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NI-DAQ 8.9 Readme

NI-DAQ 8.9 Readme

January 2009

Thank you for using NI-DAQmx, version 8.9. The Readme contains the following main sections:

NI-DAQmx 7.x and Later Software

National Instruments measurement devices are packaged with NI-DAQ driver software, an extensive library of VIs and ANSI C functions you can call from your application software, such as LabVIEW or LabWindows™/CVI™, to program your NI measurement devices. Measurement devices include DAQ devices such as the M Series multifunction I/O (MIO) devices, signal conditioning modules, and switch modules. Driver software has an application programming interface (API ), which is a library of VIs, functions, classes, attributes, and properties for creating applications for your device.

New Features

The following main features were added in this release.

Fixed Issues

The following issues were fixed in this release.

CAR ID Summary
35039 Can't set up correlated DIO with cDAQ in LabVIEW SignalExpress
38305 Import/Export for NI SCXI-1600 not supported
43779 Error -200077 when trying to configure external excitation on an SCC-SG04
46993 Need device-specific channel properties information added to NI-DAQmx C Reference Help
119034 Local channel name and task name must be different in NI-DAQmx
120140 MAX import/export does not preserve the SCXI daisy-chain index
121870 The NI 4495 supports accelerometer tasks in MAX but DC coupling not selectable
122176 VISA and NI-DAQmx result in system crash with NI USB DAQ and GPIB-USB HS
122696 Wait Until Done incorrectly times out on finite AI tasks with more than one million samples
122905 RT application returns error -50532 when starting a DAQmx Project task with more than 15 channels
123243 Make AI.Bridge.ShuntCal.Enable attribute/property settable while task is running
123326 Intermittent error -200277 on NI USB-621X not expected with reference trigger
125481 TotalSampPerChanGenerated value difference between PCI and USB devices
127614 NI 9234 (and DSA cards with software-selectable IEPE) turn off IEPE on unused channels after another task is run
128530 Resetting unused DSA channels to default configuration
128975 Self-Calibrate fails on NI SCXI-1125 with NI SCXI-1327 for different channel attenuation settings
129188 NI-DAQmx does not provide SCXI 1112 _cjTemp with sufficient settling time
131508 NI PCI-6014 analog outputs are incorrect on first sample written when using both outputs
132072 Writing a low state just after the NI USB-6501 resets may fail
132079 Timestamp measurement sampled on falling edge of external signal with NI 6608
134216 Error -200431 when sharing 13.1072 MHz timebase with NI 9237
135730 AI gain settings do not update all the time using property nodes on NI 446X

NI-DAQmx Considerations

This section covers known issues and considerations specific to NI-DAQmx.

Aborting Single-Point Reads and Writes in LabVIEW

Single-point reads and writes do not respond to the Abort Execution button in LabVIEW.

Configuring MAX Strain Tasks

MAX strain tasks do not support configuring terminal configurations. By default, the configuration in MAX is differential. For the NI SC-2043-SG, the terminal configuration is NRSE. To avoid configuration issues, use the NI-DAQmx API to create the task.

Counter Behavior of the NI DAQPad-6015/6016 for USB

When performing buffered counter measurements on both ctr0 and ctr1 simultaneously, ctr1 returns duplicate counts. If you do not use ctr0 or if ctr0 performs a software-timed measurement, ctr1 functions properly.

DAQ Assistant Maximum Channel Count

The maximum number of channels you can have in a task created with the DAQ Assistant is 4096 channels.

Exporting DAQ Assistant Settings to XML in NI LabVIEW SignalExpress

Exporting DAQ Assistant project settings to XML in NI LabVIEW SignalExpress is available but not fully supported.

LabVIEW Long Property Names

When importing or exporting .ini files and tab-delimited text, LabVIEW long property names are not supported. Only English LabVIEW short property names, CVI property names, and C++/.NET class.property names are supported.

.NET Remoting

Accessing objects in the DAQmx .NET class library from a remote application domain with .NET Remoting is not supported in Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003.

NI DAQCard-6715 Analog Output

Hardware-timed single-point mode and hardware-timed nonbuffered mode are nonfunctional. Your application is using hardware-timed nonbuffered mode if you have set up a sample clock and a buffer size of 0, or set up a sample clock, but do not begin writing until after you start the task. All other waveform and static analog output modes work as expected.

NI ENET/WLS-9215 Times Out Unexpectedly

On the NI ENET/WLS-9215, an unexpected timeout can occur in continuous tasks using an external or very slow sample clock. The last sample may not be returned until the next sample clock pulse. To avoid the timeout, increase the timeout time (to allow the next sample clock pulse to occur) or acquire an even number of samples.

NI-DAQmx .NET Framework Help Shortcut

A shortcut to the NI-DAQmx .NET Framework 1.1 Help is installed by default at Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQ»Text-Based Code Support»NI-DAQmx .NET Framework 1.1 Help, a shortcut to the NI-DAQmx .NET Framework 2.0 Help is installed by default at Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQ»Text-Based Code Support»NI-DAQmx .NET Framework 2.0 Help, and a shortcut to the NI-DAQmx .NET Framework 3.5 Help is installed by default at Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQ»Text-Based Code Support»NI-DAQmx .NET Framework 3.5 Help. This documentation is in the Microsoft Help 2.0 format and requires a Microsoft Help 2.0 viewer to be displayed. A Microsoft Help 2.0 viewer is installed with both Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and the Microsoft .NET Framework SDK. The SDK is freely available from MSDN at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads . If you do not have either of these products, you will need a standalone Microsoft Help 2.0 viewer to display the documentation. Some Help 2.0 viewers are available for download, such as Helpware's H2Viewer.

Shunt Calibration with Custom Scales in the DAQ Assistant and MAX

You cannot use shunt calibration and/or offset null with custom scales for tasks created in the DAQ Assistant or MAX. To avoid problems, perform both the calibration and scaling in LabVIEW using the NI-DAQmx API.

Some Devices Enumerate Twice

Supported CompactRIO devices that fit into the NI USB-9162 carrier enumerate twice in MAX. When a device, such as the NI USB-9421, is first installed, it appears as the NI USB-9162 before appearing as the correct device.

USB Device Removal During a DAQ Operation

If a USB DAQ device is unplugged while a DAQ operation is being performed, unexpected results may occur, including causing the operating system to hang. In these occasional, extreme cases, you must reboot the computer. NI recommends stopping all DAQ operations on a USB device before unplugging the device from the computer.

Using the C++ API from Multiple DLLs in the Same Process

If you use the C++ API from multiple DLLs in the same process, you must access the API from only one DLL at a time. You must stop using the API in one DLL and destroy all API objects before using the API in another DLL.

Microsoft Windows Vista and Visual Studio C++, C#, Visual Basic .NET, and ANSI C Examples

Running certain applications on Microsoft Windows Vista requires administrator privileges, because the application name contains keywords such as setup, update, or install. To avoid this problem, you must add an additional manifest to the application that specifies the privileges required to run the application. Some NI-DAQmx ANSI C, Measurement Studio Visual C++, C#, and Visual Basic .NET examples include these keywords. Therefore, some examples for these application development environments include an additional manifest file that you must embed in the example executable.

In ANSI C, Measurement Studio Visual C++ , C#, and Visual Basic .NET, the manifest file is named [ExampleName].exe.manifest, where [ExampleName] is the NI-provided example name. The steps for embedding an example varies depending on the programming language. Refer to the comments included with affected examples for additional information.

Compiling Visual Studio 2005 examples can generate the following warning: manifest authoring warning 81010002: Unrecognized Element "requestedPrivileges" in namespace "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3". For more information, refer to the Microsoft Feedback web page. This warning does not affect example execution and can be ignored. This warning happens because of the version of mt.exe that is shipped with Visual Studio 2005. The mt.exe tool embeds the additional manifest in the example executable.

Important: Performing these steps on Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) may cause your computer to restart when you run the application. Refer to the Microsoft Knowledge Base entry for more information. To avoid a computer restart, build your application using Visual Studio 2005 SP1.

Upgrade Considerations

This section covers changes in NI-DAQmx functionality.

Connecting Real and Simulated Devices

Connecting simulated devices to real devices is no longer supported as of NI-DAQmx 8.7.

DAQmx Is Read or Write Late Obsoleted

The existing DAQmx Is Read or Write Late function/VI has been obsoleted and no longer has any effect. Applications that must check whether they are maintaining real-time behavior have two options. For the strictest checking, use the Wait for Next Sample Clock function/VI. Refer to your API reference help, such as the LabVIEW Help or the NI-DAQmx C Function Reference Help, for more information on this function/VI. To check only whether the application misses any analog input samples, set the Report Missed Samples property to True on the analog input task. In LabVIEW, the Report Missed Samples property is in the Real Time property node. For more details, National Instruments strongly recommends that you read the document referred to by the Wait for Next Sample Clock function/VI.

Duplicate Count Prevention Defaults

As of NI-DAQ 7.4, the default setting for the duplicate count prevention attribute/property on M Series and TIO-based counters has been changed. This change affects all input counter operations, with the exception of single-point edge counting and position measurements. Duplicate count prevention is now on by default as long as the following conditions are met:

  1. The duplicate count prevention attribute/property has not been explicitly set.
  2. The selected counter timebase source is not set to an internal timebase.
  3. The prescaler attribute/property has not been set.
  4. The counter output event has not been configured.

To learn more, refer to Duplicate Count Prevention in the NI-DAQmx help.

Existing .NET Project Produces Build Errors

If you are using NI-DAQ with a .NET language, an existing project can produce build errors that read "error CS0011: Referenced class 'className' has base class or interface 'NationalInstruments.ISynchronizeCallbacks' defined in an assembly that is not referenced. You must add a reference to assembly 'NationalInstruments.Common'." To eliminate this error, add a reference to the NationalInstruments.Common assembly to the project. This problem occurs when an existing project was built with NI-DAQ 7.2 or earlier and is rebuilt with NI-DAQ 7.3 or later.

Multichannel SCXI Convert Clock Default Rate Change in NI-DAQmx 8.5

Starting in NI-DAQmx 8.5, a delay of 20 µs was added to the fastest possible channel conversion rate on an SCXI chassis connected to a 16-bit or 18-bit E or M Series device. If a sample rate is set fast enough to require a convert clock rate greater than the default rate, warning 200011 is generated, informing the user that the accuracy of the measurement might be compromised. However, since this is a warning, the convert clock used is based on the rate needed by the sample clock set by the user (that is, convert clock = sample clock * number of channels).

For SCXI chassis containing a module with track-and-hold circuitry, 10 µs of padding is now added to the fastest possible conversion rate when connected to a 12-bit E Series device.

These changes ensure the most accurate data is being acquired. However, if the effect on the performance due to this change is too great (such as on an RT system using hardware-timed single point in a control loop), then the convert clock rate attribute can be explicitly set, overriding the default rate.

This change affects only multichannel acquisitions.

In versions prior to NI-DAQmx 8.5, only 10 µs of delay was added to the fastest possible channel conversion rate on an SCXI chassis without a track-and-hold module connected to any DAQ device. In these versions of NI-DAQmx, no warning was generated when the sample rate needed a faster convert clock than was chosen by default. When an SCXI chassis with a track-and-hold module was present, the convert clock rate selected was the fastest possible rate that the DAQ device can handle, up to 333 kHz.

NI PCI-6704 and PXI-6704 Current Output Accuracy

NI-DAQmx 8.3 changes the algorithm used to scale the 20 mA current outputs of the NI 6704 to a method that matches the behavior of Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy). Previous versions of the NI-DAQmx driver use a second method.

The effect of the change is that when NI-DAQmx programs the 6704 to output current, the actual current level of the 6704 is 10 µA higher with NI-DAQmx 8.3 compared to previous versions of NI-DAQmx. The actual current output with NI-DAQmx 8.3 is the same compared to Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) drivers. This change has no effect on the voltage outputs of the 6704.

Because of this change, NI recommends that you externally calibrate NI 6704 devices with NI-DAQmx 8.3 (or later) before using devices with the NI-DAQmx 8.3 (or later) driver. NI 6704 devices that ship with NI-DAQmx 8.3 have already been calibrated with NI-DAQmx 8.3. For other NI 6704 devices, refer to the manual calibration procedure available at ni.com/calibration.

NI PCI-7041/6040E Support

The NI PCI-7041/6040E device for LabVIEW RT is no longer supported in NI-DAQmx 8.3 and will not be supported in future versions. The device continues to be supported in NI-DAQmx 8.1 and earlier.

Resolving Compiler Warnings from SynchronizingObject in Visual Studio 2005 or Later

SynchronizingObject has been obsoleted in Measurement Studio class libraries for .NET Framework 2.0 or later. Accessing this property produces compiler warnings. If you were using SynchronizingObject in .NET Framework 1.1, you must update your code to use SynchronizationContext in .NET Framework 2.0 or later. For more information about SynchronizationContext, refer to Events, Callbacks, and Thread Safety in Measurement Studio Class Libraries in the NI-DAQmx .NET Framework 2.0 or later help. You can launch the NI-DAQmx .NET help from the Start menu. The Start menu path is different depending on the version of the .NET Framework you are using. For example, for Visual Studio 2005, you can launch the help from Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-DAQ»Text-Based Code Support»NI-DAQmx .NET Framework 2.0 Help.

USB-9xxx Devices

Unplug your USB-9xxx and plug it back in or power the USB device down and up after upgrading NI-DAQmx. If the USB-9xxx is connected to a USB hub, make sure to disconnect the USB-9xxx from the hub, not the hub from the computer. Disconnecting power from the USB device causes installed devices to load the correct version of the firmware.

Virtual TEDS Data for the USB-9233/9237

If you connect hardware TEDS to USB-9233/9237 channels configured with virtual TEDS, the virtual TEDS will be replaced with hardware TEDS data after upgrading to NI-DAQmx 8.6 or later.

Using NI-DAQmx and Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) on the Same Computer

Existing applications developed with earlier versions of NI-DAQ will run under Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy). You can use both the Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) API and the NI-DAQmx API on the same computer with the following restrictions:

Refer to ni.com/support for details and instructions about the following topics:

Software Support in NI-DAQ 8.9

Operating System Support

NI-DAQ Version Windows Vista 641 Windows Vista 321 Windows XP2 Windows 20003
NI-DAQmx 8.9 Yes Yes Yes Yes
1Windows Vista Business edition
2Windows XP Service Pack 2 or greater
3Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 or greater

For OS-specific device support information, refer to zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/6909.

Caution  If you plan to perform an upgrade of your system from a prior version of Microsoft Windows to Microsoft Windows Vista, you are required to uninstall all National Instruments software prior to performing the upgrade. After the upgrade has been completed, you can reinstall your National Instruments software.

NI-DAQmx 8.8 and later supports Phar Lap only with the LabVIEW Real-Time Module 7.1 and later.

Measurement Studio requires Microsoft Windows Vista/XP/2000 for Visual Studio .NET 2003 or Visual Studio 2005, or Microsoft Windows Vista/XP for Visual Studio 2008. If you are using the DAQmx .NET Library, the .NET 1.1 Framework, .NET 2.0 Framework, or .NET 3.5 Framework is required. .NET 1.1 and .NET 2.0 require Windows Vista/XP/2000 and .NET 3.5 requires Windows Vista/XP.

Windows NT users must use NI-DAQmx 7.5 or earlier.

Windows Me/98 users must use NI-DAQ 7.1 or earlier. Windows 95 users must use NI-DAQ 6.9.3 or earlier.

To find and download an earlier version of NI-DAQ that supports other operating systems, refer to ni.com/downloads.

NI Application Software Support

The following table lists the NI application software versions supported by NI-DAQmx. If you are not using NI application software, refer to Microsoft Visual Studio Support.

In NI-DAQmx 8.6 and prior, when you add the DAQ Component as a new item to your Visual Studio 2005 project, the DAQ Component is located in the Measurement Studio folder and the Visual Basic Items or Visual C# Project Items folders. In NI-DAQmx 8.7 and later, the DAQ Component is located only in the Visual Basic Items or Visual C# Project Items folder and named NI-DAQ Component.

NI Application Software Versions Supported by NI-DAQmx
LabVIEW 7.1.1, 8.2.1, 8.5.1, and 8.6
LabVIEW Real-Time Module 7.11 and later
LabWindows/CVI 7.x and later
LabWindows/CVI Real-Time Module 8.0.1 and later
Measurement Studio 7.x and later
LabVIEW SignalExpress 3.x and later
1To use LabVIEW Real-Time Module 7.1 with NI-DAQmx, you must use NI-DAQmx 7.2 or later.

.NET and Measurement Studio Visual C++ Example Paths

Starting with NI-DAQ version 8.5, the .NET and Measurement Studio 8.1.1 Visual C++ example paths have changed. In the following paths, x is the letter of the hard drive.

The .NET example paths for Windows Vista are x:\Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments\NI-DAQ\Examples\DotNET1.1, x:\Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments\NI-DAQ\Examples\DotNET2.0, and x:\Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments\NI-DAQ\Examples\DotNET3.5.

The Measurement Studio 8.1.1 Visual C++ example paths for Windows Vista are x:\Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments\NI-DAQ\Examples\MStudioVC2003, x:\Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments\NI-DAQ\Examples\MStudioVC2005, and x:\Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments\NI-DAQ\Examples\MStudioVC2008.

The .NET example paths for Windows XP and Windows 2000 are x:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\National Instruments\NI-DAQ\Examples\DotNET1.1, x:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\National Instruments\NI-DAQ\Examples\DotNET2.0, and x:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\National Instruments\NI-DAQ\Examples\DotNET3.5.

The Measurement Studio 8.1.1 Visual C++ example paths for Windows XP and Windows 2000 are x:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\National Instruments\NI-DAQ\Examples\MStudioVC2003, x:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\National Instruments\NI-DAQ\Examples\MStudioVC2005, and x:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\National Instruments\NI-DAQ\Examples\MStudioVC2008.

For more information, refer to Where To Find Examples in the NI Measurement Studio Help.

Microsoft Visual Studio Support

The following table lists the programming languages and Microsoft Visual Studio versions supported by NI-DAQmx.

Programming Language Visual Studio Versions Supported by NI-DAQmx
ANSI C 6.0 and later
C++ 2003 (7.1)1, 2005 (8.0)2, and 2008 (9.0)3
Visual Basic 6.0 6.0 SP64
.NET Framework 1.1
Languages
(C# and Visual Basic.NET)
2003 (7.1)
.NET Framework 2.0
Languages
(C# and Visual Basic.NET)
2005 (8.0)
.NET Framework 3.5
Languages
(C# and Visual Basic.NET)
2008 (9.0)
1 Requires Measurement Studio 7.x
2 Requires Measurement Studio 8.0.1 or later
3 Requires Measurement Studio 8.6 or later
4 Support through ANSI C type library

Earlier versions of NI-DAQ support other application software and language versions. To find and download an earlier version of a driver, refer to ni.com/downloads.

LabVIEW SignalExpress

LabVIEW SignalExpress LE gives you a 30-day trial of the full version of LabVIEW SignalExpress. For more information on the trial version, refer to Getting Started with LabVIEW SignalExpress, installed by default at Start»All Programs»National Instruments»LabVIEW SignalExpress.

IP Support for Network DAQ Devices

Network DAQ Devices support Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4). IPv6 is not supported.

Device Support in NI-DAQmx

The following lists detail the devices supported in NI-DAQmx. Device support is divided into the following categories:

For OS-specific device support information, refer to http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/6909.

For MXI-3 and MXI-4 OS-specific support information, refer to ni.com/kb and search for KnowledgeBase entry 45MA9LF7.

Devices Supported in NI-DAQmx

NI-DAQmx supports the following devices:

Devices Not Supported in NI-DAQmx on Windows Vista

The following devices are not supported in NI-DAQmx on Windows Vista, the 32-bit version, or on Windows Vista x64, the 64-bit version:

The following devices are not supported in NI-DAQmx on Windows Vista x64:

Devices No Longer Supported in NI-DAQmx 8.3 and Later

The following products are not supported in NI-DAQmx 8.3 and later and will not be supported in future versions of NI-DAQmx:

System Requirements

Development

Minimum Processor Pentium III/Celeron 600 MHz or Equivalent
RAM 128 MB
Screen resolution 800 x 600 pixels
Operating system Windows Vista/XP/2000


Recommended Processor Pentium 4 or Equivalent
RAM 256 MB
Screen resolution 1024 x 768 pixels
Operating system Windows Vista/XP/2000

Deployment

Minimum Processor Pentium 200 MHz or Equivalent
RAM 64 MB
Screen resolution 800 x 600 pixels or no screen
Operating system Windows Vista/XP/2000


Recommended Processor Pentium III/Celeron 600 MHz or Equivalent
RAM 256 MB
Screen resolution 1024 x 768 pixels or no screen
Operating system Windows Vista/XP/2000

You must have Internet Explorer version 5.0 or later to use some features of the NI-DAQ 7.x and later documentation, including the help system and Device Document Browser.


Copyright

Copyright 2003–2009 National Instruments. All rights reserved.

Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of National Instruments Corporation.

National Instruments respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask our users to do the same. NI software is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Where NI software may be used to reproduce software or other materials belonging to others, you may use NI software only to reproduce materials that you may reproduce in accordance with the terms of any applicable license or other legal restriction.

Trademarks

National Instruments, NI, ni.com, and LabVIEW are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation. Refer to the Terms of Use section on ni.com/legal for more information about National Instruments trademarks.

Other product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.

Patents

For patents covering the National Instruments products/technology, refer to the appropriate location: Help»Patents in your software, the patents.txt file on your media, or the National Instruments Patent Notice at ni.com/patents.