VXI VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Getting Started

Download

VXIpc

NI-VXI

Getting Started with Your

™

-486 Model 200 Series and the

™

Software for Microsoft Windows

bus

July 1994 Edition

Part Number 320481-01

National Instruments Corporate Headquarters

6504 Bridge Point Parkway Austin, TX 78730-5039 (512) 794-0100 Technical support fax: (800) 328-2203

(512) 794-5678

Branch Offices:

Australia (03) 879 9422, Austria (0662) 435986, Belgium 02/757.00.20, Canada (Ontario) (519) 622-9310, Canada (Québec) (514) 694-8521, Denmark 45 76 26 00, Finland (90) 527 2321, France (1) 48 14 24 24, Germany 089/741 31 30, Italy 02/48301892, Japan (03) 3788-1921, Netherlands 03480-33466, Norway 32-848400, Spain (91) 640 0085, Sweden 08-730 49 70, Switzerland 056/20 51 51, U.K. 0635 523545

Limited Warranty

The VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series embedded computers and accessories are warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of shipment, as evidenced by receipts or other documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace equipment that proves to be defective during the warranty period. This warranty includes parts and labor.

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

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

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

EXCEPT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN, NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,

AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OF

NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS,

USE OF PRODUCTS, OR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF

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.

. CUSTOMER'S RIGHT TO RECOVER DAMAGES CAUSED BY FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART

NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT THERETOFORE PAID BY THE CUSTOMER.

. This limitation of the liability of National Instruments will apply regardless of the form of action,

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

LabVIEW®, NAT4882®, Turbo488®, NI-488.2 Instruments Corporation.

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

Trademarks

™

NI-VXI™, TIC™, and VXIpc™-486 are trademarks of National

Warning Regarding Medical and Clinical Use

of National Instruments Products

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

FCC/DOC Radio Frequency Interference 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. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the following two regulatory agencies:

Federal Communications Commission

This device complies with Part 15 of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rules for a Class A digital device. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

1. This device may not cause harmful interference in commercial environments.

2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Canadian Department of Communications

This device complies with the limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications (DOC).

Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils numériques de classe A prescrites dans le règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par le ministère des communications du Canada.

Instructions to Users

These regulations are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference from the equipment to radio reception in commercial areas. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

There is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. However, the chances of interference are much less if the equipment is installed and used according to this instruction manual.

If the equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment on and off, one or more of the following suggestions may reduce or eliminate the problem.

• Operate the equipment and the receiver on different branches of your AC electrical system.

• Move the equipment away from the receiver with which it is interfering.

• Reorient or relocate the receiver’s antenna.

• Be sure that the equipment is plugged into a grounded outlet and that the grounding has not been defeated with a cheater plug.

Notice to user: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by National Instruments could void the user’s

authority to operate the equipment under the FCC Rules.

If necessary, consult National Instruments or an experienced radio/television technician for additional suggestions. The following booklet prepared by the FCC may also be helpful: How to Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems. This booklet is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, Stock Number 004-000-00345-4.

Contents

About This Manual............................................................................................................xiii

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

Organization of This Manual.........................................................................................xiii

Conventions Used in This Manual.................................................................................xv

Related Documentation..................................................................................................xv

Customer Communication.............................................................................................xv

Chapter 1 Introduction

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

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

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

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

Software Description......................................................................................................1-3

Chapter 2 VXIpc-486 Configuration and Installation

Factory Configuration....................................................................................................2-1

Configuring the VXIpc-486...........................................................................................2-2

Configuration Options....................................................................................................2-4

Installing and Starting Up the VXIpc-486.....................................................................2-11

..........................................................................................................................1-1

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

Configuration Procedure....................................................................................2-3

VXIbus Slot and External CLK10 Configuration Options................................2-4

Slot 0 Configurations.............................................................................2-5

Non-Slot 0 Configurations.....................................................................2-5

MODID Signal Termination..................................................................2-6

System Controller ..................................................................................2-6

CLK10 Generation.................................................................................2-7

VXIbus CLK10......................................................................................2-7

External CLK10.....................................................................................2-8

External CLK10 Termination................................................................2-8

External Trigger Input Configuration................................................................2-9

External Audio/Trigger Output Configuration ..................................................2-10

Installed System RAM Configuration................................................................2-10

80387SX Math Coprocessor Configuration.......................................................2-11

Chapter 3 BIOS Setup

Running Setup................................................................................................................3-1

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

Chapter 4 NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration

Installing the Software...................................................................................................4-1

...................................................4-1

Contents

Modifying the AUTOEXEC.BAT File..............................................................4-2

Modifying the PROGMAN.INI File..................................................................4-3

Modifying the SYSTEM.INI File......................................................................4-3

Modifying the WIN.INI File..............................................................................4-4

Configuring the NI-VXI Software.................................................................................4-4

Running VXIEDIT from DOS or the Windows DOS Shell..............................4-5

Logical Address Configuration..........................................................................4-6

Logical Address.....................................................................................4-6

Device Type...........................................................................................4-6

Address Space........................................................................................4-7

VXI Shared RAM (Byte Order).............................................................4-7

VXI Shared RAM (MBytes)..................................................................4-7

Shared Memory Pool (Windows) ..........................................................4-8

Slave Block Transfer Mode...................................................................4-8

Slave Supervisory Access Only.............................................................4-8

Resource Manager Delay.......................................................................4-9

Bus Configuration..............................................................................................4-9

Bus Request Level .................................................................................4-9

Fair Requester Timeout..........................................................................4-9

Bus Release Mechanism........................................................................4-9

Bus Arbitration.......................................................................................4-10

Local Bus Timeout.................................................................................4-10

VXIbus Timeout ....................................................................................4-10

Bus Acquisition Time in Timeout..........................................................4-10

Device Configuration.........................................................................................4-11

SYSRESET Resets PC...........................................................................4-11

Use System Sanity Timer.......................................................................4-11

Servant Area Size...................................................................................4-11

Protocol Register....................................................................................4-12

Read Protocol Response.........................................................................4-12

Number of Handlers...............................................................................4-12

Number of Interrupters...........................................................................4-12

Running VXITEDIT from Windows.................................................................4-13

Exiting VXITEDIT from Windows and Reinitializing the Hardware...............4-13

Chapter 5 Using NI-VXI with Microsoft Windows

Interactive Control of NI-VXI.......................................................................................5-1

Example Programs.........................................................................................................5-2

Memory Model ..............................................................................................................5-2

Multiple Applications Using the NI-VXI Library.........................................................5-2

Low-Level Access Functions.........................................................................................5-3

Local Resource Access Functions..................................................................................5-3

Appendix A Specifications

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

Appendix B

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows viii © National Instruments Corporation

.....................................................................5-1

Contents

NI-VXI Software Overview.............................................................................................B-1

Main Programs and Files...............................................................................................B-1

Additional Programs and Files.......................................................................................B-2

Appendix C Front Panel Indicators

......................................................................................................C-1

Appendix D Connectors

Keyboard........................................................................................................................D-1

VGA...............................................................................................................................D-2

COM1.............................................................................................................................D-3

COM2/GPIO..................................................................................................................D-4

LPT.................................................................................................................................D-5

Floppy Disk Drive..........................................................................................................D-6

GPIB...............................................................................................................................D-7

External CLK10.............................................................................................................D-8

External Trigger Input....................................................................................................D-9

External Audio/Trigger Output......................................................................................D-10

VXIbus P1 and P2..........................................................................................................D-11

.............................................................................................................................D-1

Appendix E Modifying and Installing I/O Expansion Boards

Appendix F VXIpc-486 Plug-in Boards

Height of VXIpc-486 Plug-in Boards ...........................................................................F-1

Length of VXIpc-486 Plug-in Boards............................................................................F-3

...............................................................................................F-1

Appendix G VXIpc-486 Hardware Configuration

...........................................................................G-1

Appendix H Common Questions

............................................................................................................H-1

Appendix I Troubleshooting

...................................................................................................................I-1

Appendix J Customer Communication

...............................................................................................J-1

.....................................................E-1

Glossary......................................................................................................................Glossary-1

Index.................................................................................................................................Index-1

Contents

Figures

Figure 2-1. VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Parts Locator Diagram .....................................2-2

Figure 2-2. MODID Signal Termination Settings...............................................................2-6

Figure 2-3. System Controller Settings...............................................................................2-6

Figure 2-4. CLK10 Generation Settings..............................................................................2-7

Figure 2-5. VXIbus CLK10 Settings...................................................................................2-7

Figure 2-6. External CLK10 Settings..................................................................................2-8

Figure 2-7. External CLK10 Termination Settings.............................................................2-8

Figure 2-8. External Trigger Input Circuit..........................................................................2-9

Figure 2-9. External Trigger Input Termination Settings....................................................2-9

Figure 2-10. VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Front Panel .......................................................2-13

Figure 4-1. VXIEDIT Main Menu (from DOS)..................................................................4-5

Figure 4-2. VXIpc-486 Logical Address Configuration Editor (from DOS)......................4-6

Figure 4-3. VXIpc-486 Bus Configuration Editor (from DOS)..........................................4-9

Figure 4-4. VXIpc-486 Device Configuration Editor (from DOS).....................................4-11

Figure D-1. KEYBOARD Connector ..................................................................................D-1

Figure D-2. VGA Connector................................................................................................D-2

Figure D-3. COM1 Connector..............................................................................................D-3

Figure D-4. COM2/GPIO Connector...................................................................................D-4

Figure D-5. LPT Connector..................................................................................................D-5

Figure D-6. DISK DRIVE Connector..................................................................................D-6

Figure D-7. GPIB Connector................................................................................................D-7

Figure D-8. EXT CLK Connector........................................................................................D-8

Figure D-9. TRG IN Connector ...........................................................................................D-9

Figure D-10. AUDIO/TRG OUT Connector .........................................................................D-10

Figure D-11. VXIbus Connector............................................................................................D-11

Figure F-1. Height Comparison of PC Boards Versus PC AT Boards................................F-1

Figure F-2. Installing PC-Height Boards in a VXIpc-486 System......................................F-2

Figure F-3. Installing PC AT-Height Boards in a VXIpc-486 System................................F-3

Figure F-4. VXIpc-486 Expansion Kit with No Boards Installed.......................................F-4

Figure F-5. Kit for Two-Board Expansion (Model 200 Series)..........................................F-4

Figure F-6. First Board 8.2 in. Long or Less.......................................................................F-5

Figure F-7. First Board between 8.2 in. and 13.4 in. Long .................................................F-5

Figure F-8. Both Boards 8.2 in. Long or Less.....................................................................F-5

Figure F-9. First Board Less than 8.2 in. Long, Second Board 8.2 in. Long or Less,

but Longer than the First Board........................................................................F-5

Figure F-10. First Board 8.2 in. Long or Less, Second Board over One Inch Shorter

than First Board................................................................................................F-6

Figure F-11. First Board 8.2 in. Long or Less, Second Board between 8.2 in. and

13.4 in. Long.....................................................................................................F-6

Figure F-12. Both Boards Between 8.2 in. and 13.4 in. Long...............................................F-6

Figure F-13. Second Board Full 13.4 in. Long......................................................................F-7

Figure F-14. First Board 8.2 in. Long or Less, Second Board Full 13.4 in. Long................F-7

Figure F-15. First Board between 8.2 in. and 13.4 in. Long, Second Board Full

13.4 in. Long.....................................................................................................F-7

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows x © National Instruments Corporation

Contents

Tables

Table2-1. VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Factory Configuration......................................2-1

Table2-2. VXIbus Slot Position and External CLK10 Configuration Options.................2-4

Table2-3. External Audio/Trigger Output Configuration Options...................................2-10

Table2-4. Installed RAM Configuration Options.............................................................2-10

Table3-1. Default BIOS Configuration Options...............................................................3-2

Table4-1. VXI Shared RAM Options...............................................................................4-7

TableC-1. Front Panel LED Indications ...........................................................................C-1

TableD-1. KEYBOARD Connector Signals......................................................................D-1

TableD-2. VGA Connector Signals...................................................................................D-2

TableD-3. COM1 Connector Signals.................................................................................D-3

TableD-4a. COM2/GPIO Connector COM2 Signals..........................................................D-4

TableD-4b. COM2/GPIO Connector GPIO Signals............................................................D-4

TableD-5. LPT Connector Signals.....................................................................................D-5

TableD-6. DISK DRIVE Connector Signals.....................................................................D-6

TableD-7. GPIB Connector Signals...................................................................................D-7

TableD-8. EXT CLK Connector Signals...........................................................................D-8

TableD-9. TRG IN Connector Signals...............................................................................D-9

TableD-10. AUDIO/TRG OUT Connector Signals.............................................................D-10

TableD-11. VXIbus P1 Connector Signals..........................................................................D-11

TableD-12. VXIbus P2 Connector Signals..........................................................................D-12

TableG-1. VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Memory Map....................................................G-1

TableG-2. VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series I/O Address Map..............................................G-2

TableG-3. VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Interrupt Line Use............................................G-3

TableG-4. VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series DMA Channel Use...........................................G-4

About This Manual

This manual contains instructions for installing and configuring the National Instruments VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series embedded computer and the NI-VXI bus interface software for Microsoft Windows. The Model 200 Series consists of the VXIpc-486 Models 200 and 240 computers.

How to Use This Documentation Set

We suggest that you begin by reading this manual to guide you through the installation and configuration of the hardware and software. The software configuration requires that you first complete the installation and configuration of the hardware.

When you are familiar with the material in this manual, you can begin to use the NI-VXI

Software Reference Manual for C. Chapter 1, Introduction to VXI, and Chapter 2, Introduction to the NI-VXI Functions, present the concepts of VXI and prepare you for detailed explanations

of the NI-VXI functions. Study the descriptions of each function given in Chapters 3 through 13 to fully understand the purpose and syntax of each function. Use the interactive utilities described in the NI-VXI DOS Utilities Reference Manual and the NI-VXI Text Utilities Reference Manual to learn more about the capabilities of the NI-VXI software.

Use the and using the NI-488.2 GPIB Talker/Listener/Controller software. Because the GPIB port on the VXIpc-486 is compatible with the National Instruments AT-GPIB plug-in board for ISA computers, we have included manuals entitled Getting Started with Your AT-GPIB and the NI-488.2 Software for MS-DOS and Using Your NI-488.2 Software with Microsoft Windows with your VXIpc-486 kit. Refer to the VXIpc-486 Documentation Notice: AT-GPIB and Microsoft Windows Compatibility for more information about using this documentation.

NI-488.2 Software Reference Manual for MS-DOS as a guide for installing, configuring,

Organization of This Manual

This manual is organized as follows:

• Chapter 1, Introduction, describes the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series kit, lists what you need

to get started, and lists optional equipment and software.

• Chapter 2, VXIpc-486 Configuration and Installation, describes how to configure and install

the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series embedded computer.

• Chapter 3, BIOS Setup, describes how to set up the basic input/output system (BIOS) for the

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series computer.

About This Manual

• Chapter 4, NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration, contains instructions for

installing and configuring the NI-VXI software for the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series computer.

• Chapter 5, Using NI-VXI with Microsoft Windows, discusses programming information for

you to consider when developing applications that use the NI-VXI driver.

• Appendix A, Specifications, lists various module specifications of the VXIpc-486 Model 200

Series computer, such as physical dimensions and power requirements.

• Appendix B, NI-VXI Software Overview, lists all the programs and files located on the

NI-VXI distribution diskettes.

• Appendix C, Front Panel Indicators, describes the function of the seven front panel LED

indicators on the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series computer.

• Appendix D, Connectors, describes the front panel and VXIbus connector pinouts on the

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series computer.

• Appendix E, Modifying and Installing I/O Expansion Boards, explains how to modify

and install commercially available PC/XT and PC AT I/O boards in a VXIpc-486/2 Model 200 Series computer equipped with the I/O expansion kit.

• Appendix F, VXIpc-486 Plug-in Boards, discusses several considerations with regard to the

height and length of plug-in boards used in an expansion kit for the VXIpc-486.

• Appendix G, VXIpc-486 Hardware Configuration, contains hardware configuration

information about the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series computer regarding memory map locations, I/O address map locations, interrupt lines, and DMA channels.

• Appendix H, Common Questions, answers common questions you may have when using the

NI-VXI bus interface software on the VXIpc-486 platform.

• Appendix I, Troubleshooting, addresses system-related problems you may encounter when

using the NI-VXI bus interface software on the VXIpc-486 platform.

• Appendix J, Customer Communication, contains forms you can use to request help from

National Instruments or to comment on our products and manuals.

• The Glossary contains an alphabetical list and description of terms used in this manual,

including acronyms, abbreviations, metric prefixes, mnemonics, and symbols.

• The Index contains an alphabetical list of key terms and topics in this manual, including the

page where you can find each one.

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows xiv © National Instruments Corporation

About This Manual

Conventions Used in This Manual

The following conventions are used in this manual: bold Bold text denotes menus, menu items, dialog box buttons or options, or

the name of a light-emitting diode (LED).

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

concept.

monospace Text in monospace font is used for the proper names of programs,

subprograms, filenames, and extensions.

bold italic Bold italic text denotes a note, caution, or warning. Model 200 Series The term Model 200 Series is used in this manual to refer to both the

VXIpc-486 Models 200 and 240 embedded computers. When there are any differences between the two models, this manual describes them specifically.

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

<Esc>. <Tab> Key names are capitalized. Abbreviations, acronyms, metric prefixes, mnemonics, symbols, and terms are listed in the

Glossary.

Related Documentation

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

• IEEE Standard for a Versatile Backplane Bus: VMEbus, ANSI/IEEE Standard 1014-1987

• VXI-1, VXIbus System Specification, Rev. 1.4, VXIbus Consortium

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

Customer Communication

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

Communication, at the end of this manual.

Chapter 1 Introduction

This chapter describes the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series kit for Microsoft Windows, lists what you need to get started, and lists optional equipment and software.

The VXIpc-486, an embedded computer based on the Industry Standard Architecture (ISA), is a high-performance, easy-to-use platform for VXIbus systems, featuring complete VXI functionality through interactive utilities and C function calls. In addition, the VXIpc-486 has an IEEE 488 interface that is compatible with the NI-488.2 architecture.

This manual describes VXIpc-486 Models 200 and 240 as the Model 200 Series. The major difference in the two models is the type and speed of the microprocessor.

• The Model 200 uses the 20 MHz Cyrix 80486SLC microprocessor

• The Model 240 uses the 40 MHz Cyrix 80486SLC2 microprocessor

What You Need to Get Started

Microsoft Windows version 3.1 or higher, and MS-DOS version 5.0 or higher installed on your computer

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Module (one of the following):

Model 200 one-slot (with onboard video) Model 200 two-slot (with onboard video) Model 200 two-slot (without onboard video) Model 240 one-slot (with onboard video) Model 240 two-slot (with onboard video) Model 240 two-slot (without onboard video)

Keyboard adapter cable

NI-VXI distribution disks for the VXIpc-486 200/500 Series and Microsoft Windows

Introduction Chapter 1

Optional Equipment

Contact National Instruments for ordering information for any of the following optional equipment.

• VXIpc-EFD external 3.5 in. floppy drive (compatible with models without an internal floppy

drive)

• COM2 adapter cable

• I/O expansion slot panel bracket, blank

• Type X1 single-shielded GPIB cables (1 m, 2 m, or 4 m)

• Type X2 double-shielded GPIB cables (1 m, 2 m, or 4 m)

Optional Software

If you want to use LabVIEW with your VXIpc-486, you can order the LabVIEW for Windows VXI Development System. It contains the following components:

• LabVIEW for Windows Full Development System

• LabVIEW for Windows VXI Library

• LabVIEW for Windows/Sun VXI Instrument Library

If you want to use LabWindows with your VXIpc-486, you can order either the LabWindows for DOS, VXI Development System, or the LabWindows/CVI for Windows, VXI Development System.

The LabWindows for DOS, VXI Development System contains the following components.

• LabWindows for DOS Full Develoment System

• LabWindows for DOS VXI Libraries

• LabWindows for DOS VXI Instrument Library

The LabWindows/CVI for Windows, VXI Development System contains the following components.

• LabWindows/CVI for Windows Full Develoment System

• LabWindows/CVI for Windows VXI Libraries

• LabWindows/CVI for Windows VXI Instrument Library

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows 1-2 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 1 Introduction

Hardware Description

The VXIpc-486 Series computers are custom VXI computers that you install directly in your VXI mainframe to achieve the smallest possible physical size for a VXI system. An embedded computer can take full advantage of the VXI high-performance backplane capabilities and give you direct control of VXI registers, memory, and triggers.

The VXIpc-486 computers are available in one-slot and two-slot versions. The VXIpc-486/1 requires one VXIbus slot and contains an internal hard disk drive. An optional external floppy drive is available for transferring files between the VXIpc-486 and other PCs. The VXIpc-486/2 is available in various combinations of internal hard disk drive, internal floppy disk drive, and PC-compatible I/O expansion kits. The optional external floppy drive is compatible with VXIpc-486/1 and VXIpc-486/2 models without an internal floppy drive.

All models have connectors for an external floppy drive, a VGA or Super VGA monitor, a GPIB interface, serial and parallel ports, and VXI clock and trigger signals.

Software Description

The VXIpc-486 Series computers are compatible with numerous software packages and tools available for general-market computers. To program VXI directly, you can use the NI-VXI bus interface software included with this kit. The NI-VXI software for the VXIpc-486 and Microsoft Windows includes a Resource Manager, an interactive VXI resource editor program, a comprehensive library of software routines for VXI/VME programming, and an interactive control program for interacting with the VXIbus. You can use this software to seamlessly program multiple-mainframe configurations and have software compatibility across a variety of VXI/VME controller platforms. You can use the same software with the Model 200 Series.

The NI-488.2 software kit for the VXIpc-486 and MS-DOS/Windows gives you accessibility to the industry-standard NI-488.2 software for controlling external GPIB instruments through the GPIB port on the front panel of your VXIpc-486. The VXIpc-486 Documentation Notice: AT-GPIB and Microsoft Windows Compatibility directs you to the appropriate sections of the NI-488.2 documentation for information about using the capabilities of the AT-GPIB in your system.

Chapter 2 VXIpc-486 Configuration and Installation

This chapter describes how to configure and install the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series embedded computer. Your VXIpc-486 is shipped with software already installed on the hard disk. Refer to Chapter 4, NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration should you need to reinstall any of the software. Because the VXIpc-486 built-in GPIB port is compatible with the industrystandard AT-GPIB plug-in GPIB interface board for PC AT computers, please refer to Getting Started with Your AT-GPIB and the NI-488.2 Software for MS-DOS for information about using the capabilities of the AT-GPIB in your system.

Note: This chapter discusses the VXIpc-486 Models 200 and 240 together as the Model 200

Series. The illustrations in this chapter apply to all models in the series.

Factory Configuration

The VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series is factory-configured to function as a VXIbus Slot 0 System Controller. This is the most commonly used configuration. Table 2-1 shows the details of the factory configuration.

Table 2-1. VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Factory Configuration

Item Factory Configuration

Slot 0:

System Controller CLK10

MODID Terminator

External CLK10

I/O

Termination External Trigger Input Not terminated External Audio/Trigger Out Trigger Out System RAM Per customer order Math Coprocessor Per customer order

The System Controller functions include the System Clock (SYSCLK) driver, System Reset (SYSRESET) driver, Bus Arbiter, and Bus Timer. The Bus Arbiter and Bus Timer are softconfigured, but are enabled or disabled by the Slot 0 System Controller configuration.

Enabled (Bus Arbiter and Bus Timer

Soft-Configured)

Onboard source drives backplane

16.9 kΩ pull-up

Disabled Not terminated

VXIpc-486 Configuration and Installation Chapter 2

You can alter the VXIpc-486 factory configuration, if necessary, to match your system requirements by changing the jumper settings as described in this chapter, and by running the VXIEDIT application as described in Chapter 4. The configurable features not listed in Table 2-1 are soft-configured by VXIEDIT.

Configuring the VXIpc-486

This section describes how to modify the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series factory configuration. Unless you have special system configuration requirements, you can install and use the

VXIpc-486 without altering the factory configuration. Unless you need to alter the configuration shown in Table 2-1, skip the following sections and continue with Installing and Starting Up the VXIpc-486, later in this chapter.

Figure 2-1. VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Parts Locator Diagram (Continues)

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows 2-2 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 2 VXIpc-486 Configuration and Installation

Configuration Procedure

Follow these steps to modify the factory configuration:

1. Ground yourself and the VXIpc-486. The VXIpc-486 can be damaged by static discharge. You are less likely to damage the VXIpc-486 if you place it on a properly grounded antistatic mat and use a wriststrap.

2. Remove the screws that secure the right side cover. Remove the cover to expose the circuit board.

3. Alter the configuration as required, as described in the following section.

4. Replace the cover and the screws.

Figure 2-1. VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Parts Locator Diagram (Continued)

VXIpc-486 Configuration and Installation Chapter 2

Configuration Options

Figure 2-1 shows the location of the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series configurable components and their physical location relative to some of the major circuit components. The factory jumper settings are indicated in Figure 2-1 by the black rectangles. The jumper headers not shown in Figure 2-1 are not user configurable and should not be populated with shunt jumpers.

Shunt jumpers should always be installed on W7 and W10. You may change the position of these jumpers as required, but do not remove them completely.

Depending on the hardware changes you make to your VXIpc-486, you may need to make some corresponding changes to the software by running one of the VXI resource editor configuration programs. Refer to Chapter 4, NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration, for instructions on using either the VXIEDIT or VXITEDIT program. These programs are described in greater detail in the NI-VXI DOS Utilities Reference Manual and the NI-VXI Text Utilities Reference Manual, respectively.

VXIbus Slot and External CLK10 Configuration Options

Because the VXIbus slot and external CLK10 configuration options are interdependent, they are discussed together in this section.

The external CLK10 interface is the SMB connector labeled CLK on the VXIpc-486 front panel. The external CLK10 signal is a TTL-level signal.

Table 2-2 presents six different configuration options of the slot position and external CLK10, including the factory default settings. Refer to the applicable configuration figures (Figures 2-2 through 2-7) that illustrate how to set up these options.

Table 2-2. VXIbus Slot Position and External CLK10 Configuration Options

Configuration

A* Slot 0 Disabled 2-2a 2-3a 2-4a 2-5a 2-6a 2-7a B Slot 0 Output 2-2a 2-3a 2-4a 2-5a 2-6b 2-7a C Slot 0 Input,

D Slot 0 Input, 50 Ω

VXIbus

Slot

External

CLK10

Unterminated

Terminated

Applicable Configuration Figures

W3 W7 W6 W1, W2, W11 J16

W4, W5

2-2a 2-3a 2-4b 2-5a 2-6c 2-7a

2-2a 2-3a 2-4b 2-5a 2-6c 2-7b

E Non-Slot 0 Disabled 2-2b 2-3b 2-4a 2-5b 2-6a 2-7a F Non-Slot 0 Output 2-2b 2-3b 2-4a 2-5b 2-6b 2-7a

* Factory Configuration

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows 2-4 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 2 VXIpc-486 Configuration and Installation

Slot 0 Configurations

Configurations A through D are Slot 0 settings. Do not install the VXIpc-486 in any other slot if you are using any of these four configuration options.

Warning: Installing a VXIpc-486 configured for Slot 0 operation into any slot other than

Slot 0 can damage the VXIpc-486, the backplane, and the Slot 0 device.

• Configuration A is the factory default mode of the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series. Use this mode when the VXIpc-486 is the Slot 0 device and does not need to use the external CLK10 SMB connector on the front panel to receive or send the CLK10 signal. In this configuration, the onboard CLK10 reference (derived from an oscillator) source drives the differential ECL CLK10 backplane signals, and the CLK10 is disabled. Use configurations B, C, or D if the VXIpc-486 is the Slot 0 device and does need to use the external CLK10 connector.

• Configuration B is similar to A, except that the CLK10 SMB is driven with a TTL level CLK10 derived from the ECL CLK10 driven on the backplane.

• In configuration C, the CLK10 SMB can be connected to a TTL CLK10 source to generate the ECL CLK10 on the backplane.

• Configuration D is similar to C, except that the external CLK10 reference is terminated with a 50 Ω resistor to ground.

The four Slot 0 settings are useful in multiple-mainframe configurations. For example, to synchronize multiple mainframes together, you can use a VXIpc-486 as the clock source and configure it to configuration B. Configure other Slot 0 controllers in other mainframes to configuration C and connect the CLK10 SMBs together. The frames now have synchronized CLK10 signals, which can be used in conjunction with the external trigger lines to synchronize devices in multiple mainframes.

Non-Slot 0 Configurations

If you will be installing the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series in any slot other than Slot 0, use either configuration E or F. As a Non-Slot 0 device, the VXIpc-486 accepts the CLK10 signal from the backplane.

• In configuration E, the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series accepts the CLK10 signal from the backplane, and terminates the differential ECL CLK10 signals with 50 Ω resistors to -2V.

• Configuration F is similar to E, except that the VXIpc-486 also drives the external CLK10 connector with a TTL CLK10 reference signal.

As mentioned earlier, some hardware configurations require that you make a corresponding change in the software. For example, when you configure the VXIpc-486 as a Non-Slot 0 device, you need to use the Bus Configuration Editor in the VXIEDIT or VXITEDIT program to change both the Local Bus Timeout and VXI Bus Timeout values to DISABLED. (The default values are 32 µs for the Local Bus Timeout and 128 µs for the VXI Bus Timeout because the VXIpc-486 is factory configured to be a Slot 0 device.)

VXIpc-486 Configuration and Installation Chapter 2

Additionally, if you do not want the VXIpc-486 to be the system Resource Manager, use the Logical Address Configuration Editor to change the Logical Address field to a non-zero, unused logical address. (The default logical address of the VXIpc-486 is 0.)

MODID Signal Termination

W3 configures the MODID signal termination for Slot 0/Non-Slot 0 operation. When configured for Slot 0 operation (Figure 2-2a), W3 causes the MODID signal to be terminated with a 16.9 kΩ pull-up resistor. When configured for Non-Slot 0 operation (Figure 2-2b), W3 causes the MODID signal to be terminated with a 825 Ω pull-down resistor.

J14J13

J15

W11

J16

W1 W4 W5

P2P1

J12

J17

W3 W3 a. Slot 0*

b. Non-Slot 0

* Factory Configuration

Figure 2-2. MODID Signal Termination Settings

System Controller

W7 configures the System Controller for Slot 0/Non-Slot 0 operation. When configured for Slot 0 operation (Figure 2-3a), W7 enables the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series System Controller functions (SYSCLK and SYSRESET drivers, the Bus Arbiter and Bus Timer). When configured for Non-Slot 0 operation (Figure 2-3b), W7 disables the System Controller functions.

J14J13

J15

W11

J16

W1 W4 W5

P2P1

J12

J17

W7 W7 a. Slot 0*

b. Non-Slot 0

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows 2-6 © National Instruments Corporation

* Factory Configuration

Figure 2-3. System Controller Settings

Chapter 2 VXIpc-486 Configuration and Installation

CLK10 Generation

W6 configures the receiving source for the CLK10 reference. For internal clock generation, set the jumper as shown in Figure 2-4a. When the source is from the CLK10 input on the front panel of the VXIpc-486, set the jumper as shown in Figure 2-4b. Notice that when configured for Non-Slot 0, CLK10 will always be received from the backplane.

J14J13

J15

W11

J16

W1 W4 W5

P2P1

J12

J17

W6 W6 a. Slot 0*

b. Non-Slot 0

* Factory Configuration

Figure 2-4. CLK10 Generation Settings

VXIbus CLK10

This jumper block configures the CLK10 transceivers. Figure 2-5(a) shows the default Slot 0 configuration in which the VXIpc-486 sources the CLK10 signal. If you want to configure the VXIpc-486 as a Non-Slot 0 device, you should choose the setting in Figure 2-5(b). In this configuration, the VXIpc-486 does not drive the CLK10 signal onto the bus.

Warning: Do not set the W1, W2, W4, W5 jumper block to any setting other than those

shown in Figure 2-5. Any other settings could result in damage to the VXIpc-486 and any other devices installed on the backplane.

J14J13

J15

W11

J16

W1 W4 W5

P2P1

J12

J17

a. Slot 0, Onboard CLK10 Source*

W4 W5

b. Non-Slot 0

* Factory Configuration

Figure 2-5. VXIbus CLK10 Settings

VXIpc-486 Configuration and Installation Chapter 2

External CLK10

The W11 jumper configures the CLK SMB connector on the front panel. Keep the default configuration shown in Figure 2-6(a) if the CLK connector is disconnected and used as neither an input nor an output for the CLK10 signal. Figure 2-6(b) shows the configuration to use if you want the CLK10 signal that appears on the backplane to also appear on the CLK SMB connector. The configuration in Figure 2-6(c) is useful only if you have configured the W24 jumper to use the external CLK10 input. In this setting, the signal supplied to the CLK SBM connector is driven onto the VXIbus backplane as CLK10.

J14J13

J15

W11

J16

W4 W5

P2P1

J12

J17

W11 W11 a. Disabled*

* Factory Configuration

b. External CLK10 Input

W11 c. External

CLK10 Output

Figure 2-6. External CLK10 Settings

External CLK10 Termination

The J16 jumper configures whether the CLK10 signal is terminated. This is important only if you are daisy-chaining the CLK10 signal among multiple chassis. The source of the CLK10 and the last chassis in the daisy-chain should be terminated to prevent electrical reflections. Notice that this option is useful only if you have selected the external CLK by jumpers W11 and W6.

J14J13

J15

W11

J16

W1 W4 W5

P2P1

J12

J17

J16 J16 a. External CLK10 Unterminated*

b. External CLK10 Terminated*

Figure 2-7. External CLK10 Termination Settings

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows 2-8 © National Instruments Corporation

* Factory Configuration

Chapter 2 VXIpc-486 Configuration and Installation

External Trigger Input Configuration

The external TTL trigger input interface is the SMB connector labeled TRG IN on the VXIpc-486 front panel. Figure 2-8 shows the external trigger input circuit.

TRG IN

External Trigger Input Signal

Connector

50Ω

Figure 2-8. External Trigger Input Circuit

The W8 jumper configures whether the external TTL trigger input is terminated with a 50 Ω resistor to ground. This is important only if you are daisy-chaining the external trigger input among multiple chassis. The source of the trigger input and the last chassis in the daisy-chain should be terminated to prevent electrical reflections. Figure 2-9 shows the external trigger input termination settings.

J16

Figure 2-9. External Trigger Input Termination Settings

J14J13

J15

W11

W1 W4 W5

P2P1

J12

J17

W8 W8 a. External Trigger Input Unterminated*

b. External Trigger Input Terminated

* Factory Configuration

VXIpc-486 Configuration and Installation Chapter 2

External Audio/Trigger Output Configuration

The external audio/trigger output interface is the SMB connector labeled AUDIO/TRG OUT on the VXIpc-486 front panel.

You can configure the external audio/trigger output as either an audio output or a TTL trigger output. The audio/trigger output is connected to the circuit card by a twisted-pair cable. You can configure the audio/trigger output by connecting the cable to either J13 or J17. Table 2-3 shows the configuration options.

Table 2-3. External Audio/Trigger Output Configuration Options

External Audio/

Trigger Output Connected to

Trigger Out* J17 Audio Out J13 * Factory configuration

Installed System RAM Configuration

The amount of installed RAM is factory configured per customer order. You can change the amount of installed RAM on VXIpc-486/1 models by installing dynamic RAM single in-line memory modules (DRAM SIMMs) in positions A1 and A2, as shown in Table 2-4 and Figure 2-1.

Warning: Do not attempt to change the factory RAM configuration of the VXIpc-486/2.

Disassembling the internal brackets in an attempt to expose the DRAM SIMM sockets will void your warranty.

Table 2-4. Installed RAM Configuration Options

Installed RAM A2 A1

2 MB 1 MB x 18 Not Installed 4 MB 1 MB x 18 1 MB x 18

8 MB 4 MB x 18 Not Installed 10 MB 4 MB x 18 1 MB x 18 16 MB 4 MB x 18 4 MB x 18

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows 2-10 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 2 VXIpc-486 Configuration and Installation

National Instruments recommends the following DRAM SIMMs for use with the VXIpc-486/1:

• Toshiba part number THM181000ASG-10L or equivalent 1 MB x 18 SIMMs

• Toshiba part number THM184080SG-10L or equivalent 4 MB x 18 SIMMs.

Note: Always reconfigure the VXIpc-486/1 to the factory DRAM configuration shown on

the ID label before returning it to the factory for repairs or upgrades.

80387SX Math Coprocessor Configuration

An 80387SX math coprocessor is installed in your VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series at the factory, if ordered as an option.

Warning: Do not attempt to install or remove a math coprocessor in the VXIpc-486/2.

Disassembling the internal brackets in an attempt to expose the 80387SX socket will void your warranty.

You can install an Intel 387SX or equivalent math coprocessor in a VXIpc-486/1 yourself, by following these steps:

1. Place the 80387SX (in its shipping package) on the anti-static mat with the VXIpc-486.

2. Locate the 80387SX socket (U65) on the VXIpc-486 (See Figure 2-1).

Warning: Be sure to orient the 80387SX correctly before inserting it in the socket. If you

insert the chip the wrong way, the 80387SX and the VXIpc-486/1 will be damaged.

3. Orient the 80387SX so that the corner notch on the 80387SX matches the position of the corner notch in Figure 2-1 and the reference dot (locating pin 1) matches the socket reference.

Warning: Avoid excessive pressure while inserting the 80387SX. Bending the circuit card

could damage the VXIpc-486.

4. Insert the 80387SX into the socket, pressing firmly and evenly to fully seat the pins.

Note: Always reconfigure the VXIpc-486/1 to the factory math coprocessor configuration

shown on the ID label before returning it to the factory for repairs or upgrades.

If you have finished configuring the VXIpc-486, you are now ready to install it in your mainframe.

VXIpc-486 Configuration and Installation Chapter 2

Installing and Starting Up the VXIpc-486

The following installation instructions apply to the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series. Refer to your mainframe user manual for further instructions regarding mainframe configuration and module installation. Figure 2-10 shows the location of the VXIpc-486 front panel connectors. Refer to Appendix C, Connectors, for pinout details about each connector.

1. Turn off the mainframe power.

Warning: Installing a VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series configured for Slot 0 operation into

any slot other than Slot 0 can result in damage to the VXIpc-486, the backplane, and the Slot 0 device.

2. If the VXIpc-486 is configured for Slot 0 operation, install it in Slot 0. If the VXIpc-486 is configured as a Non-Slot 0 device, install it in any slot other than Slot 0. The VXIbus Slot and External CLK10 Configuration Options section, earlier in this chapter, describes the different configuration options for Slot 0 and non-Slot 0 applications. Refer also to your mainframe user manual for instructions regarding slot configuration.

3. Tighten the retaining screws at the top and bottom of the front panel.

4. Connect the keyboard to the KEYBOARD connector. Use the keyboard adapter cable that you received with your kit to adapt AT-style keyboards to the VXIpc-486 mini-DIN connector.

5. Connect the VGA monitor video cable to the VGA connector and tighten the screws.

6. On VXIpc-486 models without an internal floppy drive, connect the optional external floppy drive (EFD) to the DISK DRIVE connector. The EFD is not compatible with models that have an internal floppy drive.

7. Connect serial devices to the COM1 or COM2 connectors, if required by your system configuration. Use the COM2 adapter cable (available as an accessory) to attach serial devices to COM2.

8. Connect parallel devices to the LPT connector, if required by your system configuration.

9. Connect the external CLK10 signal to the CLK connector, if required by your system configuration.

10. Connect the external trigger input signal to the TRG IN connector, if required by your system configuration.

11. Connect the external audio or trigger output signal to the AUDIO/TRG OUT connector, if required by your system configuration.

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows 2-12 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 2 VXIpc-486 Configuration and Installation

12. To start up the VXIpc-486, turn on the mainframe power. Also apply power to any peripherals, such as the monitor. The basic input/output system (BIOS) boot sequence should now begin to display startup messages on the monitor. Chapter 3, BIOS Setup, contains information on BIOS that you may need in case you either have special BIOS configuration requirements or you encounter a BIOS-related error message.

The front panel LED indicators also provide information about the VXIpc-486 and VXIbus system status. The SYSFAIL and FAILED LEDs remain lit until the VXIpc-486 initialization program VXIINIT.EXE is run. See Appendix B, NI-VXI Software Overview, for more information about VXIINIT. See Appendix C, Front Panel Indicators, for more information about the front panel LED operation.

Figure 2-10. VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Front Panel

Chapter 3 BIOS Setup

This chapter describes how to set up the basic input/output system (BIOS) for the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series computer. The VXIpc-486 uses the Quadtel AT Compatible Enhanced BIOS. The BIOS defines the way in which software interacts with the VXIpc-486 hardware. The BIOS has a number of setup parameters that contain the VXIpc-486 system configuration information.

The BIOS setup parameters are stored in the CMOS RAM, which is backed up by battery. You use the BIOS utility Setup (part of the Quadtel Extended BIOS Software System) to modify the time-of-day, date, floppy and hard disk types, processor speed, and shadow RAM operation.

The BIOS parameters are factory configured for proper operation. Unless you have special BIOS configuration requirements, you can proceed to Chapter 4, NI-VXI Software Installation

and Configuration.

Running Setup

Occasionally, you may encounter a BIOS-related error message that requires you to run Setup. You may also need to change one or more of the BIOS parameters for compatibility with a software application. If you need to run Setup, follow these steps:

1. Press <F2> after power-on to display the Extended BIOS Software main window. This window also appears if you press <F2> after a power-on self-test error is displayed.

2. Select Setup, using the Up/Down Arrow and <Enter> keys, to display the Extended BIOS Setup window.

3. Use the Up/Down Arrow or <Tab> keys to select the item you want to change. Press <F5> to select the previous (smaller) value, <F6> to select the next (larger) value, or <F9> to automatically configure the selected item.

4. Press <F10> to save the configuration parameters you edited.

5. Press <Esc> to exit Setup. If you have not saved your changes, you can do so at this time.

6. Press <Esc> to exit the Extended BIOS Software main window. The VXIpc-486 will restart.

BIOS Setup Chapter 3

Table 3-1 shows the default BIOS configuration parameters.

Table 3-1. Default BIOS Setup Configuration Parameters

Parameter Configuration

System Memory Press <F9> to Auto Configure Extended Memory Press <F9> to Auto Configure EMS Memory Press <F9> to Auto Configure Power-up Speed Fast BIOS Shadow System in RAM

Video in RAM

Disk Drive 0

Internal Floppy Disk or EFD No Floppy Disk Drive

1.44 MB 3.5 in.

Not installed Disk Drive 1 Not installed Fixed Disk 0 Type As shown on the ID label <AUTO> Fixed Disk 1 Type None

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows 3-2 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 4 NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration

This chapter contains instructions for installing and configuring the NI-VXI software for the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series computer. Your VXIpc-486 is shipped from the factory with MS-DOS, Windows, NI-VXI, and NI-488.2 software already installed on the hard disk. The information on installing the NI-VXI software is included in this chapter should you ever need to reinstall it. For instructions on installing MS-DOS and Windows, refer to the documentation included in your Microsoft DOS and Windows kit. Because the VXIpc-486 built-in GPIB port is compatible with the industry-standard AT-GPIB plug-in GPIB interface board for PC AT computers, please refer to Getting Started with Your AT-GPIB and the NI-488.2 Software for MS-DOS and to Using Your NI-488.2 Software with Microsoft Windows for information about using the capabilities of the AT-GPIB and the NI-488.2 software in your system.

For a list of all the files and program, refer to Appendix B, NI-VXI Software Overview. If you encounter problems using the NI-VXI software, consult Appendix H, Common Questions, and Appendix I, Troubleshooting.

Installing the Software

The VXIpc-486 is shipped with Microsoft Windows and the NI-VXI software installed on the hard disk. Unless you need to reinstall part or all of the NI-VXI files, skip this section and continue with Configuring the NI-VXI Software, later in this chapter.

The NI-VXI distribution disks that came with your VXIpc-486 contain the NI-VXI files as well as an INSTALL program. The INSTALL program is used to install a software update or to reinstall software in the event that your files were accidentally erased. Follow these steps to reinstall all or part of the NI-VXI software.

1. The NI-VXI software requires approximately 3 MB of free space on your hard disk. Create the necessary free space on the hard disk before starting the installation.

2. Run INSTALL.EXE on distribution disk 1. You can run this program from the Windows Program Manager's File menu, Run option, or from the DOS prompt (which loads Windows and then runs INSTALL). However, it cannot be run from the Windows DOS Shell. INSTALL is a graphical, interactive, self-guiding program, which will install all the necessary files (for a complete or partial installation, as user-specified) on the hard disk. In addition, it will optionally modify the AUTOEXEC.BAT, PROGMAN.INI, SYSTEM.INI, and WIN.INI initialization files accordingly. The program prompts you to enter the following information:

NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration Chapter 4

• Environments to install: You can choose whether to install NI-VXI for DOS, Windows,

or both. The default is to install both.

• Languages to install: You can choose whether to install the Microsoft C, Borland C,

and/or QuickBASIC libraries. The default is to install all of them, but if you are using only one compiler, you can select only that compiler.

• Destination directory: This is the complete pathname of the directory where you want to

install the software.

• Modifying DOS initialization files: You can choose whether INSTALL modifies the

AUTOEXEC.BAT file to reflect the location of the NI-VXI library. If you choose to let INSTALL do this, you must also enter the drive where AUTOEXEC.BAT can be found.

• Modifying Windows initialization files: You can choose whether INSTALL modifies the

PROGMAN.INI, SYSTEM.INI, and WIN.INI files to reflect the location of the NI-VXI

library. If you choose to let INSTALL do this, you must also enter the directory in which the Windows files can be found.

You can quit the INSTALL program at any time by choosing Exit from the initial screen, or by pressing the Cancel button once installation has begun. If you do not have a mouse, pressing the <Esc> key performs the same action. In either case, INSTALL prompts you to be certain you really want to quit at that time. If you choose to run the INSTALL program again, it starts over and recopies all the necessary files. Of course, if you made any changes from the default configuration, you will need to specify those changes once again.

As mentioned previously, INSTALL optionally modifies the AUTOEXEC.BAT,

PROGMAN.INI, SYSTEM.INI, and WIN.INI files. For each file that you

do modify,

it changes the old file's extension to .BAK and keeps it for safety purposes. For each file that you do not modify, it creates a file in the NI-VXI directory with the changes it proposes you make to the files. The files that it creates in this situation have the same filename but with the extension .VXI. For example, if you choose not to let INSTALL modify AUTOEXEC.BAT, it will create a file in the NI-VXI directory called AUTOEXEC.VXI, with changes you will need to make to AUTOEXEC.BAT.

Modifying the AUTOEXEC.BAT File

If you choose to let INSTALL modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, it updates the setting of environment variables PATH, LIB, and INCLUDE to include the relevant subdirectories of the NI-VXI directory. The previously specified directories in PATH, LIB, and INCLUDE remain unchanged. INSTALL also adds a new environment variable NIVXIPATH, and appends a command line to execute VXIINIT.EXE automatically.

If you choose not to let INSTALL modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, refer to the AUTOEXEC.VXI file in your NI-VXI directory for suggestions on how to change the following lines manually.

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows 4-2 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 4 NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration

• The PATH variable should include the full path to the subdirectory where the NI-VXI utilities and NIVXI.DLL are located, in addition to whatever other directories you have already specified in PATH. The path must be specified so that Windows can locate the executable code when the library needs to be loaded. Normally, these files reside in the root of the NI-VXI directory, and also the WIN subdirectory.

• The LIB variable should include the full path to the subdirectories that contain the C libraries for the compiler you choose to install.

• The INCLUDE variable should include the full path to the subdirectory that contains the NI-VXI include files. By default, the include files reside in the INCLUDE subdirectory of the NI-VXI directory.

• The NIVXIPATH variable should contain the full path to the NI-VXI directory.

Modifying the PROGMAN.INI File

If you choose to let INSTALL modify your PROGMAN.INI file, it specifies the NIVXI.GRP folder file as shown below.

[Settings] Order=

<etc>

[Groups] Group

= <

NI-VXI directory

>\WIN\NIVXI.GRP

where <etc> represents the numbers already on this line, and where x is a new number between 1 and 99 and is the same on both of the preceding lines.

Modifying the SYSTEM.INI File

If you choose to let INSTALL modify your SYSTEM.INI file, it adds a line to the [386Enh] section to load a device driver that NI-VXI needs for shared memory accesses. The file, which must be loaded at Windows startup, is called NIVXIPHM.386 and is normally located in the WIN subdirectory of the NI-VXI directory as shown below. INSTALL also adds a line that keeps Windows from using the VXI space for its own purposes. In addition, a new section

[NIVXI] is created, which NIVXIPHM.386 uses during Windows system startup.

[386Enh] DEVICE= EMMexclude=

<NI-VXI directory>

A000-EFFF

\WIN\NIVXIPHM.386

[NIVXI] NIVXIPATH=

<NI-VXI directory>

LoadData=6Bytes

If you choose not to let INSTALL modify your SYSTEM.INI file, refer to the SYSTEM.VXI file in your NI-VXI directory for suggestions on how to make the necessary changes yourself.

NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration Chapter 4

Modifying the WIN.INI File

If you choose to let INSTALL modify your WIN.INI file, it adds the following lines to the WIN.INI file:

[NIVXI] NIVXIPATH=

In this situation, the NIVXIPATH variable is used by the NIVXI.DLL dynamic link library in addition to the application programs that come with NI-VXI (for example, RESMAN.EXE) to locate the NI-VXI configuration and help files.

If you choose not to let INSTALL modify your WIN.INI file, refer to the WIN.VXI file in your NI-VXI directory for suggestions on how to make the necessary changes yourself.

<NI-VXI directory>

Notes: The NIVXIPATH variables in the SYSTEM.INI, WIN.INI, and

AUTOEXEC.BAT

files should point to the same subdirectory. After you execute INSTALL, you should exit and reenter Windows before running

any of the NI-VXI software. In fact, once you have exited Windows, it is advisable to reboot your machine (or at least run AUTOEXEC.BAT) to make your system aware of the NI-VXI directory.

Once the NI-VXI package is installed, run VXIINIT.EXE and then RESMAN.EXE.

Configuring the NI-VXI Software

Run VXIINIT from DOS or the Windows DOS shell to initialize and display the VXIpc-486 configuration settings. The default configuration is Slot 0 System Controller, Resource Manager, Message-Based device. To change the current settings, or to view the configuration options, run VXIEDIT or VXITEDIT and select the Configuration Editor from the Main menu.

You can use VXIEDIT or device that is installed in the system. You can easily modify the configuration tables required for VXIbus and MXIbus operation. You can also configure interrupts, triggers, and the utility bus for single- or multiple-mainframe system configurations. The VXIEDIT program, which you can access from DOS or the Windows DOS shell, uses a series of interactive graphical screens to display information for the various editors. You can use the text-based VXITEDIT program within Windows to accomplish the same tasks by entering commands at the keyboard.

VXITEDIT to edit the description of the VXIpc-486 or any other

For more details on how to use VXIEDIT, refer to the NI-VXI DOS Utilities Reference Manual. For more details on how to use VXITEDIT, refer to the NI-VXI Text Utilities Reference Manual.

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows 4-4 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 4 NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration

Running VXIEDIT from DOS or the Windows DOS Shell

VXIEDIT.EXE is the VXI resource editor program that runs in DOS or the Windows DOS shell. You can use this program to configure the system and to edit the manufacturer name and ID numbers, the model names of VXI and non-VXI devices in the system, and the system interrupt configuration information. This program also displays the system configuration information generated by the Resource Manager.

To run VXIEDIT from any directory, make sure that both the PATH and NIVXIPATH environment variables have the destination directory of the NI-VXI software added to it. PATH is used to find the application itself, while NIVXIPATH is used by the application to find the different configuration files (*.CFG), table files (*.TBL), and help files (*.HLP) during its execution. The default pathname used by the program if NIVXIPATH is not set is C:\NIVXI.

Figure 4-1 shows the functions available under VXIEDIT.

Figure 4-1. VXIEDIT Main Menu (from DOS)

When you select the Configuration Editor from the Main menu, the Logical Address Configuration Editor menu (shown in Figure 4-2) is displayed. The following sections describe the various configuration options available under the Logical Address Configuration, Bus Configuration, and Device Configuration Editor menus.

Select Next and Previous to move between the three configuration editors. You can change the default settings to any value within the range shown to the right of each item by using the left and right arrow keys.

NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration Chapter 4

You can save your changes by selecting Save. Saving the changes updates files VXILA.CFG, VXIBUS.CFG, and VXIDEV.CFG. VXIINIT.EXE uses these files to update the soft-configured

settings, including board interrupts, shared RAM size, VXI register contents, and bus interface. You can exit the program at any time without saving any changes you have made by selecting

Abort.

Logical Address Configuration

The following paragraphs describe options available under the Logical Address Configuration Editor. Figure 4-2 shows the Logical Address Configuration Editor (VXIla) menu.

Figure 4-2. VXIpc-486 Logical Address Configuration Editor (from DOS)

Logical Address

The logical address is an 8-bit number that uniquely identifies the VXIpc-486. It can be configured as a static device with a logical address range from 0 through 254. Logical address 255 configures the VXIpc-486 as a dynamic device, as specified in the VXIbus System Specification. The default logical address is 0. If you do not want the VXIpc-486 to be the system Resource Manager, change this value to an unused logical address other than 0.

Device Type

This field indicates the classification of the VXIbus device. The options are Extended Device (EXT), Message-Based Device (MBD), and Register-Based Device (RBD). The default is MBD.

The VXIpc-486 Device Type affects only the contents of the Device Class field in the Device Type register. The functionality of the other registers does not change.

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows 4-6 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 4 NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration

Address Space

This field indicates the addressing mode(s) of the device's operational registers. The VXIpc-486 can be configured as an A16 only, A16/A24, or A16/A32 device. The default is A16 only.

VXI Shared RAM (Byte Order)

The local RAM of the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series computer can be slave-accessed in either A24 or A32 space in D08 and D16 data transfer modes. This field, which indicates the primary and secondary byte swapping schemes for slave accesses to the local RAM space, can be set to either Intel (INT, Little Endian) or Motorola (MOT, Big Endian). The default primary byte ordering is Intel for backward compatibility reasons. When the addressing mode is A16 only, this field is ignored.

VXI Shared RAM (MBytes)

This field indicates the number of megabytes of local RAM that are shared in either A24 or A32 space. The VXIpc-486 can be set up to have either one or two windows into the local RAM. When set up with one window, all slave accesses through this window use the primary byte order scheme. When there are two windows, accesses through the first (lower) window see the local RAM using the primary byte order scheme, and accesses through the second (upper) window see the same local RAM but use the secondary byte order scheme. In Table 4-1, primary and secondary byte order refer to the setting of the previous field. When the addressing mode is A16 only, this field should be set to DISABLED.

Table 4-1. VXI Shared RAM Options

Address Space Options Description

A16 DISABLED VXI Shared RAM disabled A16/A24 4, 0

Four megabytes of local RAM are shared in A24 space. Slave accesses to this RAM are in the primary byte order.

4, 4

In this option, 4 MB of local RAM are shared, but 8 MB are requested in A24 space. Accesses to the lower 4 MB are in the primary byte order. Accesses to the upper 4 MB see the same local RAM in the secondary byte order.

8, 0

Eight megabytes of local RAM are shared in A24 space. Slave accesses to this RAM are in the primary byte order.

(continues)

NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration Chapter 4

Table 4-1. VXI Shared RAM Options (Continued)

Address Space Options Description

A16/A32 4, 0

4, 4

8, 0

8, 8

ALL, 0

Four megabytes of local RAM are shared in A32 space. Slave accesses to this RAM are in the primary byte order.

In this option, 4 MB of local RAM are shared, but 8 MB are requested in A32 space. Accesses to the lower 4 MB are in the primary byte order. Accesses to the upper 4 MB see the same local RAM in the secondary byte order.

Eight megabytes of local RAM are shared in A32 space. Slave accesses to this RAM are in the primary byte order.

In this option, 8 MB of local RAM are shared, but 16 MB are requested in A32 space. Accesses to the lower 8 MB are in the primary byte order. Accesses to the upper 8 MB see the same local RAM in the secondary byte order.

Sixteen megabytes of local RAM are shared in A32 space. Slave accesses to this RAM are in the primary byte order.

Shared Memory Pool (Windows)

This field indicates the size of memory in kilobytes that is allocated on Windows startup to be used exclusively by VXImemAlloc function calls from both DOS and Windows applications. The allowable range is from 0 to 65535 KB. The default value is 0 KB.

Slave Block Transfer Mode

The VXIpc-486 does not currently support block transfers in either slave or master mode accesses. This field is statically configured to NO, and cannot be changed.

Slave Supervisory Access Only

When YES is selected, the VXIpc-486 will acknowledge only supervisory accesses. Nonprivileged accesses will result in a bus error. This is true for all A16, A24, and A32 slave accesses. When NO is selected, the VXIpc-486 will acknowledge both supervisory and nonprivileged accesses. The default option is NO.

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows 4-8 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 4 NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration

Resource Manager Delay

This field specifies the time in seconds that the Resource Manager (RM) waits before accessing any other VXIbus device's A16 configuration registers. The allowable range is from 0 to 65535 seconds. The default value is 5 seconds.

Bus Configuration

The following paragraphs describe options available under the Bus Configuration Editor. Figure 4-3 shows the VXIbus Configuration Editor (VXIbus) menu.

Figure 4-3. VXIpc-486 Bus Configuration Editor (from DOS)

Bus Request Level

This field sets the VXIbus request level (BR0-3) for the VXIpc-486. The default value is level 3.

Fair Requester Timeout

You can configure the VXIpc-486 as a fair requester (Request On No Request, or RONR) with a timeout period of either infinity or within the range of 2 to 28 µs (increments of 2 µs), or you can configure it as an unfair requester by selecting the field value of DISABLE. The default value is ∞ (INF), specifying an infinite timeout period.

NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration Chapter 4

Bus Release Mechanism

This field sets the VXIbus release mechanism, which can be Release On Request (ROR) or Release When Done (RWD). The default value is ROR.

Bus Arbitration

The field sets the VXIbus arbitration mode. The two options are Priority (PRI) or Round Robin Select (RRS). The default value is PRI. The bus arbitration mode is relevant only when the VXIpc-486 is the Slot 0 device.

Local Bus Timeout

This field sets the timeout period for the VXIpc-486 local bus. You can set the timeout within the range from 4 to 512 µs, in powers of 2 (4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, and 512), or you can disable this function. The default value is 32 µs. When the VXIpc-486 is not the System Controller, you should select DISABLE. In such a case, you should have configured the VXIpc-486 as a Non-Slot 0 device as described in Chapter 2.

VXIbus Timeout

This field sets the timeout period for the VXIbus bus timeout (BTO) unit. When the VXIpc-486 is the System Controller, you can set the BTO period within the range from 4 to 512 µs in powers of 2 (4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, and 512). The default value is 128 µs. When the VXIpc-486 is not the System Controller, you should select DISABLE. In such a case, you should have configured the VXIpc-486 as a Non-Slot 0 device as described in Chapter 2.

Bus Acquisition Time in Timeout

This field determines whether the arbitration time to acquire the VXIbus is included in the local bus timeout. In embedded-only systems, the default is to include bus acquisition time. In MXI systems, however, the arbitration time may be excessively long. In such a case, it may be preferable to exclude the bus acquisition time from the overall timeout.

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows 4-10 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 4 NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration

Device Configuration

The following paragraphs describe options available under the Device Configuration Editor. Figure 4-4 shows the Device Configuration Editor (VXIdev) menu.

Figure 4-4. VXIpc-486 Device Configuration Editor (from DOS)

SYSRESET Resets PC

When YES is selected, a SYSRESET on the backplane causes the VXIpc-486 to reboot. When NO is selected, a SYSRESET on the backplane does not reboot the VXIpc-486. The default value for this field is NO.

Use System Sanity Timer

When YES is selected, if a misbehaved NI-VXI application causes the system to hang, the VXIpc-486 asserts the SYSFAIL* signal on the backplane. When NO is selected, if the system hangs, the VXIpc-486 does not assert SYSFAIL*. In general, the sanity timer is useful by alerting you that your application has gone awry. However, you should turn off the sanity timer when debugging an NI-VXI application because some debuggers conflict with the sanity timer mechanism. The default value for this field is YES.

Servant Area Size

This field designates the Servant Area size, which is supplied to the Resource Manager in response to the Read Servant Area command (if the VXIpc-486 is not the Resource Manager in your system). The Servant Area size is an 8-bit value (0 through 255) that indicates the VXIpc-486 Servant area. The Servant area begins at the logical address following the VXIpc-486 logical address, and includes N contiguous logical addresses, where N is the value

NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration Chapter 4

of the Servant Area size. This field is meaningful only when the VXIpc-486 is configured as a Message-Based device. You can set the Servant Area size within the range 0 to 255. The default value is 0.

Note: If the VXIpc-486 is the Resource Manager, this setting is irrelevant.

Protocol Register

This field specifies the contents of the Protocol register, indicating which protocols the device supports. This field is meaningful only when the VXIpc-486 is configured as a Message-Based device. The default value is 0x0FF0 (Commander, Signal Register, Master).

Read Protocol Response

This field specifies the response value to a Read Protocol command received by the VXIpc-486 from the Resource Manager (if the VXIpc-486 is not the Resource Manager in your system). This field is meaningful only when the VXIpc-486 is configured as a Message-Based device. The default value is 0x8448 (Response Generation, Event Generation, Programmable Handler, Word Serial Trigger, Instrument, Extended Longword Serial, Longword Serial).

Number of Handlers

This field gives the number of interrupt handlers that the VXIpc-486 supports, which can range from 0 to 7. The default value is 1.

Number of Interrupters

This field gives the number of interrupters that the VXIpc-486 supports, which can range from 0 to 7. The default value is 0.

Exiting VXIEDIT from DOS and Reinitializing the Hardware

Select Exit or press the <Esc> key to quit the VXIEDIT program. If you changed any of the software configuration information, VXIEDIT prompts you to save your changes before exiting the configuration menu. Saving the configuration information updates the configuration files VXILA.CFG, VXIBUS.CFG, and VXIDEV.CFG. Run VXIINIT.EXE to reinitialize the hardware according to the new settings.

If you changed any of the software configuration settings from the default, record the new settings on the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Hardware and Software Configuration Form in Appendix J.

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows 4-12 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 4 NI-VXI Software Installation and Configuration

Running VXITEDIT from Windows

As an alternative to VXIEDIT you can use VXITEDIT, a text-based VXI resource editor that runs in the Windows environment. It uses the NIVXIPATH variable set in the WIN.INI file to locate the configuration files, table files, and help files. When NIVXIPATH is not specified in WIN.INI, it assumes the default directory C:\NIVXI.

To run VXITEDIT, select the File menu, Run command from the Windows Program Manager and type VXITEDIT.EXE. Refer to the

NI-VXI Text Utilities Reference Manual for further

information on how to use VXITEDIT.

Exiting VXITEDIT from Windows and Reinitializing the Hardware

To exit VXITEDIT, type exit or the number 11 when the main menu is displayed. If you changed any information, you are prompted to save your changes before exiting the menu. Saving the configuration information updates the configuration files VXILA.CFG, VXIBUS.CFG, and VXIDEV.CFG. Run VXIINIT.EXE to reinitialize the hardware according to the new settings.

If you changed any of the software configuration settings from the default, record the new settings on the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Hardware and Software Configuration Form in Appendix J.

Chapter 5 Using NI-VXI with Microsoft Windows

This chapter discusses programming information for you to consider when developing applications that use the NI-VXI driver.

After you have verified that the driver software has been installed successfully, you can begin to develop your VXI application software. Be sure to check the README.DOC file for the latest application development notes. Remember that you must run the VXIINIT initialization program before performing any VXI operations and after each computer reset. You must also run RESMAN each time the chassis power is cycled.

The NI-VXI Software Reference Manual for C contains an overview of NI-VXI functionality in Chapter 2, Introduction to the NI-VXI Functions. Chapters 3 through 13 contain overviews and detailed descriptions of the NI-VXI functions.

Interactive Control of NI-VXI

The easiest way to learn how to communicate with your instruments is by controlling them interactively. Use the VXI interactive control program (VIC from DOS or Windows) to write to and read from your instruments. This program helps you learn how to communicate with devices, troubleshoot problems, and develop your application. Both programs display the status of your VXI transactions and inform you of any errors that occur.

VICTEXT from

The VIC or VICTEXT command set includes most of the capability of NI-VXI function calls in addition to unique auxiliary commands. You can use this utility to send data and Word Serial commands to devices and to display data received from devices on the screen. After each function executes, the program displays the device's response and the status.

The VIC and VICTEXT utilities are designed to help you learn how to use the NI-VXI functions to program devices. Once you develop a sequence of steps that works successfully for your system, you can easily incorporate the sequence into an application program using the appropriate language and syntax.

Caution: If

NIVXI.DLL

program that uses the NI-VXI library in a DOS shell. Conflict occurs if both the DOS and Windows NI-VXI drivers are active at the same time, and may cause a system failure. To guard against this conflict, the safest approach is to always exit Windows before attempting to execute any DOS program that uses the NI-VXI Library, including shell, however, if you ensure that no other Windows application that uses the

NIVXI.DLL

is loaded in memory, do not attempt to execute

VIC

. You can execute

file is executing.

VIC

or any DOS

from a Windows DOS

Using NI-VXI with Microsoft Windows Chapter 5

Refer to the NI-VXI DOS Utilities Reference Manual on how to use VIC from DOS and to learn about its features, and to the NI-VXI Text Utilities Reference Manual on how to use VICTEXT from Windows and to learn about its features.

Example Programs

The EXAMPLES subdirectories contain various example programs along with makefiles that show how to use various functions in the NI-VXI software and how to develop application programs using these functions. Make certain that the environment variables LIB and INCLUDE are set correctly as described in the Installing the Software section in Chapter 4. Also refer to the NI-VXI Software Reference Manual for C for additional examples.

Note: When compiling NI-VXI applications, you must define the macro

are developing a Windows application) or the macro a DOS application) in your makefile/project. Refer to the example programs for more details.

VXIDOS

VXIWIN

(if you are developing

(if you

Memory Model

The NI-VXI libraries were compiled using the large memory model. All DOS applications must also be compiled for the large memory model. However, Windows application programs that link with the NI-VXI library can also use the medium, compact, or small memory models. Because of this ability to use different memory models for your application, you can not only take advantage of the efficiency inherent in small memory model programs, but also run multiple instances of the application as well. (Normally, you cannot run multiple instances of an application if it is a large memory model application.)

Multiple Applications Using the NI-VXI Library

Multi-application support is another feature in the NI-VXI library. You can have several applications that use the NI-VXI library running simultaneously. In addition, you can have multiple instances of the same application that uses the NI-VXI library running simultaneously. The NI-VXI functions perform in the same manner whether you have only one application that uses the NI-VXI library or several applications (or several instances of an application) all trying to use the NI-VXI library. Because the NI-VXI functions execute to their completion without yielding control of the microprocessor, function calls from different applications do not inadvertently conflict with one another.

However, you do need to be careful in cases when you have multiple applications using the low-level VXIbus access functions. The memory windows used to access the VXIbus are a limited resource. You should follow the protocol of calling the MapVXIAddress() function with Owner Access first before attempting to perform low-level VXIbus access with VXIpeek() or VXIpoke(). The MapVXIAddress() call prevents the hardware interface setting of the VXIpc-486 from being altered by other applications. Your application should always call the UnMapVXIAddress() function immediately after the accesses are complete so that you free up the memory window for other applications.

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows 5-2 © National Instruments Corporation

Chapter 5 Using NI-VXI with Microsoft Windows

Low-Level Access Functions

The function MapVXIAddress() returns a pointer for use with low-level access. On the VXIpc-486, it is possible to directly dereference this pointer. However, you must use the VXIpeek() and VXIpoke() functions when working with the AT-MXI. If you want your source code to portable between these two platforms, it is strongly recommended that you use the NI-VXI low-level access functions to access memory. See Chapter 6, Low-Level Access Functions, in the NI-VXI Software Reference Manual for C for more information.

Local Resource Access Functions

By using the VXI Resource Editor program (VXIEDIT from DOS or VXITEDIT from Windows), it is possible to have local resources such as RAM directly accessible from the VXIbus without intervention from the local CPU. This can be accomplished by setting the appropriate parameters to share the local resources. Regardless of the amount of RAM that you have selected for sharing, the amount of contiguous memory available to your application is limited by the Shared Memory Pool (Windows) field.

Therefore, when using local resource access functions, you must start by calling VXImemAlloc() to obtain the VXI shared RAM region. Any calls to VXImemAlloc() that succeed will receive a block of memory to the nearest 16-byte boundary. See Chapter 8, Local Resource Access Functions, in the NI-VXI Software Reference Manual for C for more information.

When having multiple applications or multiple instances of the same application all calling VXImemAlloc(), it is important to remember that the amount of memory you assign to the Shared Memory Pool (Windows) field is a pool for the entire system, not per application. This means that if one or more applications combined allocate the total amount of memory specified in that field, all other applications will receive a failure from VXImemAlloc() until the original applications free the memory with VXImemFree().

Appendix A Specifications

This appendix lists various module specifications of the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series, such as physical dimensions and power requirements. Unless otherwise indicated, all specifications apply to both the Model 200 and Model 240 versions of the VXIpc-486.

CPU

Microprocessor 20 MHz 80486SLC (Model 200)

40 MHz 80486SLC2 (Model 240) Numeric Coprocessor (optional) 20 MHz 80387SX RAM 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, or 16 MB Hard Disk 80, 170, 220, 270, or 525 MB, or 1 GB

Physical

C-size VXIbus Module Slot Requirements 486/1: one slot

486/2: two slots Local Bus Keying Class 1, TTL Front Panel Indicators

• SYSFAIL (red)

• FAILED (red)

• TEST (green)

• ON LINE (green)

• ACCESS (yellow)

• DRIVE (yellow)

• TURBO (green) Front Panel Connectors

• VGA connector

• Keyboard connector

Specifications Appendix A

• COM1 connector

• COM2 connector

• LPT connector

• External floppy disk (EFD) connector

• IEEE 488 connector

• CLK10 I/O connector

• Trigger Input connector

• Audio/Trigger Output connector

Power Requirements

Source 1-Slot Module

Direct Current (max)

+5 VDC 6.5 A Not Available 8 A

+12 VDC 20 mA Not Available 200 mA

-12 VDC 20 mA Not Available 20 mA

-5.2 VDC 150 mA Not Available 150 mA

-2 VDC 200 mA Not Available 200 mA

Dynamic Current

(max)

2-Slot Module

Direct Current (max)

Cooling Requirements

Power Dissipation, max Refer to ID label

Emissions

EMI FCC Class A Verified

Operating Environment

Temperature Refer to ID label Relative Humidity 0% to 95% noncondensing

Storage Environment

Temperature Refer to ID label Relative Humidity 0% to 100% noncondensing

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows A-2 © National Instruments Corporation

Appendix A Specifications

Functionality

IEEE 488

Capability Code Description

SH1 Source Handshake AH1 Acceptor Handshake T5, TE5 Talker, Extended Talker L3, LE3 Listener, Extended Listener SR1 Service Request PP1, PP2 Local/Remote Parallel Poll C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 Controller E1, E2 Tri-State Bus Drivers with Automatic Switch

VMEbus Master/Slave

• A16/A24/A32 Addressing

• D08(EO)/D16 Data Paths

• Read-Modify-Write

VMEbus System Controller

• System Clock (SYSCLK) Driver

• System Reset (SYSRESET) Driver

• Priority or Round-Robin Arbiter

• Bus Timeout Driver

to Open Collector during Parallel Poll

Specifications Appendix A

VXIbus

• VXIbus System Specification Compatible

• Multimainframe Resource Manager (defeatable)

• Slot 0 Support (defeatable)

• Message-Based Commander and Servant

• Dynamically Configurable

• Programmable Interrupter (any combination of seven levels)

• Programmable Handler (any combination of seven levels)

• Trigger Source/Acceptor (SYNC, SEMI-SYNC, ASYNC, STST protocols)

• External Trigger I/O

• External CLK10 I/O

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows A-4 © National Instruments Corporation

Appendix B NI-VXI Software Overview

This appendix lists all the programs and files located on the NI-VXI distribution diskettes.

Main Programs and Files

The main programs and files of the NI-VXI software package are found in the C:\NIVXI directory.

• VXIINIT.EXE is the VXIpc-486 initialization program. This is a DOS program that

removes the FAILED LED and initializes the board interrupts, shared RAM, VXI register configurations, and bus configurations. VXIINIT.EXE must be executed from DOS (or the Windows DOS shell). It is typically included in the DOS batch file AUTOEXEC.BAT so that the VXIpc-486 is automatically initialized at startup. The configuration settings can be modified using the VXIEDIT.EXE or

• RESMAN.EXE is the National Instruments multimainframe Resource Manager. You can

execute RESMAN from DOS, Windows, or the Windows DOS shell, although the latter is not recommended. RESMAN.EXE may be executed only after VXIINIT.EXE has been run and must be run every time the mainframe is reset.

VXITEDIT.EXE program.

• VIC.EXE is an interactive control program that executes functions you enter from the

keyboard. VIC helps you learn the functions, program your VXI devices, and develop and debug your application program. You can execute VIC from DOS or the Windows DOS shell, although the latter is not recommended. If you do use VIC from the Windows DOS shell, ensure that no other Windows application that uses NI-VXI functions is executing. This program is described in detail in the NI-VXI DOS Utilities Reference Manual.

• VICTEXT.EXE is a text-based interactive control program that is functionally equivalent to

VIC.EXE. You can execute although the latter is not recommended. If you run can use it at the same time that other Windows applications that use NI-VXI functions are executing. This program is described in detail in the NI-VXI Text Utilities Reference Manual.

• VXIEDIT.EXE is the VXI resource editor program that runs in DOS or the Windows DOS

shell. You can use this program to configure the system, edit the manufacturer name and ID association, and edit the information about the model names of VXI and non-VXI devices in the system, as well as the interrupt configuration information for the system. This program also displays the system configuration information devised by the Resource Manager. This program is described in detail in the NI-VXI DOS Utilities Reference Manual.

VICTEXT from DOS, Windows, or the Windows DOS shell,

VICTEXT as a Windows application, you

NI-VXI Software Overview Appendix B

• VXITEDIT.EXE is the text-based VXI resource editor program that is functionally

equivalent to VXIEDIT.EXE. You can execute

VXITEDIT from DOS, Windows, or the

Windows DOS shell. This program is described in detail in the NI-VXI Text Utilities

Reference Manual.

• README.DOC contains the latest updates and corrections to the manual when appropriate.

Additional Programs and Files

The C:\NIVXI\HLP directory contains various help files used by the VIC.EXE and VXIEDIT.EXE programs.

The C:\NIVXI\TBL directory contains the following files:

• MFNAMEID.TBL contains the database of manufacturer names and their ID numbers.

• MODEL.TBL contains the database of model names, manufacturer names, and the model

codes numbers.

• DEVICE.TBL contains the database of device names, manufacturer names, model names,

and frame and slot associations for devices in the system.

• NONVXI.TBL contains the database for all non-VXI devices in the system.

• INTCFG.TBL contains the system interrupt configuration information.

• TRIGCFG.TBL contains the system trigger configuration information.

• UTILBUS.TBL contains the utility bus configuration information.

• CREG.TBL contains system information used by the Resource Manager.

• REGS.TBL contains the register names of VXI devices.

• WSCMDS.TBL contains the VXI Word Serial command values.

• VXIBUS.CFG contains the VXIpc-486 VXIbus configuration information.

• VXILA.CFG contains the VXIpc-486 logical address configuration information.

• VXIDEV.CFG contains the VXIpc-486 device-specific configuration information.

• VXIMF.CFG, if present, contains information specific to the board manufacturer.

• DVXI.CFG contains information for internal use by the driver.

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows B-2 © National Instruments Corporation

Appendix B NI-VXI Software Overview

The C:\NIVXI\INCLUDE directory contains files for the Microsoft C, Borland C, and QuickBASIC language interfaces. The include files are as follows:

• NIVXI.H is the main header file containing the C prototypes for the NI-VXI functions.

• DATASIZE.H contains data size specifications.

• BUSACC.H contains parameter and return values for the bus access functions.

• DEVINFO.H contains parameter and return values for the device information and system

configuration functions.

• VXIINT.H contains parameter and return values for the interrupt and signal functions.

• SYSINT.H contains parameter and return values for the system interrupt functions.

• TRIG.H contains parameter and return values for the trigger functions.

• WS.H contains parameter and return values for the Word Serial Commander and Servant

functions.

• NIVXI.INC is the include file for the Microsoft QuickBASIC Language interface. The C:\NIVXI\DOS directory contains the following files:

• RESMAND.EXE is used by RESMAN in the DOS environment. RESMAN calls this file

directly.

• VICD.EXE is used by VIC in the DOS environment. VIC calls this file directly.

• VICTEXTD.EXE is used by VICTEXT in the DOS environment.

VICTEXT calls this file

directly.

• VXIEDITD.EXE is used by VXIEDIT in the DOS environment. VXIEDIT calls this file

directly.

• VXITEDID.EXE is used by VXITEDIT in the DOS environment. VXITEDIT calls this

file directly. The C:\NIVXI\DOS directory contains up to three subdirectories. The C:\NIVXI\DOS\BORLANDC subdirectory is installed if you choose to install both the

DOS environment and the Borland C libraries. It contains the following file and subdirectory:

• NIVXIDOS.LIB is the NI-VXI library, which must be included along with other DOS

libraries when linking your application program from Borland C. The NI-VXI library uses

the large memory model.

• The C:\NIVXI\DOS\BORLANDC\EXAMPLES subdirectory contains various example

programs that show how to use the NI-VXI software with Borland C.

NI-VXI Software Overview Appendix B

The C:\NIVXI\DOS\MSC subdirectory is installed if you choose to install both the DOS environment and the Microsoft C libraries. It contains the following file and subdirectory:

• NIVXIDOS.LIB is the NI-VXI library, which must be included along with other DOS

libraries when linking your application program from Microsoft C. The NI-VXI library

uses the large memory model.

• The C:\NIVXI\DOS\MSC\EXAMPLES subdirectory contains various example programs

that show how to use the NI-VXI software with Microsoft C. The C:\NIVXI\DOS\QB subdirectory contains the following object, library, and batch files

to generate the Microsoft library for QuickBASIC:

• QBNIVXI.LIB contains the NI-VXI function library for the QuickBASIC interface.

• QBNIVXI.OBJ contains the NI-VXI symbols used to generate the QuickBASIC library for

all versions.

• MKQLB*.BAT and MKQLB*.LNK are batch and response files used to generate a

QuickBASIC library for the desired version.

• MKAPPBC.BAT and MKAPPBC.LNK are batch and response files that contain an example

of how to build a BASIC application using NI-VXI functions. Also included are the following files containing system functions used in the generation of

QuickBASIC libraries for version 4.5 (default) and version 7.0 (7F and 7N):

• QB.OBJ

• QBMEM.OBJ

• QB1.LIB

• QB1_7F.LIB

• QB1_7N.LIB

• QB2.LIB

• B1_71F.LIB

• B1_71N.LIB

• B2_71.LIB The C:\NIVXI\WIN directory contains the following files:

• NIVXI.DLL is the NI-VXI dynamic link library executable file, which contains the

executable code for all the NI-VXI functions. This file is loaded when any Windows

application that uses the NI-VXI library is executed. The directory where it resides

should be added to the PATH variable to ensure that it is loaded properly.

• RESMANW.EXE is used by

directly.

• VICTEXTW.EXE is used by VICTEXT in the Windows environment. VICTEXT calls this

file directly.

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows B-4 © National Instruments Corporation

RESMAN in the Windows environment. RESMAN calls this file

Appendix B NI-VXI Software Overview

• VXITEDIW.EXE is used by VXITEDIT in the Windows environment. VXITEDIT calls

this file directly.

• NIVXIPHM.386 is a virtual memory driver that the NI-VXI library uses for shared memory

under Windows only.

• NIVXI.GRP is a Windows group (folder) which contains icons for easy execution of NI-VXI

utilities (such as RESMAN and VICTEXT).

• NIVXI.PIF is a Windows Program Information File that lets you run the DOS NI-VXI

utilities in a Windows DOS shell. The C:\NIVXI\WIN directory contains up to two subdirectories. The C:\NIVXI\WIN\BORLANDC subdirectory is installed if you choose to install both the

Windows environment and the Borland C libraries. It contains the following file and subdirectory:

• NIVXIWIN.LIB is the NI-VXI library, which must be included along with other Windows

libraries when linking your application program from Borland C. The NI-VXI library uses

the large memory model. However, you are not restricted to using only the large memory

model for your application. You can also use the medium, compact, or small memory

models.

• The C:\NIVXI\WIN\BORLANDC\EXAMPLES subdirectory contains various example

programs that show how to use the NI-VXI software with Borland C. The C:\NIVXI\WIN\MSC subdirectory is installed if you choose to install both the Windows

environment and the Microsoft C libraries. It contains the following file and subdirectory:

• NIVXIWIN.LIB is the NI-VXI library, which must be included along with other Windows

libraries when linking your application program from Microsoft C. The NI-VXI library uses

the large memory model. However, you are not restricted to using only the large memory

model for your application. You can also use the medium, compact, or small memory

models.

• The C:\NIVXI\WIN\MSC\EXAMPLES subdirectory contains various example programs

that show how to use the NI-VXI software with Microsoft C.

Appendix C Front Panel Indicators

This appendix describes the function of the seven front panel LED indicators on the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series computer. The significance of each LED is determined by its color: red, green, or yellow. Red indicates a system failure, while green indicates an active state, and yellow indicates that a board resource is being accessed.

The red SYSFAIL LED is lit whenever the VMEbus signal SYSFAIL* is asserted. The SYSFAIL LED does not indicate which VXIbus module is asserting the signal. It indicates only that one of the modules is driving SYSFAIL on the VXIbus backplane.

When the FAILED LED is lit, the VXIpc-486 is driving the SYSFAIL* signal. The FAILED LED, together with the green TEST and ON LINE LEDs, indicate the status of the VXIpc-486. The status LED indications are shown in Table C-1. A successful system startup will sequence through the first six states. The point of failure is indicated for states where the FAILED LED is lit for an extended period of time.

Table C-1. Front Panel LED Indications

Sequence FAILED TEST ON LINE State Point of Failure

1 OFF OFF OFF No power 2 ON OFF OFF Booting DOS Failed to boot DOS

or waiting to run self-test/VXIINIT

3 ON ON OFF In self-test/VXIINIT Failed self-test/

VXIINIT

4 OFF ON OFF Self-test passed,

VXIINIT complete

5 OFF ON ON Performing Startup

RM operations

6 OFF OFF ON Online, Startup RM

operations complete ON ON ON Failed Failed Startup RM ON OFF ON Failed Failed while online

Front Panel Indicators Appendix C

The yellow ACCESS LED is lit when the VXIpc-486 MODID line is asserted or when the VXIbus registers or shared memory are accessed by another bus master.

The yellow DRIVE LED is the hard disk drive access light. It is lit when the internal hard drive is in use.

The green TURBO LED indicates the processor operating speed. When lit, it indicates that the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series 80486SLC processor is operating at its maximum frequency. When the TURBO LED is not lit, the processor is operating at a lower frequency (see Chapter 3,

BIOS Setup).

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows C-2 © National Instruments Corporation

Appendix D Connectors

This appendix describes the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series front panel and VXIbus connector pinouts.

Note: The illustrations in this appendix show the mating face of the connectors.

An asterisk suffix (*) on a signal name indicates that the signal is active low.

Keyboard

SYSFAIL FAILED TEST ON LINE ACCESS DRIVE TURBO

VGA

COM1

COM2

DISK

LPT

DRIVE

CLK

TRG IN AUDIO/

TRG OUT

KEYBOARD

Connector Type:

6-pin Mini DIN

GPIB

RESET

KEYBOARD

Figure D-1. KEYBOARD Connector

Table D-1. KEYBOARD Connector Signals

Pin Signal Name Signal Description

1 DATA Data 2 GND Ground 3 GND Ground 4 +5V +5 volts 5 CLK Clock 6 GND Ground

Connectors Appendix D

VGA

SYSFAIL FAILED TEST ON LINE ACCESS DRIVE TURBO

VGA

COM1

COM2

DISK

LPT

DRIVE

CLK

TRG IN AUDIO/

TRG OUT

KEYBOARD

GPIB

RESET

VGA

Figure D-2. VGA Connector

Table D-2. VGA Connector Signals

Pin Signal Name Signal Description

1 R Red 2 G Green 3 B Blue 4 n.c. not connected 5 GND Ground 6 GND Ground 7 GND Ground 8 GND Ground

9 n.c. not connected 10 GND Ground 11 n.c. not connected 12 n.c. not connected 13 HSync Horizontal Sync 14 VSync Vertical Sync 15 n.c. not connected

Connector Type:

15-pin Subminiature

DHD-22

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows D-2 © National Instruments Corporation

Appendix D Connectors

COM1

SYSFAIL FAILED TEST ON LINE ACCESS DRIVE TURBO

VGA

COM1

COM2

DISK

LPT

DRIVE

CLK

TRG IN AUDIO/

TRG OUT

KEYBOARD

GPIB

RESET

6 7

8 9

Figure D-3. COM1 Connector

Table D-3. COM1 Connector Signals

COM1

1 2 3 4 5

Connector Type:

9-pin Subminiature

DHD-20

Pin Signal Name Signal Description

1 GND Ground

2 RXD* Receive Data

3 TXD* Transmit Data

4 DTR* Data Terminal Ready

5 GND Ground

6 DSR* Data Set Ready

7 RTS* Ready to Send

8 CTS* Clear to Send

9 GND Ground

Connectors Appendix D

COM2/GPIO

SYSFAIL FAILED TEST ON LINE ACCESS DRIVE TURBO

VGA

COM1

COM2

DISK

LPT

DRIVE

CLK

TRG IN AUDIO/

TRG OUT

KEYBOARD

GPIB

RESET

Connector Type:

15-pin Subminiature

COM2

Figure D-4. COM2/GPIO Connector

Table D-4a. COM2/GPIO Connector COM2 Signals

Pin Signal Name COM2 Signal Description

1 TXD* Transmit Data

2 DSR* Data Set Ready

3 RXD* Receive Data

4 RTS* Ready to Send

5 GND Ground

6 CTS* Clear to Send 15 DTR* Data Terminal Ready

DHD-22

Table D-4b. COM2/GPIO Connector GPIO Signals

Pin Signal Name GPIO Signal Description

7 n.c. not connected

8 GPIO 7 General Purpose Input/Output 7

9 GPIO 5 General Purpose Input/Output 5 10 n.c. not connected 11 GPIO 9 General Purpose Input/Output 9 12 GPIO 8 General Purpose Input/Output 8 13 GPIO 6 General Purpose Input/Output 6 14 GPIO 4 General Purpose Input/Output 4

VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series for MS Windows D-4 © National Instruments Corporation

Appendix D Connectors

LPT

SYSFAIL FAILED TEST ON LINE ACCESS DRIVE TURBO

VGA

COM1

COM2

DISK

LPT

DRIVE

CLK

TRG IN AUDIO/

TRG OUT

KEYBOARD

GPIB

RESET

25 24 23 22 21 20

19 18

17 16 15 14

Figure D-5. LPT Connector

Table D-5. LPT Connector Signals

LPT

13 12 11 10

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Connector Type:

25-pin Subminiature

DHD-20

Pin Signal Name Signal Description

1 STROBE* Data Strobe

2 D0 Data Bit 0

3 D1 Data Bit 1

4 D2 Data Bit 2

5 D3 Data Bit 3

6 D4 Data Bit 4

7 D5 Data Bit 5

8 D6 Data Bit 6

9 D7 Data Bit 7 10 ACK* Acknowledge 11 BUSY* Device Busy 12 PE Paper End 13 SLCT Select 14 AUTOFD* Auto Linefeed 15 ERROR* Error 16 INIT* Initialize Printer 17 SLCTIN* Select Input 18 GND Ground 19 GND Ground 20 GND Ground 21 GND Ground 22 GND Ground 23 GND Ground 24 GND Ground 25 GND Ground

Connectors Appendix D

Floppy Disk Drive

SYSFAIL FAILED TEST ON LINE ACCESS DRIVE TURBO

VGA

COM1

COM2

DISK

LPT

DRIVE

CLK

TRG IN AUDIO/

TRG OUT

KEYBOARD

GPIB

RESET

DISK

DRIVE

26-pin Subminiature

Figure D-6. DISK DRIVE Connector

Table D-6. DISK DRIVE Connector Signals

Pin Signal Name Signal Description

1 +5V +5 volts

2 GND Ground

3 GND Ground

4 GND Ground

5 FRWC* Reduced Write Control

6 INDEX* Index

7 MO1* Motor on 1

8 GND Ground

9 FDS2* Drive Select 2 10 FDS1* Drive Select 1 11 MO2* Motor on 2 12 GND Ground 13 FDIRC* Direction Control 14 GND Ground 15 FSTEP* Step 16 GND Ground 17 FWD* Write Data 18 FWE* Write Enable 19 FTK0* Track 0 20 FWP* Write Protect 21 GND* Ground 22 FRDD* Read Data 23 GND* Ground 24 FHS* Handshake 25 DCHG* Diskette Change 26 GND* Ground

Connector Type:

DHD-22

Appendix D Connectors

GPIB

SYSFAIL FAILED TEST ON LINE ACCESS DRIVE TURBO

VGA

COM1

COM2

DISK

LPT

DRIVE

CLK

TRG IN AUDIO/

TRG OUT

KEYBOARD

GPIB

RESET

Figure D-7. GPIB Connector

Table D-7. GPIB Connector Signals

24 23 22 21 20 19

18 17 16 15 14 13

GPIB

12 11 10

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Connector Type:GPIB

Pin Signal Name Signal Description

1 DIO1* Data Bit 1

2 DIO2* Data Bit 2

3 DIO3* Data Bit 3

4 DIO4* Data Bit 4

5 EOI* End or Identify

6 DAV* Data Valid

7 NRFD* Not Ready for Data

8 NDAC* Not Data Accepted

9 IFC* Interface Clear 10 SRQ* Service Request 11 ATN* Attention 12 SHIELD Chassis ground 13 DIO5* Data Bit 5 14 DIO6* Data Bit 6 15 DIO7* Data Bit 7 16 DIO8* Data Bit 8 17 REN* Remote Enable 18 GND Logic Ground 19 GND Logic Ground 20 GND Logic Ground 21 GND Logic Ground 22 GND Logic Ground 23 GND Logic Ground 24 GND Logic Ground

Connectors Appendix D

External CLK10

SYSFAIL FAILED TEST ON LINE ACCESS DRIVE TURBO

VGA

COM1

COM2

DISK

LPT

DRIVE

CLK

TRG IN AUDIO/

TRG OUT

KEYBOARD

GPIB

RESET

Figure D-8. EXT CLK Connector

Table D-8. EXT CLK Connector Signals

EXT

CLK

Center

Shield

Connector Type: SMB

Pin Signal Description

Center TTL CLK10 I/O Signal Shield Ground

Appendix D Connectors

External Trigger Input

SYSFAIL FAILED TEST ON LINE ACCESS DRIVE TURBO

VGA

COM1

COM2

DISK

LPT

DRIVE

CLK

TRG IN AUDIO/

TRG OUT

KEYBOARD

GPIB

RESET

Figure D-9. TRG IN Connector

Table D-9. TRG IN Connector Signals

TRG

Center

Shield

Connector Type: SMB

Pin Signal Description

Center Trigger Input Signal Shield Ground

Connectors Appendix D

External Audio/Trigger Output

SYSFAIL FAILED TEST ON LINE ACCESS DRIVE TURBO

VGA

COM1

COM2

DISK

LPT

DRIVE

CLK

TRG IN AUDIO/

TRG OUT

KEYBOARD

AUDIO/

TRG OUT

GPIB

RESET

Figure D-10. AUDIO/TRG OUT Connector

Table D-10. AUDIO/TRG OUT Connector Signals

Center

Shield

Connector Type: SMB

Pin Signal Description

Center Audio/Trigger Output Signal Shield Ground

Appendix D Connectors

VXIbus P1 and P2

W25

W24

W34 W33

W20

J16

W36 W35 W32

P2P1

W26

A1C1

Connector Type:

96-pin DIN

A32

C32

B32

Figure D-11. VXIbus Connector

Table D-11. VXIbus P1 Connector Signals

Pin Row A Signals Row B Signals Row C Signals

1 D00 BBSY* D08 2 D01 BCLR* D09 3 D02 ACFAIL* D10 4 D03 BG0IN* D11 5 D04 BG0OUT* D12 6 D05 BG1IN* D13 7 D06 BG1OUT* D14 8 D07 BG2IN* D15

9 GND BG2OUT* GND 10 SYSCLK BG3IN* SYSFAIL* 11 GND BG3OUT* BERR* 12 DS1* BR0* SYSRESET* 13 DS0* BR1* LWORD* 14 WRITE* BR2* AM5 15 GND BR3* A23 16 DTACK* AM0 A22 17 GND AM1 A21 18 AS* AM2 A20 19 GND AM3 A19 20 IACK* GND A18 21 IACKIN* not connected A17 22 IACKOUT* not connected A16 23 AM4 GND A15 24 A07 IRQ7* A14 25 A06 IRQ6* A13

(continues)

Connectors Appendix D

Table D-11. VXIbus P1 Connector Signals (Continued)

Pin Row A Signals Row B Signals Row C Signals

26 A05 IRQ5* A12 27 A04 IRQ4* A11 28 A03 IRQ3* A10 29 A02 IRQ2* A09 30 A01 IRQ1* A08 31 -12 V not connected +12 V 32 +5 V +5 V +5 V

Table D-12. VXIbus P2 Connector Signals

Pin Row A Signals Row B Signals Row C Signals

1 ECLTRG0 +5 V CLK10+

2 -2 V GND CLK10-

3 ECLTRG1 not connected GND

4 GND A24 -5.2 V

5 MODID12 A25 not connected

6 MODID11 A26 not connected

7 -5.2 V A27 GND

8 MODID10 A28 not connected

9 MODID09 A29 not connected 10 GND A30 GND 11 MODID08 A31 not connected 12 MODID07 GND not connected 13 -5.2 V +5 V -2 V 14 MODID06 not connected not connected 15 MODID05 not connected not connected 16 GND not connected GND 17 MODID04 not connected not connected 18 MODID03 not connected not connected 19 -5.2 V not connected -5.2 V 20 MODID02 not connected not connected 21 MODID01 not connected not connected 22 GND GND GND 23 TTLTRG0* not connected TTLTRG1* 24 TTLTRG2* not connected TTLTRG3* 25 +5 V not connected GND 26 TTLTRG4* not connected TTLTRG5* 27 TTLTRG6* not connected TTLTRG7* 28 GND not connected GND 29 not connected not connected not connected 30 MODID00 not connected GND 31 GND GND not connected 32 not connected +5 V not connected

Appendix E Modifying and Installing I/O Expansion Boards

This appendix explains how to modify and install commercially available PC/XT and PC AT I/O boards in a VXIpc-486/2 Model 200 Series computer equipped with the I/O expansion kit.

Some VXIpc-486/2 models are equipped with an expansion kit that accommodates installation of either two PC/XT-height boards, or one PC/XT-height and one PC AT-height board. National Instruments offers several plug-in expansion boards you can use. Please contact National Instruments to find out what is currently available to expand your VXIpc-486.

When installing an I/O board you must use a panel bracket, as shown in the reference drawing following this page, with the appropriate additional cutouts necessary to accommodate the connectors. The connector cutouts must fall within the shaded connector window shown in the drawing. The connector window is compatible with the VXIpc-486/2 front panel cutouts, as well as the connector window specified for 16-bit Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus I/O boards.

Note: In the drawing, all vertical dimensions are referenced to the bottom (connector) edge

of the printed wiring board (PWB). Horizontal dimensions are referenced to the top (component) side of the PWB.

The panel should be manufactured according to the following specifications:

• Material: .030 ± .003 1010 Cold Rolled Steel

• Finish: Bright Nickel Plate Alternatively, you can modify the blank panels provided with the VXIpc-486/2. Blank panels

are also available from National Instruments as an accessory (P/N 181300-01). Custom panel design services are available from National Instruments for a nominal fee.

The two holes in the bracket align with existing holes in the VXIpc-486 front panel. To affix the panel bracket to the front panel, you can either install a PEM nut on the back (far) side of the bracket, or use a 4-40 nut with lock washer. In either case, use a 4-40 x 1/4 in. stainless steel panhead screw to mount the board/bracket assembly to the front panel. If you use a nut/lock washer, notice that the hole diameter should be 0.125 in. P/N 181300-01 is provided with PEM nuts installed.

To install your I/O board, replace the manufacturer-supplied panel bracket with the flat bracket. Seat it firmly in one of the expansion bus connectors, and affix it to the front panel with the two screws.

Appendix F VXIpc-486 Plug-in Boards

The VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series has several configurations that include an expansion kit for installing plug-in boards. There are several considerations for these plug-in boards that may be a bit confusing. This appendix contains information intended to clarify the different configurations by describing the considerations for plug-in boards for the VXIpc-486.

Height of VXIpc-486 Plug-in Boards

The key issue to consider for plug-in PC boards for the VXIpc-486 is the height of the plug-in PC board. Our literature distinguishes between a PC board and a PC AT board in describing the different expansion kit configurations. When our literature refers to PC versus PC AT, it is a reference to the height of the board, rather than whether the board has a 16-bit or 8-bit interface to the PC bus. Both connectors for plug-in boards support both 8-bit and 16-bit boards. The issue is the physical space requirements. The height of a plug-in board is defined as the overall dimension from the bottom of the bus connector to the top of the board, as shown in Figure F-1.

Bus Connector

PC Board

Top of Board

PC AT Board

Figure F-1. Height Comparison of PC Boards Versus PC AT Boards

As Figure F-1 shows, a PC board is less than or equal to 4.2 in. in height, while a PC AT board is 4.2 in. or 4.8 in. in height. Figure F-2 shows how PC-height boards are installed in the VXIpc-486 expansion kit for the Model 200 Series.

Height = 4.2 in.

Height = 4.8 in.

VXIpc-486 Plug-in Boards Appendix F

Front

View

Side View

Internal

Floppy

PC AT Bus Connectors

Two Plug-in Boards

Both PC Height

Internal

Floppy Disk

Drive

Standard

Hard Disk

Drive

Figure F-2. Installing PC-Height Boards in a VXIpc-486 System

Notice that with an internal floppy and hard disk drive only PC-height boards (4.2 in.) can be installed (PC-height boards with a 16-bit PC AT bus interface can be used, however). A PC AT-height board (4.8 in.) will not fit.

To accommodate a PC AT-height board, one of the connectors for the plug-in boards is moved into the floppy drive area as shown in Figure F-3. From the front view, the leftmost plug-in board (first one installed) must still be PC height while the rightmost (second one installed) can be PC AT height. This is an important distinction because there are also restrictions on the length of the boards, as described in the following section.

Appendix F VXIpc-486 Plug-in Boards

Front

View

PC AT Height Plug-in Board

PC Height

Plug-in Board

Side View

Low

Profile

Hard Disk

Drive

Figure F-3. Installing PC AT-Height Boards in a VXIpc-486 System

Length of VXIpc-486 Plug-in Boards

This section discusses the restrictions on the length of the boards that can be installed into the expansion kit on a VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series. When you install a plug-in board, the front end of the board (the end that sticks out of the VXIpc-486 front panel) is firmly supported because it is screwed to the front panel of the VXIpc-486. A user-defined bracket is required on the expansion boards per National Instruments drawing 181300-01, PC/AT Card Blank Panel. The considerations on the length of the plug-in boards regard support for the back end of the board.

Figure F-4 shows the VXIpc-486 expansion kit with no boards installed. Notice that the expansion kit has a metal plate and moveable brackets that can move along the metal plate to support the back end of the plug-in boards (refer to Figure F-5). Two moveable brackets are required to support two boards. The one-board version is installed while the two-board version is available separately as kit number 776713-01. The longest board that the moveable bracket can support is 8.2 in. Notice, however, that there are fixed supports for the PC AT board at the back of the module.

VXIpc-486 Plug-in Boards Appendix F

Front

View

Side View (Model 200 Series)

Moveable

bracket

Fixed

Supports

Metal

Bracket

Bottom View

Figure F-4. VXIpc-486 Expansion Kit with No Boards Installed

Nylon Card Guide

Two 4-40 X .25 Screws

Two 4-40 Lockwashers Second Moveable Bracket

Two M/F 4-40 X .563 Standoffs

Six 4-40 Washers

Figure F-5. Kit Number 776713-01 for Two-Board Expansion (Model 200 Series)

The first board you install into a VXIpc-486 expansion kit can be less than or equal to 8.2 in. and can be supported using a moveable bracket, as shown in Figure F-6.

Appendix F VXIpc-486 Plug-in Boards

One Moveable Bracket Used

Figure F-6. First Board 8.2 in. Long or Less

While you can physically install a board that is between 8.2 in. and 13.4 in. long into the VXIpc-486, the back end will not be supported inside the VXIpc-486 (see Figure F-7). This may not be an issue in some applications, but if the application expects rugged handling it may be inadvisable to install the board without a support.

No Moveable Brackets Used

Figure F-7. First Board between 8.2 in. and 13.4 in. Long

After installing the first board, you can install the second board above it. If the second board is less than or equal to 8.2 in. long, you can use the second moveable bracket to support it. Figures F-8 and F-9 show configurations that require the use of both brackets.

Both Moveable Brackets Used

Figure F-8. Both Boards 8.2 in. Long or Less

Both Moveable Brackets Used

Figure F-9. First Board Less than 8.2 in. Long,

Second Board 8.2 in. Long or Less, but Longer than the First Board

VXIpc-486 Plug-in Boards Appendix F

The second board cannot be supported if it is shorter than the first board by a difference greater than one inch, as shown in Figure F-10. Remember that PC AT-height boards can be used in the second expansion slot only.

One Moveable Bracket Used

Figure F-10. First Board 8.2 in. Long or Less,

Second Board over One Inch Shorter than First Board

While you can physically install a board that is between 8.2 in. and 13.4 in. long, the back end will not be supported. This may not be an issue in some applications, but if the application expects rugged handling it may be inadvisable to install the board without a support. Figures F-11 and F-12 show two examples in which the second board is unsupported because it is between 8.2 in. and 13.4 in. long.

One Moveable Bracket Used

Figure F-11. First Board 8.2 in. Long or Less,

Second Board between 8.2 in. and 13.4 in. Long

No Moveable Brackets Used

Figure F-12. Both Boards Between 8.2 in. and 13.4 in. Long

Appendix F VXIpc-486 Plug-in Boards

Finally, you can install a full-length (13.4 in.) board and utilize the fixed supports at the back of the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series, as shown in Figures F-13 through F-15.

No Moveable Brackets Used

Figure F-13. Second Board Full 13.4 in. Long

One Moveable Bracket Used

Figure F-14. First Board 8.2 in. Long or Less,

Second Board Full 13.4 in. Long

No Moveable Brackets Used

Figure F-15. First Board between 8.2 in. and 13.4 in. Long,

Second Board Full 13.4 in. Long

Appendix G VXIpc-486 Hardware Configuration

This appendix contains hardware configuration information about the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series computer regarding memory map locations, I/O address map locations, interrupt lines, and DMA channels.

Table G-1 shows the memory map locations used by the Model 200 Series VXIpc-486 hardware windows to the VXIbus, and plug-in PC board expansion slots. Table G-2 lists the I/O addresses that are used by the VXIpc-486 and the Ethernet option. Table G-3 lists the hardware interrupt lines used by the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series, along with the corresponding functionality assigned to each line. Table G-4 lists the PC AT DMA channels used by the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series, along with the corresponding functionality assigned to each channel.

When installing plug-in PC AT boards into a VXIpc-486 expansion slot, be careful to avoid conflicts with the VXIpc-486 hardware setting. All other VXIpc-486 motherboard I/O devices are mapped according to industry-standard PC AT conventions.

Table G-1. VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Memory Map

Start-End Address Size VXIbus Access

A0000–BFFFF 128 KB VGA C8000–CFFFF 32 KB VXI A16 Space Window D0000–DFFFF 64 KB For Plug-In PC Expansion Boards E0000–EFFFF 64 KB VXI A24/A32 Space Window

VXIpc-486 Hardware Configuration Appendix G

Table G-2. VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series I/O Address Map

Address Device

00H - FFH Reserved 100H - 17FH Available 180H - 19FH GPIB

1A0H - 1EFH Available

200H - 207H Reserved 208H - 277H Available 278H - 27FH Reserved 280H - 29FH Ethernet Option

Default

2A0H - 2F7H Available

2F8H - 3FFH Reserved

Appendix G VXIpc-486 Hardware Configuration

Table G-3. VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Interrupt Line Use

PC AT Interrupt Functionality

Line Number

0 System Timer 1 Keyboard 2 Cascade 3 COM2 4 COM1 5 Free for Plug-In PC Boards

(Used if Option 920100-xx Installed) 6 Floppy Disk 7 Printer 8 Clock 9 Free for Plug-In PC Boards

10 Free for Plug-In PC Boards 11 GPIB 12 VXI (MIGA, VMEbus Interrupts,

Triggers)

13 80387SX 14 Hard Drive 15 Free for Plug-In PC Boards

VXIpc-486 Hardware Configuration Appendix G

Table G-4. VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series DMA Channel Use

PC AT DMA Functionality

Channel Number

0 Free for Plug-In PC Boards 1 Free for Plug-In PC Boards 2 Floppy Disk Drive 3 Free for Plug-In PC Boards 4 Reserved 5 GPIB 6 Free for Plug-In PC Boards 7 Free for Plug-In PC Boards

Appendix H Common Questions

This appendix answers common questions you may have when using the NI-VXI bus interface software on the VXIpc-486 platform. This material does not cover problems that you may have with the system. Please see Appendix I, Troubleshooting, if you have system-related problems.

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

Run the NI-VXI interactive control utility program, either VIC or VICTEXT. (If you run VIC, stay in the Text Window.) At the prompt type ver, and the program will display the versions of VIC/VICTEXT and NI-VXI, and the hardware revision of the VXIpc-486 that the NI-VXI software supports. However, this may not reflect the actual hardware revision of your VXIpc-486.

How can I determine what is the revision of the VXIpc-486 hardware I have in my system?

Running the NI-VXI interactive control utility program as described above will display the versions of VIC/VICTEXT and NI-VXI, and the hardware revision of the VXIpc-486 that the NI-VXI software supports. Because this may not reflect the actual hardware revision tood currently available to determine the actual hardware revision is to check the label affixed to the module.

Which NI-VXI utility program must I use to configure the VXIpc-486?

You must use one of the VXI Resource Editor programs, VXIEDIT or VXITEDIT, to configure the VXIpc-486. You will find this program in the NIVXI directory.

Which NI-VXI utility program must I use to initialize the VXIpc-486 hardware?

You must use the hardware initialization program, VXIINIT, to initialize the VXIpc-486. You will find this program in the NIVXI directory. VXIINIT uses the settings in the Configuration Editor of the VXI Resource Editor program, either VXIEDIT or VXITEDIT.

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

You must use the RESMAN program to perform startup Resource Manager operations. You will find this program in the NIVXI directory. RESMAN uses the settings in the Configuration Editor of the VXI Resource Editor program, either VXIEDIT or VXITEDIT. It initializes your VXI/VMEbus system and stores the information that it collects in the RESMAN.TBL file in the TBL subdirectory of the NIVXI directory.

Common Questions Appendix H

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

The fastest method for testing the system is to run RESMAN. This program attempts to access memory in the upper A16 address space of each device in the system. If RESMAN does not report any problems, the VXIbus communication system is operational.

To test individual devices, you can use the VIC or VICTEXT program to interactively issue NI-VXI functions. You can use the VXIin() and VXIout() functions or the VXIinReg() and VXIoutReg() functions to test Register-Based devices by programming their registers. If you have any Message-Based devices, you can send and receive messages with the WSwrt() and WSrd() functions.

Finally, if you are using LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, or LabWindows for DOS, 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 VXIpc-486 mean?

• The SYSFAIL light shows the state of the VXIbus SYSFAIL line. This line is asserted

whenever any device in the chassis has not yet passed its self test, failed its self test, or has detected a failure after originally passing its self test.

• The FAILED light indicates whether the VXIpc-486 has passed its own self test.

• The TEST light indicates that the Resouce Manager has not yet run and verified the VXIpc-486. The TEST light will go off when the test is complete, and the ON LINE light will come on.

• The ON LINE light means that the VXIpc-486 is ready for operation across the VXIbus.

• The ACCESS light indicates whether the VXIpc-486 is currently accessing the VXIbus.

• The DRIVE light indicates whether the Hard Disk is being accessed.

• The TURBO light indicates the processor operating speed. When lit, the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series computer is operating at its maximum frequency.

Refer also to Appendix C, Front Panel Indicators.

Is there something wrong with the VXIpc-486 if the red SYSFAIL and FAILED LEDs stay lit after booting the VXIpc-486?

Most likely, the VXIpc-486 has not yet run the hardware initialization program, VXIINIT. After it runs this program successfully, the FAILED LED should definitely turn off and, if no other devices are asserting the backplane SYSFAIL line, the SYSFAIL LED should also turn off. Perform the following procedure if either the SYSFAIL or FAILED LED remains lit.

Appendix H Common Questions

1. Power down the mainframe.

2. Remove all other modules from the mainframe.

3. Make sure that the VXIpc-486 jumper settings are set correctly.

4. Make sure that the VXIpc-486 is seated properly in the mainframe.

5. Power on the mainframe and observe whether the SYSFAIL and FAILED LEDs become unlit after running VXIINIT.

Refer also to Appendix C, Front Panel Indicators.

I have a system that requires ruggedized chassis and bulkhead cables. Can I still use MXIbus to have multiple VXIbus chassis?

Yes, National Instruments sells MXIbus bulkhead cables. Contact National Instruments and ask for Technical Note 30, Planning a MXIbus System Using MB Series Bulkhead Cables, which describes the cables and discusses how to design the system.

Can I access 32-bit registers in my VXIbus system from the VXIpc-486?

The VXIpc-486 Model 500 Series computers are capable of performing D32 accesses. For the Model 200 Series computers, however, all 32-bit accesses are broken into two 16-bit (D16) accesses on the backplane.

What kind of signal is CLK10 and what kind of signal do I need for an external CLK10?

CLK10 is a differential ECL signal on the backplane. However, the oscillator for the VXIpc-486 and the EXTCLK input from the front panel use TTL. Therefore, you need to supply a TTLlevel signal for EXTCLK. Our voltage converters convert the signal to differential ECL.

What is the accuracy of the CLK10 signal?

The CLK10 signal generated by the VXIpc-486 is ±100 ppm (0.01%) as per the VXIbus specification. If you need a more accurate CLK10 signal, you can use the EXTCLK input at the front of the VXIpc-486.

If I boot the computer without video, and then plug in the video, why it is in black and white?

When the computer first boots, the video chips try to synchronize with the monitor. If the monitor is not there, the video chips cannot synchronize and establish color. You need to have the monitor attached at boot time to get color.

Common Questions Appendix H

How do I connect a SCSI device to the VXIpc-486?

You will need to install an ISA bus SCSI board in one of the ISA bus slots of the VXIpc-486. This means that you must have a two-slot VXIpc-486 and that one of the slots must be available. Also, check if your VXIpc-486 possesses either two PC-height (<4.2 in.) slots or one PC-height and one AT-height (<4.8 in.) slot. Make sure that the SCSI board can fit in the slot, given the height restrictions. For proper installation, you must remove the AT bracket mounted on the board. Refer to Appendix F, VXIpc-486 Plug-in Boards, for more information.

National Instruments offers two SCSI interface options that you can consider when ordering a VXIpc-486. You can order part number 920100-13 for a SCSI adapter without BIOS if you do not intend to boot from an external SCSI hard drive. You can order part number 920100-14 for a SCSI adapter with BIOS if you do want to boot from an external SCSI hard drive. These SCSI boards are 16-bit and use programmed I/O for data transfers. They are not SCSI-2 compatible boards.

When you configure the SCSI board base I/O address, memory address, interrupt levels, and DMA channels, make sure that the settings do not conflict with those already used by the VXIpc-486. For more information about the VXIpc-486 settings, refer to Appendix G, VXIpc-486 Hardware Configuration.

How do I connect the VXIpc-486 to a network?

You will need to install an ISA bus Ethernet board in one of the ISA bus slots of the VXIpc-486. This means that you must have a two-slot VXIpc-486 and that one of the slots must be available. Also, check if your VXIpc-486 possesses either two PC-height (<4.2 in.) slots or one PC-height and one AT-height (<4.8 in.) slot. Make sure that the Ethernet board can fit in the slot, given the height restrictions. For proper installation, you must remove the AT bracket mounted on the board.

National Instruments offers two Ethernet interface options that you can consider when ordering a VXIpc-486. You can order part number 920100-01 for an Ethernet adapter with a coaxial (BNC) connector. You can order part number 920100-02 for an Ethernet adapter with a twisted pair connector, which resembles a telephone jack. Both Ethernet boards also have generic Access Unit Interface (AUI) connectors that can connect to other Ethernet media through third-party Media Access Unit (MAU) boxes. These can be purchased from almost any Ethernet board manufacturer.

When you configure the Ethernet board base I/O address, memory address, interrupt levels, and DMA channels, make sure that the settings do not conflict with those already used by the VXIpc-486. For more information about the VXIpc-486 settings, refer to Appendix G, VXIpc-486 Hardware Configuration.

What type of video interface is present onboard the VXIpc-486? What video drivers are included with the VXIpc-486? Can I use Super VGA with my VXIpc-486? If my application requires a special type of video display, how do I configure my VXIpc-486?

The VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series computers use the Chips & Technology 451 video chip set, which is compatible with the Standard VGA video output MS Windows video driver. Super VGA is available for VXIpc-486 computers in the Model 500 Series but it cannot be used for the Model 200 Series.

Appendix H Common Questions

If your application requires a special type of video display, you can order the two-slot VXIpc-486 module without onboard video and install a specialized ISA bus video card in one of the ISA bus slots. Make sure that the video card can fit in the ISA bus slot, given the height restrictions. For proper installation, you must remove the AT bracket mounted on the board.

When you configure the video board base I/O address, memory address, interrupt levels, and DMA channels, make sure that the settings do not conflict with those already used by the VXIpc-486. For more information about the VXIpc-486 settings, refer to Appendix G, VXIpc-486 Hardware Configuration.

What type of connector must my keyboard possess to plug directly into the VXIpc-486? Is there a keyboard adapter cable available if my keyboard does not have this type of connector?

You can plug keyboards that have a 6-pin Mini DIN PS/2 type connector directly into the VXIpc-486. You can use the keyboard adapter cable that is included with every VXIpc-486 kit to adapt the larger AT keyboard connector to the 6-pin Mini DIN connector.

How do I connect a serial device to the COM2/GPIO connector on the VXI-pc486?

The easiest way to connect a serial device to the COM2/GPIO connector is to purchase the COM2 adapter cable (part number 182188-01), which brings out the serial port signals from the 15-pin COM2/GPIO connector to a standard 9-pin Subminiature DHD-20

connector. You can

try to connect directly to the serial port signals on the COM2/GPIO connector. Refer to Appendix D for the connector pin descriptions.

How do I connect an external speaker to the VXIpc-486 to get audio capability?

A twisted-pair cable connects the front panel AUDIO/TRG OUT connector to the VXIpc-486 motherboard. By default, this cable is connected to two pins at J17 on the motherboard. With this configuration, TTL trigger signals can be passed out the front panel connector. For audio capability, connect the cable to the two pins at J13. Connect the external speaker to the front panel connector. The center pin of the SMB connector provides the audio signal. The shield of the SMB connector is GROUND.

How do I add more RAM to the VXIpc-486? What is the maximum amount of RAM that I can have on the VXIpc-486?

To add more RAM to the VXIpc-486, you need have to change the SIMMs that reside in slots A1 and A2 of the VXIpc-486. The SIMMs used for the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series differ from those used for the Model 500 Series. The maximum amount of RAM on a VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series is 16 MB.

Note: Do

NOT attempt to change the factory RAM configuration of a two-slot VXIpc-486

module. You must return your VXIpc-486/2 module to National Instruments for SIMM installation or else you will void your warranty.

Common Questions Appendix H

National Instruments recommends the following types of SIMMs for use with the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series controllers:

1 MB: Toshiba part number THM181000ASG-10L or equivalent 1 MB x 18 SIMMs 4 MB: Toshiba part number THM184080SG-10L or equivalent 4 MB x 18 SIMMs

The physical dimensions of the 1 MB and 4 MB SIMMs are as follows:

• 107.95 mm in length

• 5.08 mm in thickness

• 25.4 mm in height

Do not exceed these physical dimensions when choosing an equivalent SIMM.

I am trying to install an ISA bus board in one of the ISA bus slots and it is too tall for the metal cover to fit on the VXIpc-486. What options do I have if I must use this board?

You could consider getting a VXIpc-486 without an internal floppy drive, so that you can use the AT-height slot for any ISA bus board (<4.8 inches). If you choose the latter option, you can use an external floppy drive instead of an internal floppy drive. To arrange to have your VXIpc-486 reconfigured with an AT-height slot, contact your National Instruments Inside Sales Representative or Regional Sales Manager.

Which interrupt levels are free to be used by ISA bus boards?

Interrupt levels 5, 9, 10, and 15 are free to be used by ISA bus boards. See Appendix G, VXIpc-486 Hardware Configuration for information on the available port I/O register space, upper memory area, interrupts, and DMA channels.

Which area of upper memory (adapter space) is free for use by ISA bus boards or expanded memory manager software programs?

The upper memory from D000h to DFFFh is free for use by ISA bus boards or expanded memory manager software programs. The VXIpc-486 needs upper memory from C800h to CFFFh and from E000h to EFFFh so that it can access the devices in VXI address space. See Appendix G, VXIpc-486 Hardware Configuration for information on the available port I/O register space, upper memory area, interrupts, and DMA channels.

How do I install the VXIpc-486 in a slot other than Slot 0?

The VXIpc-486 is factory configured as a Slot 0 device. If you want to install the VXIpc-486 in a different slot of your mainframe, you must perform the following steps. Refer also to Chapter 2, VXIpc-486 Configuration and Installation, for explanations and illustrations that show both the configurations and the location of the jumpers.

1. Move the W3 jumper to the leftmost two pins. The new configuration causes the MODID signal to be terminated with an 825 Ω pull-down resistor.

Appendix H Common Questions

2. Move the W7 jumper to the upper two pins. The new configuration disables the default System Controller functions.

3. Move the jumpers from jumpers W4 and W5 to jumpers W1 and W2 in the jumper block of pins. In the new configuration, the VXIpc-486 accepts the CLK10 signal from the backplane.

4. Install the board in a slot other than Slot 0.

How do I install the VXIpc-486 in a slot other than Slot 0 and prevent the VXIpc-486 from being the Resource Manager?

1. Perform the same hardware changes as described in the previous question.

2. Run the VXI Resource Editor program, either VXIEDIT or VXITEDIT, and select the Configuration Editor.

3. In the Logical Address Configuration Editor, change the Logical Address parameter from 0 to a non-zero value.

4. In the Bus Configuration Editor, change the Local Bus Timeout parameter to DISABLE.

5. In the Bus Configuration Editor, change the VXI Bus Timeout parameter to DISABLE.

6. Save your changes and rerun VXIINIT and RESMAN.

Notes:

1. If your board is set up as a Message-Based device, it must wait for the Word Serial command Begin Normal Operation from the actual Resource Manager device (the device at Logical Address 0).

2. If your board is set up as a Register-Based device, you don't have to run RESMAN. But running RESMAN will not cause any problems.

3. To set whether your board is Message-Based or Register-Based, use the Logical Address Configuration Editor in the VXI Resource Editor program to edit the Device Type field.

MBD Message-Based Device RBD Register-Based Device EXT Extended Device

Common Questions Appendix H

How do I view the BIOS setup parameters to check the configuration of the memory, floppy drive, hard drive, time/date, and so on?

Follow these steps to view the BIOS setup parameters.

1. Reboot the VXIpc-486.

2. During the memory tests, press the <F2> key.

3. After hitting the <F2> key, you will get a menu listing the screens that you can enter. Select the Setup screen, which shows all the important parameters concerning your system.

Refer to Chapter 3, BIOS Setup, for more information.

Appendix I Troubleshooting

This appendix addresses system-related problems you may encounter when using the NI-VXI bus interface software on the VXIpc-486 platform. This material covers the following issues:

• Running the VXIINIT initialization program results in an error message or causes the system to hang.

• Running the RESMAN Resource Manager program results in incorrect data or causes the system to hang.

• The mouse degrades system performance.

• The VXIpc-486 and/or its installed components (such as GPIB, COM Port) fail to work once ISA bus plug-in cards are installed.

• The network card installed does not operate properly.

• The Hard Disk Drive reports failures or other errors.

If you encounter any of these problems, your system may have a conflict with one of the VXIpc-486 configuration settings. For proper operation, the VXIpc-486 requires the allocation of the following system resources:

• One interrupt level that cannot be shared with another device

• Two blocks of memory space in the upper memory region of the PC AT address space

In addition, the VXIpc-486 components require Port I/O register space, interrupts and DMA channels. These resources are statically allocated. For more details, refer to Appendix G, VXIpc-486 Hardware Configuration.

If you are unable to resolve your problem, and you have checked Appendix I, Common

Questions, for a solution to your problem, please fill out the appropriate forms in Appendix J, Customer Communication, and contact National Instruments.

What information should I have before I call National Instruments?

Make sure that none of the following questions relate to the problem you are having, or the suggestions contained in the answers have not correct the problem. Appendix H, Common Questions, may also contain the solution to your problem. When you call National Instruments, make sure you have filled out the VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Hardware and Software Configuration Form in Appendix J. Also, if you are having problems with RESMAN, you can get RESMAN to create a file of its output by issuing

resman -o

Troubleshooting Appendix I

from the Program Manager Run option, a Windows MS-DOS Shell, or by changing the Command Line to the above statement in the Program Item Properties window of the RESMAN icon. This creates a file RESMAN.OUT in the TBL subdirectory of the NIVXI directory.

What does VXIINIT mean by File

filename

not found?

When VXIINIT runs, it attempts to access some of the configuration or table files, such as VXILA.CFG, VXIBUS.CFG, and VXIDEV.CFG. If VXIINIT cannot find any of these files,

you have two options.

1. The file(s) may have been deleted accidentally. If the file does not exist in your TBL directory after you installed your software, you will need to reinstall NI-VXI from your software distribution media.

2. You can modify the NIVXIPATH environment variable. Check the AUTOEXEC.BAT file in your root directory. Make sure that the user environment variable NIVXIPATH points to the right directory. By default this directory is C:\NIVXI, but you may have chosen another destination directory during the installation process.

What does VXIINIT mean by Error writing configuration to file?

This is only a warning message, and does not indicate a problem with the configuration. Either the log file could not be created, or only a partial log was written.

VXIINIT creates a file VXIINIT.OUT in the

TBL subdirectory. This file is a text file that

contains the same configuration information you see printed to the screen. The likely cause of this message is that the disk drive is full.

Why does RESMAN report warning/errors about devices that don’t exist in my system?

If the VXIINIT program runs successfully but you encounter problems with RESMAN, the Resource Manager program, the cause is probably that your system contains a device that already occupies all or some of the upper memory area that is allocated for the Master Windows. The Master Windows consist of 32 KB and 64 KB blocks of contiguous memory in the PC AT upper memory space that the VXIpc-486 uses to access the VXI/VME bus. The upper memory space of a PC AT is the region from 640 KB (A000h) to 1024 KB (FFFFh). Several system resources, such as system ROM and video memory, reside in this area. On a VXIpc-486, the Master Windows occupy the memory regions from a base address of C800h to CFFFh, and E000h to EFFFh.

To solve this problem, first determine what area of upper memory your devices use. Then move your device to the unused area of upper memory from D000h to DFFFh. If you have Ethernet networking cards, be aware that many of them occupy upper memory. Many Ethernet cards have an upper memory base address of D000h or E000h.

In addition to the above problems, your system may contain an expanded-memory manager or an expanded-memory emulator that uses a block of upper memory within the range that is allocated for the master-mode windows.

Appendix I Troubleshooting

To solve this problem, verify which expanded-memory manager or emulator you are using, and prevent it from using upper memory within the address ranges for the master-mode windows. The following examples show how to prevent various expanded-memory managers or emulators from using upper memory within the address ranges for the master-mode windows, from C800h to CFFFh and E000h to EFFFh.

If you are using EMM386, which is included with MS-DOS, prevent it from using the address ranges for the master-mode windows by editing the CONFIG.SYS file and appending the flags X=C800-CFFF and X=E000-EFFF to the line DEVICE=EMM386.EXE.

If you are using QEMM386 from Quarterdeck, prevent it from using the address ranges for the master-mode windows by editing the CONFIG.SYS file and appending the flags X=C800- CFFF and X=E000-EFFF to the line DEVICE=QEMM386.SYS.

If you are using 386MAX from Qualitas, prevent it from using the address ranges for the mastermode windows by editing the 386MAX.PRO file located in the 386MAX directory, and inserting the lines RAM=C800-CFFF and RAM=E000-EFFF.

If you are using any other expanded-memory manager, refer to its documentation to learn how to prevent it from using the address ranges for the master-mode windows.

Why does VXIINIT work fine but RESMAN hangs the system?

This is most likely caused by a conflict with the Master Window. See the previous question,

Why does

RESMAN

report warning/errors about devices that don’t exist in my system?

Why is it that when I install my mouse driver, the system performance degrades?

If your mouse appears to slow down system performance, add the /y option to your mouse command. This action switches off the hardware cursor and gives you full system performance.

Why does the VXIpc-486 and/or its installed components (GPIB, COM Port) fail to work once ISA bus plug-in cards are installed?

The VXIpc-486 and its components use Port I/O register space, interrupts and DMA, just like a desktop PC. If installing an ISA bus card causes something to stop working, it is very likely that you have a conflict of these resources between the VXIpc-486 and the plug-in card. See Appendix G, VXIpc-486 Hardware Configuration for the resources that the VXIpc-486 uses.

Why does my network not work properly?

There can be a possible conflict with the network card in your system. See the question Why does the VXIpc-486 and/or its installed components (GPIB, COM Port) fail to work once ISA bus plug-in cards are installed? above.

Troubleshooting Appendix I

In addition, most network cards use some portion of the upper memory area, usually between D000h to EFFFh, for their operation. Because the VXIpc-486 also uses some of this memory area, the computer and the network card may be conflicting. See Why does RESMAN report warning/errors about devices that don’t exist in my system? earlier in this section for more information.

When my computer boots, it says that it cannot access the Hard Disk (HDD), or says System Not Found, or Fixed Disk Failure. Is my HDD damaged?

It is not uncommon for the computer to be unable to access the HDD if the system loses power during certain times of operation. Try the following procedure to fix the problem.

1. Reboot the VXIpc-486 and, during the system tests, press the <F2> key.

2. Select Setup from the menu.

3. Press the <F9> key to Auto Configure the system.

4. Press <F10> to save the configuration.

5. Press <Esc> until you exit the BIOS Setup utility.

6. If the errors do not go away, power down your mainframe, remove the VXIpc-486, and check the hard drive settings on its label.

7. Reinsert the VXIpc-486, power on the mainframe, get back into the BIOS setup, and make sure that the hard drive parameters match those printed on the label.

8. If the errors do not go away, open up the VXIpc-486 and make sure the hard drive cable and power cable are securely attached to the hard drive.

If this did not fix the problem, check to see if you can boot off a floppy DOS disk and then change drive to C. If not, your HDD is probably damaged and may need to be reformatted or repaired.

Caution: You should

NOT reformat the disk unless directed by National Instruments

support personnel. The HDD controller may have a problem, or a fuse may have blown, causing the HDD to fail. Reformatting the drive prematurely may not fix the problem but could result in a loss of data. Contact National Instruments for repair information.

Appendix J Customer Communication

For your convenience, this appendix contains forms to help you gather the information necessary to help us solve technical problems you might have as well as a form you can use to comment on the product documentation. Filling out a copy of the Technical Support Form before contacting National Instruments helps us help you better and faster.

National Instruments provides comprehensive technical assistance around the world. In the U.S. and Canada, applications engineers are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (central time). In other countries, contact the nearest branch office. You may fax questions to us at any time.

Corporate Headquarters

(512) 795-8248 Technical support fax: (800) 328-2203

(512) 794-5678

Branch Offices Phone Number Fax Number

Australia (03) 879 9422 (03) 879 9179 Austria (0662) 435986 (0662) 437010-19 Belgium 02/757.00.20 02/757.03.11 Denmark 45 76 26 00 45 76 71 11 Finland (90) 527 2321 (90) 502 2930 France (1) 48 14 24 00 (1) 48 14 24 14 Germany 089/741 31 30 089/714 60 35 Italy 02/48301892 02/48301915 Japan (03) 3788-1921 (03) 3788-1923 Netherlands 03480-33466 03480-30673 Norway 32-848400 32-848600 Spain (91) 640 0085 (91) 640 0533 Sweden 08-730 49 70 08-730 43 70 Switzerland 056/20 51 51 056/20 51 55 U.K. 0635 523545 0635 523154

Technical Support Form

Photocopy this form and update it each time you make changes to your software or hardware, and 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. Use additional pages if necessary.

Name Company Address

Fax ( ) Phone ( ) The problem is

List any error messages

The following steps will reproduce the problem

VXIpc-486 Model 200 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 of this form each time you revise your software or hardware 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

• VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series ID Label Information – Model Number 200 240 – Complete Part Number (including 3-digit suffix) ___________________________________________ – Serial Number ___________________________________________ – Revision Number ___________________________________________ – Fixed Disk Type (See ID label on module cover) ___________________________________________

• VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Configuration Information (see Chapter 2) – Factory Configuration yes no

If no, give the following information. VXIbus Slot/External CLK10 Configuration (Table 2-2) A* B C D E F

– External Trigger Input Configuration (Figure 2-9)

Unterminated* Terminated

– External Audio/Trigger Output Configuration (Table 2-3)

Trigger Out* Audio Out

• VXIpc-EFD External Floppy Drive

Not Installed Installed If installed, give the following information Serial Number __________________________________________________ Revision __________________________________________________

* Factory Configuration

• 80387SX Math Coprocessor

Not Installed Installed

• Software Information – NI-488.2 Software for MS-DOS/Windows

Version __________________________________________________

– NI-VXI for VXIpc-486 and MS-DOS/

Windows Version __________________________________________________ – Microsoft Windows Version __________________________________________________ – Microsoft Windows Mode __________________________________________________

(Enhanced, Standard or Real)

• NI-VXI Software Configuration Information (see Chapter 4) – VXIla Configuration

Logical Address __________________________________________________ Device Type __________________________________________________ Address Space __________________________________________________ VXI Shared RAM (Byte Order) __________________________________________________ VXI Shared RAM (Mbytes) __________________________________________________ Shared Memory Pool (Windows) __________________________________________________ Slave Block Transfer Mode __________________________________________________ Slave Supervisory Access Only __________________________________________________ Resource Manager Delay (seconds) __________________________________________________

– VXIbus Configuration

Bus Request Level __________________________________________________ Fair Requester Timeout (µs) __________________________________________________ Bus Release Mechanism __________________________________________________ Bus Arbitration __________________________________________________ Local Bus Timeout (µc) __________________________________________________ VXIbus Timeout (µs) __________________________________________________ Bus Acquisition Time in Timeout __________________________________________________

– VXIdev Configuration

SYSRESET Resets PC __________________________________________________ Use System Sanity Timer __________________________________________________ Servant Area Size __________________________________________________

Protocol Register __________________________________________________ Read Protocols Response __________________________________________________ Number of Handlers __________________________________________________ Number of Interrupters __________________________________________________

Other Products

• I/O Expansion Cards–VXIpc-486/2 only (Manufacturer, Model) _____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

• Monitor (Manufacturer, Model) _____________________________________________

• Keyboard (Manufacturer, Model) _____________________________________________

• Mouse (Manufacturer, Model) _____________________________________________

• VXIbus Mainframe Manufacturer and Model _____________________________________________

• Other VXIbus Devices

Manufacturer Model Function Slot Logical Address

Continue on a separate sheet, if necessary.

• Interrupt Level(s) of Other VXI Devices _____________________________________________ (Handler/Interrupter)

_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________

• 488 bus Devices (Manufacturer, Model, GPIB Address)

_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________

• Any Other Software In System _____________________________________________

VXI VXIpc-486 Model 200 Series Getting Started

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual