NI NI PXIe-8840 User manual

PXI Express
NI PXIe-8840 User Manual
NI PXIe-8840 User Manual
October 2013
374236A-01

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© National Instruments |vii
Contents
About This Manual
How to Use the Documentation Set ................................................................................. xi
Related Documentation .................................................................................................... xi
Chapter 1
Introduction
Benefits of PXI Express ................................................................................................... 1-1
NI PXIe-8840 ................................................................................................................... 1-2
Description................................................................................................................ 1-2
Functional Overview ................................................................................................ 1-2
NI PXIe-8840 Functional Description.............................................................................. 1-3
National Instruments Software ......................................................................................... 1-4
Chapter 2
Installation and Configuration
Installing the NI PXIe-8840 ............................................................................................. 2-1
How to Remove the Controller from the PXI Express Chassis................................ 2-3
BIOS Setup Utility............................................................................................................ 2-4
Accessing BIOS Setup Utility .................................................................................. 2-4
Main Setup Menu ..................................................................................................... 2-5
Advanced Setup Menu.............................................................................................. 2-5
SATA Configuration Submenu ........................................................................ 2-6
CPU Configuration Submenu ........................................................................... 2-6
Video Configuration Submenu......................................................................... 2-7
Power/Wake Configuration Submenu .............................................................. 2-7
ExpressCard Configuration Submenu .............................................................. 2-8
PCI Configuration Submenu ............................................................................ 2-8
USB Configuration Submenu ........................................................................... 2-8
Serial Port Configuration Submenu.................................................................. 2-9
LabVIEW RT Setup Menu ....................................................................................... 2-9
Current Hardware Switch Settings ................................................................... 2-10
LabVIEW RT Configuration Overrides Submenu ........................................... 2-10
Boot Setup Menu ...................................................................................................... 2-10
Boot Settings Configuration Submenu ............................................................. 2-11
Hard Drive BBS Priorities Submenu................................................................ 2-12
CD/DVD ROM Drive BBS Priorities Submenu .............................................. 2-12
Floppy Drive BBS Priorities Submenu ............................................................ 2-12
Network Device BBS Priorities Submenu........................................................ 2-12
Security Menu........................................................................................................... 2-12
Save & Exit Menu .................................................................................................... 2-12
BIOS Diagnostic Utilities................................................................................................. 2-13
Accessing BIOS Diagnostic Utilities ....................................................................... 2-13

Contents
viii |ni.com
Hard Drive Diagnostic Utility................................................................................... 2-13
Memory Diagnostic Utility....................................................................................... 2-14
System CMOS .................................................................................................................. 2-14
LabVIEW RT Installation.................................................................................................2-15
LabVIEW RT Software Installation ......................................................................... 2-15
LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches.....................................................................2-17
Drivers and Software ........................................................................................................ 2-18
PXI Express Features........................................................................................................2-19
PXI Express Trigger Connectivity............................................................................ 2-19
PXI Express Chassis Configuration..................................................................................2-19
PXI Express System Configuration ..........................................................................2-19
Upgrading RAM ............................................................................................................... 2-20
Hard Drive Recovery ........................................................................................................ 2-21
Installing an OS ................................................................................................................ 2-21
Installing from a USB CD/DVD-ROM .................................................................... 2-21
ExpressCard ...................................................................................................................... 2-21
Installing an ExpressCard ......................................................................................... 2-21
Removing an ExpressCard........................................................................................ 2-22
Chapter 3
I/0 Information
Front Panel Connectors..................................................................................................... 3-1
Front Panel ........................................................................................................................ 3-2
DisplayPort ...............................................................................................................3-3
COM1 ....................................................................................................................... 3-4
Ethernet ..................................................................................................................... 3-6
Universal Serial Bus ................................................................................................. 3-8
Trigger ...................................................................................................................... 3-10
GPIB (IEEE 488.2) ................................................................................................... 3-11
ExpressCard/34 Slot .................................................................................................3-13
Front Panel Features ......................................................................................................... 3-15
Data Storage...................................................................................................................... 3-15
Chapter 4
Common Configuration Questions
General Questions.............................................................................................................4-1
Boot Options .....................................................................................................................4-1
Cables and Connections.................................................................................................... 4-2
Software Driver Installation.............................................................................................. 4-3
Upgrade Information......................................................................................................... 4-4
PXI Express Configuration ...............................................................................................4-5
Chapter 5
Troubleshooting

NI PXIe-8840 User Manual
© National Instruments |ix
Appendix A
Specifications
Appendix B
Technical Support and Professional Services

© National Instruments |xi
About This Manual
This manual contains detailed instructions for installing and configuring the National
Instruments PXIe-8840 embedded computer kit.
How to Use the Documentation Set
Begin by reading the NI PXIe-8840 Installation Guide, a brief quick-start guide that describes
how to install and get started with your controller.
This manual, the NI PXIe-8840 User Manual, contains more details about changing the
installation or configuration from the defaults and using the hardware.
Related Documentation
The following documents contain information you may find helpful as you read this manual:
•PICMG EXP.0 R2.0 CompactPCI Express Specification, PCI Industrial Computers
Manufacturers Group
• IEEE Standard P1284.1-1997 (C/MM) Standard for Information Technology for Transport
Independent Printer/System Interface
•PCI Express Base Specification, PCI Special Interest Group
•PXI-5 PXI Express Hardware Specification, PXI Systems Alliance
•PXI-6 PXI Express Software Specification, PXI Systems Alliance
•Serialized IRQ Support for PCI Systems Specification, Compaq Computer et al.
•ExpressCard Standard, PCMCIA

© National Instruments |1-1
1
Introduction
Benefits of PXI Express
The PXI (PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation) industry standard, an open specification governed
by the PXI Systems Alliance (PXISA), has quickly gained adoption and grown in prevalence in
test, measurement, and control systems since its release in 1998. One of the key elements driving
the rapid adoption of PXI is its use of PCI in the communication backplane. As the commercial
PC industry has improved the available bus bandwidth by evolving PCI to PCI Express, PXI is
now able to meet even more application needs by integrating PCI Express into the PXI standard.
By taking advantage of PCI Express technology in the backplane, PXI Express increases the
available PXI bandwidth from up to 132 MB/s to up to 8 GB/s for a more than 60x improvement
in bandwidth.
PXI Express maximizes both hardware and software compatibility with PXI modules.
PXI Express hybrid slots deliver both PCI and PCI Express signaling to accept devices that use
PXI communication and triggering or the newer PXI Express standard. Software compatibility
is maintained because PCI Express uses the same OS and driver model as PCI, resulting in
complete software compatibility among PCI-based systems, for example PXI, and
PCI Express-based systems such as PXI Express.
PXI Express, like PXI, leverages from the CompactPCI specification to define a rugged,
modular form factor that offers superior mechanical integrity and easy installation and removal
of hardware components. PXI Express products offer higher and more carefully defined levels
of environmental performance required by the shock, vibration, temperature, and humidity
extremes of industrial environments. Mandatory environmental testing and active cooling is
added to the CompactPCI mechanical specification to ease system integration and ensure
multivendor interoperability.
The demanding timing and synchronization requirements of instrumentation systems are met by
the integrated features of PXI Express. Not only are the trigger bus, 10 MHz system reference
clock, and star trigger bus available in PXI retained by PXI Express, but new timing and
synchronization features that include a 100 MHz differential system reference clock for the
synchronization of multiple modules and three differential star trigger buses for the distribution
of precise clock and trigger signals have been added. Differential timing and synchronization
signals provide PXI Express systems with increased noise immunity and the ability to transmit
clock signals at higher frequencies.

1-2 |ni.com
Chapter 1 Introduction
NI PXIe-8840
Description
The NI PXIe-8840 PXI Express/CompactPCI Express embedded controller is a
high-performance PXI Express/CompactPCI Express-compatible system controller. The
NI PXIe-8840 controller integrates standard I/O features in a single unit by using state-of-the-art
packaging. Combining an NI PXIe-8840 embedded controller with a PXI Express-compatible
chassis, such as the NI PXIe-1082, results in a fully PC-compatible computer in a compact,
rugged package.
The NI PXIe-8840 has an Intel®Core™i5 4400E processor (2.7 GHz dual core processor), all
the standard I/O, and a 250 GB (or larger) hard drive. It also has a PCI-based GPIB controller
and an ExpressCard/34 expansion slot.
The standard I/O on each module includes two DisplayPort video, one RS-232 serial port, four
Hi-Speed USB ports, two SuperSpeed USB ports, two Gigabit Ethernet, a reset button, and a PXI
trigger.
Functional Overview
This section contains functional descriptions of each major logic block on the NI PXIe-8840
embedded computer.

© National Instruments |1-3
NI PXIe-8840 User Manual
NI PXIe-8840 Functional Description
The NI PXIe-8840 is a modular PC in a PXI Express 3U-size form factor. Figure 1-1 is a
functional block diagram of the NI PXIe-8840. Following the diagram is a description of each
logic block shown.
Figure 1-1. NI PXIe-8840 Block Diagram
The NI PXIe-8840 consists of the following logic blocks on two circuit card assemblies (CCAs):
• The processor is an Intel®Core™i5 4400E processor (3 MB Cache, 2.7 GHz). The
processor connects to the SO-DIMM block through the DDR3L interface supporting up to
1600 MHz SO-DIMMs, the PCH through a x4 DMI2 (Direct Media Interface) interface
supporting up to 5 GT/s per lane.
• The SO-DIMM block consists of one 64-bit DDR3L SDRAM socket that can hold up to
8 GB of memory.
• The processor provides the DisplayPort interface that connects to display peripherals on the
NI PXIe-8840, and the PCI Express interface to the PXI Express backplane through a
PCI Express switch.
Intel
8Series
PCH
Processor
Intel Core
i5
SO-DIMM
DDR3L SDRAM
PC312800
DisplayPort
Memory Bus Ch. A
Express
Card/34 Slot
x1 PCIE
USB
USB 2.0 x4
SATA
Hard Disk
FLASH
Watchdog
Trigger SMB
Connector
UART COM1
x8
PXI
Triggers
GPIB
Controller
GPIB
Connector
USB 2.0 x4
Intel I217-LM
Gigabit
PHY
RJ45
Port 1
SATA
x4 DMI2
x4 DDI
LPC
PCI Express
Switch
PXI
Express 4x4
Intel I210-IT
Gigabit
MAC/PHY
RJ45
Port 2
x1 PCIE
SPI
PCI
DisplayPort
USB 3.0 x2
USB 3.0 x2
x1 PCIE
x4 DDI

1-4 |ni.com
Chapter 1 Introduction
• The Platform Controller Hub (PCH) provides the USB, PCI Express x1, and LPC interfaces
that connect to the peripherals on the NI PXIe-8840.
• The DisplayPort block consists of two DisplayPort connectors.
• The USB block consists of four Hi-Speed USB 2.0 connectors and two SuperSpeed
USB 3.0 connectors.
• The GPIB block contains the GPIB interface.
• The ExpressCard/34 slot accommodates an ExpressCard/34 module.
• The Ethernet Port 1 block consists of an Intel® I217-LM Gigabit Ethernet Connection.
• The Ethernet Port 2 block consists of an Intel® I210-IT Gigabit Ethernet Connection.
• The UART block connects to one serial port.
• The SMB Front Panel Trigger provides a routable connection of the PXI triggers to/from
the SMB on the front panel.
• The Watchdog block consists of a watchdog timer that can reset the controller or generate
triggers.
• The PXIe Connectors connect the NI PXIe-8840 to the PXI Express/CompactPCI Express
backplane.
National Instruments Software
National Instruments has developed several software tools you can use with the NI PXIe-8840.
National Instruments hardware and software work together to help you make the most of your
PXI Express system. The LabVIEW, Measurement Studio, and LabWindows™/CVI™
application development environments combine with leading hardware drivers such as
NI-DAQmx to provide exceptional control of NI hardware. Instrument drivers are available at
ni.com/idnet to simplify communication with instruments over a variety of buses.
LabVIEW is a powerful and easy-to-use graphical programming environment you can use to
acquire data from thousands of different instruments including USB, IEEE 488.2, VXI, serial,
PLCs, and plug-in boards. LabVIEW helps you convert acquired data into meaningful results
using powerful data analysis routines. Add-on tools provide additional specialized functionality.
For more information visit ni.com/labview and ni.com/toolkits.
If you prefer to use Microsoft’s Visual Basic, Visual C++, and Visual Studio .NET for the core
of your application, Measurement Studio adds tools for Measurement and Automation to each
language. For more information visit ni.com/mstudio.
LabWindows/CVI is an interactive ANSI C programming environment designed for building
virtual instrument applications. LabWindows/CVI delivers a drag-and-drop editor for building
user interfaces, a complete ANSI C environment for building your test program logic, and a
collection of automated code generation tools, as well as utilities for building automated test
systems, monitoring applications, or laboratory experiments. For more information visit
ni.com/lwcvi.

© National Instruments |1-5
NI PXIe-8840 User Manual
NI-DAQmx provides an extensive library of functions that you can call from your application
development environment or interactive environment such as NI Signal Express. These
functions provide an intuitive API for National Instruments multifunction DAQ products.
Features available include analog input (A/D conversion), buffered data acquisition
(high-speed A/D conversion), analog output (D/A conversion), waveform generation,
digital I/O, counter/timer operations, SCXI signal conditioning, RTSI or PXI synchronization,
self-calibration, messaging, and acquiring data to extended memory. For more information
visit ni.com/daq.
National Instruments Modular Instruments use specialized drivers suited to each product’s
specialization. Express VIs provide customized, interactive programming of instruments in a
single interface and soft front panels provide an interface for testing the functionality of each
instrument with no programming required. NI Switches, DMMs, High-Speed DIO, High-Speed
Digitizers, and Sources each have customized drivers for high-end modular instrumentation
systems. RF applications leverage two drivers, NI-RFSG and NI-RFSA and Dynamic Signal
Acquisition is available through NI-DAQmx. For more information visit ni.com/
modularinstruments.
You can expand the timing and triggering functionality of your PXI system with PXI Timing and
Synchronization products. These products provide precision clock sources, custom routing of
triggers for multi-chassis synchronization, clock sharing, and more and are programmed with
NI-Sync. For more information visit ni.com/pxi.
NI-VISA is the National Instruments implementation of the VISA specification. VISA is a
uniform API for communicating and controlling USB, Serial, GPIB, PXI, VXI, and various
other types of instruments. This API aids in the creation of portable applications and instrument
drivers. For information on writing your own PXI instrument driver with NI-VISA, refer to the
NI-VISA Help and the readme.txt file in the NI-VISA directory. For more information visit
ni.com/visa.
With LabVIEW for Linux and support for over two hundred devices on Linux with the
NI-DAQmx driver, you can now create Virtual Instruments based on the Linux OS. Instrument
control in Linux has been improved by the NI-VISA driver for Linux and NI Modular
Instruments are partially supported. For more information visit ni.com/linux.

© National Instruments |2-1
2
Installation and Configuration
This chapter contains information about installing and configuring your NI PXIe-8840
controller.
Installing the NI PXIe-8840
This section contains general installation instructions for the NI PXIe-8840. Consult your
PXI Express chassis user manual for specific instructions and warnings.
1. Plug in your chassis before installing the NI PXIe-8840. The power cord grounds the
chassis and protects it from electrical damage while you install the module.
Caution To protect both yourself and the chassis from electrical hazards, leave the
chassis powered off until you finish installing the NI PXIe-8840 module.
• Remove any filler panels blocking access to the system controller slot (Slot 1) in the
chassis.
• Touch the metal part of the case to discharge any static electricity that might be on your
clothes or body.
2. Remove the protective plastic covers from the four bracket-retaining screws as shown in
Figure 2-1.

2-2 |ni.com
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration
Figure 2-1. Removing Protective Screw Caps
3. Make sure the injector/ejector handle is in its downward position. Align the NI PXIe-8840
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-8840.
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.
4. Hold the handle as you slowly slide the module into the chassis until the handle catches on
the injector/ejector rail.
5. Raise the injector/ejector handle until the module firmly seats into the backplane receptacle
connectors. The front panel of the NI PXIe-8840 should be even with the front panel of the
chassis.
6. Tighten the four bracket-retaining screws on the top and bottom of the front panel to secure
the NI PXIe-8840 to the chassis.
7. Check the installation.
8. Connect the keyboard and mouse to the appropriate 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. Refer to Figure 4-1, Y-Splitter Cable.
1 Protective Screw Cap (4x)
1

© National Instruments |2-3
NI PXIe-8840 User Manual
9. 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.
10. Connect devices to ports as required by your system configuration.
11. Power on the chassis.
12. Verify that the controller boots. If the controller does not boot, refer to the What if the
NI PXIe-8840 does not boot? section of Chapter 5, Troubleshooting.
Figure 2-2 shows an NI PXIe-8840 installed in the system controller slot of an NI PXIe-1082
chassis.
Figure 2-2. NI PXIe-8840 Controller Installed in a PXI Express Chassis
How to Remove the Controller from the PXI Express
Chassis
The NI PXIe-8840 controller is designed for easy handling. To remove the unit from the PXI
Express chassis, complete the following steps.
1. Power off the chassis.
2. Unscrew the four bracket-retaining screws in the front panel.
3. Press the injector/ejector handle down.
4. Slide the unit out of the chassis.
Note If the PXI Express chassis Inhibit Mode Selector Switch is not in the Default
position, any attempt to shut down the NI PXIe-8840 through the push button reset
or using Windows will result in the controller Power OK LED blinking. You must use
the Remote Inhibit pin on the Remote Inhibit and Voltage Monitoring Connector to
turn off the chassis. Refer to the PXI Express chassis user manual for details of the
Remote Inhibit and Voltage Monitoring control functionality.
1 NI PXIe-1082 Chassis
2 NI PXIe-8840 Controller
3 Injector/Ejector Rail
1
3
2

2-4 |ni.com
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration
BIOS Setup Utility
You can change the NI PXIe-8840 configuration settings in the BIOS setup program. The BIOS
is the low-level interface between the hardware and operating system software that configures
and tests your hardware when you boot the system. The BIOS setup program includes menus for
configuring settings and enabling NI PXIe-8840 controller features.
Most users do not need to use the BIOS setup program, as the NI PXIe-8840 controller ships
with default settings that work well for most configurations.
Caution Changing BIOS settings may lead to incorrect controller behavior and
possibly an unbootable controller. If this happens, follow the instructions for
restoring default settings in the System CMOS section. In general, do not change a
setting unless you are absolutely certain what it does.
Accessing BIOS Setup Utility
Complete the following steps to start the BIOS setup program.
1. Power on or reboot your NI PXIe-8840 controller.
2. When the message Press <DEL> to enter setup appears, press the <Delete> key.
The setup program loads after a short delay.
The Main menu is displayed when you first enter the BIOS setup program.
Use the following keys to navigate through the BIOS setup program:
•Left Arrow, Right Arrow—Use these keys to move between the different setup menus. If
you are in a submenu, these keys have no effect, and you must press <Esc> to leave the
submenu first. (To use the arrows on the numeric keypad, you must turn off Num Lock.)
•Up Arrow, Down Arrow—Use these keys to move between the options within a setup
menu. (To use the arrows on the numeric keypad, you must turn off Num Lock.)
•<Enter>—Use this key either to enter a submenu or display all available settings for a
highlighted configuration option.
•<Esc>—Use this key to return to the parent menu of a submenu. At the top-level menus,
this key serves as a shortcut to the Exit menu.
•<+> and <->—Use these keys to cycle between all available settings for a selected
configuration option.
•<Tab>—Use this key to select time and date fields.
•<F9>—Use this key to load the optimal default values for BIOS configuration settings. The
optimal default values are the same as the shipping configuration default values.

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NI PXIe-8840 User Manual
Main Setup Menu
The most commonly accessed and modified BIOS settings are in the Main setup menu. The
Main setup menu reports the following configuration information:
•BIOS Version and Build Date—These values indicate the version of the NI PXIe-8840
controller BIOS and the date on which the BIOS was built.
•Embedded Firmware Version—This value helps identify the built-in hardware
capabilities.
•Processor Type, Base Processor Frequency, and Maximum Processor Core
Count—These values indicate the type of processor used in the NI PXIe-8840 controller,
the speed of the processor, and the maximum number of processor cores.
•Total Memory—This value indicates the size of system RAM detected by the BIOS.
•PXIe Chassis Information—These values indicate the overall chassis link configuration,
the link width of each link, and the link speed of each link.
The Main setup menu also includes the following settings:
•System Date—This setting controls the date, which is stored in a battery-backed real-time
clock. Most operating systems also include a way to change this setting. Use <+> and <->
in conjunction with <Enter> and <Tab> to change these values.
•System Time—This setting controls the time of day, which is stored in a battery-backed
real-time clock. Most operating systems also include a way to change this setting. Use <+>
and <-> in conjunction with <Enter> and <Tab> to change these values.
Advanced Setup Menu
This menu contains BIOS settings that normally do not require modification. If you have specific
problems such as unbootable disks or resource conflicts, you may need to examine these
settings.
Caution Changing settings in this menu may result in an unstable or unbootable
controller. If this happens, follow the procedures outlined in the System CMOS
section to restore BIOS settings to their factory defaults.
The Advanced setup menu includes the following settings and submenus:
•SATA Configuration—Use this setting to access the SATA Configuration submenu.
Refer to the SATA Configuration Submenu section for more information.
•CPU Configuration—Use this setting to access the CPU Configuration submenu. Refer
to the CPU Configuration Submenu section for more information.
•Video Configuration—Use this setting to access the Video Configuration submenu.
Refer to the Video Configuration Submenu section for more information.
•Power/Wake Configuration—Use this setting to access the Power/Wake Configuration
submenu. Refer to the Power/Wake Configuration Submenu section for more information.

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Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration
•ExpressCard Configuration—Use this setting to access the ExpressCard
Configuration submenu. Refer to the ExpressCard Configuration Submenu section for
more information.
•PCI Configuration—Use this setting to access the PCI Configuration submenu. Refer to
the PCI Configuration Submenu section for more information.
•USB Configuration—Use this setting to access the USB Configuration submenu. Refer
to the USB Configuration Submenu section for more information.
•Serial Port Configuration—Use this setting to access the Serial Port Configuration
submenu. Refer to the Serial Port Configuration Submenu section for more information.
SATA Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to apply alternate settings to the hard disk drive (HDD) interfaces. Normally,
you do not need to modify these settings, as the factory default settings provide the most
compatible and optimal configuration possible.
•SATA Controller—This setting specifies whether or not the onboard SATA controller is
enabled or disabled. The default value is Enabled.
–SATA Mode Selection—This setting determines whether AHCI mode is enabled or
disabled for the SATA port. Some older operating systems do not support AHCI mode.
You can use this setting to disable AHCI mode and enable IDE mode so that
non-compatible OSes function correctly. The default value is AHCI.
•Internal Drive (SATA)—This item displays the onboard SATA drive detected in the
system.
CPU Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to apply alternate settings to the CPU. Normally, you do not need to modify
these settings, as the factory default settings provide the most compatible and optimal
configuration possible.
•Hyper-Threading—This setting enables or disables Intel Hyper-Threading technology.
The default value is Enabled. Enabling Hyper-Threading increases performance for some
applications by adding virtual CPU cores. Hyper-Threading can increase application jitter,
so be careful when enabling this setting on a Real Time system. When the BIOS is
configured to boot LabVIEW Real-Time, Hyper-Threading is disabled automatically. To
manually enable Hyper-Threading performance when in LabVIEW Real-Time mode, refer
to the LabVIEW RT Configuration Overrides Submenu.
•Enabled CPU Cores—This setting selects the number of active CPU cores for the
processor. Valid values are 1and All. The default value is All.
•Turbo Boost—This setting enables or disables Intel Turbo Boost technology. The default
value is Enabled. Enabling Turbo Boost allows CPU cores to run at higher than their base
frequency for short durations, while other cores are idle. Enabling Turbo Boost can also
increase application jitter, so be careful when enabling this setting on a Real Time system.
To achieve maximum possible Turbo Boost frequencies, also enable the C-States setting.
When the BIOS is configured to boot LabVIEW Real-time, Turbo Boost is disabled