Can LXI replace GPIB?

LXI (LAN extensions for instruments) is an emerging instrument technology that supports existing LAN standards. As Ethernet speeds increase and all PCs come equipped with LAN support, LXI is increasingly being proposed as a way to take advantage of these changes for use in controlling and communicating with test and measurement (T&M) instruments. The IEEE-488 (GPIB) standard has been used to control and communicate with T&M instruments for nearly 25 years and remains an entrenched standard today. Engineers who build test stands with GPIB-based, rack-and-stack instruments are curious about the value and features LXI offers them: How does LXI fit in? Is it necessary to replace GPIB? LAN is nondeterministic, so how can it be better than GPIB? This paper addresses the technical concerns many test system designers share and discusses how LXI can make working with T&M instruments simpler and more successful than in the past. It also compares the advantages and disadvantages of GPIB instruments vs. LAN-based instruments and describes cases in which LAN offers superior performance