My PC doesn't boot with my MXI-3 Interface connected to my PXI-System.

[AnjaRB]

I am using several NI-PXI-cards in a PXI-1000B-System. The PXI system is connected to my PC with a MXI-3 Interface.
My problem: From the beginning my PC only booted sometimes with the Interface cable (PXI system) connected but at least sometimes. Since yesterday it refuses to boot at all as soon as I connect the cable.
I tried everything that is on the NI-homepage but nothing worked (removing all PXI-cards, changing PCI slots, removing all additional cards in my PC, using the newest optimizing software for MXI).
When I put the PCI-MXI card in another PC I can boot that PC!
So does anybody know about incompatibilities with some BIOS versions or something like that.
Thanks everybody who can help.

[David S]

Hi AnjaRB,

Thank you for contacting National Instruments. Because your PXI system does work when you have it connected to another computer, I agree that this may be a BIOS issue. MXI-3 is a PCI-PCI bridge, and it complies with the PCI bridge specification and the PCI specification. It is not uncommon for a computer's BIOS to have a set limit for the number of PCI-PCI bridges it expects to talk to. It is also not uncommon for a computer's BIOS to have a set limit for the number of PCI devices it expects to talk to. Both of these situations are caused by limitations on the computer not on MXI-3. Because you encounter this problem without any PXI boards in your PXI chassis, it seems more likely that there is a problem with your computer recognizing the PCI-PCI br
idge. I suggest you contact your computer vendor for a BIOS upgrade.

Please let me know if a BIOS upgrade does not resolve this issue.

Regards,

David Shatila
Applications Engineer
National Instruments

[AnjaRB]

Hi Mr. Shatila,

as you recommended I updated my BIOS.
It's not working very well now, but at least the trick "starting PXI-system and immediately starting the computer afterwards" is now working. That's not very comfortable because I have to do this within about 2 or 3 seconds but at least I can work again.
Thanks for your help!

Regards,

Anja

[AnjaRB]

Ok, the trick just worked for a while now the PC again refuses to boot. That drives me crazy.

Anja

[David S]

Hi Anja,

I suggest you test this MXI-3 kit and this same chassis with another PC. If this PXI system works with another PC, then we know the problem is with the PC. If this PXI system does not work on another PC, then we know that the problem is either with the chassis or the MXI-3 kit. If you have another chassis or MXI-3 kit, it would be a good idea to test those with this PC.

If you do not have another MXI-3 kit to test, it may be possible to send you a loaner MXI-3 kit that you can test. Please generate a service request at http://www.ni.com/ask or call 1-800-433-3488. You will need to speak with a Sales Representative or an Applications Engineer to determine if a loaner is available.

If you determine the problem is with the MXI-3 kit
, I suggest you call to RMA this MXI-3 kit. If you determine that the problem is really with the PC, I suggest you contact your PC manufacturer or use a different PC.

Regards,

David Shatila
Applications Engineer
National Instruments

[AnjaRB]

Hi David,

I already tested it with another PC and it worked. So the problem is likely to be with my PC. Meanwhile I also arranged with the german support to get a loaner MXI-3 kit to make sure that it is really the PC.
What I can't understand and nobody seems to be able to explain is, why did it work for a while and got worser and worser until the PC refused to boot at all. I worked with the system for a long while and the PC would boot at least sometimes with the PXI system connected.

Regards,

Anja

[David S]

Hi Anja,

If this system works sometimes, but does not work other times, the problem is most likely a timing issue. For one reason or another, your PC is expecting the bus to be ready when it is not. Either the PC is trying to move on and enumerate the bus earlier then it used to, or the MXI-3 PCI-PCI bridge is taking longer before it is ready. It seems likely to me that this issue could be affected by how long it takes your computer to warm up. If the system is already warm because the PC has been on for a while, I would suspect that the PC is running faster and trying to enumerate the bus before it is ready. It is also possible that something has drifted out of spec over time.

Regards,

David Shatila
Applications Engine
er
National Instruments

[BBTLanceButler]

I am having exactly the same problem. It appears that this was never fully resolved. Was there a resolution, and if so what was it?
For reference, here are some details:
MXI-3 Fiber
Dell Dimension Desktop
PXI-1000b 8 slot chassis (AC)
PXI-6052E
PXI-7454 Flex Motion
The problem is intermittent. It does not boot if the PXI chassis is botted first. It boots if you boot the PC first, but it only finds the cards sometimes.
Windows XP

Lance Butler
B&B Technologies, Inc.
6610 Gulton Ct. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
voice: (505)-345-9499
fax: (505)-345-9699
lbutler@bbtechno.com
www.bbtechno.com

[chill]

I too have been complaining about this problem recently. Funny, nobody seemed to know about it. I have a new Dell Precision Workstation as well. The last statement in this dialog by Anja seems to make sense. We found that if we turned off our computer for a significant period of time, it would boot and work normally.

[Andrew A]

Please contact NI at 1-800-433-3488 if you are experiencing similar problems. An Applications Engineer can determine if a new revision of the MXI-3 will fix the problem.

Thank you,

Andrew A.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments
http://www.ni.com/ask