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Appendix B
Common Questions
Fiber-Optic MXI-Express x4 for PXI Express User Manual
B-2
ni.com
General Cabling
What is the maximum length of a Fiber-Optic MXI-Express x4
Fiber-Optic cable?
The maximum length for a Fiber-Optic MXI-Express x4 Fiber-Optic cable
is 100 m. National Instruments offers 10 m, 30 m, and 100 m Fiber-Optic
cables.
General Software
Under which operating systems will Fiber-Optic MXI-Express x4
work?
Fiber-Optic MXI-Express x4 will be recognized as a collection of
PCI-to-PCI bridges to the majority of operating systems. It should
automatically work with most systems like Windows, Macintosh OS X,
Linux, and Solaris, but only Windows Vista/XP has been verified in the
initial release of Fiber-Optic MXI-Express x4.
What software is required to use my Fiber-Optic MXI-Express x4 kit?
For Windows and LabVIEW RT, the required software is included as part
of the latest version of NI PXI Platform Services included with your kit.
The software for your Fiber-Optic MXI-Express x4 controller enhances the
product, allowing you to view information about the organization of your
PXI system and programmatically retrieve data about the chassis and
modules you have installed.
If the Fiber-Optic MXI-Express x4 software does not support your
operating system, you can still use Fiber-Optic MXI-Express x4 and the
operating system will provide a mechanism for you to ignore the SMBus
master that is built into the Fiber-Optic MXI-Express x4 hardware.
How does my Fiber-Optic MXI-Express x4 board show up in the
Windows Device Manager?
Fiber-Optic MXI-Express x4 boards contain two types of PCI devices
onboard and will have several listings in the Windows Device Manager
(WDM). The first devices show up in the WDM listed under System
devices as
PCI standard PCI-to-PCI bridges
. The second device type
shows up in the WDM as a
National Instruments SMBus Controller
when the correct MXI-Express x4 driver is installed. This second device
provides configuration information about the chassis. The NI PCIe-8375