The M4i.77xx-x8 series digital waveform acquisition (logic-analyzer) cards include versions with 32 synchronous channels, either single-ended with programmable threshold levels or differential. The large onboard memory can be segmented to record different waveform sequences. While the M4i.77xx cards have been designed using the latest technology they are still software compatible with the drivers from earlier Spectrum digital acquisition cards. Therefore existing customers can use the same software they developed for a 10 year old 60 MS/s digital input card also for an M4i.77xx series 720 MS/s logic analyzer.

In contrast to the parallel PCI buses PCI Express slots contain serial point to point connections. Each connection pair (lane) is able to reach a burst connection speed of 250 MB/s (Gen 1) or 500 MB/s (Gen2). The fast streaming cards from Spectrum with PCI Express x8 Gen 2 interface need a physical connector of x8 or x16. The card interface can adopt to any electrical PCI Express interface, be it x1, x4, x8 or x16 with any PCI Express generation. One advantage of the PCI Express technology is the direct connection of each slot allowing a full transfer bandwidth for each single card. PCI Express is the bus standard for PC based systems for the next couple of years. Today's State-of-the-art motherboards normally have a couple of PCI Express slots but only one or two PCI-X slots. Server and industrial motherboards as well as high performance cosumer motherboards offer normally PCI Express x8 slots.