Dedicated script for channels

[JMR83]

Dear Community,

I have a NI 5451 signal generator and I would like to know if and how it is possible to use different scripts for the two channels.

So let us assume I want to use both channels. To each I load different waveforms and now I want that the first channels switches the waveform at a signal on PFI0 and the second on a signal arising at PFI1.

If I use the WriteScript method, it seems that the last script written is active, but I do

not get why I can write my script channel selective to the device by using:

oFgen.WriteScript("Channel Name","Script....");

I would assume that the scripts then are exclusively for the channel but in my case it seems the script acts for both channels.

I hope you can understand what I am mean, but please let me know if further information is required.

By the way I program in C# using a driver wrapper.

Best regards
Johannes

[BenRobinson · Accepted solution]

Johannes,

Unfortunately, the number of scripts that can be executed independently at a single time on the PXIe-5451 waveform generator is limited by the firmware design and FPGA size as opposed to driver design. Each script step's trigger must be shared between the two channels because they share a single execution engine. They can generate signals using different data, but the data in each step of the script must be equivalent in length to the data being generated on the other channel.

Thank you for your sharing this use-case with us. We really do take feedback from these forums into account when grading features for future products. In fact, we may have some interesting news in the next month on this exact requirement.

[BenRobinson]

Johannes,

We recently released a new family of arbitrary waveform generators with 2 channels per PXI slot, that have completely independent channel operation: the PXIe-5413, 5423, and 5433. The PXIe-5423 and 5433 support waveform scripting and each channel can behave completely independent of the another starting, stopping, and advancing through different scripts independently of one another. Unfortunately, this is not a feature we are able to retroactively add to any of our previously existing waveform generators, but it is something we hope to continue offering in our products going forward.