LabVIEW Interface Generator for LabWindows™/CVI™ Instrument Drivers Readme for Windows

July 2004

This file contains important information about the LabVIEW Interface Generator for LabWindows/CVI Instrument Drivers.

Installing the LabVIEW Interface Generator for LabWindows/CVI Instrument Drivers replaces the CVI Function Panel Converter dialog box and the Update VXIPNP Drivers dialog box. Uninstalling the LabVIEW Interface Generator for LabWindows/CVI Instrument Drivers restores the CVI Function Panel Converter dialog box and the Update VXIPNP Drivers dialog box.

Creating VIs with the Default Configuration for VXIplug&play and IVI-C Instrument Drivers

Complete the following steps to create VIs for a VXIplug&play or IVI-C instrument driver by specifying only the function panel (.fp) file.

1. Select Tools»Instrumentation»Create VI Interface to CVI Instrument Driver to launch the Create VI Interface to CVI Instrument Driver dialog box.
2. Select the Basic button and click the Next button.
3. Click the Browse button, navigate to the .fp file for the instrument driver to convert, and click the OK button.

4. Click the Next button.
5. Review the summary of conversion tasks and click the Next button to convert the instrument driver to VIs.
6. (Optional) Click the View the Report button to view the conversion report.
7. (Optional) Click the View VI Tree button to view the generated VI Tree VI that illustrates the functional structure of the instrument driver.
8. Click the Done button to exit the wizard.

Creating VIs with the Advanced Configuration for VXIplug&play and IVI-C Instrument Drivers

Complete the following steps to create VIs from a VXIplug&play or IVI-C instrument driver to VIs and specify advanced options.

1. Select Tools»Instrumentation»Create VI Interface to CVI Instrument Driver to launch the Create VI Interface to CVI Instrument Driver dialog box.
2. Select the Advanced button and click the Next button.
3. Select advanced conversion options for the instrument driver VIs, such as generating Property Node help for IVI drivers or storing the instrument driver VIs in a .llb file. Press the <Ctrl-H> keys to view descriptions of each option.
4. Click the Next button.
5. Click the Browse button, navigate to the .fp file for the instrument driver to convert, and click the OK button.
6. Select the directory where you want LabVIEW to create the generated VIs or .llb file and click the Next button. By default, LabVIEW saves the generated VIs in the LabVIEW/instr.lib directory of the currently running version of LabVIEW.
7. Verify the Class Group, Driver Prefix, and Shared Library or DLL values and edit if necessary.
8. (Optional) Click the Edit Icon button to change the appearance of the icon for the generated VIs.
9. (Optional) Select which VIs to generate and rename VIs and palettes.
   1. Place or remove checkmarks in the checkboxes next to the VI names in the list to specify whether to generate the VI.
   2. Select a VI or top-level item and click the Edit Name button to edit the VI or top-level item name. The top level item name is the filename of the generated .mnu file.
   3. Click the Next button.
10. If you placed checkmarks in the Generate Property Node help (.rc file) or Convert help text for VI library checkboxes when setting advanced conversion options, review the help text search and replace tasks and accept or reject the changes.
    1. Click in table cell to edit or add a new conversion task.
    2. Click in the Change column and select Always, Never, or Prompt to always replace, disable, or be prompted to accept or skip the selected search and replace task.
    3. (Optional) Place a checkmark in the Show Prompts checkbox if you want to be prompted to accept or skip each change to the help text.
    4. Click the Next button.
    5. If you placed a checkmark in the Show Prompts checkbox in the previous step, click the Accept or Skip button to accept or skip the proposed change. Click the Accept All or Skip All button to accept or skip all remaining instances of the proposed change. You can edit the help text directly by clicking inside either text box.
    6. Click the Next button.
11. Review the summary of conversion tasks and click the Next button to convert the instrument driver to VIs.
12. (Optional) Click the View the Report button to view the conversion report.
13. (Optional) Click the View VI Tree button to view the generated VI Tree VI that illustrates the functional structure of the instrument driver.
14. Click the Done button to exit the wizard.

Create VI Interface to CVI Instrument Driver Dialog Box

Select Tools»Instrumentation»Create VI Interface to CVI Instrument Driver to display this dialog box.

Use this dialog box to select a function panel (.fp file) for an instrument driver to convert to a VI, specify the destination directory, set options, and complete the conversion. Linux You can use the VIs LabVIEW generates if you developed the instrument driver you are using with the VIs on Linux.

Refer to the Using External Code in LabVIEW manual for more information about using external code in LabVIEW. Access a PDF version of the Using External Code in LabVIEW manual and all other LabVIEW manuals by selecting Help»Search the LabVIEW Bookshelf.

This dialog box includes the following components:

• Basic—Specifies to convert the instrument driver by specifying only a front panel (.fp) file.
  • Function Panel (.fp) File—.fp file of the instrument driver you want to convert.
  • Browse—Browses to a function panel (.fp) to convert.
• Advanced—Specifies to convert the .fp file with specific settings.
  • Generate palette (.mnu files)—Creates a subpalette for the Functions palette with the generated instrument driver VIs.
    • Palette format—Sets the appearance of the instrument driver VIs on the Functions palette. All Icons displays palette items as icons. All Text displays a text list of palette items. If you close the palette, you can right-click the front panel or block diagram to display a shortcut menu that contains all the palette items. Select Window»Show Controls Palette or Window»Show Functions Palette to display the palette again. Icons and Text displays all palette items as icons with text labels below each icon.
  • Generate Property Node help (.rc file)—Creates a .rc file that stores the help for generated Property Nodes. This option is available only when you convert IVI drivers.
    • Convert Property Node help text—Enables searching the Property Node help for terms that are specific to C language to replace with LabVIEW terms.
  • Generate VI library (.llb file)—Creates a VI library (.llb) for the generated instrument driver VIs.
    • Convert help text for VI library—Enables searching the converted help for terms that are specific to C language to replace with LabVIEW terms.
    • Generate application examples—Creates example VIs. This option is available only when you convert class-compliant IVI drivers.
    • Generate VI tree—Creates a VI Tree VI that illustrates the functional structure of the instrument driver.
  • Function Panel (.fp) File—.fp file of the instrument driver you want to convert.
  • Browse—Browses to a function panel (.fp) to convert.
  • Header (.h) File—Specifies the header (.h) file for the instrument driver you want to convert to VIs.
  • Browse—Browses to the header (.h) file for the VXIpnp or IVI driver.
  • .sub File—Specifies the .sub file for the instrument driver.
  • Browse—Browses to the .sub file for the VXIpnp or IVI instrument driver.
  • Destination Directory—Directory in which to save the generated instrument driver VIs. By default, LabVIEW saves the generated VIs in the LabVIEW/instr.lib directory of the currently running version of LabVIEW.
  • Browse—Browses to a directory in which to save the generated instrument driver VIs.
  • Class Group—Specifies the driver class of the instrument driver you want to convert.
  • Icon Preview—Displays the VI icon for the generated instrument driver VIs.
    • Edit Icon—Displays the Edit Instrument Driver VI Icon dialog box so you can edit the instrument driver prefix and the background color of the VI icons.
  • Driver Prefix—Shows the instrument prefix that the .fp file applies. LabWindows/CVI adds this prefix to all C function names in the FP tree. The converter also adds this prefix to the names of VIs it generates.
  • Shared Library or DLL—Library that corresponds to the instrument driver you want to convert.
  • Select All—Places a checkmark next to every VI to generate.
  • Deselect All—Removes the checkmark from every VI in the list.
  • Edit Name—Renames the selected VI or top-level item in the list. The top level item name is the filename of the generated .mnu file.
  • Change—Select Always, Never, or Prompt to always replace, disable, or be prompted to accept or skip the selected search and replace task.
  • Show prompts—Prompts you to accept or skip help string search and replace instances for the Tasks with a Change value of Prompt. If you remove the checkmark in the checkbox, LabVIEW does not prompt you to accept or skip any help string search and replace instances.
  • Change to—Displays the word or string to replace the highlighted word or string.
  • Accept—Replaces the highlighted word or string with the word or string in the Change to text box.
  • Skip—Makes no changes to the highlighted word or string and continues to the next instance.
  • Accept All—Replaces every instance of the search word or string with the word or string in the Change to text box.
  • Skip All—Makes no changes to the remaining instances of the search word or string and continues to the next search word or string.
• View the Report—Displays the conversion report in the default Web browser.
• View VI Tree—Displays the VI tree that lists the generated instrument driver VIs.

Edit Instrument Driver VI Icon

Click the Edit Icon button in the Create VI Interface to CVI Instrument Driver dialog box to display this dialog box. You can only use the icon editing tools on the left side of the dialog box to edit the top of the icon that contains the instrument driver prefix.

This dialog box includes the following components:

Refer to the LabVIEW Help for descriptions the Icon Editor drawing tools in this dialog box.

• Icon background color—Changes the background color of the VI icon.

Xerces License

This product includes software developed by the Apache Software Foundation (http://www.apache.org/).

The end-user documentation included with the redistribution, if any, must include the following acknowledgment: "This product includes software developed by the Apache Software Foundation (http://www.apache.org/)." Alternately, this acknowledgment may appear in the software itself, if and wherever such third-party acknowledgments normally appear.

Please consult Xerces License.txt for more information.

© 2004 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.