HP 75000 Series C HP E1406A Command Module

Brand and Model Overview

• Brand: Hewlett-Packard / HP (Later Agilent Technologies, now Keysight Technologies)

• Model: E1406A

• Product Line: HP 75000 Series C

• Product Type: VXI Command Module / Slot 0 Controller & Resource Manager

HP 75000 Series C HP E1406A Command Module

Technical Specifications

The HP E1406A is a central system controller board designed for automated test systems. It sits in “Slot 0” of a C-size VXI mainframe, coordinating communication, routing commands, and managing shared hardware resources across all other multi-vendor modular instruments inside the chassis.

• Module Form Factor: C-size, 1-slot VXI message-based commander.

• Onboard Processor: 16 MHz Motorola 68000 microprocessor.

• Memory Capacity:

  • Up to 2 MB of onboard RAM for data buffering and variable storage.

  • Up to 1.75 MB of Flash memory to host downloadable device drivers.

• Core Mainframe Functions:

  • Slot 0 Functionality: Manages internal system clocks, lines, and structural coordination.

  • Resource Manager: Automatically detects, maps, and configures all system modules upon power-up.

• Communication Interfaces:

  • GPIB (IEEE-488): Primary data bus for linking the VXI chassis to an external control PC.

  • RS-232: Serial interface used for connecting external diagnostics terminals or local interfaces.

• Command Translation: Features an integrated command interpreter that translates Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI) directly into the register-level instructions required by basic register-based cards.

• Clock & Timing Control: Integrates a built-in 10 MHz CLK10 system clock with an initial accuracy of 50 ppm, capable of synchronizing to an external low-level AC or TTL signal source.

• Extension Bus Support: Includes an MXIbus Resource Manager to link multiple VXI mainframes together without bottlenecking high-throughput data pipelines.

Target Industries

This module is integrated into high-precision Automated Test Equipment (ATE) environments where massive arrays of instrumentation must run simultaneously:

• Aerospace and Defense: Used in radar, avionics, radio communications, and missile guidance system testing benches.

• Telecommunications: High-speed data transceiver checking, RF parameter analysis, and infrastructure manufacturing tests.

• Automotive Electronics: Functional validation of engine control units (ECUs), sensor clusters, and vehicle electrical subsystems.

• Semiconductor Testing: Wafer-level validation, multi-channel parameter logging, and component characterization systems.

• Academic and Scientific Research: Large-scale research physics laboratories, metrology labs, and synchronized multi-sensor data acquisition platforms.

Application Scenarios

The HP E1406A acts as the primary traffic controller inside high-density test configurations:

• Centralized ATE Mainframe Control: Serving as the structural “Slot 0” core to translate high-level PC test software routines into localized hardware commands across digital multimeters, oscilloscopes, and switch matrices.

• Multi-Chassis Synchronization: Interfacing with MXIbus extension hardware to synchronize timing signals and trigger matrices across separate VXI chassis in massive scale test bays.

• Register-to-SCPI Translation: Simplifying instrument programming by allowing old register-based hardware modules to be read and controlled via accessible, standard SCPI programming languages.

• Standalone Execution Environment: Utilizing optional onboard instrument-level BASIC (IBASIC) architectures to run internal test sequencing logic directly from the command module without needing a constant link to an external supervisor PC.