PCIE to PCI Adapters question - [UPDATED] - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Retirednerd2020
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 14, 2024, 05:40:11 pm
content: I have a couple PCI DAQ cards from National Instruments that I would like to get working on a newer PCI-E desktop. Does anyone here have experience with the various adapters available? I'm looking to avoid the bad ones. Cost isn't the most important factor. It just needs to work. Probably a dual slot or higher. Windows 10 and Linux.Thank you,RJSomething like the attached, or better.I also found this one. It uses a DVI cable that Startech says will work with 10-20 Ft cables. Anyone with experience with any PCIE to PCI adapters like this or similar?I could probably buy an entire PC for the price of this one but space and form-factor are better with the Startech, if it works...From Amazon: "StarTech.com PCI Express to 4 Slot PCI Expansion System - PCIeo PCI Expansion Box - External PCI Slot - PCI Expansion Chassis (PEX2PCI4) Black"

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2024, 04:19:05 pm
content: lots on ebay

author: Retirednerd2020
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 15, 2024, 05:51:29 pm
content: Thanks for the reply. I understand they exist but I have never heard from anyone how well they work. Maybe like anything I just need to give it a go and hope for the best.

author: kbrill
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2024, 12:02:49 am
content: I have a Startech PEX2PCIE4L expansion enclosure . This is the long case version which accommodates 2 full length PCI adapters & 2 PCLe x1 cards .It has worked well with cards in both types of expansion slots . For test purposes I just installed 2 NI PCI-GPIB cards they were recognized by NI installation software automatically , no further NI testing was conducted . Simultaneously a PCLe x1 video capture card operates correctly while in one of the 2 PCLe x1 slots .To the best of my knowledge all the used Startech expansion chassis that have been sold as used on EBAY in the last year lack the required PC resident adapter card rendering it useless . Startech will not sell the adapter card separately .

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 20, 2024, 05:22:11 am
content: This stuff should generally "just work". I have a PCIe extension cable which is simply 30cm or so of ribbon cable with PCIe x1 connectors on both ends and it works. There is a lot of similar products based on USB 3.0 cables and AFAIK they work too. They are typically used to connect lots of GPUs to a single PC for crypto minining.The rest of your product is a PCIe to PCI bridge. These also should work without problems and without extra drivers. Such bridges are sometimes added to PCI cards to cheaply turn them into PCIe products and most customers don't even notice.It would be my guess that most if not all of those bridge chips implement one PCI bus, so you only have 133MB/s total BW available for all cards if there are multiple slots.Quote from: coromonadalix on March 15, 2024, 04:19:05 pmI have one of those and it works. But it only fits low profile PCI cards. A full width card could perhaps be inserted, but there would be no obvious way to mount it securely and no access to connectors near the edge (if any).editOne thing I'm not 100% sure is if those PCIe/PCI adapters provide -12V power to the PCI card. There are no obvious switching regulators visible on the blue one above, but one may still be hidden somewhere - between the slots or on the bottom side. Not all cards use -12V, but some do.