New PXI Modules Feature Faster I/O and Virtex-5 FPGAs
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NI R Series intelligent data acquisition and embedded control devices feature a user-programmable FPGA chip for onboard processing and specialized I/O operation. The latest generation of these modules uses new Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGAs with improved optimization capabilities that provide faster code execution and increased NI LabVIEW code capacity. The modules also feature eight analog inputs, eight analog outputs, 96 digital I/O lines, and analog sampling rates that are nearly four times faster than previously released R Series devices. With 16-bit resolution and up to 750 kS/s sampling rates, these modules deliver a new level of I/O performance to LabVIEW FPGA hardware products.
Figure 1. The new PXI-7852R features and LX50 Virtex-5 FPGA and analog input sampling rates up to 750 kS/s per channel.
Virtex-5 FPGAs Offer More Speed, Efficiency
The Virtex-5 FPGA architecture is optimized to execute faster and more efficiently using single-cycle timed loops in the LabVIEW FPGA Module. The fundamental building blocks for implementing digital logic inside FPGA chips are called slices, and each slice is composed of flip-flops and look-up tables (LUTs). Previous-generation Virtex-II FPGAs use four-input LUTs for up to 16 combinations of digital logic values. The new Virtex-5 FPGAs use six-input LUTs for up to 64 combinations, increasing the amount of logic you can implement per slice. In addition, the slices themselves are placed in closer proximity to each other to reduce the propagation delay of electrons and increase overall execution rates. This means that the single-cycle timed loop structure in LabVIEW FPGA applications can take advantage of six-input LUTs for substantially improved resource utilization. Additionally, you can optimize more LabVIEW FPGA code to fit within Virtex-5 FPGAs, and more operations can execute per clock cycle.
Dedicated ADCs Provide Specialized Functionality
Multifunction R Series devices feature a dedicated analog-to-digital converter (ADC) per channel for independent timing and triggering. This offers specialized functionality such as multirate sampling and individual channel triggering, which are beyond the capabilities of typical data acquisition hardware. The new NI PXI-7851R and PXI-7852R modules can sample up to 750 kS/s on all eight analog input channels with 16-bit resolution. PID control loops can run nearly four times faster than previous R Series hardware, and, with FPGA-based parallel execution, multiple control loops do not have to compete for processor bandwidth. Faster analog input rates also improve analog triggering precision and frequency measurement capabilities.
The NI PXI-7841R, PXI-7842R, PXI-7851R, and PXI-7852R modules offer the performance of cutting-edge FPGA technology without requiring the experience of digital hardware design. Faster analog input rates expand LabVIEW FPGA hardware solutions for rapid prototyping, high-speed control, and custom data acquisition applications.
Table 1. With 16-bit resolution and up to 750 kS/s sampling rates, these modules offer a new level of I/O performance.
Compare and learn more about these new R Series PXI modules.
This article first appeared in the Q2 2008 issue of Instrumentation Newsletter.
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