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How to output sample and convert clocks to PFI lines of E-Series DAQ (DAQPad-6015)

Your application may be doable using DAQmx Base. My application is a plug-in for my company's main product (Igor Pro) to add a data acquisition interface to our graphing and numerical analysis program. Since I can't tell what my customers want to do ahead of time, and since I have to protect our product against customer programming mistakes, I can't really use the incomplete DAQmx Base interface.

I was faced with a similar situation- this package has been available on OS 9 for a few years, and our customers wanted to be able to use OS X and M-series devices. At first I thought DAQmx Base was the answer.

I find the features that were left out of DAQmx Base to be a serious limitation. I also find that it has bugs and little gotchas. Various things are unsupported on certain types of hardware. mxbaseconfig doesn't supprt either the M-series devices or the USB 6008/9 devices. You don't get properties (these are supposedly partly made up for by having the mxbaseconfig application to set up a task, but the M-series devices...)

So I punted.

You have a chance since lack of the convert clock signal externally only deprives you of a convenient debug aid.

Good luck!
John Weeks

WaveMetrics, Inc.
Phone (503) 620-3001
Fax (503) 620-6754
www.wavemetrics.com
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Hmmm, that doesn't sound encouraging.

Do you know if Nat Inst. has taken any kind of public stance on future improvements of DAQmx Base, or full DAQMx support for OS's other than Windows? I can probably live with a crippled interface for a little while, but I don't want to commit to it long term.

Thanks again for your help -- looks like I might be headed back to the kernel again...

cheers,

spg

Scott Gillespie
Applied Brain, Inc.
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scott gillespie
applied brain, inc.
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I have no particular inside knowledge. At the Society for Neuroscience meeting I told one of their engineers in pretty strong language what I thought, and he explained to me how hard it would be to port DAQmx to another platform, and talked about assessing the market for a port.

There have been hints that NI is "looking into" a linux port (there is a posting to this forum somewhere).

You now know as much as I do.

>looks like I might be headed back to the kernel again...

You have my sympathy.
John Weeks

WaveMetrics, Inc.
Phone (503) 620-3001
Fax (503) 620-6754
www.wavemetrics.com
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Hi John and Scott-

At this time, NI-DAQmx Base is the only provided driver option for performing data acquisition with NI DAQ cards.  NI relies on customer input to track possible opportunities for future software upgrades. 

John's feedback has definitely been received, but I would encourage you and anyone else with interest in improvements to Mac OSX support to visit the Product Suggestion Center and voice your suggestions.  These requests are handled by our R&D engineers and are the best method to file your suggestions with the decision makers at NI.

Hopefully this helps-

Tom W
National Instruments
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Hi All-

I also want to mention that if you do feel compelled to develop your own driver you should consider the MHDDK- it is supported in the DDK forum and provides documentation and examples to get you started.

Thanks-

Tom W
National Instruments
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