DAQAssist does not initialize

[ajmartin]

Well I lost access to my full LabVIEW program at my former employer.  I reinstalled my 2012 student edition at home , installed daqmx ver 15.5.1 which is the latest one supporting 2012. Activated my install with NI.  The first thing I wanted to do is use DAQAssist.  I put it on the BD and it does not initialize , double click it and nothing.  Using NI MAX I can test my USB 6008.

I was thinking about brushing up on LV and re-certifying my CLAD, long expired.  I cant figure this out so I need more brushing up than I thought.

Any help would be great.

Alan

[Bob_Schor]

Three suggestions.

1. Search the Web for "Learn 10 Functions in NI-DAQmx and Handle 80 Percent of your Data Acquisition Applications" (hint -- you can probably find it just by searching for "Learn 10 Functions").  Read it, ignore the first point (which talks about the Dreaded DAQ Assistant, see Point 2, below), but pay attention to how to use MAX, Tasks, and the "10 Functions" (you'll mostly use about 5).
2. Avoid using the Dreaded DAQ Assistant!  Also, (almost) never use its Evil Twin, the Dynamic Data Wire.  See Point 1 (above).  If you define a Task in MAX, or even better, in your Project, most simple DAQ Tasks (like sampling Analog signals, say continuous sampling of 3 channels of a USB 600x 1000 samples at a time at 1 kHz) can be written with 3-5 DAQmx functions, one While Loop, a Chart (to view the data as it comes in), a Task constant, and a Stop Button.
3. Do you know about the Community Edition of LabVIEW?  If you want to learn LabVIEW, but don't have access to an employer's or a school's LabVIEW license, and are not using LabVIEW for a "product" (but for your "hobbyist" use), you can download and install a fairly complete installation of the current LabVIEW release, good for a year.  Note that this does not give you "old" versions of LabVIEW.

Bob Schor

[ajmartin]

Bob,

Thank you for your most excellent advice. I still remain confused however as to why the dreaded DAQ assistant fails to initialize when dropped on the BD and you should be able to reconfigure it by clicking on it, but it does not respond. I should be able to make it work. I will probably reinstall everything, but that takes a lot of time.

Yes I am aware of the community edition, but my tasks are very simple , and I own the Student Edition. It never expires so as long as it meets my simple needs , it is enough for me.

Thanks again for your reply!

Alan

[Bob_Schor]

Alan,

     I'm guessing that few on the Forum have LabVIEW 2012 (particularly the Student Edition) installed, but maybe if you do the following, someone might be able to say "Aha!  You forgot to wire the Framistat!" (or words to that effect).

     Why don't you make up a very simple VI with your DDA (Dreaded DAQ Assistant) doing one simple thing (like "Acquire 100 points at 1 kHz and display them in an Array").  Don't worry if you can't configure the DDA -- just try to wire it, and if even that fails, leave a Note on the Block Diagram that says what you are trying to do.  Someone (maybe I) will open it, see what we can see, and reply to you, but we need LabVIEW code from you, not "pictures", but actual .VI files.  Also, tell us what device you are trying to use (e.g. "USB 6002").

Bob Schor

[ajmartin]

Bob,

Thanks again for your quick response and time to answer this question. But you missed the problem. Once I drop the Daq Assist ICON on the BD it is supposed to be configurable.  So I can configure it as you have described above . I can not do any thing with it, it is just the ICON looking image and does nothing, so I can not tell the DDA even if I want to acquire a digital or analog signal, never mind  the frequency  .  I was hoping to be able to figure out the issue. I;ll probably just delete every thing and start over, see what happens.

Thanks Again,

Alan

[billko]

I think you missed Bob's point as well.  He is saying that LabVIEW now comes in a Community Edition flavor, which is really LabVIEW Professional for FREE.  (No watermarks!  Only for non-commercial use.)  One of the specific reasons for its existence is to give you a way to practice for your certs.

Just go to the LabVIEW download page, select "Community Edition" and download.  🙂

[Bob_Schor · Accepted solution]

ATTACH YOUR CODE THAT DOESN'T WORK!  Sorry for shouting, but (a) you are doing "something", (b) that "something should work, but doesn't, (c) when we do what you describe as doing, it works.  This means that either (a) the code (which you haven't shown to us) is wrong, and we haven't "guessed" what you did, so can't help you fix it, (b) there is something wrong with your LabVIEW installation, or (c) there is something wrong with your PC.

If you attach your code and let us examine it, we should be able to tell you if the code, itself, "works".  It would help us to help you if you also told us what device you are planning to use with DAQmx, if you are acquiring or generating data, and something about the sample and # of channels.

Bob Schor

[ajmartin]

Well...... There is no code.  As I have said, I do this exactly, I open a blank VI, I goto the block diagram , I select DAQ Assist from the functions pallet and drop it on the BD . It should initialize at this point and ask me what I want to do, acquire or generate a signal. then the  type of signal I want  Analog/ Digital. From there you select the voltage range and other parameters. When I drop it on the BD it does nothing, double click nothing.   I think my question was just too simple, Yes! there is something wrong with the installation . I was wondering if there was some quick fix to repair the Daqmx . I cant figure how to just uninstall Daqmx or if there is a way to repair it? I tried loading one version down from 15.5.1 but it wont let me install an old version.  I asked for advice here and I received some very excellent ideas. And I thank all of you for replying. I used LV at work for some very simple tasks that amazed many of my co-workers. I did take the time to get my CLAD and I am in awe of you Jed-eye Knights!

Thanks for the help and suggestions. I think we have beaten this question to death.

[Antoniooh]

It definitely sounds like you have a bad installation problem but,

Make sure you have selected the "Configure Express VIs immediately "

Goto 

Tools -> Options - >Category Block Diagram to select it.

Also

Have you tried to right click on the DAQ assistant once it's in the block diagram and select properties?

[Bob_Schor]

I apologize (again) for my "shouting" -- I didn't understand (obviously!) that the reason you had "no code to show" was the first thing you did, namely "drop a DAQ Assistant on the Block Diagram", didn't work, but "hung" LabVIEW.

I've been on a few instances of things that "hang LabVIEW".  Often, this generates the infuriated "We apologize for the inconvenience" Error Message following a "unrecoverable crash".  I've not (yet) experienced your situation, a crash on "Step 1" ...

If you are going to do a re-install of LabVIEW, be sure you know how to do a proper "uninstall" (the key words are "Gently", and "Don't touch the Registry!").  Here are the basic steps:

1. I recommend using Control Panel.  If you don't see it, type "Control Panel" in the search box to the left of the Task Bar.
2. Choose "Programs and Features" (this is the "Uninstaller")
3. You should see "NI Package Manager" and "NI Software".  [The names may be slightly different.  If you are using a really old PC with no versions newer than 2016, you won't see NI Package Manager].
4. Choose NI Software, which should open NIPM.  You want to (try to) Remove everything (it won't let you remove NIPM).  This process may take 10-20 minutes (or more).
5. Reboot.  If NI Software is still listed, repeat Step 4.  Otherwise, choose NI Package Manager.  You'll get a warning, "Don't do this unless you've removed everything else" (which you think you've done).  Continue, reboot.
6. Now do one more pass.  You will probably find more NI Software.  Choose "Remove All".  There may be several hundred things to remove, another 10-15 minutes.

At this point, you should have safely removed the old LabVIEW installation.  Go ahead and start the reinstall.

Bob Schor