LXI Bridging VXI

Submitted by VTI Instruments

LXI Bridge Objective

The main objective behind any bridge or adapter device is to retain all native platform functionality while providing a transparent path to the protocol or interface of choice, LXI in this instance. Not only can the design engineer count on the native performance of the VXIbus, but also leverage the features of LXI such as long communications path lengths, high data transfer rates, hardware and software independence, and easy cable routing.

LXI instruments and interfaces have been architected so that hybrid systems can be easily configured. LAN-based test systems will use standard LAN connectivity with off-the-shelf switches and hubs permitting simple setup without expensive interface cards and proprietary cable configurations. Instrumentation can now be placed near test articles, or where most convenient, without any undue restrictions using standard copper or fiber optic cable.

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LXI Standard Overview

• LXI = LAN eXtensions for Instrumentation
• LXI Consortium was Formed in December 2004
  • First specifications released in Sept. 23, 2005
  • First LXI conformant products in Dec 2005
  • In Oct. 2015, there are 2,728 conformant products, from 40 vendors in 285 product categories.
• Role of the LXI Consortium
  • Mission:  To create, maintain, and promote the LXI Standard worldwide
  • Manages the conformance test process
    • Ensures interoperability between LXI & other platforms
  • Creates a branding program, builds awareness
  • Educates users and members
  • Maintains backward compatibility
  • “Future-proofs” the Standard
  • www.lxistandard.org

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IVI Web Forum Question and Answer

Answered by Kirk Fertitta, Pacific Mindworks
for the IVI Web Forum

Note:  Offering an IVI driver is a requirement for all LXI-conformant instruments.  The IVI Web Forum is hosted by the IVI Foundation.  You can sign up at www.ivifoundation.org.

Question:

In general why IVI-C, IVI.COM or IVI.NET?

Answer:

This is a pretty involved topic – and a contentious one, but I’ll share what I tell folks when building an IVI strategy.The most important factor is considering the development environment (ADE) that your customers primarily work in.

Few would argue that IVI.NET provides the best end-user experience for those working in a .NET environment, such as C# or VB.NET.However, IVI-COM drivers include .NET interop assemblies (i.e. .NET “wrappers”) that have provided a very good .NET end-user experience for many years.IVI-C drivers don’t fare as well in .NET, as they require the use of somewhat tedious attributes to call into the native C DLL.There are some vendor-specific wrapper generation tools for IVI-C in .NET, but there is no IVI standard mechanism for doing this and interchangeability across vendors isn’t really supported with IVI-C.

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Thanks to all our readers.
Bob Helsel, Editor
www.lxistandard.org

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