December 2020
This file contains important information about NI System Configuration 20.5, including installation instructions, known issues, and a list of bugs fixed.
Product Security and Critical Updates
Automating the Installation of NI Products
Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 10
Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8.1
System Configuration 20.5 includes the following products:
System Configuration 20.5 contains an API that can be used to programmatically control various NI devices in a system. Refer to the Application Software Support section of this document for more information on the API.
System Configuration 20.5 and components support the following operating systems:
Note In 2016 System Configuration dropped support for Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and installations of Windows 7 without any service packs. System Configuration 20.5 will not install or run on an unsupported OS. You cannot deploy or distribute applications that use System Configuration 20.5 to an unsupported OS. Additionally, after installing System Configuration 20.5, 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, refer to KB 79UC78LS, NI Installer Fails on Windows XP/Vista and Windows Server 2003.
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, Windows Embedded Standard 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 this security update.
3 Support for Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 requires disabling Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration (IE ESC). Visit the NI website to learn how this affects your use of Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 and what actions you must take.
NI Software Drops Support for Phar Lap ETS Real-Time Operating System in 2022
NI Software will drop support for Phar Lap ETS Real-Time Operating System starting in 2022. Versions of this product that ship after May 1, 2022, may not install or execute correctly on this operating system. For high-level information on the support roadmap for Phar Lap and its replacement, NI Linux Real-Time, please visit ni.com/r/xf35k1. To find out what hardware is supported on PXI controllers running NI Linux Real-Time, please visit ni.com/r/b7g5wi.
System Configuration 20.5 supports the following application software versions, including service packs. If you are not using NI application software, refer to Microsoft Visual Studio Support.
| Application Software | Versions Supported by System Configuration |
|---|---|
| LabVIEW | 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 |
| LabWindows™/CVI™ | 2012 and later |
System Configuration 20.5 supports the following Microsoft Visual Studio versions and associated programming languages.
| Programming Language | Visual Studio Versions Support by System Configuration | Location of Visual Studio Examples on Windows 10/8.1/7 SP1 |
|---|---|---|
| .NET Framework 4.0 Languages (Visual C#) | 2010 | C:\Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments\MStudioVS2010\DotNET\Examples |
| .NET Framework 4.5 Languages (Visual C#) | 2012 | C:\Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments\MStudioVS2012\DotNET\Examples |
NI installs System Configuration 20.5 using NI Package Manager. If you do not already have NI software installed, System Configuration 20.5 installs NI Package Manager to handle the installation of your NI software. Visit ni.com/r/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.
System Configuratoin will drop support for Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit), Windows Server 2008 R2, and all 32-bit Windows operating systems 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.
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.
You can access the software and documentation known issues list online. Visit NI MAX and NI System Configuration Known Issues and Bug Fixes for an up-to-date list of known issues.
Visit the NI MAX and NI System Configuration Known Issues and Bug Fixes to access a list of the issues fixed for System Configuration and Measurement & Automation Explorer online. This is not an exhaustive list of issues fixed in the current version of System Configuration and Measurement & Automation Explorer. If you have a Bug ID, you can search this list to validate that the issue has been fixed.
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.
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.
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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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.
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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