National Instruments MXI Hardware Overview

Hardware Overview

This chapter presents an overview of MXI-Express hardware functionality

and explains the operation of each functional unit.

MXI-Express is based on PCI Express technology. A MXI-Express kit

usesPCI Express switches to enable control of a PXI Express or

CompactPCIE xpress chassis from a PC with an available PCI Express slot.

The PCI Express switch architecture is transparent to device drivers, so no

additional software is needed to support using PXI Express and

CompactPCI Express devices in a chassis connected using MXI-Express.

Note The PXI Platform Services software on the PXI Platform Services CD or driver CD

included with your PXI Express MXI-Express hardware is required to provide chassis and

controller identification for PXI features such as trigger routing and slot detection. The PXI

Platform Services software is also included with the NI-DAQmx and NI-VISA drivers. For

more information, refer to KnowledgeBase 3TJDONDS at ni.com.

The link between the PC and the chassis is a x1 PCI Express link. This link

is a dual-simplex communication channel comprised of a low-voltage,

differentially driven signal pair. The link can transmit at a rate of 2.5 Gbps

in each direction simultaneously. This connector is not compatible with the

cabled PCI Express specification under development by the PCI-SIG.

Figure3-1 shows the basic arch itecture of MXI-Express. The

NIPCIe-836 1/8362 consists of a PCI Express x1 card edge connector, a

PCI Express switch, and one or two cabled MXI Express connectors. The

NI PXIe-8360 consists of one cabled MXI Express connector, a

PCIExpress switch, and PXI Express connectors.