NI FlexRIO-based Custom Test Equipment for High-Speed Digitizer sensor

The initial interface/test system to the DUT was up and running and getting real data from the DUT in ~2 weeks, allowing the customer to maintain a tight development schedule.

Client – A Large Manufacturer

Challenge

Our client was developing an image sensor component and needed to validate the part for a new product line. They wanted to use as much COTs hardware as possible to start testing as soon as possible.

Solution

The custom product validation test equipment utilizes the NI PXI with FlexRIO off-the-shelf hardware combined with custom LabVIEW-based software.

Benefits

The initial interface/test system to the DUT was up and running and getting real data from the DUT in ~2 weeks, allowing the customer to maintain a tight development schedule.
Packet Decode completed at FPGA Level allowed error handling and only pertinent data being saved as needed.
Data Manipulation done at FPGA level for unbundling data into correct disk readable format in real-time.
All Data captured with TDMS Files to disk enables a higher level of analysis of the data offline.

System Overview

The new PXI-based automated test system utilizes NI’s FlexRIO with NI stock LVDS FAM.

Custom VHDL was created to handle the required adjustable delay lines in the data I/O lines and interface to the I/O on the FAM Connector.
The VHDL interfaced to LabVIEW FPGA which was utilized to stream the data to disk.
Data is stored onto disk during a test and only the payload data from decoding the protocol is saved.
The data coming from the UUT is de-packetized and ordered for manipulation downstream.

SOFTWARE FUNCTIONS
Custom FAM VHDL and LabVIEW FPGA interface Development
Custom LVDS Adjustable Delay lines per LVDS Data stream
LVDS Buffering
Generate multiplied Clock from external clock input to latch in data
Source the multiplied clock to Internal LabVIEW FPGA Clock
FIFOs for clock domain crossing and DMA
High-speed data streaming to Disk
LabVIEW RT for example interface to FPGA
GUI