Digital Pattern Instrument, NI-Digital Pattern Driver, and Digital Pattern Editor 18.5 Readme

November 2018


This file contains important information about the Digital Pattern Instrument, the NI-Digital Pattern Driver, and the Digital Pattern Editor including supported hardware, system requirements, and supported application development environments.


Overview

System Requirements

Supported Operating Systems

Application Software Support

Accessing the API

Product Security and Critical Updates

New Features

Supported Hardware

Known Issues

Accessing Documentation

Finding Examples

LabVIEW NXG Support and Considerations

Automating the Installation of NI Products

Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 10

Legal Information


Overview

Use the Digital Pattern Editor with a Digital Pattern Instrument and the NI-Digital Pattern Driver software for digital testing of semiconductors, or devices under test (DUTs).


System Requirements

Minimum System Requirements

  • RAM—4 GB
  • A screen resolution of 1024 x 768

Recommended System

  • RAM—8 GB

Supported Operating Systems

The NI-Digital Pattern Driver and the Digital Pattern Editor support the following operating systems with all available critical updates and service packs:


  • Windows 10 (64-bit)
  • Windows 7 SP11 (64-bit)

1 NI software is signed with a SHA-256 certificate. Windows 7 SP1 requires Microsoft updates to support SHA-256. Refer to Microsoft KB3033929 for more information about how to install this security update.


Note:  The NI-Digital Pattern Driver and the Digital Pattern Editor support only 64-bit operating systems for development. You can deploy runtime solutions on Windows 10 (32-bit and 64-bit) and Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit). Refer to your ADE documentation for more information about creating a runtime deployment:


  • LabVIEW - "Building and Distributing Applications"
  • NI TestStand - "Deploying TestStand Systems"
  • Microsoft Visual Studio - "Deploying the .NET Framework and Applications"

Note:  The Digital Pattern Editor does not support Guest user accounts on Windows. The Digital Pattern Editor supports Administrator and Limited accounts on Windows 7.


Note:  NI recommends that you install Microsoft Hotfix 2588507 for 64-bit Windows operating systems. Visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code mshotfix for more information about Microsoft Hotfix 2588507.


Application Software Support

Install Application Development Environments (ADEs), such as LabVIEW or Microsoft Visual Studio, before installing the NI-Digital Pattern Driver. To add support for ADEs installed after installing the NI-Digital Pattern Driver, modify your NI-Digital Pattern Driver installation or launch the NI-Digital Pattern Driver installer again.


NI-Digital Pattern Driver and Digital Pattern Editor 18.5 support the following ADE versions:


Application Software Versions Supported by NI-Digital Pattern Driver and Digital Pattern Editor 18.5
LabVIEW2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 (32-bit and 64-bit)
LabVIEW NXG 3.0, 2.0, 2.1
NI TestStand2016 and later (64-bit)
NI TestStand Semiconductor Module™2016 and later (64-bit)
Microsoft Visual Studio2010 and later (.NET versions 4.0 and 4.5)1

Note:  You must install the NI-DCPower driver to access NI-DCPower-related functionality in the Digital Pattern Editor.


Note:  You must install the NI-Sync driver to access NI-Sync-related functionality.


1If you are using the NI-Digital .NET Class Library, the .NET 4.0 Framework (minimum) is required. The NI-Digital .NET Class Library can be used with the Visual C# or Visual Basic .NET programming languages in any Visual Studio version that can target the .NET 4.0 Framework or the .NET 4.5 Framework.


Ensure that you select .NET Framework 4.0 Support or .NET Framework 4.5 Support in the NI-Digital Pattern Driver installer to install .NET support for the NI-Digital Pattern Driver software.


Accessing the API

LabVIEW

The NI–Digital Pattern Driver palette VIs are available from the following locations:


  • LabVIEW 2015—Functions»Instrument I/O»Instrument Drivers»NI–Digital palette
  • LabVIEW 2016 and later—Functions»Measurement I/O»NI–Digital palette or Functions»Instrument I/O»Instrument Drivers»NI–Digital palette
  • LabVIEW NXG 2.0 and later—On the Diagram, Hardware Interfaces»NI-Digital palette

.NET Class Library

You can use the NI-Digital Pattern .NET class library by adding a reference to NationalInstruments.ModularInstruments.NIDigital.Fx40 or NationalInstruments.ModularInstruments.NIDigital.Fx45 and any dependent class libraries from within the Solution Explorer in Visual Studio.


C

You can use the NI-Digital Pattern C dynamically linked library by adding a reference to C:\Program Files (x86)\IVI Foundation\IVI\Bin\niDigital_32.dll for 32-bit development or to C:\Program Files\IVI Foundation\IVI\Bin\niDigital_64.dll for 64-bit development.


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.


New Features

Refer to the What's New topics in the Digital Pattern Help for detailed information about new features and other changes in the NI-Digital Pattern Driver and Digital Pattern Editor. Refer to the What's New topics for previous versions of the NI-Digital Pattern Driver and Digital Pattern Editor in the Digital Pattern Help for information about new features, compatibility and known issues, and bug fixes for those versions.


Supported Hardware

The NI-Digital Pattern Driver supports the following NI products:


  • PXIe-6570
  • PXIe-6571

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.


Accessing Documentation

Documentation for the Digital Pattern Instrument, NI-Digital Pattern Driver, and Digital Pattern Editor is available from the Start menu by navigating to NI Digital Pattern Documentation in the National Instruments folder. The documentation set is composed of the following documents:


  • Digital Pattern Instrument, NI-Digital Pattern Driver, and Digital Pattern Editor Readme (this file)—Contains information about the Digital Pattern Instrument, the NI-Digital Pattern Driver, and the Digital Pattern Editor, including where to go for support, supported hardware, system requirements, operating systems, known issues, and legal notices.
  • Digital Pattern Help—Contains information about using the Digital Pattern Editor with a Digital Pattern Instrument and NI-Digital Pattern Driver software for digital testing of semiconductors, or devices under test (DUTs). Includes references for the NI-Digital Pattern Driver VIs and properties, the NI-Digital Pattern Driver C functions, and the NI-Digital Pattern .NET Class Library.
  • PXIe-6570 Getting Started Guide—Contains information about installing, configuring, and testing the PXIe-6570.
  • PXIe-6570 Specifications—Lists technical specifications for the PXIe-6570.
  • PXIe-6570 Safety, Environmental, and Regulatory Information—Contains information about safely operating the PXIe-6570.
  • PXIe-6571 Getting Started Guide—Contains information about installing, configuring, and testing the PXIe-6571.
  • PXIe-6571 Specifications—Lists technical specifications for the PXIe-6571.
  • PXIe-6571 Safety, Environmental, and Regulatory Information—Contains information about safely operating the PXIe-6571.

Digital pattern instrument manuals are also available as PDFs. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view the PDFs. You can install the viewer from www.adobe.com/acrobat.


For the most recent revisions of documentation and for newly released documentation, visit ni.com/manuals.


Finding Examples

Getting Started Examples

Use the getting started examples, located by default in the <Public Documents>\National Instruments\NI-Digital\Examples\Getting Started directory, to help you learn key concepts or to serve as a starting point for applications you create. You can also access the getting started examples by selecting the Start menu and navigating to NI Digital Pattern Examples in the National Instruments folder.


In the Welcome window of the Digital Pattern Editor, click Examples or click the Learning tab to launch the Learning window, which includes examples of common usages of digital patterns.


NI-Digital Pattern Driver Examples

Use the NI-Digital Pattern Driver example programs to learn more about how to use the NI-Digital Pattern Driver software to configure and control digital pattern instruments.


LabVIEW Examples

Use the NI Example Finder to locate LabVIEW examples. In LabVIEW, select Help»Find Examples to launch the NI Example Finder.


Microsoft .NET Examples

The Microsoft .NET examples are located in the <Public Documents>\National Instruments\NI-Digital\Examples\DotNET 4.x directory. In the Start menu, navigate to NI Digital Pattern Examples in the National Instruments folder.


C Examples

The C examples are located in the <Public Documents>\National Instruments\NI-Digital\Examples\C directory. In the Start menu, navigate to NI Digital Pattern Examples in the National Instruments folder.


LabVIEW NXG Support and Considerations

The following sections detail considerations for using LabVIEW NXG 2.0 and later with NI-Digital.


LabVIEW NXG Operating Systems and System Requirements

Software support for LabVIEW NXG differs in the following ways:


  • System requirements—Only 64-bit (x64) processors are supported.
  • Operating system—Only 64-bit operating systems are supported. Refer to the Supported Operating Systems section for more information.

LabVIEW NXG Hardware Support

  • PXIe-6570
  • PXIe-6571

LabVIEW NXG Help

View context help in LabVIEW by pressing <Ctrl-H> and hovering over an object.


Search for items using the search bar in the upper right corner of the LabVIEW window. You can also view context help for the search results.


Additional documentation is available online at ni.com/manuals.


LabVIEW NXG Examples

Launch LabVIEW and click the Learning tab.


LabVIEW lessons are located in the Lessons tab, and LabVIEW Examples are located in the Examples tab. Follow the instructions in the lessons and examples.


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 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.



Legal Information

Copyright


© 2015-2018 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.


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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