(c) Copyright 1999 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.
Version 1.1
Thank you for using the NI-Switch software for Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0.
This file contains important information regarding the NI-Switch software, which is organized in the following sections:
Installed File Names and Locations
Uninstalling the Instrument Driver
Supported Hardware
Using the NI-Switch software
a. Programming in LabVIEW
b. Programming in LabWindows/CVI
c. Programming in Microsoft Visual C++
d. Programming in Visual Basic
Using NI-Switch Instruments with PXI switches
Using NI-Switch Instruments with SCXI switches
Known Issues
Note: This CD contains a video presentation of the installation procedure for the SCXI-1127. If interested, please run CD\VIDEO\SCXI-1127 Hardware Setup.mpg
1. Installed File Names and Locations
This particular installation of the NI-Switch software installed the following files:
2. Uninstalling the Instrument Driver
Windows 95, 98 and Windows NT:
Open the Control Panel from the Start>>Settings>>Control Panel Menu and choose Add/Remove Programs. Select National Instruments Switch, or National Switch and DMM, in the list provided and click on the Add/Remove button.
3. Supported Hardware
This release of NI-Switch supports the following hardware:
SCXI-1127
SCXI-1160
SCXI-1161
SCXI-1163R
NI 2501 for PXI
NI 2503 for PXI
NI 2505 for PXI
NI 2590 for PXI
4. Using the NI-Switch software
You can find documentation for the NI-Switch software in the NI-SwitchSoftware User Manual under Start Menu\Programs\National Instruments Switch\Documents.
If you are using the NI-Switch instrument driver, you can find documentation in NI-Switch LabVIEW Online Help and the NI-Switch C Online Help.
If you are using SCXI, you can find documentation in NI-Switch for SCXI, under Start Menu\Programs\National Instruments Switch\Documents.
a. Programming in LabVIEW
To get started using the NI-Switch instrument driver, refer to the NI Switch\Examples\Easy I/O folder, located in the Instrument Drivers:NI SwitchExamples subpalette.
Easy I/O Versions of the NI-SWITCH operations perform the initialization and termination of a communication session to the hardware. This makes creating an application with the switch driver quick and simple to learn.
To improve the performance of your application, it is recommended that you move to the normal NI-SWITCH operations and perform your own initialization and termination of the session as soon as you are comfortable with the driver.
When you are using the Easy I/O vis in the SwitchExamples subpalette, you do not need to call niSwitch close.vi before running the EASY I/O examples again.
If you do want to close the instrument, you must first call the Easy niSwitch CIN.vi with the "CONTROL CODE" control equal to 3, before calling the niSwitch Close.vi.
This will clean up the internal table from the instrument handle that was created by the EASY I/O examples.
The Easy niSwitch CIN.vi is located in the niSwitch.llb in your LabVIEW instrument directory (instr.lib). Make sure that you have wired in the instrument handle when you call this vi to clean up the internal table.
To get started writing your own application, examine the diagram of the niSwitch Easy IO Connect.vi example. b. Programming in LabWindows/CVI
To get started using the NI-Switch instrument driver, start LabWindows/CVI, and choose File/Open/Project and open any of the projects from \VXIPnP\Windows\Niswitch\examples\cvi50. Note that this project links to the niSwitch_32.dll in \VXIPnP\Windows\bin. c. Programming in Microsoft Visual C++ 5.0 or higher To get started using the NI-Switch instrument driver, start the Microsoft Visual C++ environment and choose File/Open Workspace and open any of the projects from \VXIPnP\Windows\Niswitch\examples\msvc50. Note that this project links to the niSwitch_32.dll in \VXIPnP\Windows\bin. d. Programming in Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 or higher To get started using the NI-Switch instrument driver, start the Microsoft Visual Basic environment and choose File/Open Project and open any of the projects from \VXIPnP\Windows\Niswitch\examples\vb. Note that this project links to the niSwitch_32.dll in \VXIPnP\Windows\bin.
5. Using NI-Switch Instruments with PXI switches
Launch Measurement and Automation Explorer on your desktop.
Double-click on the Devices and Interfaces icon.
Right-click on your NI-Switch instrument (can be NI-2503, NI-2501) and select Properties. In the System window, note the Device Number that has been assigned. You will need to use this device number when you program your instrument.
From the System window, click on the Test Resources button to test the NI-Switch resources. A dialog box appears and indicates if the resource test has passed.
In the Accessory window, select an accessory that is attached to your NI-Switch instrument.
From the System window, click on the Run Test Panels ... button to run functional test panels. When you finish testing, click on Close and then on OK in Configuring Devices window.
When you finish configuring and testing your NI-Switch, you can launch NI-Switch Soft Front Panel from Start>>Programs>> National Instruments Switch. Use this application to control your NI-Switch without any programming.
6. Using NI-Switch Instruments with SCXI switches
If you are using SCXI-1127 switches, the configuration procedure is the following:
Launch Measurement and Automation Explorer on your desktop.
Double-click on the Devices and Interfaces icon.
Go to the Edit Menu, and choose Insert SCXI chassis.
In the empty slot of the SCXI chassis you have, choose to Insert the SCXI-1127 module.
Right-click on your SCXI-1127 and select Properties. You will need to look at the "Connected to device" information and decide if this device will control the chassis or not. Complete Channel and Accessory information, then click the OK button..
7. Known Issues
Below are enhancements, limitations, and documentation notes for this version of NI-Switch.
CHANNEL NAMES AND SWITCH NAMES
The NI-Switch API uses character strings to identify channels and switches. T&M Explorer displays a list of channel names for the current topology of your switch card. The NI-Switch Soft Front Panel displays the switch names for your switch card in the main graphical display.
SCAN LISTS
Breakpoints and the keyword are not supported. The "Break after Make" scan mode is not supported.
Decrementing channel ranges is supported. Example: "ch11:9->com0;" connects ch11, ch10, and ch9 to com0.
The scan list control in the niSwitch_ConfigureScanList FP in LabWindows/CVI limits the number of characters to 256. This is an issue for long scanlists. A workaround is to edit the function directly in the code.
EXAMPLE 5-1
The example in the NI-Switch User Manual that shows a scanning application with the NI-DMM and NI-Switch drivers has been updated in software, but not reflected in the documentation. Please see the example for your development environment.
SIMULATION
Simulation is supported for routing functions (Connect, Disconnect, etc.), but not for scanning or low-level functions.
USING LOW LEVEL SWITCH CONTROL WITH CONNECTIONS AND SCANNING
If you use the function SingleSwitchControl() to change the state of an individual switch, the routing functions and scanning functions will be unaware of these changes. Due to state caching in the driver, you must clear any low level changes by calling reset() or DisconnectAll() before calling any scanning functions.
PXI-2501 AMPLIFIERS
The PXI-2501 topologies include two MUX topologies that enable the amplifiers described in the PXI-2501/2503 User's Manual. These amplifiers can be controlled by the switch names
"amp0" and "amp1".
MULTIPLE SESSIONS TO A SWITCH CARD
You cannot open multiple sessions to a switch card. Specifically, you cannot call NISwitch_init() or NISwitch_InitWithOptions() on a switch card if any process currently has an open NI-Switch session to that card. If you lose your session handle, you must close the process that opened the session before opening another session.
FUNCTIONS NOT SUPPORTED
The following functions are not supported or used for SCXI programming:
niSwitch Error Query
niSwitch Read Calibration Data
niSwitch Write Calibration Data
niSwitch Wait for Scan to Complete
niSwitch Disconnect All
When using the SCXI-1127 in SCANNER mode, this function will clear the software cache but will not change the state of the switches on the hardware.
niSwitch Continue From Breakpoint
SUPPORT FOR CONNECT/DISCONNECT
The SCXI-1127, SCXI-1160, and the SCXI-1161 do not have support for niSwitch Connect/Disconnect in INDEP mode.
TRIGGERING
niSwitch cannot set polarity of the triggers. The SCXI-1127 is set to trigger on a rising edge.
Software Triggering using niSwitch on SCXI-2000/2400 chassis is not operational. A workaround for this is to call connect/disconnect in a loop to perform the scan.
This release of the NI-Switch software ONLY supports RISING EDGE (which is the default selection) for the trigger slope.
SOFT FRONT PANEL
The SCXI-1160, SCXI-1161, and the SCXI-1163R modules are not supported by the Soft Front Panel (SFP)
SWITCH DEBOUNCING
When using the SCXI-1161/SCXI-1163R with the "niSwitch Switch is Debounced?" function, the driver instantly reports back that the switch has been debounced. A work around for this is to add a delay of 15ms for the SCXI-1161 and a delay of 1ms for the SCXI-1163R.