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PXI Express
NI PXIe-8880 User Manual
NI PXIe-8880 User Manual

March 2015
374684C-01

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model number or product line, and click the appropriate link in the Certification column.

Contents
About This Manual
How to Use the Documentation Set ................................................................................. xi
Related Documentation .................................................................................................... xi

Chapter 1
Introduction
Benefits of PXI Express ................................................................................................... 1-1
NI PXIe-8880 ................................................................................................................... 1-2
Description................................................................................................................ 1-2
Functional Overview ................................................................................................ 1-2
NI PXIe-8880 Functional Description.............................................................. 1-3
National Instruments Software ......................................................................................... 1-4
Cleaning............................................................................................................................ 1-5

Chapter 2
Installation and Configuration
Installing the NI PXIe-8880 ............................................................................................. 2-1
How to Remove the Controller from the PXI Express Chassis................................ 2-3
BIOS Setup Utility............................................................................................................ 2-4
Accessing BIOS Setup Utility .................................................................................. 2-4
Main Setup Menu ..................................................................................................... 2-5
Advanced Setup Menu.............................................................................................. 2-5
SATA Configuration Submenu ........................................................................ 2-6
CPU Configuration Submenu........................................................................... 2-6
Video Configuration Submenu ......................................................................... 2-7
Power/Wake Configuration Submenu .............................................................. 2-8
PCI Configuration Submenu ............................................................................ 2-8
USB Configuration Submenu........................................................................... 2-8
TPM Configuration Submenu (TPM Variant).................................................. 2-9
TPM Physical Presence Confirmation Screen.......................................... 2-9
LabVIEW RT Setup Menu ....................................................................................... 2-10
Current Hardware Switch Settings ................................................................... 2-10
LabVIEW RT Configuration Overrides Submenu ........................................... 2-10
Boot Setup Menu ...................................................................................................... 2-11
Boot Settings Configuration Submenu ............................................................. 2-12
Hard Drive BBS Priorities Submenu................................................................ 2-12
CD/DVD ROM Drive BBS Priorities Submenu .............................................. 2-12
Floppy Drive BBS Priorities Submenu ............................................................ 2-12
Network Device BBS Priorities Submenu........................................................ 2-12
Security Menu........................................................................................................... 2-13
Save & Exit Menu .................................................................................................... 2-13

vii

Contents

BIOS Diagnostic Utilities ................................................................................................. 2-14
Accessing BIOS Diagnostic Utilities........................................................................ 2-14
Hard Drive Diagnostic Utility................................................................................... 2-14
Memory Diagnostic Utility....................................................................................... 2-14
System CMOS .................................................................................................................. 2-14
LabVIEW RT Installation................................................................................................. 2-16
LabVIEW RT Software Installation ......................................................................... 2-16
LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches..................................................................... 2-17
Drivers and Software ........................................................................................................ 2-19
PXI Express Features........................................................................................................ 2-19
PXI Express Trigger Connectivity............................................................................ 2-19
PXI Express Chassis Configuration.................................................................................. 2-19
PXI Express System Configuration .......................................................................... 2-19
Upgrading RAM ............................................................................................................... 2-20
Hard Drive Recovery ........................................................................................................ 2-21
Installing an OS ................................................................................................................ 2-22
Installing from a USB CD/DVD-ROM .................................................................... 2-22

Chapter 3
I/O Information
Front Panel Connectors..................................................................................................... 3-1
Front Panel ........................................................................................................................3-2
DisplayPort ............................................................................................................... 3-3
Ethernet ..................................................................................................................... 3-4
Universal Serial Bus ................................................................................................. 3-6
Trigger ...................................................................................................................... 3-7
GPIB (IEEE 488.2) ................................................................................................... 3-8
Front Panel Features ......................................................................................................... 3-9
Data Storage...................................................................................................................... 3-10

Chapter 4
Common Configuration Questions
General Questions............................................................................................................. 4-1
Boot Options ..................................................................................................................... 4-1
Cables and Connections.................................................................................................... 4-2
Software Driver Installation.............................................................................................. 4-3
Upgrade Information......................................................................................................... 4-3
PXI Express Configuration ............................................................................................... 4-5

Chapter 5
Troubleshooting
Appendix A
Specifications
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Appendix B
NI Services
Glossary
Index

About This Manual
This manual contains detailed instructions for installing and configuring the National
Instruments PXIe-8880 embedded computer kit.

How to Use the Documentation Set
Begin by reading the NI PXIe-8880 Getting Started Guide, a document that describes how to
install and get started with your controller.
This manual, the NI PXIe-8880 User Manual, contains more details about changing the
installation or configuration from the defaults and using the hardware.

Related Documentation
The following documents contain information you may find helpful as you read this manual:
•

PICMG EXP.0 R 2.0 CompactPCI Express Specification, PCI Industrial Computers
Manufacturers Group

•

PCI Express Base Specification, Revision 3.0, PCI Special Interest Group

•

PXI-5 PXI Express Hardware Specification, Revision 1.0, PXI Systems Alliance

•

PXI-6 PXI Express Software Specification, Revision 1.1, PXI Systems Alliance

•

Serialized IRQ Support for PCI Systems Specification, Revision 6.0,
Compaq Computer et al.

Introduction

This chapter provides overview information for PXI Express and the NI PXIe-8880 embedded
controller.

Benefits of PXI Express
The PXI (PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation) industry standard, an open specification governed
by the PXI Systems Alliance (PXISA), has quickly gained adoption and grown in prevalence in
test, measurement, and control systems since its release in 1998. One of the key elements driving
the rapid adoption of PXI is its use of PCI in the communication backplane. As the commercial
PC industry has improved the available bus bandwidth by evolving PCI to PCI Express, PXI is
now able to meet even more application needs by integrating PCI Express into the PXI standard.
By taking advantage of PCI Express technology in the backplane, PXI Express increases the
available PXI bandwidth from up to 132 MB/s to up to 48 GB/s for a more than 60x
improvement in bandwidth.
PXI Express maximizes both hardware and software compatibility with PXI modules.
PXI Express hybrid slots deliver both PCI and PCI Express signaling to accept devices that
use PXI communication and triggering or the newer PXI Express standard. Software
compatibility is maintained because PCI Express uses the same OS and driver model as PCI,
resulting in complete software compatibility among PCI-based systems, for example PXI, and
PCI Express-based systems such as PXI Express.
PXI Express, like PXI, leverages from the CompactPCI specification to define a rugged,
modular form factor that offers superior mechanical integrity and easy installation and removal
of hardware components. PXI Express products offer higher and more carefully defined levels
of environmental performance required by the shock, vibration, temperature, and humidity
extremes of industrial environments. Mandatory environmental testing and active cooling is
added to the CompactPCI mechanical specification to ease system integration and ensure
multivendor interoperability.
The demanding timing and synchronization requirements of instrumentation systems are met by
the integrated features of PXI Express. Not only are the trigger bus, 10 MHz system reference
clock, and star trigger bus available in PXI retained by PXI Express, but new timing and
synchronization features that include a 100 MHz differential system reference clock for the
synchronization of multiple modules and three differential star trigger buses for the distribution
of precise clock and trigger signals have been added. Differential timing and synchronization
signals provide PXI Express systems with increased noise immunity and the ability to transmit
clock signals at higher frequencies.

1-1

Chapter 1

Introduction

NI PXIe-8880
Description
The NI PXIe-8880 PXI Express/CompactPCI Express embedded computer is a high bandwidth
PXI Express/CompactPCI Express-compatible system controller. The NI PXIe-8880 controller
integrates standard I/O features in a single unit by using state-of-the-art packaging. Combining
an NI PXIe-8880 embedded controller with a PXI Express-compatible chassis, such as the
NI PXIe-1085, results in a fully PC-compatible computer in a compact, rugged package.
The standard I/O on each module includes one DisplayPort 1.2 video port, four high-speed
USB 2.0 ports, two high-speed USB 3.0 ports, a PCI-based GPIB controller, two Gigabit
Ethernet connectors, a reset button, and PXI Express triggers.
The NI PXIe-8880 has an eight-core Intel® Xeon® E5-2618L v3 processor, triple channel DDR4,
1866 MHz memory, all the standard I/O, and an integrated sold-state drive.

Functional Overview
This section contains functional descriptions of each major logic block on the NI PXIe-8880
embedded computer.

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NI PXIe-8880 Functional Description
The NI PXIe-8880 is a modular PC in a PXI Express 3U-size form factor. Figure 1-1 is a
functional block diagram of the NI PXIe-8880. Following the diagram is a description of each
logic block shown.
Figure 1-1. NI PXIe-8880 Block Diagram

DisplayPort 1.2

x24

GPU
AMD Radeon
E6460

CPU
Intel Xeon
E5-2618L v3

x4 DMI2

PXI
Express

x4
PCIE

Memory Bus Ch. A/B/C

USB 3.0 x2

USB 3.0 x2
RJ45
Port 1

Intel I217
Gigabit
PHY

RJ45
Port 2

Intel I210
Gigabit
MAC/PHY

SO-DIMM
DDR4 SDRAM
PC4 1866

USB 2.0 x4

x1 PCIE

Intel
C610 Series
Chipset

SATA
SPI

SATA
SSD
FLASH

LPC

Watchdog
x1 PCIE
Trigger
GPIB
Connector

GPIB
Controller

PCI

PCIe-toPCI-Bridge

SMB
Connector

PXI
Triggers

The NI PXIe-8880 consists of the following logic blocks on the CPU module and the
I/O (daughter card) module:
•

The SO-DIMM block consists of three 72-bit DDR4 SDRAM sockets that can hold up to
8 GB each, for a total of 24 GB.

•

The SMB to PXI Express Trigger provides a routable connection of the PXI Express
triggers to/from the SMB on the front panel.

•

The AMD Radeon E6460 Embedded GPU drives the graphics with DisplayPort 1.2 output
display.

•

The Watchdog Timer block consists of a watchdog timer that can reset the controller or
generate a trigger.

1-3

Chapter 1

Introduction

•

The Intel C610 Series chipset connects to the SPI, USB, Serial ATA, PCI Express, and LPC
buses.

•

The USB Connectors connect the Intel C610 Series chipset to the Hi-Speed USB 2.0
interface and USB 3.0 interfaces.

•

The Serial ATA Solid-State Drive is a 240 GB or larger notebook solid-state drive. The
Serial ATA interface enables transfer rates up to 600 MB/s. The solid-state drive also
supports Native Command Queuing.

•

The PXI Express Connector connects the NI PXIe-8880 to the PXI Express/
CompactPCI Express backplane.

•

Both the I210 and I217 Gigabit Enet ports connect to either 10 Mbit, 100 Mbit, or
1,000 Mbit Ethernet interfaces.

•

The GPIB block contains the GPIB interface.

National Instruments Software
National Instruments has developed several software tools you can use with the NI PXIe-8880.
National Instruments’ hardware and software work together to help you make the most of your
PXI Express system. The LabVIEW, Measurement Studio, and LabWindows™/CVI™
application development environments combine with leading hardware drivers such as
NI-DAQmx to provide exceptional control of NI hardware. Instrument drivers are available at
ni.com/idnet to simplify communication with instruments over a variety of buses.
LabVIEW is a powerful and easy-to-use graphical programming environment you can use to
acquire data from thousands of different instruments including USB, IEEE 488.2, VXI, serial,
PLCs, and plug-in boards. LabVIEW helps you convert acquired data into meaningful results
using powerful data analysis routines. Add-on tools provide additional specialized functionality.
For more information visit ni.com/labview and ni.com/toolkits.
If you prefer to use Microsoft’s Visual Basic, Visual C++, and Visual Studio .NET for the core
of your application, Measurement Studio adds tools for Measurement and Automation to each
language. For more information visit ni.com/mstudio.
LabWindows/CVI is an interactive ANSI C programming environment designed for building
virtual instrument applications. LabWindows/CVI delivers a drag-and-drop editor for building
user interfaces, a complete ANSI C environment for building your test program logic, and a
collection of automated code generation tools, as well as utilities for building automated test
systems, monitoring applications, or laboratory experiments. For more information visit
ni.com/lwcvi.
NI-DAQmx provides an extensive library of functions that you can call from your application
development environment or interactive environment such as NI Signal Express. These
functions provide an intuitive API for National Instruments’ multifunction DAQ products.
Features available include analog input (A/D conversion), buffered data acquisition (high-speed
A/D conversion), analog output (D/A conversion), waveform generation, digital I/O,
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counter/timer operations, SCXI signal conditioning, RTSI or PXI Express synchronization,
self-calibration, messaging, and acquiring data to extended memory. For more information visit
ni.com/daq.
National Instruments’ Modular Instruments use specialized drivers suited to each product’s
specialization. Express VIs provide customized, interactive programming of instruments in a
single interface and soft front panels provide an interface for testing the functionality of each
instrument with no programming required. NI Switches, DMMs, High-Speed DIO, High-Speed
Digitizers, and Sources each have customized drivers for high-end modular instrumentation
systems. RF applications leverage two drivers, NI-RFSG and NI-RFSA and Dynamic Signal
Acquisition is available through NI-DAQmx. For more information visit ni.com/
modularinstruments.
You can expand the timing and triggering functionality of your PXI Express system with
PXI Express Timing and Synchronization products. These products provide precision clock
sources, custom routing of triggers for multi-chassis synchronization, clock sharing, and more
and are programmed with NI-Sync. For more information visit ni.com/pxi.
NI-VISA is the National Instruments implementation of the VISA specification. VISA is a
uniform API for communicating and controlling USB, Serial, GPIB, PXI, PXI Express, VXI,
and various other types of instruments. This API aids in the creation of portable applications and
instrument drivers. For information on writing your own PXI Express instrument driver with
NI-VISA, refer to the NI-VISA Getting Started Manual and the readme.txt file in the
NI-VISA directory. For more information visit ni.com/visa.
With LabVIEW for Linux and support for over two hundred devices on Linux with the
NI-DAQmx driver, you can now create Virtual Instruments based on the Linux OS. Instrument
control in Linux has been improved by the NI-VISA driver for Linux and NI Modular
Instruments are partially supported. For more information visit ni.com/linux.

Cleaning
Use a dry, low-velocity stream of air to clean the NI PXIe-8880 controller. If needed, use a
soft-bristle brush for cleaning around components.
Make sure that the device is completely dry and free from contaminants before returning it to
service.

1-5

Installation and Configuration

This chapter contains information about installing and configuring your NI PXIe-8880
controller.

Installing the NI PXIe-8880
This section contains general installation instructions for the NI PXIe-8880. Consult your
PXI Express chassis user manual for specific instructions and warnings.
1.

Plug in your chassis before installing the NI PXIe-8880. The power cord grounds the
chassis and protects it from electrical damage while you install the module.
Caution To protect both yourself and the chassis from electrical hazards, leave the
chassis powered off until you finish installing the NI PXIe-8880 module.

Remove any filler panels blocking access to the system controller slot (Slot 1) in the
chassis.

Touch the metal part of the case to discharge any static electricity that might be on your
clothes or body.

2-1

Chapter 2

Installation and Configuration

Remove the protective plastic covers from the four bracket-retaining screws as shown in
Figure 2-1.
Figure 2-1. Removing Protective Screw Caps

Protective Screw Cap (4x)

Make sure the injector/ejector handle is in its downward position. Align the NI PXIe-8880
with the card guides on the top and bottom of the system controller slot.
Do not raise the injector/ejector handle as you insert the NI PXIe-8880.
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 chassis.

Caution

Hold the handle as you slowly slide the module into the chassis until the handle catches on
the injector/ejector rail.

Raise the injector/ejector handle until the module firmly seats into the backplane receptacle
connectors. The front panel of the NI PXIe-8880 should be even with the front panel of the
chassis.

Tighten the four bracket-retaining screws on the top and bottom of the front panel to secure
the NI PXIe-8880 to the chassis.

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Check the installation.

10. Connect the keyboard and mouse to the appropriate connectors. If you are using a PS/2
keyboard and a PS/2 mouse, a Y-splitter adapter is available to connect both to a single USB
connector. Refer to Figure 4-1, Y-Splitter Cable.
11. Connect the DisplayPort monitor video cable to the DisplayPort connector, or use the
DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter included with your controller to connect a VGA monitor to
the DisplayPort connector.
12. Connect devices to ports as required by your system configuration.
13. Power on the chassis.
14. Verify that the controller boots. If the controller does not boot, refer to the What if the
NI PXIe-8880 does not boot? section of Chapter 5, Troubleshooting.
Figure 2-2 shows an NI PXIe-8880 installed in the system controller slot of a National
Instruments NI PXIe-1082 chassis.
Figure 2-2. NI PXIe-8880 Controller Installed in a PXI Express Chassis
1

Y
2
Z

X
3
1

NI PXIe-1082 Chassis

NI PXIe-8880 Controller

Injector/Ejector Rail

How to Remove the Controller from the PXI Express
Chassis
The NI PXIe-8880 controller is designed for easy handling. To remove the unit from the
PXI Express chassis, complete the following steps.
1.

Power off the chassis.

Remove any cables that may be attached to the controller front panel.

Unscrew the 4 bracket-retaining screws in the front panel.

Press the injector/ejector handle down.

Slide the unit out of the chassis.

2-3

Chapter 2

Installation and Configuration

If the PXI Express chassis Inhibit Mode Selector Switch is not in the Default
position, any attempt to shut down the NI PXIe-8880 through the power button reset
or using Windows will result in the controller Power OK LED blinking. The user will
be required to use the Remote Inhibit pin on the Remote Inhibit and Voltage
Monitoring Connector to turn off the chassis. Refer to the PXI Express chassis user
manual for details on the functionality of the Remote Inhibit and Voltage Monitoring
controls.
Note

BIOS Setup Utility
You can change the NI PXIe-8880 configuration settings in the BIOS setup program. The BIOS
is the low-level interface between the hardware and operating system software that configures
and tests your hardware when you boot the system. The BIOS setup program includes menus for
configuring settings and enabling NI PXIe-8880 controller features.
Most users do not need to use the BIOS setup program, as the NI PXIe-8880 controller ships
with default settings that work well for most configurations.
Changing BIOS settings may lead to incorrect controller behavior and
possibly an unbootable controller. If this happens, follow the instructions for
restoring default settings in the System CMOS section. In general, do not change a
setting unless you are absolutely certain what it does.
Caution

Accessing BIOS Setup Utility
Complete the following steps to start the BIOS setup program.
1.

Power on or reboot your NI PXIe-8880 controller.

When the message Press to enter setup appears, press the key.
The setup program loads after a short delay.
The Main menu is displayed when you first enter the BIOS setup program.

Use the following keys to navigate through the BIOS setup program:
•

Left Arrow, Right Arrow—Use these keys to move between the different setup menus. If
you are in a submenu, these keys have no effect, and you must press to leave the
submenu first. (To use the arrows on the numeric keypad, you must turn off Num Lock.)

•

Up Arrow, Down Arrow—Use these keys to move between the options within a setup
menu. (To use the arrows on the numeric keypad, you must turn off Num Lock.)

•

—Use this key either to enter a submenu or display all available settings for a
highlighted configuration option.

•

—Use this key to return to the parent menu of a submenu. At the top-level menus,
this key serves as a shortcut to the Exit menu.

•

<+> and <->—Use these keys to cycle between all available settings for a selected
configuration option.

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•

—Use this key to select time and date fields.

•

—Use this key to load the optimal default values for BIOS configuration settings. The
optimal default values are the same as the shipping configuration default values.

•

—Use this key to save and exit.

Main Setup Menu
The most commonly accessed and modified BIOS settings are in the Main setup menu. The
Main setup menu reports the following configuration information:
•

Serial Number—This is the serial number of your NI PXIe-8880 controller.

•

BIOS Version and Build Date—These values indicate the version of the NI PXIe-8880
controller BIOS and the date on which the BIOS was built.

•

Hardware Revision and Embedded Firmware Version—These values help identify the
built-in hardware capabilities.

•

Processor Type, Base Processor Frequency, and Active Processor Cores—These
values indicate the type of processor used in the NI PXIe-8880 controller, the speed of the
processor, and the number of active processor cores.

•

Total Memory—This value indicates the size of system RAM detected by the BIOS.

•

PXIe Chassis Information—These values indicate the overall chassis link configuration,
the width of each link, and the speed of each link.

The Main setup menu also includes the following settings:
•

System Time—This setting controls the time of day, which is stored in a battery-backed
real-time clock. Most operating systems also include a way to change this setting. Use <+>
and <-> in conjunction with and to change these values.

•

System Date—This setting controls the date, which is stored in a battery-backed real-time
clock. Most operating systems also include a way to change this setting. Use <+> and <->
in conjunction with and to change these values.

Advanced Setup Menu
This menu contains BIOS settings that normally do not require modification. If you have specific
problems such as unbootable disks or resource conflicts, you may need to examine these
settings.
Changing settings in this menu may result in an unstable or unbootable
controller. If this happens, follow the procedures outlined in the System CMOS
section to restore BIOS settings to their factory defaults.

Caution

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The Advanced setup menu includes the following settings and submenus:
•

SATA Configuration—Use this setting to access the SATA Configuration submenu.
Refer to the SATA Configuration Submenu section for more information.

•

CPU Configuration—Use this setting to access the CPU Configuration submenu. Refer
to the CPU Configuration Submenu section for more information.

•

Video Configuration—Use this setting to access the Video Configuration submenu.
Refer to the Video Configuration Submenu section for more information.

•

Power/Wake Configuration—Use this setting to access the Power/Wake Configuration
submenu. Refer to the Power/Wake Configuration Submenu section for more information.

•

PCI Configuration—Use this setting to access the PCI Configuration submenu. Refer to
the PCI Configuration Submenu section for more information.

•

USB Configuration—Use this setting to access the USB Configuration submenu. Refer
to the USB Configuration Submenu section for more information.

•

TPM Configuration (TPM Variant)—Use this setting to access the TPM Configuration
submenu. Refer to the TPM Configuration Submenu (TPM Variant) section for more
information.

SATA Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to apply alternate settings to the hard disk drive (HDD) interfaces. Normally,
you do not need to modify these settings, as the factory default settings provide the most
compatible and optimal configuration possible.
•

SATA Controller(s)—This setting specifies whether or not the onboard SATA controller
is enabled or disabled. The default value is Enabled.
–

•

SATA Mode Selection—This setting determines whether AHCI mode is enabled or
disabled for the SATA port. Some operating systems, such as Windows 2000, do not
support AHCI mode. You can use this setting to disable AHCI mode and enable IDE
mode so that non-compatible OSes function correctly. The default value is AHCI.

Internal Drive (SATA)—This item displays the onboard SATA drive detected in the
system.

CPU Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to apply alternate settings to the CPU. Normally, you do not need to modify
these settings, as the factory default settings provide the most compatible and optimal
configuration possible.
•

Hyper-Threading—This setting enables or disables Intel Hyper-Threading technology.
The default value is Enabled. Enabling Hyper-Threading increases performance for some
applications by adding virtual CPU cores. Hyper-Threading can increase application jitter,
so care should be taken when enabling this setting on a Real Time system. When the BIOS
is configured to boot LabVIEW Real-Time, Hyper-Threading will be automatically
disabled.

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•

Enabled CPU Cores—This setting selects the number of active CPU cores for the
processor. Valid values are All, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1. The default value is All.

•

Turbo Boost—This setting enables or disables Intel Turbo Boost technology. The default
value is Enabled. Enabling Turbo Boost allows CPU cores to run at higher than their base
frequency for short durations, while other cores are idle. Enabling Turbo Boost can also
increase application jitter, so care should be taken when enabling this setting on a Real Time
system. To achieve maximum possible Turbo Boost frequencies, also enable the C-States
setting.

•

C-States—This setting enables or disables CPU power management. The default value is
Enabled. Enabling C-States allows the processor to put idle CPU cores to sleep, allowing
active cores to run at higher than base frequencies when Turbo Boost is enabled. Enabling
C-States can increase application jitter, so care should be taken when enabling this setting
on a Real Time system. When the BIOS is configured to boot LabVIEW Real-Time,
C-States will be automatically disabled.

•

Hardware Prefetcher—This setting enables or disables CPU cache hardware prefetching.
The default value is Enabled. Enabling hardware prefetching can increase system
performance for some applications, but can cause control algorithms to behave less
deterministically.

•

Adjacent Cache Prefetcher—This setting enables or disables prefetching of adjacent
cache lines from memory to the CPU cache. The default value is Enabled. Enabling
adjacent cache line prefetching can increase system performance for some applications, but
can cause control algorithms to behave less deterministically.

•

Data Cache Unit (DCU) Prefetcher—This setting enables or disables prefetching of the
next cache line when accessing very recently used data in an ascending fashion. The default
value is Enabled. Enabling DCU prefetching can increase system performance for some
applications, but can cause control algorithms to behave less deterministically.

•

Intel VT-d—This setting enables or disables Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed
I/O (VT-d). The default value is Enabled. Enabling VT-d provides enhanced I/O
virtualization support, but can cause control algorithms to behave less deterministically.

Video Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to apply alternate settings to the video configuration. Normally, you do not
need to modify these settings, as the factory default settings provide the most compatible and
optimal configuration possible.
•

Primary Display—This setting specifies which video adapter the BIOS should use as the
primary adapter if more than one is present. To use an external video adapter as the primary
graphics adapter, choose Add-in Board Video. The default value is Onboard Video.

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Power/Wake Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to apply alternate configurations to the power and wake features of the chipset
and controller. Normally, you do not need to modify these settings, as the factory default settings
provide the most compatible and optimal configuration possible.
•

Restore After Power Loss—This setting specifies the power state that the controller
should return to after AC power is lost. Valid values are Stay Off and Turn On. The default
is Stay Off. When set to Stay Off, the controller will return to the soft off power state after
AC power is restored. When set to Turn On, the controller will power on when AC power
is restored.

•

Power Button Off Behavior—This setting specifies how the PXI Express power button
should behave. Valid options are Normal and Disable. The default value is Normal. When
set to Normal, the power button will be controlled by the OS. When set to Disable, pressing
the power button has no effect. The Disable option should only be used in conjunction with
the PXI Express chassis’ inhibit mode switch.

•

PXIe Backplane WAKE#—This setting enables or disables a PXI Express peripheral
module’s ability to wake a powered-off system. The default value is Disabled.

•

SMBus ALERT#—This setting enables or disables a System Management device’s ability
to wake a powered off system by asserting the ALERT# signal. The default value is
Disabled.

PCI Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to apply alternate settings to PCI devices. Normally, you do not need to
modify these settings, as the factory default settings provide the most compatible and optimal
configuration possible.
•

64-bit Memory Mapped IO—This setting enables or disables support for
memory-mapped IO above the 4 GB boundary. It can be useful when using a 64-bit OS and
a large number of PCI devices. The default value is Disabled.

•

PCIe Max Payload Size—This setting determines the maximum payload size of PCIe
devices. Valid options are Auto and 128 Bytes. The default value is Auto, which allows the
BIOS to choose an optimal value based on which devices are present.

USB Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to apply alternate configurations to the USB ports. Normally, you do not need
to modify these settings, as the factory default settings provide the most compatible and optimal
configuration possible.
•

USB Devices—This item lists the total number of devices detected in the system,
categorized by device type.

•

Legacy USB Support—This setting specifies whether or not legacy USB support is
enabled. Legacy USB support refers to the ability to use a USB keyboard and mouse during
system boot or in a legacy operating system such as DOS. The default value is Enabled.
This option is automatically disabled when booting LabVIEW Real-Time in order to reduce
application jitter.

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•

Overcurrent Reporting—This setting allows the BIOS to notify the operating system of
any USB ports which sources too much current. The default value for this setting is
Disabled.

•

Transfer Timeout—This setting specifies the timeout value for Control, Bulk, and
Interrupt USB transfers. The default value for this setting is 20 seconds.

•

Device Reset Timeout—This setting specifies the number of seconds the Power-On Self
Test will wait for a USB mass storage device to start. The default is 20 seconds.

•

Device Power-Up Delay—This setting specifies the maximum time a device will take
before it properly reports itself to the host controller. When set to Auto, a root port is
granted 100 ms, and for a hub port, the delay value is taken from the hub descriptor. The
default value for this setting is Auto.

•

Device Power-Up Delay in Seconds—This setting specifies the number of seconds the
Power-On Self Test will wait for a USB device or hub to power on. This setting is only
visible if Device Power-Up Delay is set to Manual. The default is 5 seconds.

In addition, the following option is available for each detected device if a USB mass storage
device is present:
•

Emulation Type—This setting specifies how the BIOS will present the USB mass storage
device to the system. This option can be used to present a USB mass storage device as a
floppy, hard disk, or CD-ROM drive. The default is Auto, which allows the BIOS to treat
small USB flash disk drives as floppy drives and larger USB flash disk drives as hard disk
drives.

TPM Configuration Submenu (TPM Variant)
Use this submenu to enable Trusted Platform Module (TPM) device support and execute
selected TPM commands.
•

TPM Device Support—This option enables or disables TPM device support. If disabled,
the TPM device will be hidden from operating systems.

•

TPM Device State—This option shows the current TPM device state, and can also be used
to change the TPM device state.

•

TPM Device Operation—This option can be used to clear the TPM.
Caution Clearing the TPM is a destructive operation that may result in the loss of
all data protected by the TPM device.

TPM Physical Presence Confirmation Screen
Some TPM commands may require confirmation of physical presence before they can be
executed. In this case, the system will reboot and the BIOS will present a screen asking for
confirmation to execute the TPM command. You can confirm or reject the execution of the TPM
command.

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LabVIEW RT Setup Menu
Use this menu to configure boot options for LabVIEW RT if it is installed on the controller. If
you are not using LabVIEW RT, you should leave these settings at default.
Note The settings below override the behavior of the switches shown in Figure 2-4.
Refer to the LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches section for more information. To
use the settings from the switches, select Use Switch Setting for each option.

•

Boot Configuration—This setting selects whether the controller should boot LabVIEW RT,
LabVIEW RT Safe Mode, or an installed OS such as Windows 7. The default is Use Switch
Setting.

•

Reset IP Address—If the controller is deployed to a different subnet from which it was
originally configured, or if the current IP address is invalid, use this switch to reset the IP
address and other TCP/IP settings to their factory defaults during LabVIEW RT startup.
The default is Use Switch Setting.
Note By default, the target will automatically attempt to connect to the network
using DHCP. If the target is unable to initiate a DHCP connection, the target connects
to the network with a link-local IP address of 169.254.x.x.

•

Disable Startup VI—If the controller becomes inaccessible because of a startup VI, this
switch can prevent VIs from automatically running at startup. The default is Use Switch
Setting.

•

LabVIEW RT Configuration Overrides—Use this setting to access the LabVIEW RT
Configuration Overrides submenu. Refer to the LabVIEW RT Configuration Overrides
Submenu section for more information.

Current Hardware Switch Settings
This submenu displays the current values of the LabVIEW RT configuration switches,
indicating Boot Configuration, Reset IP Address, and Disable Startup VI switch status. For more
information on these settings and the switches that control them, refer to the LabVIEW RT
Configuration Switches section of this chapter.

LabVIEW RT Configuration Overrides Submenu
In order to minimize jitter when booting into LabVIEW Real-Time mode, the following features
are automatically disabled. These features can be manually enabled. Refer to the CPU
Configuration Submenu for specific details on what each feature enables.
•

CPU Hyper Threading—The default is Use RT Default.

•

CPU C-States—The default is Use RT Default.

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Boot Setup Menu
Use this menu to configure settings related to the boot process and boot device priority.
•

Boot Settings Configuration—Use this setting to access the Boot Settings Configuration
submenu. Refer to the Boot Settings Configuration Submenu section for more information.

•

PXI Drive Boot—This setting specifies whether or not boot support is enabled for legacy
mass storage devices, such as SCSI drives. When enabled, legacy mass storage controllers
with boot support will be displayed in the Boot Option Priorities menu. The default value
is Enabled.

•

PXE Network Boot—This setting specifies whether or not the PXE network boot agent is
enabled. When enabled, the Intel Boot Agent will be displayed in the Boot Option
Priorities menu, allowing you to boot from a PXE server on the local subnet. Note that the
Intel Boot Agent device names are preceded by IBA GE Slot 00c9 v1310 in the Boot
Option Priorities menu. The system must be restarted for this setting to take effect. The
default value is Disabled.

•

Boot Option Priorities—These settings specify the order in which the BIOS checks for
bootable devices, including the local hard disk drive, removable devices such as USB flash
disk drives or USB CD-ROM drives, or the PXE network boot agent. The BIOS will first
attempt to boot from the device associated with Boot Option #1, followed by Boot
Option #2, and Boot Option #3. If multiple boot devices are not present, the BIOS setup
utility will not display all of these configuration options. To select a boot device, press
on the desired configuration option and select a boot device from the resulting
menu. You can also disable certain boot devices by selecting Disabled.
Note Only one device of a given type will be shown in this list. If more than
one device of the same type exists, use the Device BBS Priorities submenus to
re-order the priority of devices of the same type.

The following submenus will be displayed if one or more bootable devices of the corresponding
type is present:
•

Hard Drive BBS Priorities—Use this setting to access the Hard Drive BBS Priorities
submenu to re-order or disable bootable hard drive devices. Refer to the Hard Drive BBS
Priorities Submenu section for more information.

•

CD/DVD ROM Drive BBS Priorities—Use this setting to access the CD/DVD ROM
Drive BBS Priorities submenu to re-order or disable bootable CD/DVD ROM drive
devices. Refer to the CD/DVD ROM Drive BBS Priorities Submenu section for more
information.

•

Floppy Drive BBS Priorities—Use this setting to access the Floppy Drive BBS Priorities
submenu to re-order or disable bootable floppy drive devices. Refer to the Floppy Drive
BBS Priorities Submenu section for more information.

•

Network Device BBS Priorities—Use this setting to access the Network Device BBS
Priorities submenu to re-order or disable bootable network devices. Refer to the Network
Device BBS Priorities Submenu section for more information.

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Boot Settings Configuration Submenu
Use this submenu to apply alternate configurations to boot settings. Normally, you do not need
to modify these settings, as the factory default settings provide the most compatible and optimal
configuration.
•

Setup Prompt Timeout—This setting specifies the number of seconds the system will
wait for a BIOS Setup menu keypress (the key). The default value is 2.

•

Bootup NumLock State—This setting specifies the power-on state of the keyboard
NumLock setting. The default value is On.

Hard Drive BBS Priorities Submenu
•

Boot Option #1, Boot Option #2, Boot Option #3—These settings specify the boot
priority of hard drive devices. The highest priority device is displayed on the main Boot
Option Priorities list. Optionally, each device can also be Disabled if the device should
never be used as a boot device.

CD/DVD ROM Drive BBS Priorities Submenu
•

Boot Option #1, Boot Option #2, Boot Option #3—These settings specify the boot
priority of CD/DVD ROM drive devices. The highest priority device is displayed on the
main Boot Option Priorities list. Optionally, each device can also be Disabled if the
device should never be used as a boot device.

Floppy Drive BBS Priorities Submenu
•

Boot Option #1, Boot Option #2, Boot Option #3—These settings specify the boot
priority of floppy drive devices. The highest priority device is displayed on the main Boot
Option Priorities list. Optionally, each device can also be Disabled if the device should
never be used as a boot device.

Network Device BBS Priorities Submenu
•

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Boot Option #1, Boot Option #2, Boot Option #3—These settings specify the boot
priority of network devices. The highest priority device is displayed on the main Boot
Option Priorities list. Optionally, each device can also be Disabled if the device should
never be used as a boot device.

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Security Menu
Use this menu to enable BIOS security options.
•

Administrator Password—This setting specifies a password that must be entered to
access the BIOS Setup Utility. If only the Administrator’s password is set, then this only
limits access to the BIOS setup program and is only asked for when entering the BIOS setup
program. By default, no password is specified.

•

User Password—This setting specifies a password that must be entered to access the BIOS
Setup Utility or to boot the system. If only the User’s password is set, then this is a power
on password and must be entered to boot or enter the BIOS setup program. In the BIOS
setup program, the User will have Administrator rights. By default, no password is
specified.

Save & Exit Menu
The Save & Exit setup menu includes all available options for exiting, saving, and loading the
BIOS default configuration. As an alternative to this screen, press to load optimal BIOS
default settings and to save changes and exit setup.
The Save & Exit setup menu includes the following settings:
•

Save Changes and Reset—Any changes made to BIOS settings are stored in NVRAM.
The setup program then exits and reboots the controller. The key can also be used
to select this option.

•

Discard Changes and Reset—Any changes made to BIOS settings during this session of
the BIOS setup program are discarded. The setup program then exits and reboots the
controller. The key can also be used to select this option.

•

Save Changes—Changes made to BIOS settings during this session are committed to
NVRAM. The setup program remains active, allowing further changes.

•

Discard Changes—Any changes made to BIOS settings during this session of the BIOS
setup program are discarded. The BIOS setup continues to be active.

•

Restore Defaults—This option restores all BIOS settings to the factory default. This
option is useful if the controller exhibits unpredictable behavior due to an incorrect or
inappropriate BIOS setting. Notice that any nondefault settings such as boot order,
passwords, and so on, are also restored to their factory defaults. The key can also be
used to select this option.

•

Save As User Defaults—This option saves a copy of the current BIOS settings as the User
Defaults. This option is useful for preserving custom BIOS setup configurations.

•

Restore User Defaults—This option restores all BIOS settings to the user defaults. This
option is useful for restoring previously preserved custom BIOS setup configurations.

•

Boot Override—This option lists all possible bootable devices and allows the user to
override the Boot Option Priorities list for the current boot. If no changes have been saved
to the BIOS setup options, the system will continue booting to the selected device without
first rebooting. If BIOS setup options have been changed and saved, a reboot will be
required and the boot override selection will not be valid.
© National Instruments

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BIOS Diagnostic Utilities
You can test the hard drive and memory of your controller with the included BIOS diagnostic
utilities.

Accessing BIOS Diagnostic Utilities
Complete the following steps to start the BIOS Diagnostic Utility.
1.

Power on or reboot your controller.

When the message to run diagnostics appears, press the key. The first
diagnostic utility loads after a short delay.

Hard Drive Diagnostic Utility
The hard drive is tested first upon entry into the BIOS Diagnostic Utilities. A quick test is
performed initially, and a more comprehensive test is performed second. The user may abort and
skip any test by pressing the key at any time during that test. After both tests have finished
or been skipped, the user is presented with the testing results. If both tests have succeeded or
been skipped, Press any key to continue is displayed. In order to continue with testing, user
interaction is required to press a key on the keyboard.
Note If either hard drive test fails, the controller is not permitted to boot, and the
user is instructed to turn off the controller and replace the hard drive.

Memory Diagnostic Utility
The memory diagnostic utility is started immediately after the user presses a key to exit the hard
drive diagnostic utility. The user may abort and skip the memory test by pressing the key
at any time during this test. After the memory utility has finished or been skipped, the user is
presented with the testing result. If the memory test was successful or skipped, Press any key
to continue is displayed. In order to continue to boot the controller, user interaction is required
to press a key on the keyboard.
Note If the memory test fails, the controller is not permitted to boot, and the user is
instructed to turn off the controller and replace the memory.

System CMOS
The NI PXIe-8880 contains memory backed up by a battery to store BIOS configuration
information.
Complete the following steps to clear the CMOS contents:
1.

Power off the chassis.

Remove the controller from the chassis.

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Press the push-button switch, as shown in Figure 2-3.
Note

Time and date cannot be reset by this switch.

Reinstall the controller in the chassis.
Figure 2-3. Clearing the CMOS Contents

Push-Button Switch SW1

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LabVIEW RT Installation
This section explains software installation and switch configuration for LabVIEW RT on your
PXI Express controller.

LabVIEW RT Software Installation
The following section describes the necessary steps to get your PXI Express embedded
controller setup to run LabVIEW Real-Time. In this section you will configure the boot mode
of the controller, verify or change IP settings, and install LabVIEW Real-Time software.
Complete the following steps to install the LabVIEW RT software.
1.

Boot the NI PXI Express embedded controller into the real-time operating system. Refer to
the LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches section to configure the controller for booting
into LabVIEW RT.
The PXI Express controller will automatically boot into LabVIEW RT Safe Mode when no
software is installed. LabVIEW RT Safe Mode loads with the basic real-time operating
system and will automatically attempt to connect to the network using DHCP. If DHCP is
not available, it will then connect to the network with a link-local IP address.
You can connect a monitor to the controller to display startup messages such as
the IP address and MAC address.

Tip

Open Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) on another computer in the same
subnet and expand the Remote Systems branch. MAX lists the PXI Express controller
as the model name of the controller followed by the MAC address (for example,
NI-PXIe-8880 00802f108562).
The other computer must have LabVIEW, LabVIEW RT, and any desired
drivers installed.
Note

Record the PXI Express controller MAC address, located on the side of the
controller, for use in identifying the controller. The label also can be removed and
placed on the front of the controller for easier access.

Tip

Click on the appropriate PXI Express controller entry to access the Network Settings tab
in the right pane view.

(Optional) Enter a name for the RT target in the Name text box.

(Optional) Set the network configuration options of the RT target in the IP Settings section
and click the Apply button.
For information about configuring network settings, refer to the Configuring
Network Settings book, accessible by browsing to MAX Remote Systems Help»
LabVIEW Real-Time Target Configuration»Configuring Network Settings from the
Contents tab of MAX Help.

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Note When any IP or identification settings are changed, you will be prompted to
reboot the controller for the changes to take effect. Click Yes to automatically reboot
the RT target. You may also reboot the controller by right-clicking on the target name
under Remote Systems and selecting Reboot.

After rebooting the PXI Express controller it will appear in the Remote Systems category
with the assigned name.
6.

Expand the PXI Express controller view in the Remote Systems branch and select
Software.

Click the Add/Remove Software button in the toolbar to launch the LabVIEW Real-Time
Software Wizard.

Install the LabVIEW Real-Time software and device drivers that you require on the RT
target. Refer to the NI Web site at ni.com/info and enter the Info Code etspc for the
latest information about supported software.

After installation of the software the controller will automatically reboot and you will now be
able to program it using LabVIEW Real-Time.
Note Refer to the RT Getting Started Guide available on your host computer for
more information about setting up your RT target.

LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches
Use the LabVIEW RT configuration switches to configure LabVIEW RT if it is installed on the
controller. If you are not using LabVIEW RT, these switches should remain in the OFF position.
The controller reads these switches only after a system reset.
The NI PXIe-8880 controller includes the following LabVIEW RT configuration switches:
•

Switch 1—Boot LabVIEW RT: Set this switch to ON to boot LabVIEW RT.

•

Switch 2—Boot Safe Mode: Set this switch to ON to boot LabVIEW RT into safe mode to
reconfigure TCP/IP settings and to download or update software from a host computer. This
switch overrides the behavior of Switch 1. Booting the controller into safe mode does not
start the embedded LabVIEW RT engine. After changing the settings or software, reboot
the controller with this switch OFF to resume normal operation.

•

Switch 3—Disable Startup VI: Set this switch to ON to prevent VIs from automatically
running at startup if the controller becomes inaccessible because of a startup VI.

•

Switch 4—Reset IP Address: Set this switch to ON to reset the IP address and other
TCP/IP settings to their factory defaults. Use this switch if moving the controller to a
different subnet or if the current TCP/IP settings are valid.
Note By default, the target will automatically attempt to connect to the network
using DHCP. If the target is unable to initiate a DHCP connection, the target connects
to the network with a link-local IP address or 169.254.x.x.

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Figure 2-4 shows the location of the LabVIEW RT configuration switches. The switches are
shown in the OFF position.
Figure 2-4. LabVIEW RT Configuration Switches

1
2

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Switch 1—Boot LabVIEW RT
Switch 2—Boot Safe Mode

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3
4

Switch 3—Disable Startup VI
Switch 4—Reset IP Address

NI PXIe-8880 User Manual

Drivers and Software
If you purchased a system preinstalled with Windows, your hard drive includes a directory called
images in its root that contains software and soft copies of manuals for the peripherals. The
directory structure under the images directory is logically organized into several levels.
In the images directory are drivers and NIDRIVERS directories. The drivers directory
contains driver installers for the system peripherals. These files and directories are copied
exactly from the manufacturer distribution disks, so the naming conventions vary from
peripheral to peripheral. The NIDRIVERS directory contains the GPIB and PXI Platform
Services drivers preinstalled on the controller.

PXI Express Features
PXI Express Trigger Connectivity
The SMB connector on the NI PXIe-8880 front panel can connect to or from any PXI Express
backplane trigger line. A trigger allocation process is needed to prevent two resources from
connecting to the same trigger line, resulting in the trigger being double-driven and possibly
damaging the hardware. At the time of this manual’s publication, this software is not
yet available for Windows. Contact National Instruments for more information.

PXI Express Chassis Configuration
The PXI Express Platform Services software installed on your controller and available on the
National Instruments Driver DVD or PXI Platform Services CD included with your kit
automatically identifies your PXI Express system components to generate a pxiesys.ini and
pxisys.ini file. You can configure your entire PXI Express system through Measurement &
Automation Explorer (MAX), included with your controller. MAX creates the pxiesys.ini
and pxisys.ini file, which define your PXI Express system parameters. MAX also provides
an interface to route and reserve triggers so dynamic routing, through drivers such as DAQmx,
avoids double-driving and potentially damaging trigger lines. For more information about
routing and reserving PXI Express triggers, refer to KnowledgeBase 3TJDOND8, Using PXI
Timing and Triggering Functionality, at ni.com/support.
The configuration steps for single or multiple-chassis systems are the same.

PXI Express System Configuration
1.

Launch Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX).

In the Configuration tree, expand Devices and Interfaces.

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Chapter 2

Installation and Configuration

In the Devices and Interfaces tree, expand PXI System. Your PXI Express chassis is
already identified and appears in the PXI System tree.

For each unidentified PXI Express chassis in the PXI System tree, right-click on the chassis
and select the appropriate chassis model through the Identify As submenu. Further
expanding the PXI System branch shows all devices in the system that NI-VISA can
recognize.

The PXI Express specification allows for many combinations of PXI Express chassis and system
modules. To assist system integrators, PXI Express chassis and system module manufacturers
must document their products’ capabilities. PXI Express devices must provide a driver and/or
.ini file for identification. For NI PXI Express chassis and controllers, these files are provided
as part of the NI PXI Platform Services software included with your controller. System
integrators, configuration utilities, and device drivers can use these .ini files.
The NI PXI Platform Services software uses the system module driver, chassis driver, and
chassis.ini files to generate the PXI/PXI Express system description files (pxisys.ini
and pxiesys.ini). Device drivers and other utility software read the pxiesys.ini and
pxisys.ini files to obtain system information. For detailed information about initialization
files, refer to the PXI Express specification at www.pxisa.org.

Upgrading RAM
You can change the amount of installed RAM on the NI PXIe-8880 by upgrading the
SO-DIMMs.
To upgrade the RAM, remove the NI PXIe-8880 from the PXI Express chassis. To optimize
memory capacity and system performance, use the same size and speed memory modules. The
use of different size modules in each slot is supported, but system performance will be slower
than using three matched modules. However, three mismatched modules could result in better
performance than using a single module.
National Instruments offers the following SO-DIMM for use with the NI PXIe-8880 controller.
•

PC4-1866 (DDR4 2133) 8 GB, 1 GB × 72, CL 15, 1.18 in. max
(NI part number 783813-01)
National Instruments has tested and verified that the DDR4 SO-DIMMs we
sell work with the NI PXIe-8880. We recommend you purchase your DDR4
SO-DIMM modules from National Instruments. Other off-the-shelf DDR4
SO-DIMM modules are not guaranteed to work properly.
Note

2-20

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NI PXIe-8880 User Manual

Figure 2-5. Installing a DDR4 SO-DIMM in an NI PXIe-8880 Controller

DDR4 SO-DIMM Module in Lower Socket

Note

DDR4 SO-DIMM Sockets

The default module is adjacent to the processor and is not user replaceable.

Hard Drive Recovery
NI PXIe-8880 controllers include two methods of restoring the original factory condition of your
hard drive. Hard drive-based recovery stores a factory backup on a separate portion of your hard
drive allowing you to restore your controller without additional media. The NI PXIe-8880
controller also ships with an OS Recovery CD that allows you to reinstall your operating system
onto your hard drive through an external USB CD/DVD-ROM. For more information on these
tools, refer to KnowledgeBase 2ZKC02OK, Hard Drive Recovery and OS Installation for PXI,
VXI, cRIO-908x, and cDAQ-913x Controllers, at ni.com/support.
Note The hard drive recovery hot key is . To access the hard drive-based
recovery tool, press and hold when video first appears during the boot process.

2-21

Chapter 2

Installation and Configuration

If you need to recover your factory-installed operating system from a CD, you can use the
included OS re-installation CD with an external USB CD/DVD-ROM drive. Boot the
PXI Express controller using the OS re-installation CD to recover the OS. You also may need to
reinstall other software after using the CD to recover the OS.
Recovering the OS erases the contents of your hard disk. Back up any files
you want to keep.
Note

Installing an OS
NI PXIe-8880 controllers include a preinstalled OS. In some cases, you may want to install a
different OS. When doing so, consider the following guidelines.

Installing from a USB CD/DVD-ROM
The NI PXIe-8880 supports the installation of Windows 7 from a USB CD/DVD-ROM. As an
alternative to a USB CD/DVD-ROM drive, you can use an external SCSI CD-ROM with a
PXI-SCSI adapter.
Note For additional assistance with installing or changing an operating system,
refer to KnowledgeBase 2ZKC02OK, Hard Drive Recovery and OS Installation for
PXI, VXI, cRIO-908x, and cDAQ-913x Controllers, at ni.com/support.

2-22

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I/O Information
Front Panel Connectors

Table 3-1 lists various peripherals and their corresponding NI PXIe-8880 external connectors,
bus interfaces, and functions.
Table 3-1. NI PXIe-8880 Peripherals Overview
Peripheral

External Connector

Description

Video

DisplayPort

ATI Radeon E6460 Embedded GPU

Ethernet Port 1

LAN (RJ45)

10/100/1000 Ethernet
Intel I217
WOL capable

Ethernet Port 2

LAN (RJ45)

10/100/1000 Ethernet
Intel I210
Not WOL capable

USB 2.0

USB 4-pin Series A
stacked receptacle

USB 2.0 capable

USB 3.0

USB 9-pin Series A
stacked receptacle

USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 capable

PXI Express
trigger

Trigger (SMB)

Routing PXI Express triggers to or from
the backplane trigger bus

GPIB device

GPIB (25-pin Micro D)

General-Purpose Interface Bus,
IEEE 488.2

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Chapter 3

I/O Information

Front Panel
Figure 3-1 shows the front panel layout and dimensions of the NI PXIe-8880. Dimensions are in
inches [millimeters].

1.536 in. [39.00 mm]

0.806 in. [20.46 mm]
1.141 in. [28.97 mm]

0.292 in. [7.42 mm]

Figure 3-1. NI PXIe-8880 Front Panel Layout and Dimensions

3.685 in. [93.59 mm]

3.665 in. [93.09 mm]

2.766 in. [70.26 mm]

1.825 in. [46.35 mm]

1.845 in. [46.85 mm]

1.176 in. [29.88 mm]
0.915 in. [23.23 mm]

ni.com

0.819 in. [20.79 mm]
0.822 in. [20.87 mm]
1.323 in. [33.59 mm]
1.657 in. [42.09 mm]

0.000 in. [0 mm]
3-2

0.785 in. [19.84 mm]

0.000 in. [0 mm]

NI PXIe-8880 User Manual

DisplayPort
Figure 3-2 shows the location and pinouts for the DisplayPort connectors on the NI PXIe-8880.
Table 3-2 lists and describes the DisplayPort connector signals.
Figure 3-2. DisplayPort Connector Location and Pinout

20
2

19
1

Table 3-2. DisplayPort Connector Signals
Pin

Signal Name

ML_Lane0(p)

GND

ML_Lane0(n)

ML_Lane1(p)

GND

ML_Lane1(n)

ML_Lane2(p)

GND

ML_Lane2(n)

ML_Lane3(p)

GND

ML_Lane3(n)

CONFIG1
© National Instruments

3-3

Chapter 3

I/O Information

Table 3-2. DisplayPort Connector Signals (Continued)
Pin

Signal Name

CONFIG2

AUX CH (p)

GND

AUX CH (n)

Hot Plug Detect

Return

DP_PWR

Ethernet
Figure 3-3 shows the location and pinouts for the dual stacked Ethernet connector on the
NI PXIe-8880. Table 3-3 lists and describes the Ethernet connector signals.
AMP manufactures a mating connector, part number 554739-1.
Figure 3-3. Ethernet Connector Location and Pinout

8
Ethernet
1

3-4

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NI PXIe-8880 User Manual

Table 3-3. Ethernet Connector Signals
Pin

Fast Ethernet

Gigabit Ethernet

TX+

TX_A+

TX-

TX_A-

RX+

RX_B+

TX_C+

TX_C-

RX-

RX_B-

RX_D+

RX_D-

Note The Ethernet controllers can perform an automatic crossover, thus
eliminating the need for crossover cables.

Table 3-4. 10/100/1000 LAN Connector LED States
LED

ACT/LINK

10/100/1000

Color

Green

LED State

Condition

Off

LAN link is not established.

On (steady state)

LAN link is established.

On (brighter and
pulsing)

The controller is communicating with
another computer on the LAN.

(None)

Off

10 Mbit/sec data rate is selected.

Green

100 Mbit/sec data rate is selected.

Amber

1000 Mbit/sec data rate is selected.

3-5

Chapter 3

I/O Information

Universal Serial Bus
Figure 3-4 shows the location and pinouts for the Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors on the
NI PXIe-8880. The NI PXIe-8880 has 6 USB ports on the front panel. Table 3-5 lists and
describes the USB connector signals.
Figure 3-4. USB Connector Location and Pinout

USB 2.0

1
4
9

USB 3.0

Table 3-5. USB 2.0 Connector Signals
Pin

Signal Name

Signal Description

VCC

Cable Power (+5 V)

-Data

USB Data -

+Data

USB Data +

GND

Ground

Table 3-6. USB 3.0 Connector Signals
Pin

3-6

Signal Name

Signal Description

VCC

Cable Power (+5 V)

-Data

USB Data -

+Data

USB Data +

GND

Ground

StdA_SSRX-

USB Data Receive-

StdA_SSRX+

USB Data Receive+

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NI PXIe-8880 User Manual

Table 3-6. USB 3.0 Connector Signals (Continued)
Pin

Signal Name

Signal Description

GND_DRAIN

Ground

StdA_SSTX-

USB Data Transmit-

StdA_SSTX+

USB Data Transmit+

Trigger
The TRIG connector is the software-controlled trigger connection for routing PXI Express
triggers to or from the backplane trigger bus. Refer to the PXI Express Trigger Connectivity
section of Chapter 2, Installation and Configuration, for more information.
Figure 3-5 shows the TRIG connector location on the NI PXIe-8880. Table 3-7 lists and
describes the trigger connector signals.
Figure 3-5. TRIG Connector Location and Pinout

2
1

Table 3-7. TRIG Connector Signals
Pin

Signal Name

Signal Description

TRIG

Trigger

2 (Shield)

GND

Ground

3-7

Chapter 3

I/O Information

GPIB (IEEE 488.2)
Figure 3-6 shows the location and pinouts for the GPIB connector on the NI PXIe-8880.
Table 3-8 lists and describes the GPIB connector signals.
ITT Cannon manufactures a GPIB mating connector, part number MDSM-25SC-Z11-VS1.
Figure 3-6. GPIB Connector Location and Pinout

1
GPIB

Table 3-8. GPIB Connector Signals
Pin

3-8

Signal Name

Signal Description

DIO1#

Data Bit 1

DIO2#

Data Bit 2

DIO3#

Data Bit 3

DIO4#

Data Bit 4

EOI#

End or Identify

DAV#

Data Valid

NRFD#

Not Ready for Data

NDAC#

Not Data Accepted

IFC#

Interface Clear

SRQ#

Service Request

ATN#

Attention

SHIELD

Chassis ground

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NI PXIe-8880 User Manual

Table 3-8. GPIB Connector Signals (Continued)
Pin

Signal Name

Signal Description

DIO5#

Data Bit 5

DIO6#

Data Bit 6

DIO7#

Data Bit 7

DIO8#

Data Bit 8

REN#

Remote Enable

18 to 25

GND

Logic Ground

Note: The pound symbol (#) indicates an active low signal.

Front Panel Features
The NI PXIe-8880 has the following front-panel features:
•

A system reset pushbutton (press the button to generate a reset to the controller)

•

Two front panel LEDs that show PC status
–

The PWR OK/FAULT LED indicates the status of the controller. The LED will
indicate one of the following states:
•

Green ON steady—PXI Express and onboard power is on and within regulation
limits.

•

Green BLINKING—The controller has entered the soft off state and is safe to
power down.
Note

This status is only applicable when chassis is set to Manual.

•

Green FADING—The controller has entered the stand by (S3) state.

•

OFF—The controller is powered off.

•

Red BLINKING—The controller detected a power rail fault when trying to boot.

•

Red Solid—The controller detected a thermal fault and has shut down to protect
the system.

–

The DRIVE LED indicates when an access to the internal hard disk is occurring.

–

The USER1 LED is a bi-color green/yellow LED. You can define the USER1 LED to
meet the needs of your LabVIEW application.

–

The USER2 LED is a bi-color green/yellow LED. You can define the USER2 LED to
meet the needs of your LabVIEW application.

3-9

Chapter 3

I/O Information

Data Storage
The NI PXIe-8880 has the following data storage features:
•

•

3-10

Internal Serial ATA solid-state drive
–

240 GB or larger 1.8 in. solid-state drive

–

Supports Native Command Queuing

–

Supports transfer rates up to 600 MB/s

USB storage support—USB CD/DVD-ROM, mass storage device, or floppy drive

ni.com

Common Configuration
Questions
This chapter answers common configuration questions you may have when using a
NI PXIe-8880 embedded controller.

General Questions
What do the LEDs on the NI PXIe-8880 front panel mean?
Refer to the LED status descriptions in the Front Panel Features section of Chapter 3, I/O
Information.
After shutting down my NI PXIe-8880 controller, the Port 1 Ethernet LEDs continue to
blink. Is it safe to remove my controller or disconnect power?
The NI PXIe-8880’s port 1 Intel I217 Ethernet device remains powered even after shutdown. It
is safe to remove your controller or disconnect power.
How do I check the configuration of the memory, hard drive, time/date, and so on?
You can view these parameters in the BIOS setup. To enter the BIOS setup, reboot the
NI PXIe-8880 and press during the memory tests. Refer to the Accessing BIOS Setup
Utility section of Chapter 2, Installation and Configuration, for more information.
Can I use the internal Serial ATA drive and an external hard drive at the same time?
Yes. Refer to the BIOS Setup Utility section of Chapter 2, Installation and Configuration, for
more information.

Boot Options
What devices can I boot from?
The NI PXIe-8880 can boot from the following devices:
•

The internal Serial ATA hard drive

•

An external SCSI hard drive or SCSI CD/DVD-ROM if a SCSI adapter, such as the
PXI-8214, is used

•

A network PXE server on the same subnet

4-1

Chapter 4

Common Configuration Questions

•

An external USB mass storage device such as a USB hard drive, USB CD/DVD-ROM, or
USB flash drive

•

An external USB floppy drive

•

Most PCI or PCIe-based devices that provide an Option ROM
There are some limitations when booting from a USB device. Windows 7
can be installed from a USB CD/DVD-ROM, but earlier versions of Windows
cannot. The NI PXIe-8880 BIOS configures the USB devices so that they will work
in a DOS environment.
Note

How do I configure the controller to boot from these devices?
There are two methods.
•

Enter the BIOS setup by rebooting the controller and pressing . Select the Boot
menu. You will see a list of all bootable devices, ordered by device type. You can set the
boot order by altering Boot Option #1, Boot Option #2, and Boot Option #3 settings.

•

To boot from a different device without permanently changing the boot order, press
during POST. After the BIOS completes the POST and just before the controller boots the
OS, the Boot menu is displayed. You can select the device type you want to boot from.

Cables and Connections
How do I plug both a PS/2 mouse and PS/2 keyboard into the controller?
The NI PXIe-8880 has no PS/2 connector, and you need to use a USB Y-splitter cable as shown
in Figure 4-1, or a similar device, to connect both a PS/2 mouse and PS/2 keyboard. National
Instruments part number 778713-01 is such a cable and is available through the online catalog
at ni.com/products.
Figure 4-1. Y-Splitter Cable

What if I don’t have a Y-splitter cable? Can I still use a mouse and keyboard?
If you do not have a Y-splitter cable, plug a USB keyboard into any USB connector. You can also
plug a USB mouse into any USB connector.

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NI PXIe-8880 User Manual

Software Driver Installation
How do I install or reinstall the video driver?
Refer to KnowledgeBase 3H3COSD8, What Peripheral Drivers Should I Use with My PXI or
VXI Controller?, at ni.com/support.
How do I install or reinstall the Ethernet driver?
Refer to KnowledgeBase 3H3COSD8, What Peripheral Drivers Should I Use with My PXI or
VXI Controller?, at ni.com/support.
How do I install or reinstall the GPIB driver?
The NI-488.2 driver for your GPIB port is installed by default when your controller is first
shipped from the factory. To change the default installed driver, complete the following steps:
1.

Download the latest GPIB driver from ni.com/downloads.

Install the driver and verify that the driver has properly detected the GPIB driver in the
Device Manager. If you need more assistance, refer to ni.com/getting-started.

How do I install software from a CD?
The compact size of the NI PXIe-8880 does not allow for an integrated USB CD/DVD-ROM
drive. If you are using Windows 7, you have the following options:
•

USB CD/DVD-ROM—Windows 7 supports installing from a USB CD/DVD-ROM.

•

SCSI CD-ROM—Windows 7 supports installing from a SCSI CD-ROM.

•

Mapped network drive—You can use the Ethernet to connect to another computer. If you
share the USB CD/DVD-ROM drive on the other computer, you can map the shared
USB CD/DVD-ROM drive to a drive letter on the NI PXIe-8880.

A USB CD/DVD-ROM drive is available from National Instruments, part number 778492-01.

Upgrade Information
How do I upgrade system memory?
You can change the amount of installed RAM on the NI PXIe-8880 by adding DDR4
SO-DIMMs.
To upgrade the RAM, remove the NI PXIe-8880 from the PXI Express chassis. To optimize
memory capacity and system performance, use the same size and speed memory modules. The
use of different size modules in each slot is supported, but system performance will be slower
than using three matched modules. However, three mismatched modules will result in better
performance than using a single module.

4-3

Chapter 4

Common Configuration Questions

National Instruments offers the following types of SO-DIMMs for use with the NI PXIe-8880
controller.
•

When installing the second and third memory modules into the memory sockets, the
lower socket must be populated first, followed by the upper socket.
Figure 4-2. Installing a DDR4 SO-DIMM in an NI PXIe-8880 Controller

4-4

DDR4 SO-DIMM Module in Lower Socket

ni.com

DDR4 SO-DIMM Sockets

NI PXIe-8880 User Manual

How do I flash a new BIOS?
You can download the new BIOS from ftp.ni.com/support/pxi. For more information,
refer to KnowledgeBase 2GIGKD0Z, Determining and Upgrading PXI and VXI Embedded
Controller BIOS Versions.
Where do I get the latest software drivers?
The latest National Instruments software is available from ni.com/downloads. For
peripheral drivers, refer to KnowledgeBase 3H3COSD8, What Peripheral Drivers Should I Use
with My PXI or VXI Controller?, at ni.com.
My NI PXIe-8880 does not have an internal floppy drive. Is there a way to use an external
drive?
Yes. The NI PXIe-8880 controller supports and can boot from USB floppy drives. Refer to the
Boot Options section for more information.
A USB floppy drive is available from National Instruments, part number 778492-02.

PXI Express Configuration
How do I use the SMB trigger on the front panel?
For details, refer to the PXI Express Features section of Chapter 2, Installation and
Configuration.

4-5

Troubleshooting

This chapter answers common troubleshooting questions you may have when using the
NI PXIe-8880 embedded computer.
What if the NI PXIe-8880 does not boot?
Several problems can cause a controller not to boot. Here are some things to look for and
possible solutions.
Things to Notice:
•

Which LEDs come on? The PWROK/FAULT LED should stay lit green. The Drive LED
should blink during boot as the disk is accessed.

•

What appears on the display? Does it hang at some particular point (BIOS, Operating
System, and so on)? If nothing appears on the screen, try a different monitor. Does your
monitor work with a different PC? If it hangs, note the last screen output that you saw for
reference when consulting National Instruments technical support.

•

What has changed about the system? Did you recently move the system? Was there
electrical storm activity? Did you recently add a new module, memory chip, or piece of
software?

•

Refer to your chassis user manual for additional troubleshooting steps.

Things to Try:
•

Make sure the chassis is plugged in to a working power source.

•

Check any fuses or circuit breakers in the chassis or other power supply (possibly a UPS).

•

Make sure the controller module is firmly seated in the chassis.

•

Remove all other modules from the chassis.

•

Remove any nonessential cables or devices.

•

Try the controller in a different chassis.

•

Try a similar controller in this same chassis.

•

Clear the CMOS. (Refer to the System CMOS section of Chapter 2, Installation and
Configuration.)

•

Recover the hard drive on the controller. (Refer to the Hard Drive Recovery section of
Chapter 2, Installation and Configuration.)

•

Make sure the RAM is properly seated.

5-1

Chapter 5

Troubleshooting

My controller boots fine until I get to Windows, at which point I cannot read the screen.
This may include garbled output, white screen, black screen, or an out of synch message
from the monitor.
This problem usually results from having the video output set past the limits of the monitor. You
will need to boot Windows in Safe Mode. To do this, reboot the controller. As Windows begins
to boot, hold down and select Safe Mode. You should now be able to reset the video driver
to lower settings. Try setting the resolution to 800 × 600 and the refresh rate to 60 Hz. Once you
reboot, you can raise these values again, using the test option in Windows. These settings are
accessible by clicking Adjust screen resolution in the Appearance and Personalization
category of the Control Panel. Alternately, you can try a different monitor, preferably a newer
and larger one.
My system boots fine as long as a particular module is not in my chassis.
The most common cause of this is a damaged module. Try the module in a different chassis or
with a different controller. Also, remove any external cables or terminal blocks connected to the
system. If the module does not work in these cases, it is likely damaged. Contact the module
manufacturer for further troubleshooting.
Refer to the KnowledgeBase or product manuals section at ni.com for more information
specific to the chassis and controller with which you are having difficulties.
My CMOS is corrupted. How do I set it back to default?
1.

Enter the BIOS setup program as described in the Accessing BIOS Setup Utility section of
Chapter 2, Installation and Configuration.

Press to load BIOS defaults.

Answer Y (Yes) to the verification prompt.

Select Save and Exit Setup.

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NI PXIe-8880 User Manual

As an alternative method, complete the following steps:
1.

Power off the chassis.

Remove the controller from the chassis.

Press the Clear CMOS button (SW1) as shown in Figure 5-1.
Note

Time and date cannot be reset by this switch.

Reinstall the controller in the chassis.
Figure 5-1. Clearing the CMOS Contents

Push-Button Switch SW1

5-3

Specifications

This appendix lists the electrical, mechanical, and environmental specifications of the
NI PXIe-8880 embedded controller.

Features
NI PXIe-8880

CPU

Intel® Xeon® E5-2618L v3

CPU Frequency

2.3 GHz (base),
3.4 GHz (single-core Turbo mode)

Intel Smart Cache

20 MB

Triple-Channel DDR4 RAM, PC4 1866

8 GB Standard
24 GB Maximum

Solid-State Drive

240 GB or larger Serial ATA

Ethernet

10/100/1000 BaseT, 2 ports

PXI Express 4 Link Configuration

x4, x4, x4, x4

PXI Express 2 Link Configuration

x8, x16

GPIB (IEEE 488 Controller)

Yes

Hi-Speed USB (2.0) Ports

Yes (4)

Hi-Speed USB (3.0) Ports

Yes (2)

PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse Connector

PXI Express Trigger Bus Input/Output

Yes

Installed Operating System

Windows 7 Professional (64-Bit)

A-1

Appendix A

Specifications

Electrical
Current (Amps)
Voltage (V)

Typical

Maximum

+3.3 V

2.24 A

2.96 A

+5 V

2.44 A

3.11 A

+12 V

6.5 A

8.7 A

+5 VAUX

0.19 A

0.23 A

Physical
Board dimensions .............................................Four-wide 3U PXI Express module
Slot requirements ..............................................One system slot plus three controller expansion
slots
Compatibility ....................................................Fully compatible with PXI Express
Specification 1.0
Weight ...............................................................1.5 kg (3.4 lb) typical

Environment
Maximum altitude.............................................2,000 m (800 mbar) (at 25 °C ambient
temperature) with chassis fans on High.
Pollution Degree ...............................................2
Indoor use only.
Clean the NI PXIe-8880 with a soft nonmetallic brush. Make sure that the
device is completely dry and free from contaminants before returning it to service.
Caution

Operating Environment
NI PXIe-8880
Ambient temperature range
Standard ............................................0 to 50 °C 1,2
(Tested in accordance with IEC 60068-2-1 and
IEC 60068-2-2. Meets MIL-PRF-28800F
Class 3 temperature limits, except as noted.)
1

Processor should not throttle CPU frequency under reasonable, worst case processor work loads at high
operating temperatures. If you experience CPU frequency variation, turn your chassis fans on High, using
the fan speed selector switch on the rear of your chassis.
0 to 45 °C when used with the NI PXIe-1071, NI PXIe-1078 (with kit part number 158034A-01), or
NI PXIe-1086 chassis.

A-2

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NI PXIe-8880 User Manual

Relative humidity range............................ 10% to 90%, noncondensing
(Tested in accordance with IEC 60068-2-56.)
Caution The operating temperature must not be exceeded, even when used in a
chassis with a higher temperature range.

Storage Environment
NI PXIe-8880
Ambient temperature range
Standard ............................................ -40 to 71 °C
(Tested in accordance with IEC 60068-2-1 and
IEC 60068-2-2. Meets MIL-PRF-28800F
Class 3 limits.)
Relative humidity range............................ 5% to 95%, noncondensing
(Tested in accordance with IEC-60068-2-56.)

Shock and Vibration
Operating Shock ........................................................30 g peak, half-sine, 11 ms pulse in the Y and Z axes.
20 g peak, half-sine, 11 ms pulse in the X axis.
(Tested in accordance with IEC 60068-2-27. Meets
MIL-PRF-28800F Class 2 limits in Y and Z axes.)
Random Vibration
Operating .................................................. 5 to 500 Hz, 0.3 grms
Nonoperating ............................................ 5 to 500 Hz, 2.4 grms
(Tested in accordance with IEC 60068-2-64.
Nonoperating test profile exceeds the
requirements of MIL-PRF-28800F, Class 3.)
Note

Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Safety
This product is designed to meet the requirements of the following standards of safety for
electrical equipment for measurement, control, and laboratory use:
•

IEC 61010-1, EN 61010-1

•

UL 61010-1, CSA 61010-1
Note For UL and other safety certifications, refer to the product label or the Online
Product Certification section.

Using the NI PXIe-8880 in a manner not described in this document may
impair the protection the NI PXIe-8880 provides.

Caution

A-3

Appendix A

Specifications

Electromagnetic Compatibility
This product meets the requirements of the following EMC standards for electrical equipment
for measurement, control, and laboratory use:
•

EN 61326-1 (IEC 61326-1): Class A emissions; Basic immunity

•

EN 55011 (CISPR 11): Group 1, Class A emissions

•

EN 55022 (CISPR 22): Class A emissions

•

EN 55024 (CISPR 24): Immunity

•

AS/NZS CISPR 11: Group 1, Class A emissions

•

AS/NZS CISPR 22: Class A emissions

•

FCC 47 CFR Part 15B: Class A emissions

•

ICES-001: Class A emissions
Note In the United States (per FCC 47 CFR), Class A equipment is intended for use
in commercial, light-industrial, and heavy-industrial locations. In Europe, Canada,
Australia and New Zealand (per CISPR 11) Class A equipment is intended for use
only in heavy-industrial locations.

Group 1 equipment (per CISPR 11) is any industrial, scientific, or medical
equipment that does not intentionally generate radio frequency energy for the
treatment of material or inspection/analysis purposes.
Note

Note For EMC declarations and certifications, and additional information, refer to
the Online Product Certification section.

CE Compliance
This product meets the essential requirements of applicable European Directives as follows:
•

2006/95/EC; Low-Voltage Directive (safety)

•

2004/108/EC; Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (EMC)

Online Product Certification
To obtain product certifications and the Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for this product, visit
ni.com/certification, search by model number or product line, and click the appropriate
link in the Certification column.

Environmental Management
NI is committed to designing and manufacturing products in an environmentally responsible
manner. NI recognizes that eliminating certain hazardous substances from our products is
beneficial to the environment and to NI customers.

A-4

ni.com

NI PXIe-8880 User Manual

For additional environmental information, refer to the Minimize Our Environmental Impact web
page at ni.com/environment. This page contains the environmental regulations and
directives with which NI complies, as well as other environmental information not included in
this document.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
At the end of the product life cycle, all products must be sent to
a WEEE recycling center. For more information about WEEE recycling centers,
National Instruments WEEE initiatives, and compliance with WEEE Directive
2002/96/EC on Waste and Electronic Equipment, visit ni.com/environment/
weee.
EU Customers

Battery Replacement and Disposal
This device contains a long-life coin cell battery. If you need
to replace it, use the Return Material Authorization (RMA) process or contact an
authorized National Instruments service representative. For more information
about compliance with the EU Battery Directive 2006/66/EC about Batteries
and Accumulators and Waste Batteries and Accumulators, visit ni.com/
environment/batterydirective.
Battery Directive

Cd/Hg/Pb

⬉ᄤֵᙃѻક∵ᶧ᥻ࠊㅵ⧚ࡲ⊩ ˄Ё೑ RoHS˅

Ё೑ᅶ᠋ National Instruments ヺড়Ё೑⬉ᄤֵᙃѻકЁ䰤ࠊՓ⫼ᶤѯ᳝ᆇ⠽䋼ᣛҸ
(RoHS)Ǆ݇Ѣ National Instruments Ё೑ RoHS ড়㾘ᗻֵᙃˈ䇋ⱏᔩ ni.com/
environment/rohs_chinaǄ (For information about China RoHS compliance,

go to ni.com/environment/rohs_china.)

A-5

NI Services

National Instruments provides global services and support as part of our commitment to your
success. Take advantage of product services in addition to training and certification programs
that meet your needs during each phase of the application life cycle; from planning and
development through deployment and ongoing maintenance.
To get started, register your product at ni.com/myproducts.
As a registered NI product user, you are entitled to the following benefits:
•

Access to applicable product services.

•

Easier product management with an online account.

•

Receive critical part notifications, software updates, and service expirations.

Services and Resources
•

•

Maintenance and Hardware Services—NI helps you identify your systems’ accuracy and
reliability requirements and provides warranty, sparing, and calibration services to help you
maintain accuracy and minimize downtime over the life of your system. Visit ni.com/
services for more information.
–

Warranty and Repair—All NI hardware features a one-year standard warranty that
is extendable up to five years. NI offers repair services performed in a timely manner
by highly trained factory technicians using only original parts at a National
Instruments service center.

–

Calibration—Through regular calibration, you can quantify and improve the
measurement performance of an instrument. NI provides state-of-the-art calibration
services. If your product supports calibration, you can obtain the calibration certificate
for your product at ni.com/calibration.

System Integration—If you have time constraints, limited in-house technical resources, or
other project challenges, National Instruments Alliance Partner members can help. To learn
more, call your local NI office or visit ni.com/alliance.

B-1

Appendix B

•

NI Services

Training and Certification—The NI training and certification program is the most
effective way to increase application development proficiency and productivity. Visit
ni.com/training for more information.
–

The Skills Guide assists you in identifying the proficiency requirements of your
current application and gives you options for obtaining those skills consistent with
your time and budget constraints and personal learning preferences. Visit ni.com/
skills-guide to see these custom paths.

–

NI offers courses in several languages and formats including instructor-led classes at
facilities worldwide, courses on-site at your facility, and online courses to serve your
individual needs.

Technical Support—Support at ni.com/support includes the following resources:
–

Self-Help Technical Resources—Visit ni.com/support for software drivers and
updates, a searchable KnowledgeBase, product manuals, step-by-step troubleshooting
wizards, thousands of example programs, tutorials, application notes, instrument
drivers, and so on. Registered users also receive access to the NI Discussion Forums
at ni.com/forums. NI Applications Engineers make sure every question submitted
online receives an answer.

–

Software Support Service Membership—The Standard Service Program (SSP) is a
renewable one-year subscription included with almost every NI software product,
including NI Developer Suite. This program entitles members to direct access to
NI Applications Engineers through phone and email for one-to-one technical support,
as well as exclusive access to online training modules at ni.com/
self-paced-training. NI also offers flexible extended contract options that
guarantee your SSP benefits are available without interruption for as long as you need
them. Visit ni.com/ssp for more information.

Declaration of Conformity (DoC)—A DoC is our claim of compliance with the Council
of the European Communities using the manufacturer’s declaration of conformity. This
system affords the user protection for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and product
safety. You can obtain the DoC for your product by visiting ni.com/certification.

For information about other technical support options in your area, visit ni.com/services,
or contact your local office at ni.com/contact.
You also can visit the Worldwide Offices section of ni.com/niglobal to access the branch
office websites, which provide up-to-date contact information, support phone numbers, email
addresses, and current events.

B-2

ni.com

Glossary
Symbol

Prefix

Value

nano

10-9

micro

10 - 6

milli

10 -3

kilo

10 3

mega

10 6

giga

10 9

tera

10 12

Symbols
°

Degrees.

Ω

Ohms.

Percent.

A
A

Amperes.

Alternating Current.

B
B

Bytes.

backplane

An assembly, typically a printed circuit board, with connectors
and signal paths that bus the connector pins.

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.

G-1

Glossary

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 Express

An adaptation of the PCI specification for industrial and/or
embedded applications that require a more robust mechanical
form factor than desktop PCI. CompactPCI Express 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.

DDR

Double Data Rate.

DMA

Direct Memory Access—A method by which data is transferred
between devices and internal memory without intervention of the
central processing unit.

DVI

Digital Visual Interface—A video connector designed to
maximize the visual quality of digital display devices such as flat
panel LCD computer displays and digital projectors. It was
developed by an industry consortium, the Digital Display
Working Group (DDWG).

E
ECP

Extended Capabilities Parallel.

EEPROM

Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory.

EMC

Electromagnetic Compatibility.

EMI

Electromagnetic interference.

G-2

ni.com

NI PXIe-8880 User Manual

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
g

1. 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
I/O

Input/Output—The techniques, media, and devices used to
achieve communication between machines and users.

IDE

Integrated Drive Electronics—Hard disk and built-in controller.

IEEE

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

in.

Inches.

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.

G-3

Glossary

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 Express device that initiates data
transfers on the PXI Express backplane. A transfer can be either
a read or a write.

Megabytes of memory.

MTBF

Mean time between failure.

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.

G-4

ni.com

NI PXIe-8880 User Manual

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.

PXI Express

PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation—An open implementation
of CompactPCI Express that adds electrical features that meet the
high-performance requirements of instrumentation applications
by providing triggering, local buses, and system clock
capabilities. PXI Express also offers two-way interoperability
with CompactPCI Express products.

R
RAM

Random Access Memory—The computer’s primary workspace.

resource

Hardware settings used by devices in a computer system,
including ISA interrupt level, DMA channel, and I/O address.

RMS

Root mean squared. See also grms.

S
s

Seconds.

SDRAM

Synchronous Dynamic RAM (Random Access
Memory)—Storage that the computer must refresh at frequent
intervals.

SO-DIMM

Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module.

SPI Bus

Serial Peripheral Interface—A standard for controlling most any
digital electronics that accept a clocked serial stream of bits.

G-5

Glossary

T
TPM

Trusted Platform Module.

U
USB

Universal Serial Bus.

V
V

Volts.

VGA

Video Graphics Array—The minimum video display standard for
all PCs.

W
W

G-6

Watts.

ni.com

Index
A

Advanced Setup menu, 2-5

CD/DVD ROM Drive BBS Priorities
menu, 2-12
CE compliance specifications, A-4
CMOS
clearing contents (figure), 2-15, 5-3
setting back to default, 5-2
common configuration questions
boot options, 4-1
cables and connections, 4-2
driver installation, 4-3
general questions, 4-1
PXI Express configuration, 4-5
upgrade information, 4-3
configuration, PXI Express chassis, 2-19
connectors
DisplayPort connector and signals, 3-3
Ethernet connector and signals, 3-4
GPIB connector and signals, 3-8
peripheral expansion overview
(table), 3-1
trigger connector and signals, 3-7
Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector
and signals, 3-6
CPU Configuration menu, 2-6

B
BIOS
checking settings, 4-1
Diagnostic Utilities, 2-14
flashing new BIOS, 4-5
setup
Advanced Setup menu, 2-5
Boot Settings Configuration
menu, 2-12
Boot Setup menu, 2-11
CD/DVD ROM Drive BBS
Priorities Configuration
menu, 2-12
CPU Configuration menu, 2-6
entering, 2-4
ExpressCard Configuration
menu, 2-8
Floppy Drive BBS Priorities
Configuration menu, 2-12
Hard Drive BBS Priorities
Configuration menu, 2-12
LabVIEW RT Options menu, 2-10
LabVIEW RT Options Setup menu
Configuration Overrides
menu, 2-10
Main Setup menu, 2-5
Network Device BBS Priorities
Configuration menu, 2-12
PCI Configuration menu, 2-8
SATA Configuration menu, 2-6
Save & Exit menu, 2-13
TPM Configuration menu (TPM
Variant), 2-9
USB Configuration menu, 2-8, 2-9
Video Configuration menu, 2-7
boot options, configuring controller, 4-2
Boot Settings Configuration menu, 2-12
Boot Setup menu, 2-11

D
data storage, 3-10
DDR4 SO-DIMMs
installing, 4-3
figure, 2-21, 4-4
DDR4 SO-DIMMs from National
Instruments (note), 2-20, 4-4
directories and files installed on hard
drive, 2-19
DisplayPort
connector signals (table), 3-3
location and pinout (figure), 3-3
documentation
how to use this documentation set, xi
related documentation, xi
DRIVE LED, 3-9

I-1

Index

drivers
installation
GPIB (IEEE 488.2), 4-3
video, 4-3
obtaining latest drivers, 4-5

electrical specifications, A-2
environmental management,
specifications, A-4
WEEE information, A-5
Ethernet, connector, 3-1
location and pinout (figure), 3-4
signals (table), 3-5

F
features of PXI Express, 2-19
files and directories installed on hard
drive, 2-19
Floppy Drive BBS Priorities menu, 2-12
floppy drive, using external floppy drive, 4-5
front panel
connectors
DisplayPort, 3-1, 3-3
Ethernet, 3-1
GPIB, 3-1, 3-8
PXI Express trigger, 3-1
trigger, 3-7
USB, 3-1, 3-6
dimensions, 3-2
features, 3-9
LEDs, 4-1
functional overview of NI PXIe-8880, 1-2

G
GPIB (IEEE 488.2)
connector location and pinout
(figure), 3-8
connector signals (table), 3-8
device connector, 3-1
driver installation, 4-3

I-2

ni.com

hard drive, 3-10
files and directories installed on, 2-19
recovery, 2-21
hard drive BBS priorities menu, 2-12

IEEE 488.2, 3-8
installation
See also configuration
injector/ejector handle position
(caution), 2-2
NI PXIe-8880 installed in a PXI Express
chassis (figure), 2-3
procedure, 2-1
removing NI PXIe-8880 from
PXI Express chassis, 2-3
removing protective screw caps (figure),
2-2
installing an OS
from USB CD/DVD-ROM, 2-22
overview, 2-22
installing the Ethernet driver, 4-3
installing the GPIB driver, 4-3
installing the video driver, 4-3
Intel chipset, 1-4

K
keyboard, plugging PS/2 mouse and keyboard
into controller, 4-2

L
LabVIEW, 1-4
RT configuration switches, 2-17
RT installation and configuration, 2-16
RT options menu, 2-10
RT software installation, 2-16
LabVIEW RT
configuration switches (figure), 2-18
LabVIEW RT Options Setup Menu
LabVIEW RT Configuration Overrides
Submenu, 2-10
LabWindows/CVI, 1-4

NI PXIe-8880 User Manual

LEDs, front panel LEDs, 3-9, 4-1
Linux support, 1-5

M
Main Setup menu, 2-5
mating connector
Ethernet, 3-4
GPIB (IEEE 488.2), 3-8
Measurement Studio, 1-4
modular instruments, 1-5
mouse, plugging PS/2 mouse and keyboard
into controller, 4-2

N
National Instruments, software, 1-4
Network Device BBS Priorities menu, 2-12
NI PXIe-8880
benefits of PXI Express, 1-1
BIOS setup utility, 2-4
block diagram, 1-3
connectors
DisplayPort connector and signals
(table), 3-3
GPIB (IEEE 488.2) connector and
signals, 3-8
trigger connector and signals, 3-7
Universal Serial Bus (USB)
connector and signals, 3-6
data storage, 3-10
description, 1-2
front panel
connectors, 3-1
dimensions, 3-2
features, 3-9
LEDs, 4-1
system reset pushbutton, 3-9
functional overview, 1-2
hard drive recovery, 2-21
installing DDR4 SO-DIMMs
(figure), 2-21, 4-4
installing in a PXI Express chassis, 2-1
figure, 2-3
logic blocks, 1-3
peripheral expansion overview
(table), 3-1

PXI Express trigger connectivity, 2-19
removing from a PXI Express
chassis, 2-3
software, 1-4
specifications, A-1
troubleshooting, 5-1
upgrading RAM, 2-20, 4-3
NI-DAQmx, 1-4
NI-VISA, 1-5

O
operating environment specifications, A-2
OS installation
from USB CD/DVD-ROM, 2-22
overview, 2-22

P
PCI Configuration menu, 2-8
peripheral expansion overview (table), 3-1
physical specifications, A-2
Power/Wake Configuration menu, 2-8
protective screw caps, removing (figure), 2-2
PS/2, plugging PS/2 mouse and keyboard into
controller, 4-2
PWROK/FAULT LED, 3-9
PXI Express
chassis configuration, 2-19
connectors, function (logic block), 1-4
features, 2-19
trigger connectivity, 2-19
trigger connector, 3-1

R
RAM
DDR4 SO-DIMMs from National
Instruments (note), 2-20, 4-4
upgrading, 2-20, 4-3
recycling hardware, A-5
related documentation, xi

I-3

Index

S
safety specifications, A-3
SATA Configuration menu, 2-6
Save & Exit menu, 2-13
Serial ATA controller, using SCSI hard drive
in addition, 4-1
setting up the NI PXIe-8880 BIOS, 2-4
shock and vibration specifications, A-3
SO-DIMM logic block, 1-3
software
See also drivers
installed on your hard drive, 2-19
LabVIEW, 1-4
LabWindows/CVI, 1-4
Measurement Studio, 1-4
National Instruments software, 1-4
NI-DAQmx, 1-4
NI-VISA, 1-5
specifications
CE compliance, A-4
electrical, A-2
environmental management, A-4
WEEE information, A-5
features, A-1
online product certification, A-4
operating environment, A-2
physical, A-2
safety, A-3
shock and vibration, A-3
storage environment, A-3
storage environment specifications, A-3
switches, LabVIEW RT configuration
(figure), 2-18
system CMOS, 2-14
system reset pushbutton, 3-9

T
TPM Configuration menu (TPM Variant), 2-9
trigger, 4-5
connector location and pinout
(figure), 3-7
connector signals (table), 3-7

I-4

ni.com

troubleshooting
CMOS reset, 5-2
controller does not boot, 5-1
damaged module, 5-2
video display, 5-2

U
Universal Serial Bus (USB)
connector function, 1-4
connector location and pinout
(figure), 3-6
connector signals (table), 3-6
overview (table), 3-1
USB Configuration menu, 2-8, 2-9
USER LEDS
USER1, 3-9
USER2, 3-9

V
video, 3-1
driver installation, 4-3
overview (table), 3-1
Video Configuration menu, 2-7

W
WEEE information, A-5

Y
Y-splitter cable
figure, 4-2
using mouse and keyboard without, 4-2
using with PS/2 mouse and
keyboard, 2-3

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Date                            : 2015-03-01
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Content Type                    : specifications
Manual Status                   : current
Nigen 1                         : c,2015
Nigen 3                         : 03
Nigen 2                         : 2015
Description                     : This manual contains specifications and detailed instructions for installing and configuring the NI PXIe-8880 embedded controller. 
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