National Instruments NI PXI-8840 User manual

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GETTING STARTED GUIDE
NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core
This document includes instructions for installing and configuring your NI PXI-8840
Quad-Core PXI controller module.
For complete configuration information (including BIOS configuration, ExpressCard
installation, hard drive recovery, memory upgrade, and OS installation), full specifications,
and I/O information, refer to the NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core User Manual.
Contents
Getting Started.......................................................................................................................... 2
Electromagnetic Compatibility Guidelines.......................................................................2
Unpacking......................................................................................................................... 2
Electrical........................................................................................................................... 3
Preparing the Environment............................................................................................... 3
Installing the NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core into a PXI Chassis.............................................. 4
LabVIEW RT.................................................................................................................... 6
Drivers and Software........................................................................................................ 8
Data Storage......................................................................................................................8
NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core Front Panel............................................................................... 9
Removing the NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core from a PXI Chassis......................................... 11
Cleaning.......................................................................................................................... 11
Common Configuration Questions..........................................................................................11
General Questions........................................................................................................... 11
Boot Options................................................................................................................... 12
Cables and Connections.................................................................................................. 12
Software Driver Installation............................................................................................13
Upgrade Information.......................................................................................................14
PXI Configuration...........................................................................................................15
Troubleshooting...................................................................................................................... 15
What if the Controller Does Not Boot?.......................................................................... 15
What If I Can’t See The Video?......................................................................................16
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?........................................................... 16
My chassis or controller does not appear in MAX. How do I use MAX to identify
and configure my PXI system?.................................................................................17
My CMOS is corrupted. How do I set it back to default?.............................................. 17
Worldwide Support and Services............................................................................................ 18
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Getting Started
This section includes instructions for unpacking and installing your NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core
controller, including setting up your controller to run LabVIEW Real-Time. It also describes
the controller's front panel connectors.
Electromagnetic Compatibility Guidelines
This product was tested and complies with the regulatory requirements and limits for
electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) stated in the product specifications. These requirements
and limits provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the product is
operated in the intended operational electromagnetic environment.
This product is intended for use in industrial locations. However, harmful interference may
occur in some installations, when the product is connected to a peripheral device or test object,
or if the product is used in residential or commercial areas. To minimize interference with
radio and television reception and prevent unacceptable performance degradation, install and
use this product in strict accordance with the instructions in the product documentation.
Furthermore, any changes or modifications to the product not expressly approved by National
Instruments could void your authority to operate it under your local regulatory rules.
Caution To ensure the specified EMC performance, operate this product only with
shielded cables and accessories.
Caution To ensure the specified EMC performance, all I/O cables except
connected Ethernet, serial, USB 2.0, and GPIB cables must be no longer than 3 m
(10 ft.). Serial, USB 2.0, and GPIB cables must be no longer than 30 m (100 ft.).
Ethernet cables can be longer than 30 m (100 ft.).
Unpacking
The NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core 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 National Instruments if the device appears damaged in any way. Do not install a
damaged device into your chassis.
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Electrical
Note Does not include any attached USB devices or ExpressCard.
Voltage (V) Current (Amps) Typical Current (Amps) Maximum
+3.3 V 1.82 A 1.98 A
+5 V (+5 VDC and +5 VIO) 10.71 A 15.69 A
+12 V 0.14 A 0.17 A
-12 V 0.00 A 0.00 A
Preparing the Environment
Ensure the environment you are using the NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core in meets the following
specifications.
Caution The operating temperature must not be exceeded, even when used in a
chassis with a higher temperature range.
Ambient temperature range1, 2
Base 5 °C to 50 °C3 (Tested in accordance with
IEC-60068-2-1 and IEC-60068-2-2.)
Extended Temperature Option 0 °C to 55 °C (Tested in accordance with
IEC-60068-2-1 and IEC-60068-2-2. Meets
MIL-PRF-28800F Class 3 low temperature
limit and MIL-PRF-28800F Class 2 high
temperature limit.)
Relative humidity range 10 to 90%, noncondensing (Tested in
accordance with IEC-60068-2-56.)
Maximum altitude 2,000 m
Pollution Degree 2
Indoor use only.
Note Refer to the NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core User Manual for full NI PXI-8840
Quad-Core specifications.
1For chassis that are not available in the online catalog at ni.com, contact National Instruments for
supported operating temperatures.
2Processor should not throttle CPU frequency under reasonable, worst case processor work loads in
high operating temperatures.
35 °C to 40 °C for the NI PXI-1000B DC.
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Installing the NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core into a PXI
Chassis
To install the NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core into a PXI chassis, complete the following steps.
1. Plug in your chassis before installing the NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core. The power cord
grounds the chassis and protects it from electrical damage while you install the module.
Caution In some National Instruments chassis, such as the NI PXI-1042, you
must ensure that the power LED is off. For more information about chassis
power behavior, refer to the user manual for the specific chassis.
Caution To protect both yourself and the chassis from electrical hazards,
leave the chassis off until you finish installing the NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core.
2. Remove any 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 Plastic Covers
1
1. Protective Screw Cap (4x)
5. Make sure the injector/ejector handle is in its downward position. Align the NI PXI-8840
Quad-Core 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 PXI-8840 Quad-Core. The module will not insert properly unless the handle
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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 PXI-8840 Quad-Core 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 PXI-8840 Quad-Core to the chassis.
9. Check the installation.
10. Connect the keyboard and mouse to the appropriate 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 offers 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.
13. Power on the display. Refer to the NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core User Manual for details.
14. Power on the chassis.
15. Verify that the controller boots. If it does not boot, refer to the Troubleshooting section.
The following figure shows an NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core controller installed in the system
controller slot of an NI PXI-1042 chassis.
Figure 2. NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core Installed in a PXI Chassis
1
3
2
1. PXI Chassis
2. PXI Controller
3. Injector/Ejector Rail
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LabVIEW RT
This section explains software installation and switch configuration for LabVIEW RT on your
PXI controller.
LabVIEW RT Software Installation
The following section describes the necessary steps to get your PXI embedded controller set
up to run LabVIEW Real-Time. In this section you will configure the controller boot mode,
verify or change IP settings, and install LabVIEW Real-Time software.
Complete the following steps to install the LabVIEW RT software.
1. Boot the NI PXI embedded controller into the real-time operating system. Refer to the
LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches section or the LabVIEW RT Setup Menu section in
this document to configure the controller for booting into LabVIEW RT. The PXI
controller automatically boots into LabVIEW RT Safe Mode when no software is
installed. LabVIEW RT Safe Mode loads with the basic real-time operating system and
automatically attempts to connect to the network using DHCP. If DHCP is not available,
it then connects to the network with a link-local IP address.
Tip You can connect a monitor to the desktop PC to display startup messages
such as the IP address.
2. Open Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) on another computer in the same
subnet and expand the Remote Systems branch. MAX lists the PXI controller as the
controller model name followed by the MAC address (for example, NI-PXI-8840
00802f108562).
Note The other computer must have LabVIEW, LabVIEW RT, and any
desired drivers installed.
Tip Record the PXI controller MAC address, located on the side of the
controller, for use in identifying the controller. You also can remove the label
and place it on the front of the controller for easier access.
3. Click the appropriate PXI 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 Configuration»Configuring Network
Settings from the Contents tab of MAX Help.
Note When any IP or identification settings are changed, you are prompted to
reboot the controller for the changes to take effect. Click Yes to reboot the RT
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target automatically. You may also reboot the controller by right-clicking the
target name under Remote Systems and selecting Reboot.
After rebooting the PXI controller, it appears in the Remote Systems category with the
assigned name.
6. Expand the PXI 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 Software Wizard.
8. Install the LabVIEW Real-Time software 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 software.
After software installation, the controller automatically reboots, and you now can program it
using LabVIEW Real-Time.
Note Refer to the RT Getting Started Guide 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 after a system reset.
The NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core 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 software 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. After changing the settings or
software, 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
different subnet or if the current TCP/IP settings are valid.
Note By default, the target automatically attempts to connect to the network using
DHCP. If the target cannot 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.
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Figure 3. LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches
3
2
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 Software
Your hard drive includes a directory called images in its root that contains software and soft
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.
Data Storage
The NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core has the following data storage features:
• 2.5 in. SATA notebook internal hard drive
• USB storage support—USB CD/DVD-ROM, mass storage device, or floppy drive
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NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core Front Panel
The following figure shows the NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core front panel layout.
Figure 4. NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core Front Panel Layout
10
1
7
6
9
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
NI PXI-8840
Quad-Core
1. USB 2.0
2. LEDs
3. Trigger
4. COM1
5. USB 3.0
6. DisplayPort
7. Ethernet
8. Reset Button
9. GPIB
10. ExpressCard/34 (on ExpressCard variant only)
Front Panel Connectors
The following table lists various peripherals and their corresponding NI PXI-8840 Quad-Core
external connectors, bus interfaces, and functions.
Peripheral External Connector Description
Video DisplayPort Intel® HD Graphics controller
Serial COM1 (9-pin DSUB) 16550 RS-232 serial port
Ethernet LAN (RJ45) 10/100/1000 Ethernet connection
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