VXI products drive down test costs

Committed to lowering the cost and ensuring the future viability of VXI test systems, Hewlett-Packard (Palo Alto, CA) is offering nine cost-efficient VXI solutions. These include the HP E8400A series consisting of four 13-slot C-size mainframes (HP E8401/2/3/4A), enhanced versions of two existing 9-slot B-size mainframes (HP E1300/1B), the first PC-to-VXI interface using the IEEE 1394 high-speed serial bus (HP E8491A), a B-size M-module carrier (HP E2250A), and a C-size 256-channel relay multiplexer (HP E8462A).

Fig. 1. The HP E8400A family of low-cost VXI
mainframes offers 550-W or 1-kW power supplies
and robust display options.

The HP E8401A and HP E8403A are the lowest-cost mainframes of the HP E8400A family (see Fig. 1 ), priced at $3,695 and $6,395, respectively. They feature 550-W and 1-kW power supplies and front panels that provide monitoring lights for power supply status, temperature, and backplane communication.

Also offering 550-W and 1-kW power supplies, the HP E8402A and HP E8404A provide comprehensive monitoring features via a menu-driven, full-color LCD. Users have the choice of numeric, strip-chart, or histogram readouts. All four mainframes employ impeller-type fans, for improved ventilation and quiet operation. The HP E8402A and HP E8404A will cost $6,395 and $7,495, respectively.

Two existing 9-slot B-size VXI mainframes, the HP E1300B and HP E1301B with keyboard and display, have been enhanced with the inclusion of dual impeller-type fans and a built-in HP-IB interface. They will be priced at $2,495 and $3,195, respectively.

Fig. 2. Offered as the first PC-to-VXI interface
using the IEEE 1394 high-speed serial bus,
the HP E8491A delivers data transfer rates
of 400 Mbits/s.

The HP E8491A is the first PC-to-VXI interface to use the IEEE 1394 high-speed serial bus (see Fig. 2 ). It consists of a single-slot C-size VXI module, a 4.5-m cable, and an IEEE 1394 PCI interface card. It is hot-plug-in capable and provides maximum data transfer rates of 400 Mbits/s (asynchronous and isochro- nous) over a cable consisting of two pairs of twisted wire plus power and ground. The HP E8491A will cost $2,495 and includes I/O software for Windows 95/NT.

Based on improved performance and lower cost, Hewlett-Packard intends to implement the 1394 standard across related product lines over the next few years. According to Ormond Rankin, Hewlett-Packard's marketing manager of the Business LaserJet Div., “HP believes 1394 will be a viable successor to the parallel port. It's fast, it's universal, and it enables hot connectivity.”

The HP E2250A is a B-size M-Module carrier that allows the use of up to four M-Modules on a single B-size VXI card. It supports more than 150 other industry-standard M-Modules and will cost $1,195.

The HP E8462A is a 256-channel relay multiplexer on a single-slot C-size VXI card. It uses non-latching armature relays up to 250 V and power up to 125 W. Users can program it in configurations such as 256 x 1, 128 x 1, 64 x 1, and 32 x 1. Mixtures of these configurations can be used on a single card and as two-, three-, and four-wire configurations. The HP E8462A will cost $2,995.

All nine products can be ordered now and are expected to be available for shipping on May 1. For more information, call Hewlett-Packard at 800-452-4844, ext. 5706, visit http://www.hp.com/go/ tmdir.