LabVIEW 2013 SP1 Real-Time Module Readme

Version 13.0.1


December 2013


This file contains important information about the LabVIEW 2013 SP1 Real-Time Module, including installation instructions, new features, a partial list of bugs fixed for the LabVIEW 2013 SP1 Real-Time Module, and known issues.


Overview

System Requirements

Installation Instructions

Product Security and Critical Updates

Known Issues

Bug Fixes

Accessing the Help

Finding Examples

Automating the Installation of NI Products

How to Use NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8.x

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

Legal Information


Overview

The LabVIEW Real-Time Module is a complete solution for creating reliable, stand-alone embedded systems with a graphical programming approach. As an add-on to the LabVIEW development environment, the LabVIEW Real-Time Module helps you develop and debug graphical, deterministic real-time applications that can be downloaded to and executed on embedded hardware devices such as NI CompactRIO, NI Single-Board RIO, PXI, vision systems, or even third-party PCs.


System Requirements

In addition to the system requirements for the LabVIEW Development System, the Real-Time Module has the following requirements:


  • LabVIEW 2013 SP1 Full or Professional Development System (32-bit)
  • At least 200 MB of disk space in addition to the LabVIEW-recommended minimum.
  • RT target hardware and driver software.
  • One of the following operating systems for application development:
    • Windows 8.1
    • Windows 8
    • Windows 7
    • Windows Vista
    • Windows XP Pro (Service Pack 3)
    • Windows Server 2003 R2 (32-bit)
    • Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit)

Note:


  • The Real-Time Module is compatible with 32-bit LabVIEW only. Therefore, you must have 32-bit LabVIEW installed even if you use a 64-bit OS.
  • You might need more memory than the LabVIEW-recommended minimum depending on the size of the application you design in LabVIEW on the host computer.
  • Support for Windows Server 2003 R2 may require disabling physical address extensions (PAE). Refer to the National Instruments website for information about how this might affect your use of Windows Server 2003 R2 and what actions you might have to take.
  • The Real-Time Module does not support the Windows Server non-R2 editions.

The Real-Time Module installs the following real-time operating systems (RTOSes). Refer to the specific RT target hardware documentation for information about which RTOS your target uses.

  • NI Linux Real-Time
  • Phar Lap ETS
  • VxWorks

Note:   Each RTOS supports only a subset of LabVIEW features. Refer to the Real-Time Module»Real-Time Operating Systems book on the Contents tab of the LabVIEW Help for a list of unsupported LabVIEW features and special considerations for each RTOS.


Refer to the LabVIEW Readme for additional system requirements and supported operating systems for LabVIEW 2013 SP1.


Installation Instructions

You can install all of your LabVIEW products—including the Real-Time Module—using the LabVIEW 2013 SP1 Platform DVDs. Refer to the LabVIEW Installation Guide on the LabVIEW Platform DVD 1 for installation instructions and system requirements.


To request additional LabVIEW Platform DVDs, refer to the National Instruments website.


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.


Installing and Using Japanese and Simplified Chinese Languages on an RT Target

After you install the Real-Time Module on your development computer, you can complete the following steps to install and use Japanese and Simplified Chinese languages on an RT target:


  1. Use the LabVIEW Real-Time Software Wizard in NI Measurement & Automation Explorer (NI MAX) to install the Language Support for Japanese or Language Support for Simplified Chinese software component on the RT target. Refer to the MAX Help for information about the LabVIEW Real-Time Software Wizard.
  2. Open the System Settings tab and select Japanese or Simplified Chinese as the Locale.

Note:  You cannot use Japanese or Simplified Chinese characters in directory names or file names on the RT target.


Product Security and Critical Updates

Visit ni.com/security for security information about National Instruments products. Visit ni.com/critical-updates for information about critical updates from National Instruments.


Known Issues

You can access the software and documentation known issues list online. Refer to the National Instruments website for an up-to-date list of known issues in the Real-Time Module.


Bug Fixes

The following items are the IDs and titles of a subset of issues fixed in the Real-Time Module. This is not an exhaustive list of issues fixed in the current version of the Real-Time Module. If you have a CAR ID, you can search this list to validate the issue has been fixed.


ID Fixed Issue
431055 VxWorks sometimes crashes during restart with U3V camera connected
427975 Real-Time Execution Trace Tool showing incorrect thread names for LabVIEW execution systems

Accessing the Help

Refer to the LabVIEW Help, accessible by selecting Help»LabVIEW Help from LabVIEW, for information about the Real-Time Module.


Finding Examples

Select Help»Find Examples from LabVIEW to launch the NI Example Finder. LabVIEW examples for the Real-Time Module are located in the labview\examples\Real-Time Module 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.


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:


How to Use NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8.x

When you install National Instruments software on Microsoft Windows 8.x, 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.


Using NI Launcher

NI Launcher helps you find and launch installed NI products. It provides you with a method of finding NI products similar to the Start menu in previous versions of Microsoft Windows. To use NI Launcher, click the NI Launcher tile in the Apps view. NI Launcher launches the desktop and opens a menu containing a list of NI products. Click any NI product to launch it.


Note  NI MAX does not appear as a desktop shortcut when installed on Microsoft Windows 8.x. You can launch NI MAX either from the Apps view or from within NI Launcher.

Pinning Frequently Used Applications

For convenience, you can pin your most-used NI applications, such as MAX, to either the Start screen or the Taskbar on the desktop, as necessary:


Current ApplicationIcon LocationPin to Action
Windows 8.x DesktopDesktop TaskbarRight-click application and select Pin to Taskbar
Windows 8.x Desktop Start screenRight-click application and select Pin to Start
Windows 8.x Start screenDesktop TaskbarRight-click application and select Pin to taskbar from the menu bar on the bottom of the screen

Finding All Programs

If you want to find a particular application or related files, such as documentation files, from the Start screen, you can access all installed files from the Apps view. To get to the Apps view, right-click anywhere on the Start screen and select All apps (Windows 8) or click the down arrow on the bottom left of the screen (Windows 8.1).


For more information about NI support for Windows 8.x, visit ni.com/windows8.


LabVIEW Real-Time Module Drops Support for Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 in 2016

The LabVIEW Real-Time Module will drop support for Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 as of July 1, 2016. Versions of the Real-Time 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 LabWindows™/CVI™cvi_lifecycle
NI Measurement Studiomstudiolifecycle
NI TestStandtslcp
NI DIAdemddlcp
NI SignalExpressselcp
NI VeriStandnivslifecycle

Legal Information

Copyright


© 1999–2013 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.

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.