NI IVI Compliance Package 18.0 Readme

May 2018


This file contains important information about the IVI Compliance Package (ICP), including installation instructions, new features, a partial list of bugs fixed for ICP 18.0, and known issues.


About IVI Compliance Package

Installed Components

Supported Operating Systems

NI Application Software Support

Installation Instructions

Uninstall Considerations

LabWindows/CVI Version Support

Product Security and Critical Updates

New Features and Bug Fixes

Known Issues

Known Incompatibilities

LabVIEW NXG Support and Considerations

Automating the Installation of NI Products

Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 10

Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8.1

LabVIEW NXG Support and Considerations

Legal Information


About IVI Compliance Package

The IVI Compliance Package is a software package that contains the IVI class drivers and support libraries necessary to develop and use applications that leverage IVI instrument interchangeability. The IVI Compliance Package also is based on and is compliant with the latest version of the instrument programming specifications defined by the IVI Foundation. You can use the IVI class drivers in the IVI Compliance Package with IVI specific drivers.


IVI class drivers implement functions and attributes for controlling an instrument within a specified class, as defined by the IVI Foundation. The IVI Compliance Package provides IVI class drivers for the following specifications:


  • IviACPwr
  • IviCounter
  • IviDCPwr
  • IviDigitizer
  • IviDmm
  • IviDownconverter
  • IviFgen
  • IviPwrMeter
  • IviRFSigGen
  • IviScope
  • IviSpecAn
  • IviSwtch
  • IviUpconverter

IVI specific drivers are drivers for the most popular instruments from all of the currently defined IVI Foundation classes and from the largest instrument manufacturers including National Instruments, Keysight Technologies, and Tektronix. You can create IVI specific drivers yourself, or download them from ni.com/idnet.


Installed Components

Depending on the software support you select when you install ICP 18.0, the installation includes one or more of the following components:


  • IVI class drivers
  • IVI class simulation drivers
  • IVI class driver LabWindows/CVI support
  • IVI class driver wrappers for LabVIEW 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018
  • IVI class driver examples for LabWindows/CVI, LabVIEW, and Measurement Studio
  • IVI-COM adapters (32-bit only)
  • IVI Shared Components 2.6
  • IVI configuration plug-in for Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) 4.7 and later
  • Documentation

Supported Operating Systems

ICP has the following requirements:


  • Windows 10/8.11/7 SP12
  • Windows Embedded Standard 7 SP12
  • Windows Server 2012 R21
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 SP12

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  In 2016 ICP dropped support for Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and installations of Windows 7 without any service packs. ICP 18.0 will not install or run on an unsupported OS. You cannot deploy or distribute applications that use ICP 18.0 to an unsupported OS. Additionally, after installing ICP 18.0, 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 NI ADE Installer Fail on Windows XP/Vista and Windows Server 2003?.


Note  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.


NI Application Software Support

The following table lists the NI application software versions, including service packs, supported by ICP. If you are not using NI application software, refer to Microsoft Visual Studio Support.


NI Application Software Versions Supported by IVI Compliance Package
NI LabVIEW 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
NI LabWindows™/CVI™ 7.1, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017

Installation Instructions

Installing ICP for LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI

ICP is included in the National Instruments Device Drivers media. A stand-alone web distribution version is available from ni.com/downloads.


Note  National Instruments recommends that you close all other applications before you install ICP 18.0.


To install the stand-alone, web-only version of ICP, complete the following steps:


  1. Download the ICP 18.0 self-extracting archive file from http://www.ni.com/downloads/drivers/ by searching for IVI compliance Package.
  2. Double-click the self-extracting archive file to launch the installer.
  3. Click OK to begin installation.
  4. Follow the directions that appear on the screen.

Installing ICP for LabVIEW NXG

NI automates LabVIEW NXG installation using NI Package Manager. Visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code NIPMDownload to download NI Package Manager. Refer to the NI Package Manager Manual for more information about installing, removing, and upgrading NI software using NI Package Manager.


Complete the following steps to install ICP for LabVIEW NXG.


  1. Visit ni.com/info and enter the info code NXGDownload to access the LabVIEW NXG download page.
  2. Click Download LabVIEW NXG 1.0.
  3. NI Package Manager installs, then automatically opens a download window.
  4. Select LabVIEW NXG Suite and click the green Install button.
  5. Select LabVIEW NXG 1.0 and ICP 18.0.
  6. Complete the installer instructions to download LabVIEW NXG 1.0 and ICP 18.0.

Installation Notes

  • ICP 18.0 stand-alone, web-only distribution does not install NI I/O Trace (formerly known as NI-Spy) or MAX. You can install NI I/O Trace and MAX using several other National Instruments products, including the NI Device Drivers media.
  • The installation directory for LabWindows/CVI IVI Class examples and IVI Class Simulation drivers has been changed. The new installation directory is <All Users>\Documents\National Instruments\CVI\Samples\IVI directory.
  • ICP 3.2 and later versions include IVI-COM adapters, which enable users to use IVI-C and IVI-COM specific drivers interchangeably in the same 32-bit application. For more information on IVI-COM adapters, refer to the IVI-C Class Driver Support for IVI-COM Specific Drivers document.
  • ICP 4.5 and later versions install alternate FP and SUB files for the IviFgen class driver in order to support setting 64-bit integer attributes. For more information, refer to KnowledgeBase 5WOA752F: Issue Setting IviFgen Attribute ID Using Get/Set/CheckAttributeViInt64 Functions.
  • If you use ICP 4.5 or later to build a driver, the driver will work on a system that has ICP 2.5 or later.
  • If Windows Update is enabled, the installation process might hang if Windows Update interferes with the installation of Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Run-Time. Visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code exjq43 for more information and steps to resolve this issue.

Uninstall Considerations

Complete the following steps to uninstall ICP 18.0:


  1. From the Control Panel, select Uninstall a Program.
  2. Select National Instruments Software.
  3. Select NI IVI Compliance Package 18.0.
  4. Click Remove.

Note: After you uninstall ICP 18.0, the IVI Shared Components remain on the system. To remove the remaining components, right-click IVI Shared Components 2.6 and select Uninstall/Change.


Note: If you installed ICP 18.0 as part of another distribution that depends on ICP 18.0, you cannot uninstall ICP 18.0 without uninstalling the dependent product.


LabWindows/CVI Version Support

The IVI Compliance Package provides support only for the latest version of LabWindows/CVI installed on your computer. If you install the IVI Compliance Package on a computer with LabWindows/CVI installed, then upgrade to a later version of LabWindows/CVI, complete the following steps to modify the IVI Compliance Package installation to get IVI support for the later version of LabWindows/CVI:


  1. From the Control Panel, select Uninstall a Program.
  2. Select National Instruments Software.
  3. Select NI IVI Compliance Package 18.0 and click Modify.
  4. For the LabWindows/CVI Support feature under IVI Class Drivers, select Remove this feature and complete the installation.
  5. Repeat steps 1 through 3.
  6. For the LabWindows/CVI Support feature under IVI Class Drivers, select Install this feature to a local drive and complete the installation.

This process removes IVI class driver support for the previous version of LabWindows/CVI and adds this support for the later version of LabWindows/CVI.


Product Security and Critical Updates

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.


New Features and Bug Fixes

This release includes the following new features and bug fixes:


  • CAR#672626: Allow adding new repeated capabilities on-the-fly
  • CAR#650181: ICP installer no longer unlocks the VXIPNP directory
  • CAR#671190: Updated the IVI class driver header files for IviDigitizer, IviPwrMeter, and IviSpecAn to include defined values for function parameters
  • Include IVI Shared Components 2.6
  • Miscellaneous installer changes

Known Issues

  • National Instruments IVI libraries, tools, and utilities support only single-byte character strings. You cannot use multi-byte characters, such as those commonly used in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean operating systems. Only single-byte characters, such as ASCII characters, may be passed to IVI function calls, used to set directory paths, and used to create entries in the MAX IVI Configuration Utility.
  • NI-Spy is now known as NI I/O Trace. Images in the National Instruments IVI Driver Help continue to reflect the NI-Spy name. However, the general functionality depicted in the images remains the same.
  • To build the IVI Class Simulation drivers using LabWindows/CVI 2015 or later, make sure to include the htmlhelp.lib and BufferOverflowU.lib files from the Windows SDK version 8.1.

Known Incompatibilities

  • In ICP 18.0 and IVI Shared Components 2.6, the installers no longer unlock the IVI Foundation directory. Therefore, you no longer can modify the files installed under the IVI Foundation directory. Furthermore, if you want to make IVI configuration changes in MAX, you must launch MAX with Administrator privileges.

LabVIEW NXG Support and Considerations

The following sections detail considerations for using LabVIEW NXG with ICP 18.0.


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 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,  ni.com/windows10.


Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8.1

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 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


© 1999–2018 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.


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 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.


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