nidaq32.dll error using Windows 7

[ScienceMike]

Hey All,

I'm a Labview newbie of sorts but have gained some comfort through the tutorials and fooling around for the past couple of months.

I'm currently trying to updating some old (8.2 labview) programming code onto a brand new machine running Windows 7 and have stumbled into a couple of errors. I've managed to get past a number of them, but now I think have reached a conclusion I was trying to avoid.

I know (or at least have heard) that Windows 7 will not run the Traditional DAQ; this has been the main source of problem for me so far. In bringing over all of the subvi's, as you can imagine, most cannot be executed because they need lvdaq.dll components. I then tried to bring this over to the new machine (success), but when I run it after being prompted by labview, I get a system error:

The program can't start because nidaq32.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.

I've googled this and found that nidaq32.dll is the Traditional DAQ driver software.

My questions are:

1) How will it be possible to make these SubVI's executable without using the Traditional drivers?

and

2) Is there a different way I should be going about updating a large amount of code into Labview 2010?

Sorry I'm as clueless as I am, I'm learning a lot by pulling my way through this update and really appreciate any help/direction.

Most Respectfully,

Michael

[Dennis_Knutson]

In order to use windows 7, you have to update the data acquisition VIs to use DAQmx functions.

[ScienceMike]

Hey Dennis,

Right, this is what I'm struggling with. I'm unfamiliar with converting my current Traditional Sub VI's into DAQ.mx versions. I've read a fair amount of literature that is partially helpful. I understand that DAQ.mx has simplified many of these vi's down into a more succinct number of them, however, I don't know how to configure the new vi's (such as Create Channel) once I've got them posted on my Block Diagram.

The subvi's I'm struggling with are the following:

Counter Control.vi

AI control.vi

AI Hardware Config.vi

AI Group Config.vi

Counter Group Config.vi

Channel to Index.vi

AI Clock Config.vi

AI Parameter.vi

AI Trigger Config.vi

AI Buffer Read.vi

AI Buffer Config.vi

Counter Get Attribute.vi

Most of the errors with these subvi's are in the Call Library Function Node (Library not found or failed to load) I've got a more visual picture of the errored subvi's also attached in the vi hierachy.

Help is very appreciated.

Michael

[ScienceMike]

attached

[Dennis_Knutson]

Have you seen Transition from Traditional NI-DAQ? Unfortunately, there is no quick and easy way to do the conversion. I would recomend reading the help for the traditional functions to get an understanding of what the intent of each function was. Then study the new DAQmx functions to see how to implement the same thing.

[ScienceMike]

Alright thanks for that point. It's helped me make a little bit of head way. It has also prompted two more questions:

1) There are some SubVi's (such as Group Config) that I can't find direct conversions for in forum's and things online. I'm thinking either I'm missing some sort of master conversion list, or don't understand the DAQ.mx vi's enough to know which ones to use yet. If there is a list, it would just save some time of trying to mimic all of my original sub vi's to daq.mx.

2) Inside of these subvi's is a Call Library Function Node (see second image attached). I get an error because the call function (obviously) can't call the .dll file which is in the Labview older version (legacy driven) program files. I wasn't sure if this problem will dissolve when I properly replace my subvi's or if this is an independant problem, and there is some .dll file in LV2010 that I can't seem to find. Let me know if more details are needed here, I have never dealt with this Call Library Function Node in the past, so I'm not sure if I'm presenting all the info.

Thanks again for all the help.

Most Respectfully,

Michael

LV2010, Windows 7, Dell Optiplex790.

[Dennis_Knutson]

There was never an attempt to make direct conversions for the old traditional DAQ functions. Looking at the counter group config, it's used in a manner similar to a DAQmx Create Channel selected for a particular counter task. With the DAQmx function, you can also specify multiple counters in the physical channel list.

Since the dll for the traditional DAQ is not installed, the error is expected. When you replace all of the old functions, your errors will disappear.

[Kevin_Price]

The good news is that it looks like a pretty simple & straightforward data acq task.  The approach I'd suggest is to think "big picture" first.  Here you have a simple unbuffered edge counting task.  There are examples you can find in the LV Help menu to show you how to use DAQmx to do something similar.  You'll find, as Dennis mentioned, that there won't be a 1:1 correspondence of function calls, parameter names, etc.    However, for a simple looking task like the one shown here, there'll be a fairly limited amount of stuff to translate.

Now the bad news is that as you plug in the equivalent DAQmx code to replace the traditional NI-DAQ code, many of the parameters being passed in & out and stored in globals won't make the leap with you.  Some will go away, new ones will need to be accomodated, others may change datatype.  This is the part where you'll need to be meticulous and relentless to track down and handle all the implications of each change you need to make.

-Kevin P

[ScienceMike]

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the advice so far, I've seemed to run into another bug.

(Not the bug) Upon bringing in the Labview pro here in the my Lab, he was surprised (given that many of the traditional VI's used are not customized but just NI made) that there was no direct conversion kit that would recognize which subvi's need to be swapped out for which. The program I'm working with is involved, but I imagine large companies have much more involved code that would be an absolute nightmare to convert. I just wanted to double check that this is indeed the case and that subvi's need to be manually converted.

(Here's the bug) Assuming I'm correct there, in my effort to swap out the old subvi's for the new I'm really struggling with choosing a type of new subvi that has the proper inputs/outputs (or even close really) to make the conversion any simpler than just rewriting the code itself. I can get so far as to recognize which subvi (channel, read, write, etc.) should be used, but am still unable to indentify which specification I should select.

I'm starting to sense I have a pretty massive project on my hands. Thanks again for all your assistance!

Michael

[Norbert_B]

Michael,

i haven't read any of the previous posts, so maybe i am writing nonsense right now....

But:

What device do you have? Have you checked that the device is compatible with DAQmx?

Another point is:

To my experience, trad. DAQ is working on Windows 7 without any issues (BUT it is NOT supported by NI...so running into issues: They are YOUR issues...).

But trad. DAQ is only available in 32 bits. So using Windows 7 64bits will remove the option to use trad. DAQ at all since 32bit drivers do not run on 64bit OS.

So maybe you want to check those two things before getting the work to update your application.

On the other hand: DAQmx is the future for NI devices, and no up-to-date  NI device is using trad. DAQ anymore. So looking for "long term viability", it is recommended to do the switch as soon as possible...

Norbert