How fast can I send commands using SPI in a NI8451 from python?

[sb2nov]

I am using SPI Communication with NI8451 from a python code. I want to know how can I increase the speed at which I can send the commands ? and What is the maximum you can go to. I am developing a real time application so I want to keep reading data as fast as possible.

[sumit.sen]

The maximum clock rate supported by the NI 8451 is 12 MHz

[sb2nov]

The clock rate is 12MHz but the time between the chip select going low and high again is different from the clock. And there is a delay between two commands as well. I want to know how fast can I send 16 bit commands?

[sumit.sen]

What do you mean by "time between the chip select going low and high again is different from the clock"?

[sb2nov]

What I meant was, that there is an inherent delay in the clock starting after the chip select goes low. I checked on the oscilloscope as well.

[sumit.sen · Accepted solution]

I don't think there is any way to overcome that, since the line selections and update is completely done in hardware by the microcontroller inside the 8451. The rate at which data is sent to the microcontroller depends upon how fast the code on the Host platform is running and the time it takes for the data to traverse through USB(which can be ignored).

[sb2nov]

Thank you for the response.