November 2020
This file contains important information about the Semiconductor Device Control Add-On for InstrumentStudio, including installation instructions, new features, and known issues.
Product Security and Critical Updates
Supported Hardware & Protocols
Automating the Installation of NI Products
Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 10
Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8.1
Semiconductor Device Control Add-On Drops Support for Windows 7 (64-Bit) Operating Systems in 2021
The Semiconductor Device Control Add-On for InstrumentStudio is a software add-on that helps you perform interactive register read/write operations using common or custom digital protocols. This InstrumentStudio add-on supports general hardware control tasks using static I/O and can be used in parallel with automated applications to monitor and debug device control tasks in real time.
The Semiconductor Device Control Add-On has the following requirements:
The Semiconductor Device Control Add-On supports the following operating systems:
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 these updates.
Note Refer to Semiconductor Device Control Add-On Drops Support for Windows 7 (64-Bit) Operating Systems in 2021 for information about future OS support.
Semiconductor Device Control Add-On supports the following application software versions, including service packs.
| Application Software | Versions Supported by Semiconductor Device Control Add-On |
|---|---|
| InstrumentStudio | 2019 SP1 (all 64-bit only) |
| LabVIEW | 2017 SP1, 2017 SP1 Patch, 2018 SP1, 2018 SP1 Patch, 2019, 2019 SP1, 2020 (all 64-bit only) |
| NI TestStand | 2019 (all 64-bit only) |
| Python | 3.6 or above (all 64-bit only) |
| .NET framework | 4.6.2 or higher (all 64-bit only) |
| Device Drivers | Versions Supported by Semiconductor Device Control Add-On |
|---|---|
| NI-Digital Pattern Driver | 19.0.1 (64-bit only) |
| NI-845x Driver Support | 20.0 (64-bit only) |
If you are using the Semiconductor Device Control Add-On .NET Class Library, .NET Framework 4.6.2 (minimum) is required. The Semiconductor Device Control Add-On .NET Class Library can be used with Visual C# or Visual Basic .NET in any Visual Studio version that can target .NET Framework 4.6.2 or higher.
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 NI .NET Support.
NI installs the Semiconductor Device Control Add-On using NI Package Manager. If you do not already have NI software installed, the Semiconductor Device Control Add-On 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.
Notes
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.
The following list details the hardware models & protocols supported in Semiconductor Device Control Add-On.
| Hardware Models | Protocols |
|---|---|
| PXIe-6570, PXIe-6571 | I2C, 3-wire SPI, 4-wire SPI, DIO |
| USB-8451, USB-8452 | I2C, 4-wire SPI, DIO |
You can access the software and documentation known issues list online. Visit Semiconductor Device Control Add-On 2019 Known Issues for an up-to-date list of known issues.
Refer to the Semiconductor Device Control Add-On for InstrumentStudio 2019 Manual, accessible from ni.com/manuals, for information about the Semiconductor Device Control Add-On.
The Semiconductor Device Control Add-On includes several example projects that you can use to learn key concepts or use as a starting point for applications you create.
Navigate to %Public%\Documents\National Instruments\Semi Device Control (64-bit)\Examples in File Explorer to view the example projects that are installed with the Semiconductor Device Control Add-On.
Select Help»Find Examples from LabVIEW to launch the NI Example Finder. LabVIEW examples for the Semiconductor Device Control Add-On are located in the labview\examples\Semi Device Control 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.
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.
Semiconductor Device Control Add-On will drop support for Windows 7 (64-bit) 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.
Copyright
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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.
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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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