Pickering expands digital modules

These additions bolster the company's extensive range of digital input and output modules, introducing higher density, wider voltage and current ranges, and programmable logic levels across both PXI and PXIe form factors. With these new offerings, Pickering now boasts the most expansive and varied collection of PXI and PXIe digital I/O modules in the industry.

Digital input and output modules are essential components in automated test systems, operating external devices or interfacing with external logic. Digital inputs ascertain whether a signal's voltage surpasses a set threshold, while digital outputs can source or sink current, and sometimes both. These industrial digital I/O modules are particularly adept at gathering signals from digital sensors, interacting with industrial devices such as PLCs, and controlling relays, solenoids, and lights.

"At Pickering Interfaces, we’re committed to providing the largest and most capable catalog of industrial digital I/O products in the industry,” said Paul Bovingdon, Technical Engineering Manager, Pickering. “These new modules reflect our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of our customers."

High-Density Digital Output Modules (model 40/42-412A) These modules, enhancing the existing 40-412 PXI range, now include a PXIe variant (model 42-412A). This series offers up to 64 channels of output across four different configurations (16, 32, 48, or 64 channels), capable of handling a maximum external output voltage of 50V and a drive strength of 0.5A, either low-side or high-side.

This new set of modules, available in PXI (40-414) and PXIe (42-414) formats, features a high channel count with high input voltage capability and dual programmable threshold settings for each bank. The modules allow for the detection of multiple voltage levels across eight-channel banks, offering a convenient method for assessing the status of digital signals against two programmable threshold levels. This function is invaluable in functional test applications, potentially eliminating the need for a separate DMM to verify device functionality. Variants offer 32, 64, 96, or 128 input channels, with threshold voltages up to 300V, simplifying the detection of digital signals in sectors like automotive, aerospace, and rail.

Semi-Dynamic Digital I/O Module (model 40/42-419) Models 40-419 (PXI) and 42-419 (PXIe) are digital I/O modules offering 16 to 64 channels, with voltage capabilities up to 60V, supplied externally or through four selectable internal voltage rails (+3.3V, +5V, +12V, or +24V). They feature up to 300mA current output and allow for direction selection on each port or individual channel within a port. These modules also support semi-dynamic 8-bit pattern acquisition and generation using onboard memory.

An update to the existing model 40-411, this module introduces PXIe options and offers four variants from 16 to 64 low-side outputs. It supports an external 60V, 1A relay driving capability, with three on-board relay voltage supply options plus a mixed voltage option for low-power applications. Suitable for driving external relays from a PXI or PXIe system or Pickering Interfaces’ LXI modular chassis.

Models 40/42-411A, 412A, and 419 include built-in protection systems, such as over-current detection and over-voltage clamp or thermal overload, allowing them to operate relay coils without flyback diodes or to prevent relay coil current from flowing back into the chassis backplane through an isolation barrier. The flexibility to use external or internal supply and to select high-side or low-side driving capability meets diverse load capacity requirements.

The front panel of these modules utilises a 78-pin D-type connector for models 40/42-411A and 412A, and a 160-pin DIN 41612 for models 40/42-414 and 419, all of which are compatible with a variety of connector accessories.