National Instruments announced the PXIe-8301 Thunderbolt 3-based remote control module that controls PXI systems with a laptop.

The PXIe-8301 maximizes performance by supporting PCI Express Gen3 connectivity through two Thunderbolt 3 ports, achieving a constant data throughput of up to 2.3 GB/s. Engineers can use the second port to daisy-chain additional Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C devices. Supporting the latest connectivity at an affordable price, the PXIe-8301 enables engineers performing benchtop characterization and verification or developing portable automated test systems to implement high-performance control of PXI systems in an easier and more economical way.

Mark Wetzel, Senior Engineer at NI and Technical Chair of the PXI Systems Alliance, stated, “The PXI platform is a powerful solution that has been adopted by vendors and customers across a wide range of fields over the past 20 years,” and added, “With the emergence of remote control modules equipped with Thunderbolt 3, it has been proven that the PXI platform can integrate the latest commercial technologies and further expand its scope of application to high-performance, low-cost, and highly portable applications.”



NI’s portfolio for low-cost PXI control has been expanded with the PXIe-8301, which also includes the recently released embedded PXI controller PXIe-8821. The PXIe-8821 is optimized for test and measurement applications, featuring a 2.6GHz Intel Core i3-4110E dual-core processor and providing up to 2 GB/s of system bandwidth. As an industrial-grade embedded controller, it occupies minimal physical space and effectively manages its lifecycle, making it ideal for long-life PXI deployments in demanding operating environments.

Remote control modules and embedded controllers are critical elements of the NI platform and ecosystem because they enable engineers to build smarter test systems. These test systems leverage the benefits of over 600 PXI products ranging from DC to mmWave and boast high-throughput data transfer speeds through PCI Express bus interfaces as well as sub-nanosecond synchronization with integrated timing and triggers.

By leveraging NI platforms supported by an active partner ecosystem, add-on IP, and application engineers, you can significantly reduce test costs and accelerate market launch, enabling you to prepare for demanding future test requirements.