Can AI Config accept virtual channel names that refer to more than one device?

[SeattleSafety]

I am using Traditional DAQ. I have two devices: a PCI-6025E and a PCI-6071E. I would like to configure all analog input virtual channels that are specified in MAX. I read all information from MAX within my application, and then I parse through this data to find all channels that are analog input channels--I can then build a DAQ constant array to feed the AI Config VI and therefore configure all of my analog channels in one fell swoop. I have had success with this approach when only one device has all the analog inputs, but when I use a virtual channel list (DAQ constant array) that contains elements which represent analog input channels across two devices, AI Config returns error -10007. Is it possible to configure multiple analog input channels that span multiple devices using AI Config?

Thank you!

[JenK]

The AI Congig VI has a connector pin on the top lefthand corner where you can wire the device number of the device you want to configure. You can only wire one device at a time into this VI. Therefore, if you have an AI channel from another device wired into the AI Config VI you will get an error.

When you get error -10007 what is the possible reasons that it gives you? Are you able to use DAQmx instead of Traditional DAQ?

[SeattleSafety]

I have an NI document from an NI class, entitled "Data Acquisition and Signal Conditioning Course Manual". This document indicates that if you use Channel Names, the Device Number input is ignored by AI Config (since device number information is embedded within the Virtual Channel assignment). So I thought the AI Config VI would be smart enough to recognize a list of Virtual Channels that refer to more than one device and configure the multiple devices to which the channel list refers. Alas, I ran a few tests and AI Config will successfully ignore Device Number only if all channels in the Virtual Channel list reside on the same physical device. If the channels span more than one device, AI Config bombs out (as noted). It would have been awfully handy, since it would've allowed me to set all analog inputs in my multiple-DAQ-board system, regardless of device number, to a desired configuration. Unfortunately, DAQ-MX is not an imminent option since my company needs to maintain and improve legacy hardware that is permanently installed at remote customer sites.

Thank you for your input!

[sergesl]

You are very right. The driver would not let you perform that task on a multi-device system and this is expected. There is no restriction as far as the channel names are concerned across two devices. This means that you could have two different channels on the two devices with the same name and since they are on different devices, they will be accepted by MAX. However, as soon as you attempt to ignore the device, you could end up with two different channels of the same name which should not be the case. To avoid that, the device number is to be considered when dealing with channels on different devices.

Serges L.