AIT and NI Expand Offering to Include New ARINC 664 Test Instrument

Omaha, NE — October 2012

AIT and NI Expand Offering to Include New ARINC 664 Test Instrument

 

Avionics Interface Technologies (AIT) announced today that it signed a long term product purchase agreement with National Instruments (NI) for its new ARINC 664 test and simulation module for PXI/cPCI. NI has also tested and validated the new PXI-C664 module to ensure compliance with the PXI platform and compatibility with NI LabVIEW system design software.

The PXI-C664 module is a 3U PXI/cPCI instrument designed to support the simulation of multiple ARINC 664 end systems within a single PXI slot. The module supports up to 128 output Virtual Links (VLs) and 512 input VLs. All upper layer protocol processing is handled on-board to minimize host processor loading. The module also provides the user application access to all protocol layers to support error injection test scenarios. Additionally, the instrument is capable of operating in promiscuous mode capturing and timestamping all network traffic in support of data acquisition applications.

The ARINC 664 test instrument is delivered with a LabVIEW instrument driver providing an intuitive and easy to use interface for development of test applications for LabVIEW Real-Time.  Software drivers and C/C++ API’s are also available for Windows XP/7 and Linux. Configuration of the test instrument is supported by AIT’s Flight Simulyzer Graphical User Interface (GUI) application.

“We have added AIT’s ARINC 664 product due to the excellent integration with their MIL-STD-1553 and ARINC 429 PXI modules and our PXI platform, and because their software driver passed our stringent requirements for our Compatible with LabVIEW and NI Product Partner programs,” said Noah Reding, product manager at NI. “We are excited to extend our partnership with AIT and to continue to offer more AIT avionics interfaces in our channel.”

All of AIT’s test and simulation boards come with an advanced Software Development Kit (SDK) with high-level support for LabVIEW system design software and the LabVIEW Real-Time Module. LabVIEW is a graphical programming environment used by engineers and scientists worldwide to develop sophisticated measurement, test, and control systems using intuitive graphical icons and wires that resemble a flowchart. It offers unrivaled integration with thousands of hardware devices and provides hundreds of built-in libraries for advanced analysis and data visualization—all for creating virtual instrumentation. The LabVIEW platform is scalable across multiple targets and operating systems.

The LabVIEW Real-Time Module is a complete solution for creating reliable, stand-alone embedded systems with a graphical programming approach. As an add-on to the LabVIEW development environment, the LabVIEW Real-Time Module helps programmers develop and debug graphical applications that can be downloaded to and executed on embedded hardware devices such as NI CompactRIO, NI Single-Board RIO, PXI instrumentation, vision systems, or even third-party PCs.

Programming graphically in LabVIEW can greatly improve programming efficiency; the LabVIEW Real-Time Module enables the creation of stand-alone systems that run for extended periods of time. The LabVIEW Real-Time Module also features real-time operating system (RTOS) software that runs on NI embedded hardware devices and select third-party PCs. Similar to the PXI-C1553 and PXI-C429, the new PXI-C664 boards are supported by AIT’s industry-leading SDK and Flight SimulyzerGUI software. The PXI-C664 uses an innovative FPGA-based hardware architecture with multiple embedded processors handling the processing of upper layer protocols to provide an efficient, high-performance solution capable of handling 10/100Mbit/s and 1Gbit/s Ethernet interfaces.

ABOUT AIT

Avionics Interface Technologies (AIT) is a leading designer and manufacturer of databus test and simulation modules, high-performance rugged interface modules, custom embedded IP solutions, and software tools. With over ten years experience in the avionics industry, the company has supported all major DOD top tier suppliers as well as the Air Force, Navy, Army, Marines, and NASA directly. Their technically superior products offer both custom and commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) user software and a flexible hardware architecture based on the use of FPGAs with embedded Power PC Processors for onboard specific application programming. AIT has four office locations in the US; it is headquartered inOmaha, NE, with additional offices for design and production based in Dayton, Ohio, near Wright Patterson AFB and sales offices near Boston and Phoenix.

CompactRIO, LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments. Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.