National Instruments PXI-8106 User Manual

PXI

NI PXI-8106 User Manual

NI PXI-8106 User Manual

January 2007
372096A-01

Support

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Important Information

Warranty

The PXI-8106 is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of shipment, as evidenced by
receipts or other documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace equipment that proves to be defective during the
warranty period. This warranty includes parts and labor.

The media on which you receive National Instruments software are warranted not to fail to execute programming instructions, due to defects in
materials and workmanship, for a period of 90 days from date of shipment, as evidenced by receipts or other documentation. National Instruments
will, at its option, repair or replace software media that do not execute programming instruc tions if National Instruments receives notice of such defects
during the warranty period. National Instruments does not warrant that the operation of the software shall be uninterrupted or error free.

A Return Material Authorization (RMA) number must be obtained from the factory and clearly marked on the outside of the package before any
equipment will be accepted for warranty work. National Instruments will pay the shipping costs of returning to the owner parts which are covered by
warranty.

National Instruments believes that the information in this document is accurate. The document has been carefully reviewed for technical accuracy. In
the event that technical or typographical errors exist, National Instruments reserves the right to make changes to subsequent editions of this document
without prior notice to holders of this edition. The reader should consult National Instruments if errors are suspected. In no event shall National
Instruments be liable for any damages arising out of or related to this document or the information contained in it.

E

XCEPT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN, NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY OF

MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CUSTOMER’S RIGHT TO RECOVER DAMAGES CAUSED BY FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF NATIONAL

I

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failures caused by owner’s failure to follow the National Instruments installation, operation, or maintenance instructions; owner’s modification of the
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reasonable control.

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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.

WARNING REGARDING USE OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS

(1) NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS ARE NOT DESIGNED WITH COMPONENTS AND TESTING FOR A LEVEL OF
RELIABILITY SUITABLE FOR USE IN OR IN CONNECTION WITH SURGICAL IMPLANTS OR AS CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN
ANY LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS WHOSE FAILURE TO PERFORM CAN REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT
INJURY TO A HUMAN.

(2) IN ANY APPLICATION, INCLUDING THE ABOVE, RELIABILITY OF OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS CAN BE
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COMPATIBILITY PROBLEMS, MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES OF ELECTRONIC MONITORING OR CONTROL DEVICES,
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HARM TO PROPERTY OR PERSONS (INCLUDING THE RISK OF BODILY INJURY AND DEATH) SHOULD NOT BE RELIANT SOLELY
UPON ONE FORM OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEM DUE TO THE RISK OF SYSTEM FAILURE. TO AVOID DAMAGE, INJURY, OR DEATH,
THE USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER MUST TAKE REASONABLY PRUDENT STEPS TO PROTECT AGAINST SYSTEM FAILURES,
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Compliance

Compliance with FCC/Canada Radio Frequency Interference
Regulations

Determining FCC Class

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rules to protect wireless communications from interference. The FCC
places digital electronics into two classes. These classes are known as Class A (for use in industrial-commercial locations only)
or Class B (for use in residential or commercial locations). All National Instruments (NI) products are FCC Class A products.

Depending on where it is operated, this Class A product could be subject to restrictions in the FCC rules. (In Canada, the
Department of Communications (DOC), of Industry Canada, regulates wireless interference in much the same way.) Digital
electronics emit weak signals during normal operation that can affect radio, television, or other wireless products.

All Class A products display a simple warning statement of one paragraph in length regarding interference and undesired
operation. The FCC rules have restrictions regarding the locations where FCC Class A products can be operated.

Consult the FCC Web site at

FCC/DOC Warnings

This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in strict accordance with the instructions
in this manual and the CE marking Declaration of Conformity*, may cause interference to radio and television reception.
Classification requirements are the same for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Canadian Department
of Communications (DOC).

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by NI could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment under the
FCC Rules.

Class A

Federal Communications Commission

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated
in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this
equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user is required to correct the interference
at their own expense.

www.fcc.gov for more information.

Canadian Department of Communications

This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.

Compliance with EU Directives

Users in the European Union (EU) should refer to the Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for information* pertaining to the
CE marking. Refer to the Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for this product for any additional regulatory compliance
information. To obtain the DoC for this product, visit
and click the appropriate link in the Certification column.

* The CE marking Declaration of Conformity contains important supplementary information and instructions for the user or

installer.

ni.com/certification, search by model number or product line,

Contents

About This Manual

How to Use the Documentation Set...............................................................................vii

Conventions ...................................................................................................................vii

Related Documentation..................................................................................................viii

Chapter 1
Introduction

Benefits of PXI ..............................................................................................................1-1

NI PXI-8106 ..................................................................................................................1-2

Description ......................................................................................................1-2

Functional Overview .......................................................................................1-2

National Instruments Software ......................................................................................1-4

Chapter 2
Installation and Configuration

Installing the NI PXI-8106 ............................................................................................2-1

How to Remove the Controller from the PXI Chassis ....................................2-4

BIOS Setup ....................................................................................................................2-5

Entering BIOS Setup .......................................................................................2-5

Main Setup Menu ............................................................................................2-6

Advanced Setup Menu ....................................................................................2-6

PXI Setup Menu ..............................................................................................2-10

LabVIEW RT Options Setup Menu ................................................................2-10

Security Menu .................................................................................................2-11

Boot Setup Menu.............................................................................................2-12

Exiting BIOS Setup .........................................................................................2-12

System CMOS ...............................................................................................................2-13

LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches..........................................................................2-14

Drivers and Software .....................................................................................................2-16

Files and Directories Installed on Your Hard Drive........................................2-16

PXI Features ..................................................................................................................2-16

PXI Trigger Connectivity................................................................................2-16

Chassis Configuration....................................................................................................2-17

Basic PXI System Configuration.....................................................................2-18

Upgrading RAM ............................................................................................................2-19

Hard Drive Recovery .....................................................................................................2-20

Installing an OS .............................................................................................................2-21

Installing from a CD-ROM .............................................................................2-21

© National Instruments Corporation v NI PXI-8106 User Manual

Contents

ExpressCard................................................................................................................... 2-21

Installing an ExpressCard ............................................................................... 2-21

Removing an ExpressCard.............................................................................. 2-22

Chapter 3
I/O Information

Front Panel Connectors ................................................................................................. 3-1

Front Panel.....................................................................................................................3-2

DVI-I............................................................................................................... 3-3

COM1.............................................................................................................. 3-5

Ethernet ........................................................................................................... 3-6

Parallel Port..................................................................................................... 3-7

Universal Serial Bus........................................................................................ 3-9

Trigger............................................................................................................. 3-10

GPIB (IEEE 488.2) .........................................................................................3-11

ExpressCard/34 Slot........................................................................................ 3-12

Front Panel Features ...................................................................................................... 3-14

Data Storage .................................................................................................................. 3-14

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 Configuration ......................................................................................................... 4-6

Chapter 5
Troubleshooting

Appendix A
Specifications

Appendix B
Technical Support and Professional Services

Glossary

Index

NI PXI-8106 User Manual vi ni.com

About This Manual

This manual contains detailed instructions for installing and configuring
your National Instruments NI PXI-8106 embedded controller kit.

How to Use the Documentation Set

Begin by reading the NI PXI-8106 Installation Guide, a brief quick-start
guide that describes how to install and get started with your controller.

This manual, the NI PXI-8106 User Manual, contains more details about
changing the installation or configuration from the defaults and using the
hardware.

Conventions

The following conventions appear in this manual:

» The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options

to a final action. The sequence File»Page Setup»Options directs you to
pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item, and select Options
from the last dialog box.

This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.

This icon denotes a caution, which advises you of precautions to take to
avoid injury, data loss, or a system crash.

bold Bold text denotes items that you must select or click in the software, such

as menu items and dialog box options. Bold text also denotes parameter
names.

italic Italic text denotes variables, emphasis, a cross-reference, or an introduction

to a key concept. Italic text also denotes text that is a placeholder for a word
or value that you must supply.

monospace Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter from the

keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and syntax examples.
This font is also used for the proper names of disk drives, paths, directories,
programs, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions, operations,
variables, filenames, and extensions.

© National Instruments Corporation vii NI PXI-8106 User Manual

About This Manual

monospace bold Bold text in this font denotes the messages and responses that the computer

automatically prints to the screen. This font also emphasizes lines of code
that are different from the other examples.

Related Documentation

The following documents contain information you may find helpful as you
read this manual:

• PICMG 2.0 R3.0 CompactPCI Specification, PCI Industrial
Computers Manufacturers Group

• IEEE Standard P1284.1-1997 (C/MM) Standard for Information

Technology for Transport Independent Printer/System Interface

• PCI Local Bus Specification, Revision 2.3, PCI Special Interest Group

• PXI Hardware Specification, Revision 2.2, PXI Systems Alliance

• PXI Software Specification, Revision 2.1, PXI Systems Alliance

• Serialized IRQ Support for PCI Systems Specification, Revision 6.0,
Compaq Computer et al.

• ExpressCard Standard, Release 1.0, PCMCIA

• Universal Serial Bus (USB) Specification, Revision 2.0

• Digital Visual Interface (DVI) Specification, Revision 1.0

• IEEE Std 488.1-2003, IEEE Standard for Higher Performance
Protocol for the Standard Digital Interface for Programmable
Instrumentation

NI PXI-8106 User Manual viii ni.com

Introduction

Benefits of PXI

The PXI (PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation) industry standard, an open
specification governed by the PXI Systems Alliance (PXISA), defines a
compact modular PC platform for test, measurement, and control systems.
PXI leverages the PCI bus, which is the de facto standard for today’s
desktop computer software and hardware designs. As a result, PXI users
receive all the benefits of PCI within an architecture that supports
mechanical, electrical, and software features tailored to industrial
instrumentation, data acquisition, industrial automation, and control
applications.

Well-suited for industrial applications, PXI leverages from the
CompactPCI specification, which defines a rugged form factor for PCI
that offers superior mechanical integrity and easy installation and removal
of hardware components. PXI products offer higher and more carefully
defined levels of environmental performance required by the vibration,
shock, temperature, and humidity extremes of industrial environments.
PXI adds mandatory environmental testing and active cooling to the
CompactPCI mechanical specification to ease system integration and
ensure multivendor interoperability.

1

Additionally, PXI meets the more specific needs of instrumentation users
by adding an integrated trigger bus and reference clock for multiple-board
synchronization, a star trigger bus for very precise timing, and local buses
for side-band communication between adjacent peripherals.

© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 NI PXI-8106 User Manual

Chapter 1 Introduction

NI PXI-8106

Description

Note The NI PXI-8106 controller will not function in the NI PXI-1020 or NI PXI-1025

chassis.

Caution ESD: An electrostatic discharge event to the ExpressCard port may cause the

controller to restart. This is an Electromagnetic Compatibility Performance Criteria C
(non-continuous operation) for ESD.

The NI PXI-8106 PXI/CompactPCI embedded computer is a
high-performance PXI/CompactPCI system controller. The NI PXI-8106
controller integrates standard I/O features in a single unit by using
state-of-the-art packaging. Combining an NI PXI-8106 embedded
controller with a PXI-compatible chassis, such as the NI PXI-1042, results
in a fully PC-compatible computer in a compact, rugged package.

The standard I/O on each module includes DVI-I (Digital Video Interface
Integrated Analog/Digital) video, one RS-232 serial port, a parallel port,
four Hi-Speed USB ports, Gigabit Ethernet, a reset button, and a PXI
trigger.

The NI PXI-8106 has an Intel
dual core processor), all the standard I/O, and a 30 GB (or larger) hard
drive. It also has a PCI-based GPIB controller and an ExpressCard/34
expansion slot.

®

Core 2™ Duo processor T7400 (2.16 GHz

Functional Overview

This section contains functional descriptions of each major logic block on
the NI PXI-8106 embedded computer.

NI PXI-8106 User Manual 1-2 ni.com

Chapter 1 Introduction

NI PXI-8106 Functional Description

The NI PXI-8106 is a modular PC in a PXI 3U-size form factor. Figure 1-1
is a functional block diagram of the NI PXI-8106. Following the diagram
is a description of each logic block shown.

Socket 479

CPU

SO-DIMM

DDR2 SDRAM

PC2-5300

Flash ROM

4 Hi-Speed

USB

Connectors

ATA 100

IDE Interface

S ATA

ExpressCard/34

Slot

DUAL CH

Gigabit

Ethernet

LPT 1

COM 1

Chipset

Graphics

Memory

Controller

Hub

Chipset

I/O

Controller

Hub

Super I/O

DMI

LPC Bus

DVI-I

Connector

GPIB

PXI

Connector

PCI Bus

PXI

Triggers

SMB to

PXI Trigger

Watchdog

Timer

SMB

Figure 1-1. NI PXI-8106 Block Diagram

© National Instruments Corporation 1-3 NI PXI-8106 User Manual

Chapter 1 Introduction

The NI PXI-8106 consists of the following logic blocks on the CPU
module and the I/O module. The CPU module has the following logic
blocks:

• Socket 479 CPU is the socket definition for the Intel

®

Core 2™ Duo

processor T7400.

• The SO-DIMM block consists of two 64-bit DDR2 SDRAM sockets
that can hold up to 1 GB each.

• The Chipset 945GMCH (Graphics and Memory Controller Hub)
connects to the CPU, DDR2 SDRAM, and DVI-I video.

• The SMB to PXI Trigger provides a routable connection of the
PXI triggers to/from the SMB on the front panel.

• The Watchdog Timer block consists of a watchdog timer that can reset
the controller or generate a trigger.

• The Chipset ICH7M connects to the PCI, USB, IDE, SATA, and
LPC buses.

• The USB Connectors are connected to the ICH7M chipset.

• The PXI Connector connects the NI PXI-8106 to the PXI/CompactPCI
backplane.

• The Super I/O block represents the other peripherals supplied by the
NI PXI-8106. The NI PXI-8106 has one serial port, and an ECP/EPP
parallel port.

• The Gigabit Ethernet connects to either 10 Mbit, 100 Mbit, or
1,000 Mbit Ethernet interfaces.

• The GPIB block contains the GPIB interface.

• The ExpressCard/34 slot accommodates an ExpressCard/34 module.

• The SATA block connects a Serial ATA hard drive to the ICH7M.

• The ATA-100 IDE block is dedicated PCI-IDE circuitry providing fast
ATA-100 transfers to the internal 2.5 in. hard drive. The IDE feature is
built into the chipset. The hard drive is 30 GB or larger.

National Instruments Software

National Instruments has developed several software tools you can use with
the NI PXI-8106.

National Instruments’ hardware and software work together to help you
make the most of your PXI system. The LabVIEW, Measurement Studio,
and LabWindows
with leading hardware drivers such as NI-DAQmx to provide exceptional

NI PXI-8106 User Manual 1-4 ni.com

™

/CVI™ application development environments combine

Chapter 1 Introduction

control of NI hardware. Instrument drivers are available at ni.com/idnet
to simplify communication with instruments over a variety of busses.

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
and

ni.com/toolkits.

ni.com/labview

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.

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

modularinstruments

© National Instruments Corporation 1-5 NI PXI-8106 User Manual

.

ni.com/

Chapter 1 Introduction

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 Getting Started Manual and the
the NI-VISA directory. For more information visit

readme.txt file in

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.

NI PXI-8106 User Manual 1-6 ni.com

Installation and Configuration

This chapter contains information about installing and configuring your
NI PXI-8106 controller.

Installing the NI PXI-8106

This section contains general installation instructions for the NI PXI-8106.
Consult your PXI chassis user manual for specific instructions and
warnings.

1. Plug in your chassis before installing the NI PXI-8106. The power
cord grounds the chassis and protects it from electrical damage while
you install the module. (Make sure the power switch is turned off.)

Caution To protect both yourself and the chassis from electrical hazards, leave the chassis

powered off until you finish installing the NI PXI-8106 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 case to discharge any static electricity that
might be on your clothes or body.

2

© National Instruments Corporation 2-1 NI PXI-8106 User Manual

Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration

4. Remove the protective plastic covers from the four bracket-retaining
screws as shown in Figure 2-1.

1

1 Protective Screw Cap (4X)

Figure 2-1. Removing Protective Screw Caps

5. Make sure the injector/ejector handle is in its downward position.
Align the NI PXI-8106 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-8106. 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.

NI PXI-8106 User Manual 2-2 ni.com

Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration

7. Raise the injector/ejector handle until the module firmly seats
into the backplane receptacle connectors. The front panel of the
NI PXI-8106 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 PXI-8106 to the chassis.

9. Check the installation.

10. 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.

11. Connect the DVI monitor video cable to the DVI connector. If you are
using a VGA monitor, use the DVI-to-VGA adapter included with
your kit.

12. Connect devices to ports as required by your system configuration.

13. Power on the display device.

14. Power on the chassis.

15. Verify that the controller boots. If the controller does not boot, refer
to the What if the NI PXI-8106 does not boot? section of Chapter 5,

Troubleshooting.

© National Instruments Corporation 2-3 NI PXI-8106 User Manual

Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration

Figure 2-2 shows an NI PXI-8106 installed in the system controller slot of
a National Instruments PXI-1042 chassis. You can place PXI devices in any
other slots.

1

2

3

1 PXI-1042 Chassis 2 NI PXI-8106 Controller 3 Injector/Ejector Rail

Figure 2-2. NI PXI-8106 Controller Installed in a PXI Chassis

How to Remove the Controller from the PXI Chassis

The NI PXI-8106 controller is designed for easy handling. To remove the
unit from the PXI chassis, complete the following steps:

1. Power off the chassis.

2. Remove any cables that may be attached to the controller front panel.

3. Unscrew the bracket-retaining screws in the front panel. Refer to
Figure 2-1 for the location of these screws.

4. Press the injector/ejector handle down.

5. Slide the unit out of the chassis.

NI PXI-8106 User Manual 2-4 ni.com

BIOS Setup

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.

Entering BIOS Setup

Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration

You can change the NI PXI-8106 configuration settings in the BIOS setup.
The BIOS is the low-level interface between the hardware and PC software
that configures and tests your hardware when you boot the system. The
BIOS setup program includes menus for configuring settings and enabling
NI PXI-8106 controller features.

Most users do not need to use the BIOS setup program, as the NI PXI-8106
controller ships with default settings that work well for most
configurations.

To start the BIOS setup utility, complete the following steps:

1. Power on or reboot your NI PXI-8106 controller.

2. When the message
the Delete key on the keyboard. The message
appears, and the setup program is loaded after a short delay.

3. When you first enter the BIOS setup program, it displays the Main
menu.

Press <DEL> to enter SETUP appears, press

Entering Setup

Use the following keys to navigate through the BIOS setup:

• 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 need to 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 the parent menu of a submenu.
At the top-level menus, this key serves as a shortcut to the Exit menu.

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Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration

• <+> 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.

Main Setup Menu

The most commonly accessed and modified BIOS settings are in the Main
setup menu. The Main setup menu includes the following settings:

• System Time & Date—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.

• Require Keyboard to Boot—When Enabled, a missing or

malfunctioning keyboard causes the BIOS to halt with an error. When
Disabled, the BIOS allows booting without a keyboard. If you are
using a USB keyboard, you may attach it at any time during the
powered up state. To use this controller in a “headless” mode, you must
set this option to Disabled. The default value is Enabled.

Note Attaching a USB-to-PS/2 keyboard adapter may allow the system to boot even if no

PS/2 keyboard is attached.

• Num Lock—This setting indicates whether you turn on Num Lock at
boot time. The default value is On.

• SATA Port—This item displays the SATA devices detected in the
system. Normally, you do not need to modify this item. However, if a
SATA device is not autodetected properly, you can specify it manually
by pressing <Enter> on the item.

• IDE Channel 0 Master—These items display the IDE/ATA devices
detected in the system. Normally, you do not need to modify these
items. However, if an IDE/ATA device is not autodetected properly,
you can specify it manually by pressing <Enter> on an item.

• System Information—This setting displays a screen containing
important system information about the NI PXI-8106 controller.

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.

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Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration

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:

• Reset Configuration Data—A portion of the EEPROM on the

controller is designated as the Extended System Configuration Data
region (ESCD). The BIOS and Plug-and-Play operating systems use
this table to store the Last Known Good configuration of system
peripherals. If you experience resource conflicts or peripheral
malfunction, set this setting to Yes to force the BIOS to recreate the
ESCD on the next reboot. This is rarely necessary.

• Integrated Peripherals—Use this setting to bring up the Integrated
Peripherals submenu. (Refer to the Integrated Peripherals Submenu
section.)

• Quick Boot Mode—When you enable this option, certain lengthy
BIOS tests that rarely fail are skipped to shorten controller boot time.
The default is Enabled.

• Summary Screen—This setting controls the display of the summary
screen shown after BIOS completes its initialization, but before
booting takes place. You can disable this screen in the interest of
shortening controller boot time. The default is Disabled.

• PXE Network Boot—This setting enables the option for booting from
a network PXE server on the subnet. The default is Disabled.

Integrated Peripherals Submenu

Use this submenu to apply nondefault configurations to the front panel
peripherals of an NI PXI-8106 controller. Normally, you do not need
to modify these settings, as the factory default settings provide the most
compatible and optimal configuration possible.

• Serial Port A—This setting enables or disables COM1. You also can
change this setting to Enabled and modify the base address and
Interrupt Request Level (IRQ) of a port. The default is Auto, which
places COM1 at 0x3F8 IRQ 4.

• Parallel Port—Use this setting to enable or disable LPT1. You also
can change this setting to Enabled and modify the base address,
IRQ level, and ISA Direct Memory Access (DMA) channel of the
port. The default is Auto, which places LPT1 at 0x378, IRQ 7, using
ISA DMA Channel 3 if necessary.

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Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration

• Parallel Port Mode—The PC industry has created several different

modes of operation for this port over the years. Usually, the default
setting works for all applications. However, if a parallel port device
specifically requires a nondefault setting, you can change it here.
The default is Bidirectional, for full IEEE 1284 capabilities.

• Legacy USB Support—Use this setting to use a USB keyboard and

mouse as if they were standard PS/2-style peripherals. You must enable
this setting to use these devices in operating systems with no USB
support and to boot from a USB floppy or CD-ROM. The BIOS setup
screen always works with USB keyboards regardless of this setting.
The default is Enabled.

Note Certain real-time applications may require you to disable this setting to reduce loop

time jitter. When the controller is configured to boot LabVIEW RT, legacy USB support is
automatically disabled.

• SATA Mode—This setting determines whether the SATA controller
operates in Enhanced or Compatible mode. Enhanced mode
provides the advanced features of a SATA controller, while
Compatible mode provides legacy backwards compatibility with
standard ATA for operating systems that do not natively support SATA.
The default setting is Enhanced.

Note When the controller is configured to boot LabVIEW RT, SATA Mode is

automatically configured for Compatible mode.

• AHCI Configuration—This setting determines whether AHCI mode
is Enabled or Disabled for the SATA port. Because some operating
systems do not support AHCI mode, you can use this setting to disable
AHCI mode so that non-compatible OSes function correctly. The
default setting is Enabled.

• Multi-Core Processing—This setting determines whether or not the
second core processor on the Intel

®

Core™ 2 Duo T7400 is enabled.

The default setting is Enabled.

• Monitor DDC—This setting determines how the monitor DDC is
routed. Use this setting to select whether or not the DDC is routed for
an Analog monitor or a DVI monitor. In order to use a DVI monitor,
this setting must be set to DVI. An analog monitor, however, will
function with this option set to either Analog or DVI. The DDC
communication path is only enabled when set to Analog for an analog
monitor, so certain advanced features of your analog monitor may only
be enabled when routing DDC to Analog. The default setting is DVI.

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Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration

• Force IGD Primary—This setting determines how the BIOS

prioritizes video controllers when external video cards are present in
the system. During POST, only one device can act as the video display
device. When set to Enabled, the BIOS allows the integrated graphics
device to remain the video display device. When set to Disabled, the
BIOS allows an external graphics card, if present, to act as the default
video display device. Note that even when set to Disabled, the
integrated graphics device still acts as the video display device if it is
the only one available in the system. The default setting is Disabled.

• ExpressCard Hot-Plug Resources—This setting determines whether
or not resource pre-allocation is Enabled or Disabled for the
ExpressCard port. When this setting is Enabled, the BIOS will
pre-allocate memory space, I/O space, and PCI bus numbers for the
ExpressCard port, allowing non-PCI Express-aware operating systems
to support hot-plugging ExpressCard devices. When this setting is
Disabled, no resources will be pre-allocated, and you may need to
restart the OS when hot-plugging an ExpressCard device. The default
setting is Enabled.

• Hot-Plug Bus Gap—This setting determines the number of PCI buses
that will be reserved by the BIOS for ExpressCard PCI-PCI bridges
that may be hot-plugged in the ExpressCard slot. This setting is only
applicable if ExpressCard Hot-Plug Resources is set to Enabled.
The default value for this setting is 8 PCI buses.

• I/O—This setting determines the amount of I/O space, in bytes, that
will be reserved by the BIOS for PCI-PCI bridges that may be
hot-plugged in the ExpressCard slot. This setting is only applicable if
ExpressCard Hot-Plug Resources is set to Enabled. The default
value for this setting is 4096 bytes of I/O space.

• Memory—This setting determines the amount of memory space, in
bytes, that will be reserved by the BIOS for PCI-PCI bridges that may
be hot-plugged in the ExpressCard slot. This setting is only applicable
if ExpressCard Hot-Plug Resources is set to Enabled. The default
value for this setting is 32 megabytes of memory.

• Pre-fetchable Memory—This setting determines the amount of
pre-fetchable memory space, in bytes, that will be reserved by the
BIOS for PCI-PCI bridges that may be hot-plugged in the ExpressCard
slot. This setting is only applicable if ExpressCard Hot-Plug

Resources is set to Enabled. The default value for this setting is
32 megabytes of pre-fetchable memory.

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Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration

PXI Setup Menu

Use this menu to control and route certain signals on the PXI backplane.
Normally, you do not need to modify these settings. However, other
sections of this manual may indicate that modifications are necessary
and may lead to unpredictable behavior.

• APIC Routing—This item is valid only for Windows XP and 2000
and other modern operating systems. Select Enabled to initialize the
IOAPIC and local APIC in uniprocessor mode. Select Disabled to use
the legacy PIC for interrupt routing. The default setting is Enabled.

• PIRQx Routing—This setting selects the routing option for PXI/PCI
devices connected to PIRQx. This settings affects OSes that do not use
APIC routing. The default setting for all PIRQx options is IRQ10.

• Per-Slot Device Settings—This setting brings up the Per-Slot Device
Settings submenu. Refer to the Per-Slot Device Settings Submenu
section.

Per-Slot Device Settings Submenu

Use this menu to configure options that can be modified for individual PCI
devices in a PXI chassis.

Note Scanning for Option ROMs on devices behind a PCI bridge cannot be disabled.

PCI Device x Option ROM Scan—This setting selects whether PCI
device x will be scanned for an option ROM. Setting this option to Enabled
allows the BIOS to scan for a PCI option ROM on this PCI device. Setting
to Disabled prevents the BIOS from detecting option ROMs on this device.
Setting to Disabled does not completely disable the PCI device, just the
option ROM scan. The default is Enabled.

LabVIEW RT Options Setup Menu

Use this menu to configure boot options for LabVIEW RT if it is installed
on the controller. If you are not using LabVIEW RT, you should leave these
settings at default.

Note The first three settings below override the behavior of the switches on SW2. Refer

to LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches section for more information. To use the settings
from the switches, select Use Hardware Switch for each option.

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