National Instruments PXIe-8246 User manual

PXIe-8246
Getting Started
2023-04-03

Contents
Getting Started Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Verifying the System Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Unpacking the Kit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
PXIe-8246 Kit Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Preparing the Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Installing Application Soware and Driver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Installing Vision Builder AI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Installing the Vision Development Module. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Installing the PXIe-8246. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Confirming the Device is Recognized. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Front Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Configuring the PXIe-8246 in MAX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
What Should I Do if the PXIe-8246 Does Not Appear in MAX?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Where to Go Next. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
NI Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
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PXIe-8246 Getting Started

Getting Started Guide
This document describes how to install and configure the necessary hardware and
soware components to begin using the PXIe-8246.
You need the following items to set up and use the PXIe-8246.
■PXIe-8246 GigE interface device
■GigE Vision Camera
■Ethernet cable
■PXIe computer running Microso Windows 10 with at least one available slot
■NI-IMAQdx 20.5 or later driver soware, included with NI Vision Acquisition
Soware (VAS)
■LabVIEW 2020
■Optional soware for developing applications:
■NI Vision Builder for Automated Inspection
■NI Vision Development Module (VDM)
Note Before you begin, install and configure your chassis and controller.
© 2020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.
Verifying the System Requirements
To use the PXIe-8246, your system must meet certain requirements. For more
information about minimum system requirements, recommended system, and
supported application development environments (ADEs), refer to the readme,
which is installed or available at ni.com/manuals.
Unpacking the Kit
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PXIe-8246 Getting Started

Notice To prevent electrostatic discharge (ESD) from damaging the
device, ground yourself using a grounding strap or by holding a grounded
object, such as your computer chassis.
1. Touch the antistatic package to a metal part of the computer chassis.
2. Remove the device from the package and inspect the device for loose
components or any other sign of damage.
Notice Never touch the exposed pins of connectors.
Note Do not install a device if it appears damaged in any way.
3. Unpack any other items and documentation from the kit.
Store the device in the antistatic package when the device is not in use.
PXIe-8246 Kit Contents
The following items are included in the device kit:
■PXIe-8246
■Documentation:
■PXIe-8246 Getting Started Guide (this document)
■PXIe-8246 Safety, Environmental, and Regulatory Information
Preparing the Environment
Ensure the environment in which you are using the PXIe-8246 meets the following
specifications.
Operating environment
Ambient temperature range 0 °C to 55 °C
Relative humidity range 10% to 90%, noncondensing
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PXIe-8246 Getting Started

Maximum altitude 2,000m (800 mbar) (at 25 °C ambient
temperature)
Pollution Degree 2
Indoor use only.
Note For complete specifications, refer to the specifications document
for your device at ni.com/manuals.
Installing Application Soware and Driver
Before installing the PXIe-8246, you must install the application soware and device
driver. National Instruments provides two options for developing machine vision
applications.
■NI Vision Builder for Automated Inspection (Vision Builder AI)—Interactive,
menu-driven configuration soware for developing, benchmarking, and
deploying machine vision applications. You must also install NI-IMAQdx.
■NI Vision Development Module—Programming library for developing
machine vision and scientific imaging applications. The NI Vision
Development Module requires an application development environment—
LabVIEW and NI-IMAQdx.
Installing Vision Builder AI
Install the following soware to use Vision Builder AI to develop applications.
1. NI-IMAQdx—Refer to the NI Vision Acquisition Soware Release Notes on
the NI Vision Acquisition Soware installation media for system requirements
and installation instructions for the NI-IMAQdx driver.
Documentation for the NI-IMAQdx driver soware is available by selecting
Start » All Programs » National Instruments » Vision »
Documentation » NI-IMAQdx.
2. Vision Builder AI—Refer to the NI Vision Builder for Automated Inspection
Readme for installation instructions.
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PXIe-8246 Getting Started

Documentation for Vision Builder AI is available by selecting Start » All
Programs » National Instruments » Vision Builder AI »
Documentation.
Installing the Vision Development Module
Install the following soware to use Installing the Vision Development Module to
develop applications.
1. LabVIEW—Refer to the LabVIEW Release Notes for installation instructions
and system requirements for the LabVIEW soware. Refer to the LabVIEW
Upgrade Notes for additional information about upgrading to the most
recent version of LabVIEW.
Documentation for LabVIEW is available by selecting Start » All Programs »
National Instruments » LabVIEW » LabVIEW Manuals.
2. NI-IMAQdx—Refer to the NI Vision Acquisition Soware Release Notes on
the NI Vision Acquisition Soware installation media for system requirements
and installation instructions for the NI-IMAQdx driver.
Documentation for the NI-IMAQdx driver soware is available by selecting
Start » All Programs » National Instruments » Vision »
Documentation » NI-IMAQdx.
3. NI Vision Development Module—Refer to the NI Vision Development Module
Readme on the NI Vision Development Module installation media for system
requirements and installation instructions.
Documentation for Vision Development Module is available by selecting
Start » All Programs » National Instruments » Vision »
Documentation » NI Vision.
Installing the PXIe-8246
Notice To prevent damage to the PXIe-8246 caused by ESD or
contamination, handle the module using the edges or the metal bracket.
1. Ensure the AC power source is connected to the chassis before installing the
module.
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The AC power cord grounds the chassis and protects it from electrical damage
while you install the module.
2. Power o the chassis.
3. Inspect the slot pins on the chassis backplane for any bends or damage prior
to installation. Do not install a module if the backplane is damaged.
4. Remove the black plastic covers from all the captive screws on the module
front panel.
5. Identify a supported slot in the chassis. The following figure shows the
symbols that indicate the slot types.
Figure 1. Chassis Compatibility Symbols
12 3 45
1. PXI Express System Controller Slot
2. PXI Peripheral Slot
3. PXI Express Hybrid Peripheral Slot
4. PXI Express System Timing Slot
5. PXI Express Peripheral Slot
6. Touch any metal part of the chassis to discharge static electricity.
7. Place the module edges into the module guides at the top and bottom of the
chassis. Slide the module into the slot until it is fully inserted.
8. Secure the module front panel to the chassis using the front-panel mounting
screws.
Note Tightening the top and bottom mounting screws increases
mechanical stability and also electrically connects the front panel to
the chassis, which can improve the signal quality and
electromagnetic performance.
9. Cover all empty slots using EMC filler panels or fill using slot blockers to
maximize cooling air flow, depending on your application.
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PXIe-8246 Getting Started

10. Connect an Ethernet cable to a GigE Vision camera, then connect the camera
to the PXIe-8246 front panel.
11. Power on the chassis.
Note The first time you start the development computer aer
installing the hardware, allow several seconds for the drivers to load.
Confirming the Device is Recognized
To confirm that the device is properly installed and the hardware is recognized,
complete the following steps:
1. Select Start » All Programs » National Instruments » Measurement &
Automation Explorer to open Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX).
2. Verify that the camera connected to the PXIe-8246 appears under My
System » Devices and Interfaces » NI-IMAQdx Devices.
Front Panel
The following figure shows the PXIe-8246 front panel.
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PXIe-8246 Getting Started

Figure 1. PXIe-8246 Front Panel
PXIe-8246
Image Acquisition
0 1 2 3
PoE
0
1
2
3
The PXIe-8246 provides four standard Gigabit Ethernet ports (Port 0 to Port 3) to
acquire images from GigE Vision cameras. When the PXIe-8246 is providing PoE, the
LED that corresponds to the port will be lit.
Table 1. PoE LED Status Definitions
LED Status Definition
Red PoE protection is triggered[1]
Green PoE is operational
Unlit PoE is o
Table 2. Ethernet LED Status Definitions
LED Status Definition
Activity/Link Unlit No link has been established
Solid A link has been negotiated
Blinking Activity on the link
Speed Unlit No link, or 10 Mbps link
Green 100 Mbps link
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PXIe-8246 Getting Started

LED Status Definition
Amber 1,000 Mbps link
1 PoE has exceeded the absolute maximum power. To reset the LED, power cycle the
system aer the camera/load is removed.
Configuring the PXIe-8246 in MAX
Use Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) to configure your NI hardware. MAX
informs other programs about which NI hardware products are in the system and
how they are configured. MAX is automatically installed with NI Vision Acquisition
Soware (VAS).
1. Launch MAX.
2. In the configuration tree, expand Devices and Interfaces to see the list of
installed NI hardware.
Installed modules appear under the name of their associated chassis.
3. Expand your Chassis tree item.
MAX lists all modules installed in the chassis. Your default names may vary.
Note If you do not see your module listed, press <F5> to refresh the
list of installed modules. If the module is still not listed, power o the
system, ensure the module is correctly installed, and restart.
4. Record the identifier MAX assigns to the hardware. Use this identifier when
programming the PXIe-8246.
Troubleshooting
If an issue persists aer you complete a troubleshooting procedure, search our
KnowledgeBase for additional information our technical support engineers create
as they answer common user questions and resolve unexpected issues.
What Should I Do if the PXIe-8246 Does Not Appear in MAX?
1. In the MAX configuration tree, expand Devices and Interfaces.
2. Expand the Chassis tree to see the list of installed hardware, and press <F5>
to refresh the list.
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3. If the module is still not listed, power o the system, ensure that all hardware
is correctly installed, and restart the system.
4. Navigate to the Device Manager. Right-click the Start button, and select
Device Manager
5. Verify the PXIe-8246 appears in the Device Manager.
1. Under an NI entry, confirm that a PXIe-8246 entry appears.
Note If you are using a PC with a device for PXI remote
control system, under System Devices, also confirm that no
error conditions appear for the PCI-to-PCI Bridge.
2. If error conditions appear, reinstall the NI Vision Acquisition Soware
(VAS) driver.
Where to Go Next
Refer to the following figure for information about other product tasks and
associated resources for those tasks.
SUPPORT
Services
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NI Community
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Software Support
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Support
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SOFTWAREHARDWARE
Learn LabVIEW Basics
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NI PXIe-8246 Specifications
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NI PXIe-8246 User Manual
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© National Instruments 11
PXIe-8246 Getting Started

NI Services
Visit ni.com/support to find support resources including documentation,
downloads, and troubleshooting and application development self-help such as
tutorials and examples.
Visit ni.com/services to learn about NI service oerings such as calibration options,
repair, and replacement.
Visit ni.com/register to register your NI product. Product registration facilitates
technical support and ensures that you receive important information updates from
NI.
NI corporate headquarters is located at 11500 N Mopac Expwy, Austin, TX,
78759-3504, USA.
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PXIe-8246 Getting Started
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