Labview 5.1 and XP

[Process_Systems]

Is it possible to run Labivew 5.1 on a Windows XP machine? I have an old 5.1 app that ran on an old Win 98 machine that blew up last week, and I have to get another CPU up and running to replace the dead unit. Of course today, all you can buy is something with XP on it. I tried a straight install of 5.1, and kept getting error messages "Wrong OS". The app uses low-level port I/O vi's not available/supported in current Labview versions. I tried Labview 6.1, with the same lousy results. Anyone have any ideas??? Thanks Dave

[mikeporter]

I would say right off had that you only have a few choices:

1. Spend this week-end hanging out at garage sales looking for an old PC in half-way decent shape (Seriously...)
2. Get new hardware and install Win 98 on it yourself--assuming that's even possible...
3. Rewrite your application to not need the low-level port IO.

If it were me in your shoes, I think I would go with a combination of 1 and 3. Get the system back on its feet temporarily while you work on a permanent fix.

I am assuming that you are using the low-level port IO routines to bit-bang some sort of parallel interface. yes? You should be able to write a compatable function using a DIO board--or maybe even some spare digital outs on an A/D board.

Did you write the original 5.1 code, or is this an inherited application? How well was it written?

Mike...

[Process_Systems]

So, I guess the answer to my main queery is "NO". I sort of suspected that. Darn! We already have a brand new CPU unit sitting here, and a few bucks tied up in it that we need to recover. I guess I will have to canibalize the unit, and take out the video card, DVD dual-layer re-writer, and anything else that only has XP drivers. I really don't need the DVD unit, but I need a fairly high performance video card. Maybe I will take up your suggestion and hunt for something that has Win 98 compatable drivers. I wrote the code in late '99, and it has run well ever since, at least until the lightning storm blew out the plant transformer a couple of weeks ago. You are probably aware of how much Labview, Windows, and the associated hardware has changed since then! It is making for a real compatability nightmare. Well, I guess there is nothing for it but to bite the bullet. Thanks for the suggestions.. Dave

[mikeporter]

Yes, things have changes a bunch since '99--even more since '85 when I booted up by first copy of LV...

What other kinds of IO are you using? Are the other devices (if any) still supported? You could of course look at this as a trememdous opportunity. You have a chance to go back a rework it based on all the lessons you have learned over the past 6 years.

Feel free to hollar is you get stuck. I might be able to help.

Mike..

[Conseils]

I run Labview 6.i and 6.1 as well as 3 and 4 ..... not 5.x - just chance really.

Any way the key is installation order, I just happend on the process but others have documented it in this forum.
As I remember you needed to install the oldest first. As I recall from installing 5.x on other O.S systems you ignore the error message! that tit-bit came from NI when I bought 5.X

[unclebump]

You have a couple options. Get a copy of partition magic and make the system have multi-boot options using bootmagic. I have laptops at work with Dos/win98/win2000/winXP on all of them. Also get a copy of Ghost software to make hard drive backups.

Try VirtualPC or VMware and run other operating systems inside winXP. The entire win98 operating system will be placed inside a single file on the XP system. You can use the I/O ports, ethernet, CD, floppy inside the virtual pc.

Processor speed on the new computer could be an issue. I have some older DOS/win95 aged software at work and I have to use Moslo and Turbo processor slowdown utilities when running on newer computers.

[m3nth]

Did you get the actual error message installing LabVIEW or running your program?

I have no idea if LabVIEW 5.1 will install on XP--it certainly seems like it should--but your low level I/O is definitely not going to work.  Something to keep in mind though if you were going to try and port your code is the OpenG low-level I/O library, available using the OpenG Commander.

http://www.OpenG.org

See the attached screenshot of the OpenG low-level I/O palette.

[Process_Systems]

Thanks for the suggestion, I did find an older PC that would take the drivers/backups/configuration files that I am using. It took some doing, but it now works! Re-writing code is not one of my favorite passtimes, and anyhow, this application is in the medium-large to downright unwieldly size catagory, so I was really trying not to alter it significantly. Thanks again Dave

[julesjay]

So finally, is that possible to install labview 5.1 with windows xp??

[BME_genuis]

Mike,

I inherited a convoluted Labview 5.1 code and I am trying to document how it works.  Can you delineate to me the most methodical way of going about learning and organizing all the subVIs and libraries just by viewing the code?  There are multiple analog input channels and a few digital output channels.  How can I use MAX to configure the channels?

Thanks,

-Scott