Performance optimization of VXI-based measurement stations

The paper deals with a procedure for estimating the communication times in VXI measurement stations, mainly used in industrial environment with the aim of optimizing their global performances. At first, the proposed procedure analyzes the communication process in order to share the global communication time into elementary time intervals. Then, it evaluates each of them by a two channel oscilloscope used to probe the handshaking lines of the communication protocols. The basic intervals are then used to find general expressions of the communication time for any amount of data transfers with the same measurement station. On this basis, the factors responsible for the throughput loss deriving from communication bottlenecks can be put in evidence. Thus, the proposed procedure provides an useful investigation tool for increasing the station performance. In order to best put in evidence the benefits of the proposed procedure, its experimental application to a general purpose VXI measurement station is discussed as well