National Instruments NI PXIe-8880 User manual

PXIe-8880
Getting Started
2024-02-05

Contents
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Unpacking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Electrical. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Preparing the Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Shock and Vibration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Installing an OS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Installing from a USB CD/DVD-ROM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Installing the NI PXIe-8880 into a PXI Express Chassis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
LabVIEW RT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
LabVIEW RT Soware Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Drivers and Soware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Data Storage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
NI PXIe-8880 Front Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Front Panel Connectors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
PXI Express Trigger Connectivity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Front Panel Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
PXI Express Chassis Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
PXI Express System Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Removing the NI PXIe-8880 from a PXI Express Chassis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Cleaning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Common Configuration Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
General Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
What do the LEDs on the front panel mean?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Aer shutting down my NI PXIe-8880 controller, the Port 1 Ethernet LEDs
continue to blink. Is it safe to remove my controller or disconnect power?.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
How do I check the configuration of the memory, hard drive, time/date,
and so on?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Can I use the internal Serial ATA drive and an external hard drive at the
same time?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Boot Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
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PXIe-8880 Getting Started

What devices can I boot from?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
How do I configure the controller to boot from these devices?. . . . . . . . . 18
Cables and Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
How do I plug both a PS/2 mouse and PS/2 keyboard into the controller?.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
What if I don’t have a Y-splitter cable? Can I still use a mouse and
keyboard?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Soware Driver Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
How do I install or reinstall the video driver?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
How do I install or reinstall the Ethernet driver?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
How do I install or reinstall the GPIB driver?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
How do I install soware from a CD?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Upgrade Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
How do I upgrade system memory?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
NI PXIe-8880 System Memory Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
How do I flash a new BIOS?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Where do I get the latest soware drivers?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
My NI PXIe-8880 does not have an internal floppy drive. Is there a way to
use an external drive?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
PXI Express Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
How do I use the SMB trigger on the front panel?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
What if the Controller Does Not Boot?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
What If I Can’t See The Video?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
My system boots fine as long as a particular module is not in my chassis. How
do I boot the chassis with the module installed?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
My chassis or controller does not appear in MAX. How do I use MAX to identify
and configure my PXI system?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
My CMOS is corrupted. How do I set it back to default?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
NI Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
© National Instruments 3
PXIe-8880 Getting Started

Overview
This document includes instructions for installing and configuring your NI PXIe-8880
embedded controller.
© 2014National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved. Refer to the <National
Instruments>\_Legal Information directory for information about NI copyright,
patents, trademarks, warranties, product warnings, and export compliance.
Unpacking
The NI PXIe-8880 ships in an antistatic package to prevent electrostatic discharge
from damaging device components. To prevent such damage when handling the
device, ground yourself using a grounding strap or by holding a grounded object,
such as your computer chassis, and complete the following steps:
1. Touch the antistatic package to a metal part of the chassis before removing
the device from the package.
Caution Never touch the exposed pins of connectors.
2. Remove the device from the package and inspect the device for loose
components or any other sign of damage.
3. Notify NI if the device appears damaged in any way. Do not install a damaged
device into your chassis.
Electrical
Voltage (V) Current (Amps) Typical Current (Amps) Maximum
+3.3 V 3.75 A 5.4 A
+5 V 1.5 A 2.0 A
+12 V 3.5 A 5.0 A
-12 V 0.00 A 0.00 A
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PXIe-8880 Getting Started

Voltage (V) Current (Amps) Typical Current (Amps) Maximum
5 VAUX 0.3 A 0.4 A
Preparing the Environment
Ensure the environment you are using the NI PXIe-8880 in meets the following
specifications.
Ambient temperature range
Standard 0 to 50 °C[1],[2] (Tested in accordance with
IEC-60068-2-1 and IEC-60068-2-2. Meets MIL-
PRF-28800F Class 3 temperature limits, except
as noted.)
Relative humidity range 10% to 90%, noncondensing (Tested in
accordance with IEC-60068-2-56.)
Maximum altitude 2,000 m (800 mbar) (at 25 °C ambient
temperature) with chassis fans on high.
Pollution Degree 2
Indoor use only.
Note Refer to the NI PXIe-8880 User Manual and Specifications for full
NI PXIe-8880 specifications.
Shock and Vibration
Operating Shock 30 g peak, half-sine, 11 ms pulse in the Y and Z
axes. 20 g peak, half-sine, 11 ms pulse in the X
axis. (Tested in accordance with IEC-60068-2-27.
Meets MIL-PRF-28800F Class 2 limits in Y and Z
axes.)
Random Vibration
Operating 5 to 500 Hz, 0.3 grms
Nonoperating 5 to 500 Hz, 2.4 grms (Tested in accordance with
IEC-60068-2-64. Nonoperating test profile
© National Instruments 5
PXIe-8880 Getting Started

exceeds the requirements of MIL-PRF-28800F,
Class 3.)
Installing an OS
NI PXIe-8880 controllers include a preinstalled OS. In some cases, you may want to
install a dierent OS.
You can install Windows 7 from a USB CD/DVD-ROM or use an external SCSI CD-ROM
with a PXI-SCSI adapter.
Note For additional assistance with installing or changing an operating
system, refer to KnowledgeBase 2ZKC02OK, Hard Drive Recovery and OS
Installation for PXI, VXI, cRIO-908x, and cDAQ-913x Controllers, at
ni.com/support.
Installing from a USB CD/DVD-ROM
The NI PXIe-8880 supports the installation of Windows 7 from a USB CD/DVD-ROM.
As an alternative to a USB CD/DVD-ROM drive, you can use an external SCSI CD-ROM
with a PXI-SCSI adapter.
Note For additional assistance with installing or changing an operating
system, refer to KnowledgeBase 2ZKC02OK, Hard Drive Recovery and OS
Installation for PXI, VXI, cRIO-908x, and cDAQ-913x Controllers, at
ni.com/support.
Installing the NI PXIe-8880 into a PXI Express Chassis
To install the NI PXIe-8880 into a PXI Express chassis, complete the following steps.
1. Plug in your chassis before installing the NI PXIe-8880. The power cord
grounds the chassis and protects it from electrical damage while you install
the module.
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PXIe-8880 Getting Started

Caution To protect both yourself and the chassis from electrical
hazards, leave the chassis powered o until you finish installing the
NI PXIe-8880 module.
2. Remove any filler panels blocking access to the system controller slot (Slot 1)
in the chassis.
3. Touch the metal part of the chassis case to discharge any static electricity that
might be on your clothes or body.
4. Remove the protective plastic covers from the four bracket-retaining screws as
shown in the following figure.
Figure 1. Removing Protective Screw Caps
a. Protective Screw Cap (4X)
5. Make sure the injector/ejector handle is in its downward position. Align the
NI PXIe-8880 with the card guides on the top and bottom of the system
controller slot.
Caution Do not raise the injector/ejector handle as you insert the
NI PXIe-8880. The module will not insert properly unless the handle
© National Instruments 7
PXIe-8880 Getting Started

is in its downward position so that it does not interfere with the
injector rail on the chassis.
6. Hold the handle as you slowly slide the module into the chassis until the
handle catches on the injector/ejector rail.
7. Raise the injector/ejector handle until the module firmly seats into the
backplane receptacle connectors. The front panel of the NI PXIe-8880 should
be even with the front panel of the chassis.
8. Tighten the four bracket-retaining screws on the top and bottom of the front
panel to secure the NI PXIe-8880 to the chassis.
9. Check the installation.
10. Connect the keyboard and mouse to the USB connectors. If you are using a
PS/2 keyboard and a PS/2 mouse, a Y-splitter adapter is available to connect
both to a single USB connector. National Instruments oers a Y-splitter
adapter cable, part number 778713-02, available through the online catalog at
ni.com/products.
11. Connect the DisplayPort monitor video cable to the DisplayPort connector, or
use the DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter included with your controller to connect a
VGA monitor to the DisplayPort connector.
12. Connect devices to ports as required by your system configuration. Refer to
the NI PXIe-8880 Front Panel Connectors figure for front panel connector
locations.
13. Power on the chassis.
14. Verify that the controller boots. If it does not boot, refer to the
Troubleshooting section.
Figure 2. NI PXIe-8880 Installed in a PXI Express Chassis
1
2
3
X
Y
Z
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PXIe-8880 Getting Started

a. PXI Express Chassis
b. PXI Express Controller
c. Injector/Ejector Rail
LabVIEW RT
This section explains soware installation and switch configuration for LabVIEW RT
on your PXI Express controller.
LabVIEW RT Soware Installation
The following section describes the necessary steps to get your PXI Express
embedded controller setup to run LabVIEW Real-Time. In this section you will
configure the boot mode of the controller, verify or change IP settings, and install
LabVIEW Real-Time soware.
Complete the following steps to install the LabVIEW RT soware.
1. Boot the NI PXI Express embedded controller into the real-time operating
system. Refer to the LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches section to
configure the controller for booting into LabVIEW RT.
The PXI Express controller will automatically boot into LabVIEW RT Safe Mode
when no soware is installed. LabVIEW RT Safe Mode loads with the basic real-
time operating system and will automatically attempt to connect to the
network using DHCP. If DHCP is not available, it will then connect to the
network with a link-local IP address.
Tip You can connect a monitor to the controller to display startup
messages such as the IP address and MAC address.
2. Open Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) on another computer in the
same subnet and expand the Remote Systems branch. MAX lists the PXI
Express controller as the model name of the controller followed by the MAC
address (for example, NI-PXIe-8880 00802f108562).
Note The other computer must have LabVIEW, LabVIEW RT, and any
desired drivers installed.
© National Instruments 9
PXIe-8880 Getting Started

Tip Record the PXI Express controller MAC address, located on the
side of the controller, for use in identifying the controller. The label
also can be removed and placed on the front of the controller for
easier access.
3. Click on the appropriate PXI Express controller entry to access the Network
Settings tab in the right pane view.
4. (Optional) Enter a name for the RT target in the Name text box.
5. (Optional) Set the network configuration options of the RT target in the IP
Settings section and click the Apply button.
For information about configuring network settings, refer to the Configuring
Network Settings book, accessible by browsing to MAX Remote Systems
Help » LabVIEW Real-Time Target Con󽘀guration » Con󽘀guring
Network Settings from the Contents tab of MAX Help.
Note When any IP or identification settings are changed, you will
be prompted to reboot the controller for the changes to take eect.
Click Yes to automatically reboot the RT target. You may also reboot
the controller by right-clicking on the target name under Remote
Systems and selecting Reboot.
Aer rebooting the PXI Express controller it will appear in the Remote
Systems category with the assigned name.
6. Expand the PXI Express controller view in the Remote Systems branch and
select Software.
7. Click the Add/Remove Software button in the toolbar to launch the
LabVIEW Real-Time Soware Wizard.
8. Install the LabVIEW Real-Time soware and device drivers that you require on
the RT target. Refer to the NI Web site at ni.com/info and enter the Info Code
etspc for the latest information about supported soware.
Aer installation of the soware the controller will automatically reboot and you
will now be able to program it using LabVIEW Real-Time.
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PXIe-8880 Getting Started

Note Refer to Getting Started with the LabVIEW Real-Time Module
available on your host computer for more information about setting up
your RT target.
LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches
Use the LabVIEW RT configuration switches to configure LabVIEW RT if it is installed
on the controller. If you are not using LabVIEW RT, these switches should remain in
the OFF position. The controller reads these switches only aer a system reset.
The NI PXIe-8880 controller includes the following LabVIEW RT configuration
switches:
■Switch 1—Boot LabVIEW RT: Set this switch to ON to boot LabVIEW RT.
■Switch 2—Boot Safe Mode: Set this switch to ON to boot LabVIEW RT into
safe mode to reconfigure TCP/IP settings and to download or update soware
from a host computer. This switch overrides the behavior of Switch 1. Booting
the controller into safe mode does not start the embedded LabVIEW RT
engine. Aer changing the settings or soware, reboot the controller with this
switch OFF to resume normal operation.
■Switch 3—Disable Startup VI: Set this switch to ON to prevent VIs from
automatically running at startup if the controller becomes inaccessible
because of a startup VI.
■Switch 4—Reset IP Address: Set this switch to ON to reset the IP address
and other TCP/IP settings to their factory defaults. Use this switch if moving
the controller to a dierent subnet or if the current TCP/IP settings are valid.
Note By default, the target will automatically attempt to connect to the
network using DHCP. If the target is unable to initiate a DHCP connection,
the target connects to the network with a link-local IP address or
169.254.x.x.
The following figure shows the location of the LabVIEW RT configuration switches.
The switches are shown in the OFF position.
© National Instruments 11
PXIe-8880 Getting Started

Figure 3. LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches
32 1
4
1. Switch 1—Boot LabVIEW RT
2. Switch 2—Boot Safe Mode
3. Switch 3—Disable Startup VI
4. Switch 4—Reset IP Address
Drivers and Soware
If you purchased a system preinstalled with Windows, your hard drive includes a
directory called images in its root that contains soware and so copies of manuals
for the peripherals. The directory structure under the images directory is logically
organized into several levels.
In the images directory are drivers and NIDRIVERS directories. The drivers directory
contains driver installers for the system peripherals. These files and directories are
copied exactly from the manufacturer distribution disks, so the naming conventions
vary from peripheral to peripheral. The NIDRIVERS directory contains the GPIB and
PXI Platform Services drivers preinstalled on the controller.
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PXIe-8880 Getting Started

Data Storage
The NI PXIe-8880 has the following data storage features:
■Internal Serial ATA solid-state drive
■240 GB or larger 1.8 in. solid-state drive
■Supports Native Command Queuing
■Supports transfer rates up to 500 MB/s
■USB storage support
■USB CD/DVD-ROM, mass storage device, or floppy drive
NI PXIe-8880 Front Panel
The following figure shows the front panel layout of the NI PXIe-8880.
Figure 4. NI PXIe-8880 Front Panel Connectors
NI PXIe-8 135
Embedded Controller
21
5
6
4
7
8
9
10
11
3
1. Trigger
2. LED Indicators
3. Ethernet Connectors
4. GPIB Connector
5. ExpressCard/34 Slot
6. USB 3.0
7. USB 2.0
8. Display Port Connectors
© National Instruments 13
PXIe-8880 Getting Started

9. Reset Button
10. Parallel Port
11. COM1 Connector
Front Panel Connectors
The following table lists various peripherals and their corresponding NI PXIe-8880
external connectors, bus interfaces, and functions.
Peripheral External Connector Description
Video DisplayPort ATI Radeon E6460 Embedded
GPU
Ethernet Port 1 LAN (RJ45, dual stacked) 10/100/1000 Ethernet
Intel I217
WOL capable
Ethernet Port 2 LAN (RJ45, dual stacked) 10/100/1000 Ethernet
Intel I210
Not WOL capable
USB 2.0 USB 4-pin Series A stacked
receptacle (4 ports)
USB 2.0 capable
USB 3.0 USB 9-pin Series A stacked
receptacle (2 ports)
USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 capable
PXI Express trigger Trigger (SMB) Routing PXI Express triggers to
or from the backplane trigger
bus
GPIB device GPIB (25-pin Micro D) General-Purpose Interface Bus,
IEEE 488.2
PXI Express Trigger Connectivity
The SMB connector on the NI PXIe-8880 front panel can connect to or from any PXI
Express backplane trigger line. A trigger allocation process is needed to prevent two
resources from connecting to the same trigger line, resulting in the trigger being
double-driven and possibly damaging the hardware.
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PXIe-8880 Getting Started

Front Panel Features
The NI PXIe-8880 has the following front-panel features:
■A system reset pushbutton (press the button to reset the controller)
■Two front panel LEDs that show PC status:
■PWR OK/FAULT—Indicates the status of the controller. The LED indicates
one of the following states:
■Green ON steady—PXI Express and onboard power is on and within
regulation limits.
■Green BLINKING—The controller has entered the so o state and is
safe to power down.
Note This status is only applicable when chassis is set to
Manual.
■Green FADING—The controller has entered the stand by (S3) state.
■OFF—The controller is powered o.
■Red BLINKING—The controller detected a power rail fault when trying
to boot.
■Red Solid—The controller detected a thermal fault and has shut down
to protect the system.
■DRIVE—Indicates when an access to the internal hard disk is occurring.
■ USER—Two bi-color green/yellow LEDs (USER1 and USER2) that you can
define to meet the needs of your LabVIEW application.
PXI Express Chassis Configuration
The PXI Express Platform Services soware installed on your controller and
available on the National Instruments Driver DVD or PXI Platform Services CD
included with your kit automatically identifies your PXI Express system components
to generate a pxiesys.ini and pxisys.ini file. You can configure your entire PXI Express
system through Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX), included with your
controller. MAX creates the pxiesys.ini and pxisys.ini file, which define your PXI
© National Instruments 15
PXIe-8880 Getting Started

Express system parameters. MAX also provides an interface to route and reserve
triggers so dynamic routing, through drivers such as DAQmx, avoids double-driving
and potentially damaging trigger lines. For more information about routing and
reserving PXI Express triggers, refer to KnowledgeBase 3TJDOND8, Using PXI Timing
and Triggering Functionality, at ni.com/support.
The configuration steps for single or multiple-chassis systems are the same.
PXI Express System Configuration
1. Launch Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX).
2. In the Con󽘀guration tree, expand Devices and Interfaces.
3. In the Devices and Interfaces tree, expand PXI System. Your PXI Express
chassis is already identified and appears in the PXI System tree.
4. For each unidentified PXI Express chassis in the PXI System tree, right-click 4.
on the chassis and select the appropriate chassis model through the Identify
As submenu. Further expanding the PXI System branch shows all devices in
the system that NI-VISA can recognize.
The PXI Express specification allows for many combinations of PXI Express chassis
and system modules. To assist system integrators, PXI Express chassis and system
module manufacturers must document their products’ capabilities. PXI Express
devices must provide a driver and/or .ini file for identification. For NI PXI Express
chassis and controllers, these files are provided as part of the NI PXI Platform
Services soware included with your controller. System integrators, configuration
utilities, and device drivers can use these .ini files.
The NI PXI Platform Services soware uses the system module driver, chassis driver,
and chassis.ini files to generate the PXI/PXI Express system description files
(pxisys.ini and pxiesys.ini). Device drivers and other utility soware read the
pxiesys.ini and pxisys.ini files to obtain system information. For detailed information
about initialization files, refer to the PXI Express specification at www.pxisa.org.
Removing the NI PXIe-8880 from a PXI Express Chassis
To remove the NI PXIe-8880 from a PXI Express chassis, complete the following
steps.
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PXIe-8880 Getting Started

1. Power o the chassis.
2. Remove any cables that may be attached to the controller front panel.
3. Unscrew the four bracket-retaining screws in the front panel.
4. Press the injector/ejector handle down.
5. Slide the unit out of the chassis.
Cleaning
Use a dry, low-velocity stream of air to clean the NI PXIe-8880 controller. If needed,
use a so, nonmetallic brush for cleaning around components.
Make sure that the device is completely dry and free from contaminants before
returning it to service.
Common Configuration Questions
This section answers common configuration questions you may have when using a
NI PXIe-8880 embedded controller.
What do the LEDs on the front panel mean?
Refer to the LED status descriptions in the Front Panel Features section.
Related reference:
■Front Panel Features
Aer shutting down my NI PXIe-8880 controller, the Port 1 Ethernet LEDs
continue to blink. Is it safe to remove my controller or disconnect power?
The NI PXIe-8880 port 1 Intel I217 Ethernet device remains powered even aer
shutdown. It is safe to remove your controller or disconnect power.
How do I check the configuration of the memory, hard drive, time/date, and
so on?
You can view these parameters in the BIOS setup. Complete the following steps to
enter the BIOS setup:
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1. Reboot the NI PXIe-8880.
2. Press <Delete> during the memory tests.
Refer to the Accessing BIOS Setup Utility section of the NI PXIe-8880 User
Manual for more information.
Related information:
■NI PXIe-8880 User Manual
Can I use the internal Serial ATA drive and an external hard drive at the same
time?
Yes. Refer to the BIOS Setup Utility section of the NI PXIe-8880 User Manual for
more information.
Related information:
■NI PXIe-8880 User Manual
What devices can I boot from?
The NI PXIe-8880 can boot from the following devices:
■The internal Serial ATA hard drive.
■An external SCSI hard drive or SCSI CD/DVD-ROM if a SCSI adapter, such as
the PXI-8214, is used.
■A network PXE server on the same subnet.
■An external USB mass storage device such as a USB hard drive, USB CD/DVD-
ROM, or USB flash drive.
■An external USB floppy drive.
■Most PCI or PCI Express-based devices that provide an Option ROM.
Note There are limitations when booting from a USB device. You can
install Windows 7 and later from a USB CD/DVD-ROM, but not earlier
versions of Windows. The NI PXIe-8880 BIOS configures the USB devices so
that they work in a DOS environment.
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PXIe-8880 Getting Started

How do I configure the controller to boot from these devices?
You can configure the controller to permanently or temporarily change the boot
order.
1. Permanently Change the Boot Order
a. Enter the BIOS setup by rebooting the controller and pressing <Delete>
during the memory tests.
b. Select the Boot menu. You will see a list of all bootable devices, ordered
by device type.
c. Set the boot order by altering Boot Option #1, Boot Option #2, and
Boot Option #3 settings.
2. Temporarily Change the Boot Order
a. Press <F10> during POST to display the Boot menu.
b. Select the device type you want to boot from.
How do I plug both a PS/2 mouse and PS/2 keyboard into the controller?
The NI PXIe-8880 has no PS/2 connector, and you need to use a USB Y-splitter cable
as shown below, or a similar device, to connect both a PS/2 mouse and PS/2
keyboard. NI part number 778713-02 is such a cable and is available through the
online catalog at ni.com/products.
Figure 5. Y-Splitter Cable
What if I don’t have a Y-splitter cable? Can I still use a mouse and keyboard?
If you do not have a Y-splitter cable, plug a USB keyboard into any USB connector.
You can also plug a USB mouse into any USB connector.
How do I install or reinstall the video driver?
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Go to ni.com/downloads to search for and download the latest video drivers.
How do I install or reinstall the Ethernet driver?
Go to ni.com/downloads to search for and download the latest video drivers.
How do I install or reinstall the GPIB driver?
The NI-488.2 driver for your GPIB port is installed by default when your controller is
first shipped from the factory. To change the default installed driver, complete the
following steps:
1. Download the latest GPIB driver from ni.com/downloads.
2. Install the driver and verify that the driver has properly detected the GPIB
driver in the Device Manager. If you need more assistance, refer to ni.com/
support/install.
How do I install soware from a CD?
The compact size of the NI PXIe-8880 does not allow for an integrated USB CD/DVD-
ROM drive. If you are using Windows 7, you have the following options:
• USB CD/DVD-ROM—Windows 7 supports installing from a USB CD/DVD-ROM.
• SCSI CD-ROM—Windows 7 supports installing from a SCSI CD-ROM.
• Mapped network drive—You can use the Ethernet to connect to another
computer. If you share the USB CD/DVD-ROM drive on the other computer, you can
map the shared USB CD/DVD-ROM drive to a drive letter on the NI PXIe-8880.
A USB CD/DVD-ROM drive is available from National Instruments, part number
778492-01.
How do I upgrade system memory?
You can change the amount of installed RAM on the NI PXIe-8880 by upgrading the
DDR4 SO-DIMMs. Complete the following steps to upgrade the RAM.
1. Remove the NI PXIe-8880 from the PXI Express chassis.
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PXIe-8880 Getting Started