June 2015
This file contains important information about the NI ELVISmx software and is organized into the following sections:
Operating System Support
Software Requirements
Accessing the Help
Product Security and Critical Updates
What's New
Driver Version Naming Changes
Using the Instruments in Manual Mode (NI ELVIS II Series Only)
Documentation
Known Issues
Automating the Installation of NI Products
How to Use NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8
NI ELVISmx Drops Support for Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 in 2016
The NI ELVISmx driver provides driver support for NI ELVIS II series and NI myDAQ hardware. Refer to ni.com/downloads for the latest information about the NI ELVISmx driver.
For more information on how to get started with NI ELVIS II series, visit ni.com/nielvis. Visit ni.com/mydaq for materials related to NI myDAQ.
Note: NI ELVISmx driver software does not support Legacy NI ELVIS workstations. National Instruments recommends NI ELVIS II/II+ programmed with NI ELVISmx driver software for new applications. Refer to ni.com/downloads for the NI ELVIS Software driver for Legacy ELVIS workstations.
The following operating systems are supported in NI ELVISmx 15.0:
* NI ELVISmx is not supported in LabVIEW (64-bit), but NI ELVISmx software instruments are still available for use. For full programmatic functionality with LabVIEW and NI ELVISmx, you must have LabVIEW (32-bit) installed on a Windows 8.1/8/7/Vista (64-bit) operating system.
| Caution If you plan to perform an upgrade of your system from a prior version of Microsoft Windows to Microsoft Windows Vista, you are required to uninstall all National Instruments software prior to performing the upgrade. After the upgrade has been completed, you can reinstall your National Instruments software. |
You must have NI-DAQmx 15.0 or later installed to use NI ELVISmx 15.0. NI ELVISmx 15.0 installs NI-DAQmx 15.0 by default. NI ELVISmx 15.0 is used with LabVIEW 2012 or later. If you are using NI SignalExpress, you must use version 2012 or later. If you are using NI Multisim, you must use version 12.0 or later.
Note: Because several of the NI ELVISmx instruments run the device at maximum speed, NI ELVIS II Series and NI myDAQ devices must be used with Hi-Speed USB interfaces.
Refer to the NI ELVISmx Help, accessible from NI ELVISmx Instrument launcher Resources tab, for information about using NI ELVISmx driver software with your device.
Visit ni.com/security to view and subscribe to receive security notifications about National Instruments products. Visit ni.com/critical-updates for information about critical updates from National Instruments.
NI ELVISmx 15.0 includes support for LabVIEW 2015.
NI ELVISmx versions are now aligned with the versions of major NI application software products. This alignment gives you information about the year the driver was released and the most recent software version the driver was designed to work with. Driver versions now start with a two-digit year indicator: NI ELVISmx 15.0. For example, NI ELVISmx 15.0 is the version released with LabVIEW 2015. The last version released under the old numbering scheme is NI ELVISmx 4.5. The first version released under the new numbering scheme was NI ELVISmx 14.0.
The Variable Power Supplies and Function Generator can be set to Manual mode or Software mode by using their associated Soft Front Panel Instruments, Express VIs, or SignalExpress Steps. In Manual mode, the knobs on the NI ELVIS II Series Workstation control the instrument outputs.
The following list describes the documentation that installs with NI ELVISmx:
To download the latest NI ELVISmx documentation, refer to ni.com/manuals.
You can automate the installation of most NI products using command-line arguments to suppress some or all of the installer user interface and dialog boxes. However, starting with the August 2012 releases (products using NI Installers version 3.1 or later), you may need to perform additional steps before or during a silent installation of NI software.
If the NI product you are installing uses Microsoft .NET 4.0, the .NET installer may run before any NI software installs and may require a reboot before the installation of NI software begins. To avoid a .NET reboot, install .NET 4.0 separately before you install NI software.
For more information, refer to the following KnowledgeBase articles:
When you install National Instruments software on Microsoft Windows 8.x, you will notice a few additional tiles in the Apps view, including shortcuts to NI application software products such as NI LabVIEW, Measurement & Automation Explorer (NI MAX), and NI Launcher.
NI Launcher helps you find and launch installed NI products. It provides you with a method of finding NI products similar to the Start menu in previous versions of Microsoft Windows. To use NI Launcher, click the NI Launcher tile in the Apps view. NI Launcher launches the desktop and opens a menu containing a list of NI products. Click any NI product to launch it.
Note NI MAX does not appear as a desktop shortcut when installed on Microsoft Windows 8.x. You can launch NI MAX either from the Apps view or from within NI Launcher.
For convenience, you can pin your most-used NI applications, such as MAX, to either the Start screen or the Taskbar on the desktop, as necessary:
| Current Application | Icon Location | Pin to Action |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 8.x Desktop | Desktop Taskbar | Right-click application and select Pin to Taskbar |
| Windows 8.x Desktop | Start screen | Right-click application and select Pin to Start |
| Windows 8.x Start screen | Desktop Taskbar | Right-click application and select Pin to taskbar from the menu bar on the bottom of the screen |
If you want to find a particular application or related files, such as documentation files, from the Start screen, you can access all installed files from the Apps view. To get to the Apps view, right-click anywhere on the Start screen and select All apps (Windows 8.0) or click the down arrow on the bottom left of the screen (Windows 8.1).
For more information about NI support for Windows 8.x, visit ni.com/windows8.
National Instruments ELVISmx will drop support for Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 as of July 1, 2016. Versions of NI ELVISmx that ship after July 1, 2016 will not install or run on Windows Vista, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003. For detailed information about NI application software product life cycles, visit ni.com/info and enter one of the following Info Codes:
| Product | Info Code |
| NI LabVIEW | lifecycle |
| NI LabWindows™/CVI™ | cvi_lifecycle |
| NI Measurement Studio | mstudiolifecycle |
| NI TestStand | tslcp |
| NI DIAdem | ddlcp |
| NI SignalExpress | selcp |
| NI VeriStand | nivslifecycle |
Copyright
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End-User License Agreements and Third-Party Legal Notices
You can find end-user license agreements (EULAs) and third-party legal notices in the following locations after installation:
U.S. Government Restricted Rights
If you are an agency, department, or other entity of the United States Government ("Government"), the use, duplication, reproduction, release, modification, disclosure or transfer of the technical data included in this manual is governed by the Restricted Rights provisions under Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.227-14 for civilian agencies and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement Section 252.227-7014 and 252.227-7015 for military agencies.
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Patents
For patents covering the National Instruments products/technology, refer to the appropriate location: Help»Patents in your software, the patents.txt file on your media, or the National Instruments Patent Notice at ni.com/patents.