PCI-5122: Product OverviewThe National Instruments PCI-5122 is a high-speed digitizer card designed for PCI-based computer systems, serving as an oscilloscope replacement for applications requiring capture of fast transient signals and high-frequency waveforms. This card functions as a dual-channel data acquisition instrument with sampling rates and bandwidths typically found in mid-range benchtop oscilloscopes. Its primary function is to digitize analog signals with high temporal resolution, making it suitable for characterizing digital communications, radar pulses, and other nanosecond-scale phenomena.Installed in a standard PCI slot, the card operates by simultaneously sampling two input channels at rates up to 100 megasamples per second (MS/s), providing detailed capture of signal transitions and high-frequency components. Each channel utilizes an 8-bit analog-to-digital converter optimized for speed, delivering sufficient vertical resolution for amplitude measurements while prioritizing the accurate reconstruction of fast edges. The architecture includes deep onboard memory that allows for extended record lengths or the capture of multiple triggered events. The card supports sophisticated triggering options including edge, glitch, and window triggering to isolate specific signal events of interest within complex waveforms.
• Memory Depth: 128 MB standard (64 MB per channel)
• Vertical Resolution: 8 bits (256 levels)
• Accuracy: ±1.5% of reading ±1.5% of range (typical)
• Coupling: AC/DC (software selectable)
• Triggering: Edge, glitch, window, and digital triggering
• Trigger Sensitivity: <10 mV
• Data Transfer: PCI bus mastering DMA
• Operating Temperature: 0°C to 55°C
• Power Consumption: 10 W typical
NI PCI-5122
Core Features & Customer ValueHigh-Speed Signal Capture: The 100 MS/s sampling rate combined with 100 MHz analog bandwidth enables accurate digitization of signals with nanosecond-scale transitions. For engineers working with high-speed digital systems or RF communications, this capability ensures that fast edges and high-frequency components are captured without aliasing or distortion. The benefit is faithful reproduction of signal timing relationships essential for jitter analysis, eye diagram generation, and pulse parameter measurements.Deep Acquisition Memory: The substantial onboard memory per channel supports extended acquisition windows at the maximum sample rate. This allows for capturing long-duration signals or multiple sequential events, which is particularly valuable for applications like radar testing where multiple pulses need to be captured and analyzed. The memory organization enables efficient storage of relevant signal activity while providing sufficient data for detailed post-processing analysis.Advanced Triggering System: The sophisticated triggering capabilities extend beyond simple threshold detection to include glitch and window triggering. This allows engineers to isolate specific anomalous conditions, such as narrow pulses that violate timing specifications in digital systems or signals that fall outside a defined amplitude window. The precision of the triggering system reduces the amount of data that needs to be stored and processed by capturing only the events of interest.Typical ApplicationsIn digital design validation, the digitizer performs signal integrity measurements on computer buses and serial links, generating eye diagrams to evaluate timing margins and noise characteristics in high-speed digital systems.For radar system testing, the card captures RF pulses with precise timing measurements for pulse width, rise time, and pulse repetition interval (PRI) analysis, essential for evaluating radar transmitter performance.In educational and research laboratories, the instrument acquires signals from various transducers and experimental setups where high-speed data acquisition with deep memory is required for analyzing transient phenomena.
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