Simulate your device using NI-RFSG to develop, modify, and/or test an application without hardware. Using a simulated device to test an application eliminates the risk of hardware damage. Simulating a device also allows you to evaluate an NI product even if you do not have the hardware.

Complete the following steps to create and configure a simulated NI-RFSG device using the NI-RFSG instrument driver.
  1. Call the niRFSG Initialize With Options VI or the niRFSG_InitWithOptions function.
  2. Set the option string (or optionString) parameter.
    The option string parameter is composed of the Simulate and the DriverSetup keywords, as illustrated in the following example:
    Simulate=1,DriverSetup=Model:model number; BoardType:type
    Note You must enable simulation (Simulate=1) to simulate any device.

    The following table shows the valid values for model number and type:

    Option Valid Values
    model number 5610, 5611, 5644R, 5645R, 5646R, 5650, 5650E, 5651, 5651E, 5652, 5652E, 5653, 5654, 5670, 5671, 5672, 5673, 5673E, 5820, 5830, 5831, 5840, 5841, 5842, 5860
    type PXI, PXIe
    Note For PXI/PXIe-5650/5651/5652 devices only, you can use the BoardType:PXI and the BoardType:PXIe values to indicate whether a module is PXI or PXI Express, respectively.

Simulating a PXIe-5673E

When simulating the PXIe-5673E, you can use any of the following option string parameters:

Simulate=1,DriverSetup=Model:5673E

Simulate=1,DriverSetup=Model:5611; AWG:5450; LO:5652E

Simulate=1,DriverSetup=Model:5611; AWG:5450; LO:5652; loBoardType:PXIe

To simulate a PXIe-5673E with an external LO, use the following option string:

Simulate=1,DriverSetup=Model:5611; AWG:5450; LO:<external>

Simulating a PXIe-5650

When simulating the PXIe-5650, use either of the following option string parameters:

Simulate=1,DriverSetup=Model:5650E

Simulate=1,DriverSetup=Model:5650; BoardType:PXIe

Simulating a PXIe-5842

When simulating the PXIe-5842, use the following option string parameter:

Simulate=1,DriverSetup=Model:5842; LO:5655

Simulating a PXIe-5860

When simulating the PXIe-5860, use the following option string parameter:

Simulate=1,DriverSetup=Model:5860;Channel:0