MAX launches multiple instances

[LV_Pro]

I'm building a new test system. The primary DAQ is a USB6221. Today, as I got the various inputs "online", I noticed that even when I'm not dealling with that unit I was having MAX launch a new instance, with the "screen" for the 6221 open. Any thoughts? I had opened some pdf manuals (for a Zebra printer I'm having some difficulty with, another post@!) had run some attempts to talk to the Zebra, through a USB - serial adapter, and when I closed the manuals discovered 3 or 4 instance of MAX open, all to the 6221. The serial adapter is on a USB hub, the 6221 plugged into one of the computer's built in USB ports.

Thanks, from a somewhat tacky motel in Rochester, NY

Putnam

[pallen]

Reaching here; But I wonder if Windows is thinking one of your USB ports is a mouse and is generating "clicks". 

Had something similar happen once with a serial barcode reader.  Windows was "prefering" it as the mouse over the acutal USB mouse that was plugged in.  

[LV_Pro]

Don't know, but I do have three usb-serial ports (one RS232, two 485) as well as the USB6221 DAQ.  Really having an annoying week, with this weirdness and other things.

[BCho]

Hey Putnam,

I am not sure it is clear what you are seeing. Are you opening multiple instances of MAX and seeing each instance open to the same USB 6221 page? Or is the issue that when you open MAX, it defaults to the same page with the USB 6221? Is there a particular reason you are opening multiple instances of MAX instead of moving around in the same instance? When you talk about the manuals, are you talking about user manuals for this zebra printer? Sorry for the confusion, but perhaps a little more detail about what you are experiencing would be helpful.

[LV_Pro]

What I have been seeing is multiple instances of MAX opening, on their own, all to the 6221 page. The reference to the pdf manuals was only that the MAX openings occured while I was doing something unrelated.

[BCho]

Hey Putnam,

So essentially you are seeing that when you just working in another application, MAX is launching a new instance and coming to the front of the screen? Does this seems to be repeatable? As in, if you are in a certain application, or if you repeat an action, can you get MAX to launch? Does this happen even if MAX was not intentionally opened initially?

[pallen]

It's been quite some time since I had that weird serial problem.  I think it may have had something to do with the Plug and Play service in Windows.  I believe we ended up disabling that. 

I found a link to how to do that here:  http://www.pctools.com/guides/registry/detail/1131/

[JÞB]

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pallen wrote:

It's been quite some time since I had that weird serial problem.  I think it may have had something to do with the Plug and Play service in Windows.  I believe we ended up disabling that. 

I found a link to how to do that here:  http://www.pctools.com/guides/registry/detail/1131/

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Pallen, All,

Take a look at the NI Device monitor.  The device monitor detects the USB DAQ connection events and can be configured to do numerous things.  One of them is "Launch MAX and start using the Device."  there is even a check box that says "Do this automatically every time."  

To solve this "Start>Programs>National Intstruments>NI-DAQ>NI Device monitor"  It will run and show in the task bar.  Right-click the Icon and select "Clear all device associations"

 

[pallen]

That sounds like it could be the cause Jeff.  But I'm not the OP in this thread.  It's actually Putnam that's experiencing this phenomenon. 

Regards, 

Message Edited by pallen on 09-27-2009 01:39 AM

[LV_Pro]

OK, problem is still occuring. I tried hitting the "clear all device associations" in the NI Device Monitor, which had been running in the task bar. It just changed the problem from launching a new instance of MAX to popping up the screen that asks me what to do with the newly detected USB6221. I have noticed that usually when it launches a new MAX (or actually USB6221) that if I'm running my program, capturing data with the 6221, the I will loose the connection with either an Error -88708 The specified resource is not available.  or an   Error:  -50405  occured at DAQmx read (Analog 1D DBL NChannel 1 sample).vi  no transfer is in progress because the transfer was aborted by the client... Unfortunately the only way to recover is to disconnect the USB6221. With these error codes I'm now finding a bunch of "stuff"  (http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=250&thread.id=45496&view=by_date_ascending&page=5on) and  http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=250&message.id=50937#M50937%20   on the forums, unfortunately it just makes what was supposed to be a straight forward project into what seems to be an unending one.

Not sure what to do at this point. The environment does seem to be noisy, electrically or physically, will see what happens with moving the 6221 to a powered hub, using a better USB cable with ferrite beads. This kind of sucks because it is getting harder and harder to find computers with non-USB ports for other things, and on this project I've got three USB ->RS485 adapters (may reduce to two, but needed seperate paths rather than just giving each slave a different 485 node address), a USB-RS232 adapter, the USB6221, a LabJack U3 usb DAQ (embedded in one of the measurement devices we are using), mouse and keyboard. I had put the serial com port adapters on the powered HUB, the 6221 on a different USB "jack" on the pc. Really making me cranky, wishing for the days when I had real serial ports, and enough slots for "real" DAQ cards. Unfortunately, slots in desktop machines are becoming fewer. Probably should have looked into LAN based, but that just ads another level of compexity, IMHO

Adding to my frustrations is that after NI did some system maintenance to the NI.com site I can't log in using Firefox 3.0.8, and won't be able to see any comments/suggestions at my customer's tomorrow as I don't have internet access there.