsing the PXI modular instrumentation architecture developed at National Instruments. PXI offers performance and cost benefits in modular test systems as large as eight slots, and is compatible with CompactPCI because it uses the structure of its parent bus. PXI employs the same high-density 2 millimeter connector with 225 pins per slot, and allocates user-defined pins to trigger bus, PXI_CLK10, local bus, and star trigger functions. It also supports 32- and 64-bit PCI transfers and provides independent power planes for 5 volts and 3.3 volts. VERO builds backplanes, enclosures, and packaging systems. - J.K.