Computer not recognizing 1071 chassis

[angledsending]

I'm setting up a 8398 PXIe-PCIe Gen3 x16 MXI Express system with a PXIe 1071 chassis and x8 MXI Express cables. Feeding it to a desktop computer running Windows 10. After installing the hardware, I installed Lab View, PXI Platform Service, and BIOS compatibility software in that order. From what I read, the Platform Service automatically provides drivers for connected hardware?

However, when I open up NI MAX, the Chassis is not present under any listing in the configuration pane. The PCIe that's in the desktop is present, but that's it. In the Windows Device Manager, I don't see any sign of the Chassis or Controller. No National Instruments category, nothing in the Serial Bus category, and I don't see standard PCI-PCI bridge listings under System Devices (See Symptom 2 on this page: https://knowledge.ni.com/KnowledgeArticleDetails?id=kA03q000000x0MKCAY&l=en-US. I also followed all the steps for Symptom 3). The LINK LED on the Controller is amber, which apparently signifies a connection problem.

I've tried: reseating the Controller and PCIe and cables, trying a different PCI slot, doing the BIOS compatibility fix, reinstalling all software. Am I missing a huge step here? I notice on that page I linked one of the steps under Symptom 3 simply says "NI Drivers" but I don't know if/how I'm supposed to install them outside of simply installing Platform Services.

Can anyone help? Do I just have a bad cable?

[ZYOng · Accepted solution]

From the MXI-Express Compatibility and Connectivity Troubleshooting Guide that you attached, did you double check this?

If you are using a Gen3 x16 MXI board such as the PXIe-8398 it is possible to insert the cable upside down with some force. Please check both ends of the cable are the correct way up. Which end of the cable is plugged into the PXIe and the PCIe card does not matter as there is no set upstream and downstream orientation. 

Besides, after installing the MXI BIOS Compatibility Software, did you enable it according to the instructions in MXI-Express BIOS Compatibility 21.8 Readme?

[Robert__R]

Hi angledsending,

You need to get green link LEDs or nothing else will work (technically there are cases where you'll have a link and an amber LED when the link is only partially broken; we'll ignore that case).

Try using a single x8 cable to simplify things (this should also give you a spare cable to swap out). Make sure it's in the top 2 ports on the PXIe side (ports 0&1 or 1&2, however they're numbered). On the PCIe side it will work on ports 1&2 or 3&4 but not 2&3. 1&2 is preferred and is where you'll need it to add the 2nd cable to get a x16 link.

That's really all it should take to get a green link LED. Crossing over the cables doesn't work well but it should still link at x8 (with an amber LED).

- Robert