Copyright 2003–2007 National Instruments. All rights reserved.
Thank you for using Traditional NI-DAQ, version 7.4.4f7. This release differs
from 7.4.4f4 with the inclusion of the following change:
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| Caution Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) is an older driver with outdated application programming interfaces (APIs) for developing data acquisition, instrumentation, and control applications for older National Instruments DAQ devices. You should use Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) only in certain circumstances. Refer to the NI-DAQ Readme for an overview of the two NI-DAQ APIs, the advantages of NI-DAQmx, and more information about when to use Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy), including a complete list of supported devices, operating systems, application software versions, and language versions. You can install the latest version of NI-DAQmx software, available at ni.com/downloads. |
This file contains important information regarding this version of Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy). Please read it carefully so that you are aware of any known problems or incompatibilities.
Information in this file is organized in the following sections:
Starting with version 7.4.2, Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) will install support for the latest version of LabVIEW found on the system. If you require support for more than one version of LabVIEW, complete the following steps:
You should now be able to use Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) with both versions of LabVIEW.
The Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) API is mass-compiled in LabVIEW 7.0. This will not affect the functionality of your VIs. However, LabVIEW will prompt you to save the Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) subVIs if your LabVIEW version is greater than 7.0. To avoid the prompts, mass-compile the folders referenced above. If you require Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) support for earlier versions of LabVIEW, you need an earlier version of Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy).
| Note The Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) 7.4.2 and later installer will remove any existing Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) support for LabVIEW. If you are installing Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) 7.4.2 and later to upgrade an existing Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) installation, you will notice that Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) support will only be available in the newest version of LabVIEW installed in your system. To restore support for other LabVIEW versions, follow the above steps. It is important to copy the support to all versions of LabVIEW immediately after the Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) 7.4.2 and later installation is complete. |
This section describes how to configure the Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) driver software for your DAQ device and confirm the device is operating properly. The section headings correspond to the instructions, starting with step 5, for configuring NI-DAQmx in the DAQ Getting Started Guide.
Complete the following steps:
Configure each device you install:
To convert Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) virtual channels, scale configurations, and SCXI and accessory configurations to an NI-DAQmx configuration, select Tools»NI-DAQmx Configuration»Convert Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) Configuration to NI-DAQmx. The wizard does not convert SCC configurations; you must configure SCC information separately in each API you want to use. Click Help in the wizard for more information about converting your configurations.
Pin assignments also are accessible from the MAX Help menu in Device Terminals of the Measurement & Automation Explorer Help for Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy).
Many devices have a test panel for testing specific device functionality, such as the ability to acquire and generate signals.
In Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) and earlier versions, you can use MAX to configure virtual channels, an optional way to record which physical channels are being used for different measurements.
When you use Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy), complete the following steps to configure virtual channels in MAX:
This section describes how to add and configure an SCXI chassis and modules. The section headings correspond to the instructions, starting with step 11, for configuring NI-DAQmx in the SCXI Quick Start Guide. You should configure your DAQ device as described in the previous section before configuring your SCXI chassis and modules.
Complete the following steps to add the chassis to a local system if you are using Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy).
Complete the following steps to configure a local SCXI chassis in Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy).
Complete the following steps to configure the module in a local system.
The Configuring SCXI Module in Chassis Slot window opens. The General tab is selected by default.
If you installed more than one module or chassis, repeat this procedure for each.
Complete the following steps to add modules to an existing local system using Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy).
For information about the software-configurable properties of the module, refer to Measurement & Automation Explorer Help for Traditional NI-DAQ. In MAX, select Help»Help Topics»Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy).
For MAX version 2.0 and greater, the menu options under Tools»NI-DAQ Configuration allow you to manipulate your DAQ configuration files. The Set Active Configuration option lets you set any DAQ configuration file to be the active file. The Save Configuration As option lets you save the current configuration file to a new file. The Create New Configuration option creates a new configuration file with a name you choose.
Externally timed A/D: By default, the DAQPad-6020E supports external sample-interval and scan-interval timing for low speeds (up to about 90 Hz). For faster external sampling, run the Set DAQ Device Information VI or Set_DAQ_Device_Info function with Information Type = interrupt generation mode and Information Setting = generate interrupt every half FIFO.
Continuous, low-speed AI transfers: With the DAQPad-6020E, at the beginning of a continuous, low-speed AI transfer (from 80 to about 400 S/s), there is a noticeable delay before data begins to arrive in the acquisition buffer. The reason is that, although A/D conversions are being generated, the device does not begin transferring data to the PC until its AI FIFO becomes at least half-full.
Timed nonbuffered AI: On the DAQPad-6020E, timed nonbuffered AI operations, as illustrated in the LabVIEW example Cont Acq&Chart (hw timed) VI, are limited to about 50 Hz. At higher rates, LabVIEW may become unresponsive as Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) tries to empty the AI FIFO by reading one scan at a time from the device.
Some IEEE 1394 adapter boards report incorrect FIFO sizes. Therefore, NI uses the lowest common denominator for the FIFO size. If your IEEE 1394 adapter board has a FIFO depth greater than 456 bytes or reports the wrong speed, download fwctl.exe and readme.txt from ftp://ftp.natinst.com/support/daq/pc/ieee1394 to increase performance.
Typically, you can disable device and mini-MITE FIFOs within control applications to remove sluggishness. However, this action impacts all DMA channel transfers on the DAQPad-6070E. Also, you can only change FIFO sizes before running any DMA transfers.
DSA devices do not support analog input/output nonbuffered operations. In LabVIEW, the AI SingleScan and AO Single Update VIs are not supported.
If you have already installed a version of the DSA instrument driver, you must install its latest version to work with Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy).
Reading the device name using the Get DAQ Device Information VI or Get_DAQ_Device_Info function returns "PXI-4472EAR" for revision H of the 4472. However, the display name in MAX still correctly displays PXI-4472. The return value potentially breaks applications using previous revisions of the board where the code makes decisions based on the device name. This affects new revisions of the PXI-4472, PCI-4472, and PCI-4474.
When attempting to load, execute, or debug Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) from multiple applications, some users experience unusual error messages. This issue can often be resolved by unloading all applications that use Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) and reloading them in a different order. Refer to KnowledgeBase article 2Q1HG8A6 "Unusual Error Messages Loading, Executing, or Debugging Applications When Using NI-DAQ" on the NI's support Web site for further details.
Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) examples for Visual Basic are located as follows:
Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) examples for ANSI C are in the NI-DAQ\Examples\VisualC directory.
To compile and run examples, follow these steps:
a. Set the option to Include Files. Make sure that you point to the same directory in NI-DAQ\Include.
b. From the same tab, set the option to Libraries and set a path for NI-DAQ\LIB.
a. Go to Tools»Options, and select the Directories tab.
b. Set the option to Include Files. Point to the CVI\INCLUDE directory.
c. From the same tab, set the option to Libraries, and set a path for CVI\EXTLIB.
You should now be able to build the project into an executable.
When using the CWDI ActiveX control for finite change detection with NI 653X devices and only one digital channel is configured for change detection, an extra event may be raised after the last change is detected. You should ignore data read from this event. This extra event is not raised when you configure more than one channel for change detection or one digital channel for continuous change detection.
When a 6527 device is using an interrupt level (IRQL) that matches the IRQL of either a USB Host Controller or a 1394 Host Controller, change detection may not work.
Improved buffered output operations: The 6534 devices feature two memory modules onboard, one for each group. By default, Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) loads the SCARABs with either the entire data buffer or the entire memory module, whichever is smaller, before starting the output operation, thus eliminating the bus bandwidth limitations. However, you may override the default loading:
In LabVIEW, run the DIO Parameter VI with Parameter name = SCARABs Preload Enable and Value in = Off.
In C in the Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) API, call Set_DAQ_Device_Info with infoType = ND_FIFO_TRANSFER_COUNT and infoValue = ND_NONE.
Continuous, high-speed output with repeat data: The 6534 devices support output memory looping mode in which the output data are loaded into the SCARAB only once, and the entire buffer is repeated over and over again, provided that the buffer size is less than or equal to the onboard memory size:
In LabVIEW, run the DIO Parameter VI with Parameter Name set to Pattern Generation Loop Enable, then do your normal DIO configuration for continuous output operation with regeneration mode enabled.
In C, call Set_DAQ_Device_Info with infoType = ND_PATTERN_GENERATION_LOOP_ENABLE and infoValue = ND_ON.
Onboard memory size: The 6534 devices feature memory modules of various sizes. You can query the memory size of your 6534 device:
In LabVIEW, run the Get DAQ Device Information VI with Information type = SCARAB A Memory Size (for group 1) or Scarab B Memory Size (for group 2).
If using another development environment, call Get_DAQ_Device_Info in the Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) API with info Type = ND_SCARAB_A_MEMORY_SIZE (for group 1) or ND_SCARAB_B_MEMORY_SIZE (for group 2).
The memory size is returned in bytes.
20 MHz pattern I/O: You can set the clock frequency to 20 MHz by running the Digital Clock Config VI or DIO Config VI. If you are programming in C, call DIG_Block_PG_Config with timebase = -3 and interval = 1.
The valid range for NI 660X devices is 0 in the following VIs/functions:
Read from Digital Line VI/DIG_In_Line function
DIO Port Read VI/DIG_In_Prt function
DIO Config VI/DIG_Line_Config function
Write to Digital Line VI/DIG_Out_Line function
DIO Port Write VI/DIG_Out_Prt function
DIO Port Config VI/DIG_Prt_Config function
You set this range with the Port parameter.
For the Select_Signal function, legal signals for RTSI lines are RTSI_0 through RTSI_6 and RTSI_Clock. This applies for 66XX devices.
Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) 7.4.3 and later corrects for a rare intermittent behavior that results in a hang or crash when using the PCI/PXI-4060. Although known instances of this problem have been associated with using the PCI/PXI-4060, the behavior was not limited to these scenarios. Prior to 7.4.3, this behavior was typically encountered upon initializing the device a second time within the same instance of an application environment such as LabVIEW or a calibration routine within Calibration Executive.
If you want to use Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) in an RDA application, be sure to run Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) 7.0 or later on both your client (local) and RDA server (remote) computers. RDA security features were added for NI-DAQ 6.9.
The security features allow you to specify a password for each device configured on the server, which restricts RDA to that device to clients who know the correct password. To set the password for a device, follow these instructions:
After you set a password for the device, RDA clients must specify the correct password to use the device through RDA. By default, the password is empty, indicating that the device is not password-protected. If a client is already using an RDA device when the password is changed, the client gets a –10340 error until the correct password is set. To set the correct password, follow these instructions:
In addition to each device-level password that can be set on the server, there is a root-level password that can be set to prevent unauthorized users from remotely configuring the RDA server. To set this password on the server computer, open MAX on the server and select Tools»NI-DAQ Configuration»Set Remote Configuration Password. After you set this password, clients attempting to remotely configure the server through MAX (by clicking Tools»NI-DAQ Configuration»Remote DAQ Configuration) must first enter the correct password. Clients that know the correct root-level password can change the root-level password of the server as well as each of the device-level passwords through Remote DAQ Configuration.
Performing a scan before running an internal calibration using SCXI_Calibrate could result in a –10636 error (you cannot start a continuous [double-buffered] operation with a synchronous function call). If developing in C, call the DAQ_DB_Config function with the device number of the DAQ device you are using to calibrate and Dbmode = 0. If you are using LabVIEW, run the Device Reset VI on the DAQ device. You can also exit your development environment and start your application again.
Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) does not support simulated devices. Device simulation is only supported in NI-DAQmx.
As of NI-DAQ 6.7 and later, software support for USB and IEEE 1394 is provided only for Windows XP/2000/Me/98 single-processor systems.
NI-DAQ version 6.5 or later is required to use USB DAQ devices.
NI-DAQ version 6.6 or later is required to use IEEE 1394 DAQ devices.
LabVIEW version 4.0 or later is required to use USB or 1394.
It is best to connect your USB or IEEE 1394 DAQPad device to your PC and power it on before launching your DAQ application or MAX. If you connect or power on your DAQPad device after your DAQ application is loaded, reset the device in software before attempting to use it by running the DAQmx Device Reset VI in LabVIEW or calling the Init_DA_Brds() function in the Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) API.
If you are using a DAQ application that does not support manual resets, like VirtualBench, you must connect and power on your USB or IEEE 1394 DAQPad device before running your application.
On rare occasions, USB or IEEE 1394 devices do not appear in the MAX device tree if any Windows Explorer (including Internet Explorer) windows are open. If this problem occurs, close all Explorer windows and refresh the MAX window by pressing <F5>. If the problem still occurs, restart the system.
USB and IEEE 1394 DAQPad devices do not support Windows XP/2000 suspend mode.
USB and IEEE 1394 devices support plug-and-play configuration and hot swapping. Although these features generally facilitate device configuration, please follow the guidelines in this section to avoid configuration problems.
Under certain conditions, problems may occur when simultaneously disconnecting multiple IEEE 1394 devices during data acquisition. It is very important that you connect or disconnect devices before loading any data acquisition software.
After disconnecting or powering off a device, you should wait 5-10 s (or until the hourglass icon goes away) before powering the device back on.
On some computers, power management can interfere with active DAQ applications that are using USB or IEEE 1394 devices. If your DAQ application needs to run while the computer is unattended, disable the power management features in the operating system and the BIOS, as well as your screen saver.
To disable power management in Windows XP, do the following:
a. System standby: Never
b. Turn off monitor: Any choice is acceptable
c. Turn off hard disks: Never
To find out if your system has power management built into the BIOS, and for instructions to disable BIOS power management features, refer to your system documentation.
To disable your screen saver, do the following:
USB/IEEE 1394 performance depends highly on system-specific factors such as CPU speed, memory architecture, and system chipset characteristics. USB and IEEE 1394 operations are software-intensive, so running other applications during data acquisition operations may affect performance. Higher-speed USB and IEEE 1394 operations may also affect the performance of other applications.
All the USB and IEEE 1394 devices connected to your PC share the same bandwidth. Using multiple USB and IEEE 1394 devices simultaneously may affect the performance of DAQ applications. Also, since the PC’s USB and IEEE 1394 host controllers reside on the PCI bus, using other bandwidth-intensive PCI devices may affect performance.
Because data is transferred across the USB and IEEE 1394 buses in packets, the timing of operations involving the transfer of small or precise amounts of data is less deterministic than with plug-in DAQ devices. For example, the timing of messaging and interrupt-intensive operations is likely to vary more with USB and IEEE 1394 devices.
The Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) documentation set includes some technical errors. NI does not plan to revise the Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) documentation. Instead, any reported technical errors are addressed in KnowledgeBase articles. Refer to the KnowledgeBase article 41DA0A1V for information about the technical errors in the Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) documentation.