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EX2500A Introduction
11
S
ECTION
1
O
VERVIEW
O
VERVIEW
VTI Instruments’ EX2500A is the industry’s first gigabit, LAN-based, VXI Slot 0 interface, which
merges Ethernet’s robust architecture and widespread infrastructure, the fast emerging LXI
standard for instrumentation, and the popular VXIbus platform. Providing a solution that
recognizes a system designer’s need to remain compatible with legacy systems and desire to adopt
new technologies, the EX2500A integrates key features of the LXI standard to create a versatile
interface that extends the VXIbus to an external host through the power of Ethernet.
F
EATURES
The Power of LXI
The VXI TTL trigger bus is a powerful component of VXI-based systems and is used to facilitate
hardware handshaking between modules, freeing up the CPU for other tasks. With the introduction
of the EX2500A, all eight of the VXI TTL trigger lines can now be extended across multiple
mainframes and to other LXI devices through the LXI Trigger Bus compliant front panel
connectors (
Low-Voltage Differential Signal
or
LVDS
). Additionally, the EX2500A incorporates
the LXI standard VXI-11 instrument discovery mechanism, greatly simplifying integration within
hybrid systems.
Data Transfer Rates
As technology moves toward more data-intensive applications in the functional test and data
acquisition environments, the ability to quickly offload data to the host controller for processing is
critical. The EX2500A is a high-speed gigabit serial communications device and has been
optimized for transferring blocks of data in excess of 40 MB/s. A high-performance DMA
controller is used during block moves to achieve superior transfer rates. This is accomplished
without compromising traditional message-based (word-serial) command performance.
Simplified Cabling and Connectivity
Communication back to the host processor is achieved using a standard Cat 5e Ethernet cable.
Distances up to 200 meters between mainframe and host can be realized. A fiber optic connection
is available if even greater distances are required. Wireless control of VXI instruments is also now
possible through the use of wireless routers. The EX2500A achieves top performance when
connected to a gigabit LAN interface which is also a standard item in recent PC motherboards.
Low-cost gigabit Ethernet switches can be used to connect multiple mainframes to a single host.
For legacy systems, SMB connectors are provided for single-line trigger input/output as well as
external reference clock input/output.
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