Configuring Your System; Common Questions; General Hardware - National Instruments PXIe-8370 User Manual

software included with your kit. This software also can be found at
updates
For operating system support, refer to KnowledgeBase 53399AQ7, PXI Platform Services
Operating System Support, at

Configuring Your System

Note The following requires the PXI Platform Services software and Measurement
& Automation Explorer (MAX), included on your PXI Platform Services CD or
your driver CD.
For information about configuring your system in MAX, open MAX and navigate to
Help»Help Topics»PXI.

Common Questions

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

General Hardware

How does the PCIe-8371 (part number 194591x-02) differ from the PCIe-8371 (part
number 199994x-01)?
Besides the physical weight and size reduction, there is now a front panel LED that indicates
link status, as shown in the LED Status Descriptions of MXI-Express x4 Products table. The
smaller size allows the PCIe-8371 to fit in systems requiring a low-profile card when used
with the low-profile front bracket included with the card.
You may see a small performance increase and/or reduced latency in most applications, but
otherwise there is no functional difference.
What connectors do the NI MXI-Express x4 copper cables use?
The NI MXI-Express x4 copper cables use x4 PCI Express connectors. For more information
about these connectors, visit Molex at
How many PXI bus segments can I connect together with MXI-Express x4?
The PCI specification allows up to 255 bus segments. MXI-Express x4 does not limit this
number, but the maximum number of bus segments allowed can be BIOS or operating system
dependent. Also, a computer may already have several PCI bus segments internally, and the
MXI-Express x4 link also has multiple PCI buses internally. Every PCI Express device has at
least one bus segment, though it has more if it includes a bridge or switch.
Will my PC work with MXI-Express x4 products?
It depends on the robustness of your PC BIOS. In most cases, the BIOS can enumerate the
bridge resources that the MXI products require for operation, especially for smaller MXI
system configurations. For more information, refer to the NI Developer Zone article Tips to
Help You Successfully Use NI MXI-Express Controllers at
by searching for PXI Platform Services.
ni.com/kb
www.molex.com
.
and search for x4 PCIe iPass.
ni.com/zone
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