Chapter 1
Introduction
©
National Instruments Corporation
1-5
PCI-Based MXI-2 Interface for Windows
seamlessly program multiple-mainframe configurations and have software
compatibility across a variety of controller platforms.
NI-VISA has a comprehensive library of software routines not only for
VXI/VME programming but also for GPIB, GPIB-VXI, and serial. Use this
software to program instruments connected via different types of
interfaces.
Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) helps merge NI-VXI and
NI-VISA closer together. Use MAX to view your entire T&M system and
configure various components, whether they are VXI, GPIB, or Serial
devices. This utility not only takes the place of the NI-VXI T&M Explorer
utility, but it also adopts the functionality of the NI-DAQ Configuration
utility so you can configure National Instruments VXI-DAQ cards. You can
also add VME devices to your system easily with MAX and view them on
a screen display along with the rest of your system.
MAX also features various options for running Resman. You can still
execute Resman independently to configure your instruments after a power
cycle. But you also can perform resource manager operations directly from
MAX or configure it to run Resman automatically at startup.
The NI Spy utility tracks the calls your application makes to National
Instruments T&M drivers, including NI-VXI, NI-VISA, and NI-488.2.
NI Spy helps you debug your application by clearly highlighting the
functions that return errors. You can let NI Spy keep a log of your
program’s calls to these drivers so that you can check them for errors
at your convenience.
National Instruments Application Software
In addition to the NI-VXI/NI-VISA software, you can use the National
Instruments LabVIEW, LabWindows™/CVI™, and Measurement Studio
application programs and instrument drivers to ease your programming
task. These standardized programs match the modular virtual instrument
capability of VXI and can reduce your VXI/VME software development
time. These programs are fully VXI
plug&play
compliant and feature
extensive libraries of VXI instrument drivers written to take full advantage
of direct VXI control. LabVIEW and Measurement Studio include all the
tools needed for instrument control, data acquisition, analysis, and
presentation.
