August 2015
Thank you for using NI-VNA. This file contains important information about NI-VNA and is organized into the following sections:
Installed Software, Documentation, and Examples
Product Security and Critical Updates
Automating the Installation of NI Products
How to Use NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8.x
NI Software Support for Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003
NI-VNA 15.0 includes the following new features:
NI-VNA 14.0 includes the following new features:
NI-VNA 2.0.1 adds support for several bug fixes.
NI-VNA 2.0 includes the following new features:
The NI-VNA instrument driver supports the following devices on all Supported Operating Systems.
Device-specific information about these modules is included in the NI Vector Network Analyzers Help.
NI-VNA 15.0 supports the following operating systems:
Note: NI-VNA 15.0 does not support Windows Server non-R2 editions.
NI recommends that you have the most recent service pack for your operating system installed.
Note You should install ADEs, such as NI LabVIEW, NI LabWindows™/CVI™ or Microsoft Visual Studio®, before installing NI-VNA. To add support for ADEs installed after installing NI-VNA, modify your NI-VNA installation or launch the NI-VNA installer again.
| Note | $(IVIROOTDIR32) is configured as an environment variable on the target system. |
|---|---|
If you upgraded an installation of IVI, your files may be located in the following location:
|
| Note | $(IVIROOTDIR64) is configured as an environment variable on the target system. |
| Item | Installed Location on Windows 8.1/8.0/7/Vista/XP |
|---|---|
| NI-VNA | <IVIROOTDIR32>\Drivers\niVNA |
| NI-VNA Function Panel | <IVIROOTDIR32>\Drivers\niVNA\niVNA.fp |
| NI-VNA Examples | <NIDocDir>\niVNA\Examples |
| NI-VNA Header files | <IVIROOTDIR32>\Include |
| NI-VNA Import Library files (32-bit) | <IVIROOTDIR32>\Lib |
| NI-VNA Import Library files (64-bit) | <IVIROOTDIR32>\Lib_x64 |
| NI-VNA DLL (32-bit) | <IVIROOTDIR32>\Bin |
| Item | Installed Location on Windows 8.1 (64-bit)/8.0 (64-bit)/7 (64-bit)/Vista (64-bit) |
|---|---|
| NI-VNA Function Panel | <IVIROOTDIR64>\Drivers\niVNA\niVNA.fp |
| NI-VNA Header files | <IVIROOTDIR64>\Include |
| NI-VNA Import Library files (64-bit) | <IVIROOTDIR64>\Lib_x64 |
| NI-VNA DLL (64-bit) | <IVIROOTDIR64>\Bin |
Documentation for NI-VNA is located at Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-VNA»Documentation. The documentation set is composed of the following documents.
| Document | Format | Description |
|---|---|---|
| NI Vector Network Analyzers Help | HTML/Windows Help | Contains information about hardware and software for NI RF vector network analyzers. The help is an HTML version of a traditional user manual that includes the following information:
|
| Getting Started Guide for your device | Printed and PDF | Contains software and hardware installation, MAX configuration, signal connection, and troubleshooting information for your device. |
| Specifications for your device | Lists technical specifications for your device. | |
| Calibration Procedures for your device | Contains calibration instructions for your device. | |
| NI-VNA Readme | HTML (this document) | Contains information about supported hardware and operating systems, new features, fixed issues, and legal notices. |
| Introduction to niVNA | HTML | Contains information about driver documentation, examples, connecting to your instrument, configuring instrument settings, and known issues. |
| NI-VNA IVI Compliance Document | TXT | Contains information about IVI compliance. |
For the most recent revisions of documentation and for newly released documentation, visit ni.com/manuals.
To use the .NET API, you must install the the .NET class libraries or the .NET Wrapper in addition to the NI device driver. For information about versions of the .NET Framework and the drivers each supports, as well as the download location of the installer files, refer to the National Instruments .NET Driver Support document at ni.com/info and enter Info Code NETAPIdriversupport.
Note To view PDFs, you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. You can install the viewer from www.adobe.com/acrobat.
NI–VNA palette VIs are available from the Functions»Measurement I/O»NI–VNA palette.
NI–VNA functions are available in LabWindows/CVI from the Instrument menu. To load the NI–VNA function panel (.fp), select Instrument»Load, and navigate to IVI\Drivers\niVNA\niVNA.fp.
In LabVIEW, you can use the NI Example Finder to search or browse examples. NI–VNA examples are classified by keyword, so you can search for a particular device or measurement function. In LabVIEW, select Help»Find Examples to launch the NI Example Finder. The NI Example Finder offers two ways to access all installed LabVIEW example VIs and their descriptions:
The NI Example Finder is also available in LabWindows/CVI by selecting Help»Find Examples.
You can also access all the installed NI–VNA examples for LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI at Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI–VNA»Examples.
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-VNA 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: <ProductName><Year-BasedVersion>. For example, NI-VNA 14.0 is the version released with LabVIEW 2014. The last version released under the old numbering scheme is NI-VNA 2.0.1. The first version released under the new numbering scheme is NI-VNA 14.0.
For Windows XP, complete the following steps:
For Windows 7/Vista, complete the following steps:
For Windows 8.1/8.0, complete the following steps:
As part of the NI-VNA 15.0 installation, the following software is installed. To completely remove the NI-VNA 15.0 installation from your system, you must also remove all of the following packages:
Caution Several of the software packages listed above are shared with other NI software packages. If you attempt to remove a piece of software that something else is dependent on, a message launches to warn you about the software dependencies. You can choose to either uninstall all of the software or to leave the shared software installed. If you choose to uninstall the shared software, some of your other NI software may no longer function correctly.
Note Do not attempt to uninstall by manually deleting files.
You can access the software and documentation known issues list online. Refer to the NI-VNA 15.0 Known Issues at ni.com for an up-to-date list of known issues in NI-VNA 15.0.
The following items are changes in NI-VNA 15.0 from NI-VNA 14.0.
| ID | Fixed Issue |
|---|---|
| 506610 | Fixed an issue in which NI-VNA measurements are incorrect after loading multiple CHX files using the niVNA Load Calibration And Configuration Data From File VI or the niVNA_LoadCalibrationAndConfigurationDataFromFile function. |
The following items are changes in NI-VNA 14.0 from NI-VNA 2.0.1.
| ID | Fixed Issue |
|---|---|
| 372001 | Fixed an issue in which the NI-568x RF power meter instrument driver returns an error during ni568x Fetch after calling niVNA Initialize. |
| 385555 | Fixed an issue in which NI-VNA returns an error during niVNA Load Calibration and Configuration Data From File when loading a file sourced from the NI-VNA Soft Front Panel. |
| 384845 | Fixed an issue in which the NI-VNA Soft Front Panel ignores floating point multiplier or divisor settings when configuring multiple source setup. |
The following items are changes in NI-VNA 2.0.1 from NI-VNA 2.0.
| ID | Fixed Issue |
|---|---|
| 378613 | Fixed an issue in which the NI PXIe-5632 periodically paused when sweeping with a low number of points and high IF bandwidth. |
| 375439 | Fixed an issue in which NI-VNA source power calibration incorrectly calibrated power when performing a segmented sweep. |
| 374013 | Fixed an issue in which NI-VNA incorrectly reported source-unleveled errors when performing a power sweep. |
| 374015 | Fixed an issue in which the NI-VNA Soft Front Panel freezed while performing a source power calibration during a power sweep. |
NI-VNA contains third-party software for which the following licenses and notices apply:
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:
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.
NI-VNA will drop support for Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 as of July 1, 2016. Versions of NI-VNA 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 |
|---|---|
| LabVIEW | lifecycle |
| LabWindows™/CVI™ | cvi_lifecycle |
| Measurement Studio | mstudiolifecycle |
| TestStand | tslcp |
| DIAdem | ddlcp |
| SignalExpress | selcp |
| VeriStand | nivslifecycle |
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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.
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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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.
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