Hi Chris,
Yes all the PCI slots must support bus mastering. That is the only way for our cards to take control and transfer data via DMA. Most PCs (including industrial PCs with PCI-to-PCI bridges) support bus mastering on all slots. If bus mastering happens to be disabled, here are some steps to change that in the bios:
1. Reboot your computer. Watch for the message during reboot that instructs you on how to enter the BIOS/Setup. Some systems have these messages disabled, so you may need to check your computer's user manual for the keys to hit. Most computers use a function key (e.g., F1, F2, or F10), but it depends on the system.
2. Once you enter the BIOS/Setup, look for an menu or option that will allow you to view settings for the PCI Bus. Typi
cal menus will have names like "Advanced" or "Computer Setup". Some systems do not give you access to the settings for the PCI Bus, so if you do not see anything, check with your computer manufacturer for assistance.
3. Look for an option to "Enable Bus Mastering" and select it.
4. Save your setting and exit.
I've also included some links to other helpful knowledge bases and a tutorial I found on the subject.
Troubleshooting PCI-GPIB, PCI-DAQ, PCI-MXI-2, PCI-IMAQ Installation Problems
http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/websearch/F85046CC4811C066862566480065A34C?OpenDocument
Why I Am Having DMA Problems with Image Acquisition in Windows NT?
http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/websearch/7ECD76F2F87299E8862564EB005A2F1F?OpenDocument
An Excellent Tutorial on PCI Buses and Mastering
http://www.pvinc.com/tutorial/tutorial-PCIbus.htm
Hope that helps. Have a good day.
Ron
Applications Engineer
National Instruments
