PXI Vision

NI PXI Vision and Automotive Camera Interface Modules

What Is PXI Vision?

PXI Vision is a modular image acquisition and camera-interface architecture built on the PXI or PXI Express platform. A system can combine camera data with electrical measurements, motion, switching, RF instruments and synchronization hardware under one automated test application.

Traditional machine vision applications acquire images from industrial cameras and analyze them for dimensions, alignment, presence, identification or defects. Automotive vision testing expands this architecture by capturing or generating serialized camera streams used by cameras, electronic control units, displays and ADAS domain controllers.

PXI Vision Interface Types

NI PXI Vision Module Guide

The PXI-6143 is a simultaneous-sampling DAQ module rather than a frame grabber or automotive SerDes interface. It can complement a vision system when electrical signals must be measured at the same time as an image event, but it cannot replace the PXIe-1435 or PXIe-148x camera-interface modules.

How to Select a PXI Vision Module

1. Identify the Exact Camera Interface

Begin with the camera, ECU or display datasheet. Determine whether the interface is Camera Link, GMSL2, GMSL3, FPD-Link III, FPD-Link IV, GigE Vision, USB3 Vision or another protocol.

For an automotive SerDes interface, record the serializer and deserializer part numbers. Equipment using different GMSL or FPD-Link generations may share a similar connector while remaining electrically or logically incompatible.

2. Determine Capture or Generation Direction

An input configuration receives video from a camera or ECU output and normally uses deserializer hardware. An output configuration generates a camera-like or display-like stream and normally uses serializer hardware.

A bidirectional configuration combines inputs and outputs for capture-and-playback, pass-through processing or closed-loop HIL testing. The channel direction is determined by the ordered hardware variant and generally cannot be changed only through software.

3. Select the Required Channel Count

Count every physical camera or video link that must operate simultaneously. The PXIe-1487 and PXIe-1488 provide high-density configurations for systems requiring up to eight input or output links, while the PXIe-1489 provides four GMSL3 channels.

Do not assume that an eight-channel model provides eight inputs and eight outputs simultaneously. Verify the specific part number because input-only, output-only and mixed-direction versions use different onboard SerDes devices.

4. Calculate Image-Data Throughput

Estimate the uncompressed image rate before selecting the PXIe chassis, controller and storage system:

Image data rate = width × height × frame rate × transferred bits per pixel × active streams.

Include image blanking, protocol overhead, metadata, embedded data, multiple exposures and simultaneous playback streams where applicable. Packed RAW10, RAW12 and RAW14 formats may be transferred or stored differently from their nominal pixel depth.

The camera link rate is not automatically equal to the disk-write rate. FPGA preprocessing, pixel unpacking, image conversion and file formatting can increase or reduce the data transferred to host memory.

5. Verify Resolution, Frame Rate and Video Format

Confirm the maximum resolution, frames per second, pixel clock, number of lanes, pixel format and virtual-channel configuration. Automotive cameras may use raw Bayer data, YUV, RGB, embedded metadata or multiple virtual channels within one serialized link.

The interface generation alone does not guarantee support for every camera format. The FPGA image path, SerDes mode and available example design must understand the stream produced by the camera or required by the ECU.

6. Review FPGA Processing Requirements

FlexRIO-based automotive interfaces expose a user-programmable FPGA for functions such as video routing, format conversion, region-of-interest extraction, metadata handling, fault insertion and low-latency processing.

Check whether the application can use a supplied example design or requires custom LabVIEW FPGA development. Custom processing also consumes FPGA logic, memory, DMA channels and development time.

7. Verify Triggering and Synchronization

Machine vision systems may need to synchronize camera exposure with a strobe, conveyor encoder, motion stage or electrical measurement. The PXIe-1435 includes industrial trigger I/O and a quadrature encoder input for compatible Camera Link systems.

Automotive vision tests may need to coordinate video playback with CAN, Automotive Ethernet, power, RF or sensor-simulation events. PXI timing resources can distribute triggers between modules, but camera-frame alignment and protocol timing still require application-specific configuration.

8. Confirm Cable, Connector and Power Requirements

Verify the complete signal path, including the camera connector, coax or shielded twisted-pair cable, breakout assembly, SerDes pinout, power-over-coax requirement and control-channel wiring.

Automotive cameras frequently combine video, power and bidirectional control on the same physical cable. Incorrect voltage, polarity or PoC configuration can damage the camera, interface module or DUT.

9. Select the PXIe Chassis and Controller

High-resolution multichannel vision applications require substantial PCI Express, memory and storage bandwidth. Review the selected PXI chassis slot map, PCIe generation, lane width, segment bandwidth, cooling and controller connection.

The PXI controller must provide sufficient processing, system memory and PCIe throughput for acquisition, analysis, display and recording. A compatible external workstation may be used when greater CPU, GPU or storage expansion is required.

Camera Link Machine Vision Systems

Camera Link is designed for deterministic, high-throughput image transfer from industrial and scientific cameras. The PXIe-1435 supports Base, Medium and Full Camera Link configurations, pixel clocks from 20 MHz to 85 MHz and image widths up to 80 bits.

Power over Camera Link can supply a compatible camera through the camera cable, reducing external wiring. Before enabling PoCL, verify the camera, cable and power requirements. Camera Link serial communication can be used to configure exposure, gain, tap arrangement and operating mode.

For line-scan and web-inspection systems, an encoder can trigger image lines according to material movement. This produces more consistent spatial sampling than triggering only at a fixed time interval when conveyor speed changes.

Automotive Camera Capture and Video Injection

Camera Capture

Camera capture receives the serialized output from a physical automotive camera. The interface deserializes the stream, transfers image data through the FPGA and sends selected data to host memory or storage.

Capture systems are used for camera characterization, production testing, image-quality analysis, in-vehicle logging and recording data for later reproduction.

Camera Emulation and Video Injection

Camera emulation generates a serialized stream expected by an ECU or ADAS controller. The source may be a prerecorded camera sequence, synthetic scene, modified image or algorithmically generated test pattern.

Video injection allows the test system to reproduce repeatable driving scenarios without requiring a physical camera and scene for every test. Timing, metadata, virtual channels, frame counters and control-channel behavior must match the receiving ECU.

Pass-Through and Fault Insertion

A mixed input/output interface can receive a camera stream, process it in the FPGA and transmit the modified stream to the ECU. This architecture supports image manipulation, delay insertion, frozen frames, dropped frames, corrupted metadata and other controlled fault conditions.

Safety-related testing should validate that the selected module and FPGA design can introduce the required fault without unintentionally changing unrelated portions of the stream.

GMSL and FPD-Link Selection

PXI Vision Software

NI Vision Acquisition Software provides camera discovery, configuration and acquisition support for compatible frame grabbers and camera interfaces. NI Measurement & Automation Explorer can be used to detect supported hardware and test compatible acquisition configurations.

The Vision Development Module provides image-processing and machine-vision functions such as filtering, pattern matching, edge detection, particle analysis, measurement and identification. It is separate from the hardware driver and should be included only when the application requires those analysis functions.

PXI FlexRIO automotive interfaces may also require the FlexRIO driver, LabVIEW FPGA Module, compatible example projects and model-specific firmware or FPGA images. Confirm software versions before ordering replacement or additional modules for an existing system.

Image Storage and Data Streaming

Raw multichannel camera data can consume storage rapidly. Determine whether the application will process images in real time, retain selected frames, record every stream or replay previously captured data.

Continuous recording requires a validated path from the camera interface through the PXIe backplane and controller memory to the storage target. Review PXI data-streaming solutions when sustained recording or playback is required.

Benchmark the final configuration with the intended resolution, frame rate, channel count, pixel format, file structure and recording duration. Short storage benchmarks may not reveal thermal throttling, buffer overflow or sustained-write limitations.

Typical PXI Vision Applications

• Automated optical inspection and defect detection
• Semiconductor wafer and component inspection
• PCB assembly and solder-joint inspection
• Line-scan, web and conveyor inspection
• Scientific, microscopy and laboratory imaging
• ADAS camera characterization and validation
• Automotive ECU video injection
• Camera simulation and prerecorded video playback
• GMSL and FPD-Link interface validation
• Automotive hardware-in-the-loop testing
• In-vehicle camera-data logging
• Robot guidance and motion-synchronized imaging
• Display and infotainment video-interface testing
• Combined optical and electrical production test

Legacy Vision System Replacement

Replacing a legacy frame grabber or automotive camera interface requires checking more than the PXI form factor. Newer hardware may use a different camera standard, connector, SerDes device, FPGA architecture, driver or software API.

Compare the following before approving a replacement:

• PXI or PXI Express slot compatibility
• Camera interface and protocol generation
• Serializer and deserializer part numbers
• Input, output or mixed channel direction
• Number of simultaneous video links
• Resolution, frame rate and pixel format
• Camera trigger, encoder and digital I/O requirements
• Cable, connector, breakout and pinout
• Power-over-coax or Power over Camera Link requirements
• FPGA code and example-project compatibility
• Driver, LabVIEW and operating-system support
• Chassis bandwidth, cooling and storage throughput

A module with greater bandwidth may still require new cables, FPGA development, software changes and complete system requalification.

PXI Vision Procurement and RFQ Guide

For pre-owned vision hardware, request module-recognition results, interface testing and inspection of the camera, cable and backplane connectors. Detection by the PXI controller alone does not verify image acquisition, video generation or SerDes link operation.

FAQ

Is the PXI-6143 a PXI Vision frame grabber?

No. The PXI-6143 is an eight-channel simultaneous-sampling analog input module. It can measure electrical signals alongside a vision test, but it does not connect to or acquire images from a camera.

What is the difference between PXIe-1435 and PXIe-1487?

The PXIe-1435 is a Camera Link frame grabber for industrial and scientific cameras. The PXIe-1487 is a FlexRIO GMSL interface for automotive camera capture, emulation and ADAS testing. The camera standards and intended applications are different.

Can a GMSL interface test an FPD-Link camera?

No. GMSL and FPD-Link use different SerDes technologies. Select a module that matches the camera or ECU interface, protocol generation and serializer or deserializer device.

What is the difference between PXIe-1487 and PXIe-1489?

The PXIe-1487 supports high-density GMSL2 configurations with up to eight links. The PXIe-1489 provides four GMSL3 links for newer high-bandwidth automotive camera systems.

Can an input module generate camera video?

Not unless the ordered hardware includes output serializer channels. Input, output and mixed-direction configurations contain different SerDes components, so the required direction must be selected before ordering.

Is Vision Acquisition Software the same as Vision Development Module?

No. Vision Acquisition Software provides camera and image-acquisition drivers. Vision Development Module adds image-processing and machine-vision analysis functions. FlexRIO automotive interfaces may also require LabVIEW FPGA and model-specific examples.

How is a camera synchronized with electrical measurements?

Use compatible trigger lines, PXI timing resources or synchronization modules to coordinate image exposure with DAQ, motion or other instruments. Timestamping alone does not always provide deterministic exposure alignment.

Can PXI Vision continuously record every camera stream?

Only when the complete PXIe backplane, controller memory, software buffers and storage target sustain the aggregate data rate. Validate the final system under the intended channel count and recording duration.

Recommended PXI Vision Modules

Related NI PXI Solutions

Explore PXI FPGA and RIO modules for custom real-time processing, PXI data acquisition modules for synchronized electrical measurements, or the complete NI PXI system catalog for compatible chassis, controllers and instruments.

NI PXI Vision Solutions from PXISOURCE

PXISOURCE supports engineers, automotive validation teams, system integrators and procurement departments with camera-interface identification, SerDes compatibility review, PXI module selection, chassis and controller matching, legacy-system replacement and sourcing for new or existing vision platforms.