Comparing GPIB, LAN/LXI, PCI/PXI Measurement Performance in Hybrid Systems

When designing automated test and measurement systems, developers can optimize system throughput by evaluating instrument control buses. Part of the optimization process includes defining a benchmark test, selecting the appropriate instruments and determining which instrument control bus provides optimal performance. While there are a variety of factors to consider when selecting an instrument, the instrumentation bus used has a large impact on the instrument performance. Many instrumentation buses are available for instrument control, such as GPIB, HS488, VXI, USB, LAN/LXI, PCI, PXI, and others. This paper briefly discusses a benchmarking technique for comparing instruments buses and shows actual measurement performance results across several instruments. Based on the testing methodology and sample results, system developers can measure actual bus performance and optimize their test systems.