Terminology

The following terms may be used throughout this document:

  • Host PC—A host computer with at least one PCI Express x4 or wider slot available.
    Note Using a PCI Express slot wider than x4 may result in negotiation down to x1 width, and therefore limiting bandwidth. This is uncommon in newer PCs.
  • Expansion Chassis—An expansion chassis of any of the following types:
    • CompactPCI Express chassis
    • PXI Express chassis
    • NI HDD RAID
  • MXI-Express x4 copper cable—Standard PCI Express specification-compliant cable with x4 PCI Express connectors.
    Note Refer to the Cabling section for details. Most MXI-Express kits include the cable, but not all.
  • Host Board—The MXI-Express x4 board of a cabled pair of boards that is closer to the CPU.
  • Target Board—The MXI-Express x4 board of a cabled pair of boards that is farther from the CPU.
  • Cabled Pair—Two MXI-Express x4 boards that are connected with a single cable.