EtherCAT, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and other fieldbuses for PXI

NI describes PXI as “an advanced test and measurement platform for automation that combines hardware and software components to efficiently carry out complex device tests”. In a networked test and production environment, this naturally also involves communication with other components, such as PLCs or intelligent sensors and actuators.

Our communication packages for PXI provide the necessary bus interfaces: the CIFX package for PXI Windows and the netHOST package for PXI Windows each consist of PXI-compatible bus interface hardware and the associated LabVIEW library for cyclic bus communication. If there are free slots in the PXI system, the Hilscher CIFX 80 PC card is available for installation. Alternatively, the netHOST LAN gateway can be connected via Ethernet. The CIFX card, in particular, offers maximum flexibility: it supports the fieldbus protocols CANopen, CC-Link, DeviceNet, EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP, POWERLINK, PROFIBUS, PROFINET, SERCOS III and VARAN, with the PXI able to act as either a master or a slave.

Together with our LabVIEW libraries, this enables a wide range of functions to be utilised on the PXI running Windows – in addition to cyclic bus communication, this includes on-the-fly changes of the Real-Time Ethernet protocol and bus configuration, as well as bus-specific functions for identifying bus participants (bus scan) and configuring them (e.g. setting the Profinet station name or the IP address).

Our communication packages will soon also be available for PXI running Linux RT …

CONTACT:
Holger Müller
Email: mueller@mueller-krahmer.de
Mobile: +49 160 / 287 7294