NI-488.2 v2.3 mac os x installation failing

[ScottieB]

Todd and all,

I was able to get NI-488.2 v2.3 to work on Tiger (minimally tested) with the following steps. Note that you may need to go back and uninstall all National Instruments software if you have changed anything after you originally installed NI-488.2. Follow these steps exactly.

1. Install NI-488.2 v2.3, rebooting as instructed at the end of the install.
2. Ignore the error messages about files in /Library/Startup Items having the wrong permissions.
3. Install NI-VISA v3.3, rebooting as instructed at the end of the install.
4. Delete the link or folder in /Library/Startup Items named "coldplugenum"
5. Go to a command prompt and type the following command (no quotes) "sudo /Library/Receipts/nivisaruntimei.pkg/Contents/Resources/palModuleMgr.sh -i -t userDaemon -s boot /Library/Frameworks/coldplugenum.framework" and enter your primary user's password.
6. Reboot. At this point the troubleshooting wizard should pass and there should be no errors at bootup.

Note that if your PCI-GPIB board requires a firmware update, you must not run the firmware update on Mac OS 10.4. Doing so will delete your NI-488.2 directory. Use the Windows 98 utility linked above, or do the firmware update on Mac OS 10.3.

Todd, could you let me know whether or not you are successful after following these steps?

Thanks,
Scott B.
GPIB Software
National Instruments

[tdaverett]

Hello Scott,

we have very good news: Our GPIB-card finally works with NI-488.2 v2.3 on our Mac OS X v10.4.1 !

I performed the required firmware update of our PCI-GPIB board on our Windows 98 machine and put the board back in the Mac OS X. After another time uninstalling NI-488.2 v2.3 and VISA v3.3 I followed exactly your instructions from step 1 to 6.
The troubleshooting wizard passed without complaints and our first tests with Labview were successful. 🙂

Scott, thank you so much for all your help!!!
Sabine Fuchs & Todd Averett

[plosio]

Hi all,
I've got similar problems and for some reason I missed this topic (please make a knowledge base entry out of it)
My situation:
* Mac OS X 10.4.1
* new PCI GPIB Board
* installed LabView 7.1 & 7.1.1
* installed VISA 3.3
* then istalled GPIB (my fault to install it later)

GPIB was not recognised and I've got errors about security on startup items.
Using the "fix" button I could not solve the problems, digging into /Library/Startup Items I saw the following symlinks
nipal
coldplugenum

By pressing "fix" on the permissions dialog at startup these symlinks get corrupted and end up being an endless loop.

My solution is easy if you are not scared by terminal commands:

* copy the original items in the Library/Startup Items
From the terminal:

cd /Library/Startup\ Items
sudo cp -R /Library/Application\ Support/National\ Instruments/nipal/StartupItems/coldplugenum .
sudo cp -R /Library/Application\ Support/National\ Instruments/nipal/StartupItems/nipal .

* Then I fixed the permissions according to
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300962

And everything works fine.

Message Edited by plosio on 07-11-2005 12:17 PM

Message Edited by plosio on 07-11-2005 12:19 PM

[johnsold]

I have tried everything in this thread and am still having troubles. Actually, things have gotten worse.

I have a Mac G4 OS X 10.3.9. LV 7.1.1 (Also 7.0). Daqmx base 1.5, NI-VISA 3.3, NI 488.2 v 2.3, and PCI-GPIB/TNT5004.

GPIB Explore: No interface listed.
Troubleshoot: "The NI-448.2 software is not correctly installed on your system..."
From Terminal: ibfind ud0 -> EDVR 0xe0140035 and ibdev -> ENEB

From LabVIEW: Calling GPIB Initialization with Address = 0 returns Error status = TRUE with Error Code = 0 (VISA Operation completed successfully). Any attempts to read or write to the instruments (Keithley 617 and HP 33120A) result in error 7.

Before I reloaded everything, I could talk to the Keithley using the old GPIB functions (I did not have the HP connected), but there was a VISA class conflict error on the Instrument Resource Name wire and Select VISA Class... was grayed out. Christophe Salzmann had determined that this resulted from some combination of VISA 3.3, DAQmx base 1.5 and MHDDK. I removed MHDDK and reloaded the others and that problem has apparently been resolved.

I also have LV 4, 5, 5.1, 6, and 7 with NI-DAQ 6.6.1/4.9.x in the OS 9 Applications folder. I have not had Classic launched since installing the PCI-GPIB.

Any other suggestions?

Lynn

[Emilie S.]

Hi Lynn:

When you say "I removed MHDDK and reloaded the others and that problem has apparently been resolved."  What has been resolved?  The VISA conflict error or the original 488.2 not loaded properly error?  When, in the order of installation, did you install DAQmx Base?  When you followed Scott's instructions in the previous post, did you start with a fresh machine or did you already have DAQmx Base, VISA, or any other NI software installed?

Regards,

Emilie S.

[johnsold]

Emilie,

The VISA class conflict has been resolved.

"The NI-488.2 software is not correctly installed ..." error still exists. This is most definitely not a clean machine. It has been my desktop computer for several years. It has LV 7.0 and 7.1.1, NI-VISA 3.3 and DAQmx base 1.5.0 for Mac OS X 10.3.9. It also has LV 4, 5, 5.1, 6.0, and 7.0 for Mac OS 9.2.2 plus assorted old versions of NI-DAQ, NI-488.2, etc. As I am still supporting old applications, a clean install is not very feasible.

I do not recall the exact order of installation the last time, although I think it was LV7.1 from CD, 7.1.1 upgrader, DAQmx base, NI-488.2 from CD, and NI-VISA 3.3. I am fairly certain I did VISA last because the 488 CD had an earlier version of VISA. Usually on Macs the order is not so important, but since some of these installers overwrite other stuff (and it is difficult to sort it out, even with the instller logs), the sequence may be significant. Mass compliing DAQmx base takes soooo looong(!!) that I really hate to reinstall that just to fix something else, but I will if necessary.

Any suggestions?

TIA,

Lynn

[Emilie S.]

Hi Lynn:

You may want to at least uninstall all of the NI drivers.  I can't guarantee it would work, but the sequence Scott posted above is the only one I know to work.  VISA installs with DAQmx Base, so if you have that installed first, then you also already have VISA installed.  I'll do a little more research here, but like I said, starting all over may be the option with Tiger right now.

Regards,

Emilie S.

[johnsold]

Emilie,

I think I have it working now. I carefully followed Scott's directions. I first uninstalled NI-VISA and NI-488.2 but did not change LV or NI_DAQmxbase. Step 4 (Delete link "coldplugenum") was a challenge. Even using sudo from the Terminal, I had permissions problems, but I finally was abel to remove it.

Troubleshoot reports no errors and Explore GPIB finds the card. My LV program which only returned errors before, now communicates with the instrument.

Thanks to you and Scott for your assistance.

Lynn

[ScottieB]

Lynn,

That's great news.  If you could, let us know what the specific problems you had with "sudo" were.  I'd like to make the instructions as comprehensive as possible.  I'm sorry for the hassle regarding this installation on Tiger.  We're working to provide a more elegant solution for Mac OS X users in the future.

Scott B.
GPIB Software
National Instruments

[johnsold]

Scott,

The problem I had was in Item 4, attempting to delete the Alias/link "coldplgenum" from /Library/Startup Items. I could not remove it from the Finder. I ended up doing sudo mv -i "path to coldplugenum" ~/.Trash That moves the file to the Mac OS X Trash (different from rm). Then I emptied the Trash. The command in Item 5 worked OK.

This is on a Panther system 10.3.9.

Again, thanks for your help.

Lynn