NI-ATCA FPGA Modules 19.5 Readme

August 2019


This file contains important information about NI-ATCA FPGA Modules, including installation instructions, new features, and known issues.


New Features

Supported Hardware

System Requirements

Supported Operating Systems

Application Software Support

Accessing the API

Finding Examples

Accessing the Documentation

Installation Instructions

Product Security and Critical Updates

Uninstalling/Modifying NI-ATCA FPGA Modules

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

Legal Information


New Features

NI-ATCA FPGA Modules 19.5 adds support for the ATCA Default Bitstream Downloader Utility.

NI-ATCA FPGA Modules 19.0 adds support for LabVIEW 2019.


NI-ATCA FPGA Modules 18.0 includes the following new features:


  • Support for LabVIEW 2018
  • Stand-alone ATCA deployment
  • Support for Vivado Project Export
  • Support for ChipScope debugging using JTAG
  • Usability enhancements and new examples

NI-ATCA FPGA Modules 16.0 includes the following new features:


  • Support for LabVIEW 2016
  • Support for the following devices:
    • ATCA-3671 FPGA Module for ATCA
    • RTM-3661 PCI Express Rear Transition Module for ATCA
    • AIO-3681 Digitizer Module for FMC
    • AIO-3682 Signal Generator Module for FMC
    • AIO-3691 High-Speed Serial Adapter Module

Supported Hardware

  • ATCA-3671
  • RTM-3661
  • AIO-3681
  • AIO-3682
  • AIO-3691

System Requirements

NI-ATCA FPGA Modules has the following requirements:


  • Processor—1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
  • RAM—1 GB RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
  • A screen resolution of 1,024 x 768
  • Windows 10/8.1/7, with all available critical updates and service packs

Refer to the LabVIEW Readme for additional system requirements and supported operating systems for LabVIEW 2016, 2018, and 2019.


Supported Operating Systems

NI-ATCA FPGA Modules 19.5 supports Windows 10/8.11/7 SP12 (32-bit and 64-bit).


Note  Support for Windows 32-bit operating systems may require disabling physical address extension (PAE). To learn how this might affect your system and what actions you might need to take, visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code PAESupport.


Note  NI-ATCA FPGA Modules versions 16.0 to current do not support Windows Server non-R2 editions.


NI recommends that you have the most recent service pack for your operating system installed.


1 NI software installs VC2015 Runtime and .NET 4.6.1. 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 for more information about how to install this security update.


Application Software Support

The following table lists the NI application software versions, including service packs, supported by NI-ATCA FPGA Modules.


NI Application Software Versions Supported by NI-ATCA FPGA Modules
LabVIEW 2016, 2018, 2019
LabVIEW FPGA Module™/CVI™ 2016, 2018, 2019

Note  You should install an ADE, such as LabVIEW, before installing NI-ATCA FPGA Modules. To add support for ADEs installed after installing NI-ATCA FPGA Modules, modify your NI-ATCA FPGA Modules installation or launch the NI-ATCA FPGA Modules installer again.


Accessing the API

NI-ATCA FPGA Modules palette VIs are available in LabVIEW from the Functions»Instrument I/O»Instr Drivers»ATCA palette.


Finding Examples

In LabVIEW, you can use the NI Example Finder to search or browse examples. NI-ATCA FPGA Modules 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 (including NI-ATCA FPGA Modules and Modulation Toolkit examples) and their descriptions:


  • Click the Browse tab to locate modulation examples by task at Hardware Input and Output»ATCA or by directory structure at instr»ATCA.
  • Click the Search tab to search all installed examples by keyword. For example, search for ATCA to locate all NI-ATCA FPGA Modules examples.

You can also access all the installed NI-ATCA FPGA Modules examples for LabVIEW at Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-ATCA FPGA Modules»NI ATCA Examples.


Accessing the Documentation

Documentation for NI-ATCA FPGA Modules is located at Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-ATCA FPGA Modules»NI ATCA Documentation. The documentation set is composed of the following documents.


Document Format Description
NI-ATCA FPGA Modules Help HTML/Windows Help Contains primary help content for NI-ATCA FPGA Modules products. The help is an HTML version of a traditional user manual that includes the following information:
  • An introduction to NI-ATCA FPGA Modules
  • Hardware device information
  • How to get started with application development
  • A complete reference for all NI-ATCA FPGA Modules programming functions and VIs
ATCA-3671 Getting Started Guide Printed and PDF Contains software and hardware installation, MAX configuration, signal connection, and troubleshooting information for your device.
Specifications for your device PDF Lists technical specifications for your device.
NI-ATCA FPGA Modules 19.5 Readme HTML (this document) Contains information about supported hardware and operating systems, new features, fixed issues, and legal notices.

For the most recent revisions of documentation and for newly released documentation, visit ni.com/manuals.


Note  To view PDFs, you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. You can install the viewer from www.adobe.com/reader.


Installation Instructions

Installing NI-ATCA FPGA Modules for LabVIEW

NI automates LabVIEW installation using NI Package Manager. 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.


To request additional LabVIEW Platform media, refer to the NI website.


Installed Software

  • <NIDocDir> is an alias for the following National Instruments file folder location: Users\Public\Public Documents\National Instruments
  • <NIDir32> is an alias for the following National Instruments file folder location:
    • (32-bit) Program Files\National Instruments\
    • (64-bit) Program Files (x86)\National Instruments\

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.


Uninstalling/Modifying NI-ATCA FPGA Modules

For Windows 7, complete the following steps:


  1. Launch the Control Panel by selecting Start»Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Programs and Features.
  3. Select National Instruments Software.
  4. Click the Uninstall/Change button.
  5. Select NI-ATCA FPGA Modules 19.5 from the dialog box that appears.
  6. Click Remove to uninstall the product; click Modify to change the components that are installed.

For Windows 10/8.1, complete the following steps:


  1. Right-click on the Start button.
  2. Select Control Panel.
  3. Select Programs»Programs and Features.
  4. Select National Instruments Software.
  5. Click the Uninstall button.
  6. Select NI-ATCA FPGA Modules 19.5 from the dialog box that appears.
  7. Click Remove to uninstall the product; click Modify to change the components that are installed.

As part of the NI-ATCA FPGA Modules 19.5 installation, the following software is installed. To completely remove the NI-ATCA FPGA Modules 19.5 installation from your system, you must also remove all of the following packages:


  • FlexRIO Legacy Runtime
  • FlexRIO with Modular I/O Support for LabVIEW 2019 (32-bit)
  • FlexRIO with Modular I/O Support for LabVIEW 2019 (64-bit)
  • FlexRIO with Modular I/O Support for LabVIEW 2018 (32-bit)
  • FlexRIO with Modular I/O Support for LabVIEW 2018 (64-bit)
  • FlexRIO with Modular I/O Support for LabVIEW 2016 (32-bit)
  • FlexRIO with Modular I/O Support for LabVIEW 2016 (64-bit)
  • NI-ATCA FPGA Modules Runtime
  • NI-ATCA FPGA Modules LabVIEW 2019 Support (32-bit)
  • NI-ATCA FPGA Modules LabVIEW 2019 Support (64-bit)
  • NI-ATCA FPGA Modules LabVIEW 2018 Support (32-bit)
  • NI-ATCA FPGA Modules LabVIEW 2018 Support (64-bit)
  • NI-ATCA FPGA Modules LabVIEW 2016 Support (32-bit)
  • NI-ATCA FPGA Modules LabVIEW 2016 Support (64-bit)

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.


Known Issues

You can access the software and documentation known issues list online. Refer to the NI-ATCA FPGA Modules 19.5 Known Issues at ni.com/info and enter the Info Code atca195 for an up-to-date list of known issues in NI-ATCA FPGA Modules 19.5.


Bug Fixes

The following item is a change in NI-USRP 19.1 from NI-USRP 19.0.


ID Fixed Issue
202020 Fixed an issue that caused a former version of the bitfile to be loaded onto the FPGAs of the ATCA-3671 by default.
202025 Fixed an issue that caused the ATCA-3671 to power down after several hours of operation.

There are no changes in NI-USRP 19.0 from NI-USRP 18.5.


There are no changes in NI-USRP 18.0 from NI-USRP 16.0.


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 about automating the installation of NI products, refer to the following KnowledgeBase articles:


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 National Instruments 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 LabVIEW, Measurement & Automation Explorer (NI MAX), and NI Launcher. For more information about NI support for Windows 8.1, visit ni.com/windows8.



Legal Information

Copyright


© 2017-2019 National Instruments. 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.


National Instruments 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 National Instruments trademarks. Other product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.


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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