How do I create a Tag for a an imput on a DAQmx peripheral?

[Kahless]

First off, I just want to agree with Lara in her post with DAQmx being something difficult to wrap my head around.  I'm having difficulties myself, which brings me to my question...

I have an NI USB-9211/9211A Thermocouple Input Device.  I want to create a Tag to read the temperature on Channel0 of this unit.  Looking through some documentation and info on the site I've seemed to have gotten myself all spun around.  Do I have to create a server to manage this unit before I can create the Tag?  If so, how?

I have been able to get  meaningful data in the Measurement and Automation software, but I don't know where to go from here.

(I'm eventually going to be using a large handful of other NI inputs aswell, but I think if I can get this one down pat, I'll be able to work from there.)

I'm running LV 7.1, and don't want to simply use the DAQmx functions on the block diagram.

Any ideas will be most appreciated.

[Thaison_V]

Hi Kahless,

It sounds like you might have some terminology mixed up.  You should not have to create any type of "server" to program your USB-9211A.  When you say "tag," I believe what you are referring to is a DAQmx Task.  To create one in the Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX), right-click Data Neighborhood and select NI-DAQmx Task.  You should then be lead through a wizard to configure how you would like to acquire your thermocouple data.  Once you finish this, you can acces this DAQmx Task in LabVIEW by dropping down a DAQmx Task Constant on your block diagram (you can find the Task Constant in Functions>>All Functions>>NI Measurements>>NI-DAQmx).  After dropping this constant down, you can use the drop-down menu on the constant to select the Task name you created back in MAX.  Now, if you right-click your Task constant, you can go to Generate Code and Example to have LabVIEW create the code automatically from the configuration you created in MAX.

Another approach to this besides creating your task in MAX first is to use the DAQ Assistant Express VI.  This will give you the same wizard you found in MAX, but all inside LabVIEW.  Once you configure a DAQ Assistant, you can also generate the DAQmx code from it as well.  Take a look at the following article for more information.  I hope this helps.

Thaison V

[Kahless]

Thanks much for the info.