National Instruments Multisystem eXtension Interface NI PXI-8360 User manual

Set Up Your MXI -Express x1
System
This document explains what is needed to set up various MXI-Express x1
hardware configurations.
The products covered by this guide are the NI PCI-8361, NI PCIe-8361/
8362, NI PXI-8360/8364, NI PXIe-8360/8364, and NI ExpressCard-8360.
For the remainder of this manual the term MXI-Express x1 product refers
to any of these products.
Additional compatible products are included in subsequent tables, but are
not covered in this manual.
Terminology
The following terms may be used throughout this document:
•Host PC—A host computer with at least one of the following slot
types available:
– PCI Express x1 or wider
–PCI
•Laptop—A portable laptop with the following slot types available:
– ExpressCard/34 or ExpressCard/54 slot with PCI Express support1
•Expansion Chassis—An expansion chassis of any of the following
types:
– CompactPCI chassis
– PXI chassis
– CompactPCI Express chassis
– PXI Express chassis
– VXI mainframe
– NI CompactRIO backplane
1 Some ExpressCard adapters support USB only.
™

Set Up Your MXI-Express x1 System 2 ni.com
•MXI-Express x1 copper cable—Standard PCI Express specification
compliant cable with 18-pin Molex TDP™connectors.
Note Refer to the Cabling section for details and ordering information. Most
MXI-Express kits include the cable, but not all.
•Host Board—The MXI-Express x1 board of a cabled pair of boards
that is closer to the CPU.
•Target Board—The MXI-Express x1 board of a cabled pair of boards
that is farther from the CPU.
•Cabled Pair—Two MXI-Express x1 boards that are connected with a
single cable.
Note Some NI MXI-Express x1 link capable products have integrated ports and do not
require a separate host or target board.
Connecting a PC or Laptop to an Expansion Chassis
Using a MXI-Express x1 Copper Cable
Refer to the Terminology section for more detail on the items in this list.
Equipment Needed
❑Host PC or laptop
❑Expansion chassis
❑MXI-Express x1 copper cable
❑A MXI-Express x1 host board and target board that is appropriate for
the host system slot and target chassis. Refer to Table 1 for more
information.

©National Instruments Corporation 3 Set Up Your MXI-Express x1 System
Table 1. MXI-Express x1 Connectivity Support From a Host PC Using a Copper Cable
From Host Targets
Slot Type Product
PXI Chassis VXI Chassis PXI Express Chassis MXI-Express RIO
NI PXI-8360 NI PXI-1033*NI VXI-8360T NI PXIe-8360 NI PXIe-1073*NI 9157*NI 9159*
PCI NI PCI-8361 —†—†—†—†— —
PCI Express x1 NI PCIe-8361       
PCI Express x1 NI PCIe-8362       
ExpressCard NI ExpressCard-8360       
Industrial
Controller
NI 3100/3110*      
*Product has an integrated MXI-Express x1 port.
† These configurations are not supported, even though the front panel MXI connectors are mechanically compatible. For these configurations the boards will likely report a valid cable link via the
front panels LEDs. Since these link scenarios expose a possible data integrity issue that may not be obvious to the user, National Instruments strongly recommends against using these configurations.
Note: For installation instructions and other information concerning the NI PXI-1033, NI PXIe-1073, NI VXI-8360T, NI 9157, NI 9159, and the NI 3100/3110, refer to their respective user manuals.
Note: For full PXI or PXI Express functionality, refer to the Software Installation and Configuration section.
Note: PCI Express host slots will give better throughput and latency performance than PCI slots.

Set Up Your MXI-Express x1 System 4 ni.com
Connecting Additional Expansion Chassis to a System
Using a MXI-Express x1 Copper Cable
Refer to the Terminology section for more detail on the items in this list.
Equipment Needed
❑Chassis (or embedded controller with ExpressCard slot) to daisy-chain
from
❑Expansion chassis to daisy-chain to
❑MXI-Express x1 copper cable
❑A MXI-Express x1 host board and target board that is appropriate for
the host system slot and target chassis. Refer to Table 2 for more
information.

©National Instruments Corporation 5 Set Up Your MXI-Express x1 System
Table 2. MXI-Express x1 Daisy-Chain Connectivity Support From a Chassis Using a Copper Cable
From Chassis Targets
Slot Type Product
PXI Chassis VXI Chassis PXI Express Chassis MXI-Express RIO
NI
PXI-8360
NI
PXI-1033*NI VXI-8360T NI PXIe-8360 NI PXIe-1073*NI 9157*NI 9159*
PXI or PXIe Hybrid NI PXI-8364 —†—†—†—†‡‡
PXI Express or PXIe
Hybrid
NI PXIe-8364       
ExpressCard** NI ExpressCard-8360       
*Product has an integrated MXI-Express x1 port.
† These configurations are not supported, even though the front panel MXI connectors are mechanically compatible. For these configurations the boards will likely report a valid cable link via the
front panels LEDs. Since these link scenarios expose a possible data integrity issue that may not be obvious to the user, National Instruments strongly recommends against using these configurations.
‡Daisy-chaining from PXI Express or ExpressCard slots will give better throughput and latency performance than PXI or PXI Express hybrid slots.
** ExpressCard slot of an embedded controller that is installed in the chassis to be daisy-chained from.
Note: For installation instructions and other information concerning the NI PXI-1033, NI PXIe-1073, NI VXI-8360T, NI 9157, and NI 9159 refer to their respective user manuals.
Note: For full PXI or PXI Express functionality, refer to the Software Installation and Configuration section.

Set Up Your MXI-Express x1 System 6 ni.com
Installation and Configuration
This section explains how to unpack, install, and configure the
MXI-Express x1 hardware and software.
Unpacking
Your MXI-Express x1 boards are shipped in antistatic packages to prevent
electrostatic damage (ESD) to the devices. ESD can damage several
components on the device.
Caution Never touch the exposed pins of connectors. Doing so may damage the device.
To avoid such damage in handling the device, take the following
precautions:
• Ground yourself using a grounding strap or by holding a grounded
object.
• Touch the antistatic package to a metal part of the computer chassis
before removing the device from the package.
Remove the device from the package and inspect the device for loose
components or any sign of damage. Notify NI if the device appears
damaged in any way. Do not install a damaged device into a computer,
laptop, PXI/CompactPCI, PXI Express/CompactPCI Express,
CompactRIO, or VXI chassis.
Store the device in the antistatic envelope when not in use.

©National Instruments Corporation 7 Set Up Your MXI-Express x1 System
Hardware Installation
The following are general instructions for installing the MXI-Express x1
cards. Consult your computer user manual or technical reference manual
for specific instructions and warnings.
Installing an NI PCI-8361 or NI PCIe-8361/8362 Host Card
Complete the following steps to install the NI PCI-8361 or NI PCIe-8361/
8362 in your computer.
1. Power off your computer.
Caution To protect both yourself and the computer from electrical hazards, your computer
should remain off until you finish installing all hardware as instructed.
2. Remove the top cover or access port to the PCI or PCI Express
expansion slots.
3. 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.
4. Unplug the computer and wait 30 seconds to allow the energy stored
in the computer’s power supply to fully dissipate.
5. Select any available PCI slot for the NI PCI-8361 or PCI Express
(x1 or wider) expansion slot for the NI PCIe-8361/8362.
Note The BIOS or motherboard may not support the NI PCIe-8361/8362 in a slot
intended for a graphics card.
6. Locate the metal bracket that covers the cut-out in the back panel of the
computer for the slot you have selected. Remove and save the
bracket-retaining screw and the bracket cover.
7. Line up the NI PCI-8361 or NI PCIe-8361/8362 with the slot on the
back panel, as shown in Figure 1. Slowly push down on the top of the
NI PCI-8361 or NI PCIe-8361/8362 until its card-edge connector is
resting on the expansion slot receptacle. Using slow, evenly distributed
pressure, press the NI PCI-8361 or NI PCIe-8361/8362 straight down
until it seats in the expansion slot.
8. Reinstall the bracket-retaining screw to secure the NI PCI-8361 or
NI PCIe-8361/8362 to the back panel rail.
9. Replace the computer cover.
10. Plug the computer back in.

Set Up Your MXI-Express x1 System 8 ni.com
Figure 1. NI PCIe-8361/8362 Card Installation Example
Note Figure 1 shows a PCI Express based card installation. The same procedure applies
for a PCI card and slot.
Installing the Low-Profile Bracket (Optional)
To install the NI PCI-8361 or NI PCIe-8361 in a host computer that
requires a low-profile height card, the front bracket must be replaced with
the low-profile bracket included with your kit. Complete the following
steps to replace the bracket.
1 NI PCIe-8361/8362
2 PCI Express x1 Card-Edge Connector
3 PCI Express Slot
1
3
2

©National Instruments Corporation 9 Set Up Your MXI-Express x1 System
NI PCI-8361 or NI PCIe-8361
1. Remove the standard height front bracket already installed on
your NI PCI-8361 or NI PCIe-8361 card by removing the
two 4-40
× 3/16 inch Phillips head screws and the two 4-40 × 3/16 inch
standoff screws that attach the bracket to the card, as shown in Figure 2.
Set the screws aside to re-use when installing the low-profile bracket.
Figure 2. Removing the Standard Height Bracket from an NI PCI-8361
Note The NI PCI-8361 standard height bracket mounting tabs rest against the back side
of the card. The NI PCIe-8361 standard height bracket mounting tabs rest against the front
side of the card, which is the side upon which the cabled PCI Express connector rests.
2. Fit the low-profile bracket onto the NI PCI-8361 or NI PCIe-8361.
Ensure the two mounting tabs on the low-profile bracket rest against
the back side of the card and that the LED bulb is situated in the
bracket’s LED display hole correctly, where applicable.
3. Align the mounting holes on the card with the threaded holes on the
mounting tabs of the bracket. Insert the two 4-40 ×3/16 inch Phillips
head screws from the front side of the card to attach the bracket.
4. Install the two 4-40 ×3/16 inch standoff screws to the front connector
holes.
5. Tighten all screws to a maximum torque of 3.6 lb · in. (0.407 N · m).
1 4-40 ×3/16 inch Standoff Screws (x2)
2 LED Display Hole
3 Standard Height Bracket
4LEDBulb
5 4-40 ×3/16 inch Phillips Head Screws (x2)
6 Cabled PCI Express Connector
7 Front Side of Card
8 Mounting Tab
4
1
8
3
7
2
6
5

Set Up Your MXI-Express x1 System 10 ni.com
Installing an NI ExpressCard-8360 Host Card
Because a laptop is not grounded, follow this procedure to safely connect
it to your PXI system:
1. Install the NI PXI-8360, NI PXI-8361, or NI PXIe-8360 as directed in
the Installing an NI PXI-8360/8364 or NI PXIe-8360/8364 Board
section where applicable.
2. Touch the NI ExpressCard-8360 and a metal part of the PXI chassis
simultaneously. Do not install it into the laptop or embedded controller
yet.
3. Connect the cable to the NI ExpressCard-8360 and target chassis.
4. Plug the NI ExpressCard-8360 into an available ExpressCard slot.
If your computer is already running (or hibernating, etc.) when you
install NI ExpressCard-8360, you must reboot to detect the PXI system.
Otherwise, the PXI system is detected when you start your computer.
Figure 3 shows how to insert the NI ExpressCard-8360 into a laptop and
connect the cable.
Figure 3. Installing the NI ExpressCard-8360 Into a Laptop
1 MXI-Express x1 Cable 2ExpressCardSlot 3 Portable Computer
3
2
1