Application Builder for LV 7.1

[Dennis_Knutson]

When you selected the create installer option, the default setting is to include the run-time engine with the installer and yes, the run-time engine is also on your CD. What is not included in the installer is any VIs that you call dynamically and don't explicitly add to the build and any device drivers. This would include NI-DAQ and DAQmx. The daq VIs would be included in the install but the DLLs they call are not.

[MogaRaghu]

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@Dennis Knutson wrote:
What is not included in the installer is any VIs that you call dynamically and don't explicitly add to the build and any device drivers. This would include NI-DAQ and DAQmx. The daq VIs would be included in the install but the DLLs they call are not.

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Interesting.

But then how to get the DAQMX VIs like "DAQmx Read (Counter 1Chan 1Samp).vi" be included in the build done by the installer ?


Thanks


Raghunathan

[Dennis_Knutson]

Unless you're calling them dynamically, they should be there. Check your build and see if they're listed. Go to the VI Settings tab and you will see every VI included. You can also rename the exe to llb and browse into it.

[Gurdas]

Dennis,

We would like to build an installer that packages all required device drivers and does NOT require a separate installation from the DAQmx device driver CD.

How can we do this?

LV : 7.1 with Application Builder

H/W : USB-6009

DAQmx : 8.0

Presently, we use the DAQmx device driver CD (that accompanied the USB-6009) to install the drivers. We do not want to do it this way because:

1) It makes the installation a two-step process - (a) install DAQmx from device driver CD (b) install our application

2) It installs a lot of drivers which are not required by our application.

Thanks,

Gurdas

[MogaRaghu]

Hi Gurudas,

My reply may not be very encouraging. But I have given up on building applications with with LV7 App. Builder. To be frank I never could get even one completed exe that ran on another PC which had no LV installed on it.

I have tried all permutations in the set up process and each time ended up with a different problem. And the worst thing is, if you happen  to install the exe over an existing copy of the same exe, then you are in for serious trouble - to the extent that I had to re-install LV7.1 all over again. Most  softwares will warn you if you try to install on top of an existing installation ( no one does this intentionally but at times it can happen )  and those that do not warn, just simply overwrite the previous installation without problems. But LV 7 AB neither warns you nor installs clean.

I migrated to LV8.0 and with that building exe's became a breeze. I also include the required drivers on the same CD and thereby there is no need for the separate installation CD with DAQMx.  Now installation woes are a thing of past.

Note : All my comments on LV7.1 App. Builder could be very specific to my setup / CD / PC and I do not want to create a bad impression that the product per se is bad. But all the same I wanted to share my experience.

Raghunathan

[Gurdas]

Dear Raghunathan,

Thanks! That clarifies.

I have been luckier with LV 7.1 app builder. However, you now have the luxury of LV 8.0 🙂

1) Until today, I have never faced a serious issue with LV 7.1 App Builder. And we have done quite a few customer site installations where the target PC has no trace of LV. However, for each instance, we installed DAQ drivers from the separate driver CD and runtime was either part of the installer or came from the driver CD. We do ensure that the DAQ driver version on development machine is same as on target machine.

2) If we have changed the code, we simply make a new EXE. Not installer. And paste the new exe over the old exe. Works like a breeze. And we have done this more than a hundred times!!

3) I do not remember (for sure) if we ever did a installer rerun. But I have this feeling that we have tried this and did not face a problem.

4) Incidently, today I faced a new issue while trying to juggle with installers. I installed LV 7.1 runtime on a fresh PC and copied my EXE. When I ran the exe it reported some missing device drivers and as expected my application did not run. I then made a installer with runtime and ran the setup on the same PC. Now, when I double-clicked the exe, it reported something like "Version 7.1.1 is different from 7.1"!! The previous EXE and new installer were generated on the same development machine. I could not figure out what was happening.

[MogaRaghu]

Dear Gurudas,

Yes your reply only confirms that I had some problem specific to my setup. Good you were able to use LV7.1 app. builder successfully.

You wrote : ".... it reported something like Version 7.1.1 is different from 7.1"

This error is all too familiar to me and was one of the driving forces to re-install LV7.1.    I never could figure out how to get out of that issue.

Not saying that you should do it too ! After reading your success with the LV7.1 AB, I am inspired enough to pull out the original CD and try it out on my new notebook. It could work and I can't be more happy 😉

Regards

Raghunathan