VXI. VXI-USB User Manual. VXI-USB User Manual. December A-01

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1 VXI VXI-USB User Manual VXI-USB User Manual December A-01

2 Support Worldwide Technical Support and Product Information ni.com National Instruments Corporate Headquarters North Mopac Expressway Austin, Texas USA Tel: Worldwide Offices Australia , Austria , Belgium , Brazil , Canada (Calgary) , Canada (Ottawa) , Canada (Québec) , Canada (Toronto) , Canada (Vancouver) , China , Czech Republic , Denmark , Finland , France , Germany , India , Israel , Italy , Japan , Korea , Malaysia , Mexico , Netherlands , New Zealand , Norway , Poland , Portugal , Russia , Singapore , Slovenia , South Africa , Spain , Sweden , Switzerland , Taiwan , Thailand , United Kingdom For further support information, refer to the Technical Support and Professional Services appendix. To comment on National Instruments documentation, refer to the National Instruments Web site at ni.com/info and enter the info code feedback National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.

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

4 Compliance Compliance with FCC/Canada Radio Frequency Interference Regulations Determining FCC Class The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rules to protect wireless communications from interference. The FCC places digital electronics into two classes. These classes are known as Class A (for use in industrial-commercial locations only) or Class B (for use in residential or commercial locations). All National Instruments (NI) products are FCC Class A products. Depending on where it is operated, this Class A product could be subject to restrictions in the FCC rules. (In Canada, the Department of Communications (DOC), of Industry Canada, regulates wireless interference in much the same way.) Digital electronics emit weak signals during normal operation that can affect radio, television, or other wireless products. All Class A products display a simple warning statement of one paragraph in length regarding interference and undesired operation. The FCC rules have restrictions regarding the locations where FCC Class A products can be operated. Consult the FCC Web site at for more information. FCC/DOC Warnings This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in strict accordance with the instructions in this manual and the CE marking Declaration of Conformity*, may cause interference to radio and television reception. Classification requirements are the same for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Canadian Department of Communications (DOC). Changes or modifications not expressly approved by NI could void the user s authority to operate the equipment under the FCC Rules. Class A Federal Communications Commission This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user is required to correct the interference at their own expense. Canadian Department of Communications This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations. Cet appareil numérique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada. Compliance with EU Directives Users in the European Union (EU) should refer to the Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for information* pertaining to the CE marking. Refer to the Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for this product for any additional regulatory compliance information. To obtain the DoC for this product, visit ni.com/certification, search by model number or product line, and click the appropriate link in the Certification column. * The CE marking Declaration of Conformity contains important supplementary information and instructions for the user or installer.

5 Contents About This Manual Conventions...vii Related Documentation...viii Chapter 1 Introduction What You Need to Get Started VXI-USB Interface Kit Overview VXI 3.0 Specification Support Hardware Description VXI-USB Front Panel Features Advanced Configuration Options National Instruments Application Software Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration Installing the Software Installing the NI-VXI and NI-VISA Software Completing the Software Installation Configuring the Hardware (Optional) Installing the Hardware Installing Your VXI-USB Interface Module Connecting Cables Software Configuration and Verification Chapter 3 Developing Your Application NI-VXI, NI-VISA, and Related Terms Configuration Device Interaction Programming for VXI Optimizing Large VXIbus Transfers NI-VXI API Notes Compiler Symbols Compatibility Layer Options Debugging National Instruments Corporation v VXI-USB User Manual

6 Contents Appendix A Specifications Appendix B Default Settings Appendix C Advanced Hardware Configuration Settings Appendix D Common Questions Appendix E Technical Support and Professional Services Glossary Index VXI-USB User Manual vi ni.com

7 About This Manual Conventions This manual contains instructions for installing and configuring the VXI-USB interface kit. It also discusses how to start developing your VXI/VME application. The following conventions appear in this manual:» The» symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options to a final action. The sequence File»Page Setup»Options directs you to pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item, and select Options from the last dialog box. This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information. This icon denotes a caution, which advises you of precautions to take to avoid injury, data loss, or a system crash. When this symbol is marked on a product, refer to the Safety section in Appendix A, Specifications, for information about precautions to take. bold italic monospace monospace italic Bold text denotes items that you must select or click in the software, such as menu items and dialog box options. Bold text also denotes parameter names. Italic text denotes variables, emphasis, a cross reference, or an introduction to a key concept. This font also denotes text that is a placeholder for a word or value that you must supply. Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter from the keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and syntax examples. This font is also used for the proper names of disk drives, paths, directories, programs, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions, operations, variables, filenames, and extensions. Italic text in this font denotes text that is a placeholder for a word or value that you must supply. National Instruments Corporation vii VXI-USB User Manual

8 About This Manual Related Documentation The following documents contain information that you might find helpful as you read this manual: ANSI/IEEE Standard , IEEE Standard for a Versatile Backplane Bus: VMEbus ANSI/IEEE Standard , IEEE VMEbus Extensions for Instrumentation: VXIbus ANSI/VITA , VME64 Universal Serial Bus Specification, Revision 2.0 VXI-6, VXIbus Mainframe Extender Specification, Rev. 2.0, VXIbus Consortium NI-VISA Help NI-VXI Help Measurement & Automation Explorer Help for NI-VISA/NI-VXI VXI-USB User Manual viii ni.com

9 Introduction 1 This chapter describes your VXI-USB interface kit, lists what you need to get started, and includes a brief description of the hardware and software. The VXI-USB interface kit links a PC-based computer to the VXIbus using the Universal Serial Bus (USB). This kit makes your computer perform as if it were plugged directly into the VXI backplane, giving your external computer the capability of an embedded computer. USB 2.0 features hot plug-in capability under Windows, which means you can add and configure USB devices without powering down your system. Your kit contains a National Instruments VXI-USB interface module, which plugs into your VXI mainframe and links your computer to the VXIbus. Your kit includes the NI-VXI/NI-VISA bus interface software, which is fully VXIplug&play compliant. NI-VXI/NI-VISA is the National Instruments implementation of the VISA I/O software standard on which all VXIplug&play software components are based. What You Need to Get Started To set up and use the VXI-USB interface kit, you need the following items: Computer running the Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating system, with a USB 2.0 port or plug-in card (USB 2.0 plug-in cards may not have the same level of performance as an integrated USB 2.0 port) VXIbus mainframe VXI-USB interface module that plugs directly into a VXI mainframe USB 2.0-compliant cable National Instruments software CD This manual National Instruments Corporation 1-1 VXI-USB User Manual

10 Chapter 1 Introduction VXI-USB Interface Kit Overview The interface kit described in this manual links a USB-equipped computer directly to the VXIbus using USB 2.0. The VXI-USB kit uses this high-speed (480 Mbps) serial bus to link your computer running Windows to a VXI chassis. Note You can use the VXI-USB kit with USB 1.0, but performance will be significantly slower than with USB 2.0 for many types of operations. Note You can connect multiple USB devices to the host. However, increasing the number of USB devices in a system can lower the VXI-USB performance. The VXI-USB kit includes the NI-VXI/NI-VISA software for Windows, a C-size VXI-USB module, and a USB cable. A USB-equipped computer connected to a VXI-USB interface can function as a VXI Commander and Resource Manager. With the VXI-USB interface kit, your computer performs as if it is plugged directly into the VXI backplane as an embedded CPU module. The VXI-USB transparently translates between USB and VXI protocols. VXI 3.0 Specification Support Hardware Description The VXI-USB has been designed for VXIbus Specification 3.0, and also is compatible with VXIbus Specification 2.0. The VXI-USB supports new VXIbus 3.0 features such as 2eVME transfers (with a theoretical bandwidth up to 160 Mbytes/s), A64 memory space allocation, and a Resource Manager that supports A64 allocation. NI-VXI includes an NI-VISA driver for the VXI-USB that has additional functionality for using these VXIbus 3.0 features. If you have a VXI device that supports these features, consult the VXI-USB release notes for information about how to access them from NI-VISA. The VXI-USB module is a VXIbus Slot 0-capable device, so it can reside in slot 0 of any C-size or D-size chassis. Note D-size VXI mainframes have connections for a P3 connector. The VXI-USB, however, does not have this connector and cannot provide the necessary control for VXI devices that need P3 support. VXI-USB User Manual 1-2 ni.com

11 Chapter 1 Introduction The VXI-USB links the computer to the VXIbus and converts USB data transfers into VXIbus data transfers and vice versa. The VXI-USB includes additional USB Series A ports you can use to connect other USB devices. VXI-USB Front Panel Features The VXI-USB has the following front panel features: Front panel LEDs FAILED Indicates the VXI-USB is asserting SYSFAIL on the bus due to a controller failure. SYSFAIL Indicates the VMEbus SYSFAIL line is asserted by the VXI-USB or another device on the bus. VXI Indicates the VXI-USB is being accessed as a VXI slave. ONLINE Green Indicates the VXI-USB is configured by Resman. Amber Indicates the VXI-USB is not configured by Resman. USB Indicates there is USB traffic to/from the VXI-USB (this excludes any traffic to all other downstream USB devices). LINK Green Indicates the VXI-USB is connected to a USB host and has a full-speed (USB 1.x, 12 Mbps) connection. Amber Indicates the VXI-USB is connected to a USB host and has a high-speed (USB 2.0, 480 Mbps) connection. One host (Series B) USB connector Two device (Series A) USB connectors Three SMB connectors Trigger input Trigger output External clock System reset pushbutton National Instruments Corporation 1-3 VXI-USB User Manual

12 Chapter 1 Introduction Advanced Configuration Options The VXI-USB default hardware configuration should be acceptable for most systems. Refer to Appendix B, Default Settings, only if your system uses the front-panel CLK10 and trigger SMB connectors. The NI-VISA/NI-VXI bus interface software includes a Resource Manager, an interactive configuration and troubleshooting program, a comprehensive library of software routines for VXI/VME programming, a logging utility you can use for debugging, and graphical interactive control programs for interacting with VISA. You can use this software to seamlessly program multiple-mainframe configurations and have software compatibility across a variety of controller platforms. NI-VISA has a comprehensive library of software routines not only for VXI/VME programming, but also for GPIB, GPIB-VXI, PXI, TCP/IP, and Serial. You can use this software to program instruments connected through different types of interfaces. Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) helps you view your entire test and measurement system and configure various components, whether they are VXI, GPIB, PXI, or Serial devices. You can also add VME devices to your system easily with MAX and view them on a screen display along with the rest of your system. MAX also features various options for running the Resource Manager, Resman. You can still execute Resman independently to configure your instruments after a power cycle. But you can also perform resource manager operations directly from MAX or configure it to run Resman automatically at startup. The NI Spy utility tracks the calls your application makes to National Instruments drivers, including NI-VXI, NI-VISA, and NI NI Spy helps you debug your application by clearly highlighting the functions that return errors. You can let NI Spy keep a log of your program s calls to these drivers so that you can check them for errors at your convenience. National Instruments Application Software In addition to the NI-VISA/NI-VXI software, you can use the National Instruments LabVIEW, Measurement Studio, and LabWindows /CVI application programs and instrument drivers to ease your programming task. These standardized programs match the modular virtual instrument capability of VXI and can reduce your VXI/VME software development time. These programs are fully VXIplug&play compliant and feature VXI-USB User Manual 1-4 ni.com

13 Chapter 1 Introduction extensive libraries of VXI instrument drivers written to take full advantage of direct VXI control. LabVIEW, Measurement Studio, and LabWindows/CVI include all the tools needed for instrument control, data acquisition, analysis, and presentation. LabVIEW is an easy-to-use, graphical programming environment you can use to acquire data from thousands of different instruments, including IEEE devices, VXI devices, serial devices, PLCs, and plug-in data acquisition boards. After you have acquired raw data, you can convert it into meaningful results using the powerful data analysis routines in LabVIEW. LabVIEW also comes with hundreds of instrument drivers, which dramatically reduce software development time, because you do not need to spend time programming the low-level control of each instrument. Measurement Studio allows you to choose from standard environments such as Microsoft Visual Basic, Visual C++, and Visual Studio.NET to create your application, using tools specific for each language. With Measurement Studio, you can write programs quickly and easily and modify them as your needs change. 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. To use any of these application programs, install them before installing the NI-VISA/NI-VXI software. LabVIEW, Measurement Studio, and LabWindows/CVI integrate the VXI and VISA libraries required to support your VXI-USB. You also get hundreds of complete instrument drivers, which are modular, source-code programs that handle the communication with your instrument to speed your application development. National Instruments Corporation 1-5 VXI-USB User Manual

14 Installation and Configuration 2 Installing the Software This chapter explains how to set up your test system. Use the Setup program that came with your NI-VXI/NI-VISA software to install the entire software package or a software update, or to reinstall software in the event that your files were accidentally erased. Some of the utilities rely on the LabWindows/CVI Run-Time Engine. This software is installed, if necessary, during the NI-VXI/NI-VISA installation. Depending on the type of installation you choose, you may need up to 50 MB of free space on your hard drive to accommodate the NI-VXI and NI-VISA software. To be compliant with VXIplug&play specifications, a VXI controller must provide the VISA I/O driver library standardized by VXIplug&play. VISA ensures that your controller can run all VXIplug&play-compatible software now and in the future. The NI-VISA software in this kit is compatible with the WINNT/GWINNT framework. With NI-VISA installed on your computer, you can run any VXIplug&play software that is compatible with this framework. This includes instrument drivers and executable soft front panel software included with VXIplug&play-compatible instruments from a variety of vendors. Installing the NI-VXI and NI-VISA Software This section describes how to install the NI-VXI and NI-VISA software. Carefully read these directions along with any messages on the screen before making your selections. You can quit the Setup program at any time by clicking the Cancel button. National Instruments Corporation 2-1 VXI-USB User Manual

15 Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration Caution To keep the manufacturer/model name tables or the VME device configuration from a previous installation, be sure to back them up before starting Setup. They are in the TBL subdirectory of your NI-VXI directory, usually Program Files\National Instruments\VXI. Setup is an interactive, self-guiding program that installs the NI-VXI and NI-VISA software and configures your system to use the software with the VXI-USB. Complete the following steps to perform the installation: 1. For the CD, select Start»Run and enter the following text, where X is your CD drive (usually D): X:\setup.exe Press <Enter>. Typically, this setup program runs automatically when you insert the CD. 2. Click the Next button at the Welcome screen to start the installation and accept the license agreement. Note If you have a previous version of the NI-VXI software installed, Setup installs the new version over the previous version. Completing the Software Installation 3. Select the type of installation from the Installation Options screen. Typical setup installs runtime support and NI-VISA development support. Complete setup installs everything including NI-VXI API development support. For more information about the NI-VXI API, refer to Chapter 3, Developing Your Application. Custom setup gives you more control over which driver components you want installed on your system. This option is recommended for advanced users. 4. Click the Next button. Confirm that you are ready to install and click Next again to begin the installation. 5. Setup now copies the necessary files to your hard drive and creates program icons. Review the information in any README files that Setup prompts you to read. When the installation process completes, reboot the system for the changes to take effect. If you backed up the manufacturer and model name files, VXI-USB User Manual 2-2 ni.com

16 Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration restore them to the TBL subdirectory of your NI-VXI directory before running MAX. Note If you save and restore the TBL files from an older version of NI-VXI, the software will use TBL files that do not have the latest updates from National Instruments and may not include recent hardware releases. If you added additional manufacturer or model names to your TBL files, we recommend merging those changes with the latest updates included with this version of NI-VXI, so that all your devices are properly identified. Configuring the Hardware (Optional) This section contains basic information about configuring your VXI-USB hardware. Because the default settings for your VXI-USB hardware are acceptable for most typical applications, this section is optional. Refer to Appendix B, Default Settings, for a complete listing of the hardware and software default settings. Use Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) to change any VXI-USB configuration settings. You can also use MAX to check for software updates, including updates that may be available for the VXI-USB firmware. Figure 2-1 shows the firmware update panel. Figure 2-1. VXI-USB Firmware Update Panel National Instruments Corporation 2-3 VXI-USB User Manual

17 NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS bus Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration Installing the Hardware For information about the software, including optional settings, use MAX and its online help. Use the Windows Start menu to open the program group for National Instruments, launch MAX, and select Help»Help Topics. This section summarizes how to install your VXI-USB hardware. Your kit contains a VXI-USB interface module. Caution To guard against electrostatic discharge, touch the antistatic plastic packages to a metal part of your computer or chassis before removing the boards from their packages. Your computer or chassis should be plugged in but powered off. Figure 2-2 shows a system that includes a USB 2.0-equipped computer, a VXI-USB, and USB devices External Computer 2 Connections to Other USB Devices 3 VXI Mainframe 4 VXI-USB in Slot 0 5 USB Cables Figure 2-2. USB System VXI-USB User Manual 2-4 ni.com

18 Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration Installing Your VXI-USB Interface Module All kits contain a VXI-USB interface module. To install the VXI-USB in Slot 0 of your VXI chassis, complete the following steps: 1. Power off the chassis. 2. Verify that the backplane connector is intact and that there are no bent or missing pins on the module. 3. Insert the VXI-USB into the chassis in Slot 0, as shown in Figure Power on the chassis. The VXI system controllers operate certain VXI lines as required for VXI systems. Verify that any other VXI devices with system controller capability that are in the same chassis are not configured as system controller. Caution Having more than one device configured as system controller can damage the VXI system. For VXI systems that include VME devices, ensure that the VME devices are not configured in the upper 16 KB (starting from 0xC000) of the A16 address space. This region is reserved for VXI device configuration registers, which are used for initializing, configuring, and interacting with VXI devices. The VXI-USB also uses this region for this purpose. Note Also ensure that no VXI devices in your system are configured for logical address 0. This is the VXI-USB logical address, which you cannot change. Connecting Cables Connect the USB cable to a USB connection in your host PC and to the VXI-USB, as shown in Figure 2-2. You can use any available USB port on the PC for each device. The VXI-USB has two external ports for devices. You can connect any other USB devices to any available port on a VXI-USB, but for best performance, minimize the number of USB devices/hubs in the system. Adding to the number of devices in the tree degrades system performance. Note Your VXI-USB controller is a Hi-Speed USB device, which means it performs much faster when connected to a Hi-Speed USB port as described in the USB 2.0 specification. USB 2.0 ports are often integrated on the motherboard of current computers. National Instruments recommends using an integrated USB 2.0 port, if available, for optimal National Instruments Corporation 2-5 VXI-USB User Manual

19 Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration performance. Plug-in boards with USB 2.0 ports are also supported but may not provide the highest performance. Full-speed (USB 1.x) ports are supported as well, but provide much lower performance. The LINK light (refer to Chapter 1, Introduction) on the front panel of your VXI-USB controller indicates your connection speed. Software Configuration and Verification To configure the software and verify the configuration, follow these steps: 1. Run MAX. You must run the Resource Manager (Resman) every time the chassis or computer power is cycled, so that your application can access devices in the VXI chassis. You can also configure MAX to run Resman automatically at every computer startup by selecting Tools»NI-VXI»VXI Options and selecting the appropriate checkbox. 2. You can also use MAX to interactively configure the National Instruments hardware in your system. Use the right-click help for information about the various configuration options. After you finish configuring the system through MAX, verify the configuration through the interactive control utility, VISAIC (Start»Programs» National Instruments»VISA»VISA Interactive Control), as described in Chapter 3, Developing Your Application. Note If you are using extenders such as MXI-2 to create a multichassis system, you may need to run Resman before configuring some of your devices. Also, if you are using multiple VXI-USB controllers to create a multisystem configuration, you configure each system separately. VXI-USB User Manual 2-6 ni.com

20 Developing Your Application 3 This chapter discusses the software utilities you can use to start developing applications that use NI-VXI. After installing the NI-VXI software, you can begin developing your VXI/VME application. Be sure to check the release notes for the latest application development notes and changes. NI-VXI, NI-VISA, and Related Terms Before you develop your application, it is important to understand the difference between NI-VXI, NI-VISA, and similar terms. NI-VXI is the software package that ships with National Instruments VXI and VME controllers. NI-VXI includes Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX), NI-VISA, NI Spy, Resource Manager (Resman), VXI device drivers, and other utilities for configuring and controlling your VXI or VME system. NI-VISA is the native API for communicating with VXI/VME devices. NI-VISA is the National Instruments implementation of the VISA I/O standard, which is a common interface to many types of instruments (such as VXI, GPIB, PXI, Serial, TCP/IP, and so on). NI-VXI is optimized for use through NI-VISA, and NI recommends using NI-VISA to develop all new VXI/VME applications. The NI-VXI API is an optional development environment that is not part of the default NI-VXI installation. The NI-VXI API was developed before NI-VISA; although NI-VXI still supports the NI-VXI API, NI recommends using NI-VISA for all new VXI/VME applications. If you must develop an application using the older NI-VXI API, run the NI-VXI installer and perform a Complete install, or select the appropriate option in the custom installation screen. Be sure to review the NI-VXI API Notes section. The NI-VXI compatibility layer allows older programs that use the NI-VXI API to communicate with VXI devices through VISA. Using this compatibility layer, older programs can run in NI-VXI 3.0 or later without being rewritten to use the VISA interface. This layer installs with NI-VXI by default. It should be completely transparent and National Instruments Corporation 3-1 VXI-USB User Manual

21 Chapter 3 Developing Your Application provide a high level of performance; however, there may be some slight changes in behavior for certain applications. Your software features several system development utilities including MAX, Resman, NI Spy, VISA Interactive Control (VISAIC), and optionally VXI Interactive Control (VIC). You can also access online help and a variety of examples to learn how to use NI-VXI for certain tasks. Each component assists you with one of four development steps: configuration, device interaction, programming, and debugging. You can access the utilities, help files, and release notes through the Windows Start menu by opening the National Instruments»VXI or National Instruments»VISA program groups. Configuration The configuration utilities in your software kit are Resman and MAX. Resman performs VXI Resource Manager functions as described in the VXIbus specification. Resman configures all devices on the VXI backplane for operation and allocates memory for devices that request it. Resman does not require you to specify any settings; it automatically performs the VXI resource management whenever you run it. Note Power cycling resets all devices, so you must run Resman to reconfigure your system every time you cycle the power on the chassis. MAX presents a graphical display of your entire test and measurement system to help you configure various components. When you launch MAX, you see all your devices (including VXI) on the screen. You can view the properties (such as logical address, address space, and so on) of each device by clicking the device in the configuration tree. To see additional configuration options for a given device, right-click the device in the configuration tree. When you access the properties of most National Instruments devices by right-clicking, you can configure the hardware settings by selecting Hardware Configuration. MAX and Resman are designed to work together. You can run Resman through MAX by either clicking the Run VXI Resource Manager button in the toolbar or right-clicking a specific VXI system on which to run Resman, as shown in Figure 3-1. You can also select Tools»NI-VXI»VXI Resource Manager to run Resman on all VXI systems. From the VXI Options dialog box in the Tools»NI-VXI menu, you can also use MAX to configure Resman to run on all VXI systems automatically when the computer boots. VXI-USB User Manual 3-2 ni.com

22 Chapter 3 Developing Your Application Resman reports to MAX all errors it finds in your system. When you view your VXI system in MAX, you can easily spot any errors that Resman found while configuring the system. Device Interaction Figure 3-1. Right-Click a VXI System in MAX to Run Resman on that System After Resman detects and configures all your VXI/VME devices, you can use MAX to view specific information about each device in your system. The default MAX view of a VXI system shows the General tab window, which contains a summary of key information about each device, including its device name, logical address, model name, and other data. For more information about MAX, refer to its online help by selecting the Help»Help Topics menu. You can interact with your VXI/VME devices using the VISA Interactive Control (VISAIC) utility. VISAIC allows you to control your VXI/VME devices without using LabVIEW, Measurement Studio, LabWindows/CVI, or another programming language. You can also control your devices in MAX by right-clicking a device name and selecting Open VISA Session. Note You can also use VXI Interactive Control Program (VIC) to control your VXI/VME devices and develop and debug VXI application programs. VIC is not included in the default NI-VXI installation. To install VIC, choose either a Complete install or select NI-VXI API Development from the custom installation screen in the installer. You can National Instruments Corporation 3-3 VXI-USB User Manual

23 Chapter 3 Developing Your Application launch VISAIC (or VIC) from the Tools menu in MAX or from the VISA or VXI subgroups in Start»Programs»National Instruments. Try the following in VISAIC: In the tree view, navigate using your mouse to the VISA resource for your controller probably VXI0::0::INSTR, representing the VXI system 0, logical address 0 instrument resource, as shown in Figure 3-2. Figure 3-2. Select Your Controller in VISAIC Open the selected resource and navigate to the Register I/O tab. In this tab, you can read registers on your device, such as the VXI device configuration registers. Execute the viin operation (called In in LabVIEW compatibility mode) with the default parameters. The Data Value field shows the I/O operation result, such as 0x9ff6. The Return Value field shows the function status, such as 0 for VI_SUCCESS, as shown in Figure 3-3. VXI-USB User Manual 3-4 ni.com

24 Chapter 3 Developing Your Application Programming for VXI Figure 3-3. Successful viin Access in the VISAIC Register I/O Tab (This Window May Look Slightly Different for LabVIEW Users) If the data value ends in FF6, you have successfully read the National Instruments manufacturer ID from your VXI/VME controller s ID register. You may now want to read the configuration registers from other VXI devices in your system by opening the devices in VISAIC. Try reading a register from each device listed in the MAX view of your VXI system. This way, you can verify that your VXI controller can access each device in your VXI system successfully. You can also access VXI and VME devices configured in A16, A24, or A32 space by opening the VXI MEMACC resource, which is VISA s representation of VXI memory. For more information about VISAIC operations and commands, refer to the online help in the Help menu and the context-sensitive help (such as What s This?), available by right-clicking in any panel. NI-VISA and the NI-VXI API are the two National Instruments programming interfaces for accessing your VXI/VME instruments. With NI-VXI 3.0 or later, NI-VISA is the native API for communicating with a VXI or VME system, and NI recommends using it for all new applications. National Instruments Corporation 3-5 VXI-USB User Manual

25 Chapter 3 Developing Your Application Older programs that use the NI-VXI API now use the NI-VXI-to-NI-VISA compatibility layer to communicate with the VXI devices. Using this layer, older programs can run in NI-VXI 3.0 or later without being rewritten to use the VISA interface. Note The NI-VXI API development environment is not installed by default as part of the NI-VXI installation. If you must develop an application using the older NI-VXI API, run the NI-VXI installer and perform a Complete install or select the appropriate option in the custom installation screen. Be sure to review the NI-VXI API Notes section. NI-VISA is the National Instruments implementation of the VISA API as the VXIplug&play standard defines. It provides a common interface to many types of instruments (such as VXI, GPIB, PXI, Serial, TCP/IP, and so on) and therefore is especially useful in situations where you are using multiple types of instruments. Both NI-VISA and the NI-VXI API include functions for register-level access to VXI instruments and messaging capability to message-based devices. You can also use either interface to service asynchronous events such as triggers, signals, and interrupts, and also assert them. Compatibility with the NI-VXI API is included for legacy applications only NI recommends that you write all new VXI/VME applications in VISA. The best way to learn NI-VISA programming is by reviewing the example programs your software includes. The examples directory contains working VISA programs that illustrate many different types of applications. You can find these examples in the VXIpnp\WinNT\NIvisa\Examples directory. If you are just getting started, you should learn how to access registers with high-level calls and send messages with word-serial functions. The NI-VISA examples for these tasks are HighReg.c and RdWrt.c. Refer to the other examples as you try more advanced techniques. Consult the NI-VISA online help for additional information about these topics. Table 3-1 summarizes the topics the example programs address. All files are in the VXIpnp\WinNT\NIvisa\Examples directory, in the subdirectories listed below. VXI-USB User Manual 3-6 ni.com

26 Chapter 3 Developing Your Application Table 3-1. NI-VISA/NI-VXI Examples Coverage Message-Based Access High-Level Register Access Low-Level Register Access Interrupt Handling NI-VISA Example General\RdWrt.c VXI-VME\HighReg.c VXI-VME\LowReg.c VXI-VME\AsyncIntr.c and WaitIntr.c NI-VXI Example (Optional) VXIws.c VXIhigh.c VXIlow.c VXIint.c Trigger Handling VXI-VME\WaitTrig.c VXItrig.c Note MAX includes configuration options that affect low-level functions and shared memory, as well as trigger mappings and other attributes of your VXI system. Refer to the MAX online help for information regarding these options. Optimizing Large VXIbus Transfers For best performance, keep the following in mind when using vimove() or VXImove(): Make sure your buffers are 32-bit aligned. Transfer 32-bit data whenever possible. Use VXI block access privileges to significantly improve performance to devices that can accept block transfers, and likewise use D64 access privileges for devices that can accept the VME64 64-bit data transfer protocol. To optimize move performance on virtual memory systems such as the Windows operating system, lock the user buffer in memory yourself so the move operation does not need to lock the buffer. To optimize move performance on paged memory systems such as the Windows operating system, use a contiguous buffer so the move operation does not need to build a scatter-gather list for the user buffer. Note vimemalloc() or VXImemAlloc() returns 32-bit aligned, page-locked, continuous buffers that work efficiently with the move operations. National Instruments Corporation 3-7 VXI-USB User Manual

27 Chapter 3 Developing Your Application NI-VXI API Notes The following notes apply only if you are using the NI-VXI API. We recommend that all new VXI/VME applications use the NI-VISA API, but you can still develop with the older NI-VXI API for compatibility with legacy code. Compiler Symbols You may need to define certain compiler symbols so that the NI-VXI library can work properly with your program. The required symbol indicates your operating system platform; for example, VXINT designates the application as a Windows 2000/NT/XP/Me/98 application. Note LabWindows/CVI automatically defines the correct symbol. You do not need to define VXINT when using LabWindows/CVI. The additional symbol BINARY_COMPATIBLE is optional. It ensures that the resulting application is binary compatible with other National Instruments VXI controllers using the same operating system. This symbol may cause a slight performance degradation when you use low-level VXIbus access functions on some controllers. You can define these symbols using #define statements in your source code or using the appropriate option in your compiler (typically either D or /D). If you use #define statements, they must appear in your code before the line that includes the NI-VXI API header nivxi.h. Compatibility Layer Options Although NI-VXI supports multiple VXI controllers through NI-VISA, the NI-VXI API supports only a single controller. To specify which controller the emulation layer should use, run MAX. Select Tools»NI-VXI»VXI Options. Select the VXI system that will support the emulation layer. In NI-VXI 3.0 or later, when you enable for triggers or interrupts, only the local controller is enabled. In the NI-VXI API functions for enabling triggers and interrupts, the controller parameter is ignored. If you need to enable a remote controller for triggers, use the MAX frame resource to map the trigger back to the local controller. The interrupt and trigger routing in the NI-VXI 3.0 or later low-level drivers is somewhat different from the default routing in previous versions of NI-VXI. Therefore, the compatibility layer may behave differently than the original NI-VXI API with regard to these settings. In particular, if you VXI-USB User Manual 3-8 ni.com

28 Chapter 3 Developing Your Application are receiving triggers on an external controller, you may need to modify the trigger configuration on your extender module using MAX. In general, interrupts are routed automatically based on the interrupt configuration the resource manager detects. Whether the changed routing behavior affects your program is application dependent. Because VISA is an instrument-centric API, certain functions from the more controller-centric NI-VXI API do not match perfectly with a VISA counterpart. When an application enables an event with the NI-VXI API compatibility layer, each logical address is enabled for that event separately. For example, if the application enables an interrupt level, VISA will enable the interrupt on each logical address, one at a time, until all the devices are enabled. This means that some interrupts could be lost from devices with higher numbered logical addresses. MAX provides an option for users to pick which logical address is enabled first. Select Tools»NI-VXI»VXI Options. Set Prioritized Signal LA to the logical address of the device that generates the events. This prevents possible loss of events from that device. Debugging NI Spy and VISAIC are useful utilities for identifying the causes of problems in your application. NI Spy tracks the calls your application makes to National Instruments programming interfaces, including NI-VISA, NI-VXI, and NI-488. NI Spy highlights functions that return errors, so during development you can quickly spot which functions failed during a program s execution. NI Spy can log the calls your program makes to these drivers so you can check them for errors at your convenience, or use the NI Spy log as a reference when discussing the problem with National Instruments technical support. Figure 3-4 shows an example of an error returned from a call to vimemalloc. National Instruments Corporation 3-9 VXI-USB User Manual

29 Chapter 3 Developing Your Application Figure 3-4. NI Spy VISAIC, discussed in the Device Interaction section, is an excellent platform for quickly testing instruments and learning how to communicate with them. Figure 3-5. VISAIC VXI-USB User Manual 3-10 ni.com

30 Specifications A This appendix lists the specifications for the VXI-USB module. Requirements VXIbus configuration space B Default... None Environmental Maximum altitude... 2,000 m Pollution Degree... 2 Indoor use only Operating Environment Ambient temperature range... 0 to 55 C (Tested in accordance with IEC and IEC ) Relative humidity range... 10% to 90% (Tested in accordance with IEC ) Storage Environment Ambient temperature range to 70 C (Tested in accordance with IEC and IEC ) Relative humidity range... 5% to 95% (Tested in accordance with IEC ) EMI... FCC Class A verified, EC verified National Instruments Corporation A-1 VXI-USB User Manual