National Instruments 785173-01 PXI Coprocessor Module

The National Instruments 785173-01 (model name: PXIe-7912) is a high performance coprocessor module designed for PXI Express systems. The model integrates a Xilinx Kintex UltraScale KU040 FPGA for real time signal processing and computation. This module provides powerful FPGA based computation capabilities which can be programmed using LabVIEW or Xilinx Vivado. This makes it versatile for various applications such as enhancing PXI instrument performance by running complex algorithms directly on the FPGA.

The 785173-01 module utilizes an x8 Gen-3 PCI Express interface that allows data transfer speeds of up to 7 GB/s. This high speed communication is essential for peer-to-peer streaming with other modules within a PXI chassis. This eliminates the need for a host controller and improves system efficiency. This feature makes the module particularly suited for applications requiring large data throughput such as signal acquisition and processing in conjunction with instruments like vector signal transceivers.

The NI 785173-01 offers eight digital I/O single ended channels that support multiple voltage families (3.3 V, 2.5 V, 1.8 V, 1.5 V, and 1.2 V). These channels can be configured as bidirectional with each having individual direction control and a low latency direction change capability of 200 ns. The module’s digital I/O capabilities are essential for precise, high speed control and signal interfacing in various testing and measurement environments.

This coprocessor module supports high speed serial communication through four multi gigabit transceiver (MGT) channels with data rates ranging from 500 Mbps to 16.375 Gbps. This feature is ideal for applications requiring fast data transfer across high speed serial links such as in telecommunications testing or high speed data acquisition.

The 785173-01 module also incorporates 4 GB of onboard DRAM split into two 2 GB banks with a maximum theoretical data transfer rate of 17 GB/s.  The module operates within a robust environmental range with an ambient operating temperature of 0 °C to 55 °C and a storage temperature of -40 °C to 71 °C. It can withstand operational shock up to 30 g peak and random vibration. Power requirements are 3 A at 3.3 V and 4 A at 12 V with a maximum power consumption of 58 W.