How to find the devices installed on a computer

[jrojfer]

Hi all,

I would like to know the function in C to discover the NI devices installed on the computer to list them and offer the user the possibility to choose between them. Does this function exist? Can i know the features of those devices? I think so, because I found on the help under the "List of device properties" the way to do it, so first of all i need to find them!!!!!how??

Thank you beforehand

JRF

[JaimeC]

Hi JRF,

The list of devices is obtained basically from the Measurement & Automation Explorer. This software is included with the drivers and u can find it on Start -> Programs -> National Instruments -> Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) . From there you should be able to find all the devices under My System -> Devices & Interfaces .

This is the normal procedure.

If you want to take a list of devices programatically from C I think you should make individuall function calls to the dll of the drivers. And as every kind of board works with different drivers probably you should need to call some of them depending of the kind of cards you want to detect.

You can find the functions of the dll to detect GPIB (under NI-488.2 driver) and DAQ (under NIDAQmx driver) on the next document:

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/websearch/31AB32576F064A13862569E60067320C?OpenDocument

If you want to detect any other kind of board/device you should probably look at the help of the driver to find the needed function.

Hope that helps,

[jrojfer]

Dear Jaime,

i couldn't find such a function on the documentation, is there a function on NI-DAQmx C API to get the avalaible NI devices on the computer? I found the functions to get some attributes of a determined device (such as if it is simulated, if it has counters,...) but first I need to know how to discover these devices. On the link you posted (http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/websearch/31AB32576F064A13862569E60067320C?OpenDocument) there is another link to an example "Developer Zone Example: Programmatically Detect DAQ Device Numbers" but it doesn't woark at all   😞 could you find the right one?????

I am using a PCI-6221 and some USB-6501.

Thank you beforehand!!!!!

JRF

[JaimeC]

Hi,

I was not able to found the info for that link...

Anyway you can use the Get_DAQ_Device_Info function... just use it for 15 devices and you will receive information from all of them, if they exist or not and which type they are,

[Brad_K]

Hi,

For DAQmx, you need to use DAQmxGetSysDevNames(). Get_DAQ_Device_Info() is for Traditional NI-DAQ. For more info, please refer to the NI-DAQmx C Reference Help or to this thread: http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=250&message.id=23869

Message Edited by Brad K on 01-25-2007 12:50 PM

[jrojfer]

Jaime and Brad,

thank you very much for your replies. They have been very useful for me!


JRF