National Instruments DAQCard-1200 User Manual

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Contents

National Instruments DAQCard-1200 User Manual Manual pdf 14 page image

Chapter 1 Introduction© National Instruments Corporation 1-3 DAQCard-1200 User ManualLabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI Application SoftwareLabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI are innovative program developmentsoftware packages for data acquisition and control applications. LabVIEWuses graphical programming, whereas LabWindows/CVI enhancestraditional programming languages. Both packages include extensivelibraries for data acquisition, instrument control, data analysis, andgraphical data presentation.LabVIEW features interactive graphics, a state-of-the-art user interface,and a powerful graphical programming language. The LabVIEW DataAcquisition VI Library, a series of VIs for using LabVIEW with NationalInstruments boards, is included with LabVIEW. The LabVIEW DataAcquisition VI Libraries are functionally equivalent to the NI-DAQsoftware.LabWindows/CVI features interactive graphics and a state-of-the-art userinterface and uses the ANSI standard C programming language. TheLabWindows/CVI Data Acquisition Library, a series of functions for usingLabWindows/CVI with National Instruments boards, is included with yourNI-DAQ software kit. The LabWindows/CVI Data Acquisition libraries arefunctionally equivalent to the NI-DAQ software.Using LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI software will greatly reduce thedevelopment time for your data acquisition and control application.NI-DAQ Driver SoftwareThe NI-DAQ driver software is included at no charge with all NationalInstruments DAQ hardware. NI-DAQ has an extensive library of functionsthat you can call from your application programming environment. Thesefunctions include routines for analog input (A/D conversion), buffered dataacquisition (high-speed A/D conversion), analog output (D/A conversion),waveform generation, digital I/O, counter/timer operations, SCXI, RTSI,self-calibration, messaging, and acquiring data to extended memory.NI-DAQ also internally addresses many of the complex issues between thecomputer and the plug-in board, such as programming interrupts andDMA controllers. NI-DAQ maintains a consistent software interfaceamong its different versions so that you can change platforms with minimalmodifications to your code. Figure 1-1 illustrates the relationship betweenNI-DAQ and LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI. You can see that the dataacquisition parts of LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI are functionallyequivalent to the NI-DAQ software.