USB Card/Hub for PXI-1031

[bobthebobster]

Hi all,

I've been combing the forums for anything related to PXI cards/hubs for USB and have come up with nothing helpful.

We're using a PXI-1031 and I have been asked to expand our capabilities to capture Serial data via USB.

The closest thing I've found online are the Pickering 40-738 USB hubs and those aren't even available.

I would prefer a NI device, but even the Newark distributor wasn't able to help.

Anyone got any ideas or recommendations?

Am I missing something here?

Do the PXI chassis come with standard card slots that are easily compatible with third-party devices?

I'd rather not buy an entire microcontroller module just for a USB port, but I'm wondering if that's my only option...

Any and all help/feedback welcomed.

Thanks in advance!

- Bob

[santo_13]

So you have got a lot of USB devices that need to be connected to a PXI Embedded controller?

If those devices are already serial, you can get PXI Serial cards.

In terms of compatibility across vendors, yes, PXI and PXIe standards are universal and follow the same specifications for interoperability as USB. So a Pickering test PXI card is compatible with NI PXI Chassis and vice versa.

Why not regular USB-powered Hubs?

[bobthebobster]

Good to know they are standardized.

We only have one USB device.

No need for an embedded controller.

Just need to capture serial data through LabView.

A regular USB hub sounds great - will LabView interface with something not connected through the PXI chassis?

[santo_13]

LabVIEW can interface with anything as long as you've appropriate driver for "it"

[bobthebobster · Accepted solution]

Hello again,

Good to know about the "right driver".

I have reached out to our regional NI dealer and their technical support.

Basically I have to use NI-VISA to interface with our unique USB device that follows it's own custom protocol.

Thankfully we don't need any new hardware - we just need a USB connection to the computer running LabView - so no need for the PXI to run the tests/experiments!

Thanks everyone for the support.

- Bob

[santo_13]

---

@bobthebobster wrote:

Hello again,

Good to know about the "right driver".

I have reached out to our regional NI dealer and their technical support.

Basically I have to use NI-VISA to interface with our unique USB device that follows it's own custom protocol.

Thankfully we don't need any new hardware - we just need a USB connection to the computer running LabView - so no need for the PXI to run the tests/experiments!

Thanks everyone for the support.

- Bob

---

Just to clarify, not all USB devices are simple to interface with using VISA. If your "unique" USB device uses the USB protocol at a low level, VISA is not going to be of any help and you've to develop drivers on your own.

VISA is generally for devices that communicate like a serial COM port, it can be a USB-SERIAL converter on your device or your device implements USBTMC.