National Instruments NI PCIe-8360 Manual

Set Up Your MXI -Express
System
This document explains how to set up your MXI-Express system.
What You Need to Get Started
To set up and use your MXI-Express cards, you need the following:
❑One NI PCIe-8360 and one NI PXI-8360
❑A MXI-Express cable
❑A host PC with an available x1 (or wider) PCI Express slot
❑An expansion chassis—the PXI/CompactPCI chassis that you control
with MXI-Express
Note Your PXI MXI-Express card will work in any standard CompactPCI chassis
adhering to the PICMG CompactPCI 2.0 R3.0 specification, or in PXI chassis that are
compatible with the PXI Hardware Specification, Revision 1.0 or later. Your PCI Express
MXI-Express card will work in systems compliant with the PCI Express Base
Specification, Revision 1.0a and PCI Express Card Electromechanical Specification,
Revision 1.0a or later.
Unpacking
Your MXI-Express cards 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.
™

Set Up Your MXI-Express System 2 ni.com
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 the computer or
PXI/CompactPCI chassis.
Store the device in the antistatic envelope when not in use.
Installing an NI PCIe-8360
Complete the following steps to install the NI PCIe-8360 in your computer.
1. Power off your computer, but leave it plugged in while installing the
NI PCIe-8360. 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-8360.
2. Remove the top cover or access port to the PCI Express bus.
3. Select any available PCI Express expansion slot (x1 or wider).
Note The BIOS or motherboard may not support the NI PCIe-8360 in a slot intended for
a graphics card.
4. 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.
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-8360 with the slot on the back panel. Slowly push
down on the top of the NI PCIe-8360 until its card-edge connector is
resting on the expansion slot receptacle. Using slow, evenly distributed
pressure, press the NI PCIe-8360 straight down until it seats in the
expansion slot, as shown in Figure 1.
7. Reinstall the bracket-retaining screw to secure the NI PCIe-8360 to the
back panel rail.
8. Replace the computer cover.

©National Instruments Corporation 3 Set Up Your MXI-Express System
Figure 1. Installing the NI PCIe-8360
Installing an NI PXI-8360
Complete the following steps to install the NI PXI-8360 in your PXI or
CompactPCI chassis.
1. Power off your PXI or CompactPCI chassis, but leave it plugged in
while installing the NI PXI-8360. The power cord grounds the chassis
and protects it from electrical damage while you install the module.
2. Select a slot for the NI PXI-8360. The NI PXI-8360 must be installed
in the controller slot (slot 1 in PXI).
Caution To protect both yourself and the chassis from electrical hazards, leave the chassis
off until you finish installing the NI PXI-8360.
3. Remove or open any doors or covers blocking access to the slot in
which you intend to install the NI PXI-8360.
4. Touch the metal part of the chassis to discharge any static electricity
that might be on your clothes or body.
1 NI PCIe-8360
2 PCI Express x1 Card-Edge Connector
3 PCI Express Slot
1
3
2

Set Up Your MXI-Express System 4 ni.com
5. Make sure the injector/ejector handle is in its downward position.
Be sure to remove all connector packaging and protective caps from
retaining screws on the module. Align the NI PXI-8360 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-8360. It will not
insert properly unless the handle is in its downward position so that it does not interfere
with the injector/ejector rail on the chassis, as shown in Figure 2.
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-8360
should be even with the front panel of the chassis.
8. Tighten the bracket-retaining screws on the top and bottom of the front
panel to secure the NI PXI-8360 to the chassis.
9. Replace or close any doors or covers to the chassis.
Figure 2 shows an NI PXI-8360 just before installation in the system
controller slot of a National Instruments chassis.
Figure 2. NI PXI-8360 Card Before Installation
1 PXI/Compact PCI Chassis
2 NI PXI-8360
3 Ejector Handle in Down Position
4 PXI/Compact PCI Slot 1
2
3
1
4

©National Instruments Corporation 5 Set Up Your MXI-Express System
Cabling
Connect the appropriate MXI-Express cable to both MXI-Express cards.
The cables have no polarity, so either end may be connected to either card.
Caution Do not remove the cable after the system is powered on. Doing so can hang
or cause errors in applications communicating with devices behind MXI-Express. If a
cable becomes unplugged, plug it back into the system.
Note For more information about cables, refer to the MXI-Express Cable Options section
of Chapter 3, Hardware Overview, of the MXI-Express Series User Manual.
Powering On the MXI-Express System
Complete the following steps to power on the system.
1. Power on all of the expansion chassis in any order you choose.
2. Power on the host.
Typical PCI-PCI bridges are used to add PCI devices to a PCI hierarchy in
which all the bridges and devices are contained within a single chassis.
Because of this, BIOSes and operating systems make the assumption that
all PCI devices in the entire hierarchy will be available as soon as code
execution begins at power-up time. This assumption means that all of the
expansion chassis must be turned on before the host PC for the BIOS and
OS to correctly configure a MXI-Express system.
Note There are no requirements on how MXI-Express expansion chassis are powered up
relative to each other, as long as they are all on before the computer is powered on.
Checking LEDs for Status
After powering on the system, you should check the LEDs for status to
ensure that all connected systems have linked. The following tables tell the
meaning of the LEDs.
NI PCIe-8360
Color Meaning
Off Power is off
Red Power is out of spec
Amber Power is within spec; no link to chassis
Green Power is within spec; link established

Set Up Your MXI-Express System 6 ni.com
NI PXI-8360
LED Color Meaning
PWR Off No power
Red Power is out of spec
Green Power is within spec
LINK Off Link not established
Green Link established

National Instruments, NI, ni.com, and LabVIEW are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation.
Refer to the Terms of Use section on ni.com/legal for more information about National
Instruments trademarks. Other product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade
names of their respective companies. For patents covering National Instruments products, refer to the
appropriate location: Help»Patents in your software, the patents.txt file on your CD, or
ni.com/patents.
© 2005 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved. 371429A-01 May05