December 2011
This file contains information about the LabVIEW FPGA IP Builder (Early Access Program), including supported platforms and FPGA targets, installation instructions, activation instructions, help resources, and known issues.
Overview
System Requirements
Supported FPGA Targets
Installation Instructions
Activation Instructions
Accessing Help
Finding Examples
Known Issues
The LabVIEW FPGA IP Builder enables you to create FPGA algorithms, interactively optimize the algorithms according to specific application requirements, and automatically generate efficient LabVIEW FPGA code.
You must have the LabVIEW FPGA Module, necessary Xilinx compilation tools, and NI-RIO installed on the local computer to use the FPGA IP Builder. Refer to the FPGA Module installation options on the LabVIEW Platform DVD, or your original media, for instructions on installing the FPGA Module and Xilinx compilation tools for LabVIEW. Refer to the NI Device Drivers DVD for instructions on installing NI-RIO.
After you install the FPGA IP Builder, an IP Builder project item automatically appears when you add an FPGA target to a LabVIEW project. The FPGA IP Builder supports only a limited number of FPGA targets.
The computer you are using must meet the following minimum system requirements to run the FPGA IP Builder:
You can run the FPGA IP Builder on the following operating systems:
Note: The FPGA IP Builder does not support Windows NT/Me/2000/98/95 or the Windows Server non-R2 editions.
The FPGA IP Builder supports the following FPGA targets:
Device Type | Target |
---|---|
CompactRIO | cRIO-911x |
FlexRIO | PXI-795xR |
PXIe-796xR | |
IF Transceivers* | PXIe-5641R |
MXIe-RIO Chassis | NI 9157 |
NI 9159 | |
R Series | PCIe, PXI-784xR |
PCIe, PXI-785xR | |
* You must have the NI-5640R instrument driver installed. |
Double-click the setup.exe file in the root directory of the FPGA IP Builder installer and follow the instructions on the screen to install this product.
Complete the following steps to activate the FPGA IP Builder.
If you are upgrading or moving between software packages, in most cases you do not have to install additional software, as follows:
For information on how to use NI License Manager to activate software, refer to the NI License Manager Help, which you can access from the Help»Contents menu item in NI License Manager.
During activation, you may be prompted for your ni.com user ID and password in order to register your product. NI uses the contact information that you provide to ensure access to your service benefits, including technical support, software upgrades, and updates. If you are not prompted to register, you can visit ni.com/support, click the Product Registration link, and enter your registration information manually.
National Instruments respects your privacy. For more information about the National Instruments activation information privacy policy, go to ni.com/activate/privacy.
activation code | A 20-character code that enables NI software to run on your computer, based on your serial number and computer ID. You receive and apply an activation code by completing the activation process. |
computer ID | A 16-character ID that uniquely identifies your computer, generated during the activation process. To find your computer ID, launch NI License Manager and click the Display Computer Information button. |
serial number | An alphanumeric string that uniquely identifies your purchase of a single copy of software, included in your software kit on your Certificate of Ownership, on the product packing slip, or on the shipping label. |
National Instruments uses activation to better support evaluation of our software, to enable additional software features, and to support license management in large organizations. To find out more about National Instruments software licensing, visit ni.com/activate for frequently asked questions, resources, and technical support.
Refer to the LabVIEW Help, available by selecting Help»LabVIEW Help in LabVIEW, for more information about using the FPGA IP Builder.
LabVIEW examples for the FPGA IP Builder are located in the labview\examples\FPGAIPBuilder folder. You can modify an example VI to fit an application, or you can copy and paste from one or more examples into a VI that you create.
You also can find example VIs using the NI Example Finder. Select Help»Find Examples to launch the NI Example Finder. Use the Browse or Search page of the NI Example Finder to find an example VI. In the Browse page, the FPGA IP Builder examples are located in the Toolkits and Modules»FPGA IP Builder folder.
You can access the software and documentation known issues list online. Refer to the National Instruments website for an up-to-date list of known issues in the FPGA IP Builder.
Copyright
© 2011 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.
Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of National Instruments Corporation.
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Trademarks
National Instruments, NI, ni.com, the National Instruments corporate logo, the Eagle logo, and LabVIEW are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation. Refer to the Trademark Information at ni.com/trademarks for other National Instruments trademarks.
Other product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.
Patents
For patents covering the National Instruments products/technology, refer to the appropriate location: Help»Patents in your software, the patents.txt file on your media, or ni.com/patents.