PIL 50-200 Series PCI Fault Bus Board

The PIL 50-200 Series PCI Fault Bus Board focuses on simulating various common faults on two-wire communication interfaces (such as CAN Bus, FlexRay, etc.) and is widely used for functional testing and reliability verification of safety-critical communication systems in the automotive electronics and aerospace fields.

The 50-200 series is available in 4-channel and 8-channel configurations. It features high-quality electromechanical relays (EMR) and palladium-ruthenium gold-plated contacts, and has controllable transmission line impedance (120Ω differential). It can accurately simulate various fault environments such as open circuits, short circuits and external fault injection on differential signal lines.

This series is fully functionally identical to Pickering's PXI platform product 40-200, providing users with a consistent fault injection solution across different testing platforms.

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For over ten years, Xi'an Mingxi Taida Information Technology Co., Ltd. (MXTD) has served as a driving force in industrial modernization, architecting bespoke, high-efficiency technical solutions that redefine productivity. Our comprehensive operational model bridges advanced product R&D, cross-border commerce, and full-lifecycle field engineering to fortify and elevate your critical infrastructure. Rooted in deep manufacturing technical intelligence, we build ultra-ruggedized hardware ecologies engineered to maintain continuous operational integrity within the harshest, high-stress industrial environments

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As the complexity of automotive electronic systems continues to increase, differential serial communication protocols such as CAN Bus and FlexRay have become core communication methods for safety-critical systems in the automotive and aerospace fields. During product development, comprehensive fault injection testing of these communication links is essential to verify the responsiveness and reliability of electronic control units (ECUs) under various abnormal communication conditions.

Traditional manual fault injection methods are inefficient and have poor repeatability, making it difficult to meet the high-density automated testing requirements of modern automotive electronics development. The market needs an automated fault injection solution that can be programmably controlled, quickly switches fault states, and maintains signal integrity.

The Pickering 50-200 series is a key model in Pickering Interfaces’ expanded PCI fault injection product line. Together with the 50-201 (a high-bandwidth differential version for AFDX and 1000BaseT Ethernet), it forms a complete differential interface fault injection solution.

The launch of this product extends Pickering's fault injection capabilities from the PXI platform to the PCI platform, allowing users to choose the most suitable platform solution based on the actual architecture of the test system.

The Key Advantages of The 50-200 series:

• Fault simulation capability- It supports simulating open circuit on any line, simultaneous open circuit on both lines, short circuit between lines, and short circuit to 8 external fault connections (such as power supply, ground, etc.) via 4 fault buses.
• Controllable transmission line impedance- 120Ω differential line impedance, compatible with differential communication standards such as CAN Bus and FlexRay.
• Dual operation modes- Mode A (Functional Zoning Mode): Assigns switches to different sub-units according to their functions; Mode B (Free Mode): Allows the user to control all switches within a single sub-unit.
• Security protection mechanism- The software driver defaults to protection mode (Mode A) to prevent simultaneous conflicting faults (such as avoiding power supply short circuits to ground); it can be switched to free mode for full control.
• High-quality relays- Employing high-quality electromechanical relays (EMRs) with palladium-ruthenium gold-plated contacts ensures long lifespan and reliable contact performance.
• Onboard spare relay- The circuit board has a built-in backup relay for easy and quick maintenance, minimizing downtime.
• eBIRST supports- Supports the Pickering eBIRST switch system testing tool, enabling quick location of faulty relays and graphical display of PCB location.

Design Highlights:

• ​​​​​​​Single-slot short PCI format: Occupies a single PCI short card slot, compact and efficient.
• 78-pin male D-type connector: Features a 78-pin D-type connector on the front panel for easy wiring.
• Multi-channel option: Flexible selection of 4-channel (50-200-004) and 8-channel (50-200-008) configurations.
• Fault bus multiplexing: Each of the four fault buses is equipped with a switching relay, allowing flexible selection of one of two fault conditions.
• Complete connector ecosystem: Supports Pickering's full range of cables and connector accessories, including custom cable solutions.
• Cross-platform consistency: Fully functionally consistent with the PXI platform 40-200 module, facilitating system migration.

The core function of the PIL 50-200 Series PCI Fault Bus Board is to simulate various fault conditions on differential communication lines. Each channel (CH) contains a pair of differential signal lines (.1 and .2), supporting the following fault types.

• Signal Path Architecture

50-200-008 8-channel version- Each channel (CH1-CH8) has a complete signal path:

Input terminal (IN): CH1.1 IN / CH1.2 IN ... CH8.1 IN / CH8.2 IN.

Output terminal (OUT): CH1.1 OUT / CH1.2 OUT ... CH8.1 OUT / CH8.2 OUT

ISOLATION: 2 isolation relays per channel to disconnect the signal path

Short-circuit relay (SHORT): 1 short-circuit relay per channel, used to short-circuit the two lines of the differential pair

Fault injection relays (FAULT1-4): 4 fault relays per channel per line, connected to 4 fault buses respectively

50-200-004 4-channel version- The architecture is the same as the 8-channel version, but it only supports four differential channels: CH1-CH4.

• Fault bus architecture

4 fault buses in total (Fault Bus 1-4)

Each fault bus is equipped with one transfer relay (MUX) for switching between two fault inputs (Fa/Fb).

Each fault bus is rated at 2A and supports multiple channels connected to the same fault condition simultaneously.

8 external fault connection points (F1a, F1b, F2a, F2b, F3a, F3b, F4a, F4b) for connecting to external power, ground, or other fault signal sources.

• Programming Architecture

The 50-200 card design has 8 sub-units and supports two operating modes:

Mode A (Functional Partition Mode - Default Security Mode)

Mode A has built-in safety restrictions to prevent multiple fault bus relays from activating simultaneously on the same signal path, thus avoiding conflicting faults.

Mode B (Free Control Mode)

Mode B allows users complete freedom to control the state of all relays without any safety restrictions.

Data Path Specification

Fault Bus Specification

Safety and CE Compliance

Environmental Conditions

The 50-200 series supports the Pickering three-tier driver architecture and is compatible with all Microsoft-supported Windows versions and mainstream older versions.

Supported programming environments

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We understand that standard, off-the-shelf hardware frequently falls short when navigating the intricate parameters of specialized engineering deployments. To eliminate these technical bottlenecks, our veteran engineering division provides end-to-end, build-to-spec OEM and ODM services explicitly mapped to your unique operational mandates. From calibrating sensitive signal spectrum dynamics and embedding intricate hardware triggering logic to fabricating rugged, application-specific form factors, we operate as your collaborative, transparent ally to turn complex concepts into field-ready, high-performance systems.

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• Cohesive Environment Integration: Every customized architecture undergoes exhaustive validation against your exact structural, electrical, and thermal frameworks to guarantee absolute, plug-and-play synergy.
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• Absolute Qualification Standards: Tailored commissions never bypass quality checkpoints. Each custom build undergoes the identical, stringent automated diagnostics and stress testing that define our standard-production product lines.

Using:

• Automotive electronics: ECU functional testing, ADAS system verification, body network testing, powertrain communication testing
• Aerospace: Flight control system communication verification, avionics equipment fault tolerance testing
• Industrial control: Industrial bus communication reliability verification
• Scientific research institutes: communication protocol research and fault analysis

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FAQs:

Q: What specific types of faults can the 50-200 board simulate?

A:  

This board supports 4-channel or 8-channel dual-wire differential interface fault injection. Each channel has a built-in specific relay matrix that can independently or in combination simulate the following faults: Open Fault: Signal line A is disconnected, signal line B is disconnected, or both lines are disconnected simultaneously.

• Short Fault: A direct short circuit between signal lines A and B

• Short to Fault Bus: Short-circuit either line A or B to an external fault source (such as the vehicle's battery positive terminal or GND) via 4 independent fault buses.

Q: When performing high-speed CAN or FlexRay tests, will the 50-200 ohmmeter destroy the waveform of the original signal?

A:  

No. The 50-200 employs a controlled transmission line impedance design. Its internal routing and relay structure are matched to the impedance characteristics of differential signals, perfectly compatible with the high-frequency signal transmission requirements of High-Speed ​​CAN, CAN FD, and FlexRay, minimizing signal reflection and waveform distortion caused by the introduction of test boards.

Q: How much current and voltage can the channels of a 50-200 board withstand?

A: 

Its electrical specifications are differentiated based on signal lines and fault buses:

• Signal Line Channels: Each communication line supports a maximum continuous current of 0.3A, with a rated withstand voltage of up to 100V between wire pairs.

• Fault Bus: Each external fault bus is designed with higher current carrying capacity, capable of carrying up to 2A of current. This allows users to route multiple channels simultaneously to the same heavy-load fault source (such as a high-current power supply).

Q: If a large current overload occurs accidentally (such as during hot-switching of a highly inductive load), will the board be damaged?

A: 

Extremely fragile. The 50-200 uses a high-precision Pickering reed relay internally. Reed relays are highly sensitive to capacitive charging inrush current or inductive back electromotive force during hot-switching. If no external current-limiting resistor is used during a "Short to Battery" fault simulation, the instantaneous capacitor discharge can generate a surge of several amperes within microseconds, causing the contacts to stick together. Therefore, when connecting an external power supply to the Fault Bus, it is strongly recommended to use a series resistor in the circuit for current-limiting protection.

Q: What is the function of the built-in changeover relay on the board?

A: 

Each fault bus in the 50-200 series is additionally equipped with a switching relay. This means that a fault bus can be connected to more than one state. For example, you can use this switching relay to hard switch Fault Bus 1 between 'connected to automotive power (V_Batt)' and 'connected to any programmable analog voltage', thus enriching the fault modes without unplugging or replugging the cables.

Contact Us

Ready to integrate reliable CAN/FlexRay/Differential Bus PCI Fault Insertion Switch​​​​​​​ control into your system? Our team is here to help you select the right configuration and provide ongoing support.

Contact our technical specialists at manager03@mxtdinfo.com  / manager02@mxtdinfo.com for detailed specifications, pricing information, or to discuss your custom requirements. We're committed to delivering the perfect PIL 50-200 Series PCI Fault Bus Board solution for your application needs.