National Instruments PXI-PCI 8330 Series - Manual (Page 9)

© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 PXI-PCI 8330 Series User Manual
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Introduction
This chapter describes the PXI-PCI 8330 Series, lists what you need to get
started, and explains how to unpack and set up your hardware. The four
products in this series are the PCI-8330, the PXI-8330, the PCI-8335, and
the PXI-8335. The PXI-PCI 8330 Series incorporates MXI-3 technology.
The terms MXI-3, MXI-3 card and MXI-3 system in this manual refer to
both the PCI MXI-3 and PXI MXI-3 cards and systems, unless otherwise
noted.
About the MXI-3 System
Description and Features
MXI-3 is a PCI master/slave system implementing the PCI-PCI bridge
register set. It couples two physically separate PCI, CompactPCI, or PXI
buses with either a copper or fiber-optic data link capable of 1.5 Gbytes/s
serial data rates. With the MXI-3 system, you can do the following:
• Increase the available number CompactPCI or PXI slots for your
application
• Physically separate the measurement or automation system from the
host PC
• Combine PCI, CompactPCI, and PXI devices in the same system
Note Your MXI-3 card will work in any standard CompactPCI chassis adhering to the
PICMG CompactPCI 2.0 R2.1 specification.
Large System Size
You can use MXI-3 to control remote devices on up to 255 buses from any
PCI-based system, provided the BIOS supports such a configuration. You
can use either a daisy-chain or a star configuration, with maximum
bus-to-bus distances of 20 meters (copper cable) or 200 meters (fiber-optic
cable).