Getting Started With the NI MXI-Express RIO Expansion Chassis

This tutorial provides step-by-step instructions to help you set up your MXI-Express RIO system. Follow these guidelines to go from unpacking your NI hardware to programming I/O in NI LabVIEW system design software.

1. Requirements
2. Setting Up the Hardware
3. Creating a New MXI-Express Project
4. Programming MXI-Express RIO
5. Next Steps

Requirements

Software

NI 9157/9159 MXI-Express RIO 14-slot chassis

1. LabVIEW 2010
2. LabVIEW 2010 FPGA Module
3. NI-RIO 3.5.1

NI 9154/9155 MXI-Express RIO 8-slot chassis

1. LabVIEW 2012
2. LabVIEW 2012 FPGA Module
3. NI-RIO 12.0

Note: Software should be installed in the order listed.

Hardware

The following hardware is needed to install a MXI-Express chassis:

1. MXI-Express RIO chassis
2. One of the following MXI-Express host systems:

• Multicore NI CompactRIO
• PXI system with MXI-Express device installed
• NI industrial controller
• PC with MXI-Express PCI or PCI Express device installed

1. MXI-Express cable
2. Power supply
3. C Series I/O modules

Setting Up the Hardware

This section walks through the steps to set up the hardware for the MXI-Express RIO chassis.

Installing C Series I/O Modules in the Chassis

Complete the following steps to install an NI C Series I/O module in the chassis:

1. Make sure that no I/O side power is connected to the module. Due to the hot swapability of the C Series module, if the system is in a nonhazardous location, the chassis power can be on when you install modules.
2. Align the C Series module with a module slot in the chassis as shown in Figure 1. The module slots are labeled 1 to 8 or 1 to 14, left to right.

Figure 1. Installing a C Series I/O Module in the MXI-Express RIO Chassis

3. Squeeze the latches and insert the module into the module slot.
4. Press firmly on the connector side of the C Series module until the latches lock the module into place.
5. Repeat these steps to install additional I/O modules.

Wiring Power to the Chassis

The MXI-Express RIO chassis filters and regulates the supplied power and provides power for all of the I/O modules. You must connect a power supply to at least one pair of V and C terminals. Complete the following steps to connect a power supply to the chassis.

1. Connect the positive lead of the power supply to the V1 or V2 terminal of the COMBICON connector shipped with MXI-Express RIO.
2. Connect the negative lead of the power supply to one of the C terminals of the COMBICON connector.
3. You can connect another power supply to the other V and C terminals as a backup power supply.
4. Install the COMBICON connector on the front panel of MXI-Express RIO.

Connecting One or More MXI-Express Chassis to the MXI-Express Host System

This section walks through the steps to configure one or more MXI-Express RIO chassis with a MXI-Express host system. This example uses a PC with an NI PCIe-8361 MXI-Express interface as the MXI-Express host system and daisy chains several NI 9157 and NI 9159 chassis.

1. Power down the MXI-Express host system.

2. Use a MXI-Express cable to connect the MXI-Express host system to the Upstream port of the first MXI-Express chassis in the chain.

3. Use a MXI-Express cable to connect the Downstream port of the first MXI-Express chassis to the Upstream port of the next MXI-Express chassis in the chain.

4. Repeat step 3 to daisy chain multiple upstream MXI-Express chassis to downstream MXI-Express chassis to create a chain of up to six MXI-Express RIO chassis.

5. Power up all of the connected MXI-Express chassis.

Note: All chassis must have power connected before the host system is powered up. The BIOS and OS of the host system must detect all bus segments on the chassis to configure the PCI hierarchy.

6. Power up the MXI-Express host system.

7. Check the MXI-Express LINK LEDs for daisy-chain connection status. If you do not see a solid green connection indicator, power down your MXI-Express host and verify that you have connected the cables properly, and securely.

Table 1. MXI-Express RIO Link LED Indications

8. Open Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) by going to Start » All Programs » National Instruments » Measurement & Automation and expand Devices and Interfaces in My Systems. You should see your MXI-Express RIO chassis in the list.

Figure 2. MXI-Express RIO MAX Configuration

Creating a New MXI-Express Project

1. Start by opening LabVIEW and clicking on the Empty Project item in the LabVIEW getting started screen.

Figure 3. LabVIEW Getting Started Window

2. Right-click My Computer in the project tree and select New » Targets and Devices…

Figure 4. LabVIEW Project Explorer Window

3. Expand the MXI-Express RIO chassis field under Existing Target or Device and select one or more of your devices.

Figure 5. Select the MXI-Express RIO chassis to add to your project.

Your MXI-Express RIO chassis is now added to the project. 

Figure 6. MXI-Express Project Explorer Window

Programming MXI-Express RIO

1. Click Save and save your project in a location you can find it again. 

Now create a LabVIEW FPGA VI that is compiled to the FPGA target on MXI-Express RIO. Then create a Host VI that runs on the host and communicates with the FPGA VI on the MXI-Express RIO FPGA Target.

2. Right-click the FPGA Target item in the project tree and select New » VI to add a new FPGA VI to your project.

Figure 7. Creating a New FPGA VI

3. Navigate to the block diagram and add a While Loop from the functions palette. Then drag and drop an I/O Node from the project tree into the While Loop.

4. Create an indicator for your I/O Node. Your block diagram should look similar to Figure 8.

Figure 8. MXI-Express RIO FPGA VI

5. Save your VI and click the Run arrow from your front panel. This launches the FPGA Compiler, which compiles your FPGA VI for the FPGA Target.
6. Right-click the My Computer item in the project tree and select New » VI to add a new Host VI to your project.
7. Navigate to the block diagram and add a While Loop from the functions palette. Then add Open FPGA VI Reference, Read/Write Control, and Close FPGA VI functions from the FPGA Interface palette into the While Loop and wire them as seen in Figure 9.

Figure 9. MXI-Express RIO Host VI

8. Right-click on the Open FPGA VI Reference and select Configure Open FPGA VI Reference. Select the VI radio button and then browse to your FPGA VI. This points your host VI to your FPGA VI that is running on the FPGA Target.

Figure 10. Configure Open FPGA VI Reference Window

9. Save your VI and click the Run Arrow from your front panel. 

You are now accessing I/O from the MXI-Express RIO chassis from your development PC using LabVIEW FPGA programming! 

Figure 11. MXI-Express RIO Running Host VI

Next Steps

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