PXIe-4138 Specifications

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Updated2025-04-29
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PXIe-4138 Specifications

These specifications apply to the PXIe-4138.

Definitions

Warranted specifications describe the performance of a model under stated operating conditions and are covered by the model warranty.

Characteristics describe values that are relevant to the use of the model under stated operating conditions but are not covered by the model warranty.

Typical specifications describe the performance met by a majority of models.
Nominal specifications describe an attribute that is based on design, conformance testing, or supplemental testing.

Specifications are Warranted unless otherwise noted.

Conditions

Specifications are valid under the following conditions unless otherwise noted.

Ambient temperature^[1]¹ The ambient temperature of a PXI system is defined as the temperature at the chassis fan inlet (air intake). of 23 °C ± 5 ºC
Calibration interval of 1 year
30 minutes warm-up time
Self-calibration performed within the last 24 hours
NI-DCPower Aperture Time property is set to 2 power-line cycles (PLC)
Fans set to the highest setting if the PXI Express chassis has multiple fan speed settings

Cleaning Statement

Notice Clean the hardware with a soft, nonmetallic brush. Make sure that the hardware is completely dry and free from contaminants before returning it to service.

PXIe-4138 Pinout

The following figure shows the terminals on the PXIe-4138 connector.

Table 1. Signal Descriptions
Signal Name	Description
Output LO	LO force terminal connected to channel power stage (generates and/or dissipates power). Positive polarity is defined as voltage measured on HI > LO.
Sense LO	Voltage remote sense input terminals. Used to compensate for I*R voltage drops in cable leads, connectors, and switches.
Guard	Buffered output that follows the voltage of the HI force terminal. Used to drive shield conductors surrounding HI force and Sense HI conductors to minimize effects of leakage and capacitance on low level currents.
Output HI	HI force terminal connected to channel power stage (generates and/or dissipates power). Positive polarity is defined as voltage measured on HI > LO.
Sense HI	Voltage remote sense input terminals. Used to compensate for I*R voltage drops in cable leads, connectors, and switches.

Device Capabilities

The following table and figure illustrate the voltage and the current source and sink ranges of the PXIe-4138.

Table 2. Current Source and Sink Ranges
DC voltage ranges	DC current source and sink ranges
600 mV 6 V 60 V ^[2]² The PXIe-4138 does not support configurations involving voltage > \|42.4 V\| when Sequence Step Delta Time Enabled is set to TRUE.	1 μA 10 μA 100 μA 1 mA 10 mA 100 mA 1 A 3 A

DC sourcing power is limited to 20 W, regardless of output voltage. ^[3]³ Power limit defined by voltage measured between HI and LO terminals.

Caution Limit DC power sinking to 12 W. Additional derating applies to sinking power when operating at an ambient temperature of >45 °C. If the PXI Express chassis has multiple fan speed settings, set the fans to the highest setting.

Voltage

Table 3. Voltage Programming and Measurement Accuracy/Resolution
Range	Resolution (noise limited)	Noise (0.1 Hz to 10 Hz, peak to peak), Typical	Accuracy (23 °C ±5 °C) ± (% of voltage + offset) ^[4]⁴ Accuracy is specified for no load output configurations. Refer to Load Regulation and Remote Sense sections for additional accuracy derating and conditions.	Tempco ± (% of voltage + offset)/°C, 0 °C to 55 °C
Range	Resolution (noise limited)	Noise (0.1 Hz to 10 Hz, peak to peak), Typical	T_cal±5 °C^[5]⁵ T _calis the internal device temperature recorded by the PXIe-4138 at the completion of the last self-calibration.	Tempco ± (% of voltage + offset)/°C, 0 °C to 55 °C
600 mV	1 μV	4 μV	0.02% + 100 μV	0.0005% + 1 μV
6 V	10 μV	12 μV	0.02% + 600 μV
60 V	100 μV	120 μV	0.02% + 6 mV

Current

Table 4. Current Programming and Measurement Accuracy/Resolution
Range	Resolution (noise limited)	Noise (0.1 Hz to 10 Hz, peak to peak), Typical	Accuracy (23 °C ± 5 °C) ± (% of current + offset)	Tempco ± (% of current + offset)/°C, 0 °C to 55 °C
Range	Resolution (noise limited)	Noise (0.1 Hz to 10 Hz, peak to peak), Typical	T_cal ±5 °C ^[6]⁶ T_cal is the internal device temperature recorded by the PXIe-4138 at the completion of the last self-calibration.	Tempco ± (% of current + offset)/°C, 0 °C to 55 °C
1 μA	1 pA	8 pA	0.03% + 200 pA	0.0006% + 4 pA
10 μA	10 pA	60 pA	0.03% + 1.4 nA	0.0006% + 22 pA
100 μA	100 pA	400 pA	0.03% + 12 nA	0.0006% + 200 pA
1 mA	1 nA	4 nA	0.03% + 120 nA	0.0006% + 2 nA
10 mA	10 nA	40 nA	0.03% + 1.2 μA	0.0006% + 20 nA
100 mA	100 nA	400 nA	0.03% + 12 μA	0.0006% + 200 nA
1 A	1 μA	4 μA	0.03% + 120 μA	0.0006% + 2 μA
3 A	10 μA	40 μA	0.083% + 1.8 mA	0.002% + 20 μA

Noise

Wideband source noise

<20 mV peak-to-peak in 60 V range, device configured for normal transient response, 10 Hz to 20 MHz, typical

Sinking Power vs. Ambient Temperature Derating

The following figure illustrates sinking power derating as a function of ambient temperature.

Transient Response and Settling Time

Transient response

<70 μs to recover within 0.1% of voltage range after a load current change from 10% to 90% of range, device configured for fast transient response, typical

Settling time^[7]⁷ Measured as the time to settle to within 0.1% of step amplitude, device configured for fast transient response.
Voltage mode, 50 V step, unloaded^[8]⁸ Current limit set to ≥50 μA and ≥50% of the selected current limit range.	<200 μs, typical
Voltage mode, 5 V step or smaller, unloaded^[9]⁹ Current limit set to ≥20 μA and ≥20% of selected current limit range.	<70 μs, typical
Current mode, full-scale step, 3 A to 100 μA ranges^[10]¹⁰ Voltage limit set to ≥2 V, resistive load set to 1 V/selected current range.	<50 μs, typical
Current mode, full-scale step, 10 μA range^[10]	<150 μs, typical
Current mode, full-scale step, 1 μA range^[10]	<300 μs, typical

The following figures illustrate the effect of the transient response setting on the step response of the PXIe-4138 for different loads.

Figure 4. 1 mA Range, No Load Step Response, Nominal

Figure 5. 1 mA Range, 100 nF Load Step Response, Nominal

Load Regulation

Voltage
Device configured for local sense	100 μV per mA of output load change (measured between output channel terminals), typical
Device configured for remote sense	Load regulation effect included in voltage accuracy specifications

Current, device configured for local or remote sense

Load regulation effect included in current accuracy specifications

Expected Relay Life

Output Connected

≥100 k cycles

Note To avoid excessive relay wear, do not set Output Connected to TRUE when a non-zero voltage is connected to the output.

Measurement and Update Timing Characteristics

Available sample rates^[11]¹¹ When sourcing while measuring, both the Source Delay and Aperture Time affect the sampling rate. When taking a measure record, only the Aperture Time affects the sampling rate.

(1.8 MS/s)/N where N = 1, 2, 3, … 2²⁴, nominal

Sample rate accuracy

Equal to PXIe_CLK100 accuracy, nominal

Maximum measure rate to host

1.8 MS/s per channel, continuous, nominal

Maximum source update rate^[12]¹² As the source delay is adjusted or if advanced sequencing is used, maximum source rates vary. Timed output mode is enabled in Sequence Mode by setting Sequence Step Delta Time Enabled to True.
Sequence mode	100,000 updates/s (10 μs/update), nominal
Timed output mode	80,000 updates/s (12.5 μs/update), nominal

Input trigger to
Source event delay	10 μs, nominal
Source event jitter	1 μs, nominal
Measure event jitter	1 μs, nominal
Shutdown^[13]¹³ Time from PXI Trigger sent until SMU output goes to high impedance.	100 μs, typical

Pulse timing and accuracy^[14]¹⁴ Shorter minimum on times for in-range pulses can be achieved using Sequence mode or Timed Output mode with Output Function set to Voltage or Current.
Minimum pulse on time^[15]¹⁵ Pulse on time is measured from the start of the leading edge to the start of the trailing edge.	50 μs, nominal
Minimum pulse off time ^[16]¹⁶ Pulse off time is measured from the start of the trailing edge to the start of a subsequent leading edge.	50 μs, nominal
Pulse on time or off time programming resolution	100 ns, nominal
Pulse on time or off time programming accuracy	±5 μs, nominal
Pulse on time or off time jitter	1 μs, nominal

Remote Sense

Voltage accuracy	Add (3 ppm of voltage range + 11 µV) per volt of HI lead drop plus 1 µV per volt of lead drop per Ω of corresponding sense lead resistance to voltage accuracy specifications.
Maximum sense lead resistance	100 Ω
Maximum lead drop per lead	3 V

Note Exceeding the maximum lead drop per lead value may result in additional error.

Examples of Calculating Accuracy

Note Specifications listed in examples are for demonstration purposes only and do not necessarily reflect specifications for this device.

Example 1: Calculating 5 °C Accuracy

Calculate the accuracy of 900 nA output in the 1 µA range under the following conditions:


ambient temperature	28 °C
internal device temperature	within T_cal ± 5 °C^[17]¹⁷ T_cal is the internal device temperature recorded by the PXIe-4138 at the completion of the last self-calibration.
self-calibration	within the last 24 hours.

Solution

Since the device internal temperature is within T_cal ± 5 °C and the ambient temperature is within 23 °C ± 5 °C, the appropriate accuracy specification is:

0.03% + 200 pA

Calculate the accuracy using the following formula:

Accuracy = 900 nA * 0.03 % + 200 pA

= 270 pA + 200 pA

= 470 pA

Therefore, the actual output will be within 470 pA of 900 nA.

Example 2: Calculating Remote Sense Accuracy

Calculate the remote sense accuracy of 500 mV output in the 600 mV range. Assume the same conditions as in Example 1, with the following differences:


HI path lead drop	3 V
HI sense lead resistance	2 Ω
LO path lead drop	2.5 V
LO sense lead resistance	1.5 Ω

Solution

Since the device internal temperature is within T_cal ± 5 °C and the ambient temperature is within 23 °C ± 5 °C, the appropriate accuracy specification is:

0.02% + 100 μV

Since the device is using remote sense, use the remote sense accuracy specification:

Add (3 ppm of voltage range + 11 µV) per volt of HI lead drop plus 1 µV per volt of lead drop per Ω of corresponding sense lead resistance to voltage accuracy specifications.

Calculate the remote sense accuracy using the following formula:

Accuracy = (500 mV * 0.02 % + 100 μV) + \frac{600 mV * 3 ppm + 11 μV}{1 V of lead drop} * 3 V + \frac{1 μ V}{V * Ω} * 3 V * 2 Ω + \frac{1 μ V}{V * Ω} * 2.5 V * 1.5 Ω

= 100 μV + 100 μV + 12.8 μV * 3 + 6 μV + 3.8 μV

= 248.2 μV

Therefore, the actual output will be within 248.2 µV of 500 mV.

Example 3: Calculating Accuracy with Temperature Coefficient

Calculate the accuracy of 900 nA output in the 1 µA range. Assume the same conditions as in Example 1, with the following differences:


ambient temperature	15 °C

Solution

Since the device internal temperature is within T_cal ± 5 °C, the appropriate accuracy specification is:

0.03% + 200 pA

Since the ambient temperature falls outside of 23 °C ± 5 °C, use the following temperature coefficient per degree Celsius outside the 23 °C ± 5 °C range:

0.0006% + 4 pA

Calculate the accuracy using the following formula:

Temperature Variation = (23 ° C - 5 ° C) - 15 ° C = 3 ° C

Accuracy = (900 nA * 0.03 % + 200 pA) + \frac{900 nA * 0.0006 % + 4 p A}{1 ° C} * 3 ° C

= 470 pA + 28.2 pA

= 498.2 pA

Therefore, the actual output will be within 498.2 pA of 900 nA.

Trigger Characteristics

Input Triggers

Types

Start, Source, Sequence Advance, Measure, Pulse, Shutdown

Sources (PXI trigger lines <0...7>) ¹⁸ Pulse widths and logic levels are compliant with PXI Express Hardware Specification Revision 1.0 ECN 1.
Polarity	Configurable
Minimum pulse width	100 ns, nominal

Destinations^[19]¹⁹ Input triggers can be re-exported. (PXI trigger lines <0...7>)^[18]
Polarity	Active high (not configurable)
Pulse width	>200 ns, typical

Output Triggers (Events)

Types

Source Complete, Sequence Iteration Complete, Sequence Engine Done, Measure Complete, Pulse Complete, Ready for Pulse

Destinations (PXI trigger lines <0...7>)^[18]
Polarity	Configurable
Pulse width	Configurable between 250 ns and 1.6 μs, nominal

Protection

Output channel protection
Overcurrent or overvoltage	Automatic shutdown, output disconnect relay opens
Overtemperature	Automatic shutdown, output disconnect relay opens

Safety Voltage and Current

Notice The protection provided by the PXIe-4138 can be impaired if it is used in a manner not described in the user documentation.

Warning Take precautions to avoid electrical shock when operating this product at hazardous voltages.

Caution Isolation voltage ratings apply to the voltage measured between any channel pin and the chassis ground. When operating channels in series or floating on top of external voltage references, ensure that no terminal exceeds this rating.

Attention Les tensions nominales d'isolation s'appliquent à la tension mesurée entre n'importe quelle broche de voie et la masse du châssis. Lors de l'utilisation de voies en série ou flottantes en plus des références de tension externes, assurez-vous qu'aucun terminal ne dépasse cette valeur nominale.

DC voltage

±60 V

Channel-to-earth ground isolation
Continuous	150 VDC, CAT I
Withstand	1,000 V RMS, verified by a 5 s withstand

Caution Do not connect the PXIe-4138 to signals or use for measurements within Measurement Categories II, III, or IV.

Attention Ne connectez pas le PXIe-4138 à des signaux et ne l'utilisez pas pour effectuer des mesures dans les catégories de mesure II, III ou IV.

Measurement Category I is for measurements performed on circuits not directly connected to the electrical distribution system referred to as MAINS voltage. MAINS is a hazardous live electrical supply system that powers equipment. This category is for measurements of voltages from specially protected secondary circuits. Such voltage measurements include signal levels, special equipment, limited-energy parts of equipment, circuits powered by regulated low-voltage sources, and electronics.

Note Measurement Categories CAT I and CAT O are equivalent. These test and measurement circuits are for other circuits not intended for direct connection to the MAINS building installations of Measurement Categories CAT II, CAT III, or CAT IV.

DC current range

±3 A

Guard Output Characteristics

Cable guard
Output impedance	2 kΩ, nominal
Offset voltage	1 mV, typical

Calibration Interval

Recommended calibration interval

1 year

Power Requirement

PXI Express power requirement

2.5 A from the 3.3 V rail and 2.2 A from the 12 V rail

Physical

Dimensions

3U, one-slot, PXI Express/CompactPCI Express module

2.0 cm × 13.0 cm × 21.6 cm (0.8 in. × 5.1 in. × 8.5 in.)

Weight

419 g (14.8 oz)

Front panel connectors

5.08 mm (8 position)

Environmental Guidelines

Notice This product is intended for use in indoor applications only.

Notice Cover all empty slots using filler panels.

Environmental Characteristics

Table 5. Temperature
Operating	0 °C to 55 °C
Storage	-40 °C to 71 °C

Table 6. Humidity
Operating	10% to 90%, noncondensing
Storage	5% to 95%, noncondensing

Table 7. Pollution Degree
Pollution degree	2

Table 8. Maximum Altitude
Maximum altitude	2,000 m (800 mbar) (at 25 °C ambient temperature)

Table 9. Shock and Vibration
Operating vibration	5 Hz to 500 Hz, 0.3 g RMS
Non-operating vibration	5 Hz to 500 Hz, 2.4 g RMS
Operating shock	30 g, half-sine, 11 ms pulse

Safety Compliance Standards

This product is designed to meet the requirements of the following electrical equipment safety standards for measurement, control, and laboratory use:

IEC 61010-1, EN 61010-1
UL 61010-1, CSA C22.2 No. 61010-1

Note For safety certifications, refer to the product label or the Product Certifications and Declarations section.

Electromagnetic Compatibility

This product meets the requirements of the following EMC standards for electrical equipment for measurement, control, and laboratory use:

EN 61326-1 (IEC 61326-1): Class A emissions; Basic immunity
EN 55011 (CISPR 11): Group 1, Class A emissions
AS/NZS CISPR 11: Group 1, Class A emissions

Note Group 1 equipment is any industrial, scientific, or medical equipment that does not intentionally generate radio frequency energy for the treatment of material or inspection/analysis purposes.

Notice For EMC declarations and certifications, and additional information, refer to the Product Certifications and Declarations section.

Note If your device is hardware revision F or earlier, a snap-on ferrite bead is required to remain in EMC compliance. Refer to the PXIe-4138 Getting Started Guide included in your original shipping kit for information about this bead.

To determine which revision of a device you have, open Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) and select the device in question. The hardware revision is displayed in the settings pane on the right-hand side.

Environmental Management

NI is committed to designing and manufacturing products in an environmentally responsible manner. NI recognizes that eliminating certain hazardous substances from our products is beneficial to the environment and to NI customers.

For additional environmental information, refer to the Engineering a Healthy Planet web page at ni.com/environment. This page contains the environmental regulations and directives with which NI complies, as well as other environmental information not included in this document.

EU and UK Customers

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)—At the end of the product life cycle, all NI products must be disposed of according to local laws and regulations. For more information about how to recycle NI products in your region, visit ni.com/environment/weee.

电子信息产品污染控制管理办法（中国RoHS）

中国RoHS— NI符合中国电子信息产品中限制使用某些有害物质指令(RoHS)。关于NI中国RoHS合规性信息，请登录 ni.com/environment/rohs_china。(For information about China RoHS compliance, go to ni.com/environment/rohs_china.)

Product Certifications and Declarations

Refer to the product Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for additional regulatory compliance information. To obtain product certifications and the DoC for NI products, visit ni.com/product-certifications, search by model number, and click the appropriate link.

NI Services

Visit ni.com/support to find support resources including documentation, downloads, and troubleshooting and application development self-help such as tutorials and examples.

Visit ni.com/services to learn about NI service offerings such as calibration options, repair, and replacement.

Visit ni.com/register to register your NI product. Product registration facilitates technical support and ensures that you receive important information updates from NI.

NI corporate headquarters is located at 11500 N Mopac Expwy, Austin, TX, 78759-3504, USA.

¹ The ambient temperature of a PXI system is defined as the temperature at the chassis fan inlet (air intake).

² The PXIe-4138 does not support configurations involving voltage > |42.4 V| when Sequence Step Delta Time Enabled is set to TRUE.

³ Power limit defined by voltage measured between HI and LO terminals.

⁴ Accuracy is specified for no load output configurations. Refer to Load Regulation and Remote Sense sections for additional accuracy derating and conditions.

⁵ T _calis the internal device temperature recorded by the PXIe-4138 at the completion of the last self-calibration.

⁶ T_cal is the internal device temperature recorded by the PXIe-4138 at the completion of the last self-calibration.

⁷ Measured as the time to settle to within 0.1% of step amplitude, device configured for fast transient response.

⁸ Current limit set to ≥50 μA and ≥50% of the selected current limit range.

⁹ Current limit set to ≥20 μA and ≥20% of selected current limit range.

¹⁰ Voltage limit set to ≥2 V, resistive load set to 1 V/selected current range.

¹¹ When sourcing while measuring, both the Source Delay and Aperture Time affect the sampling rate. When taking a measure record, only the Aperture Time affects the sampling rate.

¹² As the source delay is adjusted or if advanced sequencing is used, maximum source rates vary. Timed output mode is enabled in Sequence Mode by setting Sequence Step Delta Time Enabled to True.

¹³ Time from PXI Trigger sent until SMU output goes to high impedance.

¹⁴ Shorter minimum on times for in-range pulses can be achieved using Sequence mode or Timed Output mode with Output Function set to Voltage or Current.

¹⁵ Pulse on time is measured from the start of the leading edge to the start of the trailing edge.

¹⁶ Pulse off time is measured from the start of the trailing edge to the start of a subsequent leading edge.

¹⁷ T_cal is the internal device temperature recorded by the PXIe-4138 at the completion of the last self-calibration.

¹⁸ Pulse widths and logic levels are compliant with PXI Express Hardware Specification Revision 1.0 ECN 1.

¹⁹ Input triggers can be re-exported.