NI PXIe-8880 User manual

Artisan Technology Group is your source for quality
new and certied-used/pre-owned equipment
• FAST SHIPPING AND
DELIVERY
• TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
IN-STOCK ITEMS
• EQUIPMENT DEMOS
• HUNDREDS OF
MANUFACTURERS
SUPPORTED
• LEASING/MONTHLY
RENTALS
• ITAR CERTIFIED
SECURE ASSET SOLUTIONS
SERVICE CENTER REPAIRS
Experienced engineers and technicians on staff
at our full-service, in-house repair center
WE BUY USED EQUIPMENT
Sell your excess, underutilized, and idle used equipment
We also offer credit for buy-backs and trade-ins
www.artisantg.com/WeBuyEquipment
REMOTE INSPECTION
Remotely inspect equipment before purchasing with
our interactive website at www.instraview.com
LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION?
Visit us on the web at www.artisantg.com for more
information on price quotations, drivers, technical
specications, manuals, and documentation
Contact us: (888) 88-SOURCE | [e-mail] | www.artisantg.com
SM
View
Instra

GETTING STARTED GUIDE
NI PXIe-8880
This document includes instructions for installing and configuring your NI PXIe-8880
embedded controller.
Contents
Getting Started.......................................................................................................................... 2
Unpacking......................................................................................................................... 2
Electrical........................................................................................................................... 2
Preparing the Environment............................................................................................... 2
Shock and Vibration..........................................................................................................3
Installing an OS.................................................................................................................3
Installing the NI PXIe-8880 into a PXI Express Chassis..................................................3
LabVIEW RT.................................................................................................................... 5
Drivers and Software........................................................................................................ 8
Data Storage......................................................................................................................8
NI PXIe-8880 Front Panel................................................................................................ 9
PXI Express Chassis Configuration................................................................................ 11
Removing the NI PXIe-8880 from a PXI Express Chassis............................................ 12
Cleaning.......................................................................................................................... 12
Common Configuration Questions......................................................................................... 12
General Questions........................................................................................................... 12
Boot Options................................................................................................................... 13
Cables and Connections.................................................................................................. 14
Software Driver Installation............................................................................................14
Upgrade Information.......................................................................................................15
PXI Express Configuration............................................................................................. 17
Troubleshooting...................................................................................................................... 17
What if the Controller Does Not Boot?.......................................................................... 17
What If I Can’t See The Video?......................................................................................18
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?........................................................... 18
My chassis or controller does not appear in MAX. How do I use MAX to identify
and configure my PXI system?.................................................................................18
My CMOS is corrupted. How do I set it back to default?.............................................. 18
Worldwide Support and Services............................................................................................ 19
Artisan Technology Group - Quality Instrumentation ... Guaranteed | (888) 88-SOURCE | www.artisantg.com

Getting Started
Unpacking
The NI PXIe-8880 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.
Electrical
Voltage (V) Current (Amps) Typical Current (Amps) Maximum
+3.3 V 2.24 A 2.96 A
+5 V 2.44 A 3.11 A
+12 V 6.5 A 8.7 A
5 VAUX 0.19 A 0.23 A
Preparing the Environment
Ensure the environment you are using the NI PXIe-8880 in meets the following specifications.
Ambient temperature range
....................................................................Standard 0 to 50 °C 1,2 (Tested in accordance with
IEC-60068-2-1 and IEC-60068-2-2. Meets
MIL-PRF-28800F Class 3 temperature limits,
except as noted.)
1Processor should not throttle CPU frequency under reasonable, worst case processor work loads at
high operating temperatures. If you experience CPU frequency variation, turn your chassis fans on
High, using the fan speed selector switch on the rear of the chassis.
20 to 45 °C when used with the NI PXIe-1071, NI PXIe-1078 (with kit part number 158034A-01),
or NI PXIe-1086 chassis.
2| ni.com | NI PXIe-8880 Getting Started Guide
Artisan Technology Group - Quality Instrumentation ... Guaranteed | (888) 88-SOURCE | www.artisantg.com

............................................................................Relative humidity range 10% to 90%, noncondensing (Tested in
accordance with IEC-60068-2-56.)
............................................................................Maximum altitude 2,000 m (800 mbar) (at 25 °C ambient
temperature) with chassis fans on high.
............................................................................Pollution Degree 2
Indoor use only.
Note Refer to the NI PXIe-8880 User Manual and Specifications for full
NI PXIe-8880 specifications.
Shock and Vibration
............................................................................Operating Shock 30 g peak, half-sine, 11 ms pulse in the Y and
Z axes. 20 g peak, half-sine, 11 ms pulse in the
X axis. (Tested in accordance with
IEC-60068-2-27. Meets MIL-PRF-28800F
Class 2 limits in Y and Z axes.)
Random Vibration
....................................................................Operating 5 to 500 Hz, 0.3 grms
....................................................................Nonoperating 5 to 500 Hz, 2.4 grms (Tested in accordance
with IEC-60068-2-64. Nonoperating test
profile exceeds the requirements of MIL-
PRF-28800F, Class 3.)
Installing an OS
NI PXIe-8880 controllers include a preinstalled OS. In some cases, you may want to install a
different OS. When doing so, consider the following guidelines.
Installing from a USB CD/DVD-ROM
The NI PXIe-8880 supports the installation of Windows 7 from a USB CD/DVD-ROM. As an
alternative to a USB CD/DVD-ROM drive, you can use an external SCSI CD-ROM with a
PXI-SCSI adapter.
Note For additional assistance with installing or changing an operating system,
refer to KnowledgeBase 2ZKC02OK, Hard Drive Recovery and OS Installation for
PXI, VXI, cRIO-908x, and cDAQ-913x Controllers, at ni.com/support.
Installing the NI PXIe-8880 into a PXI Express Chassis
To install the NI PXIe-8880 into a PXI Express chassis, complete the following steps.
1. Plug in your chassis before installing the NI PXIe-8880. The power cord grounds the
chassis and protects it from electrical damage while you install the module.
NI PXIe-8880 Getting Started Guide | © National Instruments | 3
Artisan Technology Group - Quality Instrumentation ... Guaranteed | (888) 88-SOURCE | www.artisantg.com

Caution To protect both yourself and the chassis from electrical hazards,
leave the chassis powered off until you finish installing the NI PXIe-8880
module.
2. Remove any filler 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 Screw Caps
1
1. Protective Screw Cap (4X)
5. Make sure the injector/ejector handle is in its downward position. Align the
NI PXIe-8880 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 PXIe-8880. The module will not insert properly unless the handle 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.
4| ni.com | NI PXIe-8880 Getting Started Guide
Artisan Technology Group - Quality Instrumentation ... Guaranteed | (888) 88-SOURCE | www.artisantg.com

7. Raise the injector/ejector handle until the module firmly seats into the backplane
receptacle connectors. The front panel of the NI PXIe-8880 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 PXIe-8880 to the chassis.
9. Check the installation.
10. Connect the keyboard and mouse to the USB 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. Refer to the
NI PXIe-8880 Front Panel Connectors figure for front panel connector locations.
13. Power on the chassis.
14. Verify that the controller boots. If it does not boot, refer to the Troubleshooting section.
Figure 2. NI PXIe-8880 Installed in a PXI Express Chassis
1
2
3
X
Y
Z
1. PXI Express Chassis
2. PXI Express Controller
3. Injector/Ejector Rail
LabVIEW RT
This section explains software installation and switch configuration for LabVIEW RT on your
PXI Express controller.
LabVIEW RT Software Installation
The following section describes the necessary steps to get your PXI Express embedded
controller setup to run LabVIEW Real-Time. In this section you will configure the boot mode
of the controller, verify or change IP settings, and install LabVIEW Real-Time software.
NI PXIe-8880 Getting Started Guide | © National Instruments | 5
Artisan Technology Group - Quality Instrumentation ... Guaranteed | (888) 88-SOURCE | www.artisantg.com

Complete the following steps to install the LabVIEW RT software.
1. Boot the NI PXI Express embedded controller into the real-time operating system. Refer
to the LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches section to configure the controller for booting
into LabVIEW RT.
The PXI Express controller will automatically boot into LabVIEW RT Safe Mode when
no software is installed. LabVIEW RT Safe Mode loads with the basic real-time operating
system and will automatically attempt to connect to the network using DHCP. If DHCP is
not available, it will then connect to the network with a link-local IP address.
Tip You can connect a monitor to the controller to display startup messages
such as the IP address and MAC address.
2. Open Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) on another computer in the same
subnet and expand the Remote Systems branch. MAX lists the PXI Express controller as
the model name of the controller followed by the MAC address (for example, NI-
PXIe-8880 00802f108562).
Note The other computer must have LabVIEW, LabVIEW RT, and any
desired drivers installed.
Tip Record the PXI Express controller MAC address, located on the side of
the controller, for use in identifying the controller. The label also can be
removed and placed on the front of the controller for easier access.
3. Click on the appropriate PXI Express 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 will be
prompted to reboot the controller for the changes to take effect. Click Yes to
automatically reboot the RT target. You may also reboot the controller by right-
clicking on the target name under Remote Systems and selecting Reboot.
After rebooting the PXI Express controller it will appear in the Remote Systems category
with the assigned name.
6. Expand the PXI Express controller view in the Remote Systems branch and select
Software.
6| ni.com | NI PXIe-8880 Getting Started Guide
Artisan Technology Group - Quality Instrumentation ... Guaranteed | (888) 88-SOURCE | www.artisantg.com

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 installation of the software the controller will automatically reboot and you will now be
able to program it using LabVIEW Real-Time.
Note Refer to Getting Started with the LabVIEW Real-Time Module available 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 PXIe-8880 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 will automatically attempt to connect to the network
using DHCP. If the target is unable to 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.
NI PXIe-8880 Getting Started Guide | © National Instruments | 7
Artisan Technology Group - Quality Instrumentation ... Guaranteed | (888) 88-SOURCE | www.artisantg.com

Figure 3. LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches
32 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
If you purchased a system preinstalled with Windows, 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 PXIe-8880 has the following data storage features:
8| ni.com | NI PXIe-8880 Getting Started Guide
Artisan Technology Group - Quality Instrumentation ... Guaranteed | (888) 88-SOURCE | www.artisantg.com

• Internal Serial ATA solid-state drive
– 240 GB or larger 1.8 in. solid-state drive
– Supports Native Command Queuing
– Supports transfer rates up to 500 MB/s
• USB storage support
– USB CD/DVD-ROM, mass storage device, or floppy drive
NI PXIe-8880 Front Panel
The following figure shows the front panel layout of the NI PXIe-8880.
Figure 4. NI PXIe-8880 Front Panel Connectors
2
3
5
6
1
4
8
7
1. Reset Button
2. Trigger
3. Display Port
4. USB 2.0
5. GPIB Connector
6. LED Indicators
7. Ethernet Connectors
8. USB 3.0
Front Panel Connectors
The following table lists various peripherals and their corresponding NI PXIe-8880 external
connectors, bus interfaces, and functions.
Peripheral External Connector Description
Video DisplayPort ATI Radeon E6460 Embedded GPU
Ethernet Port 1 LAN (RJ45, dual stacked) 10/100/1000 Ethernet
Intel I217
WOL capable
NI PXIe-8880 Getting Started Guide | © National Instruments | 9
Artisan Technology Group - Quality Instrumentation ... Guaranteed | (888) 88-SOURCE | www.artisantg.com