Optimise automated test systems with NI PXI programmable power supplies

June 18, 2013 11:20 am

National Instruments has announced its newest general-purpose programmable power supplies, which offer the highest power density available in PXI and form the foundation of automated test systems. The NI PXIe-4112 and NI PXIe-4113 modules provide high power density which saves rack space while simplifying design by eliminating the need to mix multiple instrumentation form factors. When programmed with NI LabVIEW software and paired with a range of PXI hardware instrumentation, the new power supplies can help engineers create a complete, customised test solution. “With the capability of these new programmable power supplies, PXI demonstrates yet again its unique value in building automated test and benchtop validation systems,” said Charles Schroeder, Director (Test Systems), NI. “When engineers combine NI PXI hardware with LabVIEW, they simplify their programming experience and quickly gain access to the latest technology — all within a thriving ecosystem. Engineers incorporating these latest technologies into their automated test systems have technical and time-to-market advantages over those using legacy box instrument approaches.” The new programmable power supplies are ideal for a range of applications from aerospace and defence to automotive and component test. These modules feature two 60-W power supply channels in a single PXI Express slot. The NI PXIe-4112 power supply features 60 V at 1 A per channel and the NI PXIe-4113 power supply offers 10 V at 6 A per channel. The two channels can be combined to create a single 120 W channel. To easily synchronise measurements, engineers can combine the power supplies with more than 1,500 PXI modular instruments ranging from digital multimetres to RF analyzers and generators, and simply trigger the instruments across the PXI chassis backplane. Engineers can quickly take measurements using soft front panels with an interactive user interface or build fully automated applications using the LabVIEW example programs that come with the power supplies. There are example programs to perform voltage sweeps, source DC current and source DC power. With seamless LabVIEW integration, engineers dramatically reduce development time while improving system scalability for a range of applications.