What Is CompactRIO?
CompactRIO is a reconfigurable embedded control and acquisition system. The CompactRIO system’s rugged hardware architecture includes I/O modules, a reconfigurable FPGA chassis, and an embedded controller. Additionally, CompactRIO is programmed with NI LabVIEW graphical programming tools and can be used in a variety of embedded control and monitoring applications.
Understanding the CompactRIO Platform
CompactRIO systems consist of an embedded controller for communication and processing, a reconfigurable chassis housing the user-programmable FPGA, hot-swappable I/O modules, and graphical LabVIEW software for rapid real-time, Windows, and FPGA programming. Learn more about each of these components in the sections below.
Controller/Chassis
The CompactRIO system includes an embedded controller and reconfigurable chassis. The embedded controller offers powerful stand-alone embedded execution for deterministic LabVIEW Real-Time applications or flexible Windows Embedded Standard 7 applications. The embedded chassis is the heart of the CompactRIO system because it contains the reconfigurable I/O FPGA core.
Value
NI offers a value line of CompactRIO systems with a low cost and small footprint well suited to OEM and volume deployments.
Integrated Chassis and Controller
Ultra Rugged
When your application is deployed to earth’s harshest environments, look no further than the ultra-rugged line of CompactRIO systems.
Real-Time Controllers | Chassis
Performance
If your application requires intense, multicore processing capabilities, integrated VGA graphics, or serious I/O expansion, then the performance CompactRIO line is what you need.
Integrated Chassis and ControllerCompare Chassis/Controller Features
| Value | Ultra Rugged | Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor Performance | Up to 400 MHz | Up to 800 MHz | Up to 1.33 GHz Dual-Core |
| FPGA Performance |
Up to 43,661 logic cells up to 58 multipliers |
Up to 110,592 logic cells up to 64 multipliers |
Up to 147,443 logic cells up to 180 multipliers |
| Operating System | Real-Time OS | Real-Time OS | Windows/Real-Time OS |
| Ruggedness |
-20 to 55º C, passively cooled |
-40 to 70º C, passively cooled |
0 to 55º C, passively cooled |
| Size | Starts at 17.8x9.3x8.7cm3 | Starts at 18x9.3x8.7cm3 | Starts at 40.4x13.4x8.7cm3 |
| Target Application Examples |
Smart grid analyzer Environmental monitoring Mobile robots Medical diagnostics & device control Special Purpose Machines (SPM) Chemical Process Control Motion control |
In-vehicle logging Machine condition monitoring Industrial Machine Control Oil & Gas monitoring Automated Welding Control Structural monitoring Power monitoring |
Machine Vision ECU Prototyping Analytical instruments Turbine Control Industrial Robotics Rapid Control prototyping Big physics & research Power Distribution/Control |
Expansion
NI reconfigurable I/O (RIO) expansion chassis scale the benefits of the NI C Series platform to RIO applications requiring hundreds or even thousands of channels. C Series modules provide integrated signal conditioning and connection terminals, making them an efficient solution for large mixed I/O systems without the need for external custom circuitry and wiring. Each expansion chassis also contains a Xilinx FPGA that is programmable with the NI LabVIEW FPGA Module, giving you control over high-speed and customizable I/O timing, inline processing, and control.
MXI-Express RIO Expansion Chassis
NI MXI-Express RIO chassis deliver the highest-performance expansion reconfigurable I/O (RIO) solution for applications that require custom signal processing and control algorithms and mixed-signal conditioned I/O. Featuring high-throughput and best-in-class FPGAs, these chassis are ideal for hardware-in-the-loop, real-time test and complex research applications. You can daisy chain multiple MXI-Express RIO chassis from supported controllers, which include real-time or Windows NI CompactRIO, PXI, PC, rack–mount, and industrial controllers. These chassis feature eight or 14 C Series I/O slots each, with up to six chassis per daisy chain and up to eight daisy chains per controller. And with 250 MB/s bus throughput, MXI-Express RIO can handle the most intense data streaming applications.
Ethernet RIO Expansion Chassis
NI Ethernet RIO chassis offer the most flexible RIO expansion solution by making it easy to add a user-programmable FPGA and mixed-signal conditioned I/O to any Ethernet network. These chassis are ideal for distributed, remote measurement systems and can integrate easily with any real-time CompactRIO system, real-time PXI system, or Windows PC using standard 10/100 Ethernet. Ethernet RIO chassis feature four or eight C Series I/O slots each; an integrated user-programmable FPGA for custom timing, inline processing, and control; a network fail-safe for increased reliability; and support for the NI LabVIEW FPGA Module and RIO Scan Mode.
EtherCAT RIO Expansion Chassis
The NI EtherCAT RIO chassis provides deterministic, distributed I/O to maintain the tight timing and synchronization needed for time-critical systems. Using real-time Ethernet, this 8-slot rugged chassis for NI and third-party C Series modules communicates deterministically with any CompactRIO system, real-time industrial controller, or real-time PXI system that has two Ethernet ports. You can daisy chain multiple slave chassis from the controller to expand time-critical applications to high-channel counts while maintaining hard determinism. Plus, you can embed FPGA code on your expansion I/O to offload processing from the controller and reduce response time. The NI 9144 features eight C Series I/O slots and a 2M gate FPGA for custom timing, inline processing, and control.
Wireless Sensor Network
With the NI wireless sensor network (WSN) product family, you easily can monitor your assets or environment with reliable, battery-powered measurement nodes that offer industrial ratings and local analysis and control capabilities. Each wireless network can scale from tens to hundreds of nodes and seamlessly integrate with existing CompactRIO systems.
Modules
NI CompactRIO provides direct hardware access to the input/output circuitry of each I/O module using LabVIEW FPGA elemental I/O functions. Each I/O module contains built-in signal conditioning and screw terminal, BNC, or D-Sub connectors. Currently, there are more than 50 C Series modules for different measurements including thermocouple, voltage, resistance temperature detector (RTD), current, resistance, strain, digital (TTL and other), accelerometers, and microphones. Channel counts on the individual modules range from three to 32 channels to accommodate a wide range of system requirements.
C Series Modules
Currently, there are more than 50 C Series modules for different measurements including thermocouple, voltage, resistance temperature detector (RTD), current, resistance, strain, digital (TTL and other), accelerometers, and microphones. Channel counts on the individual modules range from three to 32 channels to accommodate a wide range of system requirements.
Software
NI LabVIEW is a graphical development environment with configuration-based tools and powerful programming capabilities for developing measurement, analysis, and control applications with professional user interfaces. The NI LabVIEW reconfigurable I/O (RIO) architecture makes FPGA technology easily accessible, so you can define your own control circuitry while reducing the complexity and costs associated with traditional custom hardware.
NI LabVIEW Development System
LabVIEW is a graphical programming environment used by millions of engineers and scientists 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 OSs, and, since its introduction in 1986, it has become an industry leader. The LabVIEW Real-Time and FPGA modules allow you to develop, debug, and deploy applications to the microprocessor and FPGA on the CompactRIO.
Learn about LabVIEW for designing embedded control and monitoring systems
LabVIEW Real-Time Module
National Instruments real-time technology offers reliable, deterministic performance for your time-critical applications. Use the NI LabVIEW Real-Time Module to develop and deploy complex real-time systems quickly and efficiently to the CompactRIO microprocessor.
LabVIEW FPGA Module
With the NI LabVIEW FPGA Module, you can create custom measurement and control hardware using graphical programming without having expertise in low-level hardware description languages or board-level design. You can use this custom hardware for unique timing and triggering routines, ultra high-speed control, interfacing to digital protocols, digital signal processing (DSP), RF and communications, and many other applications requiring high-speed hardware reliability and tight determinism. Use the LabVIEW FPGA Module to develop, compile and deploy applications to the CompactRIO on board FPGA.
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