Linux Drivers for PCI/PCIe/USB

[yapatel]

Hi -

I develop a real-time linux based (using Ubuntu and Scientific Linux) platform that uses NI's Multifunction DAQs (E and M series). Up until now we have used open source driver sets such as COMEDI (from RTAI) and Analogy (from Xenomai) to interface with these cards, however the newer X-series cards are not being supported by either of these - and development seems to be at a halt.

I was wondering if NI provides a linux-based driver set for these cards. If so, is there a list of cards it supports?

Thanks.

[FmTesla]

Hello yapatel. 

We always try to recomend the use of DAQmx, since it is the officially supported driver. Probably you will find this links useful.

What Linux Distributions Do National Instruments Drivers and Software Support?
http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/4857A755082E9E228625778900709661?OpenDocument

Drivers Needed to Use National Instruments Hardware on Linux
http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/DA11427DB450FDCB86256257005717D0?OpenDocument

[JoeFriedchicken · Accepted solution]

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yapatel wrote:

Hi -

I develop a real-time linux based (using Ubuntu and Scientific Linux) platform that uses NI's Multifunction DAQs (E and M series). Up until now we have used open source driver sets such as COMEDI (from RTAI) and Analogy (from Xenomai) to interface with these cards, however the newer X-series cards are not being supported by either of these - and development seems to be at a halt.

I was wondering if NI provides a linux-based driver set for these cards. If so, is there a list of cards it supports?

Thanks.

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If you're considering X Series devices, the only Linux support NI offers is through a source-based driver, the MHDDK [1].

In addition to the source code, the DDK also includes documentation on the registers, bit-fields, and theory of operation for the device's capabilities.

The DDK demonstrates how you would program a DAQ device on any OS. Note that this goal is different than how you would create a DAQ driver for any OS. In other words, the DDK is intended to demonstrate which registers and bit-fields to program and in which order they need to be programmed so that they can properly control the hardware. The DDK is not a reference architecture for driver and kernel programming, but more like executable documentation.

[1] Measurement Hardware Driver Development Kit (MHDDK) Frequently Asked Questions
http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/2D93070A3DDEFD7186256C59007289E6