Use relinking to re-establish a connection to a missing device. You can also use relinking to replace the missing device with a different device of the same model in an existing panel.

InstrumentStudio flags devices as missing if InstrumentStudio is closed and a device used in an InstrumentStudio project goes offline or has its name changed. The next time you open the project, the title bar of the panel is gray instead of blue. The panel also displays a "Missing hardware" message. The caution icon () appears over the instrument header menu of the affected panel and next to the missing device inside the instrument header menu. InstrumentStudio also notifies you of the missing device in the Edit Layout window.

Relink a missing device through the instrument header menu, or replace a missing device in the Edit Layout window. When you relink a missing device through the instrument header menu, InstrumentStudio applies the existing configuration of the device to the relinked device. You can replace a missing device through the Edit Layout window. In this case, InstrumentStudio discards the existing device configuration and creates another configuration for the replacement device.

Note You can also relink or locate a missing device through the Hardware Configuration Utility (HWCU) or Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX). If InstrumentStudio is open, changes made in HWCU or MAX are automatically applied to InstrumentStudio panels. If a device went missing because it was renamed while InstrumentStudio was closed, relink the missing device. To relink the missing device, open the InstrumentStudio panel that contains the missing device. Then, change the name of the device in HWCU or MAX to match the name that InstrumentStudio is looking for.

Relinking Missing Devices from the Instrument Header Menu

Note You can use this method to link a different device of the same model to an existing panel, even if the original device is not missing. Replacing a device in a panel through relinking preserves device settings from the original device and applies these settings to the replacement device.
  1. Open the instrument header menu of the panel () with the missing device.
  2. Select the missing device. The missing device has a caution icon () next to it.
  3. Select Relink.
  4. Select the name of the device that you want to link to the panel.
    Note When relinking from the instrument header menu, the relinked device must be the same model as the missing device. InstrumentStudio applies the existing device configuration to the new device when it is linked.
  5. Select Run on the relinked panel.

You relinked the missing device (or a device of the same model) to the panel.

Replacing Missing Devices from the Edit Layout Window

You cannot directly relink a missing device from the Edit Layout window. To remove a missing device and replace it with a different device, perform the following steps:

  1. Open the Edit Layout window in one of two ways:
    • From the document toolbar, select the Edit layout icon ().
    • From any instrument header menu, select Add/Remove devices.
      Note Opening the Edit Layout window through Add/Remove devices automatically filters the device list based on the type of panel you selected Add/Remove devices from. For best results, select Add/Remove devices from the panel that contains the device you want to replace.
  2. Locate the missing device. The missing device has a caution icon () next to it.
  3. Select the × next to the caution icon to remove the missing device from the layout.
    Note If the missing device was not part of a group, removing the device also removes the panel of the device.
  4. Add a replacement device of the same type to the panel (if adding to a group), or make a new panel with the replacement device.
    Note When replacing missing devices from the Edit Layout window, the new device must follow the same InstrumentStudio layout guidelines as any other device. Refer to Configuring Panels and Layout for more information on layout guidelines.
  5. Select OK to save your changes.
  6. Select Run on the edited panel.