VXI Future

Pickering Interfaces introduced switching systems using the VXI platform back in the 1990s. However, we no longer develop or sell VXI products due to key part obsolescence and reduced market requirements. But we do continue to provide support for existing VXI users including module repair.

VXI has been a successful platform for instrumentation. It is a modular standard that was initially supported by a number of leading T&M vendors. The platform was heavily specified to manage issues such as EMC and cooling to ensure that very high performance modules could be used without interaction when in the chassis.

The standard generally uses intelligent message based modules so requires an interface with suitable control functions.

VXI was principally successful in the military and its associated markets. There were commercial adopters as well but often the high cost relative to bench instruments was a disincentive to widespread adoption.

Many of the leading T&M companies are now not supporting the VXI standard, generating a market for near identical products to those made obsolete by the leading companies but manufactured by a number of smaller T&M players. Pickering Interfaces introduced switching systems using the VXI platform, and is maintaining availability of those modules, but is not designing new modules.

The relatively high cost of VXI modules has limited its commercial acceptance, and many commercial users have now turned to standards such as PXI or LXI. Take a look at our VXI to PXI platform cross-reference here >>

Pickering Interfaces recommendation for switching applications is:

  • Only use VXI where legacy demands its use, that will principally be in military specified systems
  • In commercial applications we strongly recommend consideration of PXI and LXI as alternative approaches
  • Where there is the possibility of migrating from VXI to another platform, but legacy is encouraging the use of VXI, carefully consider the ongoing costs of continuing with VXI in your financial modeling, and the comparative costs in terms of conversion. There is no simple answer to this financial judgment, the right answer could be to continue or to change
  • For new applications we strongly recommend LXI for applications where a larger footprint than PXI is required
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