Use of a PCI-FlexMotion 6C

[chia]

Hi Everybody

I am actually using a DAQ PCI6023-E with LabView 5.0 on Windows 98. Now I want to use a PCI-FlexMotion-6C board, too.
I will appreciate if you can answer me the following questions:
1. Is it possible to use both boards in a simultaneously manner? For example: the DAQ board to acquire analog signals and the FlexMotion to acquire velocity of a shaft (through encoder pulses).
2. Which versions of NI-Motion and NI-Motion VI library go with the FlexMotion board and with LabView 5.0?
3. My data acquisition programme is working well with Labview 5.0. Is it possible that it doesn't work anymore if I use LabView 7.0 (because of drivers, etc.)?
4. If I would change to LabView 7.0, will the FlexMotion board work?

Thanks a lot for your help.

[Diego_M]

Hi chia,

let me answer your question:

1. YES, It´s possible to work with both boards at the same time.
NOTE: You can even synchronize boards using the RTSI bus, (RTSI bus is a grey connector). Basically, you have to connect this buses through a cable (sold by National Instruments) and with the VIs of LabVIEW you can programm it. The following links will show you information about this bus:
- What´s RTSI bus and applications?:

http://zone.ni.com/devzone/conceptd.nsf/webmain/6290bfcc49c486d08625693b0068b5ee?OpenDocument

- Example VI (LabVIEW 6):

http://sine.ni.com/apps/we/niepd_web_display.display_epd4?p_guid=B45EACE3E5DD56A4E034080020E74861&p_node=DZ52480&p_source=External

- From LabVIEW help, you can type RTSI and you´ll see different examples to synchronize two or more devices (boards)

- How to install Flexmotion-6C:

http://zone.ni.com/devzone/conceptd.nsf/webmain/25e39cf6ca4ac52586256b9e00790ae4?OpenDocument

- Other resources (Manual of Flexmotion-6C): http://digital.ni.com/manuals.nsf/websearch/FD247C8F7862D958862567BC004E7221?OpenDocument&node=132100_US

2. Here you have the NI-Motion versions. As you can see, version 5.2's readme recommends to use version 5.1.x with the 6C board, so 5.1.1 would be the best choice. Please note there's a patch/fix available (5.1.1f4) that you should apply.

http://digital.ni.com/softlib.nsf/webcategories/85256410006C055586256BB9002C16DF?opendocument&node=132070_US

3. If you are thinking to upgrade LabVIEW 5.0-->7.1, that's the best that you can do, you can work with the latest version of NI-Daq, which supports the DAQ board. Also, you´ll get the newest functions and your aplication will be more powerful. The answer is YES, If you upgrade Labview, the application will work as before. (Some minor changes may need to be made, but that's usually done automatically by LabVIEW whenever you open the vis on the new version of and resave the vis).

4. YES. You must keep the 5.1.1f4 driver though (in other words, when you install LabVIEW, you should not install the latest NI-Motion driver as it doesn't support the 6C board).


Regards

Diego M.

[chia]

Diego,
thanks a lot for your answer. I will apply what you said.

[Diego_M]

Ok Chia,

whatever information that I can give you, please, send me a post.

Regards

Diego M.