How to synchronize a PXI-6541 with 2 PXI-5412

[spaghetti_developer]

Hi guys,

I have to develop a software that has to control a waveform generation using a PXI-6541 and two PXI-5412. The first board has to generate a digital data syncronized with the arbitrary waveforms which will be genereted by the other two. Can someone tell me what is the best method to use to synchronize the three boards? Which is the best board to use as master on the clock source?

Can MAX 5.0 simulate this hardware?

Thank you in advance.

[crelf]

Can someone tell me what is the best method to use to synchronize the three boards?

Use the PXI trigger lines - that's the beauty of PXI

Can MAX 5.0 simulate this hardware?

I don't think so...

[JamesMc86]

The PXI trigger lines are great for this as is TCLK for really tight synchronisation.

If you search the respective help files for state diagram there are a series of diagrams that show the states of the hardwares and most importantly the different trigger signals that are generated so you can see what can synchronise the right parts.

T-Clock is a technology on PXI for very tight synchronisation of most modular instrument boards from NI (The have to be based on the SMC architecture). I am pretty sure that all of these boards meet that (The 653x doesn't but I think the 654x are) and this gives typical skew of 200-500ps. Check this and see if it is what you need: http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/3675 but you may get by with just the correct trigger signals.

Cheers,

James

[spaghetti_developer]

@JamesMc86 the article you have suggested me to read was very helpful.

Thank you guys for your advices.

[patleb]

kinda late with this. I have been using the PXI backplane triggers for years, primarily the RTSI triggers. I have a 6652 timing generator which works great for sending triggers to an AWG and digitizer especially if you need periodic triggers. Very accurate and makes life better. There have been times when an accurate trigger is needed but only one time or just occasionally. In this case I have set up software triggers that send a trigger for example the 5412 AWG can send a trigger for the 5922 digitizer again using the RTSI backplane trigger.

pat