How do I deploy software the uses NI-VISA?

[montgisard]

Hi- I am building a custom application in Visual Studio 2005, in Visual Basic that uses NI-VISA to control our instrumentation. I'd like to find a way to install VISA as part of my application so that the users do not have to do this. If I can't include VISA in my installer, then what is the minimum size install for VISA. The current packages are ~320MB for Visa full install and 29MB for the run-time. My questions: 1) Is there a way to deploy custom software with VISA that does not require installation of VISA (i.e.) use the dlls? 2) What is the difference between what's in the VISA full install and the run-time? 3) What is the minimum install for VISA and how can a create a smaller package? Thanks- Brian

[seppmuc]

I'm also interested in this issue!

[Ryan_F]

Hey All,

If you would like to configure your installer to include VISA, all you need to include in the installer is the VISA Run-Time Engine.

Thank you,

Ryan

[seppmuc]

Tanks Ryan for this Information. One question: As far as I know, MAX is not included in the VISA Runtime Engine but in certain situations you'll need it (reconfigure IP-Adresses of instruments, ...). How can I deploy VISA runtime and MAX with only paying the deplyoing license?

[Ryan_F]

Hey Seppmuc,

I don't believe there is a way to install MAX on more machines through an installer. An installer is meant to apply the Run-time Engines to where the executable program can have the tools to run. MAX is meant for configuration, so all the configuration should be done in MAX before the installer is built. However, if IP address reconfiguring is needed, there is a way to accomplish this. I have enclosed a link to an article that might help you.

Thank you,

Ryan

[seppmuc]

Hi Ryan,

maybe I missunderstood the term "deploying". I mean the redistribution of applications based on the visa-dlls. If I distribute my application which uses visa drivers for controlling instruments, how can I access ethernet resources on the target machine without using MAX. Is this possible or do I also have to distribute MAX for that?

Best regards,

Josef

[Ryan_F]

Hey Josef,

Just to clarify a little about your application. You are creating dll's that use the VISA library that you would like to deploy on a real-time target. Correct?

Thank you,

Ryan

[seppmuc]

Hi Ryan,

almost: I'm creating an Excecutable (with Visual Studio 2008) wich is controling some test and measurement instruments and is using NI-VISA Runtime for GPIB and Ethernet as the instrument driver. I'm controlling the instruments with SCPI-Commands cause we prefer that for several reasons.

 Greetz,

Josef

[Ryan_F]

Hey Josef,

If you are building an executable without an installer, then you will need to install the VISA Run-time engine on all target machines. If you can build an installer, then you just need to include the VISA Run-time engine along with your executable.

Thank you and have a great day!

Ryan

[seppmuc]

Ryan. Thank's for your answer. There is one last problem I had in the past: The VISA Run-time engine doesn't contain the NationalInstruments.Common Assembly. But I need it for my project. Therefore I have to install parts of Measurement Studio also. Why does the VISA run-time engine not contain the NationalInstruments.common assemblies? Do I need another license for that? Which kind of license is needed for my purposes (only using the VISA run-time engine).

Thanks and sorry for my lack of knowledge in this things.

Josef