NEW MXIBUS INTERFACE KIT FOR PC AT COMPUTERS MORE THAN TWICE AS FAST FOR
SAME PRICE

Users of VXI-AT2010 Kits Receive 30 Percent Off Cost of MXI-2 System

Austin, Texas -- Aug. 16, 1995 -- National Instruments -- the Virtual
Instrumentation Company -- announced today a MXI-2 version of the
company's MXIbus-based VXI controller for PC AT computers. The VXI-AT4010,
part of the company's next-generation family of MXIbus controllers, uses
the new MITE and MANTIS custom ASICs to deliver transfer rates faster than
twice that of the current VXI-AT2010. Although MXI-2 expands the
capabilities of the original MXI products developed by National
Instruments, MXI-2 is completely software compatible with the original MXI
design and is published as an open specification. Users can trade in their
VXI-AT2010 systems to receive a 30 percent discount off the cost of the
VXI-AT4010. The VXI-AT4010 is also compatible with the DOS, WIN, and GWIN
frameworks outlined by the VXIplug&play Systems Alliance. Users can
program the new controller with the company's LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, and
LabWindows application software packages. The company is highlighting the
VXI-AT4010 in Booth 746.

About the VXI-AT4010

The VXI-AT4010 kit includes an AT-MXI-2 board that plugs into a PC AT
computer, a VXI-MXI-2 interface board that plugs into a VXI chassis, a 2 m
MXI-2 cable, and VXIplug&playand NI-VXI software for Windows 3.1 and DOS.
The VXI-AT4010 kit improves performance when compared to the company's
VXI-AT2010 by increasing data throughput to 4.0 Mbytes/s. The direct
memory access (DMA) capabilities of the new kit, which are provided in
hardware by the MITE ASIC, make the new kit an even more dramatic
improvement because the DMA can transfer more data at sustained rates and
free the CPU for data analysis and presentation. In addition, the AT-MXI-2
board contains all of the hardware circuitry need for Plug and Play ISA
compatibility.

The Plug and Play ISA specification was developed to make the system
configuration of PC-based ISA systems easier by automatically configuring
each board address, interrupt, and DMA channel without user intervention.
Not only is the VXI-AT4010 faster than the VXI-AT2010, it is also easier
to install and configure.

About the MITE and MANTIS ASICs

The MXI-2 products achieve their performance benchmarks by integrating
advanced hardware DMA capabilities of the new MITE custom ASIC, including
the synchronous MXI protocol defined in the MXI 2.0 specification. The
MITE chip is a sophisticated dual-channel DMA controller that has built-in
interfaces for VXI, MXI, and computer buses, such as PCI and PC AT. The
two independent DMA controllers can transport data  either separately or
simultaneously  between any two points or ports, such as the MXIbus, the
computer local memory, the VXIbus, or DRAM residing on the AT-MXI-2 or the
VXI-MXI-2. The VXI-AT4010 also incorporates the popular VME64 protocol to
boost data throughput.

The MANTIS complements the MITE by interfacing to VXI backplane signals,
such as VXI interrupts, triggers, and Module ID lines. The MANTIS also
incorporates the functionality of the previous-generation Trigger
Interface Chip (TIC) ASIC, providing the same advanced trigger and timing
capability found on National Instruments embedded VXI controllers.

New DRAM Options

To increase performance and capability, users can order the AT-MXI-2 and
the VXI-MXI-2 with standard DRAM SIMMs. Users can configure the VXI-MXI-2
with up to 64 MB of DRAM, eliminating the need for expensive stand-alone
memory cards that require at least one VXI slot. This dual-ported DRAM on
either the AT-MXI-2 or the VXI-MXI-2 can be used as shared memory on the
VXIbus, or it can be used as a dedicated data buffer. Continuous or
high-performance data acquisition applications can take advantage of this
feature for real-time or post-acquisition analysis. Using these DRAM
options opens new doors for high-performance data acquisition by ensuring
that data captured at high speeds is delivered to the host computer
quickly and efficiently without losing data points.

Software Compatibility

The VXI-AT4010 is completely compatible with the VXIplug&play Systems
Alliance specifications while also accommodating the large installed base
of NI-VXI users. Not only will all of the VXIplug&play software run using
the VXI-AT4010, but existing applications written for NI-VXI will also run
unaltered. The VXI-AT4010 is completely compatible with the company's
popular LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, and LabWindows software packages.

About National Instruments

National Instruments, headquartered in Austin, Texas, manufactures software
and hardware products for PCs and workstations that scientists and
engineers worldwide use to build virtual instrumentation systems. These
systems are used for research and industrial applications such as
automated testing, laboratory automation, advanced research, industrial
control, factory automation, physiological monitoring, numerical analysis,
and data visualization.

National Instruments stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market System
under the symbol NATI. Further information on National Instruments may be
obtained from the company's SEC filings or by directly contacting the
company's Investor Relations Department at (512) 338-9119.

For more information, please contact

National Instruments,
6504 Bridge Point Parkway
Austin, Texas 78730-5039
(512)-794-0100.

Or call toll free in the U.S. and Canada at (800) 433-3488, fax (512)
794-8411, e-mail info@natinst.com. Readers can also access information
through the National Instruments InstrumentationWeb at
http://www.natinst.com.
 
 =========================================================
 From the 'New Product News' Electronic News Service on...
 AOL (Keyword = New Products) and Delphi (GO COMP PROD)
 =========================================================
 This information was processed from data provided by the
 company/author mentioned. For additional details, please
 contact them directly at the address/phone# indicated.
 Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
 =========================================================
 All submissions for this service should be addressed to:
 BAKER ENTERPRISES,  20 Ferro Dr,  Sewell, NJ  08080  USA
 Email: rbakerpc@delphi.com  -or- RBakerPC (on AOL/Delphi)
 =========================================================
