PC controlled PXIe system

[rg.naveen]

Hi all,

I have to make a optimal test system with NI hardware configuration for a application where the system has to simulate Serial interfaces, MIL STD 1553 interfaces and analog ,Digital O/Ps & I/Ps. So the NI modules for the best matching for this requirement were NI PXIe4322,4300,6363, PXI 6624, 8430/4,8431/8 ,Pickering  two rtd PXI cards and one PXI 1553 card in  PXIe chassis 1075 with controller PXIe 8840. BUT this current configurations price goes out of the budget what we had expected. due to this I'm thinking to make this as part PXIe system and part PCI system by taxing 6363,6634, serial interface cards and MIL 1553 card with a PCI/PCIe platform and retaining rest of the card with the Chassis in the PXIe platform and eliminating controller PXIe 8840. So can I use MXIe controllers to implement this type test system so that I can place all pci cards in a high-end industrial PC and PXIe and PXI modules in PXIe chassis (1075/1065/1078 any one of them)? If yes please guide me which MXIe controller to select and what would be the compatibility issues that might occur with this type of system in future.

Thanks

[crossrulz]

Changing over to PCI from PXI will save you very little money.  You are better off just leaving all of your equipment in the PXI chassis.  Now going away from the embedded controller will save you a bunch.  I just go with a standard rack mount PC that has a PCIe X1 slot.  I then use the MXI Express controller to connect the PXI chassis to the computer.  I have seen up to $10k savings by doing this.

[rg.naveen]

Thanks a lot crossrulz. I got your point. In addition to this, instead of going to PXI based 1553 can I move to USB 1553 module from AIT/GE .? because only 1553 is the another major cost consuming module in the present config. 

Thanks for your Help!

[crossrulz · Accepted solution]

My experience with USB has been nothing but headaches.  So I would avoid going the USB route.  The normal PXI slots can also accept cPCI, so you could look for those as well.  If you just need a very simple 1553 card, I would go with Excalibur's cPCI 1553 card.  I've used their cards and they work pretty well.  The LabVIEW drivers need some cleaning up, but they are usable.  This card is a simple send and recieve, so if you need to do some weird signal integrety test (I can't remember the test number at the top of my head), this card won't work for you.  But this card was sever thousand dollars cheaper than the AIM cards I have also used.