Thank you for using NI-SWITCH. This file contains important information about NI-SWITCH and is organized into the following sections:
New Features
Supported Hardware
System Requirements
Installed File Names and Locations
Software
Documentation
Examples
Updates and Notifications
Uninstalling/Modifying NI-SWITCH
Obsolete VIs and Functions
Known Issues
Bug Fixes
Automating the Installation of NI Products
Important Information
New Features
NI-SWITCH 4.5.5 adds support for LabVIEW 2012 (32-bit) and LabVIEW 2012 (64-bit).
NI-SWITCH 4.5 adds support for the NI 2833, NI 2834, NI PXI/PXIe-2532B, NI PXI-2720, NI PXI-2722, NI PXIe-2725, and NI PXIe-2727 modules.
NI-SWITCH 4.4 includes the following new features:
Support for the NI 2812, NI 2813, NI 2814, NI 2817, and NI PXI/PXIe-2543 modules.
Support for one new NI PXI/PXIe-2532 topology and the NI TB-2646 terminal block.
NI-SWITCH 4.3.5 adds support for LabVIEW 2011 (32-bit) and LabVIEW 2011 (64-bit).
NI-SWITCH 4.3 includes the following new features:
Support for the NI PXI-2530B and NI PXI-2571 modules.
Dynamic power budget for NI SwitchBlock cards and carriers.
Supported Hardware
NI-SWITCH 4.5.5 and later supports the following National Instruments switch products:
NI 2810
NI 2811
NI 2812
NI 2813
NI 2814
NI 2815
NI 2816
NI 2817
NI 2833
NI 2834
NI PXI-2501
NI PXI-2503
NI PXI-2510
NI PXI/PXIe-2512
NI PXI/PXIe-2514
NI PXI/PXIe-2515
NI PXI/PXIe-2527
NI PXI/PXIe-2529
NI PXI-2530
NI PXI-2530B
NI PXI/PXIe-2531
NI PXI/PXIe-2532
NI PXI/PXIe-2532B
NI PXI-2533
NI PXI-2534
NI PXI-2535
NI PXI-2536
NI PXI/PXIe-2543
NI PXI-2545
NI PXI-2546
NI PXI-2547
NI PXI-2548
NI PXI-2549
NI PXI-2554
NI PXI-2555
NI PXI-2556
NI PXI-2557
NI PXI-2558
NI PXI-2559
NI PXI-2564
NI PXI-2565
NI PXI-2566
NI PXI-2567
NI PXI-2568
NI PXI/PXIe-2569
NI PXI-2570
NI PXI-2571
NI PXI/PXIe-2575
NI PXI-2576
NI PXI-2584
NI PXI-2585
NI PXI-2586
NI PXI-2590
NI PXI-2591
NI PXI/PXIe-2593
NI PXI-2594
NI PXI-2595
NI PXI-2596
NI PXI-2597
NI PXI-2598
NI PXI-2599
NI PXI-2720
NI PXI-2722
NI PXI-2800
NI PXIe-2725
NI PXIe-2727
NI SCXI-1127
NI SCXI-1128
NI SCXI-1129
NI SCXI-1130
NI SCXI-1160
NI SCXI-1161
NI SCXI-1163R
NI SCXI-1166
NI SCXI-1167
NI SCXI-1169
NI SCXI-1175
NI SCXI-1190
NI SCXI-1191
NI SCXI-1192
NI SCXI-1193
NI SCXI-1194
NI SCXI-1195
NOTES: NI-SWITCH does not support legacy resource descriptors (SCXI:: and PXI::) under Windows 7/Vista.
NI-SWITCH supports the NI USB-1359 under Windows XP and the 32-bit version of Windows 7/Vista. NI-SWITCH does not support the NI USB-1359 under the 64-bit version of Windows 7/Vista.
If you are using a cabled PXI chassis, notice that MXI-4 is supported under Windows 7/Vista/XP, but MXI-3 is supported under only Windows XP.
System RequirementsSupported Operating Systems
NI-SWITCH 4.5.5 and later and NI-DAQmx 9.5.5 and later support the following operating systems:
Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit)
Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit)
Windows XP Service Pack 3 (32-bit)
Windows Server 2003 R2 (32-bit)
Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit)
NOTE: NI-SWITCH 4.5.5 and later and NI-DAQmx 9.5.5 and later do not support Windows Server non-R2 editions.
It is recommended that you have the most recent service pack for your operating system installed. Windows 2000 users must use NI-SWITCH 4.0.1 or earlier.
Supported Real-Time Operating Environments
NI-SWITCH 4.5.5 and later and NI-DAQmx 9.5.5 and later support the following real-time operating environments:
LabVIEW Real-Time Module
LabWindows/CVI Real-Time Module
Minimum System
Processor—Pentium III/Celeron 600 MHz or equivalent
RAM—512 MB
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or later
A screen resolution of 800 x 600 with 256 colors
Windows 7/Vista/XP, with all available critical updates and service packs
Recommended System
Processor—Pentium 4 or later
RAM—1 GB
A screen resolution of 1,024 x 768
Windows 7/Vista/XP, with all available critical updates and service packs
If you are running your application on an RT target, 64 MB of memory or more is recommended.
If you are running your application on an RT target, 128 MB of memory or more is required.
Installed File Names and LocationsSoftware
<NIDocDir> is an alias for the following National Instruments file folder location:
Windows XP: Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\National Instruments
Windows 7/Vista: Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments
<IVIROOTDIR32> is an alias for the following National Instruments file folder location:
Windows 7 (32-bit)/Vista (32-bit)/XP: Program Files\IVI Foundation\IVI\
Windows 7 (64-bit)/Vista (64-bit): Program Files (x86)\IVI Foundation\IVI\
NOTES:
$(IVIROOTDIR32) is configured as an environment variable on the target system.
If you upgraded an installation of IVI, your files may be located in the following location:
Windows 7 (32-bit)/Vista (32-bit)/XP: Program Files\IVI\
Windows 7 (64-bit)/Vista (64-bit): Program Files (x86)\IVI\
<IVIROOTDIR64> is an alias for the following National Instruments file folder location:
Windows 7 (64-bit)/Vista (64-bit): Program Files\IVI Foundation\IVI\
NOTE:
$(IVIROOTDIR64) is configured as an environment variable on the target system.
File Locations
Item
Installed Location on Windows 7 (32-bit)/Vista (32-bit)/XP
NI-SWITCH
<IVIROOTDIR32>\Drivers\niSwitch
NI-SWITCH Function Panel
<IVIROOTDIR32>\Drivers\niSwitch\niSwitch.fp
NI-SWITCH Examples
<NIDocDir>\niSwitch\Examples
NI-SWITCH Header files
<IVIROOTDIR32>\Include
NI-SWITCH Import Library files (32-bit)
<IVIROOTDIR32>\Lib
NI-SWITCH Import Library files (64-bit)
<IVIROOTDIR32>\Lib_x64
NI-SWITCH DLL (32-bit)
<IVIROOTDIR32>\Bin
Additional File Locations for Windows 7 (64-bit)/Vista (64-bit)
Item
Installed Location on Windows 7 (64-bit)/Vista (64-bit)
NI-SWITCH Function Panel
<IVIROOTDIR64>\Drivers\niSwitch\niSwitch.fp
NI-SWITCH Header files
<IVIROOTDIR64>\Include
NI-SWITCH Import Library files (64-bit)
<IVIROOTDIR64>\Lib_x64
NI-SWITCH DLL (64-bit)
<IVIROOTDIR64>\Bin
Documentation
Documentation is available at Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-SWITCH»Documentation. The documentation set is composed of the following documents:
NI-SWITCH Readme
NI Switches Getting Started Guide—Printed and PDF format. Contains hardware and software installation, MAX configuration, and signal connection information.
NI Switches Help—HTML help format. Contains switching fundamentals, device specific information, programming information, tutorials, a LabVIEW VI reference, and LabWindows/CVI, C++, and Visual Basic function references.
NI Switch Specifications—Printed and PDF format. Lists specifications for each NI switch module.
NI Switch Accessory Installation Instructions (Optional)—Printed and PDF format. Contains NI switch module accessory installation information.
Read Me First: Safety and Electromagnetic Compatibility—Printed format. Includes safety instructions and information about the radio-frequency interference characteristics of the hardware it accompanies.
Examples
Refer to Start»All Programs»National Instrument»NI-SWITCH»Examples for the examples for the supported, previously installed ADEs. The examples cover immediate operations, synchronous scanning, handshaking, and software triggering. A complete example list is available in the NI Switches Help.
Refer to the Installed File Names and Locations section for the installed locations of the example sets.
Updates and Notifications
National Instruments releases critical software updates after product release using the NI Update Service. Visit ni.com/info and enter updates to view a list of all currently available updates.
National Instruments provides notification of certain critical issues at install time. Visit ni.com/info and enter notifications to view a list of current product notifications.
Uninstalling/Modifying NI-SWITCH
For Windows XP, complete the following steps:
Launch the Control Panel by selecting Start»Control Panel.
Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
Select National Instruments Software.
Click Change/Remove.
Select NI-SWITCH 4.x from the dialog box that appears.
Click Remove to uninstall the product; click Modify to change the components that are installed.
For Windows 7/Vista, complete the following steps:
Launch the Control Panel by selecting Start»Control Panel.
Double-click Programs and Features.
Select National Instruments Software.
Click the Uninstall/Change button.
Select NI-SWITCH 4.x from the dialog box that appears.
Click Remove to uninstall the product; click Modify to change the components that are installed.
As part of the NI-SWITCH installation, the following list of software was installed. To completely remove NI-SWITCH from your system, you must remove all of these packages also.
NI IVI Compliance Package 4.4
NI Measurement & Automation Explorer 5.3
NI-DAQmx 9.5.5
NI-VISA 5.0
NI Spy 2.7.2
Caution Several of the software packages listed above are shared with other NI software packages. If you attempt to remove a piece of software that something else is dependent on, a message launches to warn you about the software dependencies. You can choose to either uninstall all of the software or to leave the shared software installed. If you choose to uninstall the shared software, some of your other NI software may no longer function correctly.
Obsolete VIs and Functions
niSwitch Can Connect Channels? VI*
niSwitch Connect and Wait VI/function
niSwitch Control a Single Switch VI/function
niSwitch Disconnect and Wait VI/function
niSwitch Error-Query VI/function
niSwitch Get Error Info VI/function
niSwitch Is Debounced? VI*
niSwitch Is Scanning? VI*
niSwitch Query a Single Switch VI/function
niSwitch Read Calibration Data VI/function
niSwitch Scan VI/function
niSwitch Scanning Acquisition VI/function
niSwitch Write Calibration Data VI/function
* The niSwitch Can Connect Channels?, niSwitch Is Debounced?, and niSwitch Is Scanning? VIs were replaced by identical VIs without question marks in the name.
Known Issues
You can access the software and documentation known issues list online. Refer to the NI-SWITCH 4.5 and 4.5.5 Known Issues web page on the National Instruments web site for an up-to-date list of known issues in NI-SWITCH 4.5 and 4.5.5.
Bug Fixes
The following items are changes in NI-SWITCH 4.5 from NI-SWITCH 4.4.
ID
Fixed Issue
328251
Fixed an issue where the NI PXI-2571 did not honor user-defined settling times.
The following items are changes in NI-SWITCH 4.4 from NI-SWITCH 4.3.
ID
Fixed Issue
256580
Improved Windows 7 performance.
The following items are changes in NI-SWITCH 4.1 from NI-SWITCH 4.0.2.
ID
Fixed Issue
209501
Fixed an issue that disabled legacy scanning of multiple modules with NI-SWITCH.
The following items are changes in NI-SWITCH 4.0.1 from NI-SWITCH 4.0.
ID
Fixed Issue
181045
Fixed power budget issue for the PXI/PXIe-2515.
181067
Fixed an issue where calling Device Reset on certain PXI/PXIe devices (NI-PXI/PXIe-2512/2514/2564/2585/2586) incorrectly updated relay count.
Automating the Installation of NI Products
You can automate the installation of most NI products using command-line arguments to suppress some or all of the installer user interface and dialog boxes. However, starting with the August 2012 releases (products using NI Installers version 3.1 or later), you may need to perform additional steps before or during a silent installation of NI software.
If the NI product you are installing uses Microsoft .NET 4.0, the .NET installer may run before any NI software installs and may require a reboot before the installation of NI software begins. To avoid a .NET reboot, install .NET 4.0 separately before you install NI software.
For more information, refer to the following KnowledgeBase articles:
For more information on silent installations of individual NI products, refer to KB 4CJDP38M, Automating the Installation of a Single Installer.
For more information on silent installations of suited NI products, such as NI Developer Suite, refer to KB 4GGGDQH0, Automating the Installation of a Suited Installer.
To determine what version of NI Installers your product contains, refer to KB 4CJDR18M, How Can I Determine the Type and Version of My National Instruments Installer?.
Important Information
Copyright
© 1998–2012 National Instruments Corporation. 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.
End-User License Agreements and Third-Party Legal Notices
You can find end-user license agreements (EULAs) and third-party legal notices in the following locations:
Notices are located in the <National Instruments>\_Legal Information and <National Instruments> directories.
EULAs are located in the <National Instruments>\Shared\MDF\EULAs directory.
Review <National Instruments>\_Legal Information.txt for information on including legal information in installers built with NI products.
Trademarks
CVI, LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, ni.com, the National Instruments corporate logo, and the Eagle logo are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation. Refer to the Trademark Information at ni.com/trademarks for other National Instruments trademarks.
The mark LabWindows is used under a license from Microsoft Corporation. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.
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.