Implementing a high performance digital sub-system using the PXI architecture

High Performance digital subsystems have been developed over the years using a variety of proprietary and industry standard architectures such as GPIB and VXI. With the availability of high performance / high density FPGAs and analog electronics, the implementation of high performance digital functional test subsystems has now become a reality using the PXI architecture. The smaller form factor of PXI, which offers users the ability to down size and deploy very cost effective, performance digital subsystems, has also presented some unique challenges for instrument design teams developing these high performance digital subsystems. This paper discusses some major considerations and challenges when implementing high performance digital instrumentation based on the PXI architecture.