In 2024, Pickering Interfaces, the leading provider of modular signal switching and sensor simulation products for electronic test and verification, is celebrating 25 years of supporting PXI (PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation), the scalable, high performance modular instrumentation standard first introduced in 1997.

“Celebrating 25 years of supporting PXI is a testament to the standard’s longevity,” said Keith Moore, founder and CEO at Pickering Interfaces, “and Pickering is proud to reaffirm its commitment as a longstanding supporter and contributor to the PXI ecosystem. It’s incredible to think that the original three modules we developed for PXI 25 years ago are still available and selling today – while the breadth and depth of modules we now offer are among the widest available from any PXI vendor. By working closely with customers and investing heavily in R&D, we continuously design new PXI modules to address their varied switching and simulation needs.”

Developed as an open standard by computer-based test and measurement innovator NI (formerly National Instruments), PXI is defined and managed by the PXI Systems Alliance, an industry consortium of over 60 global companies that promotes and maintains the PXI standard, ensuring interoperability. Pickering joined the PXISA in 1998 and has been a Sponsor Member ever since, actively involved in the continuous development of the PXI platform.

“PXI is now the de facto standard for automated test across nearly every relevant industry," said Mark Wetzel, NI Fellow and PXISA Technical Committee chair and board member. "And continued innovation and collaboration with companies like Pickering Interfaces will keep PXI as the dominant open standard for automated electronics test for another 25 years!"

Pickering Interfaces has been designing and manufacturing modular signal switching for electronic test and verification since 1988. In 1998, driven by customer requests, Pickering introduced its first three PXI modules. Since then, PXI has become the dominant standard worldwide for automated test, transforming the test lab and the production floor with systems that reduce cost and form factors while increasing throughput and maintaining performance. Today, with over 200 PXI product families and over 3,500 PXI & PXIe variants available to order, Pickering products are specified in test systems installed worldwide.

Pickering Interfaces PXI products range from RF/microwave, fault insertion and optical switching to sensor simulation, including programmable resistors, strain gauge, battery and thermocouple simulators. Module production takes place on flexible manufacturing lines in Pickering’s two factories in the UK and the Czech Republic, allowing them to meet the ever-changing requirements of the T&M industry.

Pickering Interfaces also recently announced the release of the sixth edition of its reference book, “PXImate: A Practical Guide to Using PXI.” The first major update to this popular guide in almost a decade, the 6th edition of PXImate is designed to be a valuable resource for T&M engineers wanting to learn about building PXI-based test, measurement and automation systems.