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RFmx SpecAn 20.6 Readme

January 2021

This file contains important information about the RFmx SpecAn, including system requirements, and installation instructions.

Overview

New Features

Supported Hardware

System Requirements

Supported Operating Systems

Application Software Support

Installation Instructions

Installed Software

File Locations

Executable

Accessing the API

Accessing the Help

Finding Examples

Product Security and Critical Updates

Behavior Changes

Known Issues

Bug Fixes

Automating the Installation of NI Products

Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 10

Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8.1

RFmx SpecAn Drops Support for Windows 7 (64-Bit) and Windows Server 2008 R2 in 2021

Legal Information


Overview

RFmx SpecAn offers simple access to the most advanced optimization techniques such as multi-measurement parallelism, multi-DUT measurements, and high dynamic range noise correction. The result is extremely fast and high-quality measurements with the minimal software development effort.

New Features

RFmx SpecAn 20.6 includes the following new features:

  • Support for PXIe-5832

RFmx SpecAn 20.0 includes the following new features:

  • Support for LabVIEW 2020 (32-bit and 64-bit)
  • Support for Start trigger, Advance trigger, and Events in RFInstr
  • Support to configure RFInstr properties in the context of signal configuration
  • Support for PXIe-5841 with PXIe-5655
  • Support for noise compensation in CHP measurement
  • Support for FFT Overlap in the Sequential FFT method of the ACP measurement
  • Support to configure PAVT measurement properties for each segment
  • Support for the trigger-type ' None ' in the PAVT measurement when measuring a single segment
  • Addition of Phase Unwrap Enabled and Frequency Error Mean properties in the PAVT measurement
  • Execution speed improvements for AMPM PxdB measurement

RFmx SpecAn 19.1 includes the following new features:

  • Support for PXIe-5830, PXIe-5831, and PXIe-5841
  • Support for single port phase and amplitude versus time (PAVT) measurement
  • Support for frequency converting DUTs using Y-Factor method in the noise figure measurement
  • Addition of high dynamic range and noise compensation features in the harmonics measurement
  • Addition of the equalizer feature in AMPM measurement

Supported Hardware

The following hardware products are supported in all operating systems listed in the Supported Operating Systems section.

Vector Signal Analyzers

  • PXIe-5663
  • PXIe-5663E
  • PXIe-5665
  • PXIe-5668
  • PXIe-5668 with PXIe-5698

Device-specific information about these modules is included in the NI RF Vector Signal Analyzers Help.

Vector Signal Transceivers

  • PXIe-5644
  • PXIe-5645
  • PXIe-5646
  • PXIe-5840
  • PXIe-5820
  • PXIe-5830
  • PXIe-5831
  • PXIe-5832
  • PXIe-5841
  • PXIe-5841 with PXIe-5655

Device-specific information about these modules is included in the NI RF Vector Signal Transceivers Help.

System Requirements

RFmx SpecAn has the following requirements:

  • Processor—1 GHz 64-bit (x64) processor
  • 4 GB RAM *
  • A screen resolution of 1,024 x 768
  • Windows 10/8.1/7, with all available critical updates and service packs

* Depending on the amount of data acquired and/or processed, a larger amount of memory may be required.

Supported Operating Systems

RFmx SpecAn 20.6 supports the following 64-bit operating systems:

  • Windows 10/8.1 1 /7 SP1 2
  • Windows Server 2016
  • Windows Server 2012 R2 1
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 2

1 NI software installs VC2015 Runtime and .NET 4.6.2. Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 require Microsoft updates to support these items. Refer to Microsoft KB2919442 and KB2919355 for more information about how to install these updates.

2 NI software is signed with a SHA-256 certificate. Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 require Microsoft updates to support SHA-256. Refer to Microsoft KB3033929 and KB3125574 for more information about how to install these updates.

Note   In 2019, RFmx SpecAn dropped support for all 32-bit Windows operating systems. RFmx SpecAn will not install or run on an unsupported OS. Refer to RFmx SpecAn Drops Support for Windows 7 (64-Bit) and Windows Server 2008 R2 in 2021 for information about future OS support.

Note   In 2016, RFmx SpecAn dropped support for Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and installations of Windows 7 without any service packs. You cannot deploy or distribute applications that use RFmx SpecAn 20.6 to an unsupported OS. Additionally, after installing RFmx SpecAn 20.6, you cannot use any installers built on this computer with any version of LabVIEW, LabWindows™/CVI™, NI TestStand™, or Measurement Studio on an unsupported OS.

For more information about the changes to our OS support for 2016, visit ni.com/r/OSSupport2016.

Application Software Support

RFmx SpecAn supports the following application software versions, including service packs. You should install application software, such as LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI or Microsoft Visual Studio®, before installing RFmx SpecAn. To add support for application software installed after installing RFmx SpecAn modify your RFmx SpecAn installation or launch the RFmx SpecAn installer again. If you are not using NI application software, refer to Microsoft Visual Studio Support.

Application Software Versions Supported by RFmx SpecAn
LabVIEW 2017, 2018 SP1 f4 patch, 2019 SP1 f3 patch, or 2020
LabWindows™/CVI™ 2015 or later

Required Software

  • NI-RFSA 14.1 or later
  • NI-RFSA 17.1 or later (for initializing debug session when "using breakpoints in C/C++/.NET application" is selected)
  • NI-RFSG 14.0.1 or later
  • NI-RFSG Playback Library 19.1 or later (for DPD examples)

Microsoft Visual Studio Support

If you are using the RFmx SpecAn .NET Class Library, .NET Framework 4.0 (minimum) is required. The RFmx SpecAn .NET Class Library can be used with Visual C# or Visual Basic .NET in any Visual Studio version that can target .NET Framework 4.0.

Installation Instructions

NI installs RFmx SpecAn using NI Package Manager. If you do not already have NI software installed, RFmx SpecAn installs NI Package Manager to handle the installation of your NI software. Visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code NIPMDownload to download NI Package Manager. Refer to the NI Package Manager Manual for more information about installing, removing, and upgrading NI software using NI Package Manager.

Notes

  • If Windows Update is enabled, the installation process might hang if Windows Update interferes with the installation of Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Run-Time. Visit ni.com/r/exjq43 for more information and steps to resolve this issue.
  • If you purchased this product with an NI Software Suite or NI Product Bundle, use the installation media that shipped with your purchase to install this product.

Installed Software

  • <MSTUDIOVS2010DIR> is an alias for the following National Instruments file folder location:
    • Program Files (x86)\National Instruments\MeasurementStudioVS2010
  • <NIDir> is an alias for the following National Instruments file folder location:
    •  Program Files (x86)\National Instruments 
  • <SYSDIR> is an alias for the following file folder location:
    • Windows\SysWOW64 for 32-bit programs and windows\system32 for 64-bit programs

File Locations

Item Installed Location
Version Compatibility Checker <NIDir>\RFmx\niRFmxCompatibility_Checker.exe
Debug Configuration Utility <NIDir>\RFmx\niRFmxDebugConfigurationUtility.exe
DLLs <SYSDIR>
Header files

<NIDir>\Shared\ExternalCompilerSupport\C\include

Import Library files (64-bit)
  • 32-bit: <NIDir>\Shared\ExternalCompilerSupport\C\lib32\msvc
  • 64-bit: <NIDir>\Shared\ExternalCompilerSupport\C\lib64\msvc
.NET Class Libraries
Assemblies <MSTUDIOVS2010DIR>\DotNET\Assemblies\Current\NationalInstruments.RFmx.SpecAnMX.Fx40.dll
<MSTUDIOVS2010DIR>\DotNET\Assemblies\Current\NationalInstruments.RFmx.InstrMX.Fx40.dll
<MSTUDIOVS2010DIR>\DotNET\Assemblies\Current\NationalInstruments.Common.dll

Executable

Select Start » All Programs » National Instruments » RFmx SpecAn » RFmx Soft Front Panel to launch the RFmx Soft Front Panel (64-bit).

Accessing the API

RFmx SpecAn palette VIs are available from the Functions » Measurement I/O » NI-RFmx » SpecAn palette.

Accessing the Help

Documentation for RFmx SpecAn is located at Start » All Programs » National Instruments » RFmx SpecAn » RFmx SpecAn Documentation. The documentation set is composed of the following documents.

Document Format Description
RFmx SpecAn Help HTML/Windows Help Contains primary help content for RFmx SpecAn. This help file is an HTML version of a traditional user manual that includes the following information:
  • An introduction to RFmx SpecAn
  • How to get started with application development
  • A complete reference for all RFmx SpecAn programming functions and VIs
RFmx SpecAn 20.6 Readme HTML (this document) Contains information about supported hardware and operating systems, new features, fixed issues, and legal notices.

Finding Examples

Select Help » Find Examples from LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI to launch the NI Example Finder and navigate to Hardware Input and Output » Modular Instruments » NI-RFmx » SpecAn. You can also select the Search tab to search all installed examples by keyword.

You can access all the installed RFmx SpecAn examples at Start » All Programs » National Instruments » RFmx SpecAn » RFmx SpecAn Examples.

Product Security and Critical Updates

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.

Behavior Changes

The following are the behavior changes in RFmx SpecAn 20.0 from RFmx SpecAn 19.1.

  • Deprecated the PAVT Measurement Start Time(s) property and the PAVT Configure Measurement Start Time API. Instead, use PAVT Segment Start Time (s) property and PAVT Configure Segment Start Time API, respectively.
  • Spectrum traces obtained after noise compensation in the ACP and Spectrum measurements are no longer hard-clipped to stay above -174 dBm/Hz.

The following are the behavior changes in RFmx SpecAn 19.1 from RFmx SpecAn 19.0.

  • For the noise figure measurement on PXIe-5830 and PXIe-5831, calibration data saved from the previous version of RFmx will not be valid and requires recalibration in RFmx 19.1.
  • Dropped support for Cleaner Spectrum property on PXIe-5830 and PXIe-5831
  • Obsoleted RFmxSpecAn Analyze (IQ) and RFmxSpecAn Analyze (Spectrum) APIs. Use RFmxSpecAn Analyze (IQ, 1 Wfm) and RFmxSpecAn Analyze (Spectrum, 1 Wfm) APIs instead.

The following are the behavior changes in RFmx SpecAn 19.0 from RFmx SpecAn 3.0.

  • Dropped support for LabVIEW 2015
  • Deprecated the Recommended I/Q Measurement Bandwidth property in RFInstr

Known Issues

You can access the RFmx SpecAn known issues online at RFmx SpecAn 20.6 Known Issues.

Bug Fixes

You can access the RFmx SpecAn bug fix list online at RFmx SpecAn 20.6 Bug Fixes. This list describes a subset of issues fixed in the RFmx SpecAn. If you have a Bug ID, you can search this list to validate that the issue has been fixed.

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.

If the NI product you are installing uses Microsoft .NET 4.6.2, 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 4.6.2 separately before you install NI software.

For more information about automating the installation of NI products, refer to Automating an Installer in the NI Package Manager manual.

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.

RFmx SpecAn Drops Support for Windows 7 (64-Bit) and Windows Server 2008 R2 in 2021

RFmx SpecAn will drop support for Windows 7 (64-bit) and Windows Server 2008 R2 starting in 2021. Versions of this product that ship after May 1, 2021, may not install or execute correctly on these operating systems. For detailed information about NI operating system support, visit ni.com/r/win32bitsupport.


Legal Information

Copyright

© 2014–2021 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.

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.

Trademarks

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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