new features in the DAQ Assistant?

[RKING]

What are the new features in the DAQ Assistant in LabVIEW 8.5 and NiDAQmx 8.6, and is this information posted on ni.com?

[Chris_D]

Here is the list of new features from the NI-DAQ 8.6 Readme.

New Features
The following main features were added in this release.

• Newly supported devices in NI-DAQmx—NI 9402, NI PXI-4496, NI PXI-4498, NI PXI-6529, NI USB-6212, NI USB-6216, NI USB-6221 BNC, NI USB-6225 (Screw Terminal and Mass Termination), NI USB-6229 BNC, NI USB-6251 BNC, NI USB-6255 (Screw Terminal and Mass Termination), NI USB-6259 BNC, and NI USB-9237. Refer to Device Support for a complete list of devices.
• The SensorDAQ is a bus-powered USB data acquisition device designed specifically for use with Vernier analog and digital sensors. Refer to vernier.com for more information on programming this device.
• For NI 446x and NI 449x devices, if the raw data compression type is set to lossless packing and all channels in a task support hardware compression, hardware data compression is now enabled by default.
• TEDS support for the NI USB-9233 and NI USB-9237.
• Support for LabVIEW 7.1, 8.0, 8.2, and 8.5.
• In the DAQ Assistant, you can now use the Description tab to enter user-defined documentation for your channel or scale. You can save this documentation and access it programmatically.
• DAQ Assistant support for SignalExpress 2.1

More information is also documented on ni.com at the following links:

What's New in NI-DAQmx 8.6
http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/5606

New Features in LabVIEW 8.5
http://www.ni.com/labview85/upgrade.htm

[RKING]

Thanks Chris_D.  There appear to be several changes to the user interface of the DAQ Assistant as well.  Are these changes described somewere?

[Chris_D]

The NI-DAQmx Software Services Feature Gallery is the closest thing I could find to what you are looking for. It gives a short description of the DAQ Assistant. I could not find anything that listed the changes from one version to the next. However, I would be happy to answer any questions you have about any new features you see.

NI-DAQmx Software Services Feature Gallery
http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/5612#toc6

[RKING]

Thanks, Chris.  This is useful informaiton.  I didn't know it existed.  However, the screen shot of the DAQ Assistant Configuration Window is an old one, perhaps fromk 8.0 or 8.2.  This information doesn't appear to have been updated for 8.5.

Bob

[Chris_D]

You are correct. The screenshot does seem to be of an older version of the DAQ Assistant. Here is a screenshot from the DAQmx 8.6 DAQ Assistant.

[RKING]

Thanks, Chris.  I wonder if it would be a good idea to change procedures at NI so new features between versions are described carefully and completely and posted.