Enhancing Customer Value Through Partnerships
Challenge
A major US defense company was defining a new ATE system design that would capitalize on the high performance measurement and switching capability of the PXI platform, but also had the capability to integrate rack mounted LXI and GPIB instruments.
Measurement performance, signal integrity and stability were critical requirements for the ATE along with a need to use COTS components. Cost, as ever, would play a significant role in determining the most suitable solution.
Solution
National Instruments and MAC Panel were approached to provide technical and configuration advice. Working in close collaboration, we developed a fully pre-configured and connected PXI based solution using the NI PXI-1045 chassis, NI PXI instrumentation and the high performance MAC Panel SCOUT XT Mass Interconnect.
The pre-configured PXI assembly would be easily installed or dropped into the system rack and non-PXI instrumentation simply connected to pre-terminated connectors and MAC Panel COTS pcbs.
In a joint presentation, it became apparent to the customer that the fully integrated solution between NI and MAC Panel would meet the system performance requirements while minimizing system build time and cost.
The system, as shown below, was delivered to the customer ready to bolt into their standard 19 inch rack. Integration time was truly minimized.
Benefits
- Ease of system design and documentation compared to traditional cable based systems
- Enhanced and stable electrical connectivity performance and signal integrity
- Reduced initial and through life system costs
- Unprecedented interface modularity and configurability
- Simplified future system upgrade and maintenance