Agilent / Keysight E9851A VXI Pentium PC Controller, 700 MHz, Windows NT

The Agilent/Keysight E9851A is a C-size, 2-slot VXI embedded PC controller designed for integration into Keysight VXI mainframes. It combines a 700 MHz Pentium III processor with Windows NT 4.0 to deliver message-based instrument control and automated test system management. The controller addresses applications requiring reliable VXI infrastructure, data acquisition, and multi-instrument coordination within a compact mainframe-embedded form factor.

Technical Specifications

Processor & Memory

• Intel Pentium III at 700 MHz


• 64 MB standard RAM, expandable to 384 MB via two SODIMM sockets


• 4.2 GB Ultra DMA 33 hard drive with 3.5-inch 1.44 MB floppy drive Operating System


• Windows NT 4.0 Expansion & Storage


• One internal AT/PCI slot accepting full-length PCI cards or 16-bit XT-height ISA cards


• Two front-panel PCMCIA slots: one Type I/II/III and one Type I/II peripheral slot


• Advanced Graphics Port (AGP) with 2 MB 64-bit accelerated SGRAM Interfaces


• Wide Ultra SCSI-3 port


• 10/100 BaseT Ethernet (RJ45)


• IEEE 488.2 GPIB


• Two RS-232 serial ports


• IEEE-1284-compatible parallel port


• Two USB ports (not supported under Windows NT 4.0)


• PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports

Key Features

• Message-based VXI architecture for standardized instrument communication


• Embedded PC controller design - no external computer required


• Wide peripheral connectivity enables mixed-protocol instrument systems


• SCSI and Ethernet for high-speed data transfer and network integration


• PCMCIA expansion for field-installable I/O modules

Typical Applications

• Automated test systems requiring VXI-based instrument control


• Multi-channel data acquisition with centralized processing


• Production test environments with continuous instrument integration


• System configurations demanding embedded, mainframe-resident control logic

Compatibility & Integration Compatible with Keysight E84XX series, E1401B, and E1421B VXI mainframes. Operates as the control element within larger VXI instrument chassis, simplifying system architecture and reducing external computer dependencies.