Use Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) to configure your NI hardware. MAX informs other programs about which NI hardware products are in the system and how they are configured. MAX is automatically installed with NI-DCPower.

Note The PXIe-4163 (10 pA) appears in MAX as PXIe-4163 (10 pA) and the PXIe-4163 (100 pA) appears in MAX as PXIe-4163.
  1. Launch MAX.
  2. In the configuration tree, expand Devices and Interfaces to see the list of installed NI hardware.
    Installed modules appear under the name of their associated chassis.
  3. Expand your Chassis tree item.
    MAX lists all modules installed in the chassis. Your default names may vary.
    Note If you do not see your module listed, press <F5> to refresh the list of installed modules. If the module is still not listed, power off the system, ensure the module is correctly installed, and restart.
  4. Record the identifier MAX assigns to the hardware. Use this identifier when programming the PXIe-4163.
  5. Self-test the hardware by selecting the item in the configuration tree and clicking Self-Test in the MAX toolbar.
    MAX self-test performs a basic verification of hardware resources.

What Should I Do if the PXIe-4163 Does Not Appear in MAX?

  1. In the MAX configuration tree, expand Devices and Interfaces.
  2. Expand the Chassis tree to see the list of installed hardware, and press <F5> to refresh the list.
  3. If the module is still not listed, power off the system, ensure that all hardware is correctly installed, and restart the system.
  4. Navigate to the Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button, and selecting Device Manager.
  5. Verify the PXIe-4163 appears in the Device Manager.
    1. Under an NI entry, confirm that a PXIe-4163 entry appears.
      Note If you are using a PC with a device for PXI remote control system, under System Devices, also confirm that no error conditions appear for the PCI-to-PCI Bridge.
    2. If error conditions appear, reinstall NI-DCPower.

What Should I Do if the PXIe-4163 Fails the Self-Test?

  1. Reset the PXIe-4163 though MAX, then perform the self-test again.
  2. Perform self-calibration, then perform the self-test again. The PXIe-4163 must be calibrated to pass the self-test.
  3. Restart the system, then perform the self-test again.
  4. Power off the chassis.
  5. Reinstall the failed module in a different slot.
  6. Power on the chassis.
  7. Perform the self-test again.