Unable to create Virtual DAQmx Device in MAX4.1 with Daqmx8.3

[AnalogKid2DigitalMan]

I have tried creating a virtual simulated DAQmx device in MAX4.1 with DAQmx8.3. Right click on Devices and Interfaces/Create New/NI-DAQmx Simulated Device/Finish

yields a popup box saying "Could not launch VI: modalVI2.cpp" with only OK as an option.

Same result on another PC. Both running LV8.20 under Win XP SP2 applied.

Any ideas?

Thanks

AK2DM

[David S.]

Hi AK2DM -

Did you pick a device before clicking "OK"?  The application may very well hang or crash if you do not.  If you did, which device were you trying to simulate?

[AnalogKid2DigitalMan]

Hi David:

From MAX Help:

Creating NI-DAQmx Simulated Devices

To create an NI-DAQmx simulated device, complete the following steps:

1. Right-click Devices and Interfaces and select Create New.
2. A dialog box prompts you to select a device to add. Select NI-DAQmx Simulated Device and click Finish.
3. In the Choose Device dialog box, select the category of devices for the device you want to simulate.
4. Select the device and click OK. In the configuration tree in MAX, the icons for NI-DAQmx simulated devices are yellow.
   • If you select a PXI device, you are prompted to select a chassis number and PXI slot number.
   • If you select an SCXI chassis, the SCXI configuration panels open.
   • If you select a CompactDAQ chassis, you must right-click the empty slots to add C Series devices.

To remove an NI-DAQmx simulated device, right-click the device and click Delete.

On step 2 after clicking on Finish, that is where the error occurs. I never get a chance to select a device.

Message Edited by AnalogKid2DigitalMan on 10-24-2006 02:18 PM

[David S.]

Hi Analog -

Sorry about that.  There are two ways to simulate a device, and I thought you were using the other method.  (Right-click on "NI-DAQmx Devices and choose "Create New NI-DAQmx Device » NI-DAQmx Simulated Device".)  Some troubleshooting ideas:

1. Does the other method (described above) work, or does it crash with the same error?  It should bypass the window that you click "Finish" in and directly load the device list.

2. Are you using an Administrator logon with these machines?  If not, try signing on as one.

3. What source did you install the driver from?  Since this is happening on two machines, there's a slim chance it could be caused by a corrupted installation.  If you installed from a CD, try downloading the driver here.

[AnalogKid2DigitalMan]

Hi David:

1. How do I invoke the method you described? I am attaching a screen shot of my MAX panel, I cannot find the NI-DAQmx Devices property you mentioned to right click on.

2. I have Admin privileges on both machines.

3. I installed from my Aug 2006 Devel Suite CD's on both machines. DAQmx version shows up as 8.3.0f0 in MAX. If you can answer (1) above, then I will attempt a download of 8.3 in the link you provided.

This is my first ever attempt to use a simulated device.

Thanks

[David S.]

Hi Analog -

Sorry about that.  I assumed that you already had a DAQmx device installed, and were trying to simulate another one.  In this case, the "DAQmx" subtree is available, and you can right-click on it.  I've attached a screenshot of my own to help explain.

Because I can't reproduce the problem you're having on any of the three machines I've tested, I can't explain why you're unable to simulate a device.  Even though you can't try my method (because you don't have an actual device installed to make the tree visible), I do recommend that you uninstall the driver through the Add/Remove Programs wizard and try installing it again from the download link.  Your CDs are the most recent, but there's a slim chance that they could have been corrupted when they were made.  I'd like to make sure I'm running the exact same copy of the driver as you, which is the one on our website.

[AnalogKid2DigitalMan]

David:

The plot thickens-

When I go to uninstall MAX via Add/Remove Programs- NI software, it detects dependant products that also have to be removed, basically most of the entire LV development system and ancillary applications.

Is there any other means of solely removing MAX by itself? This is most inconvenient in my opinion and not typicaly of removing application components in Windows.

Please refer to the attached screenshot of what has to be removed just to uninstall MAX. Since I could not resize the window, not displayed is that it also needs to uninstall NI-VISA 4.0 and NI-VISA Server 4.0.

-AK2DM

[David S.]

Hi Analog -

MAX is a database system that manages all your drivers.  So, in essence, it's a layer that sits underneath the drivers, and if you want to remove it you have to remove everything on top of it.  This is why it asks you to pull out all driver software with it.

However, we don't need to uninstall MAX.  We only need to pull out the DAQmx 8.3 driver. So, in that list of NI Software, just select NI-DAQmx 8.3 and remove it, not MAX or any driver.  There should be no dependencies on other components, so it will come out cleanly.

[AnalogKid2DigitalMan]

David:

Success- the DAQmx v8.3.0f3 download solved the issue. Looks like the v8.3.0f0 that shipped on CD has issues. I have created a virtual simulated device.

Sorry I mistook the need for uninstalling MAX, but still disconcerting that if anyone ever has to, they will have to dump and reinstall a lot of software (including LabVIEW).

Thanks Again

-Pete

[David S.]

Hi Analog -

I'm glad the update worked.  I'll create a KnowledgeBase article to document the fix for future users.

On the note of MAX, I can only restate the fact that it's essentially the backbone of our integrated driver and communication support.  The end-user may see it as only a program interface that lets them set up a features of their hardware, but that interface merely provides access to a complex database manager.  The database it maintains coordination several of the new Project-oriented features of LV 8.0/8.2, as well as remote system deployment, cross-system communication, and hardware driver control.  The system underlying MAX basically pulls all of NI's products and featuers together.

Message Edited by David S. on 10-31-2006 03:07 PM