The National Instruments PCI-5401 is a 16 MHz arbitrary waveform and function generator for single-slot PCI systems. It employs Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS) to produce standard waveforms—sine, square, triangular, TTL, ramp up, ramp down, DC, and noise—with 12-bit resolution at 40 MS/s sampling rate. The device stores up to 16,384 waveform samples and 512 frequency steps in instruction FIFO memory, delivering 9.31 mHz frequency resolution across its full bandwidth.
Technical Specifications
• Maximum sine wave frequency: 16 MHz
• Sampling rate: 40 MS/s
• Frequency resolution: 9.31 mHz
• Channel resolution: 12-bit
• Waveform memory: 16,384 samples
• Frequency steps: 512 (instruction FIFO)
• Output impedance: Software-selectable 50 Ω or 75 Ω
• Output attenuation: 0 to 73 dB
• Maximum output voltage (50 Ω): ±5 V
• Maximum output voltage (high-impedance load): ±10 V
• DC offset: Supported
• Digital and analog filtering: Supported
• External reference clock input: 1 MHz or 5 to 20 MHz in 1 MHz steps
• Reference clock amplitude: 1.0 Vp-p to 5.0 Vp-p
• SYNC output: TTL version of sine wave, maximum 16 MHz
• Power consumption: 5 V @ 3.5 A maximum; 12 V @ 125 mA
• Operating temperature: 0 °C to 50 °C
– Key Features
• Arbitrary waveform creation with custom sample support
• Flexible triggering: single, continuous, stepped, and burst modes
• Phase-locked loop (PLL) synchronization to external clocks
• Multiple trigger sources: external, software-controlled, RTSI, and PXI trigger lines
• SMB connectors for analog output, sync pulse, and PLL reference
• 50-pin VHD SCSI digital I/O connector
• Front panel indicators: ACCESS and ACTIVE LEDs
– Compatibility & Integration
The PCI-5401 operates under Windows 2000/NT/XP/Me/9x and interfaces with National Instruments NI-FGEN driver software. Integration with MATLAB and the Instrument Control Toolbox enables advanced signal analysis and visualization within established software environments.
