Target computer has 7.1 Run Time Engine and my EXE, now it wants VISA also?

[Broken_Arrow]

I developed an application in 7.1, using the old serial VI's from 6.i (Serial Port Init, Serial Port Write, etc).
I then loaded the LV 7.1 Run Time Engine on another computer. When I loaded and ran my exe, I got error -1073807202 from the serial vi's - meaning I need to load VISA drivers. Why? I'm not using VISA vi's in the application!
Does version 7.1 convert the old serial stuff to VISA when it makes an exe?
One reason I like the old serial vi's is that I didn't have to mess with VISA drivers on the target computer running just the LVRTE and my exe. Any advise? Will I always have to load VISA drivers on the target computer from now on since I'm using 7.1. This wasn't the case with 6.i
.

[Dennis_Knutson]

The old serial drivers are no longer supported and the VIs that you are used to, use VISA instead. This was changed in LabVIEW 7 and should be in your release notes. If you are only using serial functions, then when you create the installer, click the advanced button and select Serial Port Support. This will include in the installation a smaller version of VISA that only supports serial i/o. VISA really does offer a lot of advantages over the old drivers and though you have to install the VISA driver, the installation is not all that different because you had to install a driver for the old ones as well.

[Dr._Imad]

LabView version 7.0 and 7.1 do not work with the old serial driver any more. If you open a vi from version 6, the serial vi's will be converted to a new set of vis (same name) but that uses NI VISA to run. Just click on the vi's and you will see the corresponding VISA functions (configure, read, write).
For an executable,
1)you then have to install the VISA runtime engine on the targer machine(free down load from ni.com),
or
2) when you build the application, there is an option
under Installer setting---Advanced
to enable serial support. (still VISA is used)

Hope this help

[Broken_Arrow]

Thanks Dennis, but I don't remember having to install anything but the normal Run Time Engine, and my exe, for my programs created under 6.0.2, to work all day long with the serial port.
I think it's a step backwards to have to install the VISA drivers, even if VISA is "better". I generally don't do an Installer - I just throw the RTE and my exe on a disk and tell the user to install both. Looks like I'm going to have to get used to creating an installler. More disk space, more time.

[Broken_Arrow]

Do I still have to do the "enable serial support" thing with the Installer even if I strictly use VISA?
As I commented to Dennis, I don't remember any of this with three years of making exe's under 6.0.2. And almost ALL of my programs use the Serial Port.

[Dennis_Knutson]

Once upon a time, every time you built an application, it would remind you to include serpdrv and install that as well. When the reminders stopped and whether it was included in the run-time engine I don't remember.

[Dr._Imad]

If you install VISA RunTimeEngine, there is no need to enable serial support.

Also if you enable serial support, there is no need to install VISA RunTimeEngine.

[Broken_Arrow]

Thanks, that's what I wanted to know.

[dwisti]

Using the old serial compatibility VI's with v7.0.

1) Find a computer with an older version of Labview, probably 6.02 or older.

2) Replace the following v 7.0 *.llb files: "_sersup.llb" and "serial.llb"
with these v 6.* or earlier files: "_sersup.llb" and "Serial.llb".

3) Also copy this file "serpdrv" from your root v 6.* or earlier folder into your root v 7.0 folder.

4) For build applications put serpdrv in the same directory as the run time engine for LabVIEW.

[Dr._Imad]

What is the advantage of doing that ?

Even if it works now, it may not work with future releases of LabView.
As I said, there is no need to install VISA, just enable serial_port support during the application build process.

About programability ?, you can still use the same serial vi's in the same way, it has the same interface, looks the same, do not worry about VISA, and the change (using VISA calls) is transparent to the programmer.