Data Acquisition Idea Exchange

In dealing with multiple projects and systems that each have different sets of tasks in MAX, I think it would be very handy if you could make virtual folders in the directory style listing under "NI-DAQmx Tasks" - that way you could folder up tasks by project or section of a project instead of having a long list of task names.

Anyone else think this would be helpful? or might it cause an issue in some way?

-pat

A DAQmx channel control allows available channels to be filtered for IO type (Analogue Input, Analogue Output etc) using the "IO Name Filtering..." function

A DAQmx task control on the other hand doesn't.

I'd find the option to filter listed tasks on IO type pretty usefull.

cheers.

In the DAQmx Physical Channel Control if Analog Input is selected I would like to filter on the type of module i.e. Thermocouple, strain, Current, etc.

For each device, MAX will use an unique device number.

This is no problem with fixed measurement equipments.

With USB devices this may become a problem.

On a school, a student will work with different combinations of computer and device.

If the student wants to use his program with a different device, he will get an error.

Even if the device is the same type, but has a different serial number.

To solve it, the student needs to open all DAQ routines and to alter the device number.

Or he needs to change the DAQ assistant routine into a VI and change the constant device number by a routine as shown in DAQmx device to use.vi.

This same problem occurs when using NI-IMAQdx devices.

Solution:

Make it possible to select a device by type instead of a device by number.

I recently had a customer create a global virtual channel in Measurement and Automation Explorer (MAX).  They then set the maximum and minimum values for the input range of their signal. 

My customer wanted to access the +2 and -2 values entered above and display them in LabVIEW.  However, the property nodes for global virtual channels only accesses the limits of the board.  For example, the customer's board may only be able to handle voltages between +/- 10 Volts.  No matter which property node we chose... all that was returned was the +/- 10 Volt range.  Could we please give customers access to this information?

Background question here:

http://forums.ni.com/t5/Multifunction-DAQ/Channel-Calibration-information/m-p/1295908

Channel calibration in MAX is too limited to be very useful. According to NI AE, from MAX you can only create a table for calibration, not a polynomial fit. I assume intermediate values are linearly interpolated, but that wasn't specified. Programmatic calibration to enable polynomial cal as described in the above listed topic makes traceability problematic. 

I propose that the channel calibration capabilities in MAX be amended to allow the user to select calibration mapping, either TABLE or POLYNOMIAL FIT. 

OF course, the user should be able to select the polynomial order, and the R-value should be clearly indicated.

All of these properties should be included in any report generated from MAX. 

I am learning how to use the scripting feature of NI-RFSG and the script editor is an incredible frustrating tool.

Why do you show text if you can't type? Show a diagram if you don't want people typing.

I am using Notepad to type my scripts and then moving the text over.

There should be a way to allow people to type in the script editor and do on the fly syntax checking... or even do it after. I can export my script to the clipboard, but why can't I paste into it?

Just let people type.

I configure DAQmx channels, tasks, and scales as well as CAN messages and channels in MAX. It would be nice, if I could change the ordering of these elements after creation. It would also be nice to have an option to remove all configured channels (and tasks and scales) as well as CAN messages and channels, if I want to load the configuration of another project. Now I have to go to every section and delete the configuration by hand.

It would also be cool, if I could configure DAQmx variables in MAX, which I can use (write and read) in LabVIEW, too. E.g. I have a lot of tasks, which all use the same aquisition rate. If I have to change the rate, I have to change every task by hand. If I could use a variable, I just would change the variable. This would save a LOT OF WORK with huge DAQmx configurations.