FlexRIO™ 19.0 Readme

May 2019


Thank you for using FlexRIO 19.0. This file contains important information about FlexRIO 19.0 and is organized into the following sections.


New Features

Supported Hardware

System Requirements

Application Development Environments (ADEs)

Installed Software, Documentation, and Examples

Documentation

Finding Examples

Product Security and Critical Updates

Driver Version Naming Changes

Installing FlexRIO 19.0

IVI Compliance Package Functionality

Uninstalling/Modifying FlexRIO 19.0

Known Issues and Bug Fixes

Automating the Installation of NI Products

Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 10

Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8.1

Legal Information


New Features

FlexRIO 19.0 includes the following new features.


  • Support for LabVIEW 2019

FlexRIO 18.7 includes the following new features.


  • LabVIEW 2018 support for the following hardware devices:
    • PXIe-5774
    • PCIe-5774
    • PCIe-5763
    • PCIe-5764
    • PCIe-5775
    • PCIe-5785

FlexRIO 18.6 includes the following new features.


  • LabVIEW 2018 support for the following hardware devices:
    • PXIe-5745
    • PXIe-5775
    • PXIe-5785

FlexRIO 18.1 includes the following new features.


  • LabVIEW 2018 and 2017 support for the following hardware devices:
    • PXIe-7911
    • PXIe-7912
    • PXIe-7915
    • PXIe-5763
    • PXIe-5764

FlexRIO 18.0 includes the following new features.


  • Support for LabVIEW 2018
  • Project export for the Vivado Design Suite—The LabVIEW 2017 FPGA Module provides an option to export FPGA VIs to the Vivado Design Suite projects. This option allows you to design the exported project and compile it into a bitfile in the Vivado Design Suite. You can then run a bitfile on an FPGA target in the FPGA Module.
  • Supported Hardware

    FlexRIO 19.0 software supports the following FlexRIO hardware:


    Controllers for FlexRIO


    • NI-7931R
    • NI-7932R
    • NI-7935R

    FlexRIO Coprocessor Modules


    • PXIe-7911
    • PXIe-7912
    • PXIe-7915

    FlexRIO Digitizer Modules


    • PXIe-5763
    • PXIe-5764
    • PXIe-5775
    • PXIe-5774
    • PCIe-5774
    • PCIe-5763
    • PCIe-5764
    • PCIe-5775

    FlexRIO Signal Generator Modules


    • PXIe-5745

    FlexRIO IF Transceiver Modules


    • PXIe-5785
    • PCIe-5785

    FlexRIO FPGA Modules


    • PXI-7951R
    • PXI-7952R
    • PXI-7953R
    • PXI-7954R
    • PXIe-7961R
    • PXIe-7962R
    • PXIe-7965R
    • PXIe-7966R
    • PXIe-7971R
    • PXIe-7972R
    • PXIe-7975R
    • PXIe-7976R

    FlexRIO Adapter Modules1


    • NI 5731
    • NI 5732
    • NI 5733
    • NI 5734
    • NI 5741
    • NI 5742
    • NI 5751/5751B
    • NI 5752/5752B
    • NI 5753
    • NI 5761
    • NI 5762
    • NI 5771
    • NI 5772
    • NI 5781
    • NI 5782
    • NI 5783
    • NI 5791
    • NI 5792
    • NI 5793
    • NI 6581/6581B
    • NI 6583
    • NI 6584
    • NI 6585/6585B
    • NI 6587
    • NI 6589

    1 FlexRIO adapter modules are supported only in LabVIEW 2017, LabVIEW 2018 and LabVIEW 2019.


    Device-specific information about these modules is included in the FlexRIO Help.


    System Requirements

    Supported Operating Systems

    FlexRIO 19.0 supports the following operating systems:


    Operating System 64-bit 32-bit
    Windows 10 1
    Windows 8.1 1
    Windows 7 Service Pack 1
    Windows Server 2008 R2 2
    Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.x
    Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.x
    Scientific Linux 6.x
    CentOS 7

    Note In July 2016, NI dropped support for Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and installations of Windows 7 without any service packs. FlexRIO 19.0 will not install or run on an unsupported OS. You cannot deploy or distribute applications that use FlexRIO 19.0 to an unsupported OS. Additionally, after installing FlexRIO 19.0, 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?.


    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 19.0 does not support Windows Server non-R2 editions.


    NI recommends that you have the most recent service pack for your operating system installed.


    Supported Real-Time Operating Environments

    FlexRIO 19.0 supports the following real-time operating environments:


    • LabVIEW Real-Time Module

    Minimum System Requirements

    • Processor—1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
    • RAM—1 GB RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
    • A screen resolution of 1,024 x 768
    • Windows 10/8.1/7, with all available critical updates and service packs

    Application Development Environments (ADEs)

    Note: You should install ADEs before installing FlexRIO 19.0. To add support for ADEs installed after installing FlexRIO 19.0, modify your FlexRIO 19.0 installation or launch the FlexRIO 19.0 installer again.


    • LabVIEW 2016, 2017 SP1, 2018, and 2019
    • LabVIEW Real-Time Module 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019
    • LabVIEW FPGA Module 2016, 2017 SP1, 2018, and 2019
    • If you are running your application on an RT target, 128 MB of memory or more is required

    Installed Software, Documentation, and Examples

    • <NIDocDir> is an alias for the following National Instruments file folder location: Users\Public\Public Documents\National Instruments
    • <IVIROOTDIR32> is an alias for the following National Instruments file folder location:
      • (32-bit) Program Files\IVI Foundation\IVI\
      • (64-bit) Program Files (x86)\IVI Foundation\IVI\
        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:
        • (32-bit) Program Files\IVI\
        • (64-bit) Program Files (x86)\IVI\
    • <IVIROOTDIR64> is an alias for the following National Instruments file folder location:
      • (64-bit) Program Files\IVI Foundation\IVI\
        Note $(IVIROOTDIR64) is configured as an environment variable on the target system.

    Documentation

    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 19.0 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.


    Finding Examples

    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:


    • Click the Browse tab to locate modulation examples by task at Hardware Input and Output»FlexRIO.
    • Click the Search tab to search all installed examples by keyword. For example, search for "FlexRIO" to locate all FlexRIO examples.

    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.


    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.


    Driver Version Naming Changes

    FlexRIO 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 19.0 is the version released with LabVIEW 2019.


    Installing FlexRIO 19.0

    Complete the following steps to install FlexRIO 19.0 for use with LabVIEW:


    1. Install LabVIEW.
    2. (Optional) Install LabVIEW Real-Time.
    3. Install LabVIEW FPGA.

      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.


    4. Install FlexRIO 19.0.

    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.


    IVI Compliance Package Functionality

    FlexRIO no longer installs IVI Compliance Package. FlexRIO supports IVI configuration and runtime, but no longer supports the following features:


    • LabVIEW and CVI IVI class driver APIs for developing IVI interchangeable applications
    • IVI Class Simulation drivers
    • IVI-COM Adapters

    If you want to use the above features, you must install IVI Compliance Package separately, either from ni.com/downloads or from the NI Device Drivers 2019 DVD.


    Uninstalling/Modifying FlexRIO 19.0

    For Windows 7 Service Pack 1, complete the following steps:


    1. Launch the Control Panel by selecting Start»Control Panel.
    2. Double-click Programs and Features.
    3. Select National Instruments Software.
    4. Click the Uninstall/Change button.
    5. Select FlexRIO 19.0 from the dialog box that appears.
    6. Click Remove to uninstall the product; click Modify to change the components that are installed.

    For Windows 8.1, complete the following steps:


    1. Right-click on the Start screen.
    2. Select All apps and launch the Control Panel.
    3. Select Programs»Programs and Features.
    4. Select National Instruments Software
    5. Click the Uninstall button.
    6. Select FlexRIO 19.0 from the dialog box that appears.
    7. Click Remove to uninstall the product; click Modify to change the components that are installed.

    Known Issues and Bug Fixes

    You can access the software and documentation known issues and bug fixes list online at ni.com/r/flexrio190ki.


    Note: FlexRIO 19.0 includes the LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module f1 patch. Refer to Info Code FPGA2018f1 for more information.


    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 4.0, 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:


    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


    ©2008–2019 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.


    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.


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