National Instruments VXI-USB User Manual

Page of 61
Chapter 1
Introduction
1-4
ni.com
Advanced Configuration Options
The VXI-USB default hardware configuration should be acceptable for 
most systems. Refer to Appendix B, 
, only if your system 
uses the front-panel CLK10 and trigger SMB connectors.
The NI-VISA/NI-VXI bus interface software includes a Resource 
Manager, an interactive configuration and troubleshooting program, 
a comprehensive library of software routines for VXI/VME programming, 
a logging utility you can use for debugging, and graphical interactive 
control programs for interacting with VISA. You can use this software to 
seamlessly program multiple-mainframe configurations and have software 
compatibility across a variety of controller platforms.
NI-VISA has a comprehensive library of software routines not only for 
VXI/VME programming, but also for GPIB, GPIB-VXI, PXI, TCP/IP, and 
Serial. You can use this software to program instruments connected through 
different types of interfaces.
Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) helps you view your 
entire test and measurement system and configure various components, 
whether they are VXI, GPIB, PXI, or Serial devices. You can also add 
VME devices to your system easily with MAX and view them on a screen 
display along with the rest of your system. MAX also features various 
options for running the Resource Manager, Resman. You can still execute 
Resman independently to configure your instruments after a power cycle. 
But you can also perform resource manager operations directly from MAX 
or configure it to run Resman automatically at startup.
The NI Spy utility tracks the calls your application makes to National 
Instruments drivers, including NI-VXI, NI-VISA, and NI-488.2. NI Spy 
helps you debug your application by clearly highlighting the functions that 
return errors. You can let NI Spy keep a log of your program’s calls to these 
drivers so that you can check them for errors at your convenience.
National Instruments Application Software
In addition to the NI-VISA/NI-VXI software, you can use the National 
Instruments LabVIEW, Measurement Studio, and LabWindows
/CVI
 
application programs and instrument drivers to ease your programming 
task. These standardized programs match the modular virtual instrument 
capability of VXI and can reduce your VXI/VME software development 
time. These programs are fully VXIplug&play compliant and feature