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
X is your
CD drive (usually D):
X :\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
1
3
2

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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
®
1
4
3
2

©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.

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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.