Page 3 - Important Information
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 defect...
Page 4 - Contents; About This Manual
© National Instruments Corporation v NI PXI-8108 User Manual Contents About This Manual How to Use the Documentation Set ............................................................................... ixConventions ........................................................................................
Page 6 - Glossary
Contents © National Instruments Corporation vii NI PXI-8108 User Manual Chapter 5Troubleshooting Appendix ASpecifications Appendix BTechnical Support and Professional Services Glossary Index
Page 7 - How to Use the Documentation Set; Conventions
© National Instruments Corporation ix NI PXI-8108 User Manual About This Manual This manual contains detailed instructions for installing and configuring your National Instruments PXI-8108 embedded controller kit. How to Use the Documentation Set Begin by reading the NI PXI-8108 Installation Guide ,...
Page 8 - Related Documentation
About This Manual NI PXI-8108 User Manual x ni.com 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, su...
Page 9 - Introduction; Benefits of PXI
© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 NI PXI-8108 User Manual 1 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 s...
Page 10 - Description; Functional Overview
Chapter 1 Introduction NI PXI-8108 User Manual 1-2 ni.com 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....
Page 12 - National Instruments Software
Chapter 1 Introduction NI PXI-8108 User Manual 1-4 ni.com • 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 pane...
Page 15 - Installation and Configuration
© National Instruments Corporation 2-1 NI PXI-8108 User Manual 2 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. Cons...
Page 18 - How to Remove the Controller from the PXI Chassis
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration NI PXI-8108 User Manual 2-4 ni.com 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. Figure 2-2. NI PXI-8108 Controller Installed in a PXI Chassis ...
Page 19 - BIOS Setup; Accessing BIOS Setup Utility
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration © National Instruments Corporation 2-5 NI PXI-8108 User Manual 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 a...
Page 20 - Main Setup Menu
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration NI PXI-8108 User Manual 2-6 ni.com • <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...
Page 21 - SATA Configuration Submenu
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration © National Instruments Corporation 2-7 NI PXI-8108 User Manual The Advanced setup menu includes the following settings and submenus: • SATA Configuration —Use this setting to access the SATA Configuration submenu. Refer to the SATA Configuration Submenu secti...
Page 22 - CPU Configuration Submenu
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration NI PXI-8108 User Manual 2-8 ni.com 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 pos...
Page 23 - ExpressCard Configuration Submenu
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration © National Instruments Corporation 2-9 NI PXI-8108 User Manual 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...
Page 24 - Serial/Parallel Port Configuration Submenu; Serial Port 0 Configuration Submenu
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration NI PXI-8108 User Manual 2-10 ni.com 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. ...
Page 25 - Trigger Router Configuration Submenu
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration © National Instruments Corporation 2-11 NI PXI-8108 User Manual • 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 v...
Page 26 - Boot Setup Menu
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration NI PXI-8108 User Manual 2-12 ni.com 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 ...
Page 27 - Boot Settings Configuration Submenu
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration © National Instruments Corporation 2-13 NI PXI-8108 User Manual • 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 B...
Page 28 - Floppy Drive BBS Priorities Submenu
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration NI PXI-8108 User Manual 2-14 ni.com 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 Priori...
Page 29 - System CMOS
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration © National Instruments Corporation 2-15 NI PXI-8108 User Manual • 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>...
Page 31 - LabVIEW RT Installation; LabVIEW RT Software Installation
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration © National Instruments Corporation 2-17 NI PXI-8108 User Manual LabVIEW RT Installation This section explains software installation and switch configuration for LabVIEW RT on your PXI controller. LabVIEW RT Software Installation The following section describe...
Page 35 - Drivers and Software; Files and Directories Installed on Your Hard Drive; PXI Features; PXI Trigger Connectivity
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration © National Instruments Corporation 2-21 NI PXI-8108 User Manual Drivers and Software Files and Directories Installed on Your Hard Drive Your hard drive includes a directory called images in its root that contains software and soft copies of manuals for the in...
Page 36 - Chassis Configuration; Basic PXI System Configuration
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration NI PXI-8108 User Manual 2-22 ni.com Chassis Configuration Configuration of the PXI system is handled through Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX), included with the software pre-installed on your controller. MAX creates the pxisys.ini file, which defin...
Page 37 - Upgrading RAM
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration © National Instruments Corporation 2-23 NI PXI-8108 User Manual 3. If the PXI system controller has not yet been configured, it is labeled PXI System (Unidentified) . Right-click this entry to display the pop-up menu, then select the appropriate controller mo...
Page 38 - Hard Drive Recovery
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration NI PXI-8108 User Manual 2-24 ni.com Figure 2-7. Installing a DDR2 SO-DIMM in an NI PXI-8108 Controller Hard Drive Recovery The NI PXI-8108 controller ships with an OS Recovery CD that allows you to reinstall your operating system onto your hard drive through ...
Page 39 - Installing an OS; Installing from a CD-ROM; ExpressCard; Installing an ExpressCard
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration © National Instruments Corporation 2-25 NI PXI-8108 User Manual Installing an OS NI PXI-8108 controllers include a pre-installed OS. In some cases, you may want to install a different OS. When doing so, consider the following guidelines. Installing from a CD-...
Page 40 - Removing an ExpressCard
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration NI PXI-8108 User Manual 2-26 ni.com Removing an ExpressCard To remove the ExpressCard module push in the module and then release to eject the card. Slide the card out of the slot. Caution To avoid data loss and other potential issues, stop communication with ...
Page 41 - Front Panel Connectors
© National Instruments Corporation 3-1 NI PXI-8108 User Manual 3 I/O Information Front Panel Connectors Table 3-1 lists various I/O interfaces and their corresponding NI PXI-8108 external connectors, bus interfaces, and functions. Table 3-1. NI PXI-8108 I/O Overview I/O Interface External Connector ...
Page 42 - Front Panel
Chapter 3 I/O Information NI PXI-8108 User Manual 3-2 ni.com Front Panel Figure 3-1 shows the front panel layout and dimensions of the NI PXI-8108. Dimensions are in inches [millimeters]. Figure 3-1. NI PXI-8108 Front Panel Layout and Dimensions 4.393 [111.5 8 ] 3.551 [90.2] 3.022 [76.76] 2.063 [52....
Page 49 - Universal Serial Bus
Chapter 3 I/O Information © National Instruments Corporation 3-9 NI PXI-8108 User Manual Universal Serial Bus Figure 3-6 shows the location and pinouts for the Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors on the NI PXI-8108. Table 3-7 lists and describes the USB connector signals. Note Install a noise-supp...
Page 50 - Trigger
Chapter 3 I/O Information NI PXI-8108 User Manual 3-10 ni.com Trigger The TRG connector is the software-controlled trigger connection for routing PXI triggers to or from the backplane trigger bus. Figure 3-7 shows the TRG connector location on the NI PXI-8108. Table 3-8 lists and describes the trigg...
Page 54 - Front Panel Features; Data Storage
Chapter 3 I/O Information NI PXI-8108 User Manual 3-14 ni.com Front Panel Features The NI PXI-8108 controller has the following front-panel features: • A controller reset pushbutton (press the button to generate a reset to the controller) • Two front panel LEDs that show PC status – The POWER OK LED...
Page 55 - General Questions; Boot Options
© National Instruments Corporation 4-1 NI PXI-8108 User Manual 4 Common Configuration Questions This chapter answers common configuration questions you may have when using the NI PXI-8108 embedded controller. General Questions What do the LEDs on the NI PXI-8108 front panel mean? Refer to the LED st...
Page 56 - Cables and Connections
Chapter 4 Common Configuration Questions NI PXI-8108 User Manual 4-2 ni.com • An external USB mass storage device such as a USB hard drive or CD-ROM • An external USB floppy drive • Most PCI-based boards that provide an Option ROM Note There are some limitations when booting from a USB device. Windo...
Page 57 - Software Driver Installation
Chapter 4 Common Configuration Questions © National Instruments Corporation 4-3 NI PXI-8108 User Manual What if I don’t have a Y-splitter cable? Can I still use a mouse and keyboard? If you do not have a Y-splitter cable, plug a USB keyboard into any USB connector. You can also plug a USB mouse into...
Page 58 - Upgrade Information
Chapter 4 Common Configuration Questions NI PXI-8108 User Manual 4-4 ni.com How do I install software from a CD? The compact size of the NI PXI-8108 does not allow for an integrated CD-ROM drive. You have the following options: • USB CD-ROM —You can install from a USB CD-ROM using a bootable install...
Page 60 - PXI Configuration
Chapter 4 Common Configuration Questions NI PXI-8108 User Manual 4-6 ni.com PXI Configuration How do I use the SMB trigger on the front panel? For details, refer to the PXI Features section of Chapter 2, Installation and Configuration . Why doesn’t the NI PXI-8108 work with the PXI-8220 or PXI-8221?...
Page 61 - Troubleshooting
© National Instruments Corporation 5-1 NI PXI-8108 User Manual 5 Troubleshooting This chapter answers common troubleshooting questions you may have when using the NI PXI-8108 embedded computer. What if the NI PXI-8108 does not boot? Several problems can cause a controller not to boot. Here are some ...
Page 64 - Specifications; Features
© National Instruments Corporation A-1 NI PXI-8108 User Manual A Specifications This appendix lists the electrical, mechanical, and environmental specifications of the NI PXI-8108 embedded computer. Features NI PXI-8108 CPU Intel ® Core ™ 2 Duo processor T9400 (2.53 GHz dual core processor), 800 MHz...
Page 65 - Electrical; Environment
Appendix A Specifications NI PXI-8108 User Manual A-2 ni.com Electrical Physical Board dimensions ...................................PXI 3U-size module 8.1 cm × 13 cm × 21.6 cm (3.2 in. × 5.1 in. × 8.5 in.) Slot requirements ....................................One system slot plus three controller e...
Page 66 - Operating Environment; Storage Environment
Appendix A Specifications © National Instruments Corporation A-3 NI PXI-8108 User Manual Operating Environment Ambient temperature 1 Base................................................. 5 to 50 °C 2 (Tested in accordance with IEC-60068-2-1 and IEC-60068-2-2) Extended temperature ......................
Page 67 - Shock and Vibration; Safety; Electromagnetic Compatibility
Appendix A Specifications NI PXI-8108 User Manual A-4 ni.com Shock and Vibration Operational shock ...................................30 g peak, half-sine, 11 ms pulse (Tested in accordance with IEC-60068-2-27. Test profile developed in accordance with MIL-PRF-28800F.) Random vibration Operating ......
Page 68 - CE Compliance; Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE); ⬉ᄤֵᙃѻક∵ᵻࠊᄣ⧚ࡲ⊩ ˄Ё; RoHS
Appendix A Specifications © National Instruments Corporation A-5 NI PXI-8108 User Manual Note For the standards applied to assess the EMC of this product, refer to the Online Product Certification section. Note For EMC compliance, operate this device with shielded cabling. CE Compliance This product...
Page 71 - Symbols
© National Instruments Corporation G-1 NI PXI-8108 User Manual Glossary Symbol Prefix Value n nano 10 – 9 μ micro 10 – 6 m milli 10 – 3 k kilo 10 3 M mega 10 6 G giga 10 9 T tera 10 12 Symbols ° Degrees. Ω Ohms. % Percent. A A Amperes. AC Alternating Current. ASIC Application-specific integrated cir...
Page 78 - Index
© National Instruments Corporation I-1 NI PXI-8108 User Manual Index A Advanced Setup menu, 2-6 B basic PXI system configuration, 2-22BIOS checking settings, 4-1flashing new BIOS, 4-5setup Advanced Setup menu, 2-6Boot Settings Configuration menu, 2-13 Boot Setup menu, 2-12CD/DVD ROM Drive BBS Priori...
