National Instruments PXIe-8370 User Manual

USER MANUAL

PXIe-8370

MXI-Express x4 Multisystem eXtension Interface for PCI Express,
CompactPCI Express, and PXI Express Bus Systems

This manual describes the features, functions, and operation of the PXIe-8370.

Contents

Electromagnetic Compatibility Guidelines...............................................................................1

Description and Features...........................................................................................................2

Functional Overview.................................................................................................................3

PXIe-8370 Overview........................................................................................................ 3

PXIe-8370 Block Diagram................................................................................................4

Basic MXI-Express x4 System......................................................................................... 4

Larger MXI-Express x4 Systems......................................................................................4

Getting Started.......................................................................................................................... 5

Terminology...................................................................................................................... 6

Connecting a PC to an Expansion Chassis........................................................................6

Connecting Additional Expansion Chassis to a System................................................... 7

Installation and Configuration.................................................................................................. 8

Unpacking......................................................................................................................... 8

Hardware Installation........................................................................................................8

PXIe-8370 (194402x-02) LEDs.............................................................................................. 11

Software Installation and Configuration................................................................................. 12

Installation.......................................................................................................................12

Configuring Your System................................................................................................13

Common Questions.................................................................................................................13

General Hardware........................................................................................................... 13

MXI-3 and MXI-4 to MXI-Express x4 Upgrade............................................................ 14

General Software.............................................................................................................14

Electromagnetic Compatibility Guidelines

This product was tested and complies with the regulatory requirements and limits for
electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) as stated in the product specifications. These
requirements and limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference when the product is operated in its intended operational electromagnetic
environment. There is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation.
To minimize the potential for the product to cause interference to radio and television

reception or to experience unacceptable performance degradation, install and use this product
in strict accordance with the instructions in the product documentation.

The following statements contain important information needed before installing and using
this product:

Caution This product is intended for use in industrial locations. As a result, this

product may cause interference if used in residential areas. Such use must be
avoided unless the user takes special measures to reduce electromagnetic emissions
to prevent interference to the reception of radio and television broadcasts.

Caution Changes or modifications not expressly approved by National Instruments

could void the user’s authority to operate the hardware under the local regulatory
rules.

Caution For EMC compliance, operate this device with shielded cables and

accessories.

Description and Features

MXI-Express x4 uses PCI Express signals over a cable of up to 7 m with PCI Express-to-PCI
Express switches. You can do the following with MXI-Express x4:

• Control a PXI Express or CompactPCI Express backplane with a PCI Express-based PC

• Physically separate the measurement or automation system from a host PC

• Control multiple PXI Express or CompactPCI Express chassis with a single PCI Express-

based PC or PXI Express embedded controller.

The following table lists the products and lists their features for comparison.

Table 1. Feature Comparison of Available MXI-Express x4 Interfaces

Model Slot Type Number of Ports Cable Support

PCIe-8371 PCI Express x4 1 MXI-Express x4 Copper

PCIe-8372 PCI Express x4 2 MXI-Express x4 Copper

PXIe-8370 PXI Express Controller 1 MXI-Express x4 Copper

PXIe-8374 PXI Express Peripheral 1 MXI-Express x4 Copper

Note There are other products not listed in the table above that support MXI-

Express x4 connectivity, such as the HDD-826x series of products. For installation
instructions and other information concerning these products, refer to their
respective manuals.

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Functional Overview

MXI-Express x4 is based on PCI Express technology. A MXI-Express x4 kit uses PCI Express
switches to enable control of a PXI Express or CompactPCI Express chassis from a PC with an
available PCI Express slot, or from a PXI Express chassis with an available PXI Express slot.
The switch architecture is transparent to device drivers, so no additional software is needed for
CompactPCI Express level support for PXI Express devices in connected chassis.

Note For full PXI/PXI Express functionality such as chassis and controller

identification, trigger routing, and slot detection, install the PXI Platform Services
software included with your kit. You also can find this software at ni.com/

updates by searching for PXI Platform Services.

The link between the PC and the chassis is a x4 cabled PCI Express link. This link is a dual­simplex communication channel comprised of four low-voltage, differentially driven signal
pairs. The link can transmit at a rate of 10 Gbps in each direction simultaneously.

Note This port is compatible with the cabled PCI Express specification developed

by the PCI-SIG.

The BIOS of some host machines may not support the extension of the PCI-Express fabric or
PCI bus. Because this is the primary function of MXI-Express x4 products, those systems may
not boot or function correctly. To address this issue, certain MXI-Express x4 products have
additional functionality intended to hide all PCI or PCI-Express resources that are connected
to the host machine, and allow NI MXI-Express BIOS Compatibility Software to handle the
enumeration process of these resources instead of the BIOS.

In the cases where this software is required, there may be a dip switch on the board that needs
to be toggled as instructed by the documentation for the software. The functional block
diagram illustrates the location and availability of the dip switch package. Only the first dip
switch in the package is used for this purpose. The other switches serve no function and should
be left in their default position.

1

Note Unless NI MXI-Express BIOS Compatibility Software is installed on the host

machine for use, the BIOS Compat Mode dip switch (switch 1) should remain in the
off position. If this mode is enabled on a MXI-Express x4 product in a host machine
that does not have the software installed, the operating system will not detect
connected devices.

PXIe-8370 Overview

The PXIe‑8370 allows you to control PXI and CompactPCI systems from your PC using a
fully transparent MXI‑Express link. It is installed in a PXI chassis and uses a PCI
Express‑to‑PCI bridge to interface with an installed PCIe‑8371 through a copper, x1
MXI‑Express cable.

1

On certain legacy MXI-Express x4 products that contain the dip switch package, the secondary

switches may serve a reserved purpose.

PXIe-8370 User Manual | © National Instruments | 3

PXIe-8370 Block Diagram

Figure 1. PXIe-8370 (194402x-02) Block Diagram

Cabled

PCI Express x4

Copper

PCIe Switch

PCIe Gen 1 x4

PCIe Gen 1 x4

PCIe Gen 1 x4

PCIe Gen 1 x4

PCIe Gen 1 x4

Note The PXIe-8370 also supports dual link mode, which converts the links to the

chassis backplane into two Gen 1 x8 links instead of four Gen 1 x4 links.

Basic MXI-Express x4 System

The simplest MXI-Express x4 system consists of a PCIe-8371/8372 in a PC connected to a
PXIe-8370 in the controller slot of a PXI Express chassis, as shown in the following figure.

Figure 2. Example of a Basic MXI-Express x4 Link Topology

Host PC to Target PXI Express Chassis

Larger MXI-Express x4 Systems

The PCIe-8372 has two MXI-Express x4 connectors, allowing one PCIe-8372 to host two
different PXIe-8370 cards in separate PXI Express or CompactPCI Express chassis. If multiple
PCI Express slots are available in the host PC, you can connect additional PXI Express chassis
by installing an additional PCIe-8371/8372 in any available PCI Express slot.

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You can also daisy-chain from a PXI Express chassis already controlled by an embedded
controller, host PC, or laptop to additional PXI Express chassis using MXI-Express x4
products.

The following figures show how you can use MXI-Express x4 cards to connect multiple PXI
Express expansion chassis to a PC in a star or daisy-chain topology.

Figure 3. Example of MXI-Express x4 Star Topology

Figure 4. Example of MXI-Express Daisy-Chain Topology

Getting Started

This section explains what you will need to set up various MXI-Express x4 hardware
configurations.

The products covered by this guide are the PCIe-8371/8372 and PXIe-8370/8374. For the
remainder of this manual, the term MXI-Express x4 product refers to any of these products.

Additional compatible products are included in subsequent tables, but are not covered in this
manual.

PXIe-8370 User Manual | © National Instruments | 5

Terminology

The following terms may be used throughout this document:

• Host PC—A host computer with at least one PCI Express x4 or wider slot available.

Note Using a PCI Express slot wider than x4 may result in negotiation down

to x1 width, and therefore limiting bandwidth. This is uncommon in newer PCs.

• Expansion Chassis—An expansion chassis of any of the following types:

– CompactPCI Express chassis

– PXI Express chassis

– NI HDD RAID

• MXI-Express x4 copper cable—Standard PCI Express specification-compliant cable

with x4 PCI Express connectors.

Note Refer to the Cabling section for details. Most MXI-Express kits include

the cable, but not all.

• Host Board—The MXI-Express x4 board of a cabled pair of boards that is closer to the

CPU.

• Target Board—The MXI-Express x4 board of a cabled pair of boards that is farther from

the CPU.

• Cabled Pair—Two MXI-Express x4 boards that are connected with a single cable.

Connecting a PC to an Expansion Chassis

Using a MXI-Express x4 Copper Cable

Refer to the Terminology section for more detail on the items in this list.

Equipment Needed

• Host PC

• Expansion chassis

• MXI-Express x4 copper cable

• A MXI-Express x4 host board and target board that is appropriate for the host system slot

and target chassis. Refer to the following table for more information.

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From Host Targets

Slot Type Product PXI Express

Chassis

HDD RAID

PXIe-8370 HDD-8263 HDD-8264 HDD-8265

PCI Expressx4PCIe-8371 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

PCI Expressx4PCIe-8372 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Note: For installation instructions and other information about the NI HDD series of
products, refer to their respective user manuals.

Note For full PXI or PXI Express functionality, refer to the Software Installation

and Configuration section.

Connecting Additional Expansion Chassis to a System

Using a MXI-Express x4 Copper Cable

Refer to the Terminology section for more detail on the items in this list.

Equipment Needed

• Chassis to daisy-chain from

• Expansion chassis to daisy-chain to

• MXI-Express x4 copper cable

• A MXI-Express x4 host board and target board that is appropriate for the host system slot
and target chassis. Refer to the following table for more information.

From

Chassis

Targets

Slot Type Product PXI Express

Chassis

HDD RAID

PXIe-8370 HDD-8263 HDD-8264 HDD-8265

PCI Expressx4PXIe-8374 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

PCI Express

x4

NI 8262 — ✓ ✓ ✓

Note: For installation instructions and other information about the NI HDD series of
products, refer to their respective user manuals.

Note For full PXI or PXI Express functionality, refer to the Software Installation

and Configuration section.

PXIe-8370 User Manual | © National Instruments | 7

Installation and Configuration

This section explains how to unpack, install, and configure the MXI-Express x4 hardware and
software.

Unpacking

Your MXI-Express x4 cards are shipped in antistatic packages to prevent electrostatic damage
(ESD) to the devices. ESD can damage several components on the device.

Caution Never touch the exposed pins of connectors. Doing so may damage the

device.

To avoid such damage in handling the device, take the following precautions:

• Ground yourself using a grounding strap or by holding a grounded object.

• Touch the antistatic package to a metal part of the computer chassis before removing the
device from the package.

Remove the device from the package and inspect the device for loose components or any sign
of damage. Notify NI if the device appears damaged in any way. Do not install a damaged
device into the computer or into a PXI Express or CompactPCI Express chassis.

Store the device in the antistatic envelope when not in use.

Hardware Installation

The following are general instructions for installing the MXI-Express x4 cards. Consult your
computer user manual or technical reference manual for specific instructions and warnings.

Installing a PXIe-8370 or PXIe-8374

The following table provides information on which PXI Express MXI-Express x4 boards are
compatible with which chassis slot types.

Table 2. NI MXI-Express x4 PXI Express Board Slot Type Compatibility

NI PXI Express Board

PXI Express Chassis

Controller Peripheral

Hybrid

H

PXIe-8370 ✓ — —

PXIe-8374 — ✓ ✓

Note For this section, all the above products will be referred to as an NI PXI

Express board.

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Complete the following steps to install the NI PXI Express board in your PXI Express or
CompactPCI Express chassis.

1. Power off your PXI Express or CompactPCI Express chassis, but leave it plugged in
while installing the NI PXI Express board. 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 off until you finish installing the NI PXI Express board.

2. Remove or open any doors or covers blocking access to the slot in which you intend to
install the NI PXI Express board.

3. Touch a metal part of the chassis to discharge any static electricity that might be on your
clothes or body.

4. Make sure the injector/ejector handle is in its downward position. Be sure to remove all
connector packaging and protective caps from retaining screws on the module. Align the
NI PXI Express board 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

Express board. It will not insert properly unless the handle is in its downward
position so that it does not interfere with the injector/ejector rail on the chassis,
as shown in the figure below.

5. Hold the handle as you slowly slide the module into the chassis until the handle catches
on the injector/ejector rail.

6. Raise the injector/ejector handle until the module firmly seats into the backplane
receptacle connectors. The front panel of the NI PXI Express board should be even with
the front panel of the chassis.

Note LEDs on the back side of the PXIe-8370 will light, indicating the

presence of 5 V auxiliary power. Refer to the LED Indicators section for
details.

7. Tighten the bracket-retaining screws on the top and bottom of the front panel to secure
the NI PXI Express board to the chassis.

8. Replace or close any doors or covers to the chassis.

The following figure shows an NI PXI Express board just before installation in the system
controller slot of a National Instruments PXI Express chassis.

PXIe-8370 User Manual | © National Instruments | 9

Figure 5. Example NI PXI Express Board Installation Into a PXI Express Chassis

2

3

1

NI PXIe-1062Q

4

1. PXI Express/CompactPCI Express Chassis

2. NI PXI Express Board

3. Ejector Handle in Down Position

4. Injector/Ejector Rail

Cabling

MXI-Express x4 is available with copper cables of various lengths. The following table shows
the MXI-Express x4 copper cables available from National Instruments.

Table 3. National Instruments MXI-Express x4 Copper Cables

Cable Length (Meters)

Description Part Number

3 m MXI-Express x4 copper cable 779725-03

7 m MXI-Express x4 copper cable 779725-07

Connect the MXI-Express x4 cable to both MXI-Express x4 cards. The cables have no
polarity, so you can connect either end to either card.

Note Do not remove the cable after the system is powered on. Doing so can hang

or cause errors in applications communicating with devices behind MXI-Express x4.
If a cable becomes unplugged, plug it back into the system. (You may need to restart
your computer.)

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Powering On the MXI-Express x4 System

1. Power on all of the expansion chassis in any order you choose.

2. Power on the host.

Note There are no requirements on how MXI-Express x4 expansion chassis

are powered up relative to each other, as long as they are all on before the
computer is powered on.

3. Observe the LED status on the PCIe-8371, PCIe-8372, PXIe-8370, and PXIe-8374 where
applicable. A properly connected and powered up system should report a valid link and
power status on all of these boards once the host PC is powered on. Refer to the LED
Indicators section for more information.

Typical PCI-PCI bridges and switches are used to add PCI devices to a PCI hierarchy in
which all the bridges and devices are contained within a single chassis. Because of this,
BIOSes and operating systems make the assumption that all PCI devices in the entire
hierarchy will be available as soon as code execution begins at power-up time. This
assumption means that all of the expansion chassis must be turned on before the host PC
for the BIOS and OS to correctly configure a MXI-Express x4 system.

Powering Off the MXI-Express x4 System

Because operating systems and drivers commonly make the assumption that PCI devices will
be present in the system from power up to power down, it is important to not power off the
expansion chassis until after the host PC is powered off. Powering off the expansion chassis
while the host is still on can cause crashes or hangs. However, once the host PC is powered
off, the order that you power off the expansion chassis is not important.

Note To power down the chassis while the host PC or host chassis is on, you may

need to hold the power button for at least four seconds. However, this behavior
cannot be guaranteed.

PXIe-8370 (194402x-02) LEDs

The LEDs on MXI-Express x4 boards give status information about power supplies and link
state. The PXIe-8370 has two LEDs, one for power supply status and one for link state.

Table 4. LED Status Descriptions

Board LED Color Meaning

PXIe-8370 (194402x-02) PWR Off No power

Blinking red Power is out of spec

Solid green Power is within spec

LINK Off Link not established

Solid green Link established

PXIe-8370 User Manual | © National Instruments | 11

The PXIe-8370 also has a vertical column of 16 LEDs on the module back panel near the front
connector, as shown in the following figure. These LEDs provide additional information to the
backplane about the link status of the PCI Express lanes on the module. Each group of four
LEDs corresponds to one of the four PCI Express links to the backplane.

Figure 6. PXIe-8370 Back Side LED Locations

1

1. Back Panel LEDs

Note If you are using a chassis (such as the PXIe-1062) that directly links the PXI

Express board, the LEDs to that slot do not illuminate until you have installed and
linked a PXI Express module.

If you are using the PXIe-1062 chassis, notice that the last group of LEDs has an
LED (PORT 3) illuminated even if no boards are populated in the slots. Because the
PXIe-1062 uses the last link for a PCI Express to PCI bridge for PXI
communication, this link always should be active. Different chassis topologies give
different default behaviors. Contact your chassis’ manufacturer for more information
about your chassis’ topology.

Software Installation and Configuration

Installation

MXI-Express x4 is based on PCI Express technology, using PCI Express switches and/or
bridges to enable control of a PXI Express chassis from a PC or another PXI Express chassis
with an available PCI Express or PXI Express slot. This technology will be recognized as a
collection of PCI-to-PCI bridges to the operating system, and should automatically have
CompactPCI Express level support without any additional software.

Note For full PXI/PXI Express functionality such as chassis and controller

identification, trigger routing, and slot detection, install the PXI Platform Services

12 | ni.com | PXIe-8370 User Manual

software included with your kit. This software also can be found at ni.com/

updates by searching for PXI Platform Services.

For operating system support, refer to KnowledgeBase 53399AQ7, PXI Platform Services
Operating System Support, at ni.com/kb.

Configuring Your System

Note The following requires the PXI Platform Services software and Measurement

& Automation Explorer (MAX), included on your PXI Platform Services CD or
your driver CD.

For information about configuring your system in MAX, open MAX and navigate to
Help»Help Topics»PXI.

Common Questions

This section lists common questions related to the use of the MXI-Express x4 controllers.

General Hardware

How does the PCIe-8371 (part number 194591x-02) differ from the PCIe-8371 (part
number 199994x-01)?

Besides the physical weight and size reduction, there is now a front panel LED that indicates
link status, as shown in the LED Status Descriptions of MXI-Express x4 Products table. The
smaller size allows the PCIe-8371 to fit in systems requiring a low-profile card when used
with the low-profile front bracket included with the card.

You may see a small performance increase and/or reduced latency in most applications, but
otherwise there is no functional difference.

What connectors do the NI MXI-Express x4 copper cables use?

The NI MXI-Express x4 copper cables use x4 PCI Express connectors. For more information
about these connectors, visit Molex at www.molex.com and search for x4 PCIe iPass.

How many PXI bus segments can I connect together with MXI-Express x4?

The PCI specification allows up to 255 bus segments. MXI-Express x4 does not limit this
number, but the maximum number of bus segments allowed can be BIOS or operating system
dependent. Also, a computer may already have several PCI bus segments internally, and the
MXI-Express x4 link also has multiple PCI buses internally. Every PCI Express device has at
least one bus segment, though it has more if it includes a bridge or switch.

Will my PC work with MXI-Express x4 products?

It depends on the robustness of your PC BIOS. In most cases, the BIOS can enumerate the
bridge resources that the MXI products require for operation, especially for smaller MXI
system configurations. For more information, refer to the NI Developer Zone article Tips to
Help You Successfully Use NI MXI-Express Controllers at ni.com/zone.

PXIe-8370 User Manual | © National Instruments | 13

What is the maximum MXI-Express x4 copper cable length?

The maximum length for a MXI-Express x4 copper cable is 7 m. National Instruments offers
3 m and 7 m copper cables. Refer to the Cabling section for more information.

MXI-3 and MXI-4 to MXI-Express x4 Upgrade

What are some improvements from MXI-3 and MXI-4 to MXI-Express x4?

MXI-Express x4 incorporates the latest technology to include:

• Support for PCI Express slots.

• Support for PXI Express and CompactPCI Express chassis.

• Improved error correction and handling for noisy or harsh environments.

• Improved mechanical connectivity and performance.

• Support for two chassis from a single card in the host PC.

Can I connect a MXI-3, MXI-4, and MXI-Express x4 board directly?

No. MXI-3, MXI-4, and MXI-Express x4 boards use different cable connectors and cannot be
connected. Also, the board-to-board communication protocols differ.

Can I use a MXI-3, MXI-4, and MXI-Express x4 kit in the same multichassis PXI
system?

Yes. You can mix different MXI kits to connect multiple PXI and PXI Express chassis. As
mentioned above, an individual MXI-3 or MXI-4 board cannot cable directly to a MXI­Express x4 board.

MXI-3 and MXI-4 systems require a specific boot ordering. Is this a requirement with
MXI-Express x4?

Yes. When you use MXI-Express x4, the PCI bus still requires you to power-on secondary
PXI/PXI Express chassis before powering on the host PC.

With MXI-3 and several chassis connected in series (daisy chain configuration), you are
required to power-on the chassis in order starting with the chassis at the end of the chain and
move towards the host controller. With MXI-Express x4, multiple chassis are connected in
parallel. You can power them on in any order, but you must power on the host PC last.

For more details, refer to the Powering On the MXI-Express x4 System section.

General Software

Which operating systems do MXI-Express x4 products support?

Most operating systems recognize MXI-Express x4 as a collection of PCI-to-PCI bridges. It
should have CompactPCI Express support automatically with most systems such as Windows,
Macintosh OS X, Linux, and Solaris. Full PXI Express functionality requires PXI Platform
Services software. Refer to the Software Installation and Configuration section for more
information.

What software does my MXI-Express x4 kit require?

14 | ni.com | PXIe-8370 User Manual

For Windows and LabVIEW RT, the required software is included as part of the PXI Platform
Services software included with your kit. The software for your MXI-Express x4 controller
enhances the product, allowing you to view information about the organization of your PXI
Express system, gain access to the PXI Express chassis’ trigger routing capabilities, and
programmatically retrieve data about the chassis and modules you have installed.

For a list of operating systems PXI Platform Services supports, refer to KnowledgeBase
53399AQ7, PXI Platform Services Operating System Support, on ni.com.

If PXI Platform Services does not support your operating system, you still can use MXI­Express x4 as a PCI Express expansion solution. However, this solution does not support
features such as chassis and controller identification, trigger routing, and slot detection.

MXI-3 required optimization software. Does MXI-Express x4 require the same?

No. The MXI-Express x4 hardware performs necessary optimization automatically.

PXIe-8370 User Manual | © National Instruments | 15

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377433A-01 February 2, 2018