High performance Driver Update ?

[Nelson_Bridwell]

According to the NI white paper: Acquiring from GigE Vision Cameras with Vision Acquisition Software - Part I", dated July 2013

http://www.ni.com/white-paper/5651/en/#toc3

The High Performance Driver is recommended for the lowest CPU usage, compared to the Universal Driver.

However, the High Performance Driver requries the Intel Pro 1000 chipset.

According to Intel, shipment of Intel Pro/1000 network cards terminated in April of 2010, more than 5 years ago.

http://www.intel.com/support/network/adapter/1000ptquad/sb/CS-031173.htm

What is the plan?  Is there an update for the High Performance Driver that will allow it to work with non-obsolete network cards, or does NI recommend using the Universal Driver?

Or will there be an update for NI vision acquisition software that will allow it to work with vendor filter drivers (Basler, Allied Vision, ...)?

Or, has NI stockpiled a large quantity of Intel Pro/1000 PT quad port cards and is now selling them as NI GigE cards?  They sure look identical!

     Nelson

[Nelson_Bridwell]

And this is not just an NI issue...

Many camera vendors recommend usage of the obsolete Intel Pro/1000 network adapter cards with their filter drivers...

[BlueCheese]

Intel changes around their naming schemes every one in a while. The Pro 1000 PT was replaced by the Pro 1000 CT, which is still sold today. In general, NI can only really guarantee that the High Performance driver will work with cards that NI sells, since we can't check compatibility with every possible revision of the hardware that Intel and other vendors sell based on them. That said, there are still multiple offerings readily available outside of NI that should work. The suggested chipsets you should look for are the 82574 (a bit old now but still common), the i210, and i350. The latter two are Intel's latest in the single-port and server-class-multi port products.

The reason most vendors still recommend Intel NICs is that they are still the best choice in terms of performance, compatibility, and support.

[Nelson_Bridwell]

Thanks

Good news that there are still supported network adapters!

So "Intel Pro/1000 chipset" is probably no longer a helpful requirement description, since Intel does not sell any "PRO/1000" network adapters, not even the "Intel Gigabit CT Desktop Adaptor"

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/network-adapters/gigabit-network-adapters/gigabit-ct-desktop-...

[BlueCheese]

Intel just changes the names around (even on existing products) every now and then. A quick google confirms they used to use the "Pro/1000 CT" naming scheme (and still do on some Intel pages):

https://www.google.com/search?q=intel+pro+1000+ct