PXIe-4151 Specifications

These specifications apply to the PXIe-4151.

Revision History

Version Date changed Description
379000D-01 October 2025 Fixed an issue with maximum local sense voltage values.
379000C-01 May 2025 Fixed an issue with the pinouts.
379000B-01 May 2025 Added pinouts.
379000A-01 November 2023 Initial release.

Looking For Something Else?

For information not found in the specifications for your product, such as operating instructions, browse Related Information.

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.
  • Chassis with ≥38 W slot cooling capacity.[2]2 For increased capability, NI recommends installing the PXIe-4151 in a chassis with slot cooling capacity ≥58 W.
    • For chassis with slot cooling capacity = 38 W, fan speed set to HIGH
  • Calibration interval of 2 years.
  • Warm-up time of 30 minutes.
  • Self-calibration performed within the last 24 hours.
  • NI-DCPower Aperture Time is set to 1 power-line cycle (PLC).

Pinout

Use the pinouts to connect to terminals on the PXIe-4151.

Output Connector

Figure 6. Output Connector Pinout
Output Connector Pinout
Table 5. Output Connector Pin Descriptions
Pin Description
HI terminal HI force terminal connected to channel power stage (generates and/or dissipates power). Positive polarity is defined as voltage measured on HI > LO.
LO terminal LO force terminal connected to channel power stage (generates and/or dissipates power). Positive polarity is defined as voltage measured on HI > LO.
HI S terminal Voltage remote sense input terminals. Used to compensate for I x R voltage drops in cable leads, connectors, and switches.
LO S terminal
GND () terminals Tied to chassis ground through module front panel. Use for connections to cable shields. Do not use for grounding the LO force terminal due to pin current rating.

AUX I/O Connector

Figure 7. AUX I/O Connector Pinout

AUX I/O Connector Pinout

Table 6. AUX I/O Connector Pin Descriptions
Pin Descriptions
1 PFI 0 Programmable Function Interface for digital timing and triggering.
2 PFI 1
3 FAULT Device fault status output.
4 INHIBIT Forces the power supply output to an inhibited state when not shorted to ground. You can short this pin to ground using the pre-installed jumper to enable normal operation.
5 GND Ground reference for AUX I/O.
6 PFI 2 Programmable Function Interface for digital timing and triggering.
7 GND Ground reference for AUX I/O.
8 GND

AUX Power In Connector

Figure 8. AUX Power In Connector Pins

AUX Power In Connector Pins

Table 7. AUX Power In Connector Pin Descriptions
Signal Descriptions
+ Positive Auxiliary Power Input
- Negative Auxiliary Power Input

Power Requirements

Table 8. Power Requirements
PXIe Chassis, +3.3 V 1 A, maximum
PXIe Chassis, +12 V 1 A, maximum
Auxiliary power source input 45.6 VDC to 50.4 VDC, 9 A, maximum
Note Current drawn from the auxiliary power source depends on power delivered from the instrument to the load. Refer to the PXIe-4151 user manual for additional details on power budgeting when multiple modules are powered from a single auxiliary power source.

Physical Characteristics

Table 9. Physical Characteristics
Dimensions 3U, two-slot, PXI Express/CompactPCI Express module 4.0 cm × 13.0 cm × 21.6 cm (1.6 in. × 5.1 in. × 8.5 in.)
Weight 650 g (22.9 oz)
Table 10. Front Panel Connectors
Output OMNIMATE Hybrid, 7.62 mm (4 position), 2.54 mm (6 position)
AUX I/O MICRO COMBICON - DFMC 0, 5, 2.54 mm (8 position)
AUX Power In MEGA-FIT RECEPTACLE, 5.7 mm, (4 position)

Instrument Capabilities

Table 11. Power Characteristics
DC voltage ranges 6 V, 20 V
DC current ranges 100 mA, 1 A, 25 A
Available DC output power [3]3 Power limit defined by voltage measured between HI and LO terminals. 300 W
Note The maximum current allowed in the 25 A range is dependent on ambient temperature and chassis cooling capacity. Refer to the following figures for additional detail.
Note An auxiliary power source with sufficient capacity is required for operation. Refer to Power Requirements for additional details.
Figure 9. PXIe-4151 Quadrant Diagram, Tambient = 0 °C to 40 °C


Figure 10. PXIe-4151 Quadrant Diagram, Tambient >40 °C


Voltage

Table 12. Voltage Programming and Measurement Accuracy/Resolution
Range Resolution (Noise Limited) Noise (0.1 Hz to 10 Hz, peak-to-peak, typical)

Accuracy ± (% of Voltage + Offset)[4]4 Refer to the Remote Sense and Load Regulation sections for additional accuracy derating and conditions.

Tambient 23 °C ± 5 °C, Tcal[5]5 Tcal is the internal device temperature recorded by the PXIe-4151 at the completion of the last self-calibration. ± 5 °C

Tempco[6]6 Temperature coefficient applies beyond 23 °C ± 5 °C ambient within ± 5 °C of Tcal. ± (% of Voltage + Offset)/°C

Tambient 0 °C to 55 °C, Tcal ± 5 °C

6 V 1 μV 10 μV 0.022% + 500 μV 0.001% + 25 μV
20 V 10 μV 40 μV 0.024% + 2 mV 0.001% + 65 μV

Current

Table 13. Current Programming and Measurement Accuracy/Resolution
Range Resolution (Noise Limited) Noise (0.1 Hz to 10 Hz, peak-to-peak, typical)

Accuracy ± (% of Current + Offset)[7]7 Refer to the Remote Sense and Load Regulation sections for additional accuracy derating and conditions.

Tambient 23 °C ± 5 °C, Tcal[8]8 Tcal is the internal device temperature recorded by the PXIe-4151 at the completion of the last self-calibration. ± 5 °C

Tempco[9]9 Temperature coefficient applies beyond 23 °C ± 5 °C ambient within ± 5 °C of Tcal. ± (% of Current + Offset)/°C

Tambient 0 °C to 55 °C, Tcal ± 5 °C

100 mA 10 nA 200 nA 0.03% + 30 μA 0.0015% + 1.5 μA
1 A 100 nA 2 μA 0.03% + 300 μA 0.0015% + 15 μA
25 A 10 μA 160 μA 0.065% + 2 mA 0.0035% + 375 μA

Noise

Table 14. Noise
Wideband source noise[10]10 10 Hz to 20 MHZ bandwidth, measured with 1 µF load capacitance at the end of 1 m shielded cable. PXIe-4151 configured for normal transient response. <20 mV peak-to-peak, typical

The following figures illustrate measurement noise as a function of measurement aperture time for the PXIe-4151.

Figure 11. Voltage RMS Noise Versus Aperture Time, Nominal
Figure 12. Current RMS Noise Versus Aperture Time, Nominal
Note When the aperture time is set to two power-line cycles (PLCs), measurement noise differs slightly depending on whether the Power Line Frequency property is set to 50 Hz or 60 Hz.
Note Use the DC Noise Rejection property to configure normal or second-order DC noise rejection.

Settling Time and Transient Response

Note Settling time is measured as the time to settle to within 0.1% of step amplitude, PXIe-4151 configured for fast transient response.
Table 15. Settling Time
Voltage mode, ≤18 V step, unloaded <4.2 ms, typical
Current mode, full-scale step, 25 A range <600 μs, typical
Current mode, full-scale step, 1 A range <320 μs, typical
Current mode, full-scale step, 100 mA range <1.2 ms, typical
Note Settling time specifications for voltage mode derived with current limit set to ≥20% of the selected current limit range.
Note Settling time specifications for current mode (all ranges) derived with voltage limit set to ≥2 V, resistive load set to 1 V/selected current range.
Table 16. Transient Response
Current Range Value
25 A <250 μs, typical to recover within ±300 mV
1 A <50 μs, typical to recover within ±10 mV
Note Transient response is the time to recover within the stated recovery band after a load current change from 50% to 100% of range, PXIe-4151 configured for fast transient response.

Remote Sense

Table 17. Remote Sense
Voltage accuracy Add 10 µV per volt of lead drop per ohm of corresponding sense lead resistance to voltage accuracy specifications.
Maximum sense lead resistance 100 Ω
Maximum lead drop per lead 1 V, maximum 20 V between HI and LO terminals

Load Regulation

Table 18. Load Regulation
Voltage, local sense[11]11 Measured between HI and LO terminals at the module output connector. 5 μV/mA (5 mΩ), nominal; 15 μV/mA (15 mΩ), maximum
Voltage, remote sense Error included in accuracy specifications.
Current Error included in accuracy specifications.

Auxiliary Power Input Line Regulation

Note Auxiliary power input line regulation is the impact to voltage and current accuracy specifications as a result of change in voltage at the auxiliary power input.
Table 19. Auxiliary Power Input Line Regulation
Voltage Error included in accuracy specifications.
Current Error included in accuracy specifications.

Isolation

Table 20. Isolation
Isolation voltage, any channel I/O pin[12]12 Channel I/O pins include the HI, LO, HI Sense and LO Sense terminals. The Shield GND terminals of the output connector are connected to chassis ground and not considered channel I/O pins. to earth ground 150 V DC, CAT I
Transient overvoltage 800 V peak
Caution Isolation voltage ratings apply to the voltage measured between any channel pin (HI, LO, HI Sense, LO Sense) and the chassis ground. When operating channels in series or floating on top of external voltage references, ensure that no terminal exceeds this rating.
Caution 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.
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.

Protection

General Module Protection

Table 21. Absolute Naximum Voltage
Between any channel I/O pin[13]13 Channel I/O pins include the HI, LO, HI Sense and LO Sense terminals. The Shield GND terminals of the output connector are connected to chassis ground and not considered channel I/O pins. and LO 60 V
Any AUX I/O pin to ground 5 V
AUX Power In + to AUX Power In – ±60 V
AUX Power In – to ground ±1 V
Table 22. Output channel protection
Overcurrent or overvoltage Automatic shutdown, output disconnect relay opens
Reverse voltage protection Automatic shutdown, output disconnect relay opens
Down programmer overload Automatic shutdown, output disconnect relay opens
Overtemperature Automatic shutdown, output disconnect relay opens
Table 23. AUX Power protection
Overvoltage or undervoltage Automatic shutdown, output disconnect relay opens
Overcurrent Automatic shutdown, output disconnect relay opens, non-accessible fuse as backup protection

Measurement and Update Timing

Table 24. General Module Measurement and Update Timing
Available sample rates[14]14 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, nominal

where

  • S is samples
  • N = 1, 2, 3, … 224
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[15]15 As the Source Delay is adjusted, or if advanced sequencing is used, maximum update rates vary. 100,000 updates/s, nominal
Table 25. Input Trigger To
Source event delay 10 μs, nominal
Source event jitter 2 μs peak-to-peak, nominal
Measure event jitter 2 μs peak-to-peak, nominal

Triggers

Input Triggers

Table 26. General Input Triggers
Types Start, Source, Sequence Advance, Measure
Table 27. Input Trigger Sources (PXI trigger lines <0...7>
Polarity Active high (not configurable)
Minimum pulse width 100 ns
Note Pulse widths and logic levels are compliant with PXI Express Hardware Specification Revision 1.0 ECN 1
Table 28. Input Trigger Destinations
Polarity Active high (not configurable)
Pulse width >200 ns
Note Input triggers can come from any source (PXI trigger or software trigger) and be exported to any PXI trigger line. This allows for easier multi-board synchronization regardless of the trigger source.
Note As the Source Delay is adjusted, or if advanced sequencing is used, maximum update rates vary.

Output Triggers (Events)

Table 29. General Output Triggers
Types Source Complete, Sequence Iteration Complete, Sequence Engine Done, Measure Complete
Table 30. Output Trigger Destinations
Polarity Active high (not configurable)
Pulse width >230 ns
Note As the Source Delay is adjusted, or if advanced sequencing is used, maximum update rates vary.

AUX I/O (Fault)

Table 31. General AUX I/O Triggers
Direction Output
Logic type 3.3 V CMOS (open drain, internal pull-up)
Polarity Active low (not configurable)
Output voltage range 0 V to 3.3 V, typical
Output impedance (active low) 50 Ω, nominal
Internal pull-up resistance 10 kΩ, nominal

Environmental Characteristics

Table 32. Temperature
Characteristic Specification
Operating temperature 0 °C to 55 °C[16]16 Not all chassis can achieve this ambient temperature range. Refer to PXI chassis specifications to determine the ambient temperature ranges your chassis can achieve., [17]17 Maximum ambient temperature deratings apply when operating the 25 A range above certain current levels. Refer to the Instrument Capabilities section for additional details.
Storage temperature −40 °C to 71 °C
Table 33. Pollution Degree
Specification Value
Pollution Degree 2
Table 34. Altitude
Specification Value
Maximum altitude 2000 m
Table 35. Shock and Vibration
Specification Value
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

Calibration Interval

You can obtain the calibration certificate and information about calibration services for the PXIe-4151 at ni.com/calibration.

Table 36. Calibration Interval
Calibration interval 2 years

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

2 For increased capability, NI recommends installing the PXIe-4151 in a chassis with slot cooling capacity ≥58 W.

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

4 Refer to the Remote Sense and Load Regulation sections for additional accuracy derating and conditions.

5 Tcal is the internal device temperature recorded by the PXIe-4151 at the completion of the last self-calibration.

6 Temperature coefficient applies beyond 23 °C ± 5 °C ambient within ± 5 °C of Tcal.

7 Refer to the Remote Sense and Load Regulation sections for additional accuracy derating and conditions.

8 Tcal is the internal device temperature recorded by the PXIe-4151 at the completion of the last self-calibration.

9 Temperature coefficient applies beyond 23 °C ± 5 °C ambient within ± 5 °C of Tcal.

10 10 Hz to 20 MHZ bandwidth, measured with 1 µF load capacitance at the end of 1 m shielded cable. PXIe-4151 configured for normal transient response.

11 Measured between HI and LO terminals at the module output connector.

12 Channel I/O pins include the HI, LO, HI Sense and LO Sense terminals. The Shield GND terminals of the output connector are connected to chassis ground and not considered channel I/O pins.

13 Channel I/O pins include the HI, LO, HI Sense and LO Sense terminals. The Shield GND terminals of the output connector are connected to chassis ground and not considered channel I/O pins.

14 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.

15 As the Source Delay is adjusted, or if advanced sequencing is used, maximum update rates vary.

16 Not all chassis can achieve this ambient temperature range. Refer to PXI chassis specifications to determine the ambient temperature ranges your chassis can achieve.

17 Maximum ambient temperature deratings apply when operating the 25 A range above certain current levels. Refer to the Instrument Capabilities section for additional details.