Install device driver only instead of whole DAQmx CD?

[apurohit]

Hello,

I often build applications for use around our facility here for testing or monitoring. Unfortunately, since these applications aren't always delivered to the same systems in-house, the computer they are installed on changes frequently. For this reason, I have to reinstall the DAQmx CD every time I try to run my applications on a new system.

The question is: Is there a way for me to only install the hardware device drivers on these computers, rather than installing the entire CD's worth of drivers and applications? Or, for that matter, can I build-into my application (via installer or whatever) the drivers needed for the device I will be using? For example, I recently had to deliver an application for a USB-6210 device... can I only have these drivers installed on the target computer, rather than everything in the CD?

Thanks,

Ashwin

[Sandra_T]

Hello Ashwin,

When you install the DAQmx driver from the CD, it does come with a bunch of additional software. All our DAQmx drivers has Measurement and Automation Explorer (MAX), VI Logger, examples, and help files that install with the driver. During the installation of the driver from a CD, you have an option to choose the features you want to install. This is how you would go about customizing the items you want to install.

In your case, you can build an installer that can be used with your Application (.exe) to install the required drivers. Carefully go through the following two references below. The links goes through step-by-step instructions on how to build an installer.

Building an Installer (Windows) 

Example: Building an Installer (Windows) 

When trying to build the installer with NI-DAQmx, under the 'Additional Installer' category, you would place a check beside the item that says NI-DAQmx. Then follow the above documents to complete building your installer.


Regards,
  Sandra T.
Applications Engineer | National Instruments

[apurohit]

I currently have Labview 7.1 Pro. The instructions you linked to are for 8.2, it seems. I looked around in my 7.1 build installer interface, but I can't seem to find the relevant section - is the "Additional Installers page" and the "add installers for any National Instruments products or drivers" sub-selection specific to Labview 8.x or should I see this option somewhere too?

[Nadim R]

Hi,

In LabVIEW 7.1 and below, the LabVIEW installer options give you the ability to launch an executable after the installation (refer to the Knowledgebase - "How Do I Make My LabVIEW-built Installer Run an Executable After Installation?" linked below). The problem with launching an executable in this fashion (in LabVIEW 7.1 and below) is that you can only launch a single executable and that executable must be included as a support file in the installer. Another possibility is to have the application builder launch a batch (*.bat) file that launches the other installers.

This method is useful for developers who:

A.                 Want the LabVIEW application installer to launch other installers from an installation disk or CD without actually having to copy all the installer files to the hard drive first or having to include the entire installer as support files.

B.     Want to have the LabVIEW application installer launch multiple other installers.

C.     Want to give the user install options, allowing them to choose whether they want to launch the other installers or not.

Here are some tutorials on how to create a Batch file.  Here is also a tutorial on how to run an executable after installation.  

I hope this helps,

Regards,

Nadim Rajabi
Applications Engineering
National Instruments

[apurohit]

It's not a matter of how to run the installer... but if there is a way to include the applicable device drivers for the NI data aqcuisition device, so that the end user doesn't have to download and install the entire 600+MB DAQmx software CD...

[Dennis_Knutson]

There are not separate drivers for separate devices. There is just DAQmx. As mentioned earlier though, there are optional components such as VI logger, examples, documentation, etc.