Connecting a PXI(e) Chassis to an External PC via MXI(e)

Throughout this article, you will learn how to control your PXI(e) System with a 3rd-Party desktop or rackmount PC using an MXI(e) kit (PXI(e) Remote Control Module + PCI(e) Host Interface Card + MXI(e) Cable) instead of using a PXI(e) Embedded Controller. 

A PXI(e) chassis can be connected to a desktop or rackmount PC using a pair of PXI(e) and PCI(e) cards as shown below:

 Follow the next steps to control your PXI(e) System with a desktop PC (skip steps 1-3 if you already have an MXI(e) kit):

1. Acquire a PXI(e) Remote Control Module that is compatible with your system:
   • Refer to the PXI(e) Remote Control Module shop page for a list of the active hardware.
2. Acquire a PCI(e) Host Interface Card that is compatible with your PXI(e) Remote Control module.
   • Refer to the PCI(e) Host Interface Card shop page for a list of the active hardware.
   • Refer to the table below to check for compatibility with your PXI(e) Remote Control Module.
3. Acquire an MXI(e) Cable to connect your PXI(e) Remote Control Module to the PCI(e) Host Interface Card. 
   • Refer to the documentation (MXI(e) hardware is documented on a generation basis):
     • MXIe Gen 1x1 (PXIe-PCIe-836x) User Manual
     • MXIe Gen 1x4 (PXIe-PCIe-837x) User Manual
     • MXIe Gen 2x8 (PXIe-PCIe-838x) User Manual
     • MXIe Gen 3x16 (PXIe-PCIe-839x) User Manual
4. After receiving your MXI(e) kit, refer to the section Set Up your MXIe System in the documentation attached above.

Some PXI(e) chassis (like the PXI-1033 or the PXIe-1073) have an integrated MXI(e) controller. This means that these chassis don't require an additional PXI(e) card as they already have an MXI(e) interface on the back. In this case, all you will need is the PCI(e) card for your host PC and an MXI(e) cable that are compatible with your PXI(e) Remote Control Module.

Note –  In order to connect your PXI(e) chassis over MXI(e) to your PC, the computer must have a PCI or PCIe slot (whether the required slot is PCI or PCIe depends on the particular Host Interface Card you will use) to accommodate the PCI(e) Host Interface Card.

To check for hardware compatibility, you can either build your system using the NI PXI Advisor or use the table below: