VXIbus--A Modular Standard for Test & Measurement

The VXIbus

For many years test equipment and test system manufacturers have been trying to reduce the size of their products. Independent companies actually had some success. however, the products available could only be supplied from the original system manufacturer-
Both commercial and military users of test equipment needed a means to standardize such downsizing in order to provide: 1 . a wider choice of product capabilities 2. smaller size and weight 3. tighter timing coordination between instruments 4. longer system support through multi-vendor solutions.
Five instrument companies formed the VXIbus Consortium and held its first meeting in July of 1987. These companies were Colorado Data Systems, Hewlett-Packard, Racal-Dana Instruments (now Racal Instruments, Inc.), Tektronix and Wavetek. A working document was rapidly drafted and complete system specification was issued less than one year later. As a result of the consortium's work, other companies chose to accept the specifications for development of new products.
The IEEE Standards Committee, in its proposed standard Pl 155, adopted the VXIbus Consortium's specifications. The U.S. Air Force accepted the specifications as the basis for its Modular Automatic Test Equipment (MATE) Instrument-on-a-Card (IAC) standard. More than three quarters of the MATE document consisted of the VXIbus specification.
The acceptance of the VXIbus in the commercial and miliary communities spurred the growth of companies involved with building products. During 1988 a number of other companies joined the executive committee of the consortium to further develop the specifications.