National Instruments VXI-VME 600 User Manual

Download

VXI/VME

Getting Started with Your VXI/VMEpc™ 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

May 1998 Edition

Part Number 321882A-01

Internet Support

E-mail: support@natinst.com FTP Site: ftp.natinst.com Web Address: http://www.natinst.com

Bulletin Board Support

BBS United States: 512 794 5422 BBS United Kingdom: 01635 551422 BBS France: 01 48 65 15 59

Fax-on-Demand Support

512 418 1111

Telephone Support (USA)

Tel: 512 795 8248 Fax: 512 794 5678

International Offices

Australia 03 9879 5166, Austria 0662 45 79 90 0, Belgium 02 757 00 20, Brazil 011 288 3336, Canada (Ontario) 905 785 0085, Canada (Québec) 514 694 8521, Denmark 45 76 26 00, Finland 09 725 725 11, France 01 48 14 24 24, Germany 089 741 31 30, Hong Kong 2645 3186, Israel 03 6120092, Italy 02 41 3091, Japan 03 5472 2970, Korea 02 596 7456, Mexico 5 520 2635, Netherlands 0348 433466, Norway 32 84 84 00, Singapore 2265886, Spain 91 640 0085, Sweden 08 730 49 70, Switzerland 056 200 51 51, Taiwan 02 377 1200, United Kingdom 01635 523545

National Instruments Corporate Headquarters

6504 Bridge Point Parkway Austin, Texas 78730-5039 USA Tel: 512 794 0100

Important Information

Warranty

The National Instrumen ts VXI/V MEpc 600 Se ries em bedde d compute rs and access ories are warrante d ag ainst defect s in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of shipment, as evidenced by receipts or other documentation. National Instrume nts w ill, at i ts option , re pair o r repla ce eq uipment that prove s to be defe ctive d urin g 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 wo rk. National Instru ments will pay the shippi ng costs of returning to the owner part s which are c overed by warranty.

National Instruments believes that the informatio n in this manual is accurate. The document ha s been careful ly reviewed for technical accurac y. In the even t that te chn ical or t ypograp hic al errors ex ist, Nation al Inst rumen ts res erves the righ t 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.

XCEPT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN

ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE BY FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT THERETOFORE PAID BY THE CUSTOMER OR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF

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.

ATIONAL INSTRUMENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, USE OF PRODUCTS

. N

ATIONAL INSTRUMENTS MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS

, N

USTOMER’S RIGHT TO RECOVER DAMAGES CAUSED

. C

. This limitation of the liability of

Copyright

Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopyi ng, recordi ng, sto ring in an inform ati on retriev al syste m, or translat ing , in whole or in part, with out the prior written consent of National Instruments Corporation.

Trademarks

CVI™, LabVIEW™, NI-488.2™, NI-VISA™, NI-VXI™, and VXI/VMEpc™ 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 des igner. An y use or ap plica tion of Na tiona l Instrume nts p roducts for or inv olvi ng medic al or c linica l treatment must be performed by properly trained and qualifie d medic al pe rsonnel, an d all traditio nal med ical sa feguards, equipment, and p roce dures tha t ar e a ppropria te in th e pa rticula r s itua tion to p revent s erious inju ry or d eath shou ld alway s continue to be used whe n National Instruments pro ducts are being use d. Nation al Instrumen ts product s are NOT inte nded to be a substitute for any fo rm of establis hed process, pro cedure, or e quipment us ed to monito r or safeguard h uman heal th and safety in medical or clinical treatment.

Compliance

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 F ede ra l Communications Commissio n (FCC) and the Canadian Department of Comm uni cations (DOC). This equip ment has been tested and foun d to comply with the following two regulatory agenci es :

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 FC C Rules. These limits are de signed to provide reasonable protection against harm ful interference when the equipment is operate d in a commercial environment. This equipm ent generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harm ful interference to radi o communications. Ope r at ion of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmfu l interference in whic h ca se 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 void

If necessary, consult Nation al Instruments or an experience d 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. Gove rnm e nt Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.

the user’s authority to operate the equipment under the FCC Rules. This device complies with the FC C r u les only if used with s h ielded interface c abl es

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 cable s could void the user ’ s au th ority to operate th e equipment unde r th e FCC rules.

Canadian Department of Communications

This Class A digital appa rat us m ee ts al l requirements of the Ca na dian 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.........................................................................................vii

Conventions Used in This Manual.................................................................................viii

How to Use This Documentation Set ............................................................................ix

Related Documentation..................................................................................................x

Customer Communication.............................................................................................xi

Chapter 1 Introduction

How to Use This Manual...............................................................................................1-1

What You Need to Get Started......................................................................................1-1

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

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

Software Configurations..................................................................................1-3

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

Files and Directories Installed on Your Hard Drive......................................................1-5

Chapter 2 Setting up Your VXI/VME System

Configuring the Hardware.............................................................................................2 -1

Installing the Hardware..................................................................................................2-2

Installed Software .................................................................. ..... ...... .............................2-3

Booting Your System for the First Time.......................................................................2-3

Verifying Your System Configuration .............................................................. ...... ......2-4

Chapter 3 Developing Your Application

Configuration.................................................................................................................3-1

Device Interaction................................ ..... ...... .................................. ...... ..... ..................3-3

Programming with VXI.................................................................................................3-4

Notes about VME Support..............................................................................3-5

Compiler Symbols for NI-VXI........................................................................3-6

Debugging......................................................................................................................3-7

National Instruments Corporation v VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Contents

Appendix A Default Settings

Appendix B Common Questions

Appendix C Reinstalling the NI-VXI/VISA Software

Appendix D Customer Communication

Glossary

Index

Tables

Table 3-1. NI-VXI/VISA Examples ......................................................................3-5

Table A-1. VXI/VMEpc 600 Series Hardware Default Settings ...........................A-1

Table A-2. VXIpc T&M Explorer Device Tab Default Settings ...........................A-2

Table A-3. VXIpc T&M Explorer Shared Memory Tab Default Settings ............. A-2

Table A-4. VXIpc T&M Explorer PCI Tab Default Settings ................................A-3

Table A-5. VXI/VME-MXI-2 T&M Explorer Device Tab Default Settings ........ A-3

Table A-6. VXI/VME-MXI-2 T&M Explorer VXI/VME Bus Tab

Default Settings .......................................... .................................. ...... ..A-4

Table A-7. VXI/VME-MXI-2 T&M Explorer MXI-2 Bus Tab

Default Settings .......................................... .................................. ...... ..A-4

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT vi

National Instruments Corporation

About This Manual

Use this manual to get started with the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series embedded computers and the NI-VXI/VISA software for Windows 95/NT. This manual summarizes the setup instru ctions and default settings for the hardware and software. You may find that these sections contain all the information you need to get started.

Organization of This Manual

This manual is organized as follows:

• Chapter 1, Introduction, describes the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series of embedded computers along with the NI-VXI/VISA software, lists what you need to get started, lists optional software, and gives an overview of the directory on your hard drive.

• Chapter 2, Setting up Your VXI/VME System, contains basic instructions for setting up the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series and the NI-VXI/VISA software.

• Chapter 3, Developing Your Application, discusses the so ftware utilities you can use to start developing applications that use the NI-VXI/VISA driver.

• Appendix A, Default Settings, summarizes the default settings for the hardware and software in your kit.

• Appendix B, Common Questions, addresses common questions you may have about using the NI-VXI/VISA software on the VXI/VMEpc platform.

• Appendix C, Reinstalling the NI-VXI/VISA Software, contains the instructions on how to reinstall your NI-VXI/VISA software. Your VXI/VMEpc 600 Series controller was shipped with the NI-VXI/VISA software already in st all ed. It is unlik el y th at you will ever need to use these instructions.

• Appendix D, Customer C ommunication, contains forms you can use to request help from National I nstruments 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.

National Instruments Corporation vii VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

About This Manual

•The Index contains an alphabetical list of ke y ter ms and top ics 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:

♦ The ♦ symbol indicates that the text following it applies only to a specific

product, a specific operating system, or a specific software version. This icon to the left of bold italicized text denotes a note, which alerts you

to important information.

bold Bold text denotes the names of menus, menu items, or dialog box buttons

bold italic Bold italic text denote s a note, caution, or warning.

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

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

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

monospace italic

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

This icon to the left of bold italicized text denotes a warning, which advises you of precautions to take to avoid being electrically shocked.

or options.

concept. This font also den otes text f rom which you suppl y the appropriate word or value.

from the keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and syntax examples. This font is also used for th e proper names of disk dri ves, paths , directories, programs, subprograms, device names, functions, variables, filenames, and extensions.

automatically prints to the screen. Italic text in this font denotes that you must enter the appropriate words or

values in the place of these items.

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series The term VXI/VMEpc 600 Series refers to a series of B-size, two-slot VXI

or VME embedded c ontrollers. Currently, this series consists of the VXIpc-650 and VMEpc-650. This term is used when information applies equally to the VXI and VME models.

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT viii

National Instruments Corporation

How to Use This Documentation Set

About This Manual

NI-VXI

User Manual

NI-VXI

Reference

Getting Started

Manual

Series User Manual

Change Hardware Settings (Optional)

NI-VXI and NI-VISA

NI Spy, VIC/VISAIC

Installation and

Configuration

VXI/VMEpc 600

Use Online

Utilities:

Function Help, T&M Explorer,

NI-VISA

User Manual

NI-VISA

Reference

Begin by reading this manual, Getting Started with Your VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT, to get basic instructions for setting up the

hardware and software. This brief quick- start manu al describes ho w 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.

National Instruments Corporation ix VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

About This Manual

The VXI/VMEpc 600 Series User Manual contains more details about changing the hardware installation or configuration from the defaults, and using the hardware.

When you are familiar with the material in these manuals, you can begin to use the NI-VXI User Manual. This manual presents the concepts of VXI and prepares you for detailed explanations of the NI-VXI functions. The NI-VXI online help describes the NI-VXI functions to hel p you fully understand the purpose and s yntax of each function. Y ou can f ind this same information in the NI-VXI Programmer Reference Manual. These two manuals are available in the

NI-VXIUsersMan.pdf and NI-VXIProgrammerMan.pdf,

names

c:\NIVXI\Manuals directory under the

respectively. Use the Acrobat Reader program, Version 3 or later, to open these files.

You can also access the NI-VXI online help for Windows 95/NT in the

NIVXI folder.

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.

Refer to the NI-VISA User Manual to learn about VISA and how to use it in your system. The NI-VISA online help describes the attributes, events, and operations you can us e in NI-VISA. You can find this same i nformation in the NI-VISA Programmer Reference Manual. These two manuals are available in the

Win95 or WinNT) under the names NI-VISAUsersMan.pdf and

either

NI-VISAProgrammersMan.pdf, respectively. Use the Acrobat Reader

c:\Vxipnp\os\NIvisa\Manuals directory (where os is

program, Version 3 or later, to open these files.

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, thi s manual contains comment and conf iguration forms for you to complete. These forms are in Appendix D, Customer

Communication, at the end of this manual.

About This Manual

National Instruments Corporation xi VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Introduction

This chapter describes the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series of emb edded computers along with the NI-VXI/VISA software, lists what you need to get started, lists optional soft ware, and gi ves an overvi ew of th e director y str uctur e on your hard drive.

How to Use This Manual

The following flowchart shows where to turn in this man ual for more details on configuring and using the hardware and software.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Gather What You Need

to Get Started

Yes

Using Hardware

Defaults?

Install Hardware, Verify System,

Run T&M Explorer to Configure

All Devices in System

Develop Y our Application

What You Need to Get Started

❑ VXI/VMEpc-650 embedded controller ❑ VXIbus or VMEbus mainframe ❑ Keyboard (and included adapter cable) ❑ Mouse

Refer to Your

VXI/VMEpc 600

Series User Manual

National Instruments Corporation 1-1 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Chapter 1 Introduction

❑ Monitor with VGA or better resolution ❑ National Instruments software media for the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series

The NI-VXI/VISA software is alr eady inst alled on your VXI/VME pc-650 computer. It is also included on disk in the event that you need to reinstall your software. For installation instructions, please refer to Appendix C,

Reinstalling the NI-VXI/VISA Software.

Hardware Description

The VXI/VMEpc 600 Series models are B-size embedded co mputers based on x86 processor architecture and on the Peripheral Component Interface (PCI) bus. These computers are high-performance, easy-to-use platforms for controlling VXIbus or VMEbus systems, featuring complete VXI and VME functionality through interactive utilities and C fun c tion calls. These embedded computers can take advantage of the VXI/VME high-performance backplane capabilities and give you direct control of VXI/VME registers, memory, interrupts, and triggers.

All models in the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series are fully VXI compliant and can be used 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.

For in-depth details on the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series hardware—including a description of the differences between the various models in their respective series—refer to the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series User Manual.

Software Description

NI-VXI is the name of the VXI/VME bus control library for your VXI/VMEpc 600 Series. You can create applications using NI-VXI to control your VXI and VME devices. NI-VXI gives you complete VXI/VME functionality, including an API for performing basic VXI/VME data transfers and handling VXI/VME interrupts as well as VXI-specific functionality, such as doing message-based communication and handling VXIbus triggers.

NI-VISA is the National Instruments implementation o f the VISA specification. VISA is a uniform API for communicating and controlling Serial, GPIB, VXI, and VME instruments. This API aids in the creation of more portable applications and instrument drivers.

plug&play

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT 1-2

National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 1 Introduction

The NI-VXI/VISA software for the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series is already installed on your hard drive. It includes an interactive configuration and troubleshooting program, libraries of software routines for test and measurement (T&M) programming, interactive control programs for both NI-VXI and NI-VISA, a logging utility you can use for debugging your applications, and a VXI Resource Manager. You can use this software to seamlessly program multiple-mainframe configurations and have software compatibility across a variety of controller platforms.

National Instruments also includes the NI-488.2 software kit, which gives you access to the industry-standard NI-488.2 software for controlling external GPIB instruments through the GPIB port on the front panel. The GPIB interface on your VXI/VMEpc controller 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 VXI/VMEpc-650.

Use T&M Explorer to view your entire T&M system and configure v arious components, whether they are Serial, GPIB, VXI, or VME devices. This utility also adopts the functionality of the NI-DAQ Configuration utility so you can configure National Instruments VXI-DAQ cards.

For VXI users, T&M Explorer also features various options of how to run the VXI Resource Manager (Resman). You can still execute Resman independently to configure your instruments after a power cycle, but you can also perform resource manager operations directly from T&M Explorer or configure it to run Resman automatically at startup.

The NI Spy utility tracks the calls your application makes to National Instruments T&M drivers, including NI-VXI, NI-VISA, and NI-488.2. NI Spy helps you debug your application by clearly highlighting the functions that return errors. You can let NI Spy keep a log of your program’s calls to these drivers so that you can check them for errors at your convenience.

Software Configurations

There are three software configurations described in this manual:

• NI-VXI for Windows 95—This is a fully 32-bit native Plug and P l ay driver for Windo w s 95. You can run only 32-bit applications with this driver. Applications developed using this driver run with NI-VXI for Windows NT without the need to recompile.

• NI-VXI for Windows NT—This is a 32-bit driver designed for Windows NT. You c an use this version to develop and run 32-bit applications for Windows 95/NT.

National Instruments Corporation 1-3 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Chapter 1 Introduction

• NI-VISA for Windows 95/NT—This is a 32-bit driver designed for Windows 95/NT. Note that for VME and VXI support, the NI-VXI driver must be installed. You can use this driver to develop and run 32-bit applications for Windows 95/NT.

National Instruments Application Software

Your VXI/VMEpc 600 Series kit comes with the NI-VXI/VISA bus interface software already installed for you. In addition, you can use the National Instruments LabVIEW and LabWin dows / CVI appli cati on programs and instrument drivers to ease your programming tasks. These standardized programs match the modular virtual instrument capability of VXI/VME and can reduce your VXI/VME 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 and LabWind ows/CVI include all the t ools needed for instrument control, data acquisition, analysis, and presentation.

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-gener ation tools and a graphical editor for building custom user interfaces.

When you boot your system for the f irst time, you can insert a configuration disk to access either or both of these application programming environments. Ref er to the in Chapter 2,

Setting up Your VXI/VME System

Booting Your System for the First Time

, for more information. Both

section

LabVIEW and LabWindo ws/CVI integrate the VXI and VISA libraries that are required to support your VXI/VMEpc-650. You also get hundreds of complete instrument drivers, which are modular, source-code programs that handle the communication with your instrument to speed your application development.

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT 1-4

National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 1 Introduction

Files and Directories Installed on Your Hard Drive

Your hard drive includes a directory called images in its root that contains software and soft copies of manuals for the operating system and for the peripherals. The directory str ucture under the organized into several levels.

images directory itself, you will find a manuals directory,

In the

os directory, and directories for each of the peripherals of your

an computer.

manuals directory contains quick reference guides, technical

The reference manuals, and National Instruments software manuals, all in Adobe Acrobat portable document for mat (PDF) . Use the Acrobat Reader program, version 3 or later, to open and read these manual files on your computer, and to print them if desired. To access any of these manuals, change your directory to

c:\images\Vxx600\manuals and list the

contents of that directory.

os directory contains a subdirectory corresponding to the operating

The system installed on your computer . That subd irectory contains an image o f the CD from which your operating system was installed. As a result you do not have to inser t the CD when you install a n e w peripheral. When you a re asked to insert the CD, you can simply direct the system to look in the

images\os directory instead.

images directory is logically

For example, if your system has Windows 95 installed, you should find an image of the Windows 95 CD in

c:\images\os\win95.

The rest of the directories correspond to each of the peripherals in your system. Within each of these directories are the drivers for the peripherals. These files and directories are copied exactly from the distribution disks of the manufacturers, so the naming conventions vary from peripheral to peripheral.

Because the naming conventions may not be completely straightforward, National Instruments provides a text file named

images directory. The drivers.txt file explains how to install support

drivers.txt in the

for each peripheral. You may want to print this file for reference when yo u install your peripheral device drivers.

National Instruments Corporation 1-5 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Setting up Your VXI/VME System

This chapter contains basic instructions for setting up the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series and the NI-VXI/VISA software.

You can use this material as a guide to quickly configure and operate your VXI/VME system using the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series. This chapter assumes that you intend to perform a basic configuration as follows:

• You have one VXI/VMEbus chassis in which you will be using the VXI/VMEpc-650 as System Controller.

• You will be using the NI-VXI/VISA software for initialization, configuration, and device interaction.

• You will use the default hardware and software settings.

Configuring the Hardware

The default hardware settings are acceptable for most typical applications. Refer to Appendix A, Default Settings, for a complete listing of the hardware and software default settings.

The VXI/VMEpc 600 Series User Manual fully describes the configuration and installation of each embedded computer in the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series. Refer to this manual if you want to try a different hardware configuratio n, or if you would lik e more information on a particu lar setting.

Use the T&M Explorer utility in NI-VXI/VISA to change any of the configuration settings for the VXI/VMEpc. For information on the software, including optional settings, use T&M Explorer and its online help. Use the W i ndo ws Start menu to open either the NI-VXI or NI-VISA program group and select T&M Explorer. To access the T&M Explorer online help, open the Help menu and select Help Topics.

National Instruments Corporation 2-1 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Chapter 2 Setting up Your VXI/VME System

Installing the Hardware

Caution

Warning

Caution

To prevent electrostatic discharge, touch the antistatic plastic package to a metal part of your VXI/VMEbus chassis before removing the VXI/VMEpc-650 from the package.

To protect both yourself and the chassis from electrical hazards, thechassis should remain off until you are finished installing the VXI/VMEpc module.

Plug in your chassis but leave the power turned off. Install the VXI/VMEpc-650 in the first slot of the VXI/VME chassis—designated as Slot 0 in VXI systems, or as Slot 1 in a VME chassis. In its default configuration, the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series automatically detects whether it should be the system co ntrolle r. Although you can use the module in other slots as non-system controller, this example describes the basic installation as system controller. The system controller operates certain VXI/VMEbus lines as required for VXI/VME systems. Verify that any other devices with system controller capability that are located in the same chassis are not configured as system controller.

Having more than one device configured as system contro ller will damage the VXI/VME system.

For VXI systems that include VME devices, ensure that the VME devices are not configured in the upper 16 KB (starting from 0xC000) of the A16 address space. This region is reserved for VXI device configuration registers, which are used for initializing, configuring, and interacting with VXI devices.

Also ensure that no VXI devices in your system are config ured for logical address 0, which is the default configuration for the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series.

Complete your installation as follows:

1. Attach cables for your keyboard, mouse, video, and any devices you want to connect to your system. Refer to the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series User Manual if you are not certain about any of these connections.

2. Turn on power to the chassis.

3. Follow the prompts in the Setup program.

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT 2-2

National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 2 Setting up Your VXI/VME System

Installed Software

Your VXI/VMEpc 600 Series kit comes with the NI-VXI/VISA bus interface software already installed. However, if you receive a software update, or if you need to reinstall software in the event that your files were accidentally erased, refer to Appendix C, Reinstalling the NI-VXI/VISA

Software. This appendix explains how to use the Setup program.

If you need to reinstall LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI, use the CD or diskette package that came with these programs.

Booting Your System for the First Time

At Windows 95/NT startup, you are pro mpted t o insert a disk to config ure the system for LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI. These programming environments are already installed on your system but you must insert a configuration disk when prompted so that you can access and use them. If you ordered either of these programming environments, select the appropriate checkbox and insert the configuration disk. Follow the instructions as prompted.

Do not select either checkbox if you did not order LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI. Continue with the rest of the Setup program.

Caution

National Instruments Corporation 2-3 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Do not disregard the prompt to configure the system for LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI. The Setup program assumes you do not need these programs and deletes them from your hard drive unless you insert the configuration disk during the initial setup. If you neglect to do this, you will need to install LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI from the CD or diskette set if you want to use either program.

If your system includes any VXI devices, you s h ould now run T& M Explorer . It p rompts y ou to r un Resman, whi ch is the National In struments Resource Manager. You must run Resman every time the chassis power is cycled so that your application can access devices in the VXI/VME chassis. You can configure T&M Explorer to automatically run Resman on power-up. T&M Explorer contains right-click help that leads you through your configuration tasks.

Whether you are a VXI or VME user, please continue with Chapter 3,

Developing Your Application, for information about using T&M Explorer

in your system.

Chapter 2 Setting up Your VXI/VME System

Verifying Your System Configuration

After you finish configuring t he system through T&M Exp lorer, verify t he system configuration through one of the interactive control utilities. Use VIC under NI-VXI or VISAIC under NI-VISA.

For an example on how to use VIC, refer to the Device Interaction section in Chapter 3, Developing Your Application.

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT 2-4

National Instruments Corporation

Developing Your Application

This chapter discusses the software utilities you can use to start developing applications that use the NI-VXI/VISA driver.

After verifying your system configuration, you can begin to develop your VXI/VME or VISA application software. Be sure to check the

README.txt file for the latest application de velo pment notes and changes.

You r software includes several utilities to assist you in your system development. These include T&M Explorer , Resman, NI Spy , VISAIC, and VIC. You can also access several examples to learn ho w to use NI-VISA or NI-VXI for certain tasks. Each of these components assists you with one of four steps of dev elopment: configur ation, device interact ion, programming, and debugging.

You can access these utilities through the Windows Start menu. Open either the NI-VXI or NI-VISA program group and select the utility you want to use.

Configuration

The configuration utilities in your kit are T&M Explorer and Res man. Resman is the application that performs VXI Resource Manager functions as described in the VXIbus specification. Its most important functions include configuring all VXI devices on the VXI/VME backplane for operation and allocating memory for devices that request it.

Note

National Instruments Corporation 3-1 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Because power cycling resets all devices, run Resman to reconfigure them every time chassis power is cycled.

Resman must be run on any system that contains VXI devices (including systems containing VXI-MXI-2 or VME-MXI-2 mainframe extender devices). Because VME devices normally do not have configuration registers as defined in the VXIbus specification, the Resource Manager is unable to detect VME devices. Because of this, when using systems containing a mixture of VME devices and VXI devices, you need to

Chapter 3 Developing Your Application

manually add your VME devices in T&M Explorer using the Add VME Device Wizard to reserve system resources when the Resource Manager

runs. Systems consisting of only a VMEpc 600 Series controller, a VME chassis,

and VME boards do not need to run Res man when usi ng NI-VXI s oftw are even though the devices do not appear in the T&M Explorer connection tree. However , you would not be able to use VISA without manually adding the VME devices to the system by usin g T&M Explorer as described abov e and then running Resman. This is because NI-VISA uses the Resource Manager to create instrument sessions for VXI/VME device communication. If this is not an issue for you, you can skip Resman.

T&M Explorer presents a graphical display of your entire test and measurement system to help you configure various components. When you launch T&M Explorer, you see all your VXI, GPIB, GPIB-VXI, and serial devices on the screen. You can add devices that cannot be detected dynamically by T&M Explorer through the Add Device Wizard in the Edit menu. Such devices include VME de vices, certain GPIB de vices, and serial ports. You can view the properties (such as logical address, address space used, primary address, and so on) of each device by right-clicking on the device in the tree. When you view the properties of most National Instruments devices, you can configure the h ardware settings directly in the property pages.

T&M Explorer and Resman are designed to work togeth er . You can run the Resource Manager through T&M Explorer by either clicking on the Run Resman button on the to olbar, or selecting VXI Resource Manager from the Tools menu. From th e Op ti o ns dialog in the Tools menu, you can also configure T&M Explorer to run Resman automatically when the comp uter boots up. Resman reports all errors that it finds in your system to T&M Explorer. When you view your system through T&M Explorer, you can easily spot any errors in your system that Resman found.

You can find more information about T&M Explorer by using its online help. From T&M Explorer, open the Help menu and select Help Topics.

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT 3-2

National Instruments Corporation

Device Interaction

After Resman has detected and configured all VXI devices, you can view specific information on each device in your system by using the T&M Explorer utility. This utility includes a System View, which contains a description for each device, including each VXI device’s logical address.

Y ou can interact with your VXI devices by using the VIC or VISAIC utility (VIC for NI-VXI or VISAIC for NI-VISA). You can use these utilities to interactively control your devices without having to use a conventional programming language, LabVIEW, or LabWindows/CVI.

Chapter 3 Developing Your Application

Note

You can launch VIC or VISAIC from the Tools menu in T&M Explorer.

Try the following in VIC: In the Command entry field, type

help vxiin.

This help file shows you the syntax for this command, which reads VME address space. The first argu ment is the access parameters for selecting the address space, byte order, and so on. The second is the VME address to read, and the third is the width of the data to read.

Type:

vxiin 1,0xC000,2

The History window shows the result of the command execution, such as:

Return Status (0): SUCCESS. value = 0x9ff6

If the value ends with ff6, you have successfully read the National Instruments manufacturer ID from the VXI/VMEpc-650 ID register. Because this is the first configuration register present for all VXI devices, the VXI device at Logical Address 0 has its manufacturer ID register located at A16 address 0xC000—the beginning of the VXI configuration space.

You may now want to read t h e registers from ot her devices in y our s ys te m using the command

vxiin. Try reading a r egister from each of the de vices

listed in the Address Map View of T&M Explorer. In this way, you can verify that your VXI/VMEpc-650 can access each of the devices in your system successfully.

National Instruments Corporation 3-3 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Chapter 3 Developing Your Application

Alternatively, you can use VISAIC to interact with your devices. VISAIC lists the available devices, similar to what T&M Explorer displays. By double-clicking on a gi ven device, you can open a VISA session and access the device through it. For more information regarding VISAIC, use the right-click help available from all panels.

Programming with VXI

National Instruments provides two different programming interfaces for accessing your instruments: NI-VISA and NI-VXI. NI-VISA is the National Instruments implementation of the VISA API as defined by the VXIplug&play standard. It is very useful when you have different types of instruments in your system (such as VXI, VME, GPIB, and Serial devices) because the NI-VISA functions have the same interface.

NI-VXI is the National Instruments proprietary interface for programming VXI/VME instruments. Both NI-VXI and NI-VISA grant you register-level access of VXI/VME instruments as well as messaging capability to message-based devices. With either interface you can service asynchronous events, such as triggers and interrupts, and also assert them.

The best way to learn how to program with NI-VXI or NI-VISA is by reviewing the example programs included in your software. In the

Examples directory you will find examples for many different types of

applications. If you are just getting started, you should first learn how to access registers with high-level calls and send messages with word serial functions. The NI-VISA examples of these tasks are called

VISAws.c. The NI-VXI examples are called VXIhigh.c and

and

VXIws.c. You should use the other examples as you try more advanced

techniques. Consult th e NI-VISA User Manual or the NI-VXI User Manual for additional information on these topics.

VISAhigh.c

Note

The NI-VXI User Manual resides in the NIVXI\manuals directory, and the NI-VISA User Manual is in the

would be either

Win95 or WinNT. Use the Acrobat Reader program to open and

VXIpnp\os\NIvisa\manuals directory, where

navigate through the manuals.

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT 3-4

National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 3 Developing Your Application

Table 3-1 summarizes the topics addressed by the example programs.

Table 3-1.

NI-VXI/VISA Examples

NI-VISA

Coverage

Message-Based Access High-Level Register

Example

VISAws.c VXIws.c

VISAhigh.c VXIhigh.c

NI-VXI Example

Access Low-Level Register Access Sharing Memory Interrupt Handling Trigger Handling

Note T&M Explorer includes special settings that you must use for low-level functions

VISAlow.c VXIlow.c

VISAmem.c VXImem.c

VISAint.c VXIint.c

VISAtrig.c VXItrig.c

and memory sharing. Consult the T&M E xp lorer online help for information on setting these up.

Notes about VME Support

To use VME devices in your system, conf igure NI-VXI to see these devices by using the Add Device Wizard in T&M Explorer. VME devices with two blocks of memory in the same address space require two entries. You can also specify which interrupt levels the device uses. VXI and VME devices cannot share interrupt le v els. You can then access the VME device from NI-VXI or NI-VISA just as you would a register-based VXI device, by specifying the address space and the offset from the base at which you have configured it. NI-VISA support for VME devices includes the re gister access operations (both high-level and low-level) and the block move operations, as well as the ability to receive interrupts.

National Instruments Corporation 3-5 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Chapter 3 Developing Your Application

Compiler Symbols for NI-VXI

You may need to define some symbols so that the NI-VXI library can work properly with your program.

Note

Skip this section if you are programming with NI-VISA only. NI-VISA does not use these symbols.

You can define the symbols using or you can use either the

/D or the -D option in your compiler (both the

Microsoft and Borland compilers support the

#define statements, you must define the symbols before including the

use NI-VXI header file

nivxi.h. If you use the makefiles to compile the

#define statements in the source code

/D and -D options). If you

sample program, the makefile already defines the necessary symbols.

VXINT symbol is required. You must define it when using the

The Microsoft C or Borland C compiler.

VXINT designates the application as a

Windows 95/NT application.

LabWindows/CVI automatically defines the correct symbol. You do not need to

VXINT when using LabWindows/CVI.

define

BINARY_COMPATIBLE symbol is optional. It makes the application

The binary compatible with embedded VXI controllers, such as the National Instruments VXI/VMEpc series of embedded cont rollers. Th is optio n may cause a slight performance degradation when using low-level VXIbus access functions.

If you define these symbols in your source code, your source code should look something like the following sample code:

#define VXINT #define BINARY_COMPATIBLE . . . #include <nivxi.h>

If you define these s ymbols using the /D or -D compiler options, you should specify the following when invoking the compiler.

For the Microsoft C compiler:

/DVXINT /DBINARY_COMPATIBLE

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT 3-6

National Instruments Corporation

Debugging

Chapter 3 Developing Your Application

For the Borland C compiler:

-DVXINT; BINARY_COMPATIBLE;

You will also need to link in the appropriate import library for your code. If you are using a Microsoft C compiler, use the

nivxi\win32\msc\ directory . If you are using a Borland C compiler , use

nivxint.lib in the nivxi\win32\borlandc\ directory.

the

nivxint.lib in the

Refer to the documentation that came with your compiler package for detailed instructions about using the compiler and the various tools (linker, debugger, and so on). Your compiler documentation is an important and useful source of information for writing, compiling, and debugging C programs.

NI Spy, VISAIC, and VIC are useful utilities that can aid in identifying the causes of problems in your appl ication.

NI Spy tracks the calls your application makes to National Instruments T&M drivers including NI-VXI, NI-VISA, and NI-488.2. NI-488.2 users may notice that NI Spy is very similar to GPIB Spy. It highlights functions that return errors, so you can quickly spot which functions failed during your development. NI Spy can log the calls your program makes to these drivers so you can check them for errors at your convenience.

Y ou can also control your instrumen ts interactively using VISAIC and VIC. You can use VISAIC to control and communicate with your instruments with NI-VISA without having to write a program. VIC gives you a similar environment that uses NI-VXI. These utilities are an excellent platform for quickly testing instruments and learning how to communicate with them.

Refer to the online help for instructions on how to use VIC or VISAIC and to learn about their features. In VIC, click on the ? button (next to the Go button) to get help for that page, or you can type

help. You can also

right-click on a component on the screen to access What’s This help. In VISAIC, you can right-click to reach What’s This help and function help.

National Instruments Corporation 3-7 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Default Settings

This appendix summarizes the default settings for th e hardware and software in your kit. If you need more information about a particular setting, or if you want to try a different configuration, please refer to the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series User Manual for your hardware reference and the T&M Explorer online help for your software reference.

Because you can also use T&M Explorer to configure a VXI-MXI-2 or a VME-MXI-2, this appendix also summarizes the software default settings for the VXI/VME-MXI-2.

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series

This section summarizes the hardware and software default settings for the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series. Notice that some of the jumpers described in Table A-1 are for VXI configuration only.

Table A-1.

Jumper Description Default Setting Description

W1—Power On MITE Self Configuration

W2—External Trigger Input Termination (VXI only)

W3—SCSI Bus Termination Enabled W4—CLK10 SMB Dire c tion

(VXI only) W5—CLK10 SMB Termination

(VXI only) W6—CLK10 Source

(VXI only)

National Instruments Corporation A-1 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series Hardware Default Settings

Enabled.

Do not terminate

Receive CLK10

Do not terminate

Source from onboard oscillator

Do not alter this setting

Appendix A Default Settings

Table A-1.

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series Hardware Default Settings (Continued)

Jumper Description Default Setting Description

W7—CLK10 SMB Pola rity

Not inverted

(VXI only) W8—Ethernet EEPROM Enabled. Do not alter this setting. W9—MITE User Conf iguration

Load values from user side

EEPROM W11—System Controller Slot

Automatically detect slot

Detection Mode W20—Clear CMOS Disabled. Change only when

clearing CMOS.

Table A-2.

VXIpc T&M Explorer Device Tab Default Settings

Editor Field Default Setting

Logical address 0 Device class Message based Size of Servant area 0 Number of handlers 1 Number of interrupters 0

Table A-3.

VXIpc T&M Explorer Shared Memory Tab Default Settings

Editor Field Default Setting

Memory sharing Don’t share memory Shared RAM size 64 KB (when sharing memory) Reserved physical memory 64 KB (when sharing memory) Lower half window byte

swapping

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT A-2

Disabled

National Instruments Corporation

Appendix A Default Settings

VXI/VME-MXI-2

Table A-3.

VXIpc T&M Explorer Shared Memory Tab Default Settings (Continued)

Editor Field Default Setting

Upper half window byte

Disabled

swapping Map upper and lower halves at

Disabled

same PCI address

Table A-4.

VXIpc T&M Explorer PCI Tab Default Settings

Editor Field Default Setting

Low-level register access API

Enabled

support User window size 64 KB

This section summarizes the software default settings for the VXI-MXI-2 and VME-MXI-2. This information is useful if you have either of these modules in your system.

Table A-5.

VXI/VME-MXI-2 T&M Explorer Device Tab Default Settings

Editor Field Default Setting

Logical address Use DIP switch Address space A24 * Requested memory 16 KB * A24/A32 write posting Disabled A16 write posting Disabled Interlocked mode Disabled

* Assumes no DRAM is installed. If DRAM is installed, the A32, and DRAM yourself, you must manually specify these changes.

National Instruments Corporation A-3 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Requested memory

should match the amou nt of DRAM. If you install the

Address space

should be

Appendix A Default Settings

Table A-6.

VXI/VME-MXI-2 T&M Explorer VXI/VME Bus Tab

Default Settings

Editor Field Default Setting

Bus timeout value 125 µs Slot 0 configuration Auto-detect Auto retry Disabled Transfer limit 256 Arbiter type Priority Fair requester Enabled Arbiter timeout Enabled Request level 3

Table A-7.

VXI/VME-MXI-2 T&M Explorer MXI-2 Bus Tab Default Settings

Editor Field Default Setting

System controller Auto-detect Bus timeout value 1 ms MXI-2 auto retry Disabled MXI transfer limit Unlimited MXI fair re quester Disabled Perform parity checking Enabled MXI-2 CLK10 signal dire ction Switch determines signal

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT A-4

direction (VXI-MXI-2 only)

National Instruments Corporation

Common Questions

This appendix addresses common questions yo u may have about using th e NI-VXI/VISA software on the VXI/VMEpc platform.

What are some of the differences between the old utilities and the new ones?

The old utility components are as follows:

• VXIinit—This utility initializes your National Instruments controller hardware with settings determined in VXIedit.

• Resman—This utility initializes and configures all the other devices in your VXI system.

• VXIedit—This utility configures your National Instruments hardware.

• VXItedit—This is a console-based version of VXIedit.

• VIC—Use this utility to interactively communicate with VXI devices over the VXIbus using the NI-VXI API.

• VICtext—This is a console-based version of VIC.

• VISAconf—This utility configures settings used by NI-VISA

• VISAIC—Use this utility to interactively communicate with VISA devices (GPIB, VXI, Serial) using NI-VISA.

VXI/VME system integration with the old utilities typically proceeded as follows:

1. Install components and boot the system.

2. Configure your hardware with VXIedit.

3. Reboot and run VXIinit to initialize your National Instruments hardware.

4. Run Resman to initialize the VXIbus.

5. Optionally run VXIedit to configure any extender devices on the VXIbus.

6. Run VIC to verify device operation.

7. If you are using VISA, you have the option of running VISAconf to configure NI-VISA.

National Instruments Corporation B-1 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Appendix B Common Questions

8. Run VISAIC to verify that you can communicate with your system using VISA.

The new utility components are as follows:

• T&M Explorer—Use this utility to configure, view, and initialize your system.

• Resman—You can still use this as before. However, you can perform resource manager operations directly from T&M Explorer or configure it to run Resman automatically at startup. See What about running Resman? later in this section.

• VIC—Use as before.

• VISAIC—Use as before.

• NI Spy—Use this utility to debug your NI-VXI or NI-VISA application.

You r setup might now include the following steps:

1. Install components and boot the system.

2. Execute VXI Resource Manager responsibilities (either run Resman or click the build button in T&M Explorer.)

3. Run VIC or VISAIC to verify communication in your system.

What happened to VXIinit?

You no longer need to run VXIinit to initialize settings on your ha rdware. The loading of hardware settings no w takes place in th e dri v er, completely eliminating the need for VXIinit.

Where do I find the information that VXIinit used to print?

You can view information about your controll er from the properties pages and the hardware configuration pages. For example, you can view logical address and user window size in the device-specific property pages in T&M Explorer .

What happened to VXIedit and VISAconf?

The functionality of these two configuration utilities has been integrated into a powerful new utility called T&M Explorer. This utility starts with a graphical view of the VISA devices (GPIB, VXI, GPIB-VXI, and serial) that it finds in your system. Right-click on an individual device in the tree structure to see its properties. You can further configure National Instruments devices by selecting the Hardware Configuration option.

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT B-2

National Instruments Corporation

Appendix B Common Questions

This includes National Instruments VXI-DA Q car ds, which means you can configure these devices from T&M Explorer without having to run the DAQ Configuration Utility.

What about ru nning Resman?

Resman is the name of the utility that performs the duties of a VXI Resource Manager as discussed in the VXIbus specification. When you set a National Instruments controller to Logical Address 0, you will at some point need to run Resman to configure your VXI instruments. If your controller uses a different (non-zero) logical address and is a message-based device, you need to start Resman before running it on the Logical Address 0 computer.

So when do you need to run Resman?

Run Resman whenever you need to configure your VXI instruments. For example, if you power-c ycle your VXI/VME chassis, your instruments will be reset, and you will need to run Resman to configure them. You can get into trouble if you run Resman when your devices are not in a reset state. Therefore, if you ha ve to run Resman after running it once, you sh ould reset all of your VXI instruments.

Systems consisting of only a VMEpc 600 Series controller, a VME chassis, and VME boards do not need to run Res man when usi ng NI-VXI s oftw are even though the devices do not appear in the T&M Explorer connection tree. However , you would not be able to use VISA without manually adding the VME devices to the system by usin g T&M Explorer as described abov e and then running Resman. This is because NI-VISA uses the Resource Manager to create instrument sessions for VXI/VME device communication. If this is not an issue for you, you can skip Resman.

You can perform resource manager operations from wit hin T&M Explorer . Additionally, you can tell T&M Explorer to run Resman when the computer first boots up. In this case you may never need to run Resman explicitly again. You can configure the computer to run Resman at startup, so when you power the chassis, Resman runs. If you power-cycle the chassis, the PC reboots, forcing Resman to run again.

How do I handle VME devices?

Although there is no way to auto matically detect VME de vices in a system, you can add them easily through the Add Device Wizard in T&M Explorer. Through this procedure, you can reserve resources for each of your VME devices and configure T&M Explorer to show VME devices on the screen with all your other devices.

National Instruments Corporation B-3 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Appendix B Common Questions

How can I determine which version of the NI-VXI/VISA software I have installed?

Following are several ways to find this information:

• From T&M Explorer, select About... from the Help menu. In the About dialog box, press the Software Info button. This displays version information on NI-VXI and NI-VISA files.

• Under Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, you can find version information by right-clicking on any component and selecting the Properties option. This displays a property sheet wi th a version tab. This tab has version information about the product (NI-VXI) and th e component (

NIVXINT.DLL, for example).

• You can find version information ab out th e NI-VXI d river b y ru nni n g the VIC utility program. Type

ver at the prompt, and the utility

displays the versions of VIC and NI-VXI, and the latest VXI/VMEpc hardware revision that this NI-VXI driver supports.

• You can find version information about the VISA driver through VISAIC by selecting About... from the Help menu.

How can I determine the serial number and hardware revision of the VXI/VMEpc embedded computers?

Run T&M Explorer and right-cl ick on the name of the VXI/VMEpc. Sel ect Hardware Configuration, and T&M Explorer disp lays the dialog box for the device. The title bar includes the serial number and hardware revision.

Which NI-VXI utility program must I use to configure the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series?

Use the T&M Explorer program to configure the VXI/VMEpc. T&M Explorer is located in the

Which NI-VXI utility program must I use to initialize the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series?

In Windo ws 95/NT, the VXI/VMEpc embedded computer is automatically initialized at system startup.

Which NI-VXI utility program must I use to perform startup Resource Manager operations?

Use the Resman program to perform startup Resource Manager operations. It is located in the

NIVXI directory . Resman uses the settings configur ed in

T&M Explorer. It initializes your VXI/VMEbus system and stores the

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT B-4

NIVXI program group folder.

National Instruments Corporation

Appendix B Common Questions

information that it collects to the RESMAN.TBL file in the TBL subdirectory

NIVXI directory.

of the You can also run Resource Manager operations from T&M Explorer.

Through T&M Explorer, you can also configure Resman to run automatically at computer startup.

What can I do to make sure that my system is up and ru nning?

The fastest method for testing the system is to run Resman . This p r ogram attempts to access memory in the upper A16 address space of each device in the system. If Resman does not report any problems, the VXI/VME communication system is operational.

To test individual devices, you can use the VIC or VISAIC program to interactively issue NI-VXI functions or NI-VISA operations, respectively. You can use the

VXIinReg() and VXIoutReg() functions to t est register- based devices by

VXIin() and VXIout() functions or the

programming their registers. If you have any message-based devices, you can send and receive messages with the Notice that you can use

VXIinReg() and VXIoutReg() are for VXI devices only, but

VXIin() and VXIout() for both VXI and VME.

WSwrt() and WSrd() functions.

Finally, if you are using LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI and you have instrument drivers for the devices in your chassis, you can use the interactive features of these programs to quickly test the functionality of the devices.

What do the LEDs on the front of the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series mean?

Refer to Appendix B, LED Indicators, i n your VX I/VMEpc 600 Series User Manual, for a description of the front panel LEDs.

Is something wrong if the red SYSF and FAIL LEDs stay lit after booting the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series?

If either the SYSF or FAIL LED remains lit, refer to Appendix B, LED Indicators, in your VXI/VMEpc 600 Series User Manual, for

troubleshooting steps.

Can I access 32-bit registers in my VXI/VMEbus system from the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series?

Yes. The VXI/VMEpc uses the 32-bit PCI bus to interface to the VXI/VMEbus. In fact, its VXI/VMEbus circuitry also supports the new VME64 standard for D64 accesses.

National Instruments Corporation B-5 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Appendix B Common Questions

♦ VXI Only—CLK10 is a differential ECL signal on the backplane.

♦ VXI Only—The CLK10 signal generated by the VXIpc-6 50 is ±100 ppm

What kind of sig nal is CLK1 0 and what k ind of signal do I need f or an external CLK10?

However, the oscillator and the EXTCLK input on the front panel use TTL levels; therefore, you need to supply a TTL-level signal for EXTCLK. Our voltage converters convert the signal to differential ECL.

What is the accuracy of the CLK10 signal?

(0.01%) as per the VXIbus specification. If you need a more accurate CLK10 signal, you can use the e xternal C LK connect o r on th e fron t panel.

What type of video interface is onboard the VXI/VMEpc-650? What video drivers are included? If my application requires a special type of video display, how do I configure my VXI/VMEpc-650?

The VXI/VMEpc 600 Series uses the Cirrus Logic CL-GD5446 chip, a 64-bit graphics accelerator . The chip is compatible with the Standard VGA video output Microsoft Windows video driver, as well as the Cirrus Logic video driver. For more informati on on the video driver, refer to the

c:\images\manuals directory.

What kind of monitor can I use with the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series? Can I use Super VGA?

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series computers use Super VGA video output. They work only with monitors having a horizontal scan rate of at least 50 kHz and a vertical scan rate of 60 Hz.

Caution Make sure your monitor meets this specification. Enabling the Super VGA option

on a monitor that does not meet this sp ecification will damage your monitor.

What should I do if my keyboard connector does not fit into the keyboard port on the VXI/VMEpc-650?

You can plug keyboards that have a 6-pin Mini DIN PS/2 type connector directly into the VXI/VMEpc. You can use the keyboard adapter cable that is included with every VXI/VMEpc 600 Series kit to adapt the larger AT keyboard connector to the 6-pin Min i DIN connector.

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT B-6

National Instruments Corporation

Appendix B Common Questions

What must I do if I want to install the VXI/VMEpc-650 in a slot other than the System Controller slot?

The VXI/VMEpc 600 Series automatically detects whether it is in the System Controller slot (firs t slot) of a VXI/VMEbus mainfra me. Y ou do n ot need to change jumper settings to install the VXI/VMEpc controller in a different slot unless you have defeated the f irst slot detector (FSD) circuitry by changing the appropriate jumper setting on the VXI/VMEpc.

Remember that devices in all other slots must not be manually configured as system controller; they should be configured either for automatic detection or manual non-System Controller.

Refer to Chapter 3, Configu ratio n and Instal latio n, in the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series User Manual for information on enabling and defeating the FSD circuitry.

How do I check the configuration of the memory, floppy drive, hard drive, time/date, and so on?

Y o u can view these parameters in the BIOS setup. T o enter the BIOS setup, reboot the VXI/VMEpc controller and press the <DEL> key during the memory tests. Refer to Chapter 4, BIOS, in the VXI/VMEpc 600 Series User Manual for more information.

Can I upgrade my VXI/VMEpc 600 Series?

You can upgrade the CPU to 233 MHz if you have the 166 MHz model. Contact National Instruments for information.

Can I use the internal IDE drive and an external SCSI hard drive at the same time?

Y es, b ut you can only boot from the inte rnal IDE drive i n this configurat ion.

My CMOS is corrupted. How do I set it back to default?

1. Enter the BIOS setup program as described in Chapter 4, BIOS, in your VXI/VMEpc 600 Series User Manual.

2. Select Auto Configuration with Optimal Setting s.

3. Answer Y (Yes) to the verification prompt.

4. Select Save Settings and Exit.

National Instruments Corporation B-7 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Reinstalling the NI-VXI/VISA Software

This appendix conta ins the instru ction s on how to reinstall you r NI-VXI/VISA software. Your VXI/VMEpc 600 Series controller was shipped with the NI-VXI/VISA software already installed. It is unlikely that you will ever need to use these instructions.

Preparing for Installation

Use the Setup program that came with your NI-VXI/VISA software to install the entire software package or a softwa re update, or to rein stall software in the e vent that you r files were accidentally erased. The Setup program works in the sam e manne r fo r eithe r Windo w s 95 or Windows NT. You can install NI-VXI with or wi thout NI-VISA .

Note

National Instruments Corporation C-1 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Some of the utilities rely on the LabWindows/CVI Run-Time Engine. This software is installed, if necessary, during the NI-VXI/VISA installation.

Depending on the type of installation you choose, you may need up to 20 MB of free space available to accommodate the NI-VXI/VISA software. If you choose the Custom installation method, Setup displays the amount of memory required for the op tions you se lect.

To be compliant with VXIplug&play specifications, a VXI controller must provide the VISA I/O driver library standardize d by VXIplug&play. VISA ensures th at you r control ler can run all VXIplug&play-compatible software now and in the future.

The NI-VISA software in this kit is compatible with the WIN95/GWIN95 and WINN T/GW INNT fr amewor ks. With NI-VI SA installed on your computer, you can ru n any VXIplu g&play software that is compatible with these frameworks. This includes instrument drivers and executable soft front panels that are included with VXIplug&play-compatible instruments f rom a variety of v end ors.

Appendix C Reinstalling the NI-VXI/VISA Software

Installing the Software

This section describes how to install the 32-bit NI-VXI/VISA software for the VXI/VME pc 600 Seri es. T he Setu p progra m work s the same whether you are using Windows 95 or Windows NT. Plea se carefully read these directions a long with a ny me ssage s o n the screen be fore making your selectio ns.

You can quit the Setup program at any time by pr essing the Cancel button.

Setup is an interactive, self-guiding program that installs the NI-VXI/VISA software and c onfigur es your system to u se the so ftwar e with the VXI/VMEpc-650. Follow these steps to perform the installation:

1. Insert disk 1 of your set of disks labeled NI-VXI/VISA for VXI/VMEpc 600 Series and Window s 9 5/NT.

2. Select Run... from the Start menu and enter the following text,

where

and press <Enter>.

3. Click on the Next button at the Welcome screen to start the installation and accept the license agreement.

is your floppy drive ( usually A)

:\setup.exe

Note

Caution

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT C-2

If Setup detects a 16-bit (DOS or Windows 3.x) version of the NI-VXI software, it prompts you to remove it. Setup will quit so you can uninstall the old software. If you have a previous 32-bit (Windows 95 or Windows NT) version of the NI-VXI software installed, Setup installs the new version over the previous version.

If you want to keep the manufacturer/model name tables or the VME device configuration from a previous installation, be sure to back them up before starting Setup, by copying the

4. Select the type of installation from the Choose Setup screen:

• Express setup is the fastest and simplest installation option.

• Typical setup prompts you to make high-level choices of which

TBL directory into another folder.

This option installs all the NI-VXI/VISA software in default directories without prompting you to make any further choices.

drivers to install and the destination directories.

National Instruments Corporation

Appendix C Reinstalling the NI-VXI/VISA Software

• Custom setup gives you complete control over which files and

utilities you want installed on your system. This option is recommended for a dvanc e d us ers.

5. The Express setup completes without further questions. Follow the prompts if you select either the Typical or the Custom setup options. The final p rompt d is play s the c ho ices y ou ma de concerning applications, supp ort, and destination dir ector ies. Click on the Next button to begin the installation.

6. Setup now copies the necessary files to your hard drive and creates program icons.

Completing the Software Installation

After Setup completes, please review the information in any README files that Setup prompts you to rea d. Comple te you r s oftwa re installation as follows:

1. When the installation process comp letes, y ou must re bo ot your computer for the changes to take effect. The NI-VXI driver is loaded at this time.

2. If you backed up the manufacturer and model na me files, restore them to the running T&M Explore r.

3. After you install the NI-VXI/VISA software, run the T&M Explorer program. It will prom pt you to run R esman , the N ational Instruments Resource M a nage r. Yo u m ust r un Re sman e ve ry time the chassis power is cycled so that your application can access devices in the VXI mainframe. You can a lso configure T& M Explorer to run R es m an a ut om ati cal ly at ev er y c om pute r star t up.

4. After you run Resman, you a re r eady to use T &M Exp lore r to interactively configure the National Instruments hardware in your system. Use the right-click help for information about the various configuration options.

TBL

subdirectory of your NI-VXI direc tory befo re

National Instruments Corporation C-3 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Customer Communication

For your convenience, this appendix contains forms to help you gather the information necessary to help us solve your technical problems and a form you can use to comment on the product documentation. When you contact us, we need the information on the Technical Support Form and the configuration form, if your manual contains on e, about your system confi gur at io n to answer your questions as quickly as possible.

National Instruments has technical assistance through electronic, fax , and telephone systems to quickly provide the information you need. Our electronic services include a b ulletin board service, an FTP site, a fax-on-demand system, and e-mai l support. If you ha ve a hard ware or softw are problem, first try the electronic support systems. If the information available on these systems does not answer your questions, we of fer fax and tel ephone suppo rt through ou r technical sup port center s, which are staf fed by applications engineers.

Electronic Services

Bulletin Board Support

National Instruments has BBS and FTP si tes dedicated for 24-hour support with a collection of files and documents to answer most common customer questions. From these sites, you can also download the latest instrument drivers, updates, and e xample program s. Fo r recorded instructions on h o w to use the bulletin board and FTP services and for BBS automated information, call 512 795 6990. You can access these services at:

United States: 512 7945422

Up to 14,400 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity

United Kingdom: 01635 551422

Up to 9,600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity

France: 01 48 65 15 59

Up to 9,600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity

FTP Support

To access our FTP site, log on to our Internet host, ftp.natinst.com, as anonymous and use your Internet address, such as documents are located in the

National Instruments Corporation D-1 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

joesmith@anywhere.com, as your password. The support files and

/support directories.

Fax-on-Demand Support

Fax-on-Demand is a 24-h our information ret riev al system co ntaining a library of documents on a wide range of technical information. You can access Fax-on-Demand from a touch-tone telephone at 512 418 1111.

E-Mail Support (Currently USA Only)

You can submit technical support questions to the applications engineering team through e-mail at the Internet address listed below. Remember to include your name, address, and phone number so we can contact you with solutions and suggestions.

support@natinst.com

Telephone and Fax Support

National Instruments has branch offices all over the world. Use the list below to find the technical support number for your countr y. If there is no Na tional Instrume nts office in your country, contact the source from which you purchased your software to obtain support.

Country Telephone Fax

Australia 03 9879 5166 03 9879 6277 Austria 0662 45 79 90 0 0662 45 79 90 19 Belgium 02 757 00 20 02 757 03 11 Brazil 011 288 3336 011 288 8528 Canada (Ontario) 905 785 0085 905 785 0086 Canada (Quebec) 514 694 8521 514 694 4399 Denmark 45 76 26 00 45 76 26 02 Finland 09 725 725 11 09 725 725 55 France 01 48 14 24 24 01 48 14 24 14 Germany 089 741 31 30 089 714 60 35 Hong Kong 2645 3186 2686 8505 Israel 03 6120092 03 6120095 Italy 02 413091 02 41309215 Japan 03 5472 2970 03 5472 2977 Korea 02 596 7456 02 596 7455 Mexico 5 520 2635 5 520 3282 Netherlands 0348 433466 0348 430673 Norway 32 84 84 00 32 84 86 00 Singapore 2265886 2265887 Spain 91 640 0085 91 640 0533 Sweden 08 730 49 70 08 730 43 70 Switzerland 056 200 51 51 056 200 51 55 Taiwan 02 377 1200 02 737 4644 United Kingdom 01635 523545 01635 523154 United States 512 795 8248 512 794 5678

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT D-2

National Instruments Corporation

Technical Support Form

Photocopy this form and update it each time y ou make chan ges to your sof tware or har dware, an d use the completed copy of this form as a reference for your current configuration. Completing this form accurately before contacting National Instruments for technical support helps our applications engineers answer your questions more efficiently.

If you are using any National Instruments hardware or software products related to this problem, include the configuration forms from their user manuals. Include additional pages if necessary.

Name __________________________________________________________________________ Company _______________________________________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________ Fax ( ___ )________________Phone ( ___ ) __________________________________________ Computer brand____________Model ___________________Processor _____________________ Operating system (include version number) ____________________________________________ Clock speed ______MHz RAM _____MB Display adapter __________________________ Mouse ___yes ___no Other adapters installed_______________________________________ Hard disk capacity _____MB Brand_________________________________________________ Instruments used _________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________ National Instruments hardware product model_____________ Revision ____________________ Configuration ___________________________________________________________________ National Instruments software product___________________ Version _____________________ Configuration ___________________________________________________________________ The problem is: __________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________ List any error messages: ___________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________ The following steps reproduce the problem: ___________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series Hardware and Software Configuration Form

Record the settings and revisions of your hardware and software on the line to the right of each item. Complete a new copy o f this for m each time you revise your software or hard ware configuration, and use this form as a reference for your current configuration. Completing this form accurately before contacting National Instruments for technical support helps our applications engineers answer your questions more efficiently.

National Instruments Products

NI-VXI/VISA Software Ve rsion N um ber ____________________ ___ _______ ___ ___ ___ ____ Using Both NI-VXI and NI-VISA ? _ _______ ______ __________ ______ _______ ______ ____ Using LabVIEW or LabWin dows/CVI? _______________ ______ __________ ______ ______ _

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series Hardware Settings

VXIpc 600 Series Model Numbe r ____________________ _________ _______ ______ ______ _ Part Number ___________ ______ ___ ____ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ______ _ Serial Number __________________ _______ ______ __________ ______ _______ ______ ____ Hard Drive Size ________ _________ _____ Video Memory__________________________ _ Processor Speed _ ____ ______ ___ ___ ____ ______ ___ ____ ___ ______ ___ ____ ___ ______ ___ _ Slot Location _______________________ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ______ _ W1 Setting: MITE Self-Configuration ____________ _______ _________ _______ _________ _ W2 Setting: External Trigger SMB Term ina tion ___________________________ ___ ______ _ W3 Setting: SCSI Termination _______________ _______ ______ __________ ______ _______ W4 Setting: CLK10 SMB Direction __________________________________ ______ _______ W5 Setting: CLK10 SMB Term ination __________________ ______ ___ _______ ___ ___ ____ W6 Setting: CLK10 Source ____ _______ _________ _______ _________ _______ _________ _ W7 Setting: CLK10 SMB Polarity __ ____ ______ ___ ____ ______ ___ ___ _______ ___ ______ _ W8 Setting: Ethernet EEPROM ________ ______ _______ _________ _______ ______ ______ _ W9 Setting: MITE Configuration EEPROM _________________ ______ __________ ______ _ W11 Setting: System Controller Slot Detection _______________________________ _______ W20 Setting: CMOS Clea r _______________________________ ___ _______ ___ ___ ___ ____

VXI/VMEpc Configuration Editor Settings (T&M Explorer)

Logical Address _______________________________ ____ ___ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ _____ Device Class __________________ ___ ____ ______ ___ ____ ___ ______ ___ ____ ___ ______ __ Size of Servant Area ____________ ___ ____ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ _____ Number of Handlers ___ ___ ___ ___ _______ ___ ___ ___ _______ ___ ___ ___ _______ ___ ___ __ Number of Interru pters _______________________ _______ ___ ___ ___ _______ ___ ___ ___ __ Memory Sharing _________________________ ___ ___ ____ ______ ___ ___ ____ ______ ___ __ Shared RAM Size ________________________ ______ __________ ______ _______ ______ __ Reserved Physical Memory ___________________ __________ ______ _______ ______ _____ Lower Half Window B yte Sw apping ____________________________ ___ ____ ___ ______ __ Upper Half Window Byte Swapping __ _______ ______ __________ ______ _______ ______ __ Low-level Register Acce ss AP I Sup por t ___ ___ ___ _______ ___ ___ ___ _______ ___ ___ ___ __ User Window Size _____________ ___ ____ ______ ___ ____ ___ ______ ___ ____ ___ ______ __

VXI/VME-MXI-2 Configuration Editor Settings (T&M Explorer)

Logical Address _______________________________ ____ ___ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ _____ Address Space _______ _________ _______ ______ _______ _________ _______ ______ _____ Requested Memory _______ ______ ___ ____ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ _____ A24/A32 Write Posting ____________ __________ _______ ______ ______ __________ _____ A16 Write Posting ________________ __________ _______ ______ ______ __________ _____ Interlocked or Norma l M ode _______________ ___ _______ ___ ___ ___ _______ ___ ___ ___ __ VXI/VME Bus Time out Value ___________ ___ ___ ___ _______ ___ ___ ___ _______ ___ ___ __ Slot 0 Configuration _______________ _______ ___ ___ ____ ______ ___ ___ ____ ______ ___ __ Auto Retry for Cycles f rom VX I/VM Ebus to MXI bus ________ ___ ______ ____ ___ ______ __ Transfer Limit on VXI/VME bus __________________ _______ ______ __________ ______ __ VXI/VME Arbiter Ty pe _________________________ _______ ___ ___ ___ _______ ___ ___ __ VXI/VME Fair Reque ster ____________________ ___ ____ ___ ______ ___ ____ ___ ______ __ VXI/VME Arbiter Tim eo ut ________________ ___ ___ _______ ___ ___ ___ _______ ___ ___ __ VXI/VME Request Leve l _______________ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ _____ MXI System Controlle r ______ ___ ___ _______ ___ ___ ____ ______ ___ ___ ____ ______ ___ __ MXI Bus Timeout Va lue _____ ___ ___ _______ ___ ___ ____ ______ ___ ___ ____ ______ ___ __ Auto Retry for Cycle s from M XIbu s to VX I/VME bus _____ ______ ___ ___ ____ ______ ___ __

Transfer Limit on MXIbus ____________________________ ______ __________ ______ ____ MXI Fair Requester _ ___ ______ ___ ____ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ______ _ Parity Checking ______________ ___ ____ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ______ _ MXI-2 CLK10 Direction (VXI-M XI-2 only) ____________________ _______ ______ _______

Other Products

Computer make and model ________________________________________________________ Microprocessor __________________________________________________________________ Clock frequency or speed __________________________________________________________ Type of video board installed _______________________________________________________ Operating system version __________________________________________________________ Operating system mode ___________________________________________________________ Programming language ___________________________________________________________ Programming language version _____________________________________________________ Other boards in system ____________________________________________________________ Base I/O address of other boards ____________________________________________________ DMA channels of other boards _____________________________________________________ Interrupt level of other boards ______________________________________________________

Documentation Comment Form

National Instruments encourages you to comment on the documentation supplied with our products. This information helps us provide quality products to meet yo ur needs.

Title:

Getting Started with Your VXI/VMEpc™ 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Edition Date:

Part Number:

Please comment on the completeness, clarity, and organization of the manual.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________ If you find errors in the manual, please record the page numbers and describe the errors.

_______________________________________________________________________________

May 1998 321882A-01

Thank you for your help. Name _________________________________________________________________________ Title __________________________________________________________________________ Company _______________________________________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________ E-Mail Address __________________________________________________________________ Phone ( ___ ) __________________________ Fax ( ___ ) _______________________________

Mail to:

Technical Publications National Instruments Corporation National Instruments Corporation 6504 Bridge Point Parkway 512 794 5678 Austin, Texas 78730-5039

Fax to:

Technical Publications

Glossary

Prefix Meanings Value

p- pico 10 n- nano- 10 µ- micro- 10

m- milli- 10

k- kilo- 10

M- mega- 10

G- giga- 10

t- tera- 10

A16 space VXIbus address space equivalent to the VME 64 KB short address space.

In VXI, the upper 16 KB of A16 space is allocated for use by VXI de vices configuration registers. This 16 KB region is referred to as VXI configuration space.

–12

–9

–6

–3

A24 space VXIbus address space equivalent to the VME 16 MB standard addr ess

space A32 space VXIbus address space equivalent to the VME 4 GB extended address space address Character code that identifies a specific location (or series of locations) in

memory. In VISA, it identifies a resource.

address space A set of 2

memory locations differentiated from other such sets in

VXI/VMEbus systems by six addressing l ines kno wn as addre ss modif iers.

is the number of address lines required to uniquely specify a byte location

in a given space. Valid numbers for n are 16, 24, and 32. In VME/VXI,

because there are six address modifiers, there are 64 possible address

spaces. address window A portion of address space that can be accessed from the application

program

National Instruments Corporation G-1 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Glossary

ANSI American Nationa l Standards Institute API Application Programming Interface; the direct interface that an end user

sees when creating an application

ASIC application-specific integrated circuit

Bbytes backplane An assembly, typ ically a printed circuit board, with 96 -pin con nector s and

signal paths that bus the connector pins. A C-size VXIbus system will ha ve two sets of bused connectors called J1 and J2. A D-size VXIbus system will

have three sets of bused connectors called J1, J2, and J3. BERR* Bus error signal BIOS Basic Input/Output System. BIOS functions are the fundamental level of

any PC or compatible computer. BIOS functions embody the basic

operations needed for successful use of the computer’ s hardware resources. BTO See Bus Timeout Unit. bus error An error that signals failed access to an address. Bus errors occur with

low-level accesses to memory and usually involve hardware with bus

mapping capabilities. For example, nonexistent memory, a nonexistent

register, or an incorrect device access can cause a bus error. Bus Timeout Unit A functional module that times the duration of each data transfer

and terminates the cycle if the duration is excessive. Without the

termination capability of this module, a bus master attempt to access a

nonexistent slave could result in an indefinitely long wait for a slave

response. byte order How bytes are arranged within a word or how words are arranged within a

longword. Motorola ordering stores the mo st significant (MSB) byte or

word first, followed by the least significant byte (LSB) or word. Intel

ordering stores the LSB or word first, followed by the MSB or word.

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT G-2

National Instruments Corporation

Glossary

CLK10 A 10 MHz, ±100 ppm, individually buffered (to each module slot),

differential ECL system clock that is sourced from Slot 0 of a VXIbus mainframe and distributed to Slots 1 through 12 on P2. It is distributed to each slot as a single-source, single-destination signal with a matched delay of under 8 ns.

CMOS Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor; a process used in making

chips

Commander A message-based device that is also a bus master and can control one or

more Servants

configuration registers A set of registers through which the system can identify a module device

type, model, manufacturer, address space, and memory requirements. In order to support au to mat i c s ys tem an d memory configu rat i on, t he VXIbus specification requires that all VXIbus devices have a set of such registers.

Data Transfer Bus DTB; one of four buses on the VMEbus backplane. The DTB is used by a

bus master to transfer binary data between itself and a slave device.

DMA Direct Memory Access; a method by which data is transferred between

devices and internal memory without intervention of the central processing unit

DRAM Dynamic RAM (Random Access Memory); storage that the computer must

refresh at frequent intervals

driver window A region of address space that is decoded by the VXI/VMEpc for use by the

NI-VXI software

DTB See Data Transfer Bus.

ECL Emitter-Coupled Logic EEPROM Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory

National Instruments Corporation G-3 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Glossary

embedded controller An intelligent CPU (controller) interface plugged directly into the VXI

backplane, giving it direct access to the VXIbus. It must have all of its

required VXI interface capabilities built in.

fair requester A VXIbus device that will not arbitrate for the VXIbus after releasing it

until it detects the bus request signal inactive. This ensures that all

requesting devices will be granted use of the bus.

GPIB General Purpose Interface Bus (IEEE 488)

hex hexadecimal; the numbering system with base 16, using the digits 0 to 9

and letters A to F Hz hertz; cycles per second

IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers I/O input/output; the techniques, media, and devices used to achieve

communication between machines and users instrument driver A set of routines designed to control a specific instrument or family of

instruments , a nd any necessary related files for LabWindows/CVI or

LabVIEW interrupt A means for a device to request service from another device interrupt handler A VMEbus functional module that detects interrupt requests generated by

interrupters and r esponds to those req uests by request ing status and identi fy

information interrupt level The relative priority at which a device can interrupt IRQ* Interrupt signal

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT G-4

National Instruments Corporation

Glossary

KB kilobytes of memory

LED light-emitt ing diode logical address An 8-bit number that uniquely identifies each VXIbus device in a system.

It defines the A16 register address of a device, and indicates Commander and Servant relationships.

master A functional part of a VME/VXIbus device that initiates data transfers on

the backplane. A transfer can be either a read or a write. MB megabytes of memory MBD Message-Based Device message-based device An intelligent device that implements the defined VXIbus registers and

communication protocols. These devices are able to use Word Serial

Protocol to communicate with one another through communication

registers. MITE A National Instruments custom ASIC, a sophisticated dual-channel DMA

controller that incorpor ates the Synchronous MXI and VME64 prot ocols to

achieve high-performance block transfer rates

NI-488 or NI-488.2 The National Instruments software for GPIB systems NI-DAQ The National Instruments software for data acquisition instruments NI-VISA The National Instruments implementation of the VISA standard; an

interface-independent software that provides a unified programming

interface for VXI, GPIB, and serial instruments NI-VXI The National Instruments bus interface software for VME/VXIbus systems

National Instruments Corporation G-5 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Glossary

Non-Slot 0 device A device configured for installation in any slot in a VXIbus mainframe

other than Slot 0. Installing such a device into Slot 0 can d amage the device, the VXIbus backplane, or both.

PCI Peripheral Component Interconnect. The PCI bus is a high-performance

32-bit or 64-bit bus with multiplexed address and data lines. PCMCIA Personal Computer Memory Card International Association POSC Power On Self Configuration

RBD Register-Based Device register-based device A Servant-only device that supports VXIbus configuration registers.

via device-dependent register reads and writes. Resman The name of the National Instruments Resource Manager in NI-VXI bus

interface software. See Resource Manager A message-based Commander located at Logical Address 0, which

provides configuration management services such as address map

configuration, Commander and Servant mappings, and self-test and

diagnostic mana gement retry An acknowledge by a destination that signifies that the cycle did not

complete and should be repeated

Resource Manager

s seconds Servant A device controlled by a Commander; there are message-based and

register-based Servants Shared Memory Protocol A comm unication p rotoco l th at u ses a b lock of m emory acce ssible to both

a client and a server. The memory block operates as a message buffer for

communications. This is unique to register-based interfaces such as VXI.

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT G-6

National Instruments Corporation

Glossary

SIMM Single In-line Memory Module slave A functional part of a VME/VXIbus de vice that detects data transfer cycles

initiated by a VMEbus master and responds to the transfers when the address specifies one of the device’s registers

SMB Sub Miniature Type B connector that features a snap coupling for fast

connection

System Controller a device configured for installation in Slot 0 of a VXIbus mainframe or

Slot 1 of a VMEbus chassis. This device is unique in the VXI/VMEbus system in that it performs the VXI/VMEbus System Controller functions, including clock sourcing and arbitration for data transfers across the backplane. Installing such a device into any other slot can damage the device, the VXI/VMEbus backplane, or both.

trigger Either TTL or ECL lines used for intermodule communication TTL Transistor -Transis tor Logi c

user window A region of address space reserved by the VXI/VMEpc for use via the

NI-VXI low-level function calls. space to allocate regions for use by the macros.

MapVXIAddress() uses this address

VXIpeek() and VXIpoke()

VIC VXI Interactive Control Program, a part of the NI-VXI bus interface

software. Used to program VXI devices, and develop and debug VXI application programs.

VISA Virtual Inst rument Software Architect ure. This is the general name gi ven to

VISA and its associated architecture. The architecture consists of two main VISA components: the VISA Resource Manager and the VISA Instrument Control Resources.

National Instruments Corporation G-7 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Glossary

VISAIC VISA Interactive Control Program, a part of the NI-VISA software. Used

to program devices, and develop and debug application programs VME Versa Module Eurocard or IEEE 1014 VMEbus System

Controller

a device configured for installation in Slot 1 of a VMEbus chassis. This

device is unique in the VMEbus system in that it performs the VMEbus

System Controller functions, including clock sourcing and arbitration for

data transfers across the backplane. Installing such a device into any other

slot can damage the device, the VMEbus backplane, or both. VXIbus VMEbus Extensions for Instrumentation

Word Serial Protocol The simplest required communication protocol supported by

message-based devices in a VXIbus system. It utilizes the A16

communication registers to transfer data using a simple polling handshake

method. write posting A mechanism that signifies that a device will immediately give a successful

acknowledge to a write transfer and place the transfer in a local buff er . The

device can then independently complete the write cycle to the destination.

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT G-8

National Instruments Corporation

Index

Numbers

32-bit registers, accessing, B-5

Add Device Wizard, 3-2 Add VME Device Wizard, 3-2 application development. See developing

applications.

BINARY_COMPATIBLE compiler symbol,

3-6 to 3-7 BIOS setup, B-7 booting system for first time, 2-3 bulletin boar d supp ort , D- 1

CLK 10 signal, B-6 CMOS corruption, B-7 common questions. See questions about

NI-VXI/VISA software. compiler symbols for NI-VXI, 3-6 to 3-7 configuration

booting system for first time, 2-3 configuration utilities, 3-1 to 3-2,

B-1 to B-2

configuring system for LabVIEW or

LabWindows/CVI, 2-3 device interaction, 3-3 to 3-4 hardware configuration, 2-1 more than one device configured as system

controller (caution), 2-2 verifying system configuration, 2-4

customer communication, xi, D-1toD-2

debugging applic ations, 3-7 default settings

VXI/VME-MXI-2

T&M Explorer Device Tab default

settings (table), A-3

T&M Explorer MXI-2 Bus Tab default

settings (table), A-4

T&M Explorer VXI/VME Bus Tab

default settings (table), A-4

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series

hardware default settings (table),

A-1 to A-2

VXIpc T&M Explorer Device Tab

default settings (table), A-2

VXIpc T&M Explorer PCI Tab default

settings (table), A-2

VXIpc T&M Explorer Shared Memory

Tab default settings (table), A-2

developing applications, 3-1to 3-7

configuration, 3-1 to 3-2 debugging, 3-7 device interaction, 3-3to 3-4 programming with VXI, 3-4 to 3-7

compiler symbols for NI-VXI,

3-6 to 3-7 example programs, 3-4 to 3-5 VME support, 3-5

device interaction, 3-3to 3-4 directories and files installed on hard drive, 1-5 documentation

conventions used in manual, viii flow chart for using manual, 1-1 how to use documentation set, ix-x organization of manual, vii-viii related documentation, x

drivers.txt file, 1-5

National Instruments Corporation I-1 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

Index

electronic support services, D-1 to D-2 e-mail support, D-2 example programs for NI-VXI/VISA

software, 3-4 to 3-5

Examples directory, 3-4 topics addressed (table), 3-5

fax and telephone support numbers, D-2 Fax-on-Demand support, D-2 files and di rectories install ed on hard dri ve, 1-5 FTP support, D-1

hard drives, B-7 hardware

configuration, 2-1 description , 1-2 installation, 2-2 more than one device configured as

system controller (caution), 2-2

questions about, B-4 to B-7

hardware default settings

VXI/VME-MXI-2

T&M Explorer Device Tab default

settings (table), A-3

T&M Explorer MXI-2 Bus Tab

default settings (table), A-4

T&M Explorer VXI/VME Bus Tab

default settings (table), A-4

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series

hardware default settings (table),

A-1 to A-2

VXIpc T&M Explorer Device Tab

default settings (table), A-2

VXIpc T&M Explorer PCI Tab

default settings (table), A-2

VXIpc T&M Explorer Shared

Memory Tab default settings

(table), A-2

IDE drives, B-7 images directory, 1-5 installation

booting system for first time, 2-3 hardware, 2-2 installed software, 2-3 reinstalling NI-VXI/VISA software,

C-1 to C-3

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series in slot oth er than

system controller slot, B-6 to B-7

instrument drivers available with LabVIEW

and LabWindows/CVI software, 1-4

interacting with devices, 3-3 to 3-4

keyboard connectors, B-6

LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI software,

1-4

configuring system for, 2-3

LEDs on front of VXI/VMEpc 600 Series, B- 5

manual. See documentation. manuals directory, 1-5 monitor for VXI/VMEpc 600 Series, B-6

National Instruments application software, 1-4 NI Spy utility, 1-3, 3-7

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT I-2

National Instruments Corporation

Index

NI-488.2 software kit, 1-3 NI-VXI/VISA software

common questions, B-1 to B-7

determining ve rsion of

NI-VXI/VISA software, B-4

differences between old and new

utilities, B-1 to B-2 handling VME devices, B-3 hardware que s tions, B-5 to B-7 Resman, B-3 startup Resman operation, B-4 VISAconf, B-2 to B-3 VXIedit, B-2 to B-3 VXIinit, B-2

library of NI-VISA routines, 1-3 pre-installed on VXI/VMEpc 600 Series,

1-4, 2-3

programming considerations, 3-4 to 3-7

compiler symbols for NI-VXI,

3-6 to 3-7 example programs, 3-4 to 3-5 overvie w, 3-4 user manuals (note), 3-4 VME support, 3-5

reinstalling, C-1 to C-3

completing, C-3 installation procedure, C-2 to C-3 preparing for, C-1

os directory, 1-5

questions about NI-VXI/VISA software,

B-1 to B-7

determining version of NI-VXI/VISA

software, B-4

differences between old and new utilities,

B-1 to B-2 handling VME devices, B-3 hardware questions, B-4 to B-7 Resman, B-3 startup Resman operation, B-4 VISAconf, B-2 to B-3 VXIedit, B-2 to B-3 VXIinit, B-2

reinstalling NI-VXI/VISA software,

C-1 to C-3

completing, C-3 installation procedure, C-2 to C-3 preparing for, C-1

requirements for getting started, 1-1 to 1-2 Resman utility

purpose and use, 3-1 to 3-2, B-3 reconfiguration after power cycling

(note), 3-1 startup Resource Manager operations,

B-4 testing the system, B-5 using with T&M Explorer, 3-2 when to run, 3-1, B-3

power cycling, running R esman after

(note), 3-1

programming. See developing applications.

National Instruments Corporation I-3 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

SCSI drives, B-7 setting up VXI/VME system. See

configuration; installation.

System Controller, installing VXI/VMEpc 600

Series in alternative slot, B-6 to B-7

Index

software, 1-2 to 1-4. See also specific utilities,

e.g., Resman utility.

configurations, 1-3 to 1-4 installed software, 2-3 National Instruments application

software, 1-4 overvie w, 1-2 to 1-3 reinstalling NI-VXI/VISA software,

C-1 to C-3

system controller, more than one device

configured as (caution), 2-2

technical support, D-1 to D-2 telephone and fax support numbers, D-2 T&M Explorer software

adding VME devices manuall y, 3-1 to 3-2 application development, 3-2 hardware configuration, 2-1 overvie w, 1-3 using with Resman, 3-2 viewing device information, 3-3 VXI/VME-MXI-2

Device Tab default settings

(table), A-3

MXI-2 Bus Tab default settings

(table), A-4

VXI/VME Bus Tab default settings

(table), A-4

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series

VXIpc Device Tab default settings

(table), A-2

VXIpc PCI Tab default settings

(table), A-2

VXIpc Shared Memory Tab default

settings (table), A-2

verifying system configuration, 2-4 VIC utility

debugging applic ations, 3-7

interacting with devices, 3-3 VISA API, 3-4 VISAconf utility, B-2 to B-3 VISAIC utility

debugging applic ations, 3-7

interacting with devices, 3-3, 3-4 VME devices

adding manually with T&M Explorer,

3-1 to 3-2 programming considerations, 3-5 questions about, B-3

VXIedit utility, B-2 to B-3 VXIinit utility, B-2 vxiinreg command, 3-3 VXINT compiler symbol, 3-6 VXIplug&play compliance, 1-2, C-1 VXI/VME-MXI-2 default settings

T&M Explorer Device Tab default

settings (table), A-3 T&M Explorer MXI-2 Bus Tab default

settings (table), A-4 T&M Explorer VXI/VME Bus Tab

default settings (table), A-4

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series

accessing 32-bit registers, B-5 default settings

hardware default settings (table),

A-1 to A-2

VXIpc T&M Explorer Device Tab

default settings (table), A-2

VXIpc T&M Explorer PCI Tab

default settings (table), A-2

VXIpc T&M Explorer Shared

Memory Tab default settings (table), A-2

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT I-4

National Instruments Corporation

Index

files and directories installed on hard

drive, 1-5 hardware description , 1-2 installing in slot other than system

controller slot, B-7 LEDs on front, B-5 requirements for getting start ed,

1-1 to 1-2 software description. See software. upgrading, B-7

VXI/VMEpc embedded computers,

determining serial number and hardware revision, B-4

writing applications. See developing

applications.

National Instruments Corporation I-5 VXI/VMEpc 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

National Instruments VXI-VME 600 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Getting Started with Your VXI/VMEpc™ 600 Series for Windows 95/NT

International Offices

National Instruments Corporate Headquarters

Important Information

Warranty

Copyright

Trademarks

Compliance

Federal Communications Commission

Canadian Department of Communications

Contents

Tables

About This Manual

Organization of This Manual

Conventions Used in This Manual

How to Use This Documentation Set

Related Documentation

Customer Communication

How to Use This Manual

What You Need to Get Started

Hardware Description

Software Description

Software Configurations

National Instruments Application Software

Files and Directories Installed on Your Hard Drive

Configuring the Hardware

Installing the Hardware

Installed Software

Booting Your System for the First Time

Verifying Your System Configuration

Configuration

Device Interaction

Programming with VXI

Notes about VME Support

Compiler Symbols for NI-VXI

Debugging

VXI/VMEpc 600 Series

VXI/VME-MXI-2

Preparing for Installation

Installing the Software

Completing the Software Installation

Electronic Services

Telephone and Fax Support

Technical Support Form

National Instruments Products

Other Products

Documentation Comment Form

Glossary

Index