National Instruments Pxi 8170 Series Users Manual User
PXI-8170 Series to the manual 522333dc-3c16-4b1c-8555-c3301b6f72bc
2015-02-05
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Page Count: 67
- PXI-8170 Series User Manual
- Support
- Important Information
- Compliance
- Contents
- About This Manual
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- Chapter 2 Functional Overview
- Chapter 3 PXI-8170 Series Installation
- Chapter 4 BIOS
- Appendix A Configuring the PXI-8170 Series
- Appendix B Specifications
- Appendix C PXI-8170 Series System Resources
- Appendix D LED Indicators
- Appendix E Front Panel and Connectors
- Appendix F Common Questions
- Appendix G Technical Support Resources
- Glossary
- Index
- Figures
- Figure 1-1. PXI-8170 Embedded Computer
- Figure 2-1. PXI-8170 Series Block Diagram
- Figure 3-1. PXI-8170 Series I/O Board Parts Locator Diagram
- Figure 3-2. PXI-8170 Series CPU Board Parts Locator Diagram
- Figure 3-3. PXI-8170 Installed in a PXI Mainframe
- Figure A-1. System CMOS
- Figure A-2. LCD Resolution Setting
- Figure A-3. Active Keyboard Port
- Figure A-4. Active Mouse Port
- Figure A-5. INTP Configuration
- Figure A-6. INTS Configuration
- Figure A-7. Onboard Video
- Figure E-1. PXI-8170 Front Panel Layout and Dimensions
- Figure E-2. Keyboard and Mouse Connectors Location and Pinout
- Figure E-3. VGA Connector Location and Pinout
- Figure E-4. COM1 Connector Location and Pinout
- Figure E-5. Parallel Port Connector Location and Pinout
- Figure E-6. USB Connector Location and Pinout
- Figure E-7. PXI Connectors Location and Pinout
- Tables
- Table 1-1. PXI-8170 Series Peripherals Overview
- Table 3-1. Jumpers on CPU Board
- Table 3-2. Switches on CPU Board
- Table 3-3. Jumpers on I/O Board
- Table C-1. PXI-8170 Series ISA Interrupt Resource Allocations
- Table E-1. Keyboard and Mouse Connector Signals
- Table E-2. VGA Connector Signals
- Table E-3. COM1 Connector Signals
- Table E-4. Parallel Port Connector Signals
- Table E-5. USB Connector Signals
- Table E-6. P2 Connector Pinouts for the System Controller Slot
- Table E-7. P1 Connector Pinouts for the System Controller Slot

PXI™
PXI-8170 Series
User Manual
PXI-8170 Series User Manual
February 2000 Edition
Part Number 322600A-01
Worldwide Technical Support and Product Information
www.ni.com
National Instruments Corporate Headquarters
11500 North Mopac Expressway Austin, Texas 78759-3504 USA Tel: 512 794 0100
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For further support information, see the Technical Support Resources appendix. To comment on the
documentation, send e-mail to techpubs@ni.com.
© Copyright 2000 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.

Important Information
Warranty
The PXI-8170 Series of embedded PXI computers are 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 defective during the warranty period. This warranty includes parts and labor.
The media on which you receive National Instruments software are warranted not to fail to execute programming instructions,
due to defects in materials and workmanship, for a period of 90 days from date of shipment, as evidenced by receipts or other
documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace software media that do not execute programming
instructions if National Instruments receives notice of such defects during the warranty period. National Instruments does not
warrant that the operation of the software shall be uninterrupted or error free.
A Return Material Authorization (RMA) number must be obtained from the factory and clearly marked on the outside of
the package before any equipment will be accepted for warranty work. National Instruments will pay the shipping costs of
returning to the owner parts which are covered by warranty.
National Instruments believes that the information in this document is accurate. The document has been carefully reviewed
for technical accuracy. In the event that technical or typographical errors exist, National Instruments reserves the right to
make changes to subsequent editions of this document without prior notice to holders of this edition. The reader should consult
National Instruments if errors are suspected. In no event shall National Instruments be liable for any damages arising out of
or related to this document or the information contained in it.
EXCEPT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN, NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY
WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CUSTOMER’S RIGHT TO RECOVER DAMAGES CAUSED BY FAULT
OR NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT THERETOFORE PAID BY THE CUSTOMER.
NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, USE OF PRODUCTS, OR INCIDENTAL
OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. This limitation of the liability of National Instruments
will apply regardless of the form of action, whether in contract or tort, including negligence. Any action against National
Instruments must be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues. National Instruments shall not be liable for
any delay in performance due to causes beyond its reasonable control. The warranty provided herein does not cover damages,
defects, malfunctions, or service failures caused by owner’s failure to follow the National Instruments installation, operation,
or maintenance instructions; owner’s modification of the product; owner’s abuse, misuse, or negligent acts; and power failure
or surges, fire, flood, accident, actions of third parties, or other events outside reasonable control.
Copyright
Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part, without
the prior written consent of National Instruments Corporation.
Trademarks
CVI™, LabVIEW™, National Instruments™, ni.com™, NI-488.2™, NI-488.2M™, NI-DAQ™, NI-VISA™, PXI™, and
TNT4882C™ are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation.
Product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.
WARNING REGARDING USE OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS
(1) NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS ARE NOT DESIGNED WITH COMPONENTS AND TESTING
FOR A LEVEL OF RELIABILITY SUITABLE FOR USE IN OR IN CONNECTION WITH SURGICAL IMPLANTS
OR AS CRITICAL COMPONENTS IN ANY LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS WHOSE FAILURE TO PERFORM CAN
REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT INJURY TO A HUMAN.
(2) IN ANY APPLICATION, INCLUDING THE ABOVE, RELIABILITY OF OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE
PRODUCTS CAN BE IMPAIRED BY ADVERSE FACTORS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO FLUCTUATIONS
IN ELECTRICAL POWER SUPPLY, COMPUTER HARDWARE MALFUNCTIONS, COMPUTER OPERATING
SYSTEM SOFTWARE FITNESS, FITNESS OF COMPILERS AND DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE USED TO DEVELOP
AN APPLICATION, INSTALLATION ERRORS, SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE COMPATIBILITY PROBLEMS,
MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES OF ELECTRONIC MONITORING OR CONTROL DEVICES, TRANSIENT
FAILURES OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS (HARDWARE AND/OR SOFTWARE), UNANTICIPATED USES OR
MISUSES, OR ERRORS ON THE PART OF THE USER OR APPLICATIONS DESIGNER (ADVERSE FACTORS SUCH
AS THESE ARE HEREAFTER COLLECTIVELY TERMED “SYSTEM FAILURES”). ANY APPLICATION WHERE A
SYSTEM FAILURE WOULD CREATE A RISK OF HARM TO PROPERTY OR PERSONS (INCLUDING THE RISK OF
BODILY INJURY AND DEATH) SHOULD NOT BE RELIANT SOLELY UPON ONE FORM OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEM
DUE TO THE RISK OF SYSTEM FAILURE. TO AVOID DAMAGE, INJURY, OR DEATH, THE USER OR
APPLICATION DESIGNER MUST TAKE REASONABLY PRUDENT STEPS TO PROTECT AGAINST SYSTEM
FAILURES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BACK-UP OR SHUT DOWN MECHANISMS. BECAUSE EACH
END-USER SYSTEM IS CUSTOMIZED AND DIFFERS FROM NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS' TESTING PLATFORMS
AND BECAUSE A USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER MAY USE NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS IN
COMBINATION WITH OTHER PRODUCTS IN A MANNER NOT EVALUATED OR CONTEMPLATED BY
NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS, THE USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER IS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR
VERIFYING AND VALIDATING THE SUITABILITY OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS WHENEVER
NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS ARE INCORPORATED IN A SYSTEM OR APPLICATION, INCLUDING,
WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE APPROPRIATE DESIGN, PROCESS AND SAFETY LEVEL OF SUCH SYSTEM OR
APPLICATION.

Compliance
FCC/Canada Radio Frequency Interference Compliance*
Determining FCC Class
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rules to protect wireless communications from interference.
The FCC places digital electronics into two classes. These classes are known as Class A (for use in industrial-
commercial locations only) or Class B (for use in residential or commercial locations). Depending on where it is
operated, this product could be subject to restrictions in the FCC rules. (In Canada, the Department of
Communications (DOC), of Industry Canada, regulates wireless interference in much the same way.)
Digital electronics emit weak signals during normal operation that can affect radio, television, or other wireless
products. By examining the product you purchased, you can determine the FCC Class and therefore which of the two
FCC/DOC Warnings apply in the following sections. (Some products may not be labeled at all for FCC; if so, the
reader should then assume these are Class A devices.)
FCC Class A products only display a simple warning statement of one paragraph in length regarding interference and
undesired operation. Most of our products are FCC Class A. The FCC rules have restrictions regarding the locations
where FCC Class A products can be operated.
FCC Class B products display either a FCC ID code, starting with the letters EXN,
or the FCC Class B compliance mark that appears as shown here on the right.
Consult the FCC web site http://www.fcc.gov for more information.
FCC/DOC Warnings
This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in strict accordance with the
instructions in this manual and the CE Mark Declaration of Conformity**, may cause interference to radio and
television reception. Classification requirements are the same for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
and the Canadian Department of Communications (DOC).
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by National Instruments could void the user’s authority to operate
the equipment under the FCC Rules.
Class A
Federal Communications Commission
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15
of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the
equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to
radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in
which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
Canadian Department of Communications
This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du
Canada.
Class B
Federal Communications Commission
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15
of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user
is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Canadian Department of Communications
This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du
Canada.
European Union - Compliance to EEC Directives
Readers in the EU/EEC/EEA must refer to the Manufacturer's Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for information**
pertaining to the CE Mark compliance scheme. The Manufacturer includes a DoC for most every hardware product
except for those bought for OEMs, if also available from an original manufacturer that also markets in the EU, or
where compliance is not required as for electrically benign apparatus or cables.
* Certain exemptions may apply in the USA, see FCC Rules §15.103 Exempted devices, and §15.105(c).
Also available in sections of CFR 47.
** The CE Mark Declaration of Conformity will contain important supplementary information and instructions
for the user or installer.

© National Instruments Corporation vii PXI-8170 Series User Manual
Contents
About This Manual
How to Use This Documentation Set ............................................................................xi
Acrobat (Online) Documentation....................................................................xi
Conventions ...................................................................................................................xii
Related Documentation..................................................................................................xiii
Chapter 1
Introduction
Overview........................................................................................................................1-1
What You Need to Get Started ......................................................................................1-2
Hardware Description....................................................................................................1-3
Benefits of PXI................................................................................................1-3
PXI-8170 Series Design ..................................................................................1-3
PXI-8170 Series Models..................................................................................1-4
Memory ...........................................................................................................1-4
Hard Drive.......................................................................................................1-4
System Slot Functionality................................................................................1-4
Front Panel Features........................................................................................1-4
Peripheral Expansion.......................................................................................1-5
PXI-1020 and PXI-1025 Chassis Support.......................................................1-6
PXI-1020 Chassis..............................................................................1-6
National Instruments Software ......................................................................................1-7
Files and Directories Installed on Your Hard Drive......................................................1-8
Chapter 2
Functional Overview
PXI-8170 Functional Description..................................................................................2-1
Chapter 3
PXI-8170 Series Installation
Default Settings..............................................................................................................3-1
Installing the PXI-8170 Series.......................................................................................3-4
How to Remove the Unit from the PXI Mainframe........................................3-7
Setting up the PXI-8170 Series......................................................................................3-7
Contents
PXI-8170 Series User Manual viii www.ni.com
Chapter 4
BIOS
Entering BIOS Setup..................................................................................................... 4-1
Default BIOS Setup Settings......................................................................................... 4-1
BIOS Setup for LCD Support........................................................................................ 4-1
Updating the BIOS ........................................................................................................ 4-2
Appendix A
Configuring the PXI-8170 Series
Installed System RAM .................................................................................................. A-1
System CMOS............................................................................................................... A-1
LCD Resolution and Enable.......................................................................................... A-2
Keyboard and Mouse..................................................................................................... A-2
Serial IRQ, INTP, and INTS ......................................................................................... A-3
Onboard Video .............................................................................................................. A-4
Appendix B
Specifications
Appendix C
PXI-8170 Series System Resources
PCI Interrupts ................................................................................................................ C-1
Resource Tables............................................................................................................. C-1
Appendix D
LED Indicators
Interface Status and Access LEDs................................................................................. D-1
Appendix E
Front Panel and Connectors
Front Panel.....................................................................................................................E-1
Keyboard and Mouse..................................................................................................... E-3
VGA .............................................................................................................................. E-4
COM1............................................................................................................................E-5
Parallel Port ...................................................................................................................E-6
Universal Serial Bus ..................................................................................................... E-8
PXI Connectors ............................................................................................................. E-9
Contents
© National Instruments Corporation ix PXI-8170 Series User Manual
Appendix F
Common Questions
Appendix G
Technical Support Resources
Glossary
Index
Figures
Figure 1-1. PXI-8170 Embedded Computer............................................................1-2
Figure 2-1. PXI-8170 Series Block Diagram...........................................................2-2
Figure 3-1. PXI-8170 Series I/O Board Parts Locator Diagram..............................3-3
Figure 3-2. PXI-8170 Series CPU Board Parts Locator Diagram ...........................3-4
Figure 3-3. PXI-8170 Installed in a PXI Mainframe ...............................................3-6
Figure A-1. System CMOS.......................................................................................A-2
Figure A-2. LCD Resolution Setting ........................................................................A-2
Figure A-3. Active Keyboard Port............................................................................A-3
Figure A-4. Active Mouse Port.................................................................................A-3
Figure A-5. INTP Configuration...............................................................................A-4
Figure A-6. INTS Configuration...............................................................................A-4
Figure A-7. Onboard Video ......................................................................................A-4
Figure E-1. PXI-8170 Front Panel Layout and Dimensions ....................................E-2
Figure E-2. Keyboard and Mouse Connectors Location and Pinout........................E-3
Figure E-3. VGA Connector Location and Pinout ...................................................E-4
Figure E-4. COM1 Connector Location and Pinout.................................................E-5
Figure E-5. Parallel Port Connector Location and Pinout........................................E-6
Figure E-6. USB Connector Location and Pinout....................................................E-8
Figure E-7. PXI Connectors Location and Pinout....................................................E-9
Contents
PXI-8170 Series User Manual x www.ni.com
Tables
Table 1-1. PXI-8170 Series Peripherals Overview ................................................ 1-5
Table 3-1. Jumpers on CPU Board......................................................................... 3-1
Table 3-2. Switches on CPU Board........................................................................ 3-2
Table 3-3. Jumpers on I/O Board ........................................................................... 3-3
Table C-1. PXI-8170 Series ISA Interrupt Resource Allocations .......................... C-1
Table E-1. Keyboard and Mouse Connector Signals.............................................. E-3
Table E-2. VGA Connector Signals ...................................................................... E-4
Table E-3. COM1 Connector Signals..................................................................... E-6
Table E-4. Parallel Port Connector Signals ............................................................ E-7
Table E-5. USB Connector Signals ........................................................................ E-8
Table E-6. P2 Connector Pinouts for the System Controller Slot .......................... E-10
Table E-7. P1 Connector Pinouts for the System Controller Slot .......................... E-11

© National Instruments Corporation xi PXI-8170 Series User Manual
About This Manual
This manual contains detailed instructions for installing and configuring
your National Instruments PXI-8170 Series embedded computer kit.
The PXI-8170 Series includes all models of the PXI-8170 embedded PXI
computer.
How to Use This Documentation Set
Begin by reading Set Up Your PXI-8170 Series Controller, a brief
quick-start guide that describes how to install and get started with your
controller.
This manual, the PXI-8170 Series User Manual, contains more details
about changing the installation or configuration from the defaults, and
about using the hardware.
If you ordered either LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI, you received
full documentation along with a configuration disk to unlock and access
these application programming environments, which are already installed
on your hard drive.
Acrobat (Online) Documentation
To learn more about using NI-VISA, your kit includes online manuals in
the form of Adobe Acrobat version 3.0 portable document format (PDF)
files. The Acrobat manuals and their installed locations are as follows:
• The NI-VISA User Manual describes how to program using
NI-VISA: Start»Programs»VXIpnp»NI-VISA User Manual
• The NI-VISA Programmer Reference Manual describes in detail the
attributes, events, and operations you use in NI-VISA: Start»
Programs»VXIpnp»NI-VISA Programmer Reference Manual
If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0, you can download a copy
from the Adobe Web site at http://www.adobe.com/

About This Manual
PXI-8170 Series User Manual xii www.ni.com
Conventions
The following conventions appear in this manual:
This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.
This icon denotes a caution, which advises you of precautions to take to
avoid injury, data loss, or a system crash.
This icon denotes a warning, which advises you of precautions to take to
avoid being electrically shocked.
bold Bold text denotes items that you must select or click on in the software,
such as menu items and dialog box options. Bold text also denotes
parameter names.
italic Italic text denotes variables, emphasis, a cross reference, or an introduction
to a key concept. This font also denotes text that is a placeholder for a word
or value that you must supply.
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, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions, operations,
variables, filenames and extensions, and code excerpts.
monospace bold Bold text in this font denotes the messages and responses that the computer
automatically prints to the screen. This font also emphasizes lines of code
that are different from the other examples.
PXI-8170 Series The terms PXI-8170 Series and PXI-8170 refer to a series of 3U PXI
controllers. Currently, this series consists of the PXI-8170, with various
processors and in different speeds.

About This Manual
© National Instruments Corporation xiii PXI-8170 Series User Manual
Related Documentation
The following documents contain information you may find helpful as you
read this manual:
•PICMG 2.0 R2.1 CompactPCI Specification, PCI Industrial
Computers Manufacturers Group
• IEEE Standard P1284.1-1997 (C/MM) Standard for Information
Technology for Transport Independent Printer/System Interface
•PCI Local Bus Specification, Revision 2.1, PCI Special Interest Group
•PXI Specification, Revision 1.0, National Instruments Corporation
•Serialized IRQ Support for PCI Systems Specification, Revision 6.0,
Compaq Computer et al.

© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
1
Introduction
This chapter describes the PXI-8170 Series of embedded PXI computers,
what you need to get started, optional equipment and software, and gives
an overview of the directory structure on your hard drive.
Overview
The PXI-8170 Series controller is a 3U PXI/CompactPCI embedded
computer based on the Peripheral Component Interface (PCI) bus
and Industry Standard Architecture (ISA). The computer is a
high-performance, easy-to-use platform for controlling PCI systems,
featuring complete PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation (PXI) functionality
through interactive utilities and C function calls
Figure 1-1 shows a PXI-8170 module. Refer to Appendix E, Front Panel
and Connectors, to determine the purpose for each connector on the
module.
The PXI-8170 is a custom computer that you install directly in the system
controller slot of your PXI mainframe. An embedded computer can take
full advantage of the PXI high-performance backplane capabilities.
The PXI-8170 is compatible with PC-compatible software tools, the
National Instruments LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI application
software, and the NI-VISA, NI-488.2M, and NI-DAQ software.

Chapter 1 Introduction
PXI-8170 Series User Manual 1-2 www.ni.com
Figure 1-1. PXI-8170 Embedded Computer
What You Need to Get Started
❑PXI-8170 Series embedded controller
❑PXI bus mainframe
❑PS/2 keyboard or USB (Windows 98 only) keyboard
❑Serial, PS/2, or USB (Windows 98 only) mouse
❑Monitor with VGA or better resolution
Note For PXI-8170 installation instructions, refer to the Installing the PXI-8170 Series
section in Chapter 3, PXI-8170 Series Installation.

Chapter 1 Introduction
© National Instruments Corporation 1-3 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
Hardware Description
Benefits of PXI
The PXI-8170 Series PXI/CompactPCI embedded computer is a
high-performance CompactPCI-compatible system controller that is
compatible with the PXI bus specification. PXI defines a compact modular
PC platform for industrial instrumentation. PXI leverages the PCI bus,
which is the de facto standard for today’s desktop computer software and
hardware designs. As a result, PXI users receive all the benefits of PCI
within an architecture that supports mechanical, electrical, and software
features tailored to industrial instrumentation, data acquisition, and
automation applications.
Well-suited for industrial applications, PXI leverages from the
CompactPCI specification, which defines a rugged form factor for PCI that
offers superior mechanical integrity and easy installation and removal of
hardware components. PXI products offer higher and more carefully
defined levels of environmental performance required by the vibration,
shock, temperature, and humidity extremes of industrial environments.
PXI adds mandatory environmental testing and active cooling to the
CompactPCI mechanical specification to ease system integration and
ensure multivendor interoperability.
Additionally, PXI meets the more specific needs of instrumentation users
by adding an integrated trigger bus and reference clock for multiple-board
synchronization, a star trigger bus for very precise timing, and local buses
for side-band communication between adjacent peripherals.
PXI-8170 Series Design
The PXI-8170 PXI embedded computer is a high-performance PXI system
controller with standard I/O features built in. The PXI-8170 uses
state-of-the-art technology and packaging to create a fully PC-compatible
controller for PXI. Due to the unique design and packaging, the computer
has onboard AGP video and connects to the PXI bus without the need of a
PCI-to-PCI bridge. As a result, it preserves the full 132 Mbytes/s PCI
bandwidth for other PXI boards. In addition, the PXI-8170 supports
masters in all seven available PXI slots.
The PXI-8170 design includes the standard PC ports (that is, serial,
parallel, USB, PS2 mouse and PS2 keyboard). It also has two
user-accessible SO-DIMM sockets, so it is easy to upgrade memory.
The unique packaging includes a built-in 1.44 MB floppy drive and 2.5 in.
Chapter 1 Introduction
PXI-8170 Series User Manual 1-4 www.ni.com
hard drive. The mechanical assembly of the PXI-8170 mounts these devices
to the PXI-8170 main board so you can remove the entire unit intact. This
eases integration issues and cabling. The PXI-8170 plugs directly into the
system controller slot and expands to the left, thus preserving all usable PXI
slots for user-defined peripheral devices.
PXI-8170 Series Models
Currently, the PXI-8170 Series consists of a 450 MHz Pentium III model
and a 700 MHz Pentium III model.
The PXI-8170 comes complete with a 3.5 in. 1.44 MB floppy drive, Super
VGA with 2 MB SGRAM, a serial port, an IEEE 1284 parallel port, a PS/2
keyboard and mouse, a USB connector, and software installed.
Memory
The PXI-8170 and its memory sockets are easily accessible so you can
install additional DRAM in the field. You can install up to 256 MB of
10 ns SDRAM, using two 144-pin SO-DIMMS.
For information on adding RAM by installing SO-DIMMs, refer to
Appendix B, Specifications.
Hard Drive
The PXI-8170 contains at least a 4 GB internal, enhanced IDE hard disk.
System Slot Functionality
You can use the PXI-8170 computers to achieve full PXI system slot
control of your PXI system. In the system slot, the PXI-8170 provides
master/slave capabilities to all slots in the PXI system.
Front Panel Features
The PXI-8170 Series has the following front-panel features:
• Internal 3.5 in. floppy drive
• System reset push-button (hold for ~ 2 seconds for reset to assert)

Chapter 1 Introduction
© National Instruments Corporation 1-5 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
• Front-panel connectors:
– RS-232 Serial
– Extended Capabilities Parallel (ECP)
– VGA Controller
– Universal Serial Bus (USB)
– PS/2-style keyboard
– PS/2-style mouse
• Two front-panel LEDs that show PC status
–POWER OK LED indicates that the power is on and reset is no
longer asserted.
–DRIVE LED indicates when an access to the internal hard disk is
occurring.
Peripheral Expansion
The PXI-8170 uses Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) and PCI local bus for
peripheral expansion. AGP is a new generation high-performance
component level interconnect graphics interface. AGP 1x provides a bus
speed of 266 Mbytes/s. The PCIbus is a 32-bit multimaster bus that
achieves a top throughput of 132 Mbytes/s and can handle numerous
peripherals.
For information on installing and configuring these peripherals for use
with the PXI-8170, refer to the C:\Images\Pxi8170 directory. The
drivers.txt file explains how to install support for each peripheral. This
directory also contains manufacturers’ documentation for the peripherals.
Also, refer to the readme files for the most up-to-date information.
Table 1-1 lists the various peripherals and describes the external connector,
its bus interface, and its function.
Table 1-1. PXI-8170 Series Peripherals Overview
Peripheral External
Connector
ISA,
PCI, or
AGP Function
Video 15-pin DSUB
(standard VGA) AGP High-resolution/color support for a
Super VGA monitor
IDE None PCI Supports internal fast ATA-3 hard drive

Chapter 1 Introduction
PXI-8170 Series User Manual 1-6 www.ni.com
PXI-1020 and PXI-1025 Chassis Support
The PXI-8170 Series controller is designed to interface directly to
PXI-1020 and PXI-1025 chassis. This interface contains the signals
required to control a TFT LCD, an IDE device (slave), a PS/2 keyboard,
and a PS/2 mouse.
Because the keyboard/mouse controller on the PXI-8170 Series supports
only one keyboard and one mouse at a time, the controller has two switches
you can use to control whether to enable either the keyboard and mouse
ports on the front panel of the PXI-8170 or the built-in chassis devices.
Refer to the Keyboard and Mouse section in Appendix A, Configuring the
PXI-8170 Series, for switch settings.
PXI-1020 Chassis
The PXI-1020 chassis currently does not contain a built-in keyboard.
When using the PXI-8170 Series controller with the PXI-1020 chassis, the
LCD may be dimmed through software. The software is located on your
hard drive in the C:\Images\PXI8170\LCD directory. Also, with this
chassis you can select whether the LCD is enabled while booting or off
until the operating system loads and software turns it on. Refer to
Chapter 3, PXI-8170 Series Installation, for the jumper settings and
Chapter 4, BIOS, for LCD BIOS settings.
Serial Serial Port
(9-pin DSUB) ISA 16550 serial ports
Parallel Parallel Port
(IEEE 1284) ISA Extended capabilities
USB 4-pin Series A
receptacle PCI Universal Serial Bus
Keyboard/Mouse PS/2 ISA PS/2-style keyboard and mouse
Watchdog Timer None ISA Indicates when timer is not refreshed
Table 1-1. PXI-8170 Series Peripherals Overview (Continued)
Peripheral External
Connector
ISA,
PCI, or
AGP Function

Chapter 1 Introduction
© National Instruments Corporation 1-7 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
National Instruments Software
National Instruments has developed several software kits that you can use
with the PXI-8170 Series. The software is already installed on your hard
drive.
NI-DAQ has an extensive library of functions that you can call from your
application programming environment. These functions include routines
for analog input (A/D conversion), buffered data acquisition (high-speed
A/D conversion), analog output (D/A conversion), waveform generation,
digital I/O, counter/timer operations, SCXI, RTSI, self-calibration,
messaging, and acquiring data to extended memory.
NI-VISA is the National Instruments implementation of the VISA
specification. VISA is a uniform API for communicating and controlling
Serial, GPIB, PXI, VXI, and various other types of instruments. This API
aids in the creation of more portable applications and instrument drivers.
For information on writing your own PXI instrument driver with NI-VISA,
see the NI-VISA Getting Started manual and the readme.txt file in the
NI-VISA directory.
You can also use the National Instruments LabVIEW and
LabWindows/CVI application programs and instrument drivers to ease
your programming task. These standardized programs match the modular
virtual instrument capability of PXI and can reduce your PXI software
development time. These programs feature extensive libraries of GPIB,
Serial, and VXI instrument drivers written to take full advantage of direct
PXI control. LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI include all the tools needed
for instrument control, data acquisition, analysis, and presentation.
LabVIEW is a complete programming environment that departs from the
sequential nature of traditional programming languages and features a
graphical programming environment.
LabWindows/CVI is an interactive C development environment for
building test and measurement and instrument control systems. It includes
interactive code-generation tools and a graphical editor for building custom
user interfaces.

Chapter 1 Introduction
PXI-8170 Series User Manual 1-8 www.ni.com
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 operating system
and peripherals. The directory structure under the images directory is
logically organized into several levels.
In the images directory itself, you will find a manuals directory,
an os directory, and directories for each of the peripherals of your
computer.
The manuals directory contains quick reference guides, technical
reference manuals, and National Instruments software manuals, all in
Adobe Acrobat format. To access any of these manuals, change your
directory to c:\images\pxi8170\manuals and list the contents of that
directory. You will see several files, one corresponding to each peripheral.
The os directory contains a subdirectory corresponding to the operating
system installed on your computer. That subdirectory contains an image
of the CD from which your operating system was installed, so you do not
need to insert the CD when you install a new peripheral. When the software
prompts you to insert the CD, direct the system to look in the images\os
directory instead.
For example, if your system has Windows 98 installed, you should find an
image of the Windows 98 CD in c:\images\os\win98.
The rest of the directories correspond to each peripheral in your system.
Within each of these directories are the drivers for the peripherals. These
files and directories are copied exactly from the distribution disks of the
manufacturers, so the naming conventions vary from peripheral to
peripheral.
Because the naming conventions may not be completely straightforward,
National Instruments provides a text file named drivers.txt in the
c:\images\pxi8170 directory. The drivers.txt file explains how
to install support for each peripheral. You may want to print this file for
reference when you install your peripheral device drivers.

Chapter 2 Functional Overview
PXI-8170 Series User Manual 2-2 www.ni.com
Figure 2-1 is a functional block diagram of the PXI-8170 Series. Following
the diagram is a description of each logic block shown.
Figure 2-1. PXI-8170 Series Block Diagram
PCI BUS
ISA BUS
Keyboard
& Mouse
Controller
BIOS
Real Time
Clock
Watchdog
Timer
PXI
Connector
Chip Set
Ultra DMA
33IDE,
USB, ISA
USB
Connector
Ultra DMA 33
IDE Hard Drive
SO-DIMM
SDRAM
Chip Set
Memory
Controller,
AGP & PCI
AGP
VIDEO
TFT LCD
Interface
VGA
Connector
Slot 1 CPU
Keyboard
& Mouse
Connectors
Internal
Floppy
PC
Peripherals
COM 1
LPT 1
Chapter 2 Functional Overview
© National Instruments Corporation 2-3 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
The PXI-8170 consists of the following logic blocks on the CPU module
and the I/O (daughter card) module. The CPU module has the following
logic blocks:
•Slot 1 CPU is the socket definition for the Intel Pentium II and III
processor families.
• The SO-DIMM block consists of two 64-bit SDRAM sockets that can
hold up to 128 MB each.
• The Chip Set North Bridge connects to the CPU, SDRAM, AGP port,
and PCI bus.
• The Chip Set South Bridge connects to the PCI bus USB, IDE, and ISA
ports.
• The AGP video circuitry is a 1x AGP-based design that has 2 MB of
video RAM. It also contains a TFT LCD Interface, which is used in the
National Instruments PXI-1020 and PXI-1025 chassis.
• The USB connector connects the chip set to the Universal Serial Bus
interface.
• The PXI connector connects the PXI-8170 to the PXI/CompactPCI
backplane.
• The Keyboard/Mouse block contains the PS/2 keyboard and mouse
interface.
• The BIOS/RTC block contains the boot Basic Input Output System
(BIOS) and the Real Time Clock interface.
• The Watchdog Timer block is the circuitry that, once configured,
signals if the timer is not refreshed. Refer to the drivers.txt file in
the C:\Images\PXI8170 directory for more information on
configuring and using the watchdog timer.
• The PC Peripherals blocks represent the other peripherals supplied by
the PXI-8170 Series. The PXI-8170 has one serial port, an ECP/EPP
parallel port, and a 1.44 MB, 3.5 in. floppy drive.
• The IDE block is dedicated PCI-IDE circuitry providing fast ATA-3
transfers to the internal hard drive. The IDE feature is built into the
chip set.
The I/O module has the following logic blocks:
• Internal 1.44 MB floppy drive
• 2.5 in. hard drive—4 GB or larger
• TFT LCD interface for PXI-1020 and PXI-1025 chassis

© National Instruments Corporation 3-1 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
3
PXI-8170 Series Installation
This chapter contains basic instructions for setting up the PXI-8170
embedded computer.
You can use this chapter as a guide to configure and operate your PXI
system quickly using the PXI-8170 Series. This chapter assumes that you
intend to perform a basic configuration as follows:
• You have one PXI mainframe in which you will be using the PXI-8170.
• You will use the default settings.
The PXI-8170 Series default settings are listed below. If you want to use
a different configuration, refer to Appendix A, Configuring the PXI-8170
Series, for information about changing the settings.
Caution Electrostatic discharge can damage several components on your PXI-8170
module. To avoid such damage in handling the module, touch the antistatic plastic package
to a metal part of your PXI mainframe before removing the module from the package.
Default Settings
This section summarizes the hardware default settings for the PXI-8170
Series for easy reference. The module is set at the factory for the most
commonly used configuration.
Tables 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3 list the factory-default settings (in bold type) and
options for the onboard jumpers and switches. Two jumpers and three
switches are on the CPU board, and three jumpers are on the I/O board.
Table 3-1. Jumpers on CPU Board
Pin Function
(Default Setting in Bold)
Clear CMOS J4: 3-5 short Clear CMOS
J4: 1-3 short Normal operation
Onboard Video Enable J4: 2-4 short Onboard video enabled
J4: 4-6 short Onboard video disabled

Chapter 3 PXI-8170 Series Installation
PXI-8170 Series User Manual 3-2 www.ni.com
Legacy IRQ—INTP J7: 3-5 short INTP connects to NMI
J7: 1-3 short INTP connects to IRQ14
J7: 3 open INTP not connected
Legacy IRQ—INTS J7: 4-6 short INTS connects to serialized IRQ
J7: 2-4 short INTS connects to IRQ15
J7: 4 open INTS not connected
Active Keyboard Port S1: up Controller front panel keyboard
port
S1: down Chassis keyboard (if available)
Active Mouse Port S2: up Controller front panel mouse
port
S2: down Chassis mouse (if available)
Table 3-2. Switches on CPU Board
Function Switch (X = Off, O = On)
Setting
(Default Setting
in Bold)
LCD Resolution
Mode/LCD Enable
S3: 1 S3: 2 S3: 3 S3: 4
OOOONo LCD
OXOX640 × 480/
LCD enabled
OXXX800 × 600/
LCD enabled
Others Reserved
Table 3-1. Jumpers on CPU Board (Continued)
Pin Function
(Default Setting in Bold)

Chapter 3 PXI-8170 Series Installation
© National Instruments Corporation 3-3 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
Figures 3-1 and 3-2 show the location and factory-default settings of the
configuration switches and jumpers on the PXI-8170 Series.
Figure 3-1. PXI-8170 Series I/O Board Parts Locator Diagram
Table 3-3. Jumpers on I/O Board
Pin Function
(Default Setting in Bold)
LCD Sleep Control W1: 1-2 short LCD always on
W1: 2-3 short LCD in sleep mode at power-on;
software enables the LCD
LCD Dimming Control W2: 1-2 short LCD software dimming control
always enabled
W2: 2-3 short LCD at full brightness at
power-on; software can enable
dimming control
LCD Backlight Supply
Voltage
W4: 1-2 short PXI-1020 and PXI-1025
W4: 2-3 short Reserved
1W3
2W2
3W1
4W4
1 2 3
4

Chapter 3 PXI-8170 Series Installation
PXI-8170 Series User Manual 3-4 www.ni.com
Figure 3-2 shows the CPU board.
Figure 3-2. PXI-8170 Series CPU Board Parts Locator Diagram
Installing the PXI-8170 Series
This section contains general installation instructions for the PXI-8170.
Consult your PXI mainframe user manual for specific instructions and
warnings.
1. Plug in your mainframe before installing the PXI-8170. The power
cord grounds the mainframe and protects it from electrical damage
while you install the module. (Make sure the power switch is
turned off.)
Warning To protect both yourself and the mainframe from electrical hazards, leave the
mainframe off until you finish installing the PXI-8170 module.
2. Remove or open any doors or covers blocking access to the system
controller slot (Slot 1) in the mainframe.
1J4
2S1
3S2
4 SO-DIMM Sockets
5J7
6S3
3 4
1
5
6
2

Chapter 3 PXI-8170 Series Installation
© National Instruments Corporation 3-5 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
3. Touch the metal part of the case to discharge any static electricity that
might be on your clothes or body.
4. Make sure the injector/ejector handle is in its downward position.
Align the PXI-8170 with the card guides on the top and bottom of the
system controller slot.
Caution Do not raise the injector/ejector handle as you insert the PXI-8170. The module
will not insert properly unless the handle is in its downward position so that it does not
interfere with the injector rail on the mainframe.
5. Hold the handle as you slowly slide the module into the mainframe
until the handle catches on the injector/ejector rail.
6. Raise the injector/ejector handle until the module firmly seats into the
backplane receptacle connectors. The front panel of the PXI-8170
should be even with the front panel of the mainframe.
7. Tighten the four bracket-retaining screws on the top and bottom of the
front panel to secure the PXI-8170 to the mainframe.
8. Check the installation.
9. Connect the keyboard and mouse to the appropriate connectors. Use a
PS/2 to AT keyboard adapter if you need to adapt an AT-style keyboard
to the PXI-8170 mini-DIN connector.
10. Connect the VGA monitor video cable to the VGA connector.
11. Connect devices to ports as required by your system configuration.
12. Replace or close any doors or covers to the mainframe.

Chapter 3 PXI-8170 Series Installation
PXI-8170 Series User Manual 3-6 www.ni.com
Figure 3-3 shows a PXI-8170 installed in the system controller slot of a
National Instruments PXI-1000 mainframe. You can place PXI devices in
any other slot.
Figure 3-3. PXI-8170 Installed in a PXI Mainframe
1 PXI-1000B Chassis
2 PXI-8170 System Controller
3 PXI Board
4 Injector/Ejector Handle
5 Injector/Ejector Rail
3
1
2
4
5

Chapter 3 PXI-8170 Series Installation
© National Instruments Corporation 3-7 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
How to Remove the Unit from the PXI Mainframe
The PXI-8170 Series is designed for easy handling. If you later decide to
change any of the jumper settings or the amount of DRAM installed on the
module, remove the unit from the PXI mainframe as follows:
1. Turn off power.
2. Remove the bracket-retaining screws in the front panel.
3. Press the injector/ejector handle down.
4. Slide the unit out of the mainframe.
Setting up the PXI-8170 Series
At Windows NT/98 startup, the software prompts you to insert a disk to
configure the system for LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI, and to enter the
serial number for the operating system. These programming environments
are already installed on your system, but you must insert a configuration
disk when prompted so that you can access and use them. If you ordered
either of these programming environments, select the appropriate checkbox
and insert the configuration disk. Follow the instructions as prompted.
Do not select either checkbox if you did not order LabVIEW or
LabWindows/CVI. Continue with the rest of the Setup program.
The PXI-8170 Series comes with the NI-VISA software already installed.
However, if you need to reinstall NI-VISA in the event that your files are
accidentally erased, use the Setup program and follow the prompts to install
these programs from the diskettes.
Similarly, if you need to reinstall LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI, use the
CD or diskette package that came with these programs.

© National Instruments Corporation 4-1 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
4
BIOS
This chapter contains information on Basic Input Output System (BIOS),
the low-level interface between the hardware and PC software that
configures and tests your hardware when you start up the system. This
BIOS is an easy-to-use graphical user interface so you can configure
system aspects according to your needs.
Entering BIOS Setup
To enter the BIOS setup program, perform the following steps.
1. Turn on or reboot the system. A screen appears with a series of
diagnostic checks.
2. When the message Press <DEL> to enter SETUP appears, press
<Delete> to enter the BIOS setup program.
3. Choose options with the keyboard. Modify the settings to reflect
system options.
Default BIOS Setup Settings
To restore the default settings while inside the BIOS setup program, select
either Load Optimal or Load Fail-Safe.
Select the Optimal settings if you want to get maximum performance from
the PXI-8170 Series. Fail-Safe settings are more conservative settings.
BIOS Setup for LCD Support
To enable the LCD Display, enter the BIOS setup program and select
Standard CMOS Setup. Under the LCD & CRT menu item, you can
select the following options:
•CRT—Just prior to the OS loading, only the CRT Display will be
enabled.
•LCD—Just prior to the OS loading, only the LCD Display will be
enabled.

Chapter 4 BIOS
PXI-8170 Series User Manual 4-2 www.ni.com
•Both—Both the CRT and LCD Displays are always enabled.
•Auto—If a CRT is connected to the controller at boot, only the CRT is
enabled. If a CRT is not connected at boot, only the LCD is enabled.
Note During the initial boot process, both the LCD and CRT displays are enabled.
You must set the correct resolution for the LCD Display. See Appendix A,
Configuring the PXI-8170 Series, for LCD resolution settings.
Updating the BIOS
Your PXI-8170 Controller contains Flash ROM that allows the BIOS to be
updated. Contact National Instruments for BIOS updates.

ni© National Instruments Corporation A-1 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
A
Configuring the PXI-8170 Series
This appendix describes how to configure the following options:
• System RAM
• System CMOS
• LCD output
• LCD resolution
• Keyboard and mouse ports
• Serial IRQ, INTP, and INTS connection
• Onboard video
Installed System RAM
You can change the amount of installed RAM on the PXI-8170 Series by
installing DRAM SO-DIMMs. Refer to Appendix B, Specifications, for
more information on SO-DIMMs.
System CMOS
The PXI-8170 contains a backed-up memory used to store BIOS defaults
and configuration information.
To clear the CMOS contents, short pins 3–5 of J4 as shown in Figure A-1b.
Plug the unit back into the mainframe and apply power momentarily. Turn
the power off again and remove the unit. Place the jumper back in the
default state (short pins 1–3).
Note Pins 2, 4, and 6 are for the onboard video. See the Onboard Video section for the
proper configuration.
Caution Do not keep these two pins short-circuited. The computer cannot sustain the
CMOS memory when the power is turned off if you leave these two pins shorted.

Appendix A Configuring the PXI-8170 Series
PXI-8170 Series User Manual A-2 www.ni.com
Figure A-1. System CMOS
LCD Resolution and Enable
The LCD output resolution can be switched between 640 × 480 and
800 ×600 or no LCD. Figure 3-6 shows the LCD resolution options.
See Chapter 4, BIOS, for information about updating the BIOS to enable
LCD support.
Figure A-2. LCD Resolution Setting
Keyboard and Mouse
Two switches—S1 and S2—control whether to enable the PS/2 keyboard
and mouse ports on the front panel of the PXI-8170 controller or the
built-in chassis devices, if available. By default, both front panel ports are
enabled. Change S1 to use a chassis keyboard port and S2 to use a chassis
mouse port.
Note Only the PXI-1020 and PXI-1025 chassis currently have built-in PS/2 devices that
you can select in this manner.
W1
a. Normal Operation (default) b. Clear CMOS Contents
W1
1
3
5
2
4
6
1
3
5
2
4
6
on
off
1234
No LCD (default)
on
off
1234
640 × 480
on
off
1234
800 × 600
S3 S3 S3

Appendix A Configuring the PXI-8170 Series
© National Instruments Corporation A-3 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
Figures A-3 and A-4 show the keyboard and mouse options, respectively.
Figure A-3. Active Keyboard Port
Figure A-4. Active Mouse Port
Serial IRQ, INTP, and INTS
You can use jumper settings on the PXI-8170 Series to connect INTP on the
PXI backplane to IRQ14 or NMI, as well as INTS to either IRQ15 or to
serial IRQ. Refer to the documentation that comes with your PXI peripheral
device to see if you need to make any changes from the default settings.
For more information on Serial IRQ, refer to the Serialized IRQ Support for
PCI Systems Specification.
a. PXI-8170 Front Panel (Default) b. Chassis
a. PXI-8170 Front Panel (Default) b. Chassis

Appendix A Configuring the PXI-8170 Series
PXI-8170 Series User Manual A-4 www.ni.com
Figure A-5 shows the INTP configuration options and Figure A-6 shows
the INTS configuration options.
Figure A-5. INTP Configuration
Figure A-6. INTS Configuration
Onboard Video
The onboard video can be disabled to allow the use of a CPCI or PXI video
card. Figure A-7 shows the onboard video configuration options.
Figure A-7. Onboard Video
Note Pins 1, 3, and 5 are for system CMOS. See the System CMOS section for the proper
operation.
a. No Connection
(Default)
J7
1
3
5
2
4
6
J7
b. IRQ14
Short Pins 1,3
1
3
5
2
4
6
J7
c. NMI
Short Pins 3,5
1
3
5
2
4
6
b. No Connection
J7
1
3
5
2
4
6
J7
a. Serial IRQ (Default)
Short Pins 4,6
1
3
5
2
4
6
J7
c. IRQ15
Short Pins 4,2
1
3
5
2
4
6
J4
b. Onboard Video
Disabled
1
3
5
2
4
6
J4
a. Onboard Video
Enabled (Default)
1
3
5
2
4
6

© National Instruments Corporation B-1 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
B
Specifications
This appendix lists the electrical, mechanical, and environmental
specifications of the PXI-8170 Series embedded computer, and describes
how to add RAM.
Electrical
PXI-8170 450 MHz PIII Processor
PXI-8170 700 MHz PIII Processor
Physical
Board dimensions...................................PXI 3U-size module
8.1 by 13 by 21.6 cm
(3.2 by 5.1 by 8.5 in.)
Slot requirements ................................... One system slot plus three
controller expansion slots
Voltage (V)
Current (A)
Typical Maximum
+3.3 3 A 10 A
+5 3.5 A 7 A
+12 0.05 A 1.0 A
–12 0.01 A 0.1 A
Voltage (V)
Current (A)
Typical Maximum
+3.3 2.5 A 10 A
+5 3 A 6 A
+12 0.05 A 1.0 A
–12 0.01 A 0.1 A

Appendix B Specifications
PXI-8170 Series User Manual B-2 www.ni.com
Compatibility..........................................Fully compatible with
PXI specification
MTBF .....................................................Contact National Instruments
Weight ....................................................1.1 Kg (2.4 lb) typical
Environmental
Temperature............................................0° to 50° C operating
–20° to 70° C storage
Relative humidity ...................................10% to 85% noncondensing,
operating
5% to 95% noncondensing,
storage
EMI.........................................................FCC Class A verified, EC verified
Adding RAM
To add RAM to the PXI-8170 Series, remove the unit from the PXI
mainframe and add SO-DIMM modules to the empty SO-DIMM sockets.
National Instruments recommends the following types of SO-DIMMs for
use with the PXI-8170 Series controller (SDRAM):
Note National Instruments has tested and verified that the SO-DIMMs we sell work with
the PXI-8170 Series. We recommend you purchase your SO-DIMM modules from
National Instruments. Other off-the-shelf SO-DIMM modules are not guaranteed to work
properly.
32 MB: 4 MB × 64 SO-DIMMs—10 ns, 1.05 in. max.
64 MB: 8 MB × 64 SO-DIMMs—10 ns, 1.05 in. max.
128 MB: 16 MB × 64 SO-DIMMs—10 ns, 1.05 in. max.

© National Instruments Corporation C-1 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
C
PXI-8170 Series
System Resources
This appendix describes the system resources available on the PXI-8170
Series embedded computer and where they are allocated. Because PCI is a
relatively new addition to PCs, this appendix describes how PCI interrupts
fit into a PC architecture before listing the devices that use them.
PCI Interrupts
PCI interrupts are more flexible than ISA interrupts because multiple
devices can share these interrupts. PCI interrupts do not actually connect to
the processor directly; they map through ISA interrupts in the system I/O
module. The interrupt handler for a particular ISA interrupt must know if it
will be acknowledging a PCI device.
Resource Tables
The following tables describe where system resources are assigned.
Table C-1 lists how the ISA interrupts are allocated on the PXI-8170 Series
and whether a PCI interrupt drives them.
Table C-1. PXI-8170 Series ISA Interrupt Resource Allocations
ISA Interrupt PCI Interrupt Device
NMI None Parity
0None Timer
1None Keyboard
2None IRQ Expansion (8–15)
3 PCI Plug and Play PXI Modules
4None COM1

Appendix C PXI-8170 Series System Resources
PXI-8170 Series User Manual C-2 www.ni.com
5 PCI/None Plug and Play PXI
Modules/Watchdog timer
if enabled
6None Floppy Drive
7None LPT1
8None RTC
9 PCI Plug and Play PXI Modules
10 PCI Plug and Play PXI Modules
11 PCI Plug and Play PXI Modules
12 None Mouse
13 None FPERR
14 None IDE
15 PCI Plug and Play PXI Modules
Table C-1. PXI-8170 Series ISA Interrupt Resource Allocations (Continued)
ISA Interrupt PCI Interrupt Device

© National Instruments Corporation D-1 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
D
LED Indicators
This appendix describes how to interpret the status of the PXI-8170 Series
computer by reading the LEDs on the front panel.
Interface Status and Access LEDs
POWER OK
When lit, the POWER OK LED indicates that the power is on and the
PXI-8170 is out of reset.
DRIVE LED
The DRIVE LED indicates when an access to the internal hard disk drive
is occurring.

ni© National Instruments Corporation E-1 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
E
Front Panel and Connectors
This appendix describes the front panel and connectors on the PXI-8170
Series embedded computer.
The PXI-8170 Series has the following front panel connectors:
• VGA Controller
• Extended Capabilities Parallel (ECP)
• PS/2-Style Keyboard
• PS/2-Style Mouse
• Universal Serial Bus (USB)
• RS-232 Serial
Note The illustrations in this appendix show the mating face of the connectors.
An asterisk suffix (*) on a signal name indicates that the signal is active low.
Front Panel
Figure E-1 shows the front panel layout of the PXI-8170. The drawing
shows dimensions relevant to key elements on the front panel. Dimensions
are shown in inches and millimeters, with millimeter dimensions in square
brackets. The front panel thickness for all models in the PXI-8170 Series is
2.49 mm (0.098 in.)

Appendix E Front Panel and Connectors
© National Instruments Corporation E-3 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
Keyboard and Mouse
Figure E-2 shows the location and pinouts for the keyboard and mouse
connectors on the PXI-8170 Series. Table E-1 lists and describes the
keyboard and mouse connector signals.
AMP manufactures a mating connector with part numbers 212437-4
(housing), 212435-7 (ferrule), and 66735-4 (pin contact).
Figure E-2. Keyboard and Mouse Connectors Location and Pinout
Table E-1. Keyboard and Mouse Connector Signals
Pin Signal Name Signal Description
1DATA Data
2NC Not Connected
3GND Ground
4+5V +5 V
5CLK Clock
6NC Not Connected
Keyboard
Mouse
1
2
4
35
6
1
2
4
35
6

Appendix E Front Panel and Connectors
PXI-8170 Series User Manual E-4 www.ni.com
VGA
Figure E-3 shows the location and pinouts for the VGA connector on the
PXI-8170 Series. Table E-2 lists and describes the VGA connector signals.
AMP manufactures a mating connector with part numbers 748364-1
(housing) and 748333-2 (pin contact).
Figure E-3. VGA Connector Location and Pinout
Table E-2. VGA Connector Signals
Pin Signal Name Signal Description
1 R Red
2 G Green
3 B Blue
4NC Not Connected
5GND Ground
6GND Ground
7GND Ground
8GND Ground
9NC Not Connected
10 GND Ground
VGA
11
6
1
15105

Appendix E Front Panel and Connectors
© National Instruments Corporation E-5 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
COM1
Figure E-4 shows the location and pinouts for the COM1 connector on all
models in the PXI-8170 Series. Table E-3 lists and describes the COM1
connector signal.
AMP manufactures a serial port mating connector, part number 745491-5,
for the COM1 connector on the PXI-8170.
Figure E-4. COM1 Connector Location and Pinout
11 NC Not Connected
12 SD Serial Data
13 HSync Horizontal Sync
14 VSync Vertical Sync
15 SC Serial Clock
Table E-2. VGA Connector Signals (Continued)
Pin Signal Name Signal Description
1
5
9
6
COM1

Appendix E Front Panel and Connectors
PXI-8170 Series User Manual E-6 www.ni.com
Parallel Port
Figure E-5 shows the location and pinouts for the IEEE-1284 connector on
the PXI-8170. Table E-4 lists and describes the IEEE-1284 connector
signals.
AMP manufactures a parallel port compatible connector, part
number 747052-2.
Figure E-5. Parallel Port Connector Location and Pinout
Table E-3. COM1 Connector Signals
Pin Signal Name Signal Description
1DCD* Data Carrier Detect
2RXD* Receive Data
3TXD* Transmit Data
4DTR* Data Terminal Ready
5GND Ground
6DSR* Data Set Ready
7RTS* Ready to Send
8 CTS* Clear to Send
9 RI* Ring Indicator
Parallel Port
1
13
14
25

Appendix E Front Panel and Connectors
© National Instruments Corporation E-7 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
Table E-4. Parallel Port Connector Signals
Pin Signal Name Signal Description
11 BUSY* Device Busy
17 SLCTIN* Select Input
10 ACK* Acknowledge
12 FAULT* Fault
15 ERROR Error
2PD0 Data Bit 0
3PD1 Data Bit 1
4PD 2 Data Bit 2
5PD3 Data Bit 3
6PD4 Data Bit 4
7PD5 Data Bit 5
8PD6 Data Bit 6
9PD7 Data Bit 7
16 INIT* Initialize Printer
1STROBE* Strobe
13 SLCT Select
14 AUTOFD Auto Line Feed
18–25 GND Ground
36 NC Not Connected

Appendix E Front Panel and Connectors
PXI-8170 Series User Manual E-8 www.ni.com
Universal Serial Bus
Figure E-6 shows the location and pinouts for the Universal Serial Bus
(USB) connector. Table E-5 lists and describes the USB connector signals.
AMP manufactures a USB mating connector, part number 787633.
Figure E-6. USB Connector Location and Pinout
Table E-5. USB Connector Signals
Pin Signal Name Signal Description
1VCC Cable Power (+5 V)
2–Data USB Data–
3+Data USB Data+
4GND Ground
USB
4
1

Appendix E Front Panel and Connectors
© National Instruments Corporation E-9 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
PXI Connectors
Figure E-7 shows the location and pinouts for the PXI connector on the
PXI-8170 Series. Table E-6 shows the P2 connector pinouts for the PXI
connector as it applies to the system controller slot (Slot 1). Table E-7
shows the P1 connector pinouts.
Figure E-7. PXI Connectors Location and Pinout
P2 Connector
P1 Connector
22
1
1
25
AE
AE

Appendix E Front Panel and Connectors
PXI-8170 Series User Manual E-10 www.ni.com
Table E-6. P2 Connector Pinouts for the System Controller Slot
Pin Z A B C D E F
22 GND PXI_RSVA22 PXI_RSVB22 PXI_RSVC22 PXI_RSVD22 PXI_RSVE22 GND
21 GND CLK6 GND RSV RSV RSV GND
20 GND CLK5 GND RSV GND RSV GND
19 GND GND GND RSV RSV RSV GND
18 GND PXI_TRIG3 PXI_TRIG4 PXI_TRIG5 GND PXI_TRIG6 GND
17 GND PXI_TRIG2 GND PRST# REQ6# GNT6# GND
16 GND PXI_TRIG1 PXI_TRIG0 DEG# GND PXI_TRIG7 GND
15 GND PXI_BRSVA15 GND FAL# REQ5# GNT5# GND
14 GND AD[35] AD[34] AD[33] GND AD[32] GND
13 GND AD[38] GND V(I/O) AD[37] AD[36] GND
12 GND AD[42] AD[41] AD[40] GND AD[39] GND
11 GND AD[45] GND V(I/O) AD[44] AD[43] GND
10 GND AD[49] AD[48] AD[47] GND AD[46] GND
9 GND AD[52] GND V(I/O) AD[51] AD[50] GND
8 GND AD[56] AD[55] AD[54] GND AD[53] GND
7 GND AD[59] GND V(I/O) AD[58] AD[57] GND
6 GND AD[63] AD[62] AD[61] GND AD[60] GND
5 GND C/BE[5]# GND V(I/O) C/BE[4]# PAR64 GND
4 GND V(I/O) PXI_BRSVB4 C/BE[7]# GND C/BE[6]# GND
3 GND CLK4 GND GNT3# REQ4# GNT4# GND
2 GND CLK2 CLK3 SYSEN# GNT2# REQ3# GND
1 GND CLK1 GND REQ1# GNT1# REQ2# GND
Note: PXI signals are shown in bold

Appendix E Front Panel and Connectors
© National Instruments Corporation E-11 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
Table E-7. P1 Connector Pinouts for the System Controller Slot
Pin Z A B C D E F
25 GND 5V REQ64# ENUM# 3.3V 5V GND
24 GND AD[1] 5V V(I/O) AD[0] ACK64# GND
23 GND 3.3V AD[4] AD[3] 5V AD[2] GND
22 GND AD[7] GND 3.3V AD[6] AD[5] GND
21 GND 3.3V AD[9] AD[8] M66EN C/BE[0]# GND
20 GND AD[12] GND V(I/O) AD[11] AD[10] GND
19 GND 3.3V AD[15] AD[14] GND AD[13] GND
18 GND SERR# GND 3.3V PAR C/BE[1]# GND
17 GND 3.3V SDONE SBO# GND PERR# GND
16 GND DEVSEL# GND V(I/O) STOP# LOCK# GND
15 GND 3.3V FRAME# IRDY# GND TRDY# GND
12–14 Key Area
11 GND AD[18] AD[17] AD[16] GND C/BE[2]# GND
10 GND AD[21] GND 3.3V AD[20] AD[19] GND
9 GND C/BE[3]# IDSEL AD[23] GND AD[22] GND
8 GND AD[26] GND V(I/O) AD[25] AD[24] GND
7 GND AD[30] AD[29] AD[28] GND AD[27] GND
6 GND REQ# GND 3.3V CLK AD[31]AD[31] GND
5 GND BRSVP1A5 BRSVP1B5 RST# GND GNT# GND
4 GND BRSVP1A4 GND V(I/O) INTP INTS GND
3 GND INTA# INTB# INTC# 5V INTD# GND
2 GND TCK 5V TMS TDO TDI GND
1 GND 5V –12V TRST# +12V 5V GND

© National Instruments Corporation F-1 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
F
Common Questions
This appendix answers common questions you may have when using the
PXI-8170 Series embedded computer.
What do the LEDs on the front of the PXI-8170 mean?
Refer to Appendix C, PXI-8170 Series System Resources, for a description
of the front panel LEDs.
What kind of monitor can I use with the PXI-8170?
PXI-8170 computers that use Super VGA video output work only with
monitors having a horizontal scan rate of at least 50 kHz and a vertical scan
rate of 60 Hz.
Caution Make sure that your monitor meets this specification. Enabling the Super VGA
option on a monitor that does not meet this specification will damage your monitor.
What if my keyboard connector does not fit into the keyboard port on
the PXI-8170?
You can plug keyboards that have a 6-pin Mini DIN PS/2 type connector
directly into the PXI-8170. You can use a PS/2 to AT keyboard adapter
cable to adapt the larger AT keyboard connector to the 6-pin Mini DIN
connector.
How do I add RAM to the PXI-8170? What is the maximum amount of
RAM that I can install?
For information about adding RAM to the PXI-8170, refer to Appendix B,
Specifications.
Which interrupt levels are free for use by PXI bus boards? Which area
of upper memory (adapter space) is free for use by PXI bus boards or
expanded memory manager software programs?
See Appendix B, Specifications, for information on the available port I/O
register space, upper memory area, interrupts, and DMA channels.
Appendix F Common Questions
PXI-8170 Series User Manual F-2 www.ni.com
How do I check the configuration of the memory, floppy drive, hard
drive, time/date, and so on?
You can view these parameters in the BIOS setup. To enter the BIOS setup,
reboot the PXI-8170 and press <Delete> during the memory tests. Refer to
Chapter 4, BIOS, for more information.
How can I boot from an external SCSI hard drive?
1. Enter the BIOS setup program as described in Chapter 4, BIOS.
2. Select BIOS Features.
3. Change Boot Sequence Setup so that SCSI is listed fist.
4. Press <Esc> to exit from this screen.
5. Select Save and Exit Setup.
Can I use the internal IDE drive and an external SCSI hard drive at
the same time?
Yes.
My CMOS is corrupted. How do I set it back to default?
1. Enter the BIOS setup program as described in Chapter 4, BIOS.
2. Select Load BIOS Defaults.
3. Answer Y (Yes) to the verification prompt.
4. Select Save and Exit Setup.

© National Instruments Corporation G-1 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
G
Technical Support Resources
This appendix describes the comprehensive resources available to you in
the Technical Support section of the National Instruments Web site and
provides technical support telephone numbers for you to use if you have
trouble connecting to our Web site or if you do not have internet access.
NI Web Support
To provide you with immediate answers and solutions 24 hours a day,
365 days a year, National Instruments maintains extensive online technical
support resources. They are available to you at no cost, are updated daily,
and can be found in the Technical Support section of our Web site at
www.ni.com/support
Online Problem-Solving and Diagnostic Resources
•KnowledgeBase—A searchable database containing thousands of
frequently asked questions (FAQs) and their corresponding answers or
solutions, including special sections devoted to our newest products.
The database is updated daily in response to new customer experiences
and feedback.
•Troubleshooting Wizards—Step-by-step guides lead you through
common problems and answer questions about our entire product line.
Wizards include screen shots that illustrate the steps being described
and provide detailed information ranging from simple getting started
instructions to advanced topics.
•Product Manuals—A comprehensive, searchable library of the latest
editions of National Instruments hardware and software product
manuals.
•Hardware Reference Database—A searchable database containing
brief hardware descriptions, mechanical drawings, and helpful images
of jumper settings and connector pinouts.
•Application Notes—A library with more than 100 short papers
addressing specific topics such as creating and calling DLLs,
developing your own instrument driver software, and porting
applications between platforms and operating systems.

Appendix G Technical Support Resources
PXI-8170 Series User Manual G-2 www.ni.com
Software-Related Resources
•Instrument Driver Network—A library with hundreds of instrument
drivers for control of standalone instruments via GPIB, VXI, or serial
interfaces. You also can submit a request for a particular instrument
driver if it does not already appear in the library.
•Example Programs Database—A database with numerous,
non-shipping example programs for National Instruments
programming environments. You can use them to complement the
example programs that are already included with National Instruments
products.
•Software Library—A library with updates and patches to application
software, links to the latest versions of driver software for National
Instruments hardware products, and utility routines.
Worldwide Support
National Instruments has offices located around the globe. Many branch
offices maintain a Web site to provide information on local services. You
can access these Web sites from www.ni.com/worldwide
If you have trouble connecting to our Web site, please contact your local
National Instruments office or the source from which you purchased your
National Instruments product(s) to obtain support.
For telephone support in the United States, dial 512 795 8248. For
telephone support outside the United States, contact your local branch
office:
Australia 03 9879 5166, Austria 0662 45 79 90 0, Belgium 02 757 00 20,
Brazil 011 284 5011, Canada (Calgary) 403 274 9391,
Canada (Ontario) 905 785 0085, Canada (Québec) 514 694 8521,
China 0755 3904939, Denmark 45 76 26 00, Finland 09 725 725 11,
France 01 48 14 24 24, Germany 089 741 31 30, Greece 30 1 42 96 427,
Hong Kong 2645 3186, India 91805275406, Israel 03 6120092,
Italy 02 413091, Japan 03 5472 2970, Korea 02 596 7456,
Mexico (D.F.) 5 280 7625, Mexico (Monterrey) 8 357 7695,
Netherlands 0348 433466, New Zealand 09 914 0488,
Norway 32 27 73 00, Poland 0 22 528 94 06, Portugal 351 1 726 9011,
Singapore 2265886, Spain 91 640 0085, Sweden 08 587 895 00,
Switzerland 056 200 51 51, Taiwan 02 2528 7227,
United Kingdom 01635 523545

© National Instruments Corporation Glossary-1 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
Glossary
Prefix Meaning Value
n- nano- 10–9
µ- micro- 10–6
m- milli- 10–3
k- kilo- 103
M- mega- 106
G- giga- 109
t- tera- 1012
Symbols
° degrees
Ωohms
% percent
A
A amperes
AC Alternating Current
ASIC application-specific integrated circuit
B
Bbytes
backplane An assembly, typically a printed circuit board, with connectors and signal
paths that bus the connector pins.
Glossary
PXI-8170 Series User Manual Glossary-2 www.ni.com
BIOS Basic Input/Output System. BIOS functions are the fundamental level of
any PC or compatible computer. BIOS functions embody the basic
operations needed for successful use of the computer’s hardware resources.
C
C Celsius
cache Small portion of high-speed memory used for temporary storage of
frequently used data
CMOS Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor; a process used in making
chips
CompactPCI An adaptation of the PCI specification for industrial and/or embedded
applications that require a more robust mechanical form factor than desktop
PCI. CompactPCI provides a standard form factor for those applications
requiring the high performance of PCI as well as the small size and
ruggedness of a rack-mount system.
D
DC Direct Current
DIMM Dual In-line Memory Module
DMA Direct Memory Access; a method by which data is transferred between
devices and internal memory without intervention of the central processing
unit
DRAM Dynamic RAM (Random Access Memory); storage that the computer must
refresh at frequent intervals
E
ECP Extended Capabilities Parallel
EDO Extended Data Out
EEPROM Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory
Glossary
© National Instruments Corporation Glossary-3 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
embedded controller An intelligent CPU (controller) interface plugged directly into the PXI
backplane, giving it direct access to the PXI bus. It must have all of its
required PXI interface capabilities built in.
EMC Electromagnetic Compatibility
EMI electromagnetic interference
EPP Enhanced Parallel Port
expansion ROM An onboard EEPROM that may contain device-specific initialization and
system boot functionality
F
FCC Federal Communications Commission
G
g1. grams
2. A measure of acceleration equal to 9.8 m/s2.
GPIB General Purpose Interface Bus (IEEE 488)
gRMS A measure of random vibration. The root mean square of acceleration
levels in a random vibration test profile.
H
Hz hertz; cycles per second
I
IDE Integrated Drive Electronics; hard disk and built-in controller
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
in. inches
Glossary
PXI-8170 Series User Manual Glossary-4 www.ni.com
instrument driver A set of routines designed to control a specific instrument or family of
instruments, and any necessary related files for LabWindows/CVI or
LabVIEW
interrupt A means for a device to request service from another device
interrupt level The relative priority at which a device can interrupt
I/O input/output; the techniques, media, and devices used to achieve
communication between machines and users
IRQ* Interrupt signal
ISA Industry Standard Architecture; the original PC bus architecture,
specifically the 16-bit AT bus
K
KB kilobytes of memory
L
LAN Local Area Network; communications network that serves users within a
confined geographical area. It is made up of servers, workstations, a
network operating system, and a communications link.
LED light-emitting diode
M
m meters
master A functional part of a PXI device that initiates data transfers on the PXI
backplane. A transfer can be either a read or a write.
MB megabytes of memory
MTBF Mean time between failure
MTTR Mean time to repair
Glossary
© National Instruments Corporation Glossary-5 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
N
NI-488 or NI-488.2 The National Instruments software for GPIB systems
NI-DAQ The National Instruments software for data acquisition instruments
NI-VISA The National Instruments implementation of the VISA standard; an
interface-independent software that provides a unified programming
interface for VXI, GPIB, and serial instruments
NMI Non-maskable interrupt; high-priority interrupt that cannot be disabled by
another interrupt. It is used to report malfunctions such as parity, bus and
math coprocessor errors.
P
PCI Peripheral Component Interconnect. The PCI bus is a high-performance
32-bit or 64-bit bus with multiplexed address and data lines.
PCMCIA Personal Computer Memory Card International Association
peripheral any hardware device connected to a computer, such as a monitor, keyboard,
printer, plotter, disk or tape drive, graphics tablet, scanner, mouse, and so on
POSC Power On Self Configuration
PXI PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation; an open implementation of
CompactPCI that adds electrical features that meet the high-performance
requirements of instrumentation applications by providing triggering, local
buses, and system clock capabilities. PXI also offers two-way
interoperability with CompactPCI products.
R
RAM Random Access Memory; the computer’s primary workspace
RAMDAC Random Access Memory Digital to Analog Converter; the VGA controller
chip that maintains the color palette and converts data from memory into
analog signals for the monitor
resource hardware settings used by devices in a computer system, including ISA
interrupt level, DMA channel, and I/O address
Glossary
PXI-8170 Series User Manual Glossary-6 www.ni.com
RMS Root mean squared. See gRMS.
RTC Real Time Clock; an electronic circuit that maintains the time of day, and
can also provide timing signals for timesharing operations
S
s seconds
slave A functional part of a PXI device that detects data transfer cycles initiated
by a PXI bus master and responds to the transfers when the address
specifies one of the device’s registers
SO-DIMM Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module
SRAM Static RAM; a memory chip that requires power to hold its content. It does
not require refresh circuitry as a dynamic RAM chip, but it does take up
more space and uses more power.
ST Start Trigger
Star Trigger Slot This slot is located at Slot 2 in a PXI mainframe and has a dedicated trigger
line between each peripheral slot. This slot would be used for a module
with ST functionality that can provide individual triggers to all other
peripherals.
U
USB Universal Serial Bus
V
VVolts
VGA Video Graphics Array; the minimum video display standard for all PCs
W
WWatts

© National Instruments Corporation Index-1 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
Index
A
Acrobat (online) documentation, xi
active keyboard port (figure), A-3
active mouse port (figure), A-3
adding RAM, B-2
Adobe Acrobat, xi
B
BIOS, 4-1
See also CMOS
checking settings, F-2
default settings, 4-1
entering setup, 4-1
logic block, 2-3
updating, 4-2
C
chassis support, 1-6
chip set north bridge, 2-3
chip set south bridge, 2-3
CMOS, F-2
See also BIOS
configuration, A-1
setting back to default, F-2
switch settings (figure), A-2
COM1, E-5
connector signals (table), E-6
connectors location and pinout (figure), E-5
common questions and answers, F-1
CompactPCI specification, 1-3
configuration
checking BIOS settings, F-2
CMOS, A-1
common questions, F-1
CPU board parts locator diagram, 3-4
default settings, 3-1
electrostatic discharge damage
(caution), 3-1
installed system RAM, A-1
keyboard and mouse, A-2
LCD resolution, A-2
onboard video, A-4
parts locator diagram, 3-3
serial IRQ, INTP, and INTS, A-3
configuring the PXI-8170 Series, A-1
for LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI
software, 3-7
connectors
COM1 connector and signals, E-5
keyboard and mouse connector and
signals, E-3
overview, 1-5
parallel port connector and signals, E-6, E-7
peripheral expansion overview (table), 1-5
PXI connector and signals, E-9
PXI connectors
location and pinout (figure), E-9
P1 connector pinouts (table), E-11
P2 connector pinouts (table), E-10
Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector and
signals, E-8
VGA connector and signals, E-4
CPU, parts locator diagram, 3-4
D
default settings, 3-1
jumpers on CPU board (table), 3-1
jumpers on I/O board (table), 3-3
switches on CPU board (table), 3-2
directories and files installed on hard drive, 1-8
Index
PXI-8170 Series User Manual Index-2 www.ni.com
documentation
Adobe Acrobat, xi
how to use this documentation set, xi
DRIVE LED, 1-5, D-1
E
ECP (extended capabilities parallel), E-1
electrical specifications, B-1
electrostatic discharge damage (caution), 3-1
environmental specifications, B-2
extended capabilities parallel (ECP), E-1
F
files and directories installed on hard
drive, 1-8
front panel, E-1
See also connectors
features, 1-4
layout and dimensions (figure), E-2
list of connectors, E-1
thickness of, E-1
functional overview of PXI-8170 Series, 2-1
G
getting started, hardware needed, 1-2
H
hard drive, 1-4
files and directories installed on, 1-8
hardware default settings, 3-1
jumpers on CPU board (table), 3-1
jumpers on I/O board (table), 3-3
switches on CPU board (table), 3-2
hardware description, 1-3
I
IDE controller
overview (table), 1-5
using SCSI hard drive in addition, F-2
IDE logic block, 2-3
images directory, 1-8
installation, 3-4
See also configuration
electrostatic discharge damage
(caution), 3-1
injector/ejector handle position
(caution), 3-5
procedure, 3-4
PXI-8170 installed in a PXI mainframe
(figure), 3-6
removing unit from PXI mainframe, 3-7
installed system RAM, A-1
interface status and access LEDs, D-1
INTP configuration (figure), A-4
introduction, 1-1
INTS configuration (figure), A-4
ISA, interrupt resource allocation (table), C-1
J
jumpers and switches
CMOS operation (figure), A-2
jumpers on CPU board (table), 3-1
jumpers on I/O board (table), 3-3
keyboard and mouse, A-2
LCD resolution, A-2
parts locator diagram, 3-3
serial IRQ, INTP, and INTS, A-3
switches on CPU board (table), 3-2
K
keyboard, E-1
adapter cable, F-1
if connector doesn’t fit, F-1
Index
© National Instruments Corporation Index-3 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
keyboard and mouse, E-3
configuring, A-2
connector location and pinout
(figure), E-3
connector signals (table), E-3
logic block, 2-3
overview (table), 1-6
keyboard port (figure), A-3
L
LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI application
software, 1-7, 3-7
LCD resolution, A-2
LEDs
Ethernet LEDs, D-1
front panel LEDs, 1-4
interface status and access LEDs, D-1
interpreting status of, D-1
M
manuals directory, 1-8
master/slave capabilities, 1-4
mating connector, E-3, E-4, E-5, E-8
memory, 1-4
See also RAM
monitor, F-1
See also video
mouse, E-1
See also keyboard and mouse
mouse port (figure), A-3
N
National Instruments software, 1-7
National Instruments Web support, F-1
NI-DAQ function library, 1-7
NI-VISA high-level programming API, 1-7
O
onboard video, A-4
online problem-solving and diagnostic
resources, F-1
os directory, 1-8
overview of PXI-8170 Series, 1-1
P
P1 connector pinouts (table), E-11
P2 connector pinouts (table), E-10
parallel port, 1-6, E-6
connector location and pinout
(figure), E-6
connector signals (table), E-7
overview (table), 1-6
PC peripherals logic blocks, 2-3
PCI bus
basis of PXI-8170 Series, 1-1
interrupts, C-1
standard for desktop computer
designs, 1-3
PCI video circuitry logic block, 2-3
peripheral expansion overview (table), 1-5
peripherals
See also connectors
expansion capabilities (table), 1-5
installing and configuring, 1-5
physical specifications, B-1
POWER OK LED, 1-5, D-1
PS/2-style keyboard, E-1
PS/2-style mouse, E-1
PXI connectors, E-9
function (logic block), 2-3
location and pinout (figure), E-9
P1 connector pinouts for the system
controller slot (table), E-11
P2 connector pinouts for the system
controller slot (table), E-10
PXI-1020 and PXI-1025 chassis support, 1-6
Index
PXI-8170 Series User Manual Index-4 www.ni.com
PXI-8170 Series
benefits of PXI, 1-3
block diagram, 2-2
common questions and answers, F-1
configuring, A-1
connecting on the PXI backplane, A-3
connectors
COM1 connector and signals, E-5
keyboard and mouse connector and
signals, E-3
parallel port connector and
signals, E-6
PXI connector and signals, E-9
Universal Serial Bus (USB)
connector and signals, E-8
VGA connector and signals
(table), E-4
controllers, 1-1
CPU parts locator diagram, 3-4
design, 1-3
embedded computer (figure), 1-2
front panel
connectors, E-1
features, 1-4
thickness of, E-1
front panel layout and dimensions
(figure), E-2
functional description, 2-1
hard drive, 1-4
hardware default settings, 3-1
jumpers on CPU board (table), 3-1
jumpers on I/O board (table), 3-3
switches on CPU board (table), 3-2
I/O board parts locator diagram, 3-3
installed in a PXI mainframe (figure), 3-6
installing, 3-4
ISA interrupt resource allocation
(table), C-1
LEDs, D-1
logic blocks, 2-3
memory, 1-4
models, 1-4
monitor, F-1
National Instruments software, 1-7
overview, 1-1
peripheral expansion overview
(table), 1-5
RAM, recommendations for adding, B-2
removing from the PXI mainframe, 3-7
serial IRQ, INTP, and INTS, A-3
setting up, 3-7
software, 1-7
specifications, B-1
electrical, B-1
environmental, B-2
physical, B-1
system resources, C-1
system slot functionality, 1-4
Q
questions and answers, F-1
R
RAM
See also memory
adding RAM, B-2
common questions, F-1
installed system RAM, A-1
SO-DIMMs from National Instruments
(note), B-2
type of memory in PXI-8170 Series, 1-4
resources. See system resources
resource tables, C-1
RS-232 serial, E-1
S
SCSI drive, booting from, F-2
serial IRQ, INTP, and INTS, A-3
Index
© National Instruments Corporation Index-5 PXI-8170 Series User Manual
serial ports, 1-6
See also COM1 connector
serial RS-232, E-1
setting up the PXI-8170 Series, 3-7
socket 7 CPU, 2-3
SO-DIMM logic block, 2-3
SO-DIMMs from National Instruments
(note), B-2
software, 1-7
National Instruments software, 1-7
NI-DAQ, 1-7
NI-VISA, 1-7
software-related resources, F-2
specifications, B-1
adding RAM, B-2
electrical, B-1
environmental, B-2
physical, B-1
switches. See jumpers and switches.
system CMOS. See CMOS.
system resources, C-1
ISA interrupt resource allocation
(table), C-1
PCI bus interrupts, C-1
system slot functionality, 1-4
T
technical support resources, F-1
telephone support, F-2
type of hard drive in PXI-8170 Series, 1-4
U
Universal Serial Bus (USB), 1-6, E-1, E-8
connector function, 2-3
connector location and pinout
(figure), E-8
overview (table), 1-5
V
VGA, E-4
connector signals (table), E-4
controller, E-1
location and pinout (figure), E-4
overview (table), 1-5
video, 1-5
See also monitor
See also VGA
monitor (caution), F-1
W
watchdog timer, 1-6
logic block, 2-3
using and configuring, 2-3
Web support from National Instruments
online problem-solving and diagnostic
resources, F-1
software-related resources, F-2
worldwide technical support, F-2