National Instruments Network Card NI PXI 8104 User Manual

PXI  
NI PXI-8104 User Manual  
NI PXI-8104 User Manual  
December 2007  
372411A-01  
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The NI PXI-8104 is 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.  
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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.  
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Regulations  
Determining FCC Class  
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rules to protect wireless communications from interference. The FCC  
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or Class B (for use in residential or commercial locations). All National Instruments (NI) products are FCC Class A products.  
Depending on where it is operated, this Class A product could be subject to restrictions in the FCC rules. (In Canada, the  
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Consult the FCC Web site at www.fcc.govfor more information.  
FCC/DOC Warnings  
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in this manual and the CE marking Declaration of Conformity*, may cause interference to radio and television reception.  
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Class A  
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*
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installer.  
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How to Use the Documentation Set...............................................................................vii  
Chapter 1  
Benefits of PXI ..............................................................................................................1-1  
Description ......................................................................................................1-2  
Chapter 2  
Chassis Configuration....................................................................................................2-12  
Basic PXI System Configuration.....................................................................2-13  
Upgrading RAM ............................................................................................................2-14  
Hard Drive Recovery.....................................................................................................2-15  
Installing an OS .............................................................................................................2-16  
Installing from a CD-ROM .............................................................................2-16  
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Contents  
Chapter 3  
Ethernet ........................................................................................................... 3-6  
Parallel Port..................................................................................................... 3-7  
Trigger............................................................................................................. 3-10  
Chapter 4  
General Questions ......................................................................................................... 4-1  
Boot Options.................................................................................................................. 4-1  
Software Driver Installation .......................................................................................... 4-3  
Upgrade Information ..................................................................................................... 4-4  
PXI Configuration ......................................................................................................... 4-6  
Chapter 5  
Troubleshooting  
Appendix A  
Technical Support and Professional Services  
Glossary  
Index  
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About This Manual  
This manual contains detailed instructions for installing and configuring  
your National Instruments NI PXI-8104 embedded controller kit.  
How to Use the Documentation Set  
Begin by reading the NI PXI-8104 Installation Guide, a brief quick-start  
guide that describes how to install and get started with your controller.  
This manual, the NI PXI-8104 User Manual, contains more details about  
changing the installation or configuration from the defaults and using the  
hardware.  
Conventions  
The following conventions appear in this manual:  
»
The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options  
to a final action. The sequence File»Page Setup»Options directs you to  
pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item, and select Options  
from the last dialog box.  
This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.  
This icon denotes a caution, which advises you of precautions to take to  
avoid injury, data loss, or a system crash.  
bold  
Bold text denotes items that you must select or click in the software, such  
as menu items and dialog box options. Bold text also denotes parameter  
names.  
italic  
Italic text denotes variables, emphasis, a cross-reference, or an introduction  
to a key concept. Italic text also denotes text that is a placeholder for a word  
or value that you must supply.  
monospace  
Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter from the  
keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and syntax examples.  
This font is also used for the proper names of disk drives, paths, directories,  
programs, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions, operations,  
variables, filenames, and extensions.  
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About This Manual  
monospace bold  
Bold text in this font denotes the messages and responses that the computer  
automatically prints to the screen. This font also emphasizes lines of code  
that are different from the other examples.  
Related Documentation  
The following documents contain information you may find helpful as you  
read this manual:  
PICMG 2.0 R3.0 CompactPCI Specification, PCI Industrial  
Computers Manufacturers Group  
IEEE Standard P1284.1-1997 (C/MM) Standard for Information  
Technology for Transport Independent Printer/System Interface  
PCI Local Bus Specification, Revision 2.3, PCI Special Interest Group  
PXI Hardware Specification, Revision 2.2, PXI Systems Alliance  
PXI Software Specification, Revision 2.1, PXI Systems Alliance  
Serialized IRQ Support for PCI Systems Specification, Revision 6.0,  
Compaq Computer et al.  
Universal Serial Bus (USB) Specification, Revision 2.0  
Digital Visual Interface (DVI) Specification, Revision 1.0  
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1
Introduction  
Benefits of PXI  
The PXI (PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation) industry standard, an open  
specification governed by the PXI Systems Alliance (PXISA), defines a  
compact modular PC platform for test, measurement, and control systems.  
PXI leverages the PCI bus, which is the de facto standard for today’s  
desktop computer software and hardware designs. As a result, PXI users  
receive all the benefits of PCI within an architecture that supports  
mechanical, electrical, and software features tailored to industrial  
instrumentation, data acquisition, industrial automation, and control  
applications.  
Well-suited for industrial applications, PXI leverages the CompactPCI  
specification, which defines a rugged form factor for PCI that offers  
superior mechanical integrity and easy installation and removal of  
hardware components. PXI products offer higher and more carefully  
defined levels of environmental performance required by the vibration,  
shock, temperature, and humidity extremes of industrial environments.  
PXI adds mandatory environmental testing and active cooling to the  
CompactPCI mechanical specification to ease system integration and  
ensure multivendor interoperability.  
Additionally, PXI meets the more specific needs of instrumentation users  
by adding an integrated trigger bus and reference clock for multiple-board  
synchronization, a star trigger bus for very precise timing, and local buses  
for communication between adjacent peripherals.  
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Chapter 1  
Introduction  
NI PXI-8104  
Description  
The NI PXI-8104 PXI/CompactPCI embedded computer is a  
high-performance PXI/CompactPCI system controller. The NI PXI-8104  
controller integrates standard I/O features in a single unit by using  
state-of-the-art packaging. Combining an NI PXI-8104 embedded  
controller with a PXI-compatible chassis, such as the NI PXI-1042, results  
in a fully PC-compatible computer in a compact, rugged package.  
Note The NI PXI-8104 controller will not function in the NI PXI-1020 or NI PXI-1025  
chassis.  
The standard I/O on each module includes DVI-I (Digital Video Interface  
Integrated Analog/Digital) video, one RS-232 serial port, a parallel port,  
four Hi-Speed USB ports, Gigabit Ethernet, a reset button, and a PXI  
trigger.  
The NI PXI-8104 has an Intel® Celeron M 440 (1.86 GHz single core  
processor), all the standard I/O, and a 60 GB (or larger) hard drive.  
Functional Overview  
This section contains functional descriptions of each major logic block on  
the NI PXI-8104 embedded computer.  
NI PXI-8104 Functional Description  
The NI PXI-8104 is a modular PC in a PXI 3U-size form factor. Figure 1-1  
is a functional block diagram of the NI PXI-8104. Following the diagram  
is a description of each logic block shown.  
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Chapter 1  
Introduction  
Socket 479  
CPU  
CHIPSET  
Graphics  
Memory  
Controller  
Hub  
SO-DIMM  
DDR2 SDRAM  
PC2-5300  
DVI-I  
Connector  
DUAL CH  
Gigabit  
Ethernet  
DMI  
Flash ROM  
PXI  
Connector  
CHIPSET  
4 Hi-Speed  
USB  
Connectors  
I/O  
Controller  
Hub  
PCI Bus  
PXI  
Triggers  
ATA 100  
IDE Interface  
LPC Bus  
SATA  
SMB to  
PXI Trigger  
LPT 1  
Super I/O  
Watchdog  
Timer  
COM 1  
SMB  
Figure 1-1. NI PXI-8104 Block Diagram  
The NI PXI-8104 consists of the following logic blocks on the CPU  
module and the I/O module. The CPU module has the following logic  
blocks:  
Socket 479 CPU is the socket definition for the Intel® Celeron M 440  
processor.  
The SO-DIMM block consists of two 64-bit DDR2 SDRAM sockets  
that can hold up to 1 GB each.  
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Introduction  
The Chipset 945GMCH (Graphics and Memory Controller Hub)  
connects to the CPU, DDR2 SDRAM, and DVI-I video.  
The SMB to PXI Trigger provides a routable connection of the  
PXI triggers to/from the SMB on the front panel.  
The Watchdog Timer block consists of a watchdog timer that can reset  
the controller or generate a trigger.  
The Chipset ICH7M connects to the PCI, USB, IDE, SATA, and  
LPC buses.  
The USB Connectors are connected to the ICH7M chipset.  
The PXI Connector connects the NI PXI-8104 to the PXI/CompactPCI  
backplane.  
The Super I/O block represents the other peripherals supplied by the  
NI PXI-8104. The NI PXI-8104 has one serial port, and an ECP/EPP  
parallel port.  
The Gigabit Ethernet connects to either 10 Mbit, 100 Mbit, or  
1,000 Mbit Ethernet interfaces.  
The SATA block connects a Serial ATA hard drive to the ICH7M.  
The ATA-100 IDE block is dedicated PCI-IDE circuitry providing fast  
ATA-100 transfers to the internal 2.5 in. hard drive. The IDE feature is  
built into the chipset. The hard drive is 30 GB or larger.  
National Instruments Software  
National Instruments has developed several software tools you can use with  
the NI PXI-8104.  
National Instruments’ hardware and software work together to help you  
make the most of your PXI system. The LabVIEW, Measurement Studio,  
and LabWindows/CVIapplication development environments combine  
with leading hardware drivers such as NI-DAQmx to provide exceptional  
control of NI hardware. Instrument drivers are available at ni.com/idnet  
to simplify communication with instruments over a variety of busses.  
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Chapter 1  
Introduction  
LabVIEW is a powerful and easy-to-use graphical programming  
environment you can use to acquire data from thousands of different  
instruments including USB, IEEE 488.2, VXI, serial, PLCs, and plug-in  
boards. LabVIEW helps you convert acquired data into meaningful results  
using powerful data analysis routines. Add-on tools provide additional  
specialized functionality. For more information visit ni.com/labview  
and ni.com/toolkits.  
If you prefer to use Microsoft’s Visual Basic, Visual C++, and  
Visual Studio .NET for the core of your application, Measurement Studio  
adds tools for Measurement and Automation to each language. For more  
information visit ni.com/mstudio.  
LabWindows/CVI is an interactive ANSI C programming environment  
designed for building virtual instrument applications. LabWindows/CVI  
delivers a drag-and-drop editor for building user interfaces, a complete  
ANSI C environment for building your test program logic, and a collection  
of automated code generation tools, as well as utilities for building  
automated test systems, monitoring applications, or laboratory  
experiments. For more information visit ni.com/lwcvi.  
NI-DAQmx provides an extensive library of functions that you can call  
from your application development environment or interactive environment  
such as NI SignalExpress. These functions provide an intuitive API for  
National Instruments’ multifunction DAQ products. Features available  
include analog input (A/D conversion), buffered data acquisition  
(high-speed A/D conversion), analog output (D/A conversion), waveform  
generation, digital I/O, counter/timer operations, SCXI signal conditioning,  
RTSI or PXI synchronization, self-calibration, messaging, and acquiring  
data to extended memory. For more information visit ni.com/daq.  
National Instruments’ Modular Instruments use specialized drivers suited  
to each product’s specialization. Express VIs provide customized,  
interactive programming of instruments in a single interface and soft front  
panels provide an interface for testing the functionality of each instrument  
with no programming required. NI Switches, DMMs, High-Speed DIO,  
High-Speed Digitizers, and Sources each have customized drivers for  
high-end modular instrumentation systems. RF applications leverage  
two drivers, NI-RFSG and NI-RFSA and Dynamic Signal Acquisition is  
available through NI-DAQmx. For more information visit ni.com/  
modularinstruments.  
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Chapter 1  
Introduction  
You can expand the timing and triggering functionality of your PXI system  
with PXI Timing and Synchronization products. These products provide  
precision clock sources, custom routing of triggers for multi-chassis  
synchronization, clock sharing, and more and are programmed with  
NI-Sync. For more information visit ni.com/pxi.  
NI-VISA is the National Instruments implementation of the VISA  
specification. VISA is a uniform API for communicating and controlling  
USB, Serial, GPIB, PXI, VXI, and various other types of instruments. This  
API aids in the creation of portable applications and instrument drivers. For  
information on writing your own PXI instrument driver with NI-VISA,  
refer to the NI-VISA Getting Started Manual and the readme.txtfile in  
the NI-VISA directory. For more information visit ni.com/visa.  
With LabVIEW for Linux and support for over two hundred devices on  
Linux with the NI-DAQmx driver, you can now create Virtual Instruments  
based on the Linux OS. Instrument control in Linux has been improved by  
the NI-VISA driver for Linux and NI Modular Instruments are partially  
supported. For more information visit ni.com/linux.  
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2
Installation and Configuration  
This chapter contains information about installing and configuring your  
NI PXI-8104 controller.  
Installing the NI PXI-8104  
This section contains general installation instructions for the NI PXI-8104.  
Consult your PXI chassis user manual for specific instructions and  
warnings.  
1. Plug in your chassis before installing the NI PXI-8104. The power  
cord grounds the chassis and protects it from electrical damage while  
you install the module. (Make sure the power switch is turned off.)  
Caution To protect both yourself and the chassis from electrical hazards, leave the chassis  
powered off until you finish installing the NI PXI-8104 module.  
2. Remove any filler panels blocking access to the system controller slot  
(Slot 1) in the chassis.  
3. Touch the metal part of the case to discharge any static electricity that  
might be on your clothes or body.  
4. Remove the protective plastic covers from the four bracket-retaining  
screws as shown in Figure 2-1.  
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Chapter 2  
Installation and Configuration  
1
1
Protective Screw Cap (4X)  
Figure 2-1. Removing Protective Screw Caps  
5. Make sure the injector/ejector handle is in its downward position.  
Align the NI PXI-8104 with the card guides on the top and bottom  
of the system controller slot.  
Caution Do not raise the injector/ejector handle as you insert the NI PXI-8104.  
The module will not insert properly unless the handle is in its downward position so  
that it does not interfere with the injector rail on the chassis.  
6. Hold the handle as you slowly slide the module into the chassis until  
the handle catches on the injector/ejector rail.  
7. Raise the injector/ejector handle until the module firmly seats  
into the backplane receptacle connectors. The front panel of the  
NI PXI-8104 should be even with the front panel of the chassis.  
8. Tighten the four bracket-retaining screws on the top and bottom of the  
front panel to secure the NI PXI-8104 to the chassis.  
9. Check the installation.  
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Installation and Configuration  
10. Connect the keyboard and mouse to the appropriate connectors. If you  
are using a PS/2 keyboard and a PS/2 mouse, a Y-splitter adapter is  
available to connect both to a single USB connector. Refer to  
Figure 4-1, Y-Splitter Cable.  
11. Connect the DVI monitor video cable to the DVI connector. If you are  
using a VGA monitor, use the DVI-to-VGA adapter included with  
your kit.  
12. Connect devices to ports as required by your system configuration.  
13. Power on the display device.  
14. Power on the chassis.  
15. Verify that the controller boots. If the controller does not boot, refer  
to the What if the NI PXI-8104 does not boot? section of Chapter 5,  
Troubleshooting.  
Figure 2-2 shows an NI PXI-8104 installed in the system controller slot of  
a National Instruments PXI-1042 chassis. You can place PXI devices in any  
other slots.  
1
2
3
1
PXI-1042 Chassis  
2
NI PXI-8104 Controller  
3
Figure 2-2. NI PXI-8104 Controller Installed in a PXI Chassis  
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Chapter 2  
Installation and Configuration  
How to Remove the Controller from the PXI Chassis  
The NI PXI-8104 controller is designed for easy handling. To remove the  
unit from the PXI chassis, complete the following steps:  
1. Power off the chassis.  
2. Remove any cables that may be attached to the controller front panel.  
3. Unscrew the bracket-retaining screws in the front panel. Refer to  
Figure 2-1 for the location of these screws.  
4. Press the injector/ejector handle down.  
5. Slide the unit out of the chassis.  
BIOS Setup  
You can change the NI PXI-8104 configuration settings in the BIOS setup.  
The BIOS is the low-level interface between the hardware and PC software  
that configures and tests your hardware when you boot the system. The  
BIOS setup program includes menus for configuring settings and enabling  
NI PXI-8104 controller features.  
Most users do not need to use the BIOS setup program, as the NI PXI-8104  
controller ships with default settings that work well for most  
configurations.  
Caution Changing BIOS settings may lead to incorrect controller behavior and possibly  
an unbootable controller. If this happens, follow the instructions for restoring default  
settings in the System CMOS section. In general, do not change a setting unless you are  
absolutely certain what it does.  
Entering BIOS Setup  
To start the BIOS setup utility, complete the following steps:  
1. Power on or reboot your NI PXI-8104 controller.  
2. When the message Press <DEL> to enter SETUPappears, press  
the Delete key on the keyboard. The message Entering Setup  
appears, and the setup program is loaded after a short delay.  
3. When you first enter the BIOS setup program, it displays the Main  
menu.  
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Chapter 2  
Installation and Configuration  
Use the following keys to navigate through the BIOS setup:  
Left Arrow, Right Arrow—Use these keys to move between the  
different setup menus. If you are in a submenu, these keys have no  
effect, and you need to press <Esc> to leave the submenu first. (To use  
the arrows on the numeric keypad, you must turn off Num Lock.)  
Up Arrow, Down Arrow—Use these keys to move between the  
options within a setup menu. (To use the arrows on the numeric  
keypad, you must turn off Num Lock.)  
<Enter>—Use this key either to enter a submenu or display all  
available settings for a highlighted configuration option.  
<Esc>—Use this key to return the parent menu of a submenu.  
At the top-level menus, this key serves as a shortcut to the Exit menu.  
<+> and <–>—Use these keys to cycle between all available settings  
for a selected configuration option.  
<Tab>—Use this key to select time and date fields.  
Main Setup Menu  
The most commonly accessed and modified BIOS settings are in the Main  
setup menu. The Main setup menu includes the following settings:  
System Time & Date—This setting controls the time of day, which is  
stored in a battery-backed real-time clock. Most operating systems  
also include a way to change this setting. Use <+> and <–> in  
conjunction with <Enter> and <Tab> to change these values.  
Require Keyboard to Boot—When Enabled, a missing or  
malfunctioning keyboard causes the BIOS to halt with an error. When  
Disabled, the BIOS allows booting without a keyboard. If you are  
using a USB keyboard, you may attach it at any time during the  
powered up state. To use this controller in a “headless” mode, you must  
set this option to Disabled. The default value is Enabled.  
Note Attaching a USB-to-PS/2 keyboard adapter may allow the system to boot even if no  
PS/2 keyboard is attached.  
Num Lock—This setting indicates whether you turn on Num Lock at  
boot time. The default value is On.  
SATA Port—This item displays the SATA devices detected in the  
system. Normally, you do not need to modify this item. However, if a  
SATA device is not autodetected properly, you can specify it manually  
by pressing <Enter> on the item.  
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IDE Channel 0 Master—These items display the IDE/ATA devices  
detected in the system. Normally, you do not need to modify these  
items. However, if an IDE/ATA device is not autodetected properly,  
you can specify it manually by pressing <Enter> on an item.  
System Information—This setting displays a screen containing  
important system information about the NI PXI-8104 controller.  
Advanced Setup Menu  
This menu contains BIOS settings that normally do not require  
modification. If you have specific problems such as unbootable disks  
or resource conflicts, you may need to examine these settings.  
Caution Changing settings in this menu may result in an unstable or unbootable controller.  
If this happens, follow the procedures outlined in the System CMOS section to restore  
BIOS settings to their factory defaults.  
The Advanced setup menu includes the following settings:  
Reset Configuration Data—A portion of the EEPROM on the  
controller is designated as the Extended System Configuration Data  
region (ESCD). The BIOS and Plug-and-Play operating systems use  
this table to store the Last Known Good configuration of system  
peripherals. If you experience resource conflicts or peripheral  
malfunction, set this setting to Yes to force the BIOS to recreate the  
ESCD on the next reboot. This is rarely necessary.  
Integrated Peripherals—Use this setting to bring up the Integrated  
Peripherals submenu. (Refer to the Integrated Peripherals Submenu  
section.)  
Quick Boot Mode—When you enable this option, certain lengthy  
BIOS tests that rarely fail are skipped to shorten controller boot time.  
The default is Enabled.  
Summary Screen—This setting controls the display of the summary  
screen shown after BIOS completes its initialization, but before  
booting takes place. You can disable this screen in the interest of  
shortening controller boot time. The default is Disabled.  
PXE Network Boot—This setting enables the option for booting from  
a network PXE server on the subnet. The default is Disabled.  
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Integrated Peripherals Submenu  
Use this submenu to apply nondefault configurations to the front panel  
peripherals of an NI PXI-8104 controller. Normally, you do not need  
to modify these settings, as the factory default settings provide the most  
compatible and optimal configuration possible.  
Serial Port A—This setting enables or disables COM1. You also can  
change this setting to Enabled and modify the base address and  
Interrupt Request Level (IRQ) of a port. The default is Auto, which  
places COM1 at 0x3F8 IRQ 4.  
Parallel Port—Use this setting to enable or disable LPT1. You also  
can change this setting to Enabled and modify the base address,  
IRQ level, and ISA Direct Memory Access (DMA) channel of the  
port. The default is Auto, which places LPT1 at 0x378, IRQ 7, using  
ISA DMA Channel 3 if necessary.  
Parallel Port Mode—The PC industry has created several different  
modes of operation for this port over the years. Usually, the default  
setting works for all applications. However, if a parallel port device  
specifically requires a nondefault setting, you can change it here.  
The default is Bidirectional, for full IEEE 1284 capabilities.  
Legacy USB Support—Use this setting to use a USB keyboard and  
mouse as if they were standard PS/2-style peripherals. You must enable  
this setting to use these devices in operating systems with no USB  
support and to boot from a USB floppy or CD-ROM. The BIOS setup  
screen always works with USB keyboards regardless of this setting.  
Certain real-time applications may require you to disable this setting  
to reduce loop time jitter. The default is Enabled.  
AHCI Configuration—This setting determines whether AHCI mode  
is Enabled or Disabled for the SATA port. Some operating systems,  
such as Windows 2000, do not support AHCI mode. You can use this  
setting to disable AHCI mode so that non-compatible OSes function  
correctly. The default setting is Enabled.  
Monitor DDC—This setting determines how the monitor DDC is  
routed. Use this setting to select whether or not the DDC is routed for  
an Analog monitor or a DVI monitor. In order to use a DVI monitor,  
this setting must be set to DVI. An analog monitor, however, will  
function with this option set to either Analog or DVI. The DDC  
communication path is only enabled when set to Analog for an analog  
monitor, so certain advanced features of your analog monitor may only  
be enabled when routing DDC to Analog. The default setting is DVI.  
Note After changing DDC routing settings, a power cycle is required to enable the change.  
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PXI Setup Menu  
Use this menu to control and route certain signals on the PXI backplane.  
Normally, you do not need to modify these settings. However, other  
sections of this manual may indicate that modifications are necessary  
and may lead to unpredictable behavior.  
APIC Routing—This item is valid only for Windows XP and 2000  
and other modern operating systems. Select Enabled to initialize the  
IOAPIC and local APIC in uniprocessor mode. Select Disabled to use  
the legacy PIC for interrupt routing. The default setting is Enabled.  
PIRQx Routing—This setting selects the routing option for PXI/PCI  
devices connected to PIRQx. This settings affects OSes that do not use  
APIC routing. The default setting for all PIRQx options is IRQ10.  
Per-Slot Device Settings—This setting brings up the Per-Slot Device  
Settings submenu. Refer to the Per-Slot Device Settings Submenu  
section.  
Per-Slot Device Settings Submenu  
Use this menu to configure options that can be modified for individual PCI  
devices in a PXI chassis.  
Note Scanning for Option ROMs on devices behind a PCI bridge cannot be disabled.  
PCI Device x Option ROM Scan—This setting selects whether PCI  
device x will be scanned for an option ROM. Setting this option to Enabled  
allows the BIOS to scan for a PCI option ROM on this PCI device. Setting  
to Disabled prevents the BIOS from detecting option ROMs on this device.  
Setting to Disabled does not completely disable the PCI device, just the  
option ROM scan. The default is Enabled.  
Security Menu  
Use this menu to enable BIOS security options.  
Set User Password—This setting allows you to specify a password  
that must be entered to boot the system. To activate this feature, you  
must first specify a Supervisor password and enable the Password on  
boot feature. By default, no password is specified.  
Set Supervisor Password—This setting allows you to specify a  
password that must be entered to access the BIOS setup options. By  
default, no password is specified.  
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Password on Boot—This setting controls whether or not a password  
is required to boot the system. If enabled, the user must enter the User  
Password to boot the system. The default setting is Disabled.  
Write Protect Boot Sector—When set to Yes, this setting prevents  
modification of a hard disk boot sector via INT 13h services, which  
may help prevent certain computer viruses from infecting the  
controller. This setting does not prevent boot sector modification by  
32-bit operating system drivers that access the hard disk directly. The  
default is No.  
Boot Setup Menu  
This screen displays the boot order of devices associated with the  
controller. The BIOS proceeds down the Boot priority order list in search  
of a bootable device. Devices under the Excluded from boot order list  
will not be used for booting. If the BIOS fails to find any bootable device,  
the message Operating System Not Foundis displayed, and the  
system halts.  
IDE HDD—The internal hard drive.  
USB HDD—A USB based flash drive or hard disk drive.  
USB CDROM—A USB based CD-ROM drive.  
USB FDC—A USB based floppy disk drive.  
PCI SCSI—A SCSI drive (hard disk drive or CD-ROM) connected  
through a SCSI controller in the PXI chassis.  
PCI LAN—A PXE Network boot device, if PXE Network Boot is  
enabled on the Advanced menu.  
Exiting BIOS Setup  
The Exit setup menu includes all available options for exiting, saving, and  
loading the BIOS default configuration. As an alternative to this screen,  
press <F9> to load BIOS default settings and <F10> to save changes and  
exit setup.  
The Exit setup menu includes the following settings:  
Exit Saving Changes—Any changes made to BIOS settings are stored  
in the battery-backed System CMOS. The setup program then exits  
and reboots the controller.  
Exit Discarding Changes—Any changes made to BIOS settings  
during this session of the BIOS setup program are discarded. The setup  
program then exits and boots the controller without rebooting first.  
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Load Setup Defaults—This setting restores all BIOS settings to the  
factory default. This is useful if the controller exhibits unpredictable  
behavior due to an incorrect or inappropriate BIOS setting. Notice  
that any nondefault settings such as boot order, passwords, and  
keyboardless operation are restored to their factory defaults. This may  
produce undesirable behavior, and in heavily customized cases, may  
cause the controller to malfunction or fail to boot.  
Discard Changes—Any changes made to BIOS settings during  
this session of the BIOS setup program are discarded. Unlike Exit  
Discarding Changes, however, the BIOS setup continues to be active.  
Save Changes—Changes made to BIOS settings during this session  
are committed to battery-backed System CMOS. The setup program  
remains active, allowing further changes.  
System CMOS  
The NI PXI-8104 contains a backed-up memory used to store BIOS  
configuration information.  
Complete the following steps to clear the CMOS contents:  
1. Power off the chassis.  
2. Remove the controller from the chassis.  
3. Move the jumper on W7 from pins 1–2 to pins 2–3, as shown in  
Figure 2-3.  
4. Wait one second. Move the jumper back to pins 1–2.  
5. Reinstall the controller in the chassis.  
Caution Do not leave the jumper on pins 2–3. Doing so decreases battery life. In addition,  
leaving the jumper on the pins prevents the controller from booting.  
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3
2
1
1
Normal Operation (Default)  
2
Clear CMOS Contents  
3
Pin 1  
Figure 2-3. Clearing the CMOS Contents  
Drivers and Software  
Files and Directories Installed on Your Hard Drive  
Your hard drive includes a directory called imagesin its root that  
contains software and soft copies of manuals for the installed devices. The  
directory structure under the imagesdirectory is logically organized into  
several levels.  
In the imagesdirectory, you will find a manualsdirectory,  
an osdirectory, and a driversdirectory.  
The manualsdirectory contains quick reference guides, technical  
reference manuals, and National Instruments software manuals, all in  
Adobe Acrobat format. To access any manual, change your directory to  
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c:\images\manualsand list the contents of that directory. You will see  
several files, one corresponding to each device.  
The osdirectory contains a subdirectory corresponding to the operating  
system installed on your controller.  
The rest of the directories correspond to each device in your controller.  
Within each of these directories are the drivers for the devices. These files  
and directories are copied exactly from the manufacturer distribution disks,  
so the naming conventions vary from device to device.  
PXI Features  
PXI Trigger Connectivity  
The SMB connector on the NI PXI-8104 front panel can connect to or from  
any PXI backplane trigger line. A trigger allocation process is needed to  
prevent two resources from connecting to the same trigger line, resulting in  
the trigger being double-driven and possibly damaging the hardware. At  
the time of this manual’s publication, this software is not yet available for  
Windows. Contact National Instruments for more information.  
Chassis Configuration  
Configuration of the PXI system is handled through Measurement &  
Automation Explorer (MAX), included with the software pre-installed  
on your controller. MAX creates the pxisys.inifile, which defines  
the layout and parameters of your PXI system.  
The configuration steps for single or multiple-chassis systems are the same.  
An example of a multichassis configuration is shown in Figure 2-4.  
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Figure 2-4. Multichassis Configuration in MAX  
Basic PXI System Configuration  
1. Launch MAX.  
2. In the Configuration tree, click the Devices and Interfaces branch to  
expand it.  
3. If the PXI system controller has not yet been configured, it is labeled  
PXI System (Unidentified). Right-click this entry to display the  
pop-up menu, then select the appropriate controller model from the  
Identify As submenu.  
4. Click the PXI System controller. The chassis (or multiple chassis, in a  
multichassis configuration) is listed below it. Identify each chassis by  
right-clicking its entry, then selecting the appropriate chassis model  
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through the Identify As submenu. Further expanding the PXI System  
branch shows all devices in the system that can be recognized by  
NI-VISA. When your controller and all your chassis are identified,  
the required pxisys.inifile is complete.  
The PXI specification allows many combinations of PXI chassis and  
system modules. To assist system integrators, the manufacturers of  
PXI chassis and system modules must document the capabilities of their  
products. The minimum documentation requirements are contained in  
.inifiles, which consist of ASCII text. System integrators, configuration  
utilities, and device drivers can use these .inifiles.  
The capability documentation for the chassis is contained in a  
chassis.inifile provided by the chassis manufacturer. The information  
in this file is combined with information about the system controller to  
create a single system initialization file called pxisys.ini(PXI System  
Initialization). The NI PXI-8104 uses MAX to generate the pxisys.ini  
file from the chassis.inifile.  
Device drivers and other utility software read the pxisys.inifile to  
obtain system information. For detailed information about initialization  
files, refer to the PXI specification at www.pxisa.org.  
Upgrading RAM  
You can change the amount of installed RAM on the NI PXI-8104 by  
upgrading the SO-DIMM.  
To upgrade the RAM, remove the NI PXI-8104 from the PXI chassis. To  
optimize both memory capacity and system performance, use the same size  
and speed memory module in each of the two module slots. The use of  
different size modules in each slot is supported, but system performance  
will be slower than using two matched modules. However, two mismatched  
modules will result in better performance than using a single module.  
National Instruments offers the following types of SO-DIMMs for use with  
the NI PXI-8104 controller.  
PC2-5300 512 MB, 64 MB × 64, CL 5, 1.18 in. max  
(National Instruments part number 779302-512)  
PC2-5300 1 GB, 128 MB × 64, CL 5, 1.18 in. max  
(National Instruments part number 779302-1024)  
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Note National Instruments has tested and verified that the DDR2 SO-DIMMs we sell  
work with the NI PXI-8104. We recommend you purchase your DDR2 SO-DIMM  
modules from National Instruments. Other off-the-shelf DDR2 SO-DIMM modules  
are not guaranteed to work properly.  
2
1
1
DDR2 SO-DIMM Module  
2
DDR2 SO-DIMM Socket  
Figure 2-5. Installing a DDR2 SO-DIMM in an NI PXI-8104 Controller  
Hard Drive Recovery  
NI PXI-8104 controllers include two methods of restoring the original  
factory condition of your hard drive. Hard drive-based recovery stores a  
factory backup on a separate portion of your hard drive allowing you to  
restore your controller without additional media. The NI PXI-8104  
controller also ships with an OS Recovery CD that allows you to reinstall  
your operating system onto your hard drive through an external CD-ROM.  
For more information on these tools refer to KnowledgeBase 2ZKC02OK  
at ni.com/support.  
Note Your system hot key is <F4>. To access the hard drive-based recovery tool, press and  
hold <F4> when video first appears during the boot process.  
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If you need to recover your factory-installed operating system from a CD,  
you can use the included OS re-installation CD with an external CD-ROM  
drive such as a USB CD-ROM drive. Boot the PXI controller using the  
OS re-installation CD to recover the OS. You also may need to reinstall  
other software after using the CD to recover the OS.  
Note Recovering the OS erases the contents of your hard disk. Back up any files you want  
to keep.  
Installing an OS  
NI PXI-8104 controllers include a pre-installed OS. In some cases, you  
may want to install a different OS. When doing so, consider the following  
guidelines.  
Installing from a CD-ROM  
The NI PXI-8104 supports the installation of Windows XP from a USB  
CD-ROM. However, many other operating systems do not support  
installation from a USB CD-ROM. For example, Windows 2000 aborts  
during the install process because it does not have drivers for the CD-ROM  
device.  
With DOS drivers, you can install Windows 9x operating systems.  
However, only a few USB CD-ROM drives have DOS drivers.  
As an alternative to a USB CD-ROM drive, you can use an external SCSI  
CD-ROM with a PXI-SCSI adapter.  
Note For additional assistance with installing or changing an operating system, refer to  
KnowledgeBase 2ZKC02OK at ni.com/support.  
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I/O Information  
Front Panel Connectors  
Table 3-1 lists various I/O interfaces and their corresponding NI PXI-8104  
external connectors, bus interfaces, and functions.  
Table 3-1. NI PXI-8104 I/O Overview  
I/O Interface  
External Connector  
Description  
Video  
DVI-I  
Intel Extreme Graphics controller  
(24-pin DSUB)  
Serial  
COM1  
(9-pin DSUB)  
16550 RS-232 serial port  
10/100/1000 Ethernet connection  
IEEE 1284  
Ethernet  
LAN  
(RJ45)  
Parallel  
Parallel Port  
(36-pin champ)  
USB (four ports)  
PXI trigger  
USB 4-pin Series A stacked  
receptacle  
Hi-Speed USB  
Trigger  
(SMB)  
Routing PXI triggers to or from  
the backplane trigger bus  
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Front Panel  
Figure 3-1 shows the front panel layout and dimensions of the  
NI PXI-8104. Dimensions are in inches [millimeters].  
4.393 [111.58]  
3.840 [97.53]  
3.551 [90.19]  
3.165 [80.38]  
2.490 [63.24]  
2.063 [52.4]  
1.546 [39.26]  
1.069 [27.15]  
.000 [0]  
Figure 3-1. NI PXI-8104 Front Panel Layout and Dimensions  
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DVI-I  
Figure 3-2 shows the location and pinouts for the DVI-I connector on the  
NI PXI-8104. Table 3-2 lists and describes the DVI-I connector signals.  
9
17  
1
24  
8
C3  
C5  
C4  
C1  
C2  
Figure 3-2. DVI-I Connector Location and Pinout  
Table 3-2. DVI-I Connector Signals  
Pin  
1
Signal Name  
TMDS Data2–  
2
TMDS Data2+  
3
TMDS Data2/4 Shield  
Reserved  
4
5
Reserved  
6
DDC Clock [SCL]  
DDC Data [SDA]  
Analog vertical sync  
TMDS Data1–  
7
8
9
10  
11  
12  
TMDS Data1+  
TMDS Data1/3 Shield  
Reserved  
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Table 3-2. DVI-I Connector Signals (Continued)  
Pin  
13  
14  
15  
16  
17  
18  
19  
20  
21  
22  
23  
24  
C1  
C2  
C3  
C4  
C5  
Signal Name  
Reserved  
+5 V Power  
Ground (for +5 V)  
Hot Plug Detect  
TMDS Data0–  
TMDSData0+  
TMDS Data0/5 Shield  
Reserved  
Reserved  
TMDS Clock Shield  
TMDS Clock+  
TMDS Clock–  
Analog Red  
Analog Green  
Analog Blue  
Analog Horizontal Sync  
Analog GND Return: (analog R, G, B)  
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COM1  
Figure 3-3 shows the location and pinouts for the COM1 connector on the  
NI PXI-8104. Table 3-3 lists and describes the COM1 connector signal.  
5
9
6
COM1  
1
Figure 3-3. COM1 Connector Location and Pinout  
Table 3-3. COM1 Connector Signals  
Pin  
1
Signal Name  
DCD  
Signal Description  
Data Carrier Detect  
Receive Data  
2
RXD  
TXD  
DTR  
GND  
DSR  
RTS  
CTS  
RI  
3
Transmit Data  
Data Terminal Ready  
Ground  
4
5
6
Data Set Ready  
Ready to Send  
Clear to Send  
Ring Indicator  
7
8
9
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Ethernet  
Figure 3-4 shows the location and pinouts for the Ethernet connector on the  
NI PXI-8104. Table 3-4 lists and describes the Ethernet connector signals.  
1
Ethernet  
8
Figure 3-4. Ethernet Connector Location and Pinout  
Table 3-4. Ethernet Connector Signals  
Pin  
1
Fast Ethernet  
Gigabit Ethernet  
TX_A+  
TX+  
TX–  
RX+  
NC  
2
TX_A–  
RX_B+  
TX_C+  
TX_C–  
RX_B–  
RX_D+  
RX_D–  
3
4
5
NC  
6
RX–  
NC  
7
8
NC  
Note The Ethernet controller can perform automatic crossover, thus eliminating the need  
for crossover cables.  
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Table 3-5. 10/100/1000 LAN Connector LED States  
LED State Condition  
LED  
Color  
Off  
LAN link is not established.  
LAN link is established.  
Top  
Green  
On (steady state)  
On (brighter and pulsing)  
The controller is communicating with  
another computer on the LAN.  
Unlit  
Off  
On  
On  
10 Mbit/sec data rate is selected.  
100 Mbit/sec data rate is selected.  
1000 Mbit/sec data rate is selected.  
Bottom  
Green  
Orange  
Parallel Port  
Figure 3-5 shows the location and pinouts for the IEEE 1284 (parallel)  
connector on the NI PXI-8104. Table 3-6 lists and describes the IEEE 1284  
connector signals.  
Parallel port adapter cables are available from National Instruments,  
part number 777169-01.  
1
19  
Parallel Port  
36  
18  
Figure 3-5. Parallel Port Connector Location and Pinout  
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Table 3-6. Parallel Port Connector Signals  
Default Configuration (LPT)  
Pin  
1
Signal Name  
Signal Description  
BUSY  
SLCT  
ACK#  
Device Busy  
Select  
2
3
Acknowledge  
Fault  
4
FAULT#(ERROR#)  
PAPEREND  
PD0  
5
Paper End  
Data Bit 0  
Data Bit 1  
Data Bit 2  
Data Bit 3  
Data Bit 4  
Data Bit 5  
Data Bit 6  
Data Bit 7  
Initialize Printer  
Strobe  
6
7
PD1  
8
PD 2  
9
PD3  
10  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
16  
17  
18  
19–35  
36  
PD4  
PD5  
PD6  
PD7  
INIT#  
STROBE#  
SLCTIN#  
AUTOFD#  
+5V  
Select Input  
Auto Line Feed  
+5 V  
GND  
Ground  
NC  
Not Connected  
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I/O Information  
Universal Serial Bus  
Figure 3-6 shows the location and pinouts for the Universal Serial Bus  
(USB) connectors on the NI PXI-8104. Table 3-7 lists and describes the  
USB connector signals.  
4
USB  
1
Figure 3-6. USB Connector Location and Pinout  
Table 3-7. USB Connector Signals  
Pin  
1
Signal Name  
VCC  
Signal Description  
Cable Power (+5 V)  
2
D–  
USB Data –  
USB Data +  
Ground  
3
D+  
4
GND  
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Chapter 3  
I/O Information  
Trigger  
The TRG connector is the software-controlled trigger connection for  
routing PXI triggers to or from the backplane trigger bus.  
A trigger allocation process is needed to prevent two resources from  
connecting to the same trigger line, resulting in the trigger being  
double-driven and possibly damaging the hardware. At the time of this  
manual’s publication, this software is not yet available for Windows.  
Contact National Instruments for more information.  
Figure 3-7 shows the TRG connector location on the NI PXI-8104.  
Table 3-8 lists and describes the trigger connector signals.  
2
1
Figure 3-7. TRG Connector Location and Pinout  
Table 3-8. TRG Connector Signals  
Pin  
Signal Name  
TRIG  
Signal Description  
Trigger  
Ground  
1
2 (Shield)  
GND  
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Chapter 3  
I/O Information  
Front Panel Features  
The NI PXI-8104 controller has the following front-panel features:  
A controller reset pushbutton (press the button to generate a reset to the  
controller)  
Two front panel LEDs that show PC status  
The POWER OK LED indicates the power status of the  
controller. The LED will indicate one of the following states:  
ON steady—PXI and onboard power is on and within  
regulation limits  
Blinking—One of the PXI or onboard supplies is operating  
outside of the normal limits, or is not functioning.  
OFF—The power to the controller is off.  
The DRIVE LED indicates when an access to the internal hard  
disk is occurring.  
Data Storage  
The NI PXI-8104 has the following data storage features:  
Internal hard drive  
2.5 in. notebook hard drive  
Supports SATA  
USB storage support—USB CD-ROM, mass storage device, or floppy  
drive  
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4
Common Configuration  
Questions  
This chapter answers common configuration questions you may have when  
using the NI PXI-8104 embedded controller.  
General Questions  
What do the LEDs on the NI PXI-8104 front panel mean?  
Refer to the LED status descriptions in the Front Panel Features section of  
Chapter 3, I/O Information.  
How do I check the configuration of the memory, hard drive,  
time/date, and so on?  
You can view these parameters in the BIOS setup. To enter the BIOS setup,  
reboot the NI PXI-8104 and press <Delete> during the memory tests. Refer  
to the Entering BIOS Setup section of Chapter 2, Installation and  
Configuration, for more information.  
Can I use the internal hard drive and an external hard drive at the  
same time?  
Yes.  
Boot Options  
What devices can I boot from?  
The NI PXI-8104 can boot from the following devices:  
The internal hard drive  
An external SCSI hard drive or CD-ROM if an SCSI adapter, such  
as the PXI-8214, is used  
A network PXE server on the same subnet  
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Chapter 4  
Common Configuration Questions  
An external USB mass storage device such as a USB hard drive or  
CD-ROM  
An external USB floppy drive  
Most PCI-based boards that provide an Option ROM  
Note There are some limitations when booting from a USB device. Windows XP  
can be installed from a USB CD-ROM, but earlier versions of Windows cannot. The  
NI PXI-8104 BIOS configures the USB devices so that they will work in a DOS  
environment.  
How do I configure the controller to boot from these devices?  
There are two methods.  
Enter Setup and select the Boot menu. You will see a list of all bootable  
devices, ordered by device type. You can set the boot order using <+>  
and <–>. Set the order by device type and set the order for the devices  
listed within the device type.  
To boot from a different device without permanently changing the boot  
order, press <F10> during POST. After the BIOS completes the POST  
and just before the controller boots the OS, the Boot menu is displayed.  
You can select the device type you want to boot from.  
Cables and Connections  
How do I plug both a PS/2 mouse and PS/2 keyboard into the  
controller?  
The NI PXI-8104 has no PS/2 connector, and you need to use a USB  
Y-splitter cable as shown in Figure 4-1, or a similar device, to connect both  
a PS/2 mouse and PS/2 keyboard. National Instruments Part Number  
778713-01 is such a cable and is available through the online catalog  
at ni.com/products.  
Figure 4-1. Y-Splitter Cable  
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Common Configuration Questions  
What if I don’t have a Y-splitter cable? Can I still use a mouse and  
keyboard?  
If you do not have a Y-splitter cable, plug a USB keyboard into any USB  
connector. You can also plug a USB mouse into any USB connector.  
How do I connect a standard 25-pin LPT cable to the  
NI PXI-8104?  
The NI PXI-8104 uses a type C LPT connector. Most parallel port  
devices use a type A connector. To use a device with a standard type A  
LPT connector, you need to use a type C-to-type-A LPT adapter. Parallel  
port adapter cables, part number 777169-01, are available through the  
online catalog at ni.com/products.  
How do I connect a VGA monitor to the NI PXI-8104?  
A VGA-to-DVI-I adapter (part number 762559-01) is included with your  
kit. You can use this adapter to connect a VGA monitor to the DVI-I port.  
Software Driver Installation  
How do I install or reinstall the video driver?  
Refer to KnowledgeBase 3H3COSD8 at ni.com support.  
How do I install or reinstall the Ethernet driver?  
Refer to KnowledgeBase 3H3COSD8 at ni.com support.  
How do I install software from a CD?  
The compact size of the NI PXI-8104 does not allow for an integrated  
CD-ROM drive. You have the following options:  
USB CD-ROMYou can install from a USB CD-ROM using a  
bootable installation CD.  
SCSI CD-ROM—Other types of CD-ROM drives are available.  
Check with the vendor to make sure Windows XP supports the drive.  
Mapped network driveYou can use the Ethernet to connect to  
another computer. If you share the CD-ROM drive on the other  
computer, you can map the shared CD-ROM drive to a drive letter  
on the NI PXI-8104.  
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Chapter 4  
Common Configuration Questions  
Upgrade Information  
How do I upgrade system memory?  
You can change the amount of installed RAM on the NI PXI-8104 by  
upgrading the DDR2 SO-DIMM.  
To upgrade the RAM, remove the NI PXI-8104 from the PXI chassis. To  
optimize both memory capacity and system performance, use the same size  
and speed memory module in each of the two module slots. The use of  
different size modules in each slot is supported, but system performance  
will be slower than using two matched modules. However, two mismatched  
modules will result in better performance than using a single module.  
National Instruments offers the following types of SO-DIMMs for use with  
the NI PXI-8104 controller.  
PC2-5300 512 MB, 64 MB × 64, CL 5, 1.18 in. max  
(National Instruments part number 779302-512)  
PC2-5300 1 GB, 128 MB × 64, CL 5, 1.18 in. max  
(National Instruments part number 779302-1024)  
Note National Instruments has conducted thermal testing as well as mechanical shock and  
vibration testing, and has verified that the DDR2 SO-DIMMs we sell work with the  
NI PXI-8104. We recommend you purchase your DDR2 SO-DIMM modules from  
National Instruments. Other off-the-shelf DDR2 SO-DIMM modules are not guaranteed to  
work properly.  
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Common Configuration Questions  
2
1
1
DDR2 SO-DIMM Module  
2
DDR2 SO-DIMM Socket  
Figure 4-2. Installing a DDR2 SO-DIMM in an NI PXI-8104 Controller  
How do I flash a new BIOS?  
You can download the new BIOS from ftp.ni.com/support/pxi/.  
For more information, refer to KnowledgeBase 3H3COSD8.  
Where do I get the latest software drivers?  
The latest National Instruments software is available from ni.com/  
downloads/. For peripheral drivers, refer to KnowledgeBase 3H3COSD8  
at ni.com.  
My NI PXI-8104 does not have an internal floppy drive. Is there a way  
to use an external drive?  
Yes. The NI PXI-8104 controller supports and can boot from USB floppy  
drives. A USB floppy drive will not work with Windows NT4, but will  
work with Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Refer to the Boot Options  
section for more information.  
A USB floppy drive is available from National Instruments, part number  
778492-02.  
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Chapter 4  
Common Configuration Questions  
PXI Configuration  
How do I use the SMB trigger on the front panel?  
For details, refer to the PXI Features section of Chapter 2, Installation and  
Configuration.  
Why doesn’t the NI PXI-8104 work with the PXI-8220 or PXI-8221?  
A serialized IRQ conflict with the PXI-8220/8221 and the NI PXI-8104  
prevents PC cards using ISA interrupts from working with the NI PXI-8104  
controller. For more information, refer to KnowledgeBase 2G3ED80Z at  
ni.com/support.  
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5
Troubleshooting  
This chapter answers common troubleshooting questions you may have  
when using the NI PXI-8104 embedded computer.  
What if the NI PXI-8104 does not boot?  
Several problems can cause a controller not to boot. Here are some things  
to look for and possible solutions.  
Things to Notice:  
Which LEDs come on? The Power OK LED should stay lit.  
The Drive LED should blink during boot as the disk is accessed.  
Was the display installed prior to power-on? What appears on the  
display? Does it hang at some particular point (BIOS, Operating  
System, and so on)? If nothing appears on the screen, try a different  
monitor. Does your monitor work with a different PC? If it hangs, note  
the last screen output that you saw for reference when consulting  
National Instruments technical support.  
What has changed about the system? Did you recently move the  
system? Was there electrical storm activity? Did you recently add  
a new module, memory chip, or piece of software?  
Things to Try:  
Make sure the chassis is plugged in to a working power source.  
Check any fuses or circuit breakers in the chassis or other power  
supply (possibly an uninterruptible power supply).  
Make sure the controller module is firmly seated in the chassis.  
Remove any nonessential cables or devices.  
Try the controller in a different chassis.  
Try a similar controller in this same chassis.  
Clear the CMOS. (Refer to the System CMOS section of Chapter 2,  
Installation and Configuration.)  
Recover the hard drive on the controller. (Refer to the Hard Drive  
Recovery section of Chapter 2, Installation and Configuration.)  
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Troubleshooting  
My controller boots fine until I get to Windows, at which point I cannot  
read the screen. This may include garbled output, white screen, black  
screen, or an out of synch message from the monitor.  
This problem usually results from having the video card output set past the  
limits of the monitor. You will need to boot Windows in Safe Mode. To do  
this, reboot the controller. As Windows begins to boot, hold down <F8>.  
You should now be able to reset the video driver to lower settings. Try  
setting the resolution to 640 × 480 and the refresh rate to 60 Hz. Once you  
reboot, you can raise these values again, using the test option in Windows.  
These settings are accessible through the Advanced tab of the Display item  
in the Control Panel. Alternately, you can try a different monitor,  
preferably a newer and larger one.  
If the system has been booted to Windows without a monitor attached, the  
driver may have defaulted to the video output connector being disabled.  
Press <Ctrl-Alt-F1> to re-enable the video display in Windows. Press  
<Ctrl-Alt-F4> to re-enable a DVI display. For more information, refer to  
KnowledgeBase 3OHCFRD8 at ni.com/support.  
My system boots fine as long as a particular module is not in my  
chassis.  
The most common cause of this is a damaged module. Try the module in a  
different chassis or with a different controller. Also, remove any external  
cables or terminal blocks connected to the system. If the module does not  
work in these cases, it is likely damaged. Contact the module manufacturer  
for further troubleshooting.  
Refer to the KnowledgeBase or product manuals section at ni.comfor  
more information specific to the chassis and controller with which you are  
having difficulties.  
My CMOS is corrupted. How do I set it back to default?  
1. Enter the BIOS setup program as described in the Entering BIOS Setup  
section of Chapter 2, Installation and Configuration.  
2. Check the battery utility.  
3. Press <F9> to load BIOS defaults.  
4. Answer Y (Yes) to the verification prompt.  
5. Select Save and Exit Setup.  
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Troubleshooting  
As an alternative method, complete the following steps:  
1. Power off the chassis.  
2. Remove the controller from the chassis.  
3. Move the jumper on W7 from pins 1–2 to pins 2–3 as shown in  
Figure 5-1.  
4. Wait one second. Move the jumper back to pins 1–2.  
5. Reinstall the controller in the chassis.  
Caution Do not leave the jumper on pins 2–3. Doing so decreases battery life. Also, the  
controller will not boot.  
3
2
1
1
Normal Operation (Default)  
2
Clear CMOS Contents  
3
Pin 1  
Figure 5-1. Clearing the CMOS Contents  
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A
Specifications  
This appendix lists the electrical, mechanical, and environmental  
specifications of the NI PXI-8104 embedded computer.  
NI PXI-8104  
CPU  
Intel® Celeron® M 440  
(1.86 GHz single-core processor)  
On-die L2 cache  
1024 KB  
Dual-Channel DDR2 RAM  
1 512 MB (533 MHz) Module Standard,  
2 GB Maximum (2 slots available)  
Hard Drive  
60 GB (SATA), minimum  
Ethernet  
10/100/1000 BaseTX  
Video  
DVI-I  
GPIB (IEEE 488.2 Interface)  
Serial Ports (RS-232)  
Parallel Port  
No  
Yes (1)  
Yes (1)  
Hi-Speed USB (2.0) Ports  
ExpressCard/34 Slot  
PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse Connector  
PXI Trigger Bus Input/Output  
Installed Operating System  
Yes (4)  
No  
No  
Yes  
Windows XP Professional  
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Appendix A  
Specifications  
Electrical  
Current (A)  
Maximum  
Voltage (V)  
+3.3  
Typical  
2.5 A  
3.5 A  
5 mA  
0 A  
3.25 A  
5.5 A  
5 mA  
0 A  
+5  
+12  
–12  
Physical  
Board dimensions ...................................PXI 3U-size module  
8.1 cm × 13 cm × 21.6 cm  
(3.2 in. × 5.1 in. × 8.5 in.)  
Slot requirements....................................One system slot plus three  
controller expansion slots  
Compatibility..........................................Fully compatible with  
PXI specification  
Weight ....................................................0.94 Kg (2.1 lb) typical  
Environment  
Maximum altitude...................................2,000 m (at 25 °C ambient  
temperature)  
Pollution Degree.....................................2  
Indoor use only.  
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Appendix A  
Specifications  
Operating Environment  
Ambient temperature range.................... 5 to 50 °C in an NI PXI-1042  
chassis (Tested in accordance  
with IEC-60068-2-1 and  
IEC-60068-2-2). Refer to the  
datasheet linked from the  
NI PXI-8104 Embedded  
Controller product page  
at ni.comfor other  
controller/chassis combinations.  
Relative humidity range......................... 10% to 90%, noncondensing  
(Tested in accordance with  
IEC-60068-2-56.)  
Caution Clean the NI PXI-8104 with a soft nonmetallic brush. Make sure that the device  
is completely dry and free from contaminants before powering-on the controller again.  
Storage Environment  
Ambient temperature range.................... –40 to 65 °C (Tested in  
accordance with IEC-60068-2-1  
and IEC-60068-2-2.)  
Relative humidity range......................... 5% to 95% noncondensing  
(Tested in accordance with  
IEC-60068-2-56.)  
Shock and Vibration  
Operational shock .................................. 30 g peak, half-sine, 11 ms pulse  
(Tested in accordance with  
IEC-60068-2-27. Test profile  
developed in accordance with  
MIL-PRF-28800F.)  
Random vibration  
Operating ........................................ 5 to 500 Hz, 0.3 grms  
(with solid-state hard drive)  
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Appendix A  
Specifications  
Nonoperating...................................5 to 500 Hz, 2.4 grms  
(Tested in accordance with  
IEC-60068-2-64. Nonoperating  
test profile exceeds the  
requirements of  
MIL-PRF-28800F, Class 3.)  
Safety  
This product is designed to meet the requirements of the following  
standards of safety for electrical equipment for measurement, control,  
and laboratory use:  
IEC 61010-1, EN-61010-1  
UL 61010-1, CSA 61010-1  
Note For UL and other safety certifications, refer to the product label or visit ni.com/  
certification, search by model number or product line, and click the appropriate link  
in the Certification column.  
Electromagnetic Compatibility  
This product is designed to meet the requirements of the following  
standards of EMC for electrical equipment for measurement, control,  
and laboratory use:  
EN 61326 EMC requirements; Minimum Immunity  
EN 55011 Emissions; Group 1, Class A  
CE, C-Tick, ICES, and FCC Part 15 Emissions; Class A  
Note For EMC compliance, operate this device according to product documentation.  
CE Compliance  
This product meets the essential requirements of applicable European  
Directives, as amended for CE marking, as follows:  
2006/95/EC; Low-Voltage Directive (safety)  
2004/108/EC; Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (EMC)  
Note Refer to the Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for this product for any additional  
regulatory compliance information. To obtain the DoC for this product, visit ni.com/  
certification, search by model number or product line, and click the appropriate link  
in the Certification column.  
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Appendix A  
Specifications  
Environmental Management  
National Instruments is committed to designing and manufacturing  
products in an environmentally responsible manner. NI recognizes that  
eliminating certain hazardous substances from our products is beneficial  
not only to the environment but also to NI customers.  
For additional environmental information, refer to the NI and the  
Environment Web page at ni.com/environment. This page contains the  
environmental regulations and directives with which NI complies, as well  
as other environmental information not included in this document.  
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)  
EU Customers At the end of their life cycle, all products must be sent to a WEEE recycling  
center. For more information about WEEE recycling centers and National Instruments  
WEEE initiatives, visit ni.com/environment/weee.htm.  
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National Instruments  
National Instruments  
(RoHS)  
Ё೑  
ড়㾘ᗻֵᙃˈ䇋ⱏᔩ ni.com/environment/rohs_chinaDŽ  
RoHS  
ni.com/environment/rohs_china  
(For information about China RoHS compliance, go to  
.)  
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B
Technical Support and  
Professional Services  
Visit the following sections of the award-winning National Instruments  
Web site at ni.comfor technical support and professional services:  
Support—Technical support resources at ni.com/supportinclude  
the following:  
Self-Help Technical Resources—For answers and solutions,  
visit ni.com/supportfor software drivers and updates, a  
searchable KnowledgeBase, product manuals, step-by-step  
troubleshooting wizards, thousands of example programs,  
tutorials, application notes, instrument drivers, and so on.  
Registered users also receive access to the NI Discussion Forums  
at ni.com/forums. NI Applications Engineers make sure every  
question submitted online receives an answer.  
Standard Service Program Membership—This program  
entitles members to direct access to NI Applications Engineers  
via phone and email for one-to-one technical support as well as  
exclusive access to on demand training modules via the Services  
Resource Center. NI offers complementary membership for a full  
year after purchase, after which you may renew to continue your  
benefits.  
For information about other technical support options in your  
area, visit ni.com/services, or contact your local office at  
ni.com/contact.  
Training and Certification—Visit ni.com/trainingfor  
self-paced training, eLearning virtual classrooms, interactive CDs,  
and Certification program information. You also can register for  
instructor-led, hands-on courses at locations around the world.  
System Integration—If you have time constraints, limited in-house  
technical resources, or other project challenges, National Instruments  
Alliance Partner members can help. To learn more, call your local  
NI office or visit ni.com/alliance.  
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Appendix B  
Technical Support and Professional Services  
Declaration of Conformity (DoC)—A DoC is our claim of  
compliance with the Council of the European Communities using  
the manufacturer’s declaration of conformity. This system affords  
the user protection for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and  
product safety. You can obtain the DoC for your product by visiting  
ni.com/certification.  
Calibration Certificate—If your product supports calibration,  
you can obtain the calibration certificate for your product at  
ni.com/calibration.  
If you searched ni.comand could not find the answers you need, contact  
your local office or NI corporate headquarters. Phone numbers for our  
worldwide offices are listed at the front of this manual. You also can visit  
the Worldwide Offices section of ni.com/niglobalto access the branch  
office Web sites, which provide up-to-date contact information, support  
phone numbers, email addresses, and current events.  
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Glossary  
Symbol  
Prefix  
nano  
micro  
milli  
kilo  
Value  
10–9  
10– 6  
10–3  
103  
n
μ
m
k
M
G
T
mega  
giga  
106  
109  
tera  
1012  
Symbols  
°
Degrees.  
Ohms.  
Ω
%
Percent.  
A
A
Amperes.  
AC  
ASIC  
Alternating Current.  
Application-specific integrated circuit.  
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Glossary  
B
B
Bytes.  
backplane  
An assembly, typically a printed circuit board, with connectors and signal  
paths that bus the connector pins.  
BIOS  
Basic Input/Output System—BIOS functions are the fundamental level  
of any PC or compatible computer. BIOS functions embody the basic  
operations needed for successful use of the computer’s hardware resources.  
C
C
Celsius.  
cache  
Small portion of high-speed memory used for temporary storage of  
frequently used data.  
CMOS  
Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor—A type of integrated circuit.  
CompactPCI  
An adaptation of the PCI specification for industrial and/or embedded  
applications that require a more robust mechanical form factor than desktop  
PCI. CompactPCI provides a standard form factor for those applications  
requiring the high performance of PCI as well as the small size and  
ruggedness of a rack-mount system.  
Controller  
An embedded computer module which configures and accesses a series of  
devices connected to a chassis backplane.  
D
DC  
Direct Current.  
DDR2  
DIMM  
DMA  
Double Data Rate, 2nd generation.  
Dual In-line Memory Module.  
Direct Memory Access—A method by which data is transferred between  
devices and internal memory without intervention of the central processing  
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Glossary  
DRAM  
DVI-I  
Dynamic RAM (Random Access Memory)—Storage that the computer  
must refresh at frequent intervals.  
Direct Video Interface, Integrated—A video technology enabling the use of  
both analog and digital video signals.  
E
ECP  
Extended Capabilities Parallel.  
EEPROM  
EMC  
Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory.  
Electromagnetic Compatibility.  
EMI  
Electromagnetic interference.  
EPP  
Enhanced Parallel Port.  
expansion ROM  
An onboard EEPROM that may contain device-specific initialization and  
system boot functionality.  
F
FCC  
Federal Communications Commission.  
G
g
1. Grams.  
2
2. A measure of acceleration equal to 9.8 m/s .  
grms  
A measure of random vibration—The root mean square of acceleration  
levels in a random vibration test profile.  
H
Hz  
Hertz—Cycles per second.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Glossary  
I
I/O  
Input/output—The techniques, media, and devices used to achieve  
communication between machines and users.  
IDE  
Integrated Drive Electronics—Hard disk and built-in controller.  
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.  
Inches.  
IEEE  
in.  
instrument driver  
A set of routines designed to control a specific instrument or family of  
instruments, and any necessary related files for LabWindows/CVI or  
LabVIEW.  
interrupt  
interrupt level  
IRQ#  
A means for a device to request service from another device.  
The relative priority at which a device can interrupt.  
Interrupt request signal.  
ISA  
Industry Standard Architecture—The original PC bus architecture,  
specifically the 16-bit AT bus.  
K
kB  
Kilobytes of memory.  
L
LAN  
Local Area Network—Communications network that serves users within  
a confined geographical area. It is made up of servers, workstations,  
a network operating system, and a communications link.  
LED  
Light-emitting diode.  
M
m
Meters.  
master  
A functional part of a PXI device that initiates data transfers on the  
PXI backplane. A transfer can be either a read or a write.  
NI PXI-8104 User Manual  
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Glossary  
MB  
Megabytes of memory.  
Mean time between failure.  
Mean time to repair.  
MTBF  
MTTR  
N
NI-488 or NI-488.2  
The National Instruments software for GPIB systems.  
NI-DAQ  
The National Instruments software for data acquisition instruments.  
NI-VISA  
The National Instruments implementation of the VISA standard—An  
interface-independent software that provides a unified programming  
interface for VXI, GPIB, and serial instruments.  
NMI  
Non-maskable interrupt—High-priority interrupt that cannot be disabled.  
It is used to report malfunctions such as parity, bus and math coprocessor  
errors.  
P
PCI  
Peripheral Component Interconnect—The PCI bus is a high-performance  
32-bit or 64-bit bus with multiplexed address and data lines.  
PCI Express  
Peripheral Component Interconnect Express—A faster, serialized version  
of the PCI bus.  
PCMCIA  
peripheral  
Personal Computer Memory Card International Association.  
Any hardware device connected to a computer, such as a monitor,  
keyboard, printer, plotter, disk or tape drive, graphics tablet, scanner,  
mouse, and so on.  
POSC  
PXI  
Power On Self Configuration.  
PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation—An open implementation of  
CompactPCI that adds electrical features that meet the high-performance  
requirements of instrumentation applications by providing triggering,  
local buses, and system clock capabilities. PXI also offers two-way  
interoperability with CompactPCI products.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Glossary  
R
RAM  
Random Access Memory—the computer’s primary workspace.  
RAMDAC  
Random Access Memory Digital to Analog Converter—the VGA  
controller chip that maintains the color palette and converts data from  
memory into analog signals for the monitor.  
resource  
Hardware settings used by devices in a computer system, including  
ISA interrupt level, DMA channel, and I/O address.  
RMS  
RTC  
Root mean squared. See also grms.  
Real Time Clock—An electronic circuit that maintains the time of day and  
also can provide timing signals for timesharing operations.  
S
s
Seconds.  
slave  
A functional part of a PXI device that detects data transfer cycles initiated  
by a PXI bus master and responds to the transfers when the address  
specifies one of the device’s registers.  
SO-DIMM  
SRAM  
Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module.  
Static RAM—A memory chip that requires power to hold its content. It  
does not require refresh circuitry as a dynamic RAM chip, but it does take  
up more space and uses more power.  
U
USB  
Universal Serial Bus.  
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Glossary  
V
V
Volts.  
Video Graphics Array—The minimum video display standard for all PCs.  
VGA  
W
W
Watts.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Index  
common configuration questions  
boot options, 4-1  
A
cables and connections, 4-2  
chassis configuration, 2-12  
figure, 2-13  
driver installation, 4-3  
general questions, 4-1  
PXI configuration, 4-6  
B
BIOS  
checking settings, 4-1  
flashing new BIOS, 4-5  
setup  
upgrade information, 4-4  
CompactPCI specification, 1-1  
configuration, common questions  
boot options, 4-1  
Advanced Setup menu, 2-6  
Boot Setup menu, 2-9  
entering, 2-4  
cables and connections, 4-2  
chassis configuration, 2-12  
figure, 2-13  
driver installation, 4-3  
general questions, 4-1  
Exiting BIOS Setup menu, 2-9  
Integrated Peripherals menu, 2-7  
Main Setup menu, 2-5  
PXI Setup menu, 2-8  
PXI configuration, 4-6  
upgrade information, 4-4  
connectors  
DVI-I connector and signals, 3-3  
parallel port connector and signals, 3-7  
peripheral expansion overview  
(table), 3-1  
trigger connector and signals, 3-10  
Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector  
and signals, 3-9  
C
calibration certificate (NI resources), B-2  
CD-ROM drive, installing software from, 4-3  
CE compliance specifications, A-4  
chipset  
945GMCH, 1-4  
conventions used in the manual, vii  
CMOS  
clearing contents (figure), 2-11, 5-3  
setting back to default, 5-2  
COM1 connector  
connector locations and pinout  
(figure), 3-5  
connector signals (table), 3-5  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Index  
D
F
data storage, 3-11  
DDR SO-DIMMs  
drive, 2-11  
floppy drive, using external floppy drive, 4-5  
front panel  
figure, 2-15, 4-5  
connectors, 3-1  
from National Instruments (note), 2-15,  
4-4  
Declaration of Conformity (NI resources), B-2  
directories and files installed on hard  
drive, 2-11  
hard drive, 3-11  
documentation  
files and directories installed on, 2-11  
recovery, 2-15  
conventions used in manual, vii  
how to use this documentation set, vii  
NI resources, B-1  
related documentation, viii  
DRIVE LED, 3-11  
drivers, 2-11  
I
addition, 4-1  
installation  
installation  
video, 4-3  
NI resources, B-1  
obtaining latest drivers, 4-5  
DVI-I  
See also configuration  
(caution), 2-2  
overview (table), 3-1  
removing NI PXI-8104 from PXI  
chassis, 2-4  
removing protective screw caps  
(figure), 2-2  
E
electrical specifications, A-2  
electromagnetic compatibility, A-4  
Ethernet, connector  
instrument drivers (NI resources), B-1  
Integrated Peripherals menu, 2-7  
location and pinout (figure), 3-6  
signals (table), 3-6  
examples (NI resources), B-1  
Exiting BIOS Setup menu, 2-9  
NI PXI-8104 User Manual  
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ni.com  
Index  
COM1 connector and signals, 3-5  
K
parallel port connector and  
connector and signals, 3-9  
L
LabVIEW, 1-5  
LabWindows/CVI, 1-5  
Linux support, 1-6  
data storage, 3-11  
front panel  
dimensions, 3-2  
LPT cable, connecting to NI PXI-8104, 4-3  
hard drive recovery, 2-15  
logic blocks, 1-3  
(table), 3-1  
PXI trigger connectivity, 2-12  
removing from a PXI chassis, 2-4  
software, 1-4  
M
Main Setup menu, 2-5  
mating connector  
Measurement Studio, 1-5  
modular instruments, 1-5  
mouse, plugging PS/2 mouse and keyboard  
into controller, 4-2  
(figure), 2-13  
N
specifications, A-1  
troubleshooting, 5-1  
upgrading RAM, 2-14, 4-4  
NI support and services, B-1  
NI-DAQmx, 1-5  
National Instruments  
software, 1-4  
support and services, B-1  
NI PXI-8104  
NI-VISA, 1-6  
benefits of PXI, 1-1  
BIOS setup, 2-4  
block diagram, 1-3  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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NI PXI-8104 User Manual  
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Index  
O
S
operating environment specifications, A-2,  
A-3  
safety specifications, A-4  
serial port, 3-1  
os directory, 2-11  
See also COM1 connector  
shock and vibration specifications, A-3  
socket 479 1 CPU, 1-3  
SO-DIMM logic block, 1-3  
software  
P
parallel port  
See also drivers  
installed on your hard drive, 2-11  
installing from CD-ROM, 4-3  
LabVIEW, 1-5  
LabWindows/CVI, 1-5  
Measurement Studio, 1-5  
National Instruments software, 1-4  
NI resources, B-1  
designs, 1-1  
peripheral expansion overview (table), 3-1  
physical specifications, A-2  
controller, 4-2  
NI-DAQmx, 1-5  
NI-VISA, 1-6  
specifications  
CE compliance, A-4  
electrical, A-2  
electromagnetic compatibility, A-4  
operating environment, A-2, A-3  
physical, A-2  
PXI  
Setup menu, 2-8  
safety, A-4  
shock and vibration, A-3  
storage environment, A-3  
storage environment specifications, A-3  
super I/O logic block, 1-4  
support, technical, B-1  
system CMOS, 2-10  
Per-Slot Device Settings, 2-8  
trigger connectivity, 2-12  
PXI-8220/PXI-8221, using NI PXI-8104  
with, 4-6  
pxisys.ini file, 2-12  
system reset pushbutton, 3-11  
R
RAM  
DDR2 SO-DIMMs from National  
upgrading, 2-14, 4-4  
related documentation, viii  
NI PXI-8104 User Manual  
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ni.com  
Index  
T
V
technical support, B-1  
trigger, 3-10, 4-6  
video, 3-1  
driver installation, 4-3  
(figure), 3-10  
connector signals (table), 3-10  
troubleshooting  
CMOS reset, 5-2  
Y
controller does not boot, 5-1  
Y-splitter cable  
figure, 4-2  
using mouse and keyboard without, 4-3  
using with PS/2 mouse and keyboard, 2-3  
video display, 5-2  
U
Universal Serial Bus (USB), 3-1, 3-9  
connector function, 1-4  
connector location and pinout  
(figure), 3-9  
connector signals (table), 3-9  
overview (table), 3-1  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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