Chassis Provides Slots For System Controller And 13 PXI/cPCI Modules

With a rugged, front-loading design, built-in peripherals (hard disk drive, CD-ROM, etc.), and interfacing options, the GX7100 chassis reportedly can tackle any automatic test equipment (ATE), data acquisition, and process control application while occupying only 4U of rack space. The new chassis is designed to accommodate up to 13 3U and 6U PXI or cPCI instrument modules and a PXI controller (i.e., an embedded CPU or a PXI bus expander interface, such as MXI-3). The GX7100’s unique format provides seven 3U slots and seven 3U/6U slots for a total of 14 slots, with the combination designed to reduce chassis overall size, while still allowing it to provide the necessary slot density and flexibility. The 14 slots are configured as follows: slot 1 (6U) is dedicated to the system controller; slot 2 can be used by a PXI Star trigger controller or by any PXI or cPCI instrument; and slots 3-14 support the PXI Star trigger and can accommodate any PXI or cPCI instrument. The GX7100 chassis provides 400W of power with the following power ratings: 5V at 32A; 3.3V at 32A; 12V at 7A; and 12V at 4A. The chassis also provides forced-air cooling through use of eight 20 CFM fans controlled by built-in temperature sensors. Additional cooling is provided for the power supply. Price for the GX7100 (master) chassis starts at under $4,000; price for a slave chassis, the GX7110, starts at under $3,000. Product shipment is scheduled to begin in January '03. For more details, contact Kara Harmon at GEOTEST-MARVIN TEST SYSTEMS INC, Irvine, CA. (888) 837-8297.