Selecting an appropriate hardware platform is crucial to the success of a real-time system. When possible, it is best to select your LabVIEW Real-Time Deployment Platform before developing the application, so you can make the best design decisions for your hardware platform. National Instruments offers a wide array of hardware platforms that support LabVIEW Real-Time and LabVIEW FPGA. This article outlines the unique characteristics of each platform to help you make an informed decision about which best meets the needs of your application.
PXI
PXI is an open, PC-based platform for test, measurement, and control. PXI provides the industry's highest bandwidth and lowest latency with modular I/O for high-resolution DC to 6 GHz RF. With more than 1,200 products from more than 70 vendors, PXI is the platform of choice for thousands of companies worldwide. Consider PXI for test, measurement, and control applications that demand maximum performance and configurability.
Refer to the following articles for more information about PXI.
CompactRIO
The National Instruments CompactRIO programmable automation controller (PAC) is a low-cost reconfigurable control and acquisition system designed for applications that require high performance and reliability. The system combines an open embedded architecture with small size, extreme ruggedness, and hot-swappable industrial I/O modules.
CompactRIO targets include both an FPGA and a CPU running the VxWorks real-time operating system. You can use the LabVIEW FPGA Module to program the FPGA chip, which has direct access to the I/O modules. You can use the LabVIEW Real-Time Module to program the CompactRIO CPU and on targets with at least 3 million gates on the FPGA you can use I/O variables to access I/O modules from LabVIEW Real-Time.
Consider CompactRIO for test, measurement, and control applications that require a small, rugged, or portable form factor while benefiting from the high-speed I/O and processing capabilities of FPGA technology. Refer to the following articles for more information about CompactRIO.
Compact FieldPoint
Compact FieldPoint is an easy-to-use, highly expandable programmable automation controller (PAC) composed of rugged I/O modules and intelligent communication interfaces. The Compact FieldPoint I/O modules filter, calibrate, and scale raw sensor signals to engineering units, as well as perform self-diagnostics to look for problems, such as an open thermocouple. Through its built-in Web and file servers, the Compact FieldPoint interface automatically publishes measurements over the Ethernet network.
Consider CompactRIO for test, measurement, and control applications that require a small, rugged, or portable form factor rather than maximum processing power. Refer to the following articles for more information about Compact FieldPoint.
Compact Vision
The NI Compact Vision System (CVS) is a rugged machine vision package that can withstand the harsh environments common in industrial inspection. Using IEEE 1394 (FireWire) technology, the Compact Vision System is compatible with more than 100 industrial cameras with a wide price, functionality, and performance range. With three IEEE 1394 (FireWire) ports, you can make multicamera inspections with up to 16 cameras. Also, the Compact Vision System offers reconfigurable I/O FPGA for high-speed custom digital control or stepper motor control.
Consider CVS for machine vision and simple control applications that do not require maximum processing power. Refer to the following articles for more information about the NI CVS platform.
RT Desktop
You can turn a third-party desktop PC into a LabVIEW Real-Time target running the ETS real-time operating system. Whether you're looking for an inexpensive LabVIEW Real-Time target or a system custom-built to meet unique specifications, RT Desktop PCs can offer an attractive hardware platform. Refer to the following articles for more information about using desktop PCs as RT targets.
Related Links
Refer to the following articles for further discussion of LabVIEW Real-Time platforms.
