Extending Compatibility Between LabVIEW and NI Drivers with Addon Support

Overview

Starting with LabVIEW 2022Q3 release, select NI drivers and toolkits will become version-independent from LabVIEW release. This will allow users to upgrade their LabVIEW version without having to also update their NI addons. This document outlines the change made and which NI drivers and toolkits are affected with this change.

Contents

Introducing Extended LabVIEW and Driver Compatibility

Prior to the release of LabVIEW 2022 Q3, new driver versions were required with every major release of LabVIEW. If a user wanted to upgrade their LabVIEW version while continuing to update their application, they were also required to upgrade their drivers.  

Starting in 2022 Q3, NI released select drivers and toolkits that function with a minimum LabVIEW version (e.g. LabVIEW 2022Q3) and all future versions of LabVIEW. This allows newer versions of LabVIEW (e.g. LabVIEW 2023Qx), to be installed without upgrading to new versions of these drivers.

This new form of support for drivers and toolkits is referred to as a LabVIEW Addon. A LabVIEW Addon differs from previous support in two ways:

  • The VIs are installed as source-only (meaning they are not compiled for a specific version of LabVIEW)
  • The support is installed to a version-independent LabVIEW directory, the LVAddons directory.

Upgrade Process Prior to LabVIEW 2022 Q3 Release

Upgrade Process for Select Drivers from 2022 Q3 Release Onward

 

Note: Not all drivers and toolkits will be available with this extended compatibility immediately with the LabVIEW 2022 Q3 release. See the following section for a list of drivers and the associated LabVIEW version which include Addon support.

Driver and Toolkit Addon Support

See the table below for compatibility information. The driver version shown in the table is the first driver version to include Addon support for the indicated LabVIEW version. LabVIEW compatibility information can also be found in individual driver and toolkit readmes.

There are no current plans to make LabVIEW Real Time, LabVIEW FPGA, and LabVIEW Data Supervisory Control Module independent of LabVIEW versions.

 

 

* The FPGA components of NI-Digital Pattern Driver 2022 Q4 did not receive Addon support. This support was added in NI-Digital Pattern Driver 2023 Q1. Using NI-Digital Pattern Driver 2022 Q4, customers with LabVIEW 2023+ will not be able to compile bitfiles for NI-Digital instruments. Customers using NI-Digital Pattern Driver 2022 Q4 without LabVIEW FPGA Module 2023+ installed will not be able to deploy bitfiles in LabVIEW 2023+.

Drivers Maintaining Traditional Compatibility

Not all NI drivers will be updated to include Addon support. These drivers will continue with the traditional driver compatibility requirements outlines above.

Examples of drivers that do not have planned support for Addons include:

  • NI-Motion
  • LabVIEW SoftMotion Module
  • VirtualBench
  • NI-WSN
  • NI-PXImc
Driver/ToolkitLabVIEW 2022 Q3 Addon SupportLabVIEW 2023 Q1 Addon SupportLabVIEW 2024 Q1 Addon Support
Automotive Diagnostic Command Set Toolkit2022 Q42022 Q42022 Q4
ECU Measurement and Calibration Toolkit2022 Q42022 Q42022 Q4
FlexRIONot available2023 Q12023 Q1
Industrial Controller Device DriversNot available2023 Q12023 Q1
IVI Compliance Package2022 Q32022 Q32022 Q3
LabVIEW Electrical Power ToolkitNot available2023 Q32023 Q3
LabVIEW Instrument Design Libraries for High-Speed Serial InstrumentsNot available2023 Q32023 Q3
LabVIEW Instrument Design Libraries for IF DigitizersNot available2023 Q12023 Q1
LabVIEW Instrument Design Libraries for Reconfigurable OscilloscopesNot available2023 Q22023 Q2
LabVIEW Modulation ToolkitNot available2023 Q32023 Q3
LabVIEW OPC UA Toolkit2022 Q42022 Q42022 Q4
LabVIEW Sound and Vibration Toolkit2023 Q32023 Q32023 Q3
NI CompactRIONot available2023 Q12023 Q1
NI R Series Multifunction RIONot available2023 Q12023 Q1
NI-568x Driver SoftwareNot available2023 Q12023 Q1
NI-5690 Driver Software2023 Q22023 Q22023 Q2
NI-845x Driver Software2022 Q32022 Q32022 Q3
NI-DAQmx2022 Q32022 Q32022 Q3
NI-DCPower2022 Q32022 Q32022 Q3
NI-Digital Pattern Driver*2022 Q42022 Q42022 Q4
NI-DMM2022 Q32022 Q32022 Q3
NI-Embedded CAN for sbRIONot available2023 Q22023 Q2
NI-FGEN21.821.821.8
NI-HSDIO2022 Q42022 Q42022 Q4
NI-Industrial Communications for CANOpen2022 Q42022 Q42022 Q4
NI-Industrial Communications for DeviceNet2022 Q42022 Q42022 Q4
NI-Industrial Communications for EtherCATNot available2023 Q12023 Q1
NI-Industrial Communications for Ethernet/IP2022 Q32022 Q32022 Q3
NI-RDMA2022 Q42022 Q42022 Q4
NI-RFSANot available2023 Q12023 Q1
NI-RFSGNot available2023 Q12023 Q1
NI-SCOPE2022 Q32022 Q32022 Q3
NI-SLSC2022 Q42022 Q42022 Q4
NI-SWITCH2022 Q42022 Q42022 Q4
NI-Sync2022 Q32022 Q32022 Q3
NI-USRPNot available2023 Q32023 Q3
NI-VISA (excluding macOS)2022 Q32022 Q32022 Q3
NI-VISA for macOS2022 Q42022 Q42022 Q4
NI-VRTSNot available2023 Q22023 Q2
NI-XNETNot available2023 Q12023 Q1
PXI Platform Services2022 Q32022 Q32022 Q3
PXIe-7899 API and Design FilesNot available2023 Q22023 Q2
RFmxNot availableNot available2024 Q1
RMX-400x Electronic Load Driver2022 Q42022 Q42022 Q4
RMX-410x Power Supply Driver2022 Q32022 Q32022 Q3
RMX-412x Power Supply Driver2022 Q42022 Q42022 Q4
Switch ExecutiveNot available2023 Q12023 Q1
System Configuration2022 Q32022 Q32022 Q3
Vision Acquisition SoftwareNot available2023 Q12023 Q1
Vision Builder for Automated InspectionNot available2023 Q32023 Q3
Vision Development ModuleNot availableNot available2024 Q1

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