LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module Readme

March 2018


This file contains important information about the LabVIEW FPGA Module, including system requirements, installation instructions, upgrade and compatibility issues, new features, and known issues, and a partial list of bugs fixed for this release.


Overview

FPGA Module System Requirements

FPGA Compile Farm Server System Requirements

Installation Instructions

Product Security and Critical Updates

FPGA Module (64-Bit)

New Features

Known Issues

Bug Fixes

Upgrade and Compatibility Issues

Accessing the Help

Finding Examples

Automating the Installation of NI Products

Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 10

Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8.1

Legal Information


Overview

With the LabVIEW FPGA Module, you can create VIs that run on NI FPGA targets, such as Reconfigurable I/O (RIO) devices. The FPGA Module helps you design complex systems by providing a highly-integrated development environment, a large ecosystem of IP libraries, a high-fidelity simulator, and debugging features. The FPGA Module also includes FPGA IP Builder and the FPGA Compile Farm Server. You can use FPGA IP Builder to efficiently implement your LabVIEW algorithms for FPGA targets and to generate FPGA code that meets specific performance requirements. FPGA IP Builder supports only a subset of FPGA targets. Visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code exvxfe for a list of supported targets. You can use the FPGA Compile Farm Server to offload compiles to dedicated computers.


FPGA Module System Requirements

The development computer is a PC or NI PXI/PXI Express system on which you install LabVIEW and the FPGA Module. You can also install the Xilinx compilation tools on your development computer to compile LabVIEW FPGA VIs locally. However, if the FPGA design or target requires more than 2 GB of memory, NI recommends you install the Xilinx compilation tools on a separate computer. This computer is referred to as the remote compile worker.


Visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code XilinxCompileTools for more information about the NI hardware supported by each Xilinx compilation tool.


The development computer must meet the following system requirements:


  • LabVIEW 2018 Full or Professional Development Systems
  • 1.2 GHz Pentium processor or equivalent
  • 3 GB of additional disk space
  • Memory1:
    • At least 3 GB of RAM for Virtex-5 and earlier FPGA targets
    • At least 4 GB of RAM2 for Virtex-6 and later FPGA targets
  • One of the following operating systems:
    • Windows 10 (version 1709)/8.1 Update 13
    • Windows 7 SP14
    • Windows Server 2008 R2 SP14

    Note


    • In 2016 the FPGA Module dropped support for Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and installations of Windows 7 without any service packs. The LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module will not install or run on an unsupported OS. You cannot deploy or distribute applications that use the LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module to an unsupported OS. Additionally, after installing the LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module, you cannot use any installers built on this computer with any version of LabVIEW, LabWindows™/CVI™, NI TestStand™, or Measurement Studio on an unsupported OS. For more information about the changes to our OS support for 2016, refer to KB 79UC78LS, Why Does My NI ADE Installer Fail on Windows XP/Vista and Windows Server 2003?.
    • Only the FPGA Interface functions are supported on Windows 8.1. FPGA development functionality is not fully supported as some of the features require the use of Xilinx compilation tools. These tools do not support Windows 8.1.
    • On 32-bit OSes, the FPGA Module does not support the following features on Xilinx Vivado targets:
      • FPGA IP builder
      • Third-party simulation
      • Configure Component-Level IP wizard
      • Configuring or regenerating IP using the IP Integration Node or Xilinx IP functions
      • Simulating FPGA VIs that use the IP Integration Node or Xilinx IP functions
    • Support for Windows 32-bit operating systems may require disabling physical address extension (PAE). To learn how this might affect your system and what actions you might need to take, visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code PAESupport.
  • FPGA device
  • Device driver software—To program most devices with the LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module, install the device driver software. Refer to the hardware documentation for requirements for a specific device.

1 Memory requirements vary according to both the FPGA target and the FPGA VI you create for that target.


2 You must use a 64-bit OS to address 4 GB of RAM.


3 NI software installs VC2015 Runtime and .NET 4.6.2. Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 require Microsoft updates to support these items. Refer to Microsoft KB2919442 and KB2919355 for more information about how to install these updates.


4 NI software is signed with a SHA-256 certificate. Windows 7 SP1, Windows Embedded Standard 7 SP1, and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 require Microsoft updates to support SHA-256. Refer to Microsoft KB3033929 for more information about how to install this security update.


Refer to the LabVIEW Readme for additional system requirements and supported operating systems for LabVIEW 2018.


FPGA Compile Farm Server System Requirements

If you install the FPGA Compile Farm Server on a separate computer, you can configure that computer to be a remote compile farm server. If you install the Xilinx compilation tools on a separate computer, you can configure that computer to be a remote compile worker.


Refer to the Setting Up a Remote Compile Farm Server or Compile Worker section of this document for information about setting up and using a local or remote compile farm server or compile worker. Visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code XilinxCompileTools for more information about the NI hardware supported by each Xilinx compilation tool.


You can use either a Windows or Linux computer as a compile worker. Refer to the Xilinx Compilation Tools Readme for information about the minimum system requirements.


The remote compile farm server must meet the following minimum system requirements:


  • 35 MB of disk space
  • 1 GB RAM
  • One of the following operating systems:
    • Windows 10 (version 1709)/8.1 Update 11
    • Windows 7 SP12
    • Windows Server 2008 R2 SP12

    Note  In 2016 the FPGA Compile Farm Server dropped support for Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and installations of Windows 7 without any service packs. The LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Compile Farm Server will not install or run on an unsupported OS.


  • Web browser that supports Microsoft Silverlight for accessing compile job queues via the NI Web-based Configuration & Monitoring Service FPGA Compile Farm Console

1 NI software installs VC2015 Runtime and .NET 4.6.2. Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 require Microsoft updates to support these items. Refer to Microsoft KB2919442 and KB2919355 for more information about how to install these updates.


2 NI software is signed with a SHA-256 certificate. Windows 7 SP1, Windows Embedded Standard 7 SP1, and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 require Microsoft updates to support SHA-256. Refer to Microsoft KB3033929 for more information about how to install this security update.


Note  The FPGA Compile Farm Server supports the LabVIEW 2010 FPGA Module or later.


Installation Instructions

This section provides information about installing the FPGA Module and related components.


Note  If you are upgrading from a previous version of LabVIEW, you must install the LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module before mass-compiling existing FPGA VIs. Otherwise, some FPGA-specific VIs might have mutation issues.


Installing the FPGA Module on a Development Computer

Complete the following steps to install LabVIEW and the FPGA Module:


  1. Log in as an administrator or as a user with administrative privileges.
  2. Insert the LabVIEW Platform media. To request additional LabVIEW Platform media, refer to the NI website. If you purchased this product with an NI Software Suite or NI Product Bundle, use the installation media that shipped with your purchases to install this product.
  3. Follow the instructions on the screen to install and activate the following software in this order:
    • LabVIEW
    • FPGA Module
    • Xilinx Compilation Tools—Install these compilation tools on the development computer if you want to compile your LabVIEW FPGA VIs locally. You must install these tools on your development computer if you plan to use the Configure Component-Level IP wizard, configure the IP Integration Node, incorporate Xilinx IP, use FPGA IP Builder, or use third-party simulation. Refer to your hardware documentation for information about the FPGA chip in your device and install the appropriate set of tools. Visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code XilinxCompileTools for more information about the NI hardware supported by each Xilinx compilation tool.
      • Xilinx Compilation Tools for Windows—Install these compilation tools if you will compile your FPGA VIs on a Windows computer. The Xilinx compilation tools for Windows include Vivado 2017.2 and ISE 14.7.
      • Xilinx 10.1 Compilation Tools—Install the Xilinx 10.1 compilation tools if your FPGA device contains a Xilinx Virtex II chip. To download the Xilinx 10.1 compilation tools, refer to ni.com/info and enter the Info Code FPGATool101.
      Note  To configure the IP Integration Node, or use the Configure Component-Level IP wizard on Virtex-II devices, you also must install the Xilinx Compilation Tool for ISE 14.7. Xilinx IP and simulation exports are not supported on Virtex-II FPGA devices.
    • (Optional) FPGA Compile Farm Server—Use the FPGA Compile Farm Server to distribute FPGA VI compile jobs across multiple remote computers.

      Note  Use the LabVIEW FPGA Compile Cloud Service to increase the development efficiency by offloading compile jobs to multiple computers in a cloud environment.
    • (Optional) LabVIEW Real-Time Module—Use the LabVIEW Real-Time Module to program the real-time OS on NI PXI, NI PXI Express, NI CompactRIO, and NI Single-Board RIO devices. You have a temporary license for this product.
    • Device Driver—Device drivers contain driver software for most FPGA targets. Refer to your FPGA target hardware documentation for information about additional or different device drivers you need.

In addition to installing program files and documentation in the LabVIEW directory, the installer also puts files from Xilinx in the x:\NIFPGA directory, where x is the drive on which you installed LabVIEW. The FPGA Module uses these files to compile FPGA VIs into code that runs on an FPGA target.


Setting Up a Remote Compile Farm Server or Compile Worker

You can use the LabVIEW Platform media to install the FPGA Compile Farm Server to offload compiles to dedicated computer. You must install the FPGA Compile Farm Server separately on any remote machine that you want to use to manage your compilations. Also, you must install the Xilinx compilation tools on any machine that you want to use as a remote compile worker. Visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code XilinxCompileTools for more information about the NI hardware supported by each Xilinx compilation tool.


  • Windows—Visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code FPGAkb1rcs for information about setting up the FPGA compile farm server on a remote computer.
  • Linux—Refer to the FPGA Module Xilinx Compilation Tools for Linux Readme for information about setting up a remote compile worker.

NI also offers the LabVIEW FPGA Compile Cloud Service to increase the development efficiency by offloading compile jobs to multiple computers in a cloud environment. Visit ni.com/trycompilecloud for information about the LabVIEW FPGA Compile Cloud.


Product Security and Critical Updates

Visit ni.com/security to view and subscribe to receive security notifications about NI products. Visit ni.com/critical-updates for information about critical updates from NI.


FPGA Module (64-Bit)

The FPGA Module (64-bit) provides access to more memory than the FPGA Module (32-bit) can provide. The FPGA Module (64-bit) is available in English only.


Supported Hardware

The FPGA Module (64-bit) supports the following NI hardware devices:


  • PXIe-5163R/5164R/517xR/576x/659xR/7902R/791x/797xR/798x
  • USRP-RIO devices

You cannot use an unsupported device with the FPGA Module (64-bit) or run example VIs that require an unsupported device in the FPGA Module (64-bit). Refer to the specific hardware documentation for more information about compatibility with the FPGA Module (64-bit).


New Features

The LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module includes the following new features:


  • The LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module adds support for LabVIEW 2018 (64-bit). The LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module (64-bit) is available in English only.
  • In the LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module, you can access a library of floating-point math operation functions via the NI Floating-Point Library link in the FPGA Math & Analysis palette. Use these functions in your FPGA application to minimize resource usage outside single-cycle Timed Loops or to optimize timing performance inside 40 MHz single-cycle Timed Loops.

Known Issues

You can access the software and documentation known issues list online. Refer to the NI website for an up-to-date list of known issues in the FPGA Module.


Bug Fixes

The following items are the IDs and titles of a subset of issues fixed in the FPGA Module. This is not an exhaustive list of issues fixed in the current version of the FPGA Module. If you have a CAR ID, you can search this list to validate that the issue has been fixed.


ID Fixed Issue
677354 When a Case structure wired into an auto-indexing tunnel has more than 32 cases, the output array could be all zeroes
677246 Using the IP Integration Node with a VHDL file that contains extended identifiers results in compilation failure with the following error: [Synth 8-2139] illegal identifiers
674053 Using a VHDL file with an IP Integration Node that contains a generic and ends the entity declaration with "end entity" rather than "end <entity name>" results in syntax check failure
673789 If you fix errors about the Desktop Execution Node (DEN) in an FPGA VI and then run the FPGA VI in simulation mode without the DEN, the FPGA VI still throws errors about the DEN
671439 Using the Desktop Execution Node with an FPGA VI that is within a project library file (.lvlib) on an FPGA target results in Error 1055
658853 CLIP configuration may not display all entities if one of the port names contains "begin"
656074 If you use the FPGA FIFO Read method with the Desktop Execution Node, the FPGA FIFO Read method uses the Timeout input as milliseconds instead of ticks
640863 DMA channels are not available in the LabVIEW FPGA host interface if a DMA channel of the DBL type is present
629712 A crash can occur when you add an FPGA handshake into a cluster

Upgrade and Compatibility Issues

If you upgrade from the LabVIEW 2016 FPGA Module or later to the LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module, you might encounter the following compatibility issues:


  • Deprecating the Simulation VIs—The Simulation palette is deprecated in the LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module.
  • Dropping Support for Third-Party Simulation Using a Questa Simulator—The LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module does not support third-party simulation using a Questa simulator.
  • (Xilinx Vivado) Behavior Change in Reading the Depth of FIFOs with the Built-In Control Logic—Prior to the LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module, when you configure FIFOs with the built-in control logic in the General Page of the FIFO Properties dialog box, Actual Number of Elements returns two numbers, which LabVIEW uses when the handshaking interface is disabled or enabled, respectively. In the LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module, the actual depth of FIFOs with the built-in control logic is no longer known at configuration time. Actual Number of Elements returns a conservative number, which is the closest power of two, greater than Requested Number of Elements. As a result, the Get Number of Elements to Read/Write methods no longer support FIFOs with the built-in control logic. If you use the Read/Write methods with such FIFOs in simulation mode, the Timed Out? output value might not reflect the actual behavior on hardware.

If you upgrade from the LabVIEW 2015 FPGA Module or earlier to the LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module, refer to previous versions of the LabVIEW FPGA Module readme or LabVIEW FPGA Module Release and Upgrade Notes, available on ni.com/manuals, for changes in previous versions of the FPGA Module.


Note  The LabVIEW FPGA Module Release and Upgrade Notes document was deprecated from the 2016 release.


Upgrading the FPGA Module requires you to upgrade to a new version of the Xilinx compilation tools. This upgrade can change the timing or resource utilization characteristics of FPGA VIs you developed in previous versions or cause these VIs to fail to compile. NI recommends that you test all FPGA designs after upgrading.


Accessing the Help

Refer to the LabVIEW Help, accessible by selecting Help»LabVIEW Help from LabVIEW, for information about the FPGA Module.


Finding Examples

Select Help»Find Examples from LabVIEW to launch the NI Example Finder. You can modify an example VI to fit an application, or you can copy and paste from one or more examples into a VI that you create.


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.


If the NI product you are installing uses Microsoft .NET 4.6.2, 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 4.6.2 separately before you install NI software.


For more information about automating the installation of NI products, refer to the following KnowledgeBase articles:


Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 10

Microsoft Windows 10 is the latest version of the Windows operating system and features significant changes compared to previous versions. Windows 10 introduces several new capabilities and also combines features from both Windows 7 and Windows 8. For more information about NI support for Windows 10, visit ni.com/windows10.


Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8.1

When you install NI software on Microsoft Windows 8.1, you will notice a few additional tiles in the Apps view, including shortcuts to NI application software products such as NI LabVIEW, Measurement & Automation Explorer (NI MAX), and NI Launcher. For more information about NI support for Windows 8.1, visit ni.com/windows8.



Legal Information

Copyright


© 2003–2018 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.


NI 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.


Third-Party Copyright Notices


The SharpZipLib_Notice.pdf file contains a third-party copyright notice for third-party components used by certain FPGA Module features. The following directory is the default installation location for the file, but the location might vary depending on the configuration of the local computer:

\National Instruments\LabVIEW <version>\FPGA\Legal\


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 after installation:


  • Notices are located in the <National Instruments>\_Legal Information and <National Instruments> directories.
  • EULAs are located in the <National Instruments>\Shared\MDF\Legal\license directory.
  • Review <National Instruments>\_Legal Information.txt for information on including legal information in installers built with NI products.

U.S. Government Restricted Rights


If you are an agency, department, or other entity of the United States Government ("Government"), the use, duplication, reproduction, release, modification, disclosure or transfer of the technical data included in this manual is governed by the Restricted Rights provisions under Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.227-14 for civilian agencies and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement Section 252.227-7014 and 252.227-7015 for military agencies.


IVI Foundation Copyright Notice


Content from the IVI specifications reproduced with permission from the IVI Foundation.


The IVI Foundation and its member companies make no warranty of any kind with regard to this material, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The IVI Foundation and its member companies shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.


Trademarks


Refer to the NI Trademarks and Logo Guidelines at ni.com/trademarks for information on NI trademarks. Other product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.


Patents


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


374737J-01