Missing device indicators and recovery options in InstrumentStudio.

InstrumentStudio considers a device missing when a project references a device that is no longer available. For example, InstrumentStudio reports a device missing if it is disconnected, removed from the system, renamed, or unavailable when you reopen a project.

When InstrumentStudio detects a missing device, it displays the following indicators:

  • The title bar of the panel changes from blue to gray.
  • The panel displays a Missing hardware message.
  • A caution icon (Icon depicting a red triangle with a white exclamation point in the middle.) appears next to the instrument header menu of the affected panel.
  • A caution icon (Icon depicting a red triangle with a white exclamation point in the middle.) appears next to the missing device in the instrument settings menu (Icon depicting a cogwheel for the instrument settings menu of InstrumentStudio.).
  • A notification appears in the Edit Layout window.

You can resolve a missing device in one of the following ways:

Table 11. Relink Versus Replace in InstrumentStudio
Action Result
Relink a device Associates the panel with another device of the same model and preserves the existing device configuration.
Replace a device Associates the panel with a replacement device and creates a new device configuration.

If InstrumentStudio is open, changes made in Hardware Manager or Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) automatically apply to InstrumentStudio panels.

If a device is missing because the device name changed while InstrumentStudio was closed, you can relink the device by restoring the original device name in Hardware Manager or MAX.

The following sections provide guidance on managing missing devices.