Deploying DAQmx DRIVERS with a DAQmx-based .NET app...

[dtnpsi]

Just downloaded DAQmx 8.0, still waiting for my USB-6008 to arrive, so I'm as "newbie" as they get... 

I have a very (!) short time-in in which to incorporate a USB-6008 into an existing .NET 1.1 WinForms app.  Fortunately, all my app must do is raise one digital line and wait for a second digital line to go high, then measure the time between the two. 

While waiting for the 6008 to arrive, I've been reading the DAQmx help, both the core and .NET parts.   Seems straight-forward enough, API-wise.   And incorporation of the DAQmx .NET assemblies into my existing .msi shouldn't be a problem.

However, what I don't understand is what to ship with my app as far as the DAQmx DRIVERS are concerned.  I would prefer to incorporate everything - the DAQmx driver, DAQmx .NET assemblies and my .NET assemblies -  into a single .msi.   Given the complexity (I expect) of doing that, however, can I at least ship the necessary (separate) driver install along with my app, and have the user run it separately?  

But what exactly would I ship?   Is there a separately-packaged setup for just the DAQmx 8.0 DRIVER that I can include?  Also, what about MAX?  Is there a separate install for it?   Seems like it would sure be handy to have MAX installed simply for its "self test" ability (although I plan to define my task/channel programmatically, so I don't need MAX for that, if I understand the Help correctly).

Any advice to jump-start an eager newbie would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks,

David  

PS: one reason my time-line is now so short is that I wasted the better part of a WEEK trying to get various freebie/shareware drivers (and ActiveX controls) for a DATAQ device to work! Finally gave up and ordered the NI 6008. Even considering it costs 3X as much, if the NI device (and software!) actually work, it's still a bargain! 

[jlaney]

Hello,

It doesn't sound like you are that much of a newbie since you already know about MSI and including the Measurement Studio assemblies (hopefully through the provided Merge Modules). 

To get the DAQmx driver go here:

https://www.ni.com/en/support/downloads/drivers/download.ni-daq-mx.html

This should include everything you need for the board to work properly and the .NET API to load the correct driver stack.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,
Jeff
NI

[GDE]

David,

To answer a couple of your other quetions, when you install the DAQmx 8.0 drivers, it does install MAX. So all you would need to do for the DAQ stuff is ship seperately the drivers that Jeff linked to. Or you could point your users to these drivers on the NI website, its up to you what ever would be best for your users. I'm not sure about trying to wrap the DAQmx drivers with your MSI installer in Visual Studio, I don't know if that would be easy or possible. For simplicitly I would go that route of shipping them the DAQmx 8.0 drivers seperately for now, especially since you are under the gun timewise. Good luck with your application.

-GDE

[dtnpsi]

First, thanks to Jeff and GDE for the excellent advice.

One small clarification: I'm only planning to use DAQmx 8.0, not Measurement Studio.   But the .NET help included with DAQmx 8.0 is organized as if it were part of Measurement Studio.  I'm assuming that the .NET functionality of DAQmx doesn't require MeasurementStudio, right?  So I shouldn't have to "merge the Measurement Studios assemblies" as Jeff stated. Or am I still unclear on how DAQmx and MeasurementStudio are related???

Thanks again,

David

PS: I guess "newbie" is a relative term.  I'm new to DAQmx, but an "oldie" in regard to .NET.

D

[GDE]

David,

You are correct, the reason that it appears to be organized with Measurement Studios, is that then DAQmx installs it scans for all the software on your system, and installs support for the packages you have, and that is where it is getting organized with Measurement Studio. But they come with DAQmx drivers. So you should be just fine, doing what you were planning, shipping the DAQmx drivers seperately.

-GDE