National Instruments VME-MXI-2 VMEbus Extender

Based on MXI-2 technology, the VME-MXI-2 (Part Number: 777243-01) is a single slot, 6U extender from National Instruments. To operate as the VMEbus system controller, this interface board can be installed in the left slot of a VME chassis. The VME-MXI-2 tends to extend the VMEbus architecture via a high-performance MXI-2 cable link outside a VME mainframe. In short, this interface is a mainframe extender for the VMEbus. With this component installed, a VMEbus mainframe can be connected to various other MXIbus devices, such as MXIbus-equipped personal computers, MXIbus instruments, VMEbus mainframes, etc. The NI device is equipped with a single fully implemented MXI-2 bus connector.

To translate bus cycles transparently on the VMEbus system bus to the MXIbus, the NI VME-MXI-2 uses address mapping. This interface board converts A16, A24, A32, D16, D32, D64, and D08 (EO) VMEbus (Versa Module Europa bus) cycles into MXIbus (Multisystem extension Interface bus) bus cycles and vice versa. This device comes featured with four address windows that are utilized to map into and out of the VMEbus mainframe. These four windows are used to represent the three VMEbus address spaces (A16, A24, A32), as well as a dedicated window for mapping the upper 16 KB of A16 space (the VXIbus configuration space).

 To resolve deadlock conditions, the VME-MXI-2 supports the VME RETRY signal and provisions synchronous MXI, D64, and block cycles to achieve high-performance data cycles. This interface module can operate in either one of two modes which are interlocked and parallel modes. The VME-MXI-2 supports VMEbus miscellaneous services, VMEbus System Controller Functions, VMEbus master and slave capabilities. as well as a VMEbus interrupter. The device has peak and sustained transfer rates of 33 MB/s and 23 MB/s respectively. It has a typical and maximum DC current rating of 2.2 A and 3.2 A at +5 VDC.

The VME-MXI-2 weighs 0.73 lb, and measures about 9.2 x 6.3 in. in physical dimensions. It has recommended operating and storage temperature ranges of 0° to 55° C and 40° to 85° C respectively, and non-condensing operating and storage humidity ranges of 0% to 95% and 0% to 95% respectively.