PXIe-1082 and PXIe-8301 not detected in NI-Max

[MikeH1064]

I have been trying to get a specific laptop computer to recognize a PXI chassis system that other laptops already do.  The NI-Max configuration that does not work appears on Origin brand laptop (see attached image).  The NI-Max configuration that does work appears on the Dell brand laptop (see attached image).  Both laptops have the same version of PXI Platform services.  I have removed all NI software from the Origin laptop to the most basic NI requirements to see the chassis.  As you can see from the attachments, the Dell version clearly indicates the PXI chassis and the appropriate controller card.  The Origin version merely lists a generic SMBus Controller.

This is the third laptop of various brands we've run into that exhibits this issue, and it has remained unsolved.  For the laptops that are unable to explicitly detect the PXI chassis, FPGA projects that use backplane routing (Destinations and Sources) for the PXIe-6341 Multifunction I/O card won't run.  Thus, the Dell laptop runs the LabVIEW FPGA application just fine, the Origin laptop generates an error at start-up.

Has anyone else had an issue like this, and what, if anything, was your solution?  I've read through the forums, and based upon what I've found so far and have tried, I am reasonably sure the BIOS settings for the Thunderbolt port are correct and there are no issues with the orientation of the Thunderbolt cable.  Again, both laptops are being connected individually to the same PXI system, and the results are as I presented, so I know the PXI system can work as configured.  There may be a software and/or driver issue, but as I stated, we've had multiple laptops properly configured to work, and multiple laptops that had this issue and were never resolved.  Thank you.

[santo_13]

Question - do you know if your new Dell laptop has a Thunderbolt 3 port and not just another USB 3.1 as Type C?

Not all Type C ports are Thunderbolt 3 even if the laptop supports Thunderbolt 3

[Terry_ALE]

I would check installation order of the NI drivers. Or from NI package manager try one of the prepackaged driver suites.

Another thing to try is unplugging all of the cards, remove all NI software via NI Package Manager, then rebuild the needed NI software for only the chassis recognition.

[MikeH1064]

Hi Santo_13,

Thank you for your reply.  All good points!  Yes, the properly configured Dell laptop is Thunderbolt 3, according to Device Manager and Dell.  The Origin laptop with errors is a Thunderbolt port, and is actually Thunderbolt 4 version, according to the manufacturer.

I did have a conversation with NI prior to the purchase of the Origin laptop, and the consensus was that upgraded versions of Thunderbolt shouldn't be a problem for current controller cards.  The "verdict was still out" with regard to Windows 11 (NI hasn't had enough experience to confirm), so we had the Origin laptop configured as Windows 10.

Thanks,

Mike H.

[MikeH1064]

Another development in my search for a solution.  The suggestion from Santo_13 got me wondering about the Thunderbolt ports themselves.  I tried plugging the Thunderbolt cable from the PXI chassis into the one USB3 port on the Origin laptop (ver USB3.2, I believe).  I lost recognition of the other cards in the chassis, but now I see the PXIe-8301 controller card.  The PXIe-1082 chassis still does not show up.

The controller card appears in both NI-Max and Device Manager.

[MikeH1064]

Hi Terry,

Thanks again for your assistance.  I have since stripped the PXI chassis of all but the 8301 controller card.  I've removed all NI software and reinstalled only the PXI Platform Services package (ver 21) and the System Configuration package (ver 21).  The System Configuration package was necessary in order to re-install NI-Max.  Still same result.  NI-Max won't recognize the 1082 PXI Chassis or the 8301 controller card.  It simply lists a generic "NI SMBus Controller".

I've attached an image of the NI-Max results.

Still waiting to hear back from NI Support after supplying the error logs and various debug records they requested.

Mike H.