Why do only some NI PXI card connectors have the Blue alignment insert piece? We bent pins in the Chassis.

[EdmundStrauss]

Hello NI Engineers, Please comment on the Blue Alignment Insert Piece that's in the PXI Card white connector!     We bent some gold pins in our NI PXI 1042 chassis, unfortunately !!

Because, I noticed that only some NI PXI cards have a blue insert piece in their PXI Card connector. see photo below.   The blue insert assists with the pin alignment at the Card is plugged into Chassis.

The PXI card that caused the bent pins, it did NOT have the benefit of the blue insert alignment piece in its PXI connector!  See COMPARISON photo.   There is an oblong empty hole in in its PXI white connector, where the blue alignment piece could fit however!

Can an NI engineer please comment for TWO points please:
(1)  why don't all the NI PXI cards have the blue insert piece??   

(2)  IMPORTANT: Can you please send, or can I please order some of these blue inserts to put into the PXI card connector's hole.   So my PXI Card will have perfect pin alignment to the PXI Chassis.  So I won't bend the gold pins in the PXI Chassis.

The blue piece serves as a fine-alignment piece, because it mates with the blue alignment piece that's in every connector of the PXI Chassis backplane.

[santo_13]

If those are really alignment pins as you claim, missing them is a quality issue as it means connector is damaged. I guess those are present to facilitate pick and place during assembly using PnP machines and not a functional piece. Hence, after assembly, those blue pieces are no longer guaranteed to be present.

[EdmundStrauss]

Thanks for the comment Santhosh.   I believe the blue insert pieces serve as the fine-alignment part of this connector system.   The white "prongs" that the PXI Card connector has, serves as the coarse alignment but there is still about 10 mils of play.   Then when the XPI card is inserted about 50 mils more, one can feel the blue insert piece of the Card starting to engage with the blue insert piece of the backplane connector (as a friction fit on the lateral faces of the blue insert pieces), which produces the fine alignment of 0 mils play remaining.

Everyone please take a look at the connector of your NI PXI Cards, before inserting them into the NI PXI Chassis.    You really WANT the PXI Card connector to have that blue insert piece PRESENT in it.  (see my photo at beginning of this post).   We tried to straighten the severely bent PXI backplane gold pins but we could not successfully, some pins broke off at their mid-point due to the sharp bend.   Therefore we are getting a quote for a new Chassis. 

 

Cha$$i$.  

[EdmundStrauss]

I placed the earlier photos regarding the desired blue insert piece that produces the FINE ALIGNMENT, as inline photos now, so they are easier to view!

 

 

[Captain_K]

Hi Edmund,

I'm sorry to hear about your module. Not sure why exactly it wouldn't install correctly.

In regards to the blue insert, that's actually a PCI 5V signaling key, not an alignment insert. Module with blue inserts can only be used a in 5V signaling chassis. Modules with yellow insert can only be used in a 3.3V signaling chassis. Modules with no insert are considered universal, and can be used in either a 5V or 3.3V chassis. All NI chassis are 5V keyed, so only blue inserts or no inserts can be used in our chassis. 

I just want to point this out because not having an insert is not a quality issue. It just means that the PXI module can be used in either a 5V or 3.3V signaling chassis.

I've only ever seen 5V keyed chassis, so this topic doesn't come up much. This information is called out in the Compact PCI spec.

[santo_13]

Based on @Captain_K's explanation, the missing blue piece is not a quality issue and the pins were bent as a result of mishandling the card during insertion, one has to slowly insert the cart and align it parallel to the slot and not forcefully push it.

[EdmundStrauss]

Thanks Captain_K for explaining the purpose of the blue piece to indicate the card is compatible with 5V signaling only, per the Compact PCI spec.  My photo of the PXI backplane where every connector position HAS the blue piece, is an NI PXI 1042 chassis.  It is an older PXI Chassis, which would explain why the bus is 5V signaling only.

Yes, always must be quite careful to avoid having anyone in the organization accidentally bend pins of the PXI chassis backplane connectors.  But it will happen from time to time, especially if the Cards are regularly pulled for calibration.   It's an expensive accident to have happen to the Chassis, both in terms of possible downtime and replacement cost.  Thanks for the follow-up Santhosh.

[santo_13]

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@EdmundStrauss wrote:

Thanks Captain_K for explaining the purpose of the blue piece to indicate the card is compatible with 5V signaling only, per the Compact PCI spec.  My photo of the PXI backplane where every connector position HAS the blue piece, is an NI PXI 1042 chassis.  It is an older PXI Chassis, which would explain why the bus is 5V signaling only.

Yes, always must be quite careful to avoid having anyone in the organization accidentally bend pins of the PXI chassis backplane connectors.  But it will happen from time to time, especially if the Cards are regularly pulled for calibration.   It's an expensive accident to have happen to the Chassis, both in terms of possible downtime and replacement cost.  Thanks for the follow-up Santhosh.

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It does happen, but process must be put in place to train folks when handling expensive equipment.