Additional NI Software Idea Exchange

I/O Trace is extremely useful when debugging system-level text-based applications. Error handling for systems involving multiple drivers + software packages (RF toolkits, for example) is very difficult. After recognizing there was an error, we still have to determine which device threw the error and then query the appropriate driver/toolkit with the correct handle to determine what the error was. NI I/O Trace is a great way to quickly determine which device threw an error and at which function call. Unfortunately, the error reporting returned by I/OTrace is pretty limited. For example, consider the I/O Trace shown below of an application synchronizing two waveform generators. A property is not configured correctly for one of the generators. I/O Trace clearly indicates there is an error, however the exact cause of the error is difficult to discern from the message: 

The actual error message is: “The Sample Rate property can not be configured if OSP Enabled is VI_TRUE. “. It would be great if I/O trace could provide the entire error description. Compare this to the LabVIEW error handler:

For security reasons, many customers using Volume License Manager to administer licenses to client machines do not authorize users to download and install anything from the web. Therefore, if a critical patch is released, the client machines are unable to download this unless it is distributed by the administrator. It would be useful for the VLM administrator to be able to configure the Update Service such that all Users can run the Update Service but the service has been configured to point to an internal network share rather than an internet location outside the firewall. This way, the administrator could make critical updates and patches available for the client machines and the clients can be notified and install them.

If the License Manager is used to deactivate software, it will leave the prior serial key in the registry. On subsequent activations, the Activation Wizard will automatically populate the serial number field. I assume the same kind of thing will happen with .lic/.lc licenses.

I can see a valid use case for this, but in my scenario, I need to remove development licenses from productions and disallow users to reactivate the software without getting permission (the serial key) from me. Since these keys can be found in the registry, I can write a script to do this; however, it seems like a feature that License Manager should include.

PS: I know, I used the wrong idea label. We need more label flexibility to cover other smaller NI software!

I'd like to see a panelization option in Ultiboard, perhaps similar to the one in Altium (http://wiki.altium.com/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=4426668). Preferably with an option to panelize multiple different designs onto a single panel, choice of V-groove's / scoring, break-off tabs, etc.

Ben

Provide an option to show more characters in the IO section (in quotes) of the Description field.  Why not use the column separator as a way to expand the viewable characters, instead of just showing more white space?

Hey there,

Versioning is often a fairly important matter when it comes to long/large projects. When a new FPGA bitfile is generated in LabVIEW, there's a possibility to change its version (in the build specification). As a result, a parse of the .lvbitx file as text file can be used to decypher the aforementioned version (it's following the <BuildSpecVersion> tag).

Though, there's no simple way (aside of making a Custom Device or modifying the accepted tags in the xsd file)) to get this information in Veristand after importing a new FPGA personality. The version may be important, but more information about the bitfile might need to be made public in this window :

In fact, there are a bunch of information that are readable in VeriStand about the model imported (name, version...). Once more, the FPGA needs the same feature ;-)

Have a great day,

Provide the ability to filter log entries by device descriptor, similar to the “View Only this Process” and “View only this Thread” options.  The new feature could be implemented with another option in the pop-up menu: “View only this Device”.

Or better yet, a way to selectively pick which of several devices to view.  For instance, if 5 devices were present in the log (UD0 - UD4), then I could select to only view UD1 and UD3.

It would be good if MAX was able to report the serial number of the PXI chassis and PXI controller, if they are applicable.

Hello,

Many times, I find myself wanting to compare different I/O traces side-by-side, but I can only have one instance of I/O Trace in memory and hense can only view one capture at a time.  Would it be possible to view two different captures within one instance of I/O Trace?  I believe a lot of people would appreciate either a split screen option or the ability to open another instance of the I/O Trace application in memory.

Cheers!

Shawn S.

Hello,

I believe that we should create and API for NI I/O trace so that customers with automated production lines can automate a report logging response to a failure  In the case where a production line experiences a UUT failure, these customers could programmatically rerun the specific test that failed last, open I/O trace, start recording, test communication with a device, stop recording, and log the results when a failure is experienced.  This could even be used with G or CVI code module, not just TestStand.  That way if say the VI experiences a particular error after running subVI "testme", the API could be usted to start recording, re-run "testme", stop recording, and to generate a report.  I understand that certain users only use IO trace occasionally, so an API would not be necessary for them, however, with customers who may have to trouble shoot numerous UUTs off of a production line, this could be a great help.

Regards,

Shawn

Posted this in Data Acquisition Ideas as well, but it seems like it would be implemented with something like MAX, so...

When dealing with various remotely deployed cRIO hardware configurations, it may be impossible to keep a sample configuration of every type of system we ever sell.  Unfortunately, if upgrades or revisions are made to the base code in our system, remotely deploying to our customers becomes impossible unless we have their exact configuration on-hand for the programmers to compile.  Remote connection to the hardware for this type of operation is also not typically possible.

To be able to simulate or emulate a full cRIO system (processor & hardware modules), then compile the RT code for deployment on that system as if it is physically connected to our development system would be ideal.  This would allow images to be created, which can be sent to customers for local deployment at their facility.  Dramatic decrease in "hardware library" requirements on the development end, reduction in "on-site upgrade" service trip costs to the customers.  Plus, easier for OEMs like me to justify the move away from PLC types of hardware and towards cRIO, once you take away some of the potentially nightmarish continued support and update issues involved with basing systems on cRIO platforms.

It would be nice to have  align-bottons to align the parts. Like Ultiboard or LabView!

It would be very helpful to have a preview of the footprints directly in the component browser.

I recently handled a service request (SR# 1698819) in which a customer was confused why TestStand was not listed in License Manager (LM) when his admin had generated a disconnected license.   For him, all that was showing up in his LM was the following screen shot:

I explained that the Developer Suite with Industrial Monitoring and Automated Test (Disconnected License) includes a disconnected license for TestStand. 

The product suggestion I'm making involves being able to expand disconnected suites by clicking a plus button to the left of the suite for example to view all of the software that's available to the client.  This will avoid future confusion on the customer's end and reduce support call volume.

In Ultiboard it is possible to export a 3D IGES, but it is not possible to import these 3D IGES files in to Solid Edge or Solid Works. It would be a big improvement of Ultiboard if this was possible in the next update.

Hi,

the idea is that the colors of nets in Multisim will be automatically set for different nets. For example the ground net will automatically be black, the power supply (plus) red and so on... Maybe there is a way to save the user's preference in a config-file?

Thanks a lot

Jan

There are much more footprints of connectors available in Ultiboard than in Multisim. To create a correct circuit diagramm I need the same foortprints in Multisim. There are not enough connectors in Multisim.

It would be very helpful to have all the connectors in Multisim too!

Yes, Its very convienient to automatically rename Aliases for USB Devices.  This work great for DAQmx but is not currently possible for the USB 568x.  as seen here