October 2021
This file contains installation instructions and compatibility information NI-SWITCH.
If you plan to use LabVIEW NXG, refer to LabVIEW NXG Support and Considerations.
Product Security and Critical Updates
IVI Compliance Package Functionality
LabVIEW NXG Support and Considerations
Automating the Installation of NI Products
Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 10
Unsupported Windows Operating Systems
NI-SWITCH is an NI instrument driver that you can use to control and configure NI switches. NI-SWITCH is an interchangeable virtual instrument (IVI)–compliant instrument driver, and it features a set of operations and properties that exercise the functionality of the switch module and includes an interactive soft front panel and examples.
NI-SWITCH 21.3 has the following requirements:
Refer to the LabVIEW Readme for additional system requirements and supported operating systems for your version of LabVIEW.
NI-SWITCH 21.3 supports the following operating systems:
Note When migrating to NI Linux® Real-Time, refer to ni.com/r/RTOShardwaresupport to verify PXI hardware support and ensure you install the correct driver version.
Note Refer to Unsupported Windows Operating Systems for more information about support for Microsoft Windows OSes.
Note NI-SWITCH 21.3 no longer supports Windows Vista/XP/7/8.x, Windows Server 2003/2008/2012, or any 32-bit Windows operating system. NI-SWITCH 21.3 will not install or run on an unsupported OS. You cannot deploy or distribute applications that use NI-SWITCH 21.3 to an unsupported OS. Additionally, after installing NI-SWITCH 21.3, 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, visit https://www.ni.com/r/win32bitsupport.
NI-SWITCH 21.3 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 NI-SWITCH |
|---|---|
| LabVIEW | 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 |
| LabVIEW Real-Time Module 32-bit | 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 |
| LabVIEW Real-Time Module 64-bit | 2021 |
| LabVIEW NXG | 5.0 |
| LabWindows™/CVI™ | 2013 and later |
| LabWindows™/CVI™ Real-Time Module | 2013 and later |
If you are using the NI-SWITCH .NET Class Library, the .NET Framework 4.0 (minimum) is required. The NI-SWITCH .NET Class Library can be used with the Visual C# or Visual Basic .NET programming languages in any Visual Studio version that can target the .NET Framework 4.0 or the .NET Framework 4.5.
To use the .NET API, you must install 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 National Instruments .NET Driver Support.
Download the NI-SWITCH 21.3 installer from ni.com/downloads. NI software includes NI Package Manager to handle the installation. Refer to the NI Package Manager Manual for more information about installing, removing, and upgrading NI software using Package Manager.
Visit ni.com/security to view and subscribe to receive security notifications about NI products. For information about critical updates from NI, refer to Available Critical and Security Updates for NI Software.
NI-SWITCH no longer installs IVI Compliance Package (ICP). NI-SWITCH supports IVI configuration and runtime, but no longer supports the following features:
To use these features, you must install ICP separately. ICP is included in the Software Platform Bundle media. A stand-alone web distribution is available from ni.com/downloads.
The following list details the hardware models supported in NI-SWITCH 21.3.
Matrix Module for SwitchBlock
PXI Carrier Module for SwitchBlock
PXI Matrix Switch Module
PXI Multiplexer Switch Modules
PXI Programmable Resistor Module
PXI Relay Driver Module
PXI Relay Module
PXI RF Matrix Switch Module
PXI RF Multiplexer Switch Module
PXI RF Relay Module
PXI Signal Insertion Switch Module
PXI Transfer Switch Modules
You can access the NI-SWITCH 21.3 known issues list online at ni.com/r/niswitchrn.
You can access the NI-SWITCH 21.3 bug fix list online at ni.com/r/niswitchrn.
Refer to the NI Switches Help, accessible from Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-SWITCH»NI-SWITCH Documentation, for information about NI-SWITCH.
You can access all the installed NI-SWITCH examples at Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-SWITCH»NI-SWITCH Examples.
Select Help»Find Examples from LabVIEW to launch the NI Example Finder. LabVIEW examples for NI-SWITCH are located in the LabVIEW XXXX\examples\instr\niSwitch directory. You can modify an example VI to fit an application, or you can copy and paste from one or more examples into a VI that you create.
The NI Example Finder offers two ways to access all installed LabVIEW example VIs and their descriptions:
The following sections detail considerations for using LabVIEW NXG 5.0 with NI-SWITCH 21.3.
Software support for LabVIEW NXG differs in the following ways:
The following list details the hardware models supported in NI-SWITCH 21.3 for LabVIEW NXG 5.0.
Matrix Module for SwitchBlock
PXI Carrier Module for SwitchBlock
PXI Matrix Switch Module
PXI Multiplexer Switch Module
PXI Programmable Resistor Module
PXI Relay Driver Module
PXI Relay Module
PXI RF Matrix Switch Module
PXI RF Multiplexer Switch Module
PXI RF Relay Module
PXI Signal Insertion Switch Module
PXI Transfer Switch Modules
View context help in LabVIEW by pressing <Ctrl-H> and hovering over an object.
Search for items using the search bar in the upper right corner of the LabVIEW window. You can also view context help for the search results.
Additional documentation is available online at ni.com/manuals.
Launch LabVIEW and click the Learning tab.
LabVIEW lessons are located in the Lessons tab, and LabVIEW Examples are located in the Examples tab. Follow the instructions in the lessons and examples.
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, refer to NI Product Compatibility for Microsoft Windows 10.
NI-SWITCH no longer supports Windows Vista/XP/7/8.x, Windows Server 2003/2008/2012, or any 32-bit Windows operating system. 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 https://www.ni.com/r/win32bitsupport.
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, visit ni.com/r/xf35k1. To find out what hardware is supported on PXI controllers running NI Linux Real-Time, visit ni.com/r/b7g5wi.
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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:
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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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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 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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