Bustec, Inc. (Bustec) has introduced a new ProDAQ 6100 series product line to its cost-effective, high- performance range of data acquisition and input/output (I/O) products to a local area network (LAN) platform. The LAN extension for Instrumentation (LXI) defines a uniform, interoperable LAN implementation, enabling measurement and data acquisition functions to be integrated into modular test systems. The company’s new LXI is the ProDAQ Model 6100 LXI function card carrier.

The 6100 series offers access for up to four Bustec ProDAQ function cards via a standard Gigabit LAN interface. The 6100’s small form factor and the connectivity, combined with flexibility of ProDAQ function cards, enables users to create multifunction instruments wherever the application needs them.

“With the new ProDAQ 6100 LXI product, Bustec is bringing down the price of state-of-the-art LXI products to the price of normal PC plug-in boards,” said Fred Bloennigen, president, Bustec. “Now users with tight budgets are no longer required to make compromises on the quality of the boards they are acquiring, and hence, no compromise on the quality of data being collected.”

“The ProDAQ 6100 software is fully compliant with existing software and drivers for the ProDAQ function cards. This allows systems to be scaled up or down, saving many hours of development time,” said Arlene Meadows, principal, Global Test Solutions and US sales manager for Bustec.

The new ProDAQ 6100 is a Class B LXI device that takes complete advantage of both the synchronization of data acquisition and Ethernet clocks to an accuracy of 20 ns. Its half-rack, 1U size enables two carriers to be mounted in a rack with, for example, up to eight function cards, or as many as 192 channels. With its LAN control and the browser software, operators can be remotely located for the data collection and analysis.