Important Information
Warranty
The NI PXI-8108 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.
The media on which you receive National Instruments software are warranted not to fail to execute programming instructions, due to defects in
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.
A Return Material Authorization (RMA) number must be obtained from the factory and clearly marked on the outside of the package before any
equipment will be accepted for warranty work. National Instruments will pay the shipping costs of returning to the owner parts which are covered by
warranty.
National Instruments believes that the information in this document is accurate. The document has been carefully reviewed for technical accuracy. In
the event that technical or typographical errors exist, National Instruments reserves the right to make changes to subsequent editions of this document
without prior notice to holders of this edition. The reader should consult National Instruments if errors are suspected. In no event shall National
Instruments be liable for any damages arising out of or related to this document or the information contained in it.
EXCEPT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN, NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CUSTOMER’S RIGHT TO RECOVER DAMAGES CAUSED BY FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF NATIONAL
INSTRUMENTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT THERETOFORE PAID BY THE CUSTOMER. NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES RESULTING
FROM LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, USE OF PRODUCTS, OR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. This limitation of
the liability of National Instruments will apply regardless of the form of action, whether in contract or tort, including negligence. Any action against
National Instruments must be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues. National Instruments shall not be liable for any delay in
performance due to causes beyond its reasonable control. The warranty provided herein does not cover damages, defects, malfunctions, or service
failures caused by owner’s failure to follow the National Instruments installation, operation, or maintenance instructions; owner’s modification of the
product; owner’s abuse, misuse, or negligent acts; and power failure or surges, fire, flood, accident, actions of third parties, or other events outside
reasonable control.
Copyright
Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of National
Instruments Corporation.
National Instruments respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask our users to do the same. NI software is protected by copyright and other
intellectual property laws. Where NI software may be used to reproduce software or other materials belonging to others, you may use NI software only
to reproduce materials that you may reproduce in accordance with the terms of any applicable license or other legal restriction.
Trademarks
National Instruments, NI, ni.com, and LabVIEW are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation. Refer to the Terms of Use section
on ni.com/legalfor more information about National Instruments trademarks.
The ExpressCard™ word mark and logos are owned by PCMCIA and any use of such marks by National Instruments is under license. Other
product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.
Members of the National Instruments Alliance Partner Program are business entities independent from National Instruments and have no agency,
partnership, or joint-venture relationship with National Instruments.
Patents
For patents covering National Instruments products/technology, refer to the appropriate location: Help»Patents in your software,
the patents.txtfile on your media, or the National Instruments Patent Notice at ni.com/patents.
WARNING REGARDING USE OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS
(1) NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS ARE NOT DESIGNED WITH COMPONENTS AND TESTING FOR A LEVEL OF
RELIABILITY SUITABLE FOR USE IN OR IN CONNECTION WITH SURGICAL IMPLANTS OR AS CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN
ANY LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS WHOSE FAILURE TO PERFORM CAN REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT
INJURY TO A HUMAN.
(2) IN ANY APPLICATION, INCLUDING THE ABOVE, RELIABILITY OF OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS CAN BE
IMPAIRED BY ADVERSE FACTORS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO FLUCTUATIONS IN ELECTRICAL POWER SUPPLY,
COMPUTER HARDWARE MALFUNCTIONS, COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE FITNESS, FITNESS OF COMPILERS
AND DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE USED TO DEVELOP AN APPLICATION, INSTALLATION ERRORS, SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE
COMPATIBILITY PROBLEMS, MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES OF ELECTRONIC MONITORING OR CONTROL DEVICES,
TRANSIENT FAILURES OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS (HARDWARE AND/OR SOFTWARE), UNANTICIPATED USES OR MISUSES, OR
ERRORS ON THE PART OF THE USER OR APPLICATIONS DESIGNER (ADVERSE FACTORS SUCH AS THESE ARE HEREAFTER
COLLECTIVELY TERMED “SYSTEM FAILURES”). ANY APPLICATION WHERE A SYSTEM FAILURE WOULD CREATE A RISK OF
HARM TO PROPERTY OR PERSONS (INCLUDING THE RISK OF BODILY INJURY AND DEATH) SHOULD NOT BE RELIANT SOLELY
UPON ONE FORM OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEM DUE TO THE RISK OF SYSTEM FAILURE. TO AVOID DAMAGE, INJURY, OR DEATH,
THE USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER MUST TAKE REASONABLY PRUDENT STEPS TO PROTECT AGAINST SYSTEM FAILURES,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BACK-UP OR SHUT DOWN MECHANISMS. BECAUSE EACH END-USER SYSTEM IS
CUSTOMIZED AND DIFFERS FROM NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS' TESTING PLATFORMS AND BECAUSE A USER OR APPLICATION
DESIGNER MAY USE NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER PRODUCTS IN A MANNER NOT
EVALUATED OR CONTEMPLATED BY NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS, THE USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER IS ULTIMATELY
RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFYING AND VALIDATING THE SUITABILITY OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS WHENEVER
NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS ARE INCORPORATED IN A SYSTEM OR APPLICATION, INCLUDING, WITHOUT
LIMITATION, THE APPROPRIATE DESIGN, PROCESS AND SAFETY LEVEL OF SUCH SYSTEM OR APPLICATION.
About This Manual
How to Use the Documentation Set...............................................................................ix
Chapter 1
Benefits of PXI ..............................................................................................................1-1
NI PXI-8108 ..................................................................................................................1-2
Functional Overview .......................................................................................1-2
Chapter 2
Accessing BIOS Setup Utility.........................................................................2-5
Boot Setup Menu.............................................................................................2-12
Boot Settings Configuration Submenu .............................................2-13
Hard Drive BBS Priorities Submenu ................................................2-13
CD/DVD ROM Drive BBS Priorities Submenu...............................2-13
Floppy Drive BBS Priorities Submenu.............................................2-14
Network Device BBS Priorities Submenu........................................2-14
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Security Menu................................................................................................. 2-14
System CMOS............................................................................................................... 2-15
Upgrading RAM............................................................................................................ 2-23
Hard Drive Recovery..................................................................................................... 2-24
Installing an OS............................................................................................................. 2-25
Installing from a CD-ROM............................................................................. 2-25
ExpressCard................................................................................................................... 2-25
Chapter 3
DVI-I............................................................................................................... 3-3
Universal Serial Bus........................................................................................ 3-9
Trigger............................................................................................................. 3-10
ExpressCard/34 Slot........................................................................................ 3-12
Front Panel Features...................................................................................................... 3-14
Chapter 4
General Questions ......................................................................................................... 4-1
Boot Options.................................................................................................................. 4-1
Cables and Connections ................................................................................................ 4-2
Software Driver Installation .......................................................................................... 4-3
Upgrade Information ..................................................................................................... 4-4
PXI Configuration ......................................................................................................... 4-6
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Contents
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 PXI-8108 embedded controller kit.
Begin by reading the NI PXI-8108 Installation Guide, a brief quick-start
guide that describes how to install and get started with your controller.
This manual, the NI PXI-8108 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 tip, which alerts you to advisory information.
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.
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About This Manual
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.
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.
•
•
•
•
ExpressCard Standard, Release 1.0, PCMCIA
Universal Serial Bus (USB) Specification, Revision 2.0
Digital Visual Interface (DVI) Specification, Revision 1.0
IEEE Std 488.1-2003, IEEE Standard for Higher Performance
Protocol for the Standard Digital Interface for Programmable
Instrumentation
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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.
Since PXI leverages the PCI bus, 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 from 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 side-band communication between adjacent peripherals.
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NI PXI-8108
Description
The NI PXI-8108 PXI/CompactPCI embedded computer is a
high-performance PXI/CompactPCI system controller. The NI PXI-8108
controller integrates standard I/O features in a single unit by using
state-of-the-art packaging. Combining an NI PXI-8108 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.
The NI PXI-8108 has an Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T9400 (2.53 GHz
dual core processor), all the standard I/O, and a 80 GB (or larger) hard
drive. It also has a PCI-based GPIB controller and an ExpressCard/34
expansion slot.
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.
Functional Overview
This section contains functional descriptions of each major logic block on
the NI PXI-8108 embedded computer.
NI PXI-8108 Functional Description
The NI PXI-8108 is a modular PC in a PXI 3U-size form factor. Figure 1-1
is a functional block diagram of the NI PXI-8108. Following the diagram
is a description of each logic block shown.
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Socket 479
CPU
PCIe
PCI
PCIe-to-PCI
Bridge
Chipset
Graphics
Memory
Controller
Hub
GPIB
SO-DIMM
DDR2 SDRAM
PC2-6400
Single CH
DVI-I
Connector
Gigabit
Ethernet
DMI
Flash ROM
PXI
Connector
Chipset
I/O
Controller
Hub
4 Hi-Speed
USB
Connectors
PCI Bus
PXI
Trigger
SATA
LPC Bus
ExpressCard/34
Slot
SMB to
PXI Trigger
LPT 1
Super I/O
Watchdog
Timer
COM 1
SMB
Figure 1-1. NI PXI-8108 Block Diagram
The NI PXI-8108 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® Core™ 2 Duo
processor T9400.
•
The SO-DIMM block consists of one 64-bit DDR2 SDRAM socket
that can hold up to 4 GB.
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•
The Mobile Intel GM45 Express Chipset (Graphics and Memory
Controller Hub) connects to the CPU, DDR2 SDRAM, DVI-I video,
and GPIB.
•
•
•
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 ICH9M (I/O Controller Hub) connects to the PCI, USB,
SATA, LPC buses, and Ethernet.
•
•
The USB Connectors are connected to the ICH9M chipset.
The PXI Connector connects the NI PXI-8108 to the PXI/CompactPCI
backplane.
•
•
The Super I/O block represents the other peripherals supplied by the
NI PXI-8108. The NI PXI-8108 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 GPIB block contains the GPIB interface.
The ExpressCard/34 slot accommodates an ExpressCard/34 module.
The SATA block connects a Serial ATA hard drive to the ICH9M.
National Instruments Software
National Instruments has developed several software tools you can use with
the NI PXI-8108.
National Instruments’ hardware and software work together to help you
make the most of your PXI system. The LabVIEW, Measurement Studio,
and LabWindows™/CVI™ application 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.
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.
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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 Signal Express. 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.
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.
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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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Installation and Configuration
This chapter contains information about installing and configuring your
NI PXI-8108 controller.
Installing the NI PXI-8108
This section contains general installation instructions for the NI PXI-8108.
Consult your PXI chassis user manual for specific instructions and
warnings.
1. Plug in your chassis before installing the NI PXI-8108. 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-8108 module.
(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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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-8108 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-8108.
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.
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7. Raise the injector/ejector handle until the module firmly seats
into the backplane receptacle connectors. The front panel of the
NI PXI-8108 should be even with the front panel of the chassis.
8. Tighten the four bracket-retaining screws on the top and bottom of the
9. Check the installation.
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.
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-8108 does not boot? section of Chapter 5,
Troubleshooting.
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Figure 2-2 shows an NI PXI-8108 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-8108 Controller
3
Injector/Ejector Rail
Figure 2-2. NI PXI-8108 Controller Installed in a PXI Chassis
How to Remove the Controller from the PXI Chassis
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.
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Installation and Configuration
BIOS Setup
You can change the NI PXI-8108 configuration settings in the BIOS setup
program. The BIOS is the low-level interface between the hardware and
operating system 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-8108 controller features.
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.
Accessing BIOS Setup Utility
Complete the following steps to start the BIOS setup program.
1. Power on or reboot your NI PXI-8108 controller.
2. When the message <DEL> = BIOS Setup Menuappears, press the
<Del> key. The setup program loads after a short delay.
The Main menu is displayed when you first enter the BIOS setup
program.
Use the following keys to navigate through the BIOS setup program:
•
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 must 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 to 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.
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•
•
<Tab>—Use this key to select time and date fields.
<F9>—Use this key to load the optimal default values for BIOS
configuration settings. The optimal default values are the same as the
shipping configuration default values.
Main Setup Menu
The most commonly accessed and modified BIOS settings are in the Main
setup menu. The Main setup menu reports the following configuration
information:
•
•
•
BIOS Version and Build Date—These values indicate the version of
the PXI-8108 controller BIOS and the date on which the BIOS was
built.
Processor Type, Speed, and Number of Cores—These values
indicate the type of processor used in the PXI-8108 controller, the
speed of the processor, and the number of processor cores.
System Memory—This value indicates the size of system RAM
detected by the BIOS.
The Main setup menu also includes the following settings:
•
•
System Time—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.
System Date—This setting controls the date, 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.
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.
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•
•
•
•
•
SATA Configuration—Use this setting to access the SATA
Configuration submenu. Refer to the SATA Configuration Submenu
section for more information.
CPU Configuration—Use this setting to access the CPU
Configuration submenu. Refer to the CPU Configuration Submenu
section for more information.
Video Configuration—Use this setting to access the Video
Configuration submenu. Refer to the Video Configuration Submenu
section for more information.
ExpressCard Configuration—Use this setting to access the
ExpressCard Configuration submenu. Refer to the ExpressCard
Configuration Submenu section for more information.
USB Configuration—Use this setting to access the USB
Configuration submenu. Refer to the USB Configuration Submenu
section for more information.
the Serial/Parallel Port Configuration submenu. Refer to the
Serial/Parallel Port Configuration Submenu section for more
information.
•
Trigger Router Configuration—Use this setting to access the
Trigger Router Configuration submenu. Refer to the Trigger Router
Configuration Submenu section for more information.
SATA Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to apply alternate settings to the hard disk drive (HDD)
interfaces. Normally, you do not need to modify these settings, as the
factory default settings provide the most compatible and optimal
configuration possible.
•
SATA Controller—This setting specifies whether or not the onboard
SATA controller is enabled or disabled. The default value is Enabled.
–
SATA Mode Selection—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 value is AHCI.
•
detected in the system.
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CPU Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to apply alternate settings to the CPU. Normally, you do
not need to modify these settings, as the factory default settings provide the
most compatible and optimal configuration possible.
•
Core Multi-Processing Controller—This setting specifies whether
or not the second core of the processor is enabled or disabled. The
default value is Enabled.
•
CPU Virtualization—This setting determines whether the Intel VT-x
virtualization support is enabled or disabled. A virtual machine
monitor (VMM) can utilize the additional hardware capabilities
provided by the VT-x processor extensions. The default value is
Enabled.
•
Processor Type, Speed, and Number of Cores—These values
indicate the type of processor used in the NI PXI-8108 controller,
the speed of the processor, and the number of processor cores.
Video Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to apply alternate settings to the video configuration.
Normally, you do not need to modify these settings, as the factory default
settings provide the most compatible and optimal configuration possible.
•
Primary Display—This setting specifies which video adapter the
BIOS should use as the primary adapter if more than one is present. To
use an external video adapter as the primary graphics adapter, choose
Add-in PCI Video. The default value is Onboard Video.
•
•
Total Graphics Memory—This setting specifies the amount of
system memory to allocate as graphics memory for use by the onboard
video device. The default value is 256 MB.
DDC Routing—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.
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ExpressCard Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to apply alternate settings to the ExpressCard
configuration. These settings determine how much memory space,
I/O space, and PCI bus numbers will be pre-allocated for the
ExpressCard port, allowing non-PCI Express-aware operating systems to
support hot-plugging ExpressCard devices. Normally, you do not need to
modify these settings, as the factory default settings provide the most
compatible and optimal configuration possible.
•
•
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Reserved Buses—This setting determines the number of PCI buses
that will be reserved by the BIOS for ExpressCard PCI-PCI bridges
that may be hot-plugged in the ExpressCard slot. The default value for
this setting is 8 PCI buses.
Reserved Memory—This setting determines the amount of memory
space, in bytes, that will be reserved by the BIOS for PCI-PCI bridges
that may be hot-plugged in the ExpressCard slot. The default value for
this setting is 32M bytes of memory.
Reserved I/O—This setting determines the amount of I/O space, in
bytes, that will be reserved by the BIOS for PCI-PCI bridges that may
be hot-plugged in the ExpressCard slot. The default value for this
setting is 4K bytes of I/O space.
USB Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to apply alternate configurations to the USB ports.
Normally, you do not need to modify these settings, as the factory default
settings provide the most compatible and optimal configuration possible.
•
USB Devices—This item lists the total number of devices detected in
the system, categorized by device type.
•
Legacy USB Support—This setting specifies whether or not legacy
USB support is enabled. Legacy USB support refers to the ability to
use a USB keyboard and mouse during system boot or in a legacy
operating system such as DOS. The default value is Enabled.
Note Certain real-time applications may require you to disable this setting to reduce loop
time jitter. When the controller is configured to boot LabVIEW RT, legacy USB support is
automatically disabled.
•
Device Reset Delay—This setting specifies the number of seconds the
Power-On Self Test will wait for a USB mass storage device to start.
The default is 20 seconds.
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In addition, the following option is available for each detected device if a
USB mass storage device is present:
•
Emulation Type—This setting specifies how the BIOS will present
the USB mass storage device to the system. This option can be used to
present a USB mass storage device as a floppy, Zip, hard disk, or
CD-ROM drive. The default is Auto, which allows the BIOS to treat
small USB flash disk drives as floppy drives and larger USB flash disk
drives as hard disk drives.
Serial/Parallel Port Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to apply alternate configurations to the serial and
parallel ports. Normally, you do not need to modify these settings, as the
factory default settings provide the most compatible and optimal
configuration possible.
•
Serial Port 0 Configuration—Use this setting to access the Serial
Port 0 Configuration submenu. Refer to the Serial Port 0
Configuration Submenu section for more information.
•
Parallel Port Configuration—Use this setting to access the Parallel
Port Configuration submenu. Refer to the Parallel Port
Configuration Submenu section for more information.
Serial Port 0 Configuration Submenu
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•
•
Serial Port—This setting enables or disables the onboard serial port.
The default value is Enabled.
Device Settings—This item displays the current base address and
interrupt request level (IRQ) information for the onboard serial port.
Change Settings—This setting changes the base address and interrupt
request level (IRQ) information for the onboard serial port. The default
value is Auto.
Parallel Port Configuration Submenu
•
•
•
Parallel Port—This setting enables or disables the onboard parallel
port. The default value is Enabled.
Device Settings—This item displays the current base address and
interrupt request level (IRQ) information for the onboard parallel port.
Device Mode—This settings enables alternate modes of operation for
the parallel port. Usually the default setting works for all applications.
The default is STD Printer Mode.
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•
Change Settings—This setting changes the base address and interrupt
request level (IRQ) information for the onboard parallel port. The
default value is Auto. Note that the options available vary based upon
the Device Mode selected for the parallel port.
Trigger Router Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to program the front panel trigger router configuration.
Normally, you do not need to modify these settings, as the factory default
settings provide the most compatible and optimal configuration possible.
•
Route Front Panel Trigger—This setting specifies how the front
panel SMB trigger should be routed. The front panel trigger can be
routed to System Reset, allowing an external trigger to reset the
system. The default value is Disabled.
Use this menu to configure boot options for LabVIEW RT if it is installed
on the controller. If you are not using LabVIEW RT, you should leave these
settings at default.
Note The settings below override the behavior of the switches on SW1. Refer to the
LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches section for more information. To use the settings
from the switches, select Use Switch Setting for each option.
•
•
Boot Configuration—This setting selects whether the controller
should boot LabVIEW RT, LabVIEW RT Safe Mode, or an installed
OS such as Windows XP. The default is Use Switch Setting.
Reset IP Address—If the controller is deployed to a different subnet
from which it was originally configured, or if the current IP address is
invalid, use this switch to reset the IP address to 0.0.0.0during
LabVIEW RT startup. The default is Use Switch Setting.
Note Once the Reset IP switch is unset, the target will automatically attempt to connect to
the network using DHCP. If the target is unable to initiate a DHCP connection, the target
connects to the network with a link-local IP address.
•
Disable Startup VI—If the controller becomes inaccessible because
of a startup VI, this switch can prevent VIs from automatically running
at startup. The default is Use Switch Setting.
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Boot Setup Menu
Use this menu to configure settings related to the boot process and boot
device priority.
•
Boot Settings Configuration—Use this setting to access the Boot
Settings Configuration submenu. Refer to the Boot Settings
Configuration Submenu section for more information.
•
SCSI Drive Boot—This setting specifies whether or not boot support
is enabled for legacy mass storage devices, such as SCSI drives. When
enabled, legacy mass storage controllers with boot support will be
displayed in the Boot Option Priorities menu. The default value is
Enabled.
•
•
PXE Network Boot—This setting specifies whether or not the PXE
network boot agent is enabled. When enabled, the Intel Boot Agent
will be displayed in the Boot Option Priorities menu, allowing you to
boot from a PXE server on the local subnet. Note that the Intel Boot
Agent device is named IBA GE Slot 00c9 v1310 in the Boot Option
Priorities menu. The system must be restarted for this setting to take
effect. The default value is Disabled.
Boot Option Priorities—These settings specify the order in which the
BIOS checks for bootable devices, including the local hard disk drive,
removable devices such as USB flash disk drives or USB CD-ROM
drives, or the PXE network boot agent. The BIOS will first attempt to
boot from the device associated with 1st Boot Device, followed by
2nd Boot Device, and 3rd Boot Device. If multiple boot devices are
not present, the BIOS setup utility will not display all of these
configuration options. To select a boot device, press <Enter> on the
desired configuration option and select a boot device from the resulting
menu. You can also disable certain boot devices by selecting Disabled.
Note Only one device of a given type will be shown in this list. If more than one device
of the same type exists, use the Device BBS Priorities submenus to re-order the priority of
devices of the same type.
The following submenus will be displayed if one or more bootable devices
of the corresponding type is present:
•
Hard Drive BBS Priorities—Use this setting to access the Hard
Drive BBS Priorities submenu to re-order or disable bootable hard
for more information.
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•
•
•
CD/DVD ROM Drive BBS Priorities—Use this setting to access the
CD/DVD ROM Drive BBS Priorities submenu to re-order or disable
bootable CD/DVD ROM drive devices. Refer to the CD/DVD ROM
Drive BBS Priorities Submenu section for more information.
drive devices. Refer to the Floppy Drive BBS Priorities Submenu
section for more information.
Network Device BBS Priorities—Use this setting to access the
Network Device BBS Priorities submenu to re-order or disable
bootable network devices. Refer to the Network Device BBS Priorities
Submenu section for more information.
Boot Settings Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to apply alternate configurations to boot settings.
Normally, you do not need to modify these settings, as the factory default
settings provide the most compatible and optimal configuration.
•
Quiet Boot—This setting enables or disables the splash screen during
the boot process. The default value is Enabled.
•
Setup Prompt Timeout—This setting specifies the number of
seconds the system will wait for a BIOS Setup menu keypress
(the <Del> key). The default value is 1 second.
•
Bootup NumLock State—This setting specifies the power-on state of
the keyboard NumLock setting. The default value is On.
Hard Drive BBS Priorities Submenu
•
Boot Option #1, Boot Option #2, Boot Option #3—These settings
specify the boot priority of hard drive devices. The highest priority
device is displayed on the main Boot Option Priorities list.
Optionally, each device can also be Disabled if the device should never
be used as a boot device.
CD/DVD ROM Drive BBS Priorities Submenu
•
Boot Option #1, Boot Option #2, Boot Option #3—These settings
specify the boot priority of CD/DVD ROM drive devices. The highest
priority device is displayed on the main Boot Option Priorities list.
be used as a boot device.
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Floppy Drive BBS Priorities Submenu
•
Boot Option #1, Boot Option #2, Boot Option #3—These settings
specify the boot priority of floppy drive devices. The highest priority
device is displayed on the main Boot Option Priorities list.
Optionally, each device can also be Disabled if the device should never
be used as a boot device.
Network Device BBS Priorities Submenu
•
Boot Option #1, Boot Option #2, Boot Option #3—These settings
specify the boot priority of network devices. The highest priority
device is displayed on the main Boot Option Priorities list.
Optionally, each device can also be Disabled if the device should never
be used as a boot device.
Security Menu
Use this menu to enable BIOS security options.
•
Setup Administrator Password—This setting specifies a password
that must be entered to access the BIOS Setup Utility. If only the
Administrator's password is set, then this only limits access to the
BIOS setup program and is only asked for when entering the BIOS
setup program. By default, no password is specified.
•
User Password—This setting specifies a password that must be
entered to access the BIOS Setup Utility or to boot the system. If only
the User's password is set, then this is a power on password and must
be entered to boot or enter the BIOS setup program. In the BIOS setup
program, the User will have Administrator rights. By default, no
password is specified.
Save & Exit Menu
The Save & 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 optimal BIOS default settings and <F10> to
save changes and exit setup.
The Exit setup menu includes the following settings:
•
Save Changes and Reset—Any changes made to BIOS settings are
stored in NVRAM. The setup program then exits and reboots the
controller. The <F10> key can also be used to select this option.
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•
Discard Changes and Reset—Any changes made to BIOS settings
during this session of the BIOS setup program are discarded. The setup
program then exits and reboots the controller. The <Esc> key can also
be used to select this option.
•
•
•
Save Changes—Changes made to BIOS settings during this session
are committed to NVRAM. The setup program remains active,
allowing further changes.
Discard Changes—Any changes made to BIOS settings during this
session of the BIOS setup program are discarded. The BIOS setup
continues to be active.
Restore Factory Defaults—This option restores all BIOS settings to
the factory default. This option 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 so on, are also restored to their factory defaults. The
<F9> key can also be used to select this option.
•
•
•
Save As User Defaults—This option saves a copy of the current BIOS
settings as the User Defaults. This option is useful for preserving
custom BIOS setup configurations.
Restore User Defaults—This option restores all BIOS settings to the
user defaults. This option is useful for restoring previously preserved
custom BIOS setup configurations.
Boot Override—This option lists all possible bootable devices and
allows the user to override the Boot Option Priorities list for the
current boot. If no changes have been made to the BIOS setup options,
the system will continue booting to the selected device without first
rebooting. If BIOS setup options have been changed and saved, a
reboot will be required and the boot override selection will not be
valid.
System CMOS
The NI PXI-8108 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.
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