NI-Motion™ 16.0 Readme


This document contains installation and programming considerations for using NI-Motion with NI 73xx motion controllers, a list of changes in this version of NI-Motion, and information about NI-Motion known issues.


Contents

General Information

Installation and Configuration Instructions

NI-Motion 16.0 Changes and Enhancements

NI-Motion 16.0 General Considerations

NI-Motion 16.0 Known Issues

Previous NI-Motion Changes and Enhancements

Automating the Installation of NI Products

How to Use NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8

NI Software Support for Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003

General Information

NI-Motion 16.0 is the motion control software you use to communicate with all National Instruments NI 73xx motion controllers using LabVIEW, C, LabWindows™/CVI™, or Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 development platforms. Refer to KnowledgeBase article 39DA8HMU, Does the NI-Motion Driver Support Visual Studio .NET?, at ni.com/kb for information about Visual Studio .NET 2003 and Visual Studio 2005 or later support.


NI-Motion 16.0 is compatible with the following National Instruments software:


  • LabVIEW 2013 or later.
  • LabVIEW 2013 or later Real-Time Module.
  • LabWindows/CVI 2010 or later.
  • NI Motion Assistant 2.8 or later graphical prototyping software.

Compatibility with Earlier Versions of NI-Motion

If you have developed motion control systems using a previous version of NI-Motion, you must recompile your code before it will work correctly with NI-Motion 16.0.


In addition, any applications you build in NI-Motion 16.0 will not work correctly in earlier versions of NI-Motion. Similarly, configuration settings you build and save in Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) with NI-Motion 16.0 will not work with applications you build in earlier versions of NI-Motion.


LabVIEW Real-Time Users

To use NI-Motion 16.0 with a real-time target, you must update the NI-Motion driver software on the real-time target system using MAX. Driver versions on the host and target system must be the same for proper operation. Refer to the Measurement & Automation Explorer Remote Systems Help by selecting Help»Help Topics»Remote Systems in MAX for information about installing software on the remote system.


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Installation and Configuration Instructions

The following sections include important information about installing NI-Motion 16.0, instructions for downloading and installing NI-Motion 16.0 from the Web or from the CD, and information about NI-Motion firmware.


You can run the NI-Motion 16.0 installer on the following operating systems:

  • Windows 10/8.1/8/7
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit)
  • Windows Server 2012 R2 (64-bit)

NI-Motion runs as a 32-bit application on all operating systems.


Note


  • NI-Motion is compatible with 32-bit LabVIEW only. Therefore, you must have 32-bit LabVIEW installed even if you use a 64-bit OS.
  • NI-Motion does not support Windows Vista/XP/2000/NT/Me/98/95, or the Windows Server non-R2 editions. If you are any of these operating systems, do not install NI-Motion 16.0.

Tip  For optimal performance, update your operating system to the latest service pack and apply all security patches.


Downloading NI-Motion 16.0 from the Web

Complete the following steps to install this update:


  1. Download the NIMotion160.exe file, and then run it.
  2. Follow the onscreen instructions.

    Note  (Windows 10/8.1/8/7)  Users may see access and security messages during installation. Accept the prompts to complete the installation.
  3. When the installer completes, a dialog box appears that asks if you want to restart, shut down, or restart later. Select Restart.
  4. Download the updated firmware to your controller(s):

    Note  You must update the firmware on your NI 73xx controllers before you can use them with NI-Motion 16.0.
    1. Launch MAX.
    2. Expand Devices and Interfaces.
    3. Select the appropriate motion controller.
    4. Click the Firmware tab.
    5. Click the Update Firmware button at the top of the window to update all the firmware files on your device.

Installing from the CD

Complete the following steps to install this update:


  1. Insert the NI-Motion 16.0 installation CD in the CD-ROM drive.
  2. If you have autorun enabled, autorun.exe runs automatically. Otherwise, double-click autorun.exe.
  3. Follow the onscreen instructions.

    Note  (Windows 10/8.1/8/7)  Users may see access and security messages during installation. Accept the prompts to complete the installation.
  4. When the installer completes, a dialog box appears that asks if you want to restart, shut down, or restart later. Select Restart.
  5. Download the updated firmware to your controller(s):

    Note  You must update the firmware on your NI 73xx controllers before you can use them with NI-Motion 16.0.
    1. Launch MAX.
    2. Expand Devices and Interfaces.
    3. Select the appropriate motion controller.
    4. Click the Firmware tab.
    5. Click the Update Firmware button at the top of the window to update all the firmware files on your device.

Changing Firmware Files to an Earlier Version of NI-Motion

For optimal performance, ensure that the firmware on your controller matches the driver version you install. Complete the following steps to replace the firmware on your controller if you need to use an earlier version of the NI-Motion software and firmware:


  1. Launch MAX.
  2. Expand Devices and Interfaces.
  3. Select the appropriate motion controller.
  4. Click the Firmware tab.
  5. Right-click one of the firmware files in the Firmware Name column and select Download All Files to download the firmware files on the computer onto the controller.

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NI-Motion 16.0 Changes and Enhancements

LabVIEW 2016 Support

NI-Motion 16.0 is fully supported on LabVIEW 2016.


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NI-Motion 16.0 General Considerations

Importing Portable Configuration Files

Importing motion controller settings from older portable configuration files may take a few minutes due to the settings upgrade process. This is expected behavior.


Creating C Projects with Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 and Visual Studio 2005 or later

Visual Studio .NET 2003 and Visual Studio 2005 and later do not allow C++ precompiled header files to be used with C source files. Disable precompiled headers when running NI-Motion C examples.


Firmware Versions in NI-Motion 16.0

The following table lists the expected firmware files that ship with NI-Motion 16.0.


Firmware
Sector
Version Number
NI 7330 NI 7340 NI 7350 NI PCI-7390
68331 7.40.3003 7.40.3003 7.40.3003 7.40.3003
DSP 7.32.3003 7.32.3003 7.32.3003 7.32.3003
FPGA1 7.00.3001 7.00.3001 7.10.3001 7.00.3014
FPGA2 7.00.3001 7.00.3001

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NI-Motion 16.0 Known Issues

You can access the software and documentation known issues list online. Refer to the National Instruments Web site for an up-to-date list of known issues in NI-Motion 16.0.


Issues That May Affect NI-Motion

An issue that may arise when running 32-bit applications in 64-bit versions of Windows could adversely affect NI-Motion. Refer to KnowledgeBase article 6EMFLQUB, Why Does National Instruments Software List Microsoft Hotfix 2588507 as a System Requirement?, at ni.com/kb for more information.


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Previous NI-Motion Changes and Enhancements

Refer to KnowledgeBase article 47CC30FL, NI-Motion Readmes, at ni.com/kb for access to previous NI-Motion readme files, starting with NI-Motion 7.0.


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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:


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How to Use NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8

When you install National Instruments software on Microsoft Windows 8, you will notice a few additional tiles on the Start screen, including shortcuts to NI application software products such as NI LabVIEW, Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX), and the new NI Launcher.


Using 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 on the Start screen. NI Launcher launches the desktop and opens a menu containing a list of NI products. Click any NI product to launch it.


Note  Unlike previous versions of Microsoft Windows, MAX does not appear as a desktop shortcut. You can launch MAX either from the Start screen or from within NI Launcher.

Pinning Frequently Used Applications

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 Desktop Desktop Taskbar Right-click application and select Pin to Taskbar
Windows 8 Desktop Start screen Right-click application and select Pin to Start
Windows 8 Start screen Desktop Taskbar Right-click application and select Pin to taskbar from the menu bar on the bottom of the screen

Finding All Programs

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 by right-clicking anywhere on the Start screen and selecting All apps. A list of all installed software and related files appears, in alphabetical order by creator or type.


For more information about NI support for Windows 8, visit ni.com/windows8.


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NI-Motion Drops Support for Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 in 2016

NI-Motion will drop support for Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 as of July 1, 2016. Versions of NI-Motion that ship after July 1, 2016 will not install or run on Windows Vista, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003. For detailed information about NI application software product life cycles, visit ni.com/info and enter one of the following Info Codes:


Product Info Code
NI LabVIEWlifecycle
NI LabWindows/CVIcvi_lifecycle
NI Measurement Studiomstudiolifecycle
NI TestStandtslcp
NI DIAdemddlcp
NI SignalExpressselcp
NI VeriStandnivslifecycle

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Important Information

Copyright


© 2003–2016 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:


  • 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.


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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.


Members of the National Instruments Alliance Partner Program are business entities independent from National Instruments and have no agency, partnership, or joint-venture relationship with National Instruments.


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.


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