NI-CAN 17.0 Readme

May 2017


ni.com/support

This file contains information about the NI-CAN™ driver software for Windows 10/8/7 and LabVIEW™ Real-Time (ETS). Information in this file is organized in the following sections:



Documentation

The CAN Hardware and NI-CAN Software for Windows Installation Guide included with the NI-CAN CD includes instructions for installing National Instruments CAN hardware and software.


The NI-CAN Hardware and Software Manual is the primary document for NI-CAN products. This manual includes an introduction to CAN, specifications for hardware, information about how to get started with application development, and a complete reference for all NI-CAN functions.


The NI-CAN Hardware and Software Manual is in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). You can download the Acrobat Reader for free at: www.adobe.com.


Open the manual from Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-CAN.


Links to the NI-CAN Hardware and Software Manual are in the online help for each NI-CAN function within the National Instruments LabVIEW and LabWindows™/CVI™ development environments.


Online help for the NI-CAN features within Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) is in the MAX Help Topics menu. The MAX Help Topics menu for NI-CAN also includes a link to the NI-CAN Hardware and Software Manual.


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Supported Platforms

Supported Operating Systems

You must install and run this version of the NI-CAN software on the following operating systems:


  • Windows 10 (32-bit and 64-bit)
  • Windows 8 (32-bit and 64-bit)
  • Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit)

The NI-CAN installer does not support Windows Vista/XP/NT/Me/2000/98/95.


Supported Hardware

This version of the NI-CAN software supports the following National Instruments hardware products on Windows and LabVIEW RT:


  • PCI-CAN, PCI-CAN/2 (High-Speed; Series 1 and 2)
  • PCI-CAN/LS, PCI-CAN/LS2 (Low-Speed/Fault-Tolerant; Series 1 and 2)
  • PCI-CAN/DS, (Dual Speed: Port-1 High-Speed, Port-2 Low-Speed; Series 1)
  • PCI-CAN/XS, PCI-CAN/XS2, (Software-Selectable HS/LS/SW; Series 2)
  • PXI-8460, one-port or two-port (Low-Speed/Fault-Tolerant; Series 1 and 2)
  • PXI-8461, one-port or two-port (High-Speed; Series 1 and 2)
  • PXI-8462, (Dual Speed: Port-1 High-Speed, Port-2 Low-Speed; Series 1)
  • PXI-8464, one-port or two-port (Software-Selectable HS/LS/SW; Series 2)

This version of the NI-CAN software supports the following National Instruments hardware products on Windows:


  • USB-8472 (Low-Speed/Fault-Tolerant CAN)
  • USB-8472s (Low-Speed/Fault-Tolerant CAN with synchronization)
  • USB-8473 (High-Speed CAN)
  • USB-8473s (High-Speed CAN with synchronization)
  • USB-8476 (LIN)
  • USB-8476s (LIN with synchronization)
  • PCMCIA-CAN, PCMCIA-CAN/2 (Series 1 and 2)

Several National Instruments Series 1 CAN hardware products are not supported in this version of NI-CAN. Install NI-CAN version 2.2 for support of the following hardware products (available on ni.com):


  • PCI-CAN, (pre-1998 CAN card, part numbers 183887A-01 and 183887B-01)
  • PCI-CAN/2, (pre-1998 CAN card, part numbers 183887A-02 and 183887B-02)
  • PCMCIA-CAN, (pre-1998 CAN card, part numbers 184272A-01, 184272B-01, and 184272C-01)
  • PCMCIA-CAN/2, (pre-1998 CAN card, part numbers 184272A-02, 184272B-02, and 184272C-02)

Install NI-CAN version 2.1.3 for support of the following AT (ISA) hardware products (available on ni.com):


  • AT-CAN
  • AT-CAN/2 (ISAPNP cards; High Speed; Series 1)

The NI-CAN software supports only National Instruments CAN hardware products. For information about software for CAN products from other vendors, refer to the documentation you received with those products.


Supported Development Environments

This version of the NI-CAN software supports the following development environments:


  • LabVIEW 2014 (32-bit), LabVIEW 2015 (32-bit), and LabVIEW 2016 (32-bit), LabVIEW 2017 (32-bit)
  • LabVIEW Real-Time (ETS) 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017
  • LabWindows/CVI 8.0 (or newer)
  • Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0
  • Microsoft Visual C/C++ 6.0
  • Borland C/C++

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Installing NI-CAN

Before installing the NI-CAN software, log on as Administrator or as a user with Administrator privileges. The NI-CAN software setup program must have Administrator privileges because the program modifies the configuration registry of your system. Complete the following steps to install the NI-CAN software.


  1. Insert the NI-CAN software CD into your CD-ROM drive. The installer launches if your CD-ROM drive plays data CDs automatically. If the installer does not launch automatically, navigate to the CD using Windows Explorer and launch the autorun.exe file from your NI-CAN software CD.
  2. The installation wizard guides you through the necessary steps to install the NI-CAN software. You can go back and change values where appropriate by clicking the Back button. You can exit the setup where appropriate by clicking Cancel.
  3. When the installation is complete, click Finish.

NI-CAN Updates and Notifications

National Instruments posts information about critical updates and security notifications on ni.com. For more information on critical updates and security notifications, refer to Available Critical and Security Updates for NI Software.


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Product Security and Critical Updates

Visit ni.com/security to view and subscribe to receive security notifications about NI products. Visit ni.com/critical-updates for information about critical updates from NI.



New Features and Changes as Compared to NI-CAN 16.0

The NI-CAN 17.0 release adds the following features:


  • Added support for LabVIEW 2017 (32-bit).
  • Removed support for LabVIEW 2013.

New Features and Changes as Compared to NI-CAN 15.0

The NI-CAN 16.0 release adds the following features:


  • Added support for LabVIEW 2016 (32-bit).
  • Removed support for LabVIEW 2012.

New Features and Changes as Compared to NI-CAN 14.0

The NI-CAN 15.0 release adds the following features:


  • Added support for LabVIEW 2015 (32-bit).
  • Removed support for LabVIEW 2011.

New Features and Changes as Compared to NI-CAN 2.7.5

The NI-CAN 14.0 release adds the following features:


  • Added support for LabVIEW 2014 (32-bit).
  • Removed support for LabVIEW 2010.

New Features and Changes as Compared to NI-CAN 2.7.4

The NI-CAN 2.7.5 release adds the following features:


  • Added support for LabVIEW 2013 (32-bit).
  • Removed support for LabVIEW 2009.
    • Added support for NI 9861 and 9862 devices on cDAQ through NI-XNET (LabVIEW 2010 or newer)

    For more information about running NI-CAN code on NI-XNET hardware, see the NI-XNET Compatibility for NI-CAN appendix in the NI-CAN Hardware and Software Manual.


New Features and Changes as Compared to NI-CAN 2.7.3

The NI-CAN 2.7.4 release adds the following features:


  • Added support for LabVIEW 2012 (32-bit).
  • Removed support for LabVIEW 8.6.
  • Removed support for Windows XP prior to Service Pack 3.

New Features and Changes as Compared to NI-CAN 2.7.2

The NI-CAN 2.7.3 release adds the following features:


  • Added support for LabVIEW 2011 (32-bit).
  • Removed support for LabVIEW 8.5.

New Features and Changes as Compared to NI-CAN 2.7

The NI-CAN 2.7.2 release adds the following features:


  • Added support for LabVIEW 2010 (32-bit).
  • Removed support for LabVIEW 8.2.

New Features and Changes as Compared to NI-CAN 2.6.x

The NI-CAN 2.7 release adds the following features:


  • Added support for PCI-8511, 8512, and 8513 devices through NI-XNET (LabVIEW 8.5 or newer)
  • Added support for PXI-8511, 8512, and 8513 devices through NI-XNET (LabVIEW 8.5 or newer)

For more information about running NI-CAN code on NI-XNET hardware, see the NI-XNET Compatibility for NI-CAN appendix in the NI-CAN Hardware and Software Manual.


New Features and Changes as Compared to NI-CAN 2.5.x

The NI-CAN 2.6.3 release adds the following features:


  • Added support for LabVIEW 2009.
  • Removed support for LabVIEW 7.1.

The NI-CAN 2.6 release adds the following features:


  • Added support for LabVIEW 8.6.
  • Removed support for LabVIEW 8.0.x.
  • Location of the C language interface and example files changed:

    The language interface and example files for Microsoft Visual C/C++ 6.0 and Borland C have moved from the Program Files\National Instruments\NI-CAN\MS Visual C\ directory to the Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments\NI-CAN\MS Visual C\ directory on Windows Vista and the Documents and Settings\All Users\Shared Documents\National Instruments\NI-CAN\Examples\MS Visual C\ directory on Windows XP/2000. This change satisfies Windows Vista requirements when allowing users to save changes or add files to the directory.

    The NIEXTCCOMPILERSUPP environment variable is provided as an alias to the location of C language support files (.h and .lib). You can use this variable when compiling and linking an application.

The NI-CAN 2.5.1 release adds the following features:


  • Added support for LabVIEW 8.5.

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Known Issues

The following items are the IDs and titles of a subset of issues known to be present in NI-CAN. If you have a CAR ID, you can search this list to validate issues known not to have been addressed for this release. This is not an exhaustive list of known issues in the current version of NI-CAN.


Issue NumberIssue
414367 When viewing NI-XNET cards on the monitor when using a Real-Time target, some cards may display as "Unknown Device." You can view the cards correctly through the NI-CAN RT Configuration Utility in MAX.

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Bug Fixes

The following items are the IDs and titles of a subset of issues fixed between NI-CAN 2.7.4 and NI-CAN 2.7.5. If you have a CAR ID, you can search this list to validate that the issue has been fixed. This is not an exhaustive list of issues fixed in the current version of NI-CAN.


Bug IDFixed Issue
361899 Memory corruption possible when reading data in LabVIEW.

The following items are the IDs and titles of a subset of issues fixed between NI-CAN 2.7.2 and NI-CAN 2.7.3. If you have a CAR ID, you can search this list to validate that the issue has been fixed. This is not an exhaustive list of issues fixed in the current version of NI-CAN.


Bug IDFixed Issue
251950 System hangs with ncAction Start when Log Start Trigger attribute is enabled.
282965 USB CAN modules disappear from MAX when multiple processes are executed at the same time.

The following items are the IDs and titles of a subset of issues fixed between NI-CAN 2.7.1 and NI-CAN 2.7.2. If you have a CAR ID, you can search this list to validate that the issue has been fixed. This is not an exhaustive list of issues fixed in the current version of NI-CAN.


Bug IDFixed Issue
145168 MUX in Motorola byte order does not work properly when sending less than a full 8-byte frame.
242580 Scheduler assertion error on NI PXI-8109 real-time controller when using ports on two different devices.

The following items are the IDs and titles of a subset of issues fixed between NI-CAN 2.6.2 and NI-CAN 2.7.1. If you have a CAR ID, you can search this list to validate that the issue has been fixed. This is not an exhaustive list of issues fixed in the current version of NI-CAN.


Bug IDFixed Issue
142729 NI USB-8473s synchronization fails with traffic on the bus.
226671 Error R6030 when compiling NI-CAN application in Visual Studio 2008.
233936 The nctInitStart function fails with NI-XNET compatibility error.

The following items are the IDs and titles of a subset of issues fixed between NI-CAN 2.6.1 and NI-CAN 2.6.2. If you have a CAR ID, you can search this list to validate that the issue has been fixed. This is not an exhaustive list of issues fixed in the current version of NI-CAN.


Bug IDFixed Issue
139394 Terminating an NI-CAN process on one CAN port might affect other CAN ports or cards.

The following items are the IDs and titles of a subset of issues fixed between NI-CAN 2.6 and NI-CAN 2.6.1. If you have a CAR ID, you can search this list to validate that the issue has been fixed. This is not an exhaustive list of issues fixed in the current version of NI-CAN.


Bug IDFixed Issue
122723 Blue screen when removing an NI USB-847x or PCMCIA CAN interface while running an NI-CAN application on it.
120242 Warning states should not trigger a notification callback.

The following items are the IDs and titles of a subset of issues fixed between NI-CAN 2.5.2 and NI-CAN 2.6. If you have a CAR ID, you can search this list to validate that the issue has been fixed. This is not an exhaustive list of issues fixed in the current version of NI-CAN.


Bug IDFixed Issue
103680 Timeline Recovery attribute for ncWriteNetMult VI/function does not work.
55364 Importing a CAN database in MAX incorrectly changes datatype for extended arbitration IDs.
93911 Calling ncClose frequently may result in a firmware no response error.
95354 Notification functions/ncWait for Read operations do not work on NI-847x interfaces.
42012 Using the timestamped input read mode with 64 tasks causes a kernel overflow error.
40750 You cannot set the Single Shot property when the Network Interface Object is running.
94653 The ncOpen function/VI could fail to start communication fast computers.

The following items are the IDs and titles of a subset of issues fixed between NI-CAN 2.5.1 and NI-CAN 2.5.2. If you have a CAR ID, you can search this list to validate that the issue has been fixed. This is not an exhaustive list of issues fixed in the current version of NI-CAN.


Bug IDFixed Issue
4DAGR870 NI-CAN 2.5.1 does not install VIs to support synchronization between Traditional NI-DAQ and CAN for LabVIEW 8.5.

The following items are the IDs and titles of a subset of issues fixed between NI-CAN 2.5 and NI-CAN 2.5.1. If you have a CAR ID, you can search this list to validate that the issue has been fixed. This is not an exhaustive list of issues fixed in the current version of NI-CAN.


Bug IDFixed Issue
47P90370 Fixed an issue where the LIN firmware was incorrectly calculating the enhanced checksum using the unprotected ID.
47ICPNSP Fixed an issue where CAN objects would not restart correctly when the Network Interface is restarted.
48H8PQ70 Fixed an issue where the computer would crash when the function SetProcessWorkingSetSize() is used to increase buffer memory.

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Additional Programming Topics

NI-DAQ Synchronization VIs

As the Traditional NI-DAQ driver software is not supported on Windows Vista or Windows 7, the following CAN/DAQ synchronization VIs are not available on Windows Vista or Windows 7:


  • CAN Clear with NI-DAQ.vi
  • CAN Clear Multiple with NI-DAQ.vi
  • CAN Sync Start with NI-DAQ.vi
  • CAN Sync Start Multiple with NI-DAQ.vi

Support of CANdb (*.DBC) Files

NI-CAN provides support for CANdb network files created using the Vector CANdb or CANdb++ editor. You can use the information from the CANdb file in Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) or with the NI-CAN Channel API. For more information, refer to the Using the Channel API chapter in the NI-CAN Hardware and Software Manual.


NI-CAN supports CANdb network files created using the CAN module of Vector products. NI-CAN does not provide complete support of CANdb files created using modules for higher-layer CAN protocols, such as J1939, ISO11783, or NMEA2000. To view the set of features supported for these modules, import the CANdb file into MAX. NI-CAN displays an error dialog for any unsupported object and displays those objects with a red mark. For example, the J1939 protocol for multiframe messages (greater than 8 bytes) is not supported in the current version of NI-CAN.


Updating Get/Set Attribute in Frame API for LabVIEW

NI-CAN 2.4 (or newer) includes several new Frame API attributes. If you have a LabVIEW VI written for an earlier version of NI-CAN, upgrading to NI-CAN 2.4 (or newer) will not automatically update constants or controls for the AttrId input. To use the new attributes, replace your older constants and controls using the AttrId input of the updated NI-CAN VIs.


If you do not want to use new Frame API attributes, you can continue to use the older constants and controls for compatibility.


This issue does not apply to the Channel API for LabVIEW. Because the Get/Set Property functions are provided as polymorphic VIs, they are automatically updated.


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Release Notes

  • The NI-XNET Compatibility Layer for NI-CAN currently supports NI-XNET CAN only PCI and CAN only PXI, CAN only C-Series and CAN/LIN USB-850x hardware.
  • The NI-XNET Compatibility Layer for NI-CAN currently does not support the LabVIEW example Channel Monitor.vi.
  • For USB-LIN interfaces, the LIN bus must be terminated. This is typically done at the master node. For information about how to enable or disable termination on the USB-LIN, refer to the ncSetAttribute attribute function with the Frame API.
  • The USB-LIN interfaces require external power from 8–18 V. For more details on the power requirements, refer to the USB-LIN specifications sections in the NI-CAN Hardware and Software Manual.
  • The USB LED quickly switches between green and amber when the hardware is first detected.
  • Fatal errors may cause the USB LED to flash in an error code pattern. Count the number of long and short flashes, then contact National Instruments support.
  • If using the USB CAN or LIN products with a USB hub, the hub must be powered.
  • Due to the inherent latencies of the Universal Serial Bus (USB), the driver on the host side might process data or states that the NI USB-847x series devices receive later than data from a plug-in (PCI, PXI, or PCMCIA) interface. This does not affect the timestamps, as those are generated on the hardware, but could cause timeout failures with the NI USB-847x series devices that will not happen on plug-in hardware. To avoid these timeout failures, increase the timeout value for functions that perform a wait for a certain state.

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Automating the Installation of NI Products

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 about automating the installation of NI products, refer to the following KnowledgeBase articles:


Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 10

Microsoft Windows 10 is the latest version of the Windows operating system and features significant changes compared to previous versions. Windows 10 introduces several new capabilities and also combines features from both Windows 7 and Windows 8. For more information about NI support for Windows 10, visit ni.com/windows10.


Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8.1

When you install NI software on Microsoft Windows 8.1, 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. For more information about NI support for Windows 8.1, visit ni.com/windows8.


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Legal Information

Copyright


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Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of National Instruments Corporation.


NI respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask our users to do the same. NI software is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Where NI software may be used to reproduce software or other materials belonging to others, you may use NI software only to reproduce materials that you may reproduce in accordance with the terms of any applicable license or other legal restriction.


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:


  • Notices are located in the <National Instruments>\_Legal Information and <National Instruments> directories.
  • EULAs are located in the <National Instruments>\Shared\MDF\Legal\license directory.
  • Review <National Instruments>\_Legal Information.txt for information on including legal information in installers built with NI products.

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.


IVI Foundation Copyright Notice


Content from the IVI specifications reproduced with permission from the IVI Foundation.


The IVI Foundation and its member companies make no warranty of any kind with regard to this material, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The IVI Foundation and its member companies shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.


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Refer to the NI Trademarks and Logo Guidelines at ni.com/trademarks for information on NI trademarks. Other product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.


Patents


For patents covering the NI products/technology, refer to the appropriate location: Help»Patents in your software, the patents.txt file on your media, or the NI Patent Notice at ni.com/patents.


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