Creating DAQmx Tasks, Global Virtual Channels, and Scales

Information about configuring channels for specific devices may be found in the device or NI-DAQmx documentation.

Refer to your application software documentation for more information on programming with your task or virtual channel.

Creating a Task or Global Virtual Channel

Follow these steps to create a task or global virtual channel:

1. In NI Hardware Manager, select your device in the hardware list.
2. In the top section of the right rail, click Create Task or Create Channel. The DAQ Assistant window opens.
3. After the DAQ Assistant opens, complete the following steps to create a new task or global virtual channel:
   1. Select an I/O type, such as analog input.
   2. Select the measurement or generation to perform. You can later add multiple measurement types to a task, but you must first create the task with one measurement type.
      
      
      
      
   3. Select the sensor to use, if applicable for that measurement.
   4. A dialog box prompts you to select physical channels used for creating the local virtual channels.
      
      
      
      
      • For hardware that supports multiple channels in a task, you can select multiple channels to add to your task at the same time.
      • Alternatively, you can add global virtual channels to the task, or copy information from an existing global virtual channel to local virtual channels.
      • If your system uses a TEDS sensor, click the TEDS tab. Select the physical channels. DAQ Assistant imports the sensor setting and uses the information to create the task.

      Click Next.

   5. Type the new task or global virtual channel name. Click Finish.
   6. Configure measurement-specific settings, timing, triggering, and scaling, if necessary.
      • In a task, you can add channels of the same or different measurement types.
      • If one or more channels use TEDS sensors, some settings loaded from TEDS are not editable.
      Save your configuration.
4. Click OK to save your task or channel.

Creating Scales

Use an NI-DAQmx Scale to convert the prescaled units measured by a physical channel to scaled units associated with your transducer or actuator.

NI-DAQmx has explicit support for the most common transducers and actuators. For example, when creating an analog input temperature virtual channel, you can specify the transducer type (such as a thermistor, RTD, or thermocouple) for the measurement. If NI-DAQmx does not explicitly support your transducer or actuator, you can create an NI-DAQmx Scale that specifies how to convert from the prescaled units to the scaled units.

Follow these steps to create new scales:

1. In NI Hardware Manager, select your device in the hardware list.
2. In the top section of the right rail, click Create Scale. The DAQ Assistant window opens.
   
   
   
   
3. When the Create Scale wizard launches, select the scale type and click Next.
4. Enter a name for your scale.
5. Click Finish to continue configuring your scale in the DAQ Assistant.
6. Click OK to save your scale.