Appendix B
Common Questions
MXI-Express Gen II x8 Series User Manual
B-2
ni.com
Will my PC work with MXI-Express Gen II x8 products?
It will depend on the robustness of the BIOS in your PC. In most cases, the
BIOS should be able to enumerate the bridge resources that the MXI
products require for operation, especially for smaller MXI system
configurations. For more information, refer to the NI Developer Zone
article,
Tips to Help You Successfully Use NI MXI-Express Controllers
,
at
ni.com/zone
.
What is the maximum length of a MXI-Express x8 copper cable?
The maximum length for a MXI-Express x8 copper cable is 5 m. National
Instruments offers 3 m and 5 m copper cables. Refer to the
section
of Chapter 2,
Installation and Configuration
, for more information.
MXI-4 to MXI-Express Gen II x8 Upgrade Questions
What are some of the improvements from MXI-4 to MXI-Express Gen
II x8?
MXI-Express Gen II x8 incorporates the latest technology to include:
•
Support for PCI Express slots.
•
Support for PXI Express and CompactPCI Express chassis.
•
Improved error correction and handling for noisy or harsh
environments.
•
Improved mechanical connectivity.
•
Improved performance.
Can I use a MXI-4, and MXI-Express Gen II x8 kit in the same
multichassis PXI system?
Yes. Different MXI kits can be intermixed to connect multiple PXI and
PXI Express chassis together.
MXI-4 systems required the use of a specific boot ordering. Is this a
requirement with MXI-Express Gen II x8?
Yes. The requirements of the PCI bus still mandate that you must power on
secondary PXI/PXI Express chassis before powering on the host PC when
using MXI-Express Gen II x8. However, a MXI-Express Gen II x8
controlled chassis will power on with the host.
