LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion™ Module Readme

June 2016



This document contains information to introduce you to the LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module including installation information, a list of changes in this version of SoftMotion, and information about known issues for this version of SoftMotion.


Contents

Overview

System Requirements

Installation Instructions

Licensing

New Features and Changes

Bug Fix List

General Information

Accessing the Help

Finding Examples

Known Issues

NI Software Support for Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003

Automating the Installation of NI Products


Overview

The LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module allows you to use the LabVIEW project to configure and test your motion axis settings, tune your servo motors, program deterministic motion profiles, create custom motion applications, and simulate your designs created in SOLIDWORKS.


Note  Refer to the SoftMotion Selection Guide for a description of the different SoftMotion Module packages available.


System Requirements

You can run the LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module installer on the following operating systems:

  • Windows 10/8.1/8.0/7
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit)
  • Windows Server 2012 R2 (64-bit)

The LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module runs as a 32-bit application on all operating systems.


Note  Support for Windows Server 2003 R2 may require disabling physical address extensions (PAE). To learn how this might affect your use of Windows Server 2003 and what actions you might have to take, visit ni.com/info and enter the info code PAESupport.


The LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module does not support Windows 2000/NT/Me/98/95, Windows XP x64, or the Windows Server non-R2 editions.


To run the LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module, National Instruments recommends that your system meet the following requirements in addition to the minimum requirements for the LabVIEW Development System for Windows:


  • 2 GB of memory if using SoftMotion for SOLIDWORKS
  • 500 MB of free disk space

The LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module is compatible with the following National Instruments software.


  • LabVIEW 2016 Base, Full, or Professional Development System (32-bit)
  • LabVIEW 2016 Real-Time Module
  • LabVIEW 2016 FPGA Module
  • NI-RIO Device Drivers August 2016
  • NI-Industrial Communications for EtherCAT® 16.0

Note  To use SoftMotion for SOLIDWORKS you must have SOLIDWORKS 2009 SP2.1 or later.


Installation Instructions

Installing from the LabVIEW 2016 Platform DVDs

You can install all of your LabVIEW products—including the LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module—using the LabVIEW 2016 Platform DVDs. Refer to the LabVIEW Installation Guide on the LabVIEW Platform DVD 1 for installation instructions and system requirements.


To request additional LabVIEW 2016 Platform DVDs, refer to the National Instruments Web site at ni.com.


Note  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.


Downloading the LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module from the Web

Complete the following steps to download and install the LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module:


  1. Download the LabVIEWSoftMotionModule2016.exe file from ni.com/updates, and then run it.
  2. Follow the onscreen instructions.

    Note  (Windows 10/8.1/8.0/7)  Users may see access and security messages during installation. Accept the prompts to complete the installation.
  3. When the installer completes, a dialog box appears that asks if you want to restart, shut down, or restart later. Select Restart.

LabVIEW SoftMotion Module Updates and Notifications

National Instruments releases critical software updates after product release using the NI Update Service. Visit ni.com/info and enter updates to view a list of all currently available updates.


National Instruments provides notification of certain critical issues at install time. Visit ni.com/info and enter notifications to view a list of current product notifications.


Licensing

The LabVIEW SoftMotion Module relies on licensing activation. After the evaluation period for SoftMotion Module expires, you must activate a valid license before you can run the full version of the software. To activate the SoftMotion Module, use the serial number you received as part of your installation package.


If the LabVIEW SoftMotion Module is not activated and the evaluation period expires, the product will have restricted functionality. Refer to the SoftMotion Selection Guide for a description of the different SoftMotion Module packages available.


Refer to the Activation Instructions for National Instruments Software for more information about licensing activation.


LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module Features and Changes

LabVIEW 2016 Support

LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module is fully supported on LabVIEW 2016.


LabVIEW Example Finder

The LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module examples have been reorganized. The API examples for Express VIs and Properties and Methods have been recategorized based on function, and legacy hardware examples have been removed.


For more information on SoftMotion examples, see the Finding Examples section below.

LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module Bug Fix List

Refer to the National Instruments Website for an up-to-date list of all bug fixes in this release.


General Information

LabVIEW Real-Time Users

To use the updates and features included in the LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module, you must install the LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module software on the LabVIEW Real-Time target system using Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX).


Accessing the Help

Refer to the LabVIEW Help, accessible by selecting Help»LabVIEW Help from the pull-down menu in LabVIEW, for information about SoftMotion Module concepts, using SoftMotion, step-by-step instructions using the LabVIEW SoftMotion Module, and reference information about SoftMotion VIs and functions.


Finding Examples

LabVIEW examples for the SoftMotion Module can be found in the Example Finder (at Help > Find Examples) in two different directories: the Hardware Input and Output\Motion Control\SoftMotion folder and the Toolkits and Modules\SoftMotion folder. The examples are grouped into three primary categories:


  • Hardware Specific - for use with specific hardware combinations
  • Express VIs - API examples for all hardware combinations
  • Properties and Methods - API examples for all hardware combinations
  • Reinitialization - for resetting the SoftMotion engine on real-time targets
  • The Getting Started Guides contain detailed information for setting up and configuring specific SoftMotion hardware. Visit the Resources tab on the product page at ni.com to find a Getting Started Guide for your hardware. In LabVIEW 2014 SP1 SoftMotion Module, the examples for the NI 9502, 9503, and 9503 drive modules were converted to Sample Projects. These can be found in the Create Project menu in LabVIEW.


    LabVIEW 2016 SoftMotion Module Known Issues

    You can access the software and documentation known issues list online. Refer to the National Instruments Web site for an up-to-date list of known issues in this release.


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    LabVIEW SoftMotion Module Drops Support for Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 in 2016

    LabVIEW SoftMotion Module will drop support for Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 as of July 1, 2016. Versions of LabVIEW SoftMotion Module 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
    NI LabVIEWlifecycle
    NI LabWindowsT/CVITcvi_lifecycle
    NI Measurement Studiomstudiolifecycle
    NI TestStandtslcp
    NI DIAdemddlcp
    NI SignalExpressselcp
    NI VeriStandnivslifecycle

    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, refer to the following KnowledgeBase articles:


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    Important Information

    Copyright


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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/patent.


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