PXI and PCI Getting Started Guide
A quick guide to installing Pickering PCI and PXI cards.Overview
- Install the Pickering driver software
- Install the hardware
- Test
Step 1 - Install the Pickering driver software
Disk-based install
Insert the DVD; it should automatically display the following page in your browser. If this does not happen, start a browser and open the file 'index.html' on the DVD.
Next, click on the Drivers heading to arrive at this page:
Then select PCI and PXI Switch Cards (System 40, 45 and 50) to arrive at the driver selection diagram:
Click on either the Direct IO driver or the VISA driver. Currently, both drivers are contained in the same installation file and selection of the driver is made during the following installation process.
NOTE: If the card is to be used in a National Instruments software environment, the VISA driver should be selected during the installation process in the vast majority of cases.
Internet-based install
Go to: http://www.pickeringtest.info/downloads/drivers/PXI_Drivers/
Select Direct IO and VISA (32 & 64-Bit) to download and run the executable
During the installation process, you will be offered the choice of a VISA or a Non-VISA driver. If you wish to use the VISA driver you will need to install National Instruments VISA before installing the Pickering driver.
Step 2 - Install the hardware
Turn off the power to your PCI or PXI hardware system and install the Pickering card.
Re-start the power. In the case of a PXI system, the PXI rack should be turned on before the computer system to ensure that the PCI bus and cards are powered before the PC BIOS starts.
During the initial power-up sequence, Windows should detect the presence of the PCI/PXI card and install the software drivers. If this fails to happen, check your procedure very carefully; make sure the drivers were installed and the correct power-up sequence was used.
Step 3 - Test
Run the General Soft Front Panel provided in the installation folder.This panel requires the Microsoft .NET 4 Framework to be present. If it is not already installed, a copy of the framework can be obtained from Microsoft's website or installed from the Pickering distribution disk.
D:\Miscellaneous\dotNet Framework\
The General Soft Front Panel will list all cards found in the PCI/PXI system.
Click on an individual card to open a panel and select a subunit to allow individual relays to be operated.
