How to get a windows-created labview file to work on a mac

[oilyfingers]

I'm trying to open a pretty simple data acquisition vi that was written on Labview 2009 for Windows, using the USB 6211 hardware. I've installed Labview 2010 for Mac OS X (full) with NIDAQMX-base for MAC. The problem is that none of the DAQMX sub-vi's are opening properly. I think it's because they have different names, e.g. in windows labview "DAQmx Create Channel" now becomes "DAQMXbase create channel" or something like that. What is the problem? Have I installed the wrong DAQMX for Mac OS X? 

[johnsold]

DAQmx and DAQmx Base, despite the similarity of names, are completely different.  DAQmx Base is the only driver available for the Mac.  If the 6211 is supported by DAQmx Base, you can rewrite the VI to run on the Mac by changing every DAQmx VI and function (like DAQ property nodes) for a functionally similar DAQmx Base VI.

This can range from straightforward to impossible, depending on what was done in the original program.

Also tell your NI sales rep that you need DAQmx support on the Mac.  NI's marketing people seem to think that no one wants it so they don't push the developers to produce it.

Lynn

[oilyfingers]

I don't know how to say this, other than, this is $%$%(£(* annoying!!! Other software I use (eg MS Office, Tex, Matlab, Mendeley, Comsol Multiphysics, even MS Exchange email and calendar) is cross platform. I can see and open the same files / data on Mac as on PC. Yes there are occasional wrinkles, but it's generally pretty seemless. I'm extremely annoyed about LabVIEW. I'm going to have to either use bootcamp or VMWare now which seems a huge shame given there is a native version of LabVIEW. Damn!!

[smercurio_fc]

I think you're confusing the application with the drivers. The issue here is the drivers, not LabVIEW. DAQmx simply doesn't exist on Macs. You can write a VI in LabVIEW on Windows and copy that VI onto a Mac machine and it will open just fine. The problem comes with the drivers. If the drivers don't exist on the other platform, then there's nothing to open. So, you should concentrate your complaint to the lack of DAQmx on Mac, which is more fruitful, and as pointed out, seems to be more of a "if not enough people ask for the drivers for this platform, why should we bother spending the effort writing them?" issue here.

[oilyfingers]

You're right. But think about this from the users point of view. For me, LabVIEW is mainly software *for talking to NI hardware*, which we buy in great quantities since I work in a university. DAQMX is so totally integral to the LabVIEW experience for me that it is inseparable. I'm not using exotic hardware here, it's an NI USB 6211 box. Surely, surely I should be able to write cross platform vi's which support hardware like that? I'm not asking for the moon on a stick here! Even the Arduino has software which is cross platform, see http://www.arduino.cc/. The icons, after all, look the same (in daqmx base vs. daqmx) but I have to *manually* replace each sub-vi ('create channel' etc.) if I want the vi to work on Mac OS X. I just can't explain how annoying this is just when I thought I had got everything natively running beautifully. Surely at the very least Labview could say to itself 'hmmm... cannot find DAQMX create channel.vi --- ohh, but I'm on a mac, maybe I should look for DAQMX BASE create channel.vi !' ?

[smercurio_fc]

I hear what you're saying, and I don't disagree with you. I'm just saying the issue really is with the drivers, and the best bet is to put pressure on NI to get DAQmx ported to Mac (if that's even possible). In fact, there's even an idea for it: http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-Idea-Exchange/Bring-DAQmx-to-Mac-and-Linux/idi-p/1003836

[gt3000 · Accepted solution]

Hello oilyfingers,

As other users have posted, DAQmx Base and DAQmx are two different drivers.  It is recommended that Windows users install DAQmx on their PC.  However, a version of DAQmx Base is also available for the Windows environment.  Your VI should need less changes after installing this driver.

NI DAQmx Base 3.4: http://joule.ni.com/nidu/cds/view/p/id/2126/lang/en

If you do not want to install DAQmx Base on the Windows PC, there is a conversion utility which should help automate the conversion of your VI from DAQmx Base to DAQmx code.  This can be found in the link below:

Conversion Utility: http://joule.ni.com/nidu/cds/view/p/id/446/lang/en

As smercurio_fc suggested, submit your interest for and update DAQmx version of Mac OS X in the Ideas Exchange.  In LabVIEW 2010, over 10 different user suggestions were implemented from the Ideas Exchange.

Regards,

[oilyfingers]

thanks - that's v. helpful!