Install VXIplug&play software
VXIplug&play instrument drivers use a standard installer under Windows.
Use the File Manager or Windows Explorer to locate the setup.exe installation program for the instrument driver and double-click it. This runs the VXIplug&play installation program to install your driver files in their proper locations.
Typically, VXIplug&play instrument drivers install C source code, Windows Help files, a Win32 DLL, LabWindows/CVI Function Panels, KnowledgeBase files, and a stand-alone executable called a Soft Front Panel.
The source code, help files, and Soft Front Panel are installed in the <Drive>\VXIPNP\<Operating System>\<Instrument Name>\ path (for example, C:\VXIPNP\WinNT\HPE-1431\).
The DLLs are installed in <Drive>\VXIPNP\<Operating System>\bin\.
You can use the Soft Front Panel to quickly get started using your instrument.
LabWindows/CVI Function Panel files create a function panel tree in LabWindows/CVI. This useful structure contains a logical tree of the functions available in the DLL along with built-in help.
Of course, there are many functions built into the DLL that need to be formed into the final application.
A KnowledgeBase file is a hardware database containing useful specifications for an instrument. These might include operating specifications and capabilities.
In addition, the instrument driver may come with other files to help users program their instruments such as resource files or BASIC source code.
Finally, you may easily port a text-based instrument driver to LabVIEW. Simply use the Update VXIplug&play Drivers option under the File menu in LabVIEW. This checks your VXIPNP directory for installed VXIplug&play instrument drivers and converts them into a LabVIEW library containing all the functions listed in the LabWindows/CVI Function Panels. The Function Panels are converted to LabVIEW front panels, while each VI contains a Call Library Function to the DLL. The converted VIs are placed in your <Driver>\LabVIEW\Instr.lib directory. Under the Functions menu, these same VIs appear in the Instrument Library subpalette, ready for you to create an instrument driver. Notice that Convert CVI FP File under the File menu performs the same operations, except that the user must explicitly search for the DLL and FP files.