General software – National Instruments PCI-8331 User Manual
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Appendix B
Common Questions
© National Instruments Corporation
B-3
MXI-4 copper cables look like standard serial cables. Are they the
same?
No. Although MXI-4 copper cables use the same DB-9 connector as many
RS-232 serial cables like those found on a regular PC, they are not
compatible. RS-232 cables and MXI-4 cables cannot be interchanged.
Also, never attempt to cable together a standard RS-232 serial port to the
copper connector on a MXI-4 board. Doing so will result in damage to your
hardware.
General Software
Under which operating systems will MXI-4 work?
MXI-4 is a PCI-to-PCI bridge that is recognized by the majority of
operating systems. It should automatically work with most systems like
Windows, Macintosh OS X, Linux, and Solaris, but only Windows
operating systems have been verified in the initial release of MXI-4.
What software is required to use my MXI-4 kit?
For Windows and LabVIEW RT, the required software is included as part
of the latest version of NI-VISA included with your kit. The software for
your MXI-4 controller enhances the product, allowing you to monitor your
MXI-4 link, view information about the organization of your PXI system,
and programmatically retrieve data about the link, chassis, and modules
you have installed.
If the MXI-4 software does not support your operating system, you can still
use MXI-4 and the operating system will provide a mechanism for you to
ignore the MXI-4 Connection Monitor that is built into the MXI-4
hardware.
For more details, refer to the
section of Chapter 2,
Hardware and Software Installation
.
MXI-3 required optimization software. Does MXI-4 require the same?
No. The necessary optimization is now done automatically by the MXI-4
hardware.
How does my MXI-4 board show up in the Windows Device Manager?
MXI-4 boards contain two distinct PCI functions onboard and will have
two separate listings in the Windows Device Manager (WDM). The first