Mxi-2 Description; Mxi-2 Interface Kit Overview - National Instruments MXI-2 Reference Manual

Chapter 1 Introduction

MXI-2 Description

Note In the remainder of this manual, the term MXIbus refers to MXI-2.

MXI-2 Interface Kit Overview

MXI-2 Configuration Reference Manual
MXI-2 is the second generation of the National Instruments MXIbus
product line. The MXIbus is a general-purpose, 32-bit, multimaster system
bus on a cable. MXI-2 expands the number of signals on a standard MXI
cable by including VXI triggers, all VXI interrupts, CLK10, and all of the
utility bus signals (SYSFAIL*, SYSRESET*, and ACFAIL*).
Because MXI-2 incorporates all these new signals into a single connector,
the triggers, interrupts, and utility signals can be extended not only to other
chassis but also to the local CPU in all MXI-2 products using a single cable.
Thus, with MXI-2, CPU interface boards such as the PCI-MXI-2,
PCI-MXI-2 Universal, and PXI-8320 perform as if they were plugged
directly into the VXI/VME backplane.
In addition, MXI-2 boosts data throughput performance past
previous-generation MXIbus products by defining new high-performance
protocols. MXI-2 is a superset of MXI. All accesses initiated by MXI
devices work with MXI-2 devices. However, MXI-2 defines synchronous
MXI block data transfers that surpass previous block data throughput
benchmarks. The new synchronous MXI block protocol increases MXI-2
throughput to a maximum of 33 Mbytes/s between two MXI-2 devices. All
National Instruments MXI-2 boards can initiate and respond to
synchronous MXI block cycles.
This manual contains separate chapters devoted to each National
Instruments MXI-2 controller. When you install one MXI-2 interface
device in your computer and another in your chassis, you connect the two
with a MXIbus cable. The net result is that the computer operates as if it
were installed directly in the VXI/VME chassis.
The interface kits described in this manual link a PCI-based computer or
a PXI/CompactPCI chassis directly to the VXIbus or VMEbus using the
high-speed Multisystem eXtension Interface bus (MXI-2). You can use
these kits on a variety of platforms, including all Microsoft platforms,
Macintosh, and Solaris.
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