National Instruments VXIpc-850 User Manual

VXIpc™-850 Series

User Manual

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April 1996 Edition

Part Number 321124A-01

© Copyright 1996 National Instruments Corporation.

All Rights Reserved.

Internet Support

GPIB: [e-mail]
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LabVIEW: [e-mail]
LabWindows: [e-mail]
HiQ: [e-mail]
VISA: [e-mail]

E-mail: [e-mail]
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Web Address: www.natinst.com

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BBS France: 1 48 65 15 59

FaxBack Support

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Telephone Support (U.S.)

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International Offices

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Germany 089 741 31 30, Hong Kong 2645 3186, Italy 02 413091, Japan 03 5472 2970,
Korea 02 596 7456, Mexico 95 800 010 0793, Netherlands 0348 433466, Norway 32 84 84 00,
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Taiwan 02 377 1200, U.K. 01635 523545

National Instruments Corporate Headquarters

6504 Bridge Point Parkway Austin, TX 78730-5039 Tel: [phone]

Important Information

Warranty

The National Instruments VXIpc-850 Series embedded computers and accessories are 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 instructions 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 manual 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.

EXCEPT 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 INSTRUMENTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT
THERETOFORE PAID BY THE CUSTOMER. NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR
DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, USE OF PRODUCTS, OR INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. This limitation of the
liability of National Instruments will apply regardless of the form of action, whether in contract or tort, including
negligence. Any action against National Instruments must be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues.
National Instruments shall not be liable for any delay in performance due to causes beyond its reasonable control. The
warranty provided herein does not cover damages, defects, malfunctions, or service failures caused by owner’s failure to
follow the National Instruments installation, operation, or maintenance instructions; owner’s modification of the
product; owner’s abuse, misuse, or negligent acts; and power failure or surges, fire, flood, accident, actions of third
parties, or other events outside reasonable control.

Copyright

Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part, without
the prior written consent of National Instruments Corporation.

Trademarks

LabVIEW®, MANTIS™, MITE™, NI-488.2™, NI-VISA™, NI-VXI™, TIC™, TNT™, and VXIpc™ are trademarks
of National Instruments Corporation.

Product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.

WARNING REGARDING MEDICAL AND CLINICAL USE OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS

National Instruments products are not designed with components and testing intended to ensure a level of reliability
suitable for use in treatment and diagnosis of humans. Applications of National Instruments products involving medical
or clinical treatment can create a potential for accidental injury caused by product failure, or by errors on the part of the
user or application designer. Any use or application of National Instruments products for or involving medical or
clinical treatment must be performed by properly trained and qualified medical personnel, and all traditional medical
safeguards, equipment, and procedures that are appropriate in the particular situation to prevent serious injury or death
should always continue to be used when National Instruments products are being used. National Instruments products
are NOT intended to be a substitute for any form of established process, procedure, or equipment used to monitor or
safeguard human health and safety in medical or clinical treatment.

FCC/DOC Radio Frequency Interference Class A Compliance

This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in strict
accordance with the instructions in this manual, 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). This equipment has been tested and found to comply
with the following two regulatory agencies:

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 will be
required to correct the interference at his own expense.

Notices to User: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by National Instruments could

If necessary, consult National Instruments or an experienced radio/television technician for additional
suggestions. The following booklet prepared by the FCC may also be helpful: Interference to Home
Electronic Entertainment Equipment Handbook. This booklet is available from the U.S. Government
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.

void the user’s authority to operate the equipment under the FCC Rules.
This device complies with the FCC rules only if used with shielded interface cables

of suitable quality and construction. National Instruments used such cables to test
this device and provides them for sale to the user. The use of inferior or nonshielded
interface cables could void the user's authority to operate the equipment under the
FCC rules.

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.

About This Manual

Organization of This Manual........................................................................................xi

Conventions Used in This Manual................................................................................xii

How to Use This Documentation Set............................................................................xiii

Related Documentation ................................................................................................xiv

Customer Communication ............................................................................................xiv

Chapter 1
Introduction

Optional Equipment......................................................................................................1-2

Optional Software .........................................................................................................1-2

Hardware Description ...................................................................................................1-3

Slot 0 Functionality ........................................................................................1-4

Custom Application-Specific Interface Chips................................................1-4

Front Panel Features .......................................................................................1-5

Peripheral Expansion......................................................................................1-6

Table
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Contents

Chapter 2
Functional Overview

VXIpc-850 Functional Description ..............................................................................2-1

Chapter 3
Configuration and Installation

Default Settings ............................................................................................................3-1

Configuring the VXIpc-850..........................................................................................3-4

How to Remove the Metal Enclosure ............................................................3-4

VXIbus Slot 0/Non-Slot 0 ..............................................................................3-4

VXIbus CLK10 Routing ................................................................................3-5

Trigger Input Termination..............................................................................3-7

EEPROM........................................................................................................3-8

How to Fix an Invalid EEPROM Configuration..............................3-9

Installed System RAM ...................................................................................3-9

© National Instruments Corporation v VXIpc-850 Series User Manual

Table of Contents

Configuring the PC .......................................................................................................3-9

Installing the VXIpc-850 ..............................................................................................3-12

Chapter 4
WinBIOS

Entering WinBIOS Setup..............................................................................................4-1

WinBIOS Main Menu...................................................................................................4-3

Chapter 5
Peripherals

Software Installation .....................................................................................................5-2

Video.............................................................................................................................5-3

IDE................................................................................................................................5-4

Ethernet .........................................................................................................................5-6

PCMCIA .......................................................................................................................5-8

SCSI..............................................................................................................................5-9

GPIB (IEEE-488.2).......................................................................................................5-10

SCSI Termination...........................................................................................3-10

GPIB Interrupt Level......................................................................................3-10

System CMOS................................................................................................3-10

Parallel Port DMA Level................................................................................3-11

Ethernet Power-On Defaults ..........................................................................3-11

Using a Mouse with WinBIOS Setup ............................................................4-1

Using the Keyboard with WinBIOS Setup ....................................................4-2

Why National Instruments Does Not Install All Peripheral Drivers..............5-2

Installing Peripheral Drivers ..........................................................................5-2

About the Trident Video Manual ...................................................................5-3

Technical Information about the Video Interface ..........................................5-3

Installing the IDE Software............................................................................5-4

Technical Information about the IDE Interface..............................................5-5

Configuring Your Ethernet Addresses ...........................................................5-6

Installing the Ethernet Software .....................................................................5-6

Technical Information about the Ethernet Interface.......................................5-7

Support ...........................................................................................................5-7

Installing the PCMCIA Software ...................................................................5-8

Technical Information about the PCMCIA Interface .....................................5-9

Installing the SCSI Software ..........................................................................5-9

Technical Information about the SCSI Interface............................................5-9

Base Address, DMA, and IRQ Configuration................................................5-10

Installing the NI-488.2 Software ....................................................................5-10

VXIpc-850 Series User Manual vi © National Instruments Corporation

Appendix A
Specifications

Electrical ..........................................................................................A-1

Physical ............................................................................................A-1

Environmental..................................................................................A-2

Requirements ...................................................................................A-2

Performance .....................................................................................A-2

VMEbus Capability Codes ..............................................................A-3

Adding RAM....................................................................................A-3

Appendix B
VXIpc-850 System Resources

PCI Interrupts ...................................................................................B-1

Resource Tables ...............................................................................B-1

Appendix C
LED Indicators

VXIbus Interface Status LEDs.........................................................C-1

SYSFAIL LED ..................................................................C -1

FAILED LED ....................................................................C-1

ONLINE LED....................................................................C-1

TEST LED .........................................................................C-1

LEDs and System Startup Cycle........................................C-2

Board Access LEDs .........................................................................C-3

ACCESS LED ...................................................................C-3

DRIVE LED ......................................................................C -3

Ethernet LEDs..................................................................................C- 3

RX LED.............................................................................C- 3

TX LED .............................................................................C-3

LINK LED .........................................................................C-3

DSEL LED ........................................................................C-3

Table of Contents

Appendix D
Front Panel and Connectors

Front Panel .......................................................................................D-1

Keyboard and Mouse .......................................................................D-2

VGA.................................................................................................D-3

Ethernet ............................................................................................D-5

COM1 and COM2............................................................................D-6

Parallel Port......................................................................................D-7

SCSI .................................................................................................D-8

© National Instruments Corporation vii VXIpc-850 Series User Manual

Table of Contents

GPIB (IEEE-488. 2)..........................................................................D-10

External SMBs .................................................................................D-11

VXIbus P1 and P2............................................................................D-12

Speaker.............................................................................................D-14

Signal Characteristics.......................................................................D-15

Appendix E
Modifying and Installing I/O Expansion Boards

Height of VXIpc-850 Plug-In Boards..............................................E-1

Length of VXIpc-850 Plug-In Boards .............................................E-2

Length of PCI Plug-In Boards ...........................................E-2

Length of ISA Plug-In Boards...........................................E-3

Installing an I/O Board.....................................................................E-4

Materials Needed ...............................................................E-4

Installation Steps................................................................E-4

Appendix F
Common Questions

Appendix G
Customer Communication

Glossary
Index

VXIpc-850 Series User Manual viii © National Instruments Corporation

Figures

Figure 1-1. VXIpc-850 Embedded Computer..........................................................1-1

Figure 2-1. VXIpc-850 Block Diagram....................................................................2-2

Figure 3-1. VXIpc-850 Parts Locator Diagram........................................................3-2

Figure 3-2. VXIbus Slot Configuration....................................................................3- 5

Figure 3-3. VXIbus CLK10 Routing........................................................................3- 6

Figure 3-4. SMB CLK10 Direction..........................................................................3-6

Figure 3-5. SMB CLK10 Termination .....................................................................3-7

Figure 3-6. SMB CLK10 Polarity ............................................................................3-7

Figure 3-7. SMB Trigger Input Termination............................................................3-7

Figure 3-8. Power-On Self Configuration Status .....................................................3-8

Figure 3-9. SMB Trigger Input Termination............................................................3-8

Figure 3-10. SCSI Termination..................................................................................3-10

Figure 3-11. GPIB Interrupt Level .............................................................................3-10

Figure 3-12. System CMOS .......................................................................................3-11

Figure 3-13. Parallel Port DMA Channel...................................................................3-11

Figure 3-14. Ethernet Power-On Defaults..................................................................3-11

Figure D-1. VXIpc-850 Front Panel Layout and Dimensions ..................................D-2

Figure D-2. Keyboard and Mouse Connectors Location and Pinout........................D-3

Figure D-3. VGA Connector Location and Pinout....................................................D-4

Figure D-4. Ethernet Connector Location and Pinout ..............................................D-5

Figure D-5. COM1 and COM2 Connectors Location and Pinout ............................D-6

Figure D-6. Parallel Port Connector Location and Pinout ........................................D-7

Figure D-7. SCSI Connector Location and Pinout (SCSI II)....................................D-9

Figure D-8. GPIB Connector Location and Pinout ...................................................D-10

Figure D-9. SMB Connectors Location and Pinout ..................................................D-12

Figure D-10. VXIbus Connectors Location and Pinout..............................................D-12

Figure D-11. Speaker Connector Location..................................................................D-14

Table of Contents

Figure E-1. I/O Board Dimensions for VXIpc-850 Expansion Slot.........................E-1

Figure E-2. Component Height Restrictions on PCI Plug-In Boards .......................E-2

Figure E-3. Length Restrictions on ISA Plug-In Boards..........................................E-3

Figure E-4. PCI Board Installed in a VXIpc-850 .....................................................E-5

© National Instruments Corporation ix VXIpc-850 Series User Manual

Table of Contents

Tables

Table 3-1. VXIpc-850 Hardware Default Settings .................................................3-3

Table 4-1. WinBIOS Options..................................................................................4-2

Table 4-2. WinBIOS Main Menu Windows ...........................................................4-3

Table 5-1. VXIpc-850 Peripheral Components ......................................................5-1

Table 5-2. SMC 91C92 Default Settings ................................................................5-6

Table B-1. ISA Interrupt Resource Allocations ......................................................B-1

Table B-2. DMA Channel Resource Allocations....................................................B-2

Table B-3 . I/O Address Map....................................................................................B-3

Table C-1 . LEDs and System Startup Status ...........................................................C-2

Table D-1. Keyboard and Mouse Connector Signals..............................................D-3

Table D-2. VGA Connector Signals........................................................................D-4

Table D-3. Ethernet Connector Signals ...................................................................D-5

Table D-4. COM1 and COM2 Connector Signals...................................................D-6

Table D-5. Parallel Port Connector Signals.............................................................D-8

Table D-6. SCSI Connector Signals........................................................................D-9

Table D-7. GPIB Connector Signals........................................................................D-11

Table D-8. SMB Connector Signals........................................................................D-12

Table D-9. VXIbus P2 Connector Signals...............................................................D-13

Table D-10. VXIbus P1 Connector Signals ...............................................................D-13

Table D-11. Signal Characteristics for SMB and Speaker Connections....................D-14

VXIpc-850 Series User Manual x © National Instruments Corporation

This manual contains instructions for installing and configuring the
National Instruments VXIpc-850 Series embedded computer kit.

Organization of This Manual

This manual is organized as follows:

• Chapter 1, Introduction, describes the VXIpc-850 Series of
embedded VXI computers, lists what you need to get started,
describes the hardware, and lists optional equipment and software.

• Chapter 2, Functional Overview, contains functional descriptions
of each major logic block on the VXIpc-850 Series embedded
computer.

• Chapter 3, Configuration and Installation, contains the instructions
to configure and install the VXIpc-850 Series embedded computer.

• Chapter 4, WinBIOS, contains information on WinBIOS, the low­level interface between the hardware and PC software that
configures and tests your hardware at boot up.

• Chapter 5, Peripherals, contains brief descriptions of each of the
peripheral components of the VXIpc-850 Series embedded
computer.

• Appendix A, Specifications, describes the environmental,
electrical, and mechanical specifications of the VXIpc-850.

• Appendix B, VXIpc-850 System Resources, describes what system
resources are available on the VXIpc-850 and where they are
allocated.

About
This
Manual

© National Instruments Corporation xi VXIpc-850 Series User Manual

About This Manual

• Appendix C, LED Indicators, describes how to read the LEDs on
the front panel to interpret the status of the VXIpc-850.

• Appendix D, Front Panel and Connectors, describes the front
panel and connectors on the VXIpc-850.

• Appendix E, Modifying and Installing I/O Expansion Boards,
explains how to modify and install an I/O board in the VXIpc-850.

• Appendix F, Common Questions, answers common questions you
may have when using the VXIpc-850.

• Appendix G, Customer Communication, contains forms you can
use to request help from National Instruments or to comment on
our products and manuals.

• The Glossary contains an alphabetical list and description of terms
used in this manual, including abbreviations, acronyms, metric
prefixes, mnemonics, and symbols.

• The Index contains an alphabetical list of key terms and topics
used in this manual, including the page where you can find each
one.

Conventions Used in This Manual

The following conventions are used in this manual:

bold Bold text denotes menus, menu items, or dialog box buttons or options.

bold italic Bold italic text denotes a note, caution, or warning.

bold Bold text in this font denotes the messages and responses that the
monospace computer automatically prints to the screen.

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

key concept.

monospace Text in this font denotes text or characters that are to be literally input

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, variables, filenames, and extensions, and for
statements and comments taken from program code.

VXIpc-850 Series User Manual xi i © National Instruments Corporation

< > Angle brackets enclose the name of a key on the keyboard–for

example, <PageDown>.

- A hyphen between two or more key names enclosed in angle brackets
denotes that you should simultaneously press the named keys–for
example, <Control-Alt-Delete>.

Abbreviations, acronyms, metric prefixes, mnemonics, symbols, and
terms are listed in the Glossary.

How to Use This Documentation Set

Begin by reading the Getting Started with Your VXIpc-850 manual for
basic instructions on setting up the hardware and software. This is a
brief Quick Start manual that demonstrates how to get started with your
kit using the default hardware and software settings. Refer to the
following manuals for more information about the hardware or
software.

This manual, the VXIpc-850 Series User Manual, contains more details
about changing the installation or configuration from the defaults, and
using the hardware.

About This Manual

The VXIpc-850 Peripherals User Manual contains in-depth information
about configuring and using various peripherals on the VXIpc-850.

The NI-VXI Software Manual for the VXIpc-850 Series contains
more details about changing the NI-VXI software installation or
configuration from the defaults, and using the NI-VXI software on
the VXIpc-850.

When you are familiar with the material in these manuals, you can
begin to use the NI-VXI Software Reference Manual for C. Chapter 1,

Introduction to VXI, and Chapter 2, Introduction to the NI-VXI
Functions, present the concepts of VXI and prepare you for detailed

explanations of the NI-VXI functions. Study the descriptions of each
function given in Chapters 3 through 13 to fully understand the purpose
and syntax of each function.

Refer to the NI-VXI Graphical Utilities Reference Manual and the
NI-VXI Text Utilities Reference Manual to learn more about the
NI-VXI utilities.

© National Instruments Corporation xiii VXIpc-850 Series User Manual

About This Manual

Related Documentation

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

• ANSI/IEEE Standard 1014-1987, IEEE Standard for a Versatile

Backplane Bus: VMEbus

• ANSI/IEEE Standard 1155-1993, IEEE VMEbus Extensions for

Instrumentation: VXIbus

• ANSI/VITA 1-1994, VME64

• VXI-6, VXIbus Mainframe Extender Specification, Rev. 1.0,

VXIbus Consortium

Customer Communication

National Instruments wants to receive your comments on our products
and manuals. We are interested in the applications you develop with
our products, and we want to help if you have problems with them.
To make it easy for you to contact us, this manual contains comment
and configuration forms for you to complete. These forms are in
Appendix G, Customer Communication, at the end of this manual.

VXIpc-850 Series User Manual xiv © National Instruments Corporation

Introduction



This chapter describes the VXIpc-850 Series of embedded VXI
computers, lists what you need to get started, describes the hardware,
and lists optional equipment and software.

Figure 1-1 shows the VXIpc-850 with its cover removed.

Chapter

1

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



Figure 1-1. VXIpc-850 Embedded Computer

© National Instruments Corporation 1 -1 VXIpc-850 Series User Manual

Chapter 1 Introduction

The VXIpc-850, a Pentium-based, C-size, embedded computer based
on the Peripheral Component Interface (PCI) bus, is a high­performance, easy-to-use platform for controlling VXIbus systems,
featuring complete VXI functionality through interactive utilities and
C function calls. In addition, the VXIpc-850 has an IEEE 488.2
interface that is compatible with the NI-488.2 architecture.

The VXIpc-850 is a custom computer that you install directly in two
C-size slots of your VXIbus mainframe. An embedded computer can
take full advantage of the VXI high-performance backplane capabilities
and give you direct control of VXI registers, memory, interrupts, and
triggers.

All models in the VXIpc-850 Series are fully VXIplug&play compliant
and are compatible with PC-compatible software tools, the National
Instruments LabVIEW and LabWindows®/CVI application software,
and the NI-VXI, NI-VISA, and NI-488.2 bus interface software.

Optional Equipment

You can contact National Instruments to order any of the following
optional equipment.

• COM1/2 adapter cable

• Enhanced parallel port adapter cable

• Single-shielded 2 m GPIB cable

• Upgrades for the VXIpc-850 modular CPU card

Optional Software

National Instruments has developed several software kits that you can
use with the VXIpc-850. The NI-VXI bus interface software for the
VXIpc-850 includes a Resource Manager, graphical and text-based
versions of an interactive VXI resource editor program, a
comprehensive library of software routines for VXI/VME
programming, and an interactive control program for interacting with
VXI/VME. You can use this software to seamlessly program multiple­mainframe configurations and have software compatibility across a
variety of VXI/VME controller platforms.

The NI-488.2 software kit for the VXIpc-850 gives you accessibility to
the industry-standard NI-488.2 software for controlling external GPIB
instruments through the GPIB port on the front panel of your

VXIpc-850 Series User Manual 1 -2 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 1 Introduction

VXIpc-850. The GPIB interface on the VXIpc-850 is fully compatible
with the NI-488.2 driver for a variety of operating systems. Any
software using NI-488.2 will run on the VXIpc-850.

You can also use the National Instruments LabVIEW and
LabWindows/CVI application programs and instrument drivers to ease
your programming task. These standardized programs match the
modular virtual instrument capability of VXI and can reduce your
VXI/VMEbus software development time. These programs are fully
VXIplug&play compliant and feature extensive libraries of VXI
instrument drivers written to take full advantage of direct VXI control.

LabVIEW is a complete programming environment that departs from
the sequential nature of traditional programming languages and features
a graphical programming environment.

LabWindows/CVI is an interactive C development environment for
building test and measurement and instrument control systems. It
includes interactive code-generation tools and a graphical editor for
building custom user interfaces.

LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI include all the tools needed for
instrument control, data acquisition, analysis, and presentation. When
you order the LabVIEW VXI Development System for Windows or the
LabWindows/CVI VXI Development System for Windows, you also
get more than 500 complete instrument drivers, which are modular,
source-code programs that handle the communication with your
instrument to speed your application development.

Hardware Description

The VXIpc-850 Series controllers feature a modular, PCI-based local
bus design that makes it easy to use interchangeable daughterboards to
upgrade your controller to new microprocessors, without having to
replace the motherboard or enclosure. The VXIpc-850 Series currently
consists of three models, which vary in the speed of the Intel Pentium
microprocessor.

• The VXIpc-850/100 uses the 100 MHz version of the Intel

Pentium microprocessor.

• The VXIpc-850/133 uses the 133 MHz version of the Intel

Pentium microprocessor.

• The VXIpc-850/166 uses the 166 MHz version of the Intel

Pentium microprocessor.

© National Instruments Corporation 1 -3 VXIpc-850 Series User Manual

Chapter 1 Introduction

The CPU module and its memory sockets are easily accessible for you
to install additional DRAM in the field—up to 128 MB. The
VXIpc-850 contains at least an 800 MB internal, enhanced IDE hard
disk. For information on adding RAM by installing SIMMs, refer to
Appendix A, Specifications.

Slot 0 Functionality

You can use the VXIpc-850 Series computers to achieve full VXI
Slot 0 control of your VXI system. You can also install the VXIpc-850
in another slot and use it in Non-Slot 0 mode. You do not have to
change any switches or jumpers when moving between these two
modes, as the VXIpc-850 can automatically detect whether it is
installed in Slot 0 and it will automatically enable or disable the Slot 0
onboard circuitry.

Custom Application-Specific Interface Chips

The VXIpc-850 Series uses the MITE, MANTIS, and TNT4882C
custom ASICs to deliver high VXI and GPIB performance, and can
achieve more than 20 MB/s DMA block-mode data transfer rates across
the VXI backplane.

The MITE custom ASIC is a sophisticated dual-channel DMA
controller with standard interfaces for VXI and PCI. By using MITE
DMA to transfer data and commands to and from devices, the MITE
frees the computer’s microprocessor to perform other tasks such as data
analysis and presentation. In addition to DMA, the MITE incorporates
the new VME64 MBLT (8-byte block transfers in which both the
address bus and data bus are used to transfer data) directly into the
ASIC to perform the fastest transfer operation to instruments. With the
multiple windowing scheme of the MITE, you can easily access all of
VXI address space.

The VXI trigger interface on the VXIpc-850 is based on the MANTIS
custom ASIC. By using the two SMB trigger I/O connectors on the
front panel, you can route any of the TTL trigger lines between the
backplane and external devices. The MANTIS provides the complete
VXI interface to the backplane connector in a single chip. The
VXIpc-850 can respond to all VXI-defined protocols on all P2 TTL and
ECL trigger lines at the same time. The MANTIS features an internal
cross-matrix switching system for routing between lines as well as to
and from the front panel and onboard clocks.

The VXIpc-850 uses the TNT4882C custom ASIC to give full GPIB
control of external instruments via a front-panel connector. GPIB

VXIpc-850 Series User Manual 1 -4 © National Instruments Corporation

capability is fully compatible with IEEE 488.2 and the industry­standard NI-488.2 driver for a variety of operating systems.

Front Panel Features

The VXIpc-850 has the following front-panel features.

• Two PCMCIA slots (one Type I/II and one Type I/II/III)

• One full-size expansion slot that accepts either a PCI or a PC ISA

• Internal 3.5 in. floppy drive

• 13 front-panel connectors

• System reset push-button

• Six front-panel LEDs that show VXI and PC status

Chapter 1 Introduction

(XT-height) plug-in board

– RS-232 serial connector (two miniature)
– Extended capabilities parallel (ECP) connector
– VGA controller connector
– IEEE 488.2 connector
– 10BaseT Ethernet connector
– SCSI-2 connector
– External clock connector
– Trigger output connector
– Trigger input connector
– Audio output connector
– PS/2-style keyboard connector
– PS/2-style mouse connector

– SYSFAIL LED indicates that the VMEbus SYSFAIL line is

asserted.

– FAILED LED indicates that the VXIpc-850 is driving the

SYSFAIL signal.

– TEST LED indicates that the VXIpc-850 is performing its

self-tests or startup Resource Manager operations.

– ON LINE LED indicates that the VXIpc-850 is performing or

has completed its startup Resource Manager operations.

– ACCESS LED indicates when the VXIpc-850 MODID line is

asserted or the VXIbus registers or shared memory are
accessed by another bus master.

– DRIVE LED indicates when the internal hard drive is in use.

© National Instruments Corporation 1 -5 VXIpc-850 Series User Manual

Chapter 1 Introduction

• Four front-panel LEDs that show Ethernet port status

Peripheral Expansion

The VXIpc-850 uses the PCI local bus for peripheral expansion. The
PCIbus is a 32-bit multimaster bus that achieves a top throughput of
132 MB/s and can handle numerous peripherals. The integrated PCI
local bus design of the VXIpc-850 gives you access to the following
peripherals:

• PCMCIA

• SCSI-2

• Super VGA

• Enhanced IDE for the hard drive

– RX LED indicates that the VXIpc-850 is receiving data

through its Ethernet port.

– TX LED indicates that the VXIpc-850 is transmitting data

through its Ethernet port.

– DSEL LED indicates that the Ethernet circuitry is being

accessed.

– LINK LED reflects Ethernet link status.

For information on installing and configuring these peripherals for use
with the VXIpc-850, refer to Chapter 5, Peripherals. You can also refer
to the VXIpc-850 Peripherals User Manual, which contains full
documentation for the video, PCMCIA, and SCSI peripherals.

VXIpc-850 Series User Manual 1 -6 © National Instruments Corporation

Functional Overview

This chapter contains functional descriptions of each major logic block
on the VXIpc-850 Series embedded computer.

VXIpc-850 Functional Description

The VXIpc-850 is a modular PC in a dual-slot VXIbus C-size form
factor. It includes many high-performance peripherals that normally
require add-in cards on desktop PCs. In addition, it has a VXIbus
interface that is controlled from the PCI local bus, providing extremely
high performance and reliability.

Figure 2-1 is a functional block diagram of the VXIpc-850. Following
the diagram is a description of each logic block shown.

Chapter

2

© National Instruments Corporation 2 -1 VXIpc-850 Series User Manual

Chapter 2 Functional Overview

Memory


PCI-Based Pentium CPU Card


Cache


Chipset


32-bit, 5 V PCI Local Bus


CPU


Video


System I/O


Ethernet


RJ-45
Connector



PCI Expansion Slot


ISA Expansion Slot


GPIB


Miniature

Miniature


GPIB



Connector



Mouse


Reset


IDE


(Internal)


Floppy


ISA Bus


SCSI

SCSI




SCSI-2

SCSI-2
Connector

Connector





PC Peripherals


ECP
Parallel



Miniature


Serial (2)


Speaker


Keyboard


Figure 2-1. VXIpc-850 Block Diagram

PCMCIA


Type I/II/III Slot


Type I/II Slot


VXI


MITE


MANTIS


VXI Bus


VXIpc-850 Series User Manual 2 -2 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 2 Functional Overview

The VXIpc-850 consists of the following logic blocks:

• CPU Card The modular architecture of the VXIpc-850 contains a plug-in CPU

card that can accommodate various Pentium- class processors. This
card includes the CPU, chipset support that connects the CPU
subsystem to the PCI bus, and the system cache and RAM.

• Video The video circuitry is a plug-in PCI card that has a 64-bit data path to

up to 4 MB of EDO DRAM.

• System I/O This block has the bridge between the PCI bus and the ISA bus. It

also has PCI bus arbitration logic and integrates PC-specific
hardware such as the DMA and interrupt controllers.

• PCI Expansion Slot This is a general-purpose PCI slot. It can accommodate any standard

5 V, 32-bit PCI card with a modified mounting bracket.

• ISA Expansion Slot This is a general-purpose ISA expansion slot. It can accommodate a

full-length XT-size card; however, the DRAM configuration may
mechanically interfere with a full-length card. Refer to Appendix E
for more information.

• SCSI The SCSI circuitry uses a PCI-SCSI bridge to provide a flexible

SCSI-2 connection on the front panel, usable for such devices as
external hard disks and CD-ROM drives.

• IDE This is a dedicated PCI-IDE chip providing fast ATA-2 transfers to

the internal hard drive.

• PCMCIA This is a dedicated PCI-PCMCIA interface that supports two

independent PCMCIA cards. One socket can accommodate a Type I,
II, or III card while the other accommodates a Type I or II card.

• VXI This is the PCI-VXIbus interface circuitry. The MITE is a National

Instruments ASIC developed to efficiently manage data transfers
between the VXIbus and the processor (via the PCI bus). The
MANTIS ASIC (also developed by National Instruments) performs
VXIbus arbitration and manages interrupts and triggers. Also part of
the VXIbus interface are the SMB connectors, which you can use to
route triggers and the CLK10 signal to or from the VXIbus.

• Ethernet This is an ISA-based Ethernet circuit that uses an RJ-45 connector for

access to an external Ethernet-based LAN.

• GPIB This logic block represents the IEEE 488.2 port on the VXIpc-850. It

uses the National Instruments TNT4882 ASIC for maximum
performance as an ISA-based GPIB controller.

• PC Peripherals These blocks represent the other peripherals supplied by the

VXIpc-850, including PS/2 mouse and keyboard ports, two miniature
serial ports, and ECP/EPP parallel port, speaker jack, reset button,
and a 1.44 MB, 3.5 in. floppy drive.

© National Instruments Corporation 2 -3 VXIpc-850 Series User Manual

Chapter

Configuration and
Installation

This chapter contains the instructions to configure and install the
VXIpc-850 Series embedded computer. Unless otherwise noted, these
instructions apply to all models in the VXIpc-850 Series.

Warning: Electrostatic discharge can damage several components on your

VXIpc-850 module. To avoid such damage in handling the module,
touch the antistatic plastic package to a metal part of your VXI chassis
before removing the VXIpc-850 from the package.

Default Settings

This section summarizes the hardware default settings for the
VXIpc-850 for easy reference. The VXIpc-850 is set at the factory for
the most commonly used configuration.

Figure 3-1 shows the location and factory-default settings of most of
the configuration switches and jumpers on the VXIpc-850.

3

© National Instruments Corporation 3 -1 VXIpc-850 Series User Manual

Chapter 3 Configuration and Installation

7

8 9

6
5

4
3

2
1

10

11

12
13

141516

1 Trigger In Termination (S7) 7 Slot 0 Identification (W13) 13 GPIB IRQ Level (S8)
2 CLK10 Inversion (S4) 8 CLK10 Source (S3) 14 CMOS (W2)
3 Ethernet EEPROM Config. (S1) 9 Serial Number 15 SCSI Termination (W1)
4 LPT DMA Channel (W4) 10 Product Name 16 CLK10 Termination (S6)
5 MITE EEPROM Config. (S9) 11 Assembly Number
6 MITE Self Config. (S2) 12 CLK10 Direction (S5)

Figure 3-1. VXIpc-850 Parts Locator Diagram

VXIpc-850 Series User Manual 3 -2 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 3 Configuration and Installation

Table 3-1 lists the factory-default settings and options for the onboard
jumpers and switches.

Table 3-1. VXIpc-850 Hardware Default Settings

Jumper/

Default Setting Optional Setting

Switch

W1 Supply SCSI

termination power

W2 Normal CMOS

Disable SCSI
termination

Clear CMOS

operation

W4 LPT1 uses DMA

Channel 1

W13 Enable automatic Slot 0

detection

S1 Enable Ethernet

EEPROM configuration

LPT uses DMA
Channel 3

Force Slot 0;
Force Non-Slot 0

Disable Ethernet
EEPROM configuration
(uses default power on
values)

S2 Enable MITE self-

configuration

S3 Source CLK10 from

onboard oscillator

S4 Non-inverted CLK10

Disable MITE self­configuration

Source CLK10 from
SMB

Inverted CLK10 output

output

S5 Receive CLK10 input

from SMB

S6 No termination on

CLK10 input

S7 No termination on

external trigger input

Source CLK10 output
to SMB

Terminate CLK10 input
to 50 Ω

Terminate external
trigger input to 50 Ω

S8 GPIB uses IRQ11 GPIB uses IRQ5
S9 MITE user

configuration

MITE factory
configuration

© National Instruments Corporation 3 -3 VXIpc-850 Series User Manual

Chapter 3 Configuration and Installation

Configuring the VXIpc-850

This section describes how to configure the following options on the
VXIpc-850.

• VXIbus Slot 0/Non-Slot 0

• VXIbus CLK10 routing

• Trigger input termination

• EEPROM

• Installed system RAM

How to Remove the Metal Enclosure

The VXIpc-850 is housed in a metal enclosure to improve EMC
performance and to provide easy handling. You must remove this
enclosure to change many of the switch and jumper settings on the
VXIpc-850. You must also remove the enclosure to change the amount
of DRAM installed on the VXIpc-850.

To remove the metal enclosure, remove the five screws on the top, the
four screws on the bottom, and the three screws on the right side of the
enclosure.

VXIbus Slot 0/Non-Slot 0

The VXIpc-850 is configured at the factory to automatically detect if it
is installed in Slot 0 of a VXIbus mainframe. With automatic Slot 0
detection, you can install the VXIpc-850 into any VXIbus slot.

You can manually configure the VXIpc-850 for either Slot 0 or
Non-Slot 0 operation by defeating the automatic-detection circuitry.
Use the three-position jumper W13 to select automatic Slot 0 detection,
Slot 0, or Non-Slot 0 operation. Figure 3-2 shows these three settings.

Warning: Do not install a device configured for Slot 0 into another slot without

first reconfiguring it to either Non-Slot 0 or automatic configuration.
Neglecting to do this could result in damage to the device, the VXIbus
backplane, or both.

VXIpc-850 Series User Manual 3 -4 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 3 Configuration and Installation

a. Manual Non-Slot 0

Configuration

When the VXIpc-850 is installed in Slot 0, it becomes the VXIbus
System Controller. In this role, it has VXIbus Data Transfer Bus
Arbiter circuitry that accepts bus requests on all four VXIbus request
levels, prioritizes the requests, and grants the bus to the highest priority
requester. As VXIbus System Controller, the VXIpc-850 also drives the
16 MHz VXIbus system clock by an onboard 16 MHz oscillator.

As required by the VXIbus specification, the VXIpc-850 drives the
10 MHz signal CLK10 on a differential ECL output when installed in
Slot 0. When not installed in Slot 0, the VXIpc-850 only receives the
CLK10 signal.

VXIbus CLK10 Routing

When the VXIpc-850 is installed in Slot 0 of your mainframe, it
supplies the VXIbus CLK10 signal. The VXIpc-850 can use two
different sources to generate this signal: an onboard oscillator, or the
external CLK SMB connector. Use switch S3 to select these options, as
shown in Figure 3-3.

W13

W13

b. Automatic Slot 0
Detection (Default)

Figure 3-2. VXIbus Slot Configuration

W13

c. Manual Slot 0

Configuration

Notice that Figure 3-3b also shows switch S5. You must configure
these switches as shown when using the corresponding CLK10 source
setting of S3.

© National Instruments Corporation 3 -5 VXIpc-850 Series User Manual

Chapter 3 Configuration and Installation

a. CLK10 Generated from Onboard

Oscillator (Default)

The VXIpc-850 can also be configured to drive the external CLK SMB
signal from the VXIbus CLK10 signal. Switch S5 controls whether the
VXIpc-850 drives or receives the external CLK SMB signal. If you
change the S5 setting to drive CLK10 out the external CLK10 SMB
connector (Figure 3-4b), do not set S3 to source CLK10 to the
backplane from the SMB; instead use the setting shown in Figure 3-3a.

S3 S3

S5

b. CLK10 Generated from SMB

Figure 3-3. VXIbus CLK10 Routing

S5S5

a. CLK10 SMB Receives 10 MHz

Signal (Default)

Figure 3-4. SMB CLK10 Direction

b. CLK10 SMB Drives 10 MHz

Signal from VXIbus CLK10

When switch S5 is set so that the VXIpc-850 receives the SMB CLK10
signal, you have the option to add a 50 Ω termination to the signal by
setting switch S6. Switch S6 is unused—its setting does not matter—
when S5 is configured to drive the external CLK SMB signal.
Figure 3-5 shows the settings for switch S6.

VXIpc-850 Series User Manual 3 -6 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 3 Configuration and Installation

S6S6

a. Does Not Terminate CLK10

SMB Input (Default)

Figure 3-5. SMB CLK10 Termination

b. Terminates CLK10

SMB Input

You can use an additional switch, S4, to control the polarity of the
external CLK SMB signal when S5 is configured to drive it. S4 is
unused—its setting does not matter—when S5 is configured to receive
the external CLK SMB signal.

S4S4

a. Noninverted CLK10 Output

from SMB (Default)

Trigger Input Termination

You can use switch S7 to terminate the external trigger input SMB with
50 Ω to ground. Figure 3-7a shows the default setting for a non­terminated trigger input SMB. Use the setting of Figure 3-7b to
terminate the trigger input SMB. Switch S7 is located above switches
S4, S5, and S6, which have no effect on this configuration.

a. Does Not Terminate

Trigger Input (Default)

b. Inverted CLK10 Output

from SMB

Figure 3-6. SMB CLK10 Polarity

S7S7

b. Terminate Trigger

Input

Figure 3-7. SMB Trigger Input Termination

© National Instruments Corporation 3 -7 VXIpc-850 Series User Manual