National Instruments 778755-01 Embedded Controller

The National Instruments 778755-01, which belongs to the PXI-8186 model line, is an embedded controller with high performance designed for PXI/CompactPCI systems. Through sophisticated packaging technology, this controller unifies conventional I/O functions into a single unit, making it ideal for applications requiring extensive analysis or PXI system development. The 778755-01 forms a completely PC-compatible computer in a small and sturdy container when connected with a PXI-compatible chassis, like the PXI-1042. This makes it perfect for industrial and laboratory settings.

With a 2.2 GHz CPU, the 778755-01 embedded controller has the power to handle difficult tasks. A wide range of common I/O features are included, such as video output, two parallel ports, two RS-232 serial ports, two high-speed USB 2.0 ports, 10/100 Ethernet, PS/2 mouse and keyboard connections, a reset button, PXI trigger capabilities, and a PCI-based GPIB controller. The device comes with a 30 GB hard drive that can be expanded to a bigger capacity as needed, providing enough of storage for a range of uses.

For use with the 778755-01, National Instruments offers a number of software kits. One such tool is NI-DAQ, which has an extensive library of functions for tasks like digital I/O, counter/timer operations, waveform generation, digital input/output, RTSI, SCXI, messaging, and data acquisition to extended memory. Furthermore, instrument drivers and application applications from National Instruments, such as LabVIEW, Measurement Studio, and LabWindows/CVI, make programming easier. Tipped to take full advantage of the device's direct PXI control capabilities, these programs—which contain large libraries of GPIB, Serial, and VXI instrument drivers—severely cut down on the time required to write PXI software.