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PXI Express Boundary Scan Controllers

14 December 2010 - GOEPEL electronic announced another series of special controllers with PXI Express interface within the frame of the JTAG/Boundary Scan hardware platform SCANFLEX. The new family of SCANFLEX Boundary Scan controllers (SFX Controller) is named SFX/PXIe1149/C(x) and includes altogether nine models with different signal conditions and performance classes.

“Although integrations with standard PXI instrumentations still predominate, a trend towards increased utilisation of PXI Express based solutions is clearly visible”, says Alexander Beck, Integration Team Manager of the JTAG/Boundary Scan Product Division. “At the same time, there are an increasing number of applications in critical environments which have high demands to the JTAG signal quality and transmission. Due to their compactness and interference-free transmission characteristics of the implemented interface, our new SCANFLEX controllers are an ideal solution. With now 12 different SCANFLEX PXI Express controllers we offer the biggest portfolio in this section.”

Unlike their predecessors, the new PXI Express controllers feature TAP Transceivers, which are now integrated in the 1 slot/3U controllers. In addition to a 2 TAP version, a 4 TAP solution and a so called FXT Version, also with four TAP, has been developed. All controllers are available in three performance classes A, B and C. The models differ in the maximum Clock frequency (TCK) (20, 50, and 80 MHz, respectively) and in the degree of implementation of the enhanced SPACE chip set for high performance scan operations. In contrast to conventional solutions, the integrated FASTSCALE technology allows an upgrade of the controller’s performance class “on the fly”, without intricate fitting of additional hardware.

The x1 interface of SFX/PXIe1149/C(x) achieves transfer rates of up to 264 MB/s in the zero wait state burst mode, and is based on the PXI Express hardware specification 1.0, whereby defined Local Bus, trigger and synchronisation mechanisms are supported. In combination with the modular SCANFLEX component portfolio, PXI Express based high performance Boundary Scan systems with up to four independent TAP can be configured and open synchronised with other functional modules. All TAPs provide, among others, programmable input and output impedances. Furthermore, resources such as 32 dynamic I/O, two analogue I/O channels, three static I/O and trigger lines are parts of the basic equipment.

For particularly critical application, the specific FXT version is available. In this version, so called TAP Interface Cards (TIC) are coupled externally to the controller. The TIC work as active test heads and enable a complete signal conditioning, e.g. directly within a fixture or an environment chamber for HASS/HALT applications. There are various TIC types, identified automatically, for different utilisations. Their fast coupling guarantees an interference-free TAP signal transmission even for multi transitions of up to four meters at a TCK frequency of up to 80MHz.

The SFX/PXIe1149/C(x) controllers are fully supported in the industry leading Boundary Scan Software SYSTEM CASCON™ from version 4.5.4. Based on the integrated CAPI function (CASCON Application Programming Interface) Goepel provide comprehensive plug-ins for “LabView”, “LabWindows” and “TestStand” providing problem free system integration.