Windows 10, Labview 2020.1 SP1 Installation, and another Labview version running on a Virtual Machine (Virtual Box)

[RavensFan]

Yes.  That is the one on the systray.  I currently don't see it on mine.  I'm not sure if that is because I don' t have any devices attached, or I wound up removing it from as a startup process long ago.  I do see if from time to time on other PC's where I installed DAQmx for any LabVIEW applications I built.

[Sebastian.Weber]

Hi!

This is not just a labview / NI problem.

In the past, you had no drivers installed on the host, so it was no problem for the VM to take over the device.

Now you have a driver installed, and the device is one of those where the host does not let them go.

The reason can be the driver itself or software using the driver. As said by others, disabling NI services may help, or deinstalling the driver (not sure if possible in this case)

I had a similar case with a USB Bluetooth dongle, not related to NI software. It was not possible to deinstall the driver, because it was part of Windows, an Windows would gladly reinstall it...

This is how I solved it:

In the VM settings, it is possible to configure USB devices to be attached to the guest system automatically. Add your device here.

Unfortunately, the VM can not take over the device when it starts, since it's alredy claimed by the host. But: If the VM is already running (boot screen is sufficient), and then the device is physically plugged in into the computer, it is directly connected to the VM.

For my industrial application, we use a relay to diconnect the 5V USB power if necessary...

[noobie_programmer]

Can you please elaborate upon this statement:

" Unfortunately, the VM can not take over the device when it starts, since it's alredy claimed by the host. But: If the VM is already running (boot screen is sufficient), and then the device is physically plugged in into the computer, it is directly connected to the VM."

There appears to be something missing in your explanation.

If you assert:

"the VM can not take over the device when it starts, since it's alredy claimed by the host"

It would appear that by logical consequence (and by what I have observed) that if you disconnected and re-connected the DAQ, the same process that had occurred before, would again repeat itself ... the host would again claim the port again ... that is, unless, you did something to prevent the host from re-claiming the port.     This explanation is precisely what I had sought earlier.   

Perhaps, you, or someone else, could "fill in the blanks" with regard to this explanation. 

By the way, I am fairly certain that this same event has taken place with other Labview users and we would all like to resolve this issue.   

If a Labview engineer has the answer to this question it would be most welcome and I do believe that this problem is within the scope of technical support's duties.     If an answer exists, it makes good business sense to provide the customer with this information as providing the information is cost less and it shows that their product is a long term, flexible, configurable, solution, that fully supports the changing needs of the industry.    

[Sebastian.Weber]

Hi!

This is just my experience, and I don't know what's going on there exactly.

All I can say is, that this works for me for a USB bluetooth dongle:

• Configure the VM to attach the device to the guest system automatically.
• Start the VM.
• Plug in the device physically.

If the device is plugged in before starting the VB, it will not be attached to the VM.

If I should guess:

It seems VBox has a piece of software running somewhere between the physical USB port and the host USB system.

If a device is connected and VBox has no interest in it, it will pass it to the host, and the host will do whatever it wants with that device.

If VBox is interested in a device (because there's a VM running where this devices should be connected to), VBox passes it directly to the VM, and the host system will never see this device, and so, will never be able to claim it.

If a device is already plugged in while no VM is running or you try to connect it to the VM manually, then VBox has to kindly ask the host to give this device back. And if the host doesn't want to, the VM can't do much about it.

By the way: I just tried an NI X-Net USB-LIN interface. It is no problem to attach it to a VBox and release it again. The device disappears and appears in NI-MAX on the host, just as it should be.