Keithley Instruments, long known for its stand-alone test instruments, has thrown a rather large hat into the PXI ring.
The company has introduced a broad line of instrument cards, chassis, controllers, and accessories. Instrument cards focus on data acquisition with high-speed, high-channel-count multifunction cards; high-speed digitisers; high-speed analogue output cards; digital I/O cards; and an IEEE 488 controller. Chassis includes 6-, 8-, and 14-slot models with embedded controllers and PXI expansion cards.
Multifunction data-acquisition cards (KPXI-DAQ series) include eight models ranging from 64 to 96 channels (12 bit and 16 bit) with sampling rates from 250 ksample/s to 3 Msample/s. There are also two multifunction cards (KPXI-SDAQ) with simultaneous sampling, 500 ksample/s and 2 Msamples/s, and 14-bit/16-bit resolution.
The KPXI-AO line consists of two models with 1 Msample/s update rates. The 4-channel and 8-channel cards include 24 digital I/O lines and two 16-bit counter/timers. Digital I/O cards in the KPXI-DIO series provide 16, 32, 48, or 64 isolated channels.
The 16-channel and 32-channel cards each have both 16 inputs and 16 outputs while the 64-channel models have either 64 inputs or 64 outputs. A 48-channel model has programmable channels.
Keithley's PXI line includes the KPXI-AI-2-65M, a two-channel digitiser capable of 130 Msamples/s on one channel and 65 Msample/s on two channels. The card also has 14-bit resolution, two digital input lines for triggering, and 30-MHz analogue bandwidth.
The PXI line also includes extension-interface cards. One card extends a PXI system by connecting to other PXI chassis. The other expansion card lets you control a PXI chassis from a PC through its PCI bus.
Keithley also offers a wide range of accessories that include signal cables for connecting analog and digital I/O cards to terminal boards or headers. PC accessories include a keyboard with an integrated trackball mouse, an external USB CD-RW drive, replacement fans, and replacement power supplies.
Keithley Instruments