The National Instruments 778958-01 MXI-4 Interface Board, also referred to as the PCI-8336, is a high-performance card designed to enhance the capabilities of PCI, CompactPCI, and PXI Bus computers. This interface board functions as a PCI-to-PCI bridge utilizing a 1.5 GB per second serial link, ensuring exceptional hardware transparency and performance. The 778958-01 can be configured in two standard setups: it can connect a PXI MXI-4 card in the controller slot of a PXI/CompactPCI chassis to a PC via a PCI MXI-4 card or link an embedded controller within a PXI/CompactPCI chassis to another PXI MXI-4 card in a separate chassis.

Notably, the 778958-01 supports fiber optic cables with lengths of 10 meters, 30 meters, and 200 meters, making it ideal for long-range connections; it is not compatible with copper boards or cables. The interface card facilitates the physical separation of measurement systems from host PCs while supporting PCI signaling conditions at both 3.3 V and 5 V. Enhanced reliability is provided through error checking and retransmission capabilities, allowing operation in demanding and electrically noisy environments. Installation requires only a single PCI slot.

The device is fully compatible with LabVIEW Real-Time and the NI-VISA software package included with the MXI-4 software CD, enabling users to efficiently monitor and manage PXI system configurations, access chassis and installed module information, and utilize the MXI-4 Connection Monitor. The MXI-4 program is part of NI-VISA and supports Microsoft Windows operating systems.