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Dual Monitors with the DVI Connection on PXI controller

Hardware: PXI/CompactPCI>>Controllers

Problem:
Does the DVI connection on my embedded controller support dual monitors? If so, how can this be accomplished?

Solution:
Yes, the Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connection on the embedded controller does support dual monitors. You may use a splitter to send the signal to a DVI monitor as well as a VGA monitor for mirrored or extended desktops.  To configure dual desktops,  use either the Display Properties in Windows XP and 2000, Display Setting in Windows Vista or the Intel Extreme Graphics Utility.

The DVI connection has several implementations but it will use one of the following three connectors.

DVI-D  (digital only)
DVI-A  (analog only)
DVI-I    (integrated digital & analog) 

The most popular implementation being DVI-I single and dual link. The DVI-I includes pins for analog signals found on a VGA connector as well as pins for the native digital signals in one connector. The DVI single link connector uses one transmitter while dual link uses two transmitters to increase the power of transmission and improve signal quality which is necessary to use larger displays. A single link connection can support a resolution of 1920 x 1200, while a dual link can support a resolution of 2560 x 1600.

The DVI-I connection on PXI controllers use a DVI-I (single link) connection and the graphics chipset supports two displays in mirrored or extended mode by using a DVI-I to DVI-D/VGA splitter. The DVI-I splitter allows one DVI and one VGA monitor to be connected to the PXI controller.


If your application requires more than two displays a 3rd party compact PCI video card can be added to the PXI chassis but there are many compatibility issues and National Instruments does not test/support more than 2 monitors. Reference the attached KB on using more than two monitors.

Note: NI offers a DVI splitter cable tested with our PXI controllers.  The part number for this splitter is 780868-01.

In the event that you are having trouble configuring multiple monitors, try these troubleshooting steps:

• PXI-8105/8106
  • Update the Intel 950 display adapter drivers to the latest version,  v1.3.3 for both PXI-8106 and PXI-8105.  Early versions of the driver will allow only one monitor to be used at a time.
    
  
  
  • Note: Intel 950 GMA (Graphics Media Accelerator) is the graphics core within the 945 GMCH that runs the display/graphics.
    
  
  
  • If only the VGA monitor is working, make certain that the DDC Routing is set correctly in the BIOS.  To do this, navigate to Advanced»Integrated Peripherals»Monitor DDC.  Verify that Monitor DDC is set to DVI.  Analog monitors will work when DDC Routing is set to DVI and CRT, however, DVI monitors will not function when DDC Routing is set to CRT.
    
  
  
• PXIe-8130
  • The PXIe-8130, by factory default, should allow the use of extended monitors through DVI-I Splitter. With the current BIOS available, v1.3, there is no setting available to disable this feature.
    
  
  
  • Verify that all monitors work seperately, specifically the monitor using the DVI port. Changing connections to different monitors may also require a reboot of the system to enable the necessary output lines.
    

Related Links:
KnowledgeBase 2J0AQFUK: How Do I Use Multiple Monitors with a PXI System with VGA Connection?
Product Manuals: NI-PXI 8106 User Manual

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Report Date: 05/08/2007
Last Updated: 05/07/2009
Document ID: 497ERQ7N

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