Differential encoder hard crashes the PC MESA7i77

I am wondering if my PCIe slot is bad. Trying a different slot today…stay tuned…

lspci did find the card but mesaflash does not, that may indicate a bad 6I25

There are no LEDs illuminated on a 6I25 in normal use except very briefly at power on.
 

Disconnect the 7i77 from 6i25, check if MesaFlash finds it.

OK, disconnected the 7i77 from the 6i25. ran mesaflash, linux couldn't find the board.
 

Am I needing a new 6i25? I ordered this AM on the hunch I probably would...



In other news, if I launch linuxCNC with the 7i77 removed from the 6i25, my PC doesnt hard crash anymore, just gives the following error:  

I have the report from that if it means anything. 
All of the above was done on a new (different) PCIe slot...so the slot being a problem should be removed as a potential issue

Well,  LinuxCNC found the card so it does not seem to be an issue
with the PCIE slot or the 6I25 bus interface.

What is the actual error when you have the 7I77 connected?

 

HEY! I am so dumb I didn't see your reply till just now. I actually bought another 6i25 convinced I had an issue with the card.

ANYWAY...I don't get any errors when I launch LinuxCNC, just a hard, full computer shutdown if the 7i77 is connected to the 6i25. If the 6i25 is NOT connected to the 7i77, I just get the Linuxcnc error i posted earlier.

So...I put in the NEW 6i25 just now, hooked up the 7i77 and launched Linuxcnc...and it DIDNT CRASH this time! Exciting. Now i just get a new Linuxcnc error:

 

Looks like the firmware wants an update? Do I do this with mesaflash?