The difference between FDS & Base Package? And redistribution?

[Lily311]

1) Among the items of LabWindows/CVI development Package, what does "Windows Software Development Kit" & "NI Measurement Studio for Microsoft Visual Studio" exactly mean? If I am calling Windows API in my CVI project, then I have to use FDS as development tool because it has "Windows Software Development Kit", right?

2) When I distribute my application, should I purchase any license for the RunTimeEngineer or activeX, which are also distributed and running on other machines? If so, how to get the license?

Thanks in advance.

[aperez]

Lily,

The Windows SDK comes with the FDS of CVI, and it can be used inside the CVI environment. If you have it installed, you will see it under Help >> Windows SDK.

The Measurement Studio for Visual Studio package is a set of C++ libraries and ActiveX controls integrated into Visual Basic and Visual C++ environment. For more information about each of its subcomponents go to http://www.ni.com/mstudio.

Measurement Studio 6.0 Full Development System contains both CVI 6.0 FDS and Measurement Studio for Visual Studio FDS. This is probably what you currently have.

I don't think you need to buy runtime licenses unless you are distributing NI's components (C++ libraries, ActiveX controls, CVI software) for development on other machines. If all you are doing is p
ackaging up your application and then installing it on other machines as an executable, you do not need a runtime license. Let me know if you have further questions.

Regards,
Azucena
NI

[bilalD]

The Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) provides you with the headers and the libraries so that you can call the windows api functions from cvi. It also installs the help files for the SDK.

NI Measurement Studio actaully provides activex controls and class libraries that can be used with Visual Studio 6. This usually includes Visual Basic and Visual C++ 6.0. Measurement Studio includes user interface controls that you can drop down on your forms and other activex controls that let you program National Instrument data aquisition devices (CWDAQ is the name of the control) and also let you do instrument control thru GPIB or serial(CWGPIB and CWVISA).

You dont need a seperate license for distributing your CVI application, just for the development system. There
are exceptions to this ofcourse, like the CVI SQL Toolkit. For the list of these exceptions, check out section 12b at the following link

http://www.ni.com/legal/license/

But if you are not using just the tools that come with CVI FDS, you wont need a seperate license for each distribution kit you create. If you are planning to use the other toolkits, I would recommend calling in at 1-800-433-3488 and asking to talk to your internal sales representative for more information.

I hope this helps

Bilal Durrani
NI

[Lily311]

Thanks a lot.