National Instruments VXI-MXI-Express Series User manual

INSTALLATION GUIDE

VXI-MXI-Express Series

This document describes how to set up and configure the

VXI-MXI-Express Series controller.

What You Need to Get Started

To set up and use the VXI-MXI-Express Series controller interface kit, you

need the following items:

❑A host computer with an available PCI Express slot1running the

Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating system

❑A PCI Express or ExpressCard to MXI-Express interface card

❑A VXIbus mainframe

❑A VXI-MXI-Express Series controller

❑A x1 MXI-Express cable

❑The National Instruments NI-VXI driver software CD

❑This document

Installing the Software

Use the Setup program that came with your NI-VXI/NI-VISA software

to install the entire software package or a software update, or to reinstall

software in the event that your files were accidentally erased. Some of

the utilities rely on the LabWindows™/CVI™ Run-Time Engine. This

software is installed, if necessary, during the NI-VXI/NI-VISA installation.

Depending on the type of installation you choose, you may need up to

500 MB of free space on your hard drive to accommodate the NI-VXI and

NI-VISA software.

1 Some x16 slots may not work correctly with MXI-Express adapters.

VXI-MXI-Express Series Installation Guide 2 ni.com

To be compliant with VXIplug&play specifications, a VXI controller must

provide the VISA I/O driver library standardized by VXIplug&play. VISA

ensures that your controller can run all VXIplug&play-compatible software

now and in the future.

The NI-VISA software in this kit is compatible with the WINNT/GWINNT

framework. With NI-VISA installed on your computer, you can run any

VXIplug&play software that is compatible with this framework. This

includes instrument drivers and executable soft front panel software

included with VXIplug&play-compatible instruments from a variety

of vendors.

Installing the NI-VXI and NI-VISA Software

This section describes how to install the NI-VXI and NI-VISA software.

Carefully read these directions along with any messages on the screen

before making your selections. You can quit the Setup program at any time

by clicking the Cancel button.

Caution To keep the manufacturer/model name tables or the VME device configuration

from a previous installation, be sure to back them up before starting Setup. They are in

the TBL subdirectory of your NI-VXI directory, usually Program Files\National

Instruments\VXI.

Setup is an interactive, self-guiding program that installs the NI-VXI and

NI-VISA software and configures your system to use the software with

the VXI-MXI-Express. Complete the following steps to perform the

installation.

1. Insert the CD. When prompted, select Install NI-VXI from the menu.

If no menu appears when the CD is inserted:

a. Select Start»Run and enter the following text, where

is your

CD drive (usually D):

:\setup.exe

b. Click the OK button to begin installing NI-VXI.

2. Click the Next button at the Welcome screen to start the installation

and accept the license agreement.

Note If you have a previous version of the NI-VXI software installed, Setup installs the

new version over the previous version.

©National Instruments Corporation 3 VXI-MXI-Express Series Installation Guide

3. Select the installation features from the Features screen.

Tip For more information about the NI-VXI API, refer to Chapter 3, Developing Your

Application, in the VXI-MXI-Express Series User Manual.

4. Click the Next button. After reading the license agreement(s), confirm

your acceptance.

5. Click the Next button. Confirm that you are ready to install and click

Next again to begin the installation.

6. Setup now copies the necessary files to your hard drive and creates

program icons.

Completing the Software Installation

Review the information in any README files that Setup prompts you

to read.

When the installation process completes, reboot the system for the changes

to take effect. If you backed up the manufacturer and model name files,

restore them to the TBL subdirectory of your NI-VXI directory before

running MAX.

Note If you save and restore the TBL files from an older version of NI-VXI, the software

will use TBL files that do not have the latest updates from National Instruments and may

not include recent hardware releases. If you added additional manufacturer or model names

to your TBL files, we recommend merging those changes with the latest updates included

with this version of NI-VXI, so that all your devices are properly identified.

Installing the Hardware

This section summarizes how to install your VXI-MXI-Express Series

controller hardware.

Caution To guard against electrostatic discharge, touch the antistatic plastic packages to a

metal part of your computer or chassis before removing the boards from their packages.

Your computer or chassis should be plugged in but powered off.

Installing Your VXI-MXI-Express Series Controller

Note Although the VXI-MXI-Express Series controllers are typically installed in Slot 0

of the VXI chassis, they may operate in other slots of the chassis. If you choose to install

the controller in a slot other than Slot 0, the automatic detection circuitry on the controller

will detect the slot and configure the controller appropriately, if the J2 jumper is set to

Auto-detect.

VXI-MXI-Express Series Installation Guide 4 ni.com

Cautions Having more than one device configured as system controller can damage the

VXI system. For VXI systems that include VME devices, ensure that the VME devices are

not configured in the upper 16 KB (starting from 0xC000) of the A16 address space. This

region is reserved for VXI device configuration registers, which are used for initializing,

configuring, and interacting with VXI devices. The VXI-MXI-Express Series controller

also uses this region for this purpose.

Also ensure that no other VXI devices in your system are manually configured for the same

logical address as your controller. The default shipping configuration is that the card

auto-detects if it is in Slot 0.

To install the VXI-MXI-Express Series controller in Slot 0 of your VXI

chassis, complete the following steps.

1. Power off the chassis.

2. Verify that the backplane connector is intact and that there are no bent

or missing pins on the controller.

3. Insert the VXI-MXI-Express Series controller into the chassis in

Slot 0, as shown in Figure 2.

4. Firmly press the VXI-MXI-Express Series controller into the mating

connectors to ensure the module is fully inserted and seated in the

connector.

5. Tighten the two ejector handle screws.

6. Power on the chassis.

The VXI system controllers operate certain VXI lines as required for

VXI systems. Verify that any other VXI devices with system controller

capability that are in the same chassis are not configured as system

controller.

Installing Your NI PCIe-8361/NI PCIe-8362 x1 PCI Express to

MXI-Express Interface Card

To install your NI PCIe-8361/NI PCIe-8362 x1 PCI Express to

MXI-Express module, complete the following steps.

1. Power off your computer, but leave it plugged in while installing the

NI PCIe-8361/NI PCIe-8362. The power cord grounds the chassis and

protects it from electrical damage while you install the card.

Caution To protect both yourself and the computer from electrical hazards, your computer

should remain off until you finish installing the NI PCIe-8361/NI PCIe-8362.

2. Open the host computer or remove the top cover to gain access to the

host computer PCIe expansion slots.

©National Instruments Corporation 5 VXI-MXI-Express Series Installation Guide

3. Select any available PCI Express expansion slot.

Note The BIOS or motherboard may not support the NI PCIe-8361/NI PCIe-8362 in a slot

intended for a graphics card.

4. Locate the slot. Remove any slot and back panel covers and hardware

(for example, screws).

5. Touch the metal part of the power supply case inside the computer to

discharge any static electricity that might be on your clothes or body.

6. Line up the NI PCIe-8361/NI PCIe-8362 with the slot on the

back panel. Slowly push down on the top of the NI PCIe-8361/

NI PCIe-8362 until its card-edge connector is resting on the expansion

slot receptacle. Using slow, evenly distributed pressure, press the

NI PCIe-8361/NI PCIe-8362 straight down until it seats completely

in the expansion slot, as shown in Figure 1.

7. Reinstall the bracket-retaining mechanism to secure the

NI PCIe-8361/NI PCIe-8362 to the back panel rail.

8. Replace the computer cover.

Figure 1. Installing the NI PCIe-8361/NI PCIe-8362

1 NI PCIe-8361/NI PCIe-8362 Card

2 PCI Express Card Edge Connector

3 PCI Express Slot

VXI-MXI-Express Series Installation Guide 6 ni.com

Installing Your NI ExpressCard-8360 ExpressCard MXI Interface

Complete the following steps to install the ExpressCard interface card.

1. Power off your computer.

Note You may want to connect one end of the x1 MXI-Express cable to the

ExpressCard-8360 prior to installing it into the host computer.

2. Insert the ExpressCard-8360 in any available ExpressCard/34 or

ExpressCard/54 slot.

Connecting Cables

Connect the x1 MXI-Express cable to the VXI-MXI-Express Series

controller and then to the x1 MXI-Express host adapter in the host

computer.

Figure 2 shows a system that includes a PCI Express-based host computer

and a VXI-MXI-Express Series controller.

Figure 2. Host System with VXI-MXI-Express Series Controller

1 Host Computer

2 VXI Mainframe

3 VXI-MXI-Express Series Controller in Slot 0

4 Host Cable

bus

NATIONAL

INSTRUMENTS

©National Instruments Corporation 7 VXI-MXI-Express Series Installation Guide

For information on connecting cables to TRIG/CLK PORT A(B) on the

NI VXI-8360T, refer to the Connecting The Cables section of Appendix D,

VXI-8360T Hardware Configuration Settings, in the VXI-MXI-Express

Series User Manual.

Powering Up the MXI-Express System

Complete the following steps to power up the system.

Notes All VXI expansion chassis must be fully powered before turning on the host

computer, otherwise the expansion chassis will not be detected by the host.

There are no requirements on how VXI-MXI-Express-based expansion chassis are

powered up relative to each other as long as they are all on before the host computer

is powered on.

1. Power on all of the VXI expansion chassis in any order you choose.

2. Power on the host computer.

Powering Down the MXI-Express System

Because operating systems and drivers commonly make the assumption

that PCI devices will be present in the system from power-up to

power-down, it is important not to power off the expansion chassis until

after the host PC is powered off. Powering off the expansion chassis while

the host is still on can cause crashes or hangs. The order in which expansion

chassis are powered off, relative to each other, is not important.

Software Configuration and Verification

Complete the following steps to configure the software and verify the

configuration.

1. Run MAX. You must run the Resource Manager (Resman) every time

the chassis or computer power is cycled, so that your application can

access devices in the VXI chassis. You can also configure MAX to

run Resman automatically at every computer startup by selecting

Tools»NI-VXI»VXI Options from the menu and selecting the

appropriate checkbox.

National Instruments, NI, ni.com, and LabVIEW are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation.

Refer to the Terms of Use section on ni.com/legal for more information about National

Instruments trademarks. Other product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade

names of their respective companies. For patents covering National Instruments products, refer to the

appropriate location: Help»Patents in your software, the patents.txt file on your CD, or

ni.com/patents.

2. You can also use MAX to interactively configure the National

Instruments hardware in your system. Use the right-click help for

information about the various configuration options. After you finish

configuring the system through MAX, verify the configuration

through the interactive control utility, VISAIC (Start»Programs»

National Instruments»VISA»VISA Interactive Control),

as described in Chapter 3, Developing Your Application, in the

VXI-MXI-Express Series User Manual.

Note If you are using extenders such as MXI-2 to create a multichassis system, you may

need to run Resman before configuring some of your devices.

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