LXI Standard – Current and
Future
David Owen – Pickering Interfaces
TC Chair LXI Consortium
david.owen@pickeringtest.com
LXI – “It’s About Your Time”
LXI Consortium
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Defined Ethernet based control interface for
the T&M industry
Built around other standards
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Provide a precise definition of behavior within
those standards
In 3 years since first publication
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Over 500 products on the market
15 vendors with compliance tested products
Over 50 vendors are members – almost all the
key T&M players
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Product Breadth in
just a few years
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Spectrum Analyzers
Power Supplies
Switching
Multifunction Mainframes
Digital Multimeters
Signal Generators
Function/Arbitrary Waveform Generators
RF/Microwave Downconverters/Upconverters
IF Digitizers
Thermocouple Instruments
WTB Accessories
Bridges
Signal Analyzers
Oscilloscopes
Power Analyzers
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Why LXI?
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LAN-based systems offer speed, simplicity, and low
cost.
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The ubiquitous nature of LAN, with its ongoing
enhancements and backward compatibility, provides a
perfect test and measurement platform.
System configuration is quick and easy through the
intuitive Web interface
Programming is simplified, and there is greater
software re-use through IVI drivers.
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Why LXI? (2)
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LXI provides the ability to create hybrid systems
that include LXI, GPIB, VXI, PXI, PCI, USB, and
others.
LXI offers enhanced system performance and
event handling via hardware- and LAN-based
triggering modes.
Local and remote instruments can be synchronized
through the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol.
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From small to large systems
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Single or multiple
controllers
Short to continental
distances
IT industry standard
cables and building blocks
High degree of building
block independence
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Operating systems
Controller technology
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LXI is a Different “_XI”
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LXI not a Modular Standard Like PXI &
VXI
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No additional Slot 0 or 1 Controller
No Additional Chassis
Works in Harmony with These
Standards
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Making it easy to
configure and control
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Through simple web based interfaces
Providing Soft Front Panels without drivers
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Typically through Java programs
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3 Classes of LXI
Class C
Class A
Class B
Class
C
Class B
Ethernet standards
IVI driver
Instrument web page
Physical
Size / Shielding
Power / Cooling
Indicators / reset button
• The baseline for common LAN connectivity
Class C plus
IEEE 1588 time sync
LAN messaging
• Brings the potential to make systems
“smarter”
• Breaks the traditional PC centric system
model with network and timing capabilities
Class A
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All products have consistent LAN implementation
Functional classes may be in any physical size
Class B & C plus
LVDS Hardware trigger bus
• Tight sub 5ns local trigger allows module
integration for performance products
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Bringing a sense of
Time to a test system
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IEEE1588 brings an accurate
knowledge of time to instruments
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Easy to correlate between instruments
Schedule events across instruments
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Time stamp events, execute triggers in
time, recover past event information
Off loading traffic at busy times
Minimizing device to device traffic
“
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Compliance Testing
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LXI products have to be compliance
tested
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At an LXI Event or through an approved
test house
Ensures interoperability between vendors
Ensures consistent specification
interpretation
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Provides direction for future clarification
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LXI Evolution (1)
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Version 1.3 being published
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Specification reorganised to aid clarity of
reading
Adoption of mDNS Discovery mechanism
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Commonly used mechanism for printers and
other IT products
Adoption of 1588-2008
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Providing improved timing accuracy through
use of transparent clocks
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LXI Evolution (2)
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Very active TC looking forward to
Version 2 with added user focussed
features
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Improved Event Log and Web based trigger
support
Resource Management model to arbitrate between
processes
Improved peer to peer communication
And probably more, the planning is starting
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Conclusion
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LXI is a Well Thought Out Specification
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Strong Acceptance in T&M Community
Growing Number of Products
Growing Acceptance by users
Designed for long market life
Ongoing improvements in the standard in response
to user demand
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Based on the collective knowledge of the leading players
With careful attention to legacy compatibility and usability
Bright Future
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