Preparing Windows NT for Plug and Play Devices
Hardware: GPIB>>Plug-in Controllers>>AT-GPIB/TNT (PnP)
Problem: I have an ISA GPIB card that I am about to install. What do I need to do before I physically install the card?
Solution:
Make sure that you have installed the
NI-488.2 driver first. Next, make sure the ISAPNP drivers are installed.
Windows NT is not a naturally plug and play-compatible operating system. You should have ISAPNP drivers installed in order for Windows NT to be able to detect your plug and play GPIB board.
- To see if the ISAPNP drivers are already installed, go to Start » Settings » Control Panel » Devices. Look for an entry called "PNP ISA Enabler Driver" as shown below:
If you do not see the entry shown above in the Devices window, or if you are not sure if the drivers are installed correctly, follow the steps given below. You can always reinstall the drivers, even if they are already installed.
How do I install the ISAPNP drivers?
- Insert your Windows NT CD.
- Go the \Drvlib\Pnpisa\X86 directory.
- Right-click once on the Pnpisa.inf file to bring up a pop-up menu and select the "Install" option. Then follow the instructions.
- After you have installed the Pnpisa.inf file, shut down your computer.
- Install your plug and play board.
- Turn on your computer. You should see a "New Hardware Found" message when Windows NT detects your plug and play board. Windows NT will associate the board with the NI-488.2 driver that you installed earlier. Because this will result in a configuration change, you will have to restart your computer.
- After you have restarted your computer, run the
NI-488.2 Getting Started Wizard to configure your GPIB board.
Related Links: KnowledgeBase 3Z6I1SGH: Launching the NI 488.2 Getting Started Wizard
Attachments: 
Report Date: 09/14/2006
Last Updated: 10/19/2006
Document ID: 41DIH9D2
