Overview

The CompactRIO programmable automation controller (PAC) is an embedded control and acquisition system for applications requiring reliability and performance. With the system’s small size, ruggedness, and flexibility, engineers, scientists, and embedded developers can use CompactRIO hardware for a variety of industrial and embedded control and acquisition applications. CompactRIO is powered by NI LabVIEW FPGA and LabVIEW Real-Time technologies, giving you the ability to quickly design, prototype, and deploy CompactRIO with easy-to-use graphical programming tools.

Hardware Overview

CompactRIO combines a real-time controller, a reconfigurable chassis, and I/O modules. Along with an industrial Freescale processor that can operate networked or stand-alone, the real-time controller features a DC power supply input, an Ethernet port(s) for networking, built-in Web servers, a serial port for connecting to peripherals, a USB port, and nonvolatile storage for data logging. The reconfigurable chassis contains an embedded Xilinx field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmable for implementing custom timing, triggering, signal processing, and control of the I/O modules plugged into the chassis. There are a variety of NI C Series modules for I/O such as strain gage and accelerometer inputs; up to ±300 V analog I/O with low- and high-speed data rates; 12, 24, and 48 V industrial digital I/O; 5 V/TTL digital I/O; counter/timers; pulse generation; motion control; CAN communication; and high-voltage/current relays.

CompactRIO features two main configurations. The performance line (CompactRIO modular systems) is the highest-performance, most flexible, and most rugged version of CompactRIO. These modular systems combine the highest-performance real-time controller with a user-upgradable backplane that includes the largest and most powerful FPGAs available from NI. The value line (CompactRIO integrated systems) is cost-optimized by combining the CompactRIO real-time controller and an 8-slot backplane in a single chassis with a smaller feature set than the CompactRIO modular systems.

Software Overview

LabVIEW is a graphical development environment that delivers flexibility and ease of use for demanding industrial and embedded applications. You can use the LabVIEW Real-Time Module to create a program to reliably run on the CompactRIO real-time controller. Choose from more than 600 built-in LabVIEW functions, including direct access to I/O modules, to build your application for real-time control, analysis, data logging, and communication. You can also integrate existing C/C++ code with LabVIEW Real-Time code. For applications that require custom timing and signal processing, you can use the LabVIEW FPGA Module to program and customize the FPGA within the CompactRIO chassis. Develop your LabVIEW Real-Time and/or LabVIEW FPGA applications on a host computer using graphical programming and download the applications to CompactRIO to run stand-alone or networked to other systems. You can also use LabVIEW to quickly build an HMI or user interface for your CompactRIO system that can run on a networked PC or embedded touch panel.