National Instruments PCIe-8431/2 Serial Interface Device

The National Instruments NI PCIe-8431/2 (Part number: 782124-01) is a 2-Port, RS422/RS482 compatible Serial Interface. This model allows the user to choose from 2-wire or 4-wire transceiver modes for either half-duplex or full-duplex communications. The PCIe-8431-2 is better than its competitors as it offers high-speed DMA transfers. The DMA technology assists in smart usage of resources and helps in the minimization of CPU overhead. Moreover, this model comes with 128 B size FIFOs for transmission and reception of information.

The National Instruments PCIe-8431/2 can be considered in applications where flexible baud rates are required since it can provide the user with nonstandard and standard baud rates from 2 baud to 3000 kbaud. For easy programming, each unit is offered with free NI-VISA API and NI-Serial drivers. With these software resources, the user can get their system deployed and configured in no time.

This Serial Interface Device comes equipped with a male, DB-9 connector for RS-422/RS-485 devices. This device is designed in such a way that the user can have it deployed inside a PC chassis easily because the dimensions are 4.2 × 5.6 in. This PCI Express based card fulfills its power requirement from a PCIe channel. In normal operating conditions, this model draws 325 mA of current at +5 VDC.

This model is more useful than its counterparts because it also appears as a COM port on the user’s host machine. Thus, it can be used for various programs that support serial communications. In fact, this feature of the PCIe-8431/2 brings endless functionalities for the user.