Order of Installation for Multiple National Instruments Hardware and Software Products
Primary Software: LabVIEW Development Systems>>LabVIEW Full Development System
Primary Software Version: 8.6.1
Primary Software Fixed Version: N/A
Secondary Software: Other NI Software, Driver Software, Instrument Drivers/IVI, Calibration Executive, Motion Assistant, Vision Assistant, DIAdem, Switch Executive, LabVIEW Run-Time Engine, LabWindows/CVI Run-Time Engine, Utility Software, LabWindows/CVI Add-ons, LabVIEW Toolkits, Measurement Studio, LabVIEW Modules, Measurement Studio Add-ons, LabWindows/CVI Development Systems, LabVIEW Development Systems, IMAQ Optical Character Recognition Software, IMAQ Vision Builder, Vision Builder for Automated Inspection, TestStand, Lookout, MATRIXx
Problem: I have just purchased multiple National Instruments hardware and software products. Is there a preference for the order of installation of National Instruments software and hardware?
Solution: This KnowledgeBase assumes that you are working with a fresh machine where no National Instruments products have been previously installed. If you have older National Instruments drivers and want to upgrade, please uninstall these drivers first by going to
Start » Settings » Control Panel » Add/Remove Programs.
Note: If you have LabVIEW 6i, you may need to uninstall drivers from within its installation. In this case, click on the NI LabVIEW 6.0 entry in Add/Remove Programs and choose Add/Remove. A list of drivers installed with LabVIEW will be presented. If an X is next to the driver, then the driver was not installed.
Note: it is not necessary to uninstall your previous versions of LabVIEW, please check the individual driver readme to confirm that your version of LabVIEW is supported with that driver.
Installation Order
In general, the installation process begins with the application software, followed by the drivers and finishes with the installation of your hardware. The following is the suggested order of installation:
Install your application software first in the following order (if applicable):
- LabVIEW Platform DVD (Instructions)
- LabVIEW Development Environment
- LabVIEW add-on modules (e.g. LabVIEW Real-Time Module, DSC, Report Generation, etc.)
- Additional Toolkits not available on the Platform DVD (e.g. Sound and Vibration Measurement Suite, Vision Builder, etc.)
- Other application software (i.e. Measurement Studio, NI TestStand, Lookout, DIAdem, NI VeriStand).
Next, Install the Platform Driver DVD, This will allow you to install all drivers for any of our hardware products.
These new drivers use a meta installer which has the ability to check for a previously installed version of the driver. If an older driver is found, it will uninstall it before installing the latest version. If it detects that the latest driver is already installed, it will do nothing.
Note: If you hardware require older versions of the drivers, do not install the latest driver. It is much easier to upgrade than it downgrade.
- The latest NI Drivers automatically check for required dependency drivers, however if you are installing an older driver, here are some of those dependencies.
- NI-FGEN (requires NI-DAQ, NI-VISA and the IVI Compliance Package)
- NI-RFSA (requires NI-DAQ, NI-VISA, and the IVI Compliance Package). This will also install NI-Tuner and NI-Scope, both required by the RF device. It will also install the Spectral Measurements Toolset (SMT) for LabVIEW and/or CVI.
- NI-RFSG (requires NI-DAQ, NI-VISA, and the IVI Compliance Package)
- NI-Scope (requires NI-DAQ, NI-VISA and the IVI Compliance Package)
- NI-435x (will install [unless the same or newer versions are already installed] Virtual Bench Logger; NI-DAQ and DAQ Examples; NI-435x Instrument Drivers for LabVIEW, Lab Windows/CVI, Visual C++ and Visual Basic)
- If you are using National Instruments Image Acquisition and Motion products you should have already installed NI-IMAQ and/or NI-Motion. Install any of the following that you have in the corresponding order: IMAQ Vision for LabVIEW and/or IMAQ Vision for Measurement Studio, IMAQ Vision Builder, Motion Assistant. Be sure to install any IMAQ vision updates from the Download Software page (linked below).
Now that you have installed all of your software and drivers, you can now add your hardware and the operating system should recognize and install the hardware automatically.
Related Links: Support: Drivers and Updates
KnowledgeBase 4P3D5EP9: How Can I Download and Install the National Instruments Platform DVD?
Products and Services: NI LabVIEW Life Cycle Policy
Attachments:
Report Date: 04/11/2003
Last Updated: 09/03/2009
Document ID: 2WAFMJOK
