Managing System Hardware

Hardware Detection Types

The System Pane displays how devices are connected within your system. Refer to the following table for information about the different connection methods available in Hardware Configuration Utility.


Hardware Detection Type	Behavior	Example
Auto-discovered	Hardware Configuration Utility automatically detects the device and adds it to the System Pane. Changes to the device instantly appear in the System Pane. When the device is unplugged, powered down, or is no-longer reachable, it disappears from the System Pane.	A device connected to your computer with a USB cable, recognized by the driver, and which automatically appears in the System Pane.
Manually identified	The device can automatically appear in the System Pane. To manually add hardware, click Add Hardware in the System Pane toolbar. Changes to the device can automatically appear in the System Pane. If a change does not appear, you can need to use one of the following methods to view the change in the System Pane: Click the Refresh button in the System Pane toolbar. To re-scan for devices connected through a GPIB interface, select the GPIB device in the System Pane. Click Identify Instruments in the GPIB port Configuration Pane. To remove a manually identified device, Remove Hardware in the System Pane toolbar. Network devices typically disappear from the System Pane when disconnected or reserved by another user on your network.	A device connected to your system via a local network. Note Ethernet and GPIB devices typically require manual identification.
User declared	The device does not appear in the System Pane until you add it manually. Changes to the device do not apply to the System Pane device representation. You must manually specify changes in Hardware Configuration Utility. To remove the device from the system, you must manually remove it by clicking Remove Hardware in the System Pane toolbar.	A temperature sensor connected to one of your devices. Note Accessories must typically be user declared.

For information on adding devices that Hardware Configuration Utility does not detect automatically, refer to Manually Adding Hardware.
For information on adding simulated devices to a system, refer to Simulating System Hardware.

Manually Adding Hardware

This process describes how to add hardware devices that do not automatically appear in the Hardware Configuration Utility System Pane.

Prior to adding the hardware:

Ensure all necessary cables are connected to the device.
Ensure the device is connected to a power supply and powered on.
Clicking the Refresh button in the System Pane toolbar.

Click the Add Hardware button in the System Pane toolbar.

Choose from the following device types to add your missing hardware device:

Missing Device Type	Action Needed
Local Network Resources	Select the resource from the list in the Discovered Hardware tab and click Add.
Device with known IP address or hostname	Click the Add hardware by address tab and enter the device IP address or hostname, then click Connect.

Enter login credentials, if necessary.

Ensure the device is added to the System Pane. Restart the Hardware Configuration Utility for certain changes, like installing a device driver, to take effect.

Simulating System Hardware

You can add simulated hardware to a system in Hardware Configuration Utility. Use simulated devices as placeholders for devices that are currently unavailable or undergoing maintenance, or devices you plan to later acquire and integrate into a system.

Before adding a simulated device, you must install the required drivers for that device.

Click the Add Hardware button in the System Pane toolbar.
Click the Simulated tab.
Select the device you want to simulate from the list. Use the Filter to search for a device.

Note You must install the required driver for the selected device before you can add it to your system. The details for the required driver are shown in this window.

Note Some devices require a specific parent device, such as a chassis, to be present in the system. This device must be present in the system before proceeding.
Select the system to add the hardware to using the Connected To dropdown.
Click Add to add the simulated device.
The device appears in the System Pane, displaying Simulated as the device serial number.

Adding a Remote Real-Time System

Complete the following steps to connect to a remote RT system.

Click Add Hardware... .
Select the remote RT system from the list of Discovered hardware. To add hardware manually, click the By Address tab and specify the hostname or IP address.
(Optional) If the remote RT system is password-protected, enter your admin credentials when prompted.

Note Actions such as Manage Software and Format Disk require password authentication. If you skip this step, a password-protected system prompts you to enter credentials for individual actions.

If you enter your credentials, the user name is visible in the System pane toolbar.

Refer to Manually Adding Hardware for additional information on this process.

To remove a remote RT system from Hardware Configuration Utility, click the Remove button in the System pane toolbar.

Troubleshooting Device Discovery

Remote System Discovery Wizard

To troubleshoot undiscovered hardware, click Add Hardware and then click Troubleshoot.

Complete the steps in the dialog to connect to the remote system.

Additional Troubleshooting

Ensure your device supports your operating system, and ensure the necessary drivers are installed. Refer to NI Hardware and Software Operating System Compatibility for more information.

In Hardware Configuration Utility, click the Add Hardware button and review the displayed devices. Hardware Configuration Utility indicates devices that it discovers but does not support.

Note Windows users may be able to use NI MAX to configure unsupported devices.

On Linux, you can check if localhost discovers a device by entering the following command in a terminal:

 lsni -v

This command returns discovered System Configuration API Experts and discovered hardware resources. The command returns the following information, if applicable:

resource hostname
primary expert
model name
serial number
IP address

Hardware Configuration Utility User Manual

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