Complete the following steps to discover your hardware in a project.

  1. Create a new project in LabVIEW or open an existing project.
  2. Right-click the project root in the Project Explorer window and select New»Targets and Devices from the shortcut menu to display the Add Targets and Devices dialog box.
  3. Select the appropriate device from the Targets and Devices list.
    Note If you cannot find the appropriate device, you may not have configured it for your network using Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX). Launch MAX and refer to the MAX help for CompactRIO.
  4. Click the OK button.
  5. If the Select Programming Mode dialog box appears, select LabVIEW FPGA Interface or Scan Interface as appropriate.
  6. Click the Continue button.
  7. If the Discover C Series Modules? dialog box appears, click the Discover button.
  8. Right-click a module in the Project Explorer window and select Properties from the shortcut menu to configure module-specific settings.
  9. Repeat steps 2 through 8 to add an expansion chassis or additional expansion chassis to the project.

Project Targets and Items

LabVIEW adds targets and items to your project for the hardware in your system.

The following table shows the target icons LabVIEW displays in the project.

Table 8. Target Icons in LabVIEW
Target Icon Device Description
CompactRIO controller LabVIEW adds this controller target to a project for a CompactRIO controller.
Ethernet RIO chassis LabVIEW adds this target to a project for a Ethernet RIO chassis. The Ethernet RIO chassis is not a real-time target, but it can add expansion I/O to a real-time target.
Single-Board RIO device LabVIEW adds this controller target to a project for a Single-Board RIO device.
myRIO device LabVIEW adds this controller target to a project for a myRIO-1900.
myRIO device LabVIEW adds this controller target to a project for a myRIO-1950.
roboRIO device LabVIEW adds this controller target to a project for a roboRIO.
NI ELVIS RIO Control Module (NI ELVIS RIO CM) device LabVIEW adds this controller target to a project for an NI ELVIS RIO CM.

The following table shows the item icons LabVIEW displays in the project.

Table 9. Item Icons in LabVIEW
Item Icon Device Description
CompactRIO chassis, Ethernet RIO chassis LabVIEW adds this chassis target to a project for a CompactRIO chassis or Ethernet RIO chassis.
MXIe-RIO chassis LabVIEW adds this chassis target to a project for a MXIe-RIO chassis. You can add a MXIe-RIO chassis to a real-time controller or the host PC.
Single-Board RIO, myRIO, roboRIO, or NI ELVIS RIO CM device LabVIEW adds this chassis target to a project for a Single-Board RIO, myRIO, roboRIO, or NI ELVIS RIO CM device.
FPGA LabVIEW adds this FPGA target to a project for the FPGA on a CompactRIO chassis, Ethernet RIO chassis, MXIe-RIO chassis, or Single-Board RIO device in the FGPA Interface.
C Series modules LabVIEW adds this module target to a project for C Series modules.
Onboard C Series modules LabVIEW adds this module target to a project for C Series modules onboard a Single-Board RIO device.