National Instruments 778539-01 20-Channel Digital Waveform Instrument

The National Instruments 778539-01 (or PXI-6552) is a 20-channel Digital Waveform Generator/Analyzer. It is designed for interfacing with digital electronics. It supports custom, programmable voltage levels with precise per-cycle, per-channel bidirectional control. This NI module is equipped with deep onboard memory that enables advanced triggering and pattern sequencing. This unit is ideal for characterizing, validating, and testing digital electronics and bidirectional communication.

The key features of the 778539-01 unit include its ability to generate and acquire signals with a voltage range of –2.0 V to 5.5 V. The module supports a maximum toggle rate of 50 MHz for data channels and offers a resolution of 10 mV for voltage levels and thresholds. The input and output impedance of the module is 50 Ω. The device also features independent control of data and PFI channels that allows flexible configuration and synchronization.

The NI 778539-01 provides multiple clocking options that include an onboard clock with a frequency range of 48 Hz to 100 MHz and external clock inputs through CLK IN and PXI_STAR. These clocks support various operational modes while enhancing the module's adaptability to different testing conditions. The sample clock can be exported to other devices that facilitates synchronized multi-instrument setups.

This memory architecture of this NI 778539-01 module leverages Synchronization and Memory Core (SMC) technology that allows flexible waveform and instruction storage. The onboard memory size of this unit is 1 Mbit per channel for both generation and acquisition sessions. The 778539-01 Digital WFM module includes features such as ±20 mV DC generation accuracy, ±30 mV acquisition accuracy, and low channel-to-channel skew of ±300 ps for data integrity and precision. The device is designed to operate under the rated temperature range of 0 °C to 55 °C. This NI module can be installed at the maximum altitude of 2000 meters above sea level. The overall dimension of the unit are 18.6 cm × 13.1 cm (7.32 in. × 5.16 in.).

You can calibrate, configure, and control this NI unit using NI-HSDIO driver software. It also offers programming interfaces for National Instruments LabVIEW (7.0 or later), LabWindows™/CVI ™ (6.0 or later), and Microsoft Visual C/C++ (6.0 or later).