26.5-GHz down-converter in the works for PXI

-- Test & Measurement World, 9/21/2006 4:49:00 AM

ANAHEIM, CA. BAE Systems, National Instruments, and Phase Matrix Inc. (PMI) have announced that they are collaborating on developing a 26.5-GHz synthetic instrument based on PXI Express. The companies made their announcement during Autotestcon 2006.

Phase Matrix’s (www.phasematrix.com) contribution to the effort will be a 26.5-GHz PXI Express down-converter. BAE Systems (www.baesystems.com) plans to build the synthetic instrument using the new PMI downconverter, combining it in a National Instruments (www.ni.com) chassis with NI controllers and IF digitizers. BAE will employ LabView to develop host- and FPGA-based signal-processing programs.

“After a long history of designing, developing and manufacturing VXI-based microwave instruments, we are using our expertise to take PXI Express synthetic instrumentation into a new era of powerful RF and microwave test and measurement systems,” said Pete Pragastis, PMI president, in a press release. “PMI will develop a family of PXI Express-compatible 26.5 GHz RF/microwave downconverter modules to meet the performance requirements of both military and commercial applications.”

Synthetic instrumentation, which the companies describe as a subset of virtual instrumentation, combines modular hardware such as upconverters, downconverters, digitizers, and high-speed I/O with a software platform to create user-defined test and measurement systems. The goal of the synthetic instrument the three companies are developing is expected to make it possible for engineers to stream high-bandwidth RF and microwave data across the high-speed PXI Express bus directly to a processor for application-specific analysis. Using a software-based approach with general-purpose hardware, synthetic instrumentation provides engineers and scientists with the flexibility to emulate multiple traditional instruments and add new functionality over time to support future needs and technologies.

“By working with National Instruments and PMI to build a synthetic instrument, we are giving engineers a faster and more cost-effective test and measurement solution,” said Robert Wade Lowdermilk, BAE Systems engineering fellow. “PXI Express is a critical part of this new solution because it provides the increased bandwidth needed for RF and microwave applications.”

“PXI Express delivers the highest bandwidth and lowest latency of all mainstream commercial test and measurement bus technologies,” said Eric Starkloff, National Instruments director of test product marketing. “The power of PXI Express makes it possible for engineers and scientists to create robust, software-defined instruments. We are excited to work with BAE Systems and PMI to increase the capability of PXI in both military and commercial RF applications.”

The companies expect to be able to demonstrate the new synthetic instrument at Autotestcon 2007. Here this week, the companies demonstrated a hybrid version that combined PXI and VXI modules.