National Instruments Introduces PXI Express Quad-Core Controller Featuring Intel® Core™ i7 Processor

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National Instruments today announced the NI PXIe-8133 high-performance embedded  controller, which features the quad-core Intel® Core™ i7-820QM  processor. The new controller is the first PXI Express quad-core  controller in the industry. By combining the latest technology from  Intel and advancements in the PCI Express bus, the new controller helps  engineers greatly reduce test time with double the processing  performance and data throughput compared to previous NI controllers.

The Intel Core i7-820QM processor offers a 1.73 GHz base clock frequency  and uses Intel® Turbo Boost Technology to  automatically increase the clock frequency based on the application  type. For example, when running applications that generate only a single  processing thread, the CPU places the three unused cores into an idle  state and increases the active core’s clock frequency from 1.73 GHz to  3.06 GHz. This feature removes the requirement that software  applications need to be multithreaded to use the latest CPU  developments. As a result, engineers and scientists can use the new NI  controller to significantly reduce test times for applications that  require intensive data processing such as RF protocol testing and  hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulations.

The NI PXIe-8133 embedded controller uses the advancements of PCI  Express technology to offer four x4 Gen 2 PCI Express links for  interfacing to the PXI chassis backplane. Using the NI PXIe-8133  embedded controller with a PXI Express chassis, such as the NI  PXIe-1082, doubles the total system data throughput from 4 GB/s to 8  GB/s. With this feature, engineers can simultaneously stream a larger  set of I/O channels, giving them the ability to create larger and more  complex data record-and-playback applications.

The NI PXIe-8133 embedded controller comes standard with 2 GB of  DDR3-1333 MHz RAM and the option of Windows XP or Windows 7 32-bit OSs.  For memory-intensive applications, engineers can upgrade to 8 GB of  system RAM and the Windows 7 64-bit OS. The NI PXIe-8133 controller also  is available with an extended temperature option and solid-state hard  drives for harsh environments.

The NI PXIe-8133 embedded controller provides industry-leading support  for the NI  LabVIEW graphical development environment and the NI LabVIEW  Real-Time Module. With the new controller, engineers  can use LabVIEW to allocate multiple CPU cores for running time-critical  test sections while delegating noncritical services to the remaining  cores. By doing so, they can build sophisticated real-time and  deterministic systems that take advantage of the increased performance  and throughput of the new controller. The NI PXIe-8133 controller also  supports the use of NI LabWindows^™/CVI software, C/C++, and Microsoft Visual  Studio .NET for test, measurement, and control applications.

About PXI
PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation (PXI) is an open specification  governed by the PXI Systems Alliance (www.pxisa.org) that defines a rugged,  CompactPCI-based platform optimized for test, measurement and control.  Founded in 1997, the PXI specification is supported by more than 70  vendors offering more than 1,500 PXI products. PXI products are  compatible with the CompactPCI and CompactPCI Express industrial  computer standards and offer additional features such as environmental  specifications, standardized software and built-in timing and  synchronization.