National Instruments NI 8350 User Manual

Contents

National Instruments NI 8350 User Manual Manual pdf 81 page image

Chapter 4 Common Configuration QuestionsNI 8350 User Manual 4-4 ni.comThe PXI specification allows many combinations of PXI chassis andsystem modules. To assist system integrators, the manufacturers ofPXI chassis and system modules must document the capabilities of theirproducts. The minimum documentation requirements are contained in.ini files, which consist of ASCII text. System integrators, configurationutilities, and device drivers can use these .ini files.The capability documentation for the chassis is contained in achassis.ini file provided by the chassis manufacturer. The informationin this file is combined with information about the system controller tocreate a single system initialization file called pxisys.ini (PXI SystemInitialization). The NI 8350 uses MAX to generate the pxisys.ini filefrom the chassis.ini file.Device drivers and other utility software read the pxisys.ini file toobtain system information. For detailed information about initializationfiles, refer to the PXI specification at www.pxisa.org.Upgrade InformationHow do I upgrade system memory?Refer to the Upgrading Memory section of Chapter 2, Installation andConfiguration.How do I flash a new BIOS?You need to download the new BIOS from ni.com/support/pxisupp.htm. To download the new BIOS, follow the instructions on theWeb site.Where do I get the latest software drivers?You can download the latest drivers from ni.com/support/pxisupp.htm.My NI 8350 does not have an internal floppy drive. Is there a way touse an external drive?Yes. The NI 8350 controller supports and can boot from USB floppy drives.A USB floppy drive will not work with Windows NT 4.0, but will workwith Windows 2000/XP. Refer to the Boot Options section for moreinformation.A USB floppy drive is available from National Instruments, partnumber 778492-02.