National Instruments 778295-01 Pentium III Processor Controller

The National Instruments 778295-01 is a high-performance Pentium III-based controller designed specifically for VXI systems. It is also known as the VXIpc-871B. Its rugged fully enclosed structure ensures stability and durability in demanding industrial environments. The controller offers full compatibility with VXI systems allowing direct control of VXI registers, memory, interrupts, and triggers. It integrates seamlessly with existing software tools available for general desktop PC systems. This makes it a versatile solution for complex testing and measurement applications.
The 778295-01 model measures 233.35 mm by 340 mm and weighs approximately 2.4 kg.

This module is designed to fit securely in a VXI chassis using two VXI slots. Its power requirements are carefully optimized with the unit drawing around 52.4 W during typical operation. The power distribution includes + 5 VDC at 9.75 A, + 12 VDC at 150 mA and - 12 VDC at 50 mA. This ensures efficient performance without overloading the system. The operating environment of the NI 778295-01 controller is robust with a functional temperature range from 5 °C to 50 °C and humidity tolerance between 10 % to 90 % non-condensing. This makes it suitable for various industrial and laboratory settings. It can also be safely stored at temperatures as low as – 20 °C and as high as 70 °C with humidity levels up to 95 %. Reliability is enhanced with a mean time between failures (MTBF) of up to 88,000 hours.

This Pentium III-based controller supports advanced timing and triggering capabilities with two SMB trigger I/O connectors on the front panel. These connectors allow efficient routing of TTL trigger lines between the VXI backplane and external devices. It can handle all VXI-defined protocols supporting P2 TTL and ECL trigger lines. Its internal counter provides precise event counting, interrupt management and pulse generation. The 778295-01 controller features a real-time clock backed by a replaceable hermetically sealed lithium battery that ensures accurate timekeeping and reliable backup for CMOS settings. The controller also includes an IEEE 488.2 (GPIB) interface for seamless communication with external instruments offering full compatibility with NI-488.2 driver software. This interface can handle data transfer rates up to 8 MB/s.