August 2016
Thank you for using FlexRIO Support 16.0. This file contains important information about FlexRIO Support 16.0 and is organized into the following sections.
Application Development Environments (ADEs)
Installed Software, Documentation, and Examples
NI Software Support for Microsoft Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003
Product Security and Critical Updates
Uninstalling/Modifying FlexRIO 16.0
Automating the Installation of NI Products
Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 10
Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8.1
FlexRIO Support 16.0 includes the following new features.
FlexRIO Support 15.5 includes the following new features.
FlexRIO Support 15.1.1 includes the following new features.
FlexRIO Support 15.1 includes the following new features.
FlexRIO 16.0 software supports the following FlexRIO hardware:
Controllers for FlexRIO
FlexRIO FPGA Modules
FlexRIO Adapter Modules1
1 FlexRIO adapter modules are supported only in LabVIEW 2015 and LabVIEW 2016.
Device-specific information about these modules is included in the FlexRIO Help.
FlexRIO 16.0 supports the following operating systems:
| Operating System | 64-bit | 32-bit |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows 8.11 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows 7 Service Pack 1 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows Server 2008 R2 | ✓ | — |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.x | ✓ | — |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.x | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scientific Linux 6.x | ✓ | ✓ |
| CentOS 7 | ✓ | — |
1 NI software installs VC2015 Runtime and .NET 4.6.1. 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: FlexRIO 16.0 does not support Windows Server non-R2 editions.
NI recommends that you have the most recent service pack for your operating system installed.
FlexRIO 16.0 supports the following real-time operating environments:
Note: You should install ADEs before installing FlexRIO Support 16.0. To add support for ADEs installed after installing FlexRIO Support 16.0, modify your FlexRIO 16.0 installation or launch the FlexRIO 16.0 installer again.
| Note | $(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:
|
| Note | $(IVIROOTDIR64) is configured as an environment variable on the target system. |
The product documentation is available at Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI FlexRIO. Visit ni.com/manuals for the latest versions of product documentation.
To view these documents, you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. You can install the viewer from www.adobe.com/reader.
The documentation set is composed of the following documents:
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| FlexRIO Help | Contains information about FlexRIO device support. This book also provides instructions for using LabVIEW and the LabVIEW FPGA Module with FlexRIO devices. |
| NI-7931R/7932R/7935R User Manual | Contains information about how to develop applications for your NI-793xR module. |
| Getting started guide for your device | Contains software and hardware installation, MAX configuration, signal connection, and troubleshooting information for your device. |
| Specifications document for your device | Lists technical specifications for your device. |
| FlexRIO Support 16.0 Readme (this document) | Contains information about supported hardware and operating systems, new features, fixed issues, and legal notices. |
For the most recent revisions of documentation and for newly released documentation, visit ni.com/manuals.
To use the .NET API, you must install the the .NET class libraries or the .NET Wrapper in addition to the NI device driver. For information about versions of the .NET Framework and the drivers each supports, as well as the download location of the installer files, refer to the National Instruments .NET Driver Support document at ni.com/info and enter Info Code NETAPIdriversupport.
Note To view PDFs, you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. You can install the viewer from www.adobe.com/reader.
Refer to ni.com/flexrio for additional FlexRIO product support and information.
In LabVIEW, you can use the NI Example Finder to search or browse examples. FlexRIO examples are classified by keyword, so you can search for a particular device or measurement function. In LabVIEW, select Help»Find Examples to launch the NI Example Finder. The NI Example Finder offers two ways to access all installed LabVIEW example VIs (including FlexRIO) and their descriptions:
The NI Example Finder is also available in LabWindows/CVI by selecting Help»Find Examples.
Examples also are available online that demonstrate applications using FlexRIO. Refer to ni.com/examples for these examples and for more information.
With this release, FlexRIO Support 16.0 drops support for Microsoft Windows 7 RTM (with no service pack), Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. FlexRIO Support 16.0 and later will not install or run on an unsupported OS. You cannot deploy or distribute applications that use FlexRIO Support 16.0 to an unsupported OS. Additionally, after installing FlexRIO Support 16.0, 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 LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, Measurement Studio, or TestStand Built Installer Fail on Windows XP/Vista and Server 2003?.
Visit ni.com/security to view and subscribe to receive security notifications about National Instruments products. Visit ni.com/critical-updates for information about critical updates from National Instruments.
FlexRIO Support versions are aligned with the versions of major NI application software products. This alignment gives you information about the year the driver was released and the most recent software version the driver was designed to work with. Driver versions start with a two-digit year indicator: <ProductName><Year-BasedVersion>. For example, FlexRIO 16.0 is the version released with LabVIEW 2016.
Complete the following steps to install FlexRIO 16.0 for use with LabVIEW:
Note: In the LabVIEW FPGA installation menu, you must also install the Compilation Tools for FPGA Devices other than Virtex-II to use these examples.
Note: Visit ni.com/info and enter rdsoftwareversion as the Info Code for more information about which minimum software versions you need for your device.
For Windows 7 Service Pack 1, complete the following steps:
For Windows 8.1, complete the following steps:
You can access the software and documentation known issues list online at ni.com/info by entering the info code exzh5x.
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 about automating the installation of NI products, refer to the following KnowledgeBase articles:
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.
When you install National Instruments 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 LabVIEW, Measurement & Automation Explorer (NI MAX), and NI Launcher.
NI Launcher helps you find and launch installed NI products. It provides you with a method of finding NI products similar to the Start menu in previous versions of Microsoft Windows. To use NI Launcher, click the NI Launcher tile in the Apps view. NI Launcher launches the desktop and opens a menu containing a list of NI products. Click any NI product to launch it.
| Note NI MAX does not appear as a desktop shortcut when installed on Microsoft Windows 8.x. You can launch NI MAX either from the Apps view or from within NI Launcher. |
For convenience, you can pin your most-used NI applications, such as MAX, to either the Start screen or the Taskbar on the desktop, as necessary:
| Current Application | Icon Location | Pin to Action |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 8.1 Desktop | Desktop Taskbar | Right-click application and select Pin to Taskbar |
| Windows 8.1 Desktop | Start screen | Right-click application and select Pin to Start |
| Windows 8.1 Start screen | Desktop Taskbar | Right-click application and select Pin to taskbar from the menu bar on the bottom of the screen |
If you want to find a particular application or related files, such as documentation files, from the Start screen, you can access all installed files from the Apps view. To get to the Apps view, right-click anywhere on the Start screen and click the down arrow on the bottom left of the screen.
For more information about NI support for Windows 8.1, visit ni.com/windows8.
Copyright
©2008–2016 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.
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:
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 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.
374872G-01