PXI-6120 AI values show low limit values only

[Olli]

Hello, I use a PXI-6120 with traditional DAQ driver VIs routing an AI signal to a PFI channel that enables synchronisation of the AO to the AI. In order to measure a single AI channel with the same set-up, I stopped the test VI and tried to see the single measurement in MAX. Unfortunately I opened a DAQmx task, that I created for another application, which did not work probablly because I did not reset the board after stopping the VI. Since then, the AI readings are all flat on the low limit values and the AO remains at about 0.2 volts no matter which value I write to it. In the meanwhile, I tried to reset and recalibrate the device, which worked in DAQ and DAQmx (not the self calibration in mx). But I have the impression, that the board got somehow stuck in a state, that I can't easily find and/or access. Does anybody have an idea, how I could do a factory reset or what could be the problem? Greetings! Olli

[Paul-D]

Hi Olli, this is Paul with Applications Engineering at NI.

As I'm sure you know at this point, you can't run Traditional DAQ and DAQmx calls at the same time.  Even though you have performed the resets on your device in MAX, and it should be the same thing, give the code suggested in that KB a a try, and try to sequentially reset the device using the DAQmx functions, then the Traditional DAQ functions.  You may also want to check out How to Re-associate Your Traditional DAQ Device With The DAQmx Driver.

If this doesn't work, then can you give some more details on the problem?  Specifically, are you seeing this behavior when using the card with Traditional DAQ or DAQmx or both?  Have you tried restarting your computer since experiencing this problem?

Regards,

[Olli]

Hello Paul, thank you very much for your kind reply. Yes I know, that I can't mix DAQ and DAQmx within one application and I still did not find some time to refurbish my VI with the new DAQmx subVIs. I attached the basic part of my VI, which is setting the AO and AI and takes the readings. The board doesn't give any reading than lower limit and no AO writing wether in DAQ nor in DAQmx (MAX and VIs). I tried to free the PFI terminal while setting the source to "none" in DAQ and using the DAQmx "disconnect terminals" VI. All actions did not produce any error, but the board is still in the same state. I shut down the PXI for one day and disconnected all boards. After the reboot...same result. I saw that the signal source "AI start scan" doesn't exist anymore in DAQmx.Might that be a part of the problem? I requested already an RMA from NI, because we need this board in operation quite urgently. I did not yet mention, that we have a second PXI-6120, which is in the same state. This happend already some time ago, probably due to the same action...taking quickly readings using MAX, but after the readings were non-sense (low limit), I used a multimeter for the readings and did not investigate this state because the board did not produce any error message and it was "just" the unused back-up board (I thought it was only kind of setting mistake that I did...). One board will be send to NI as soon as the RMA number arrived, the other one I will keep here in order to try anything else. Greetings! Olli

[Olli]

Hello again,

the attachment was not included to my post before. i try it again with this one.

Greetings

[Paul-D]

Olli, did you try the steps in How to Re-associate Your Traditional DAQ Device With The DAQmx Driver?  This is very important, because when you switch from Traditional DAQ to DAQmx calls, different firmware gets loaded onto your card.  To get your card to work as a Traditional DAQ device again, you will need to follow these steps.  Once you have tried these steps, open up a Test Panel in MAX, and try to take a Traditional DAQ reading or perform an output with your device.  Let me know how this works out.

[Olli]

Hello Paul,

yes, I followed all the steps in How to Re-associate Your Traditional DAQ Device With The DAQmx Driver? Both boards keep on with their behaviour in traditional DAQ as well as in DAQmx. I rebooted also after each of the two methods....but without any success ;-(

I don't know, if I should/could change the OS of our PXI (e.g. from W2000 to XP?), because it's an old 8186 Controller. Can I upgrade the Driver software with my old W2000 OS? Currently I have the following versions installed:DAQmx 8.7.1f2 and traditional DAQ 7.4.4f7.

Greetings!

Olli

[Paul-D]

Olli, the final version of DAQmx that supported Windows 2000 was NI-DAQmx 9.1.1.  Note that there was also an important patch for this driver version.

I would recommend that you upgrade to this version of DAQmx and see if you can get your card working with DAQmx tasks.  If your card does begin working, then you will have to look at possibly repairing your Traditional DAQ installtion to try and get it to work, and you may have to perform the reassociation again.

I would not recommend upgrading your controller to XP unless you are absolutely bent on it.  We should be able to resolve this problem without the upgrade.  Even if we can't resolve the problem, then I would suggest a repair over that upgrade, as it sounds like there is a good chance that your hardware may have a failure.

One last question.  Do you have any other PXI chassis's you can try this card out in?  If so, do they exhibit the same behavior?

Regards,

[Olli]

Hello Paul,

many thanks for your reply with the links! I will upgrade the drivers and install the patch. I use a second PXI chassis to perform all those test and to developp the new application without the traditional DAQ VIs once the 6120 is operational again. The behaviour of the board is the same than in the first chassis (also identical PXI controllers).

Greetings!

Olli

[Paul-D]

You're welcome Olli.  I believe that given the device doesn't work in either chassis, that if the driver upgrade doesn't work, you will have to look at repairing your DAQ card. 

[Olli]

OK I did the upgrade with the patch. It didn't work. as a last action, I performed a clean reinstall procedure with the PXI-controller, but it seems, that there is a hardware failure which I can't detect and delete. So I need to send it back to NI for diagnosis and repair.

When the diagnosis is done at NI, will I get some feedback about the cause of the failure? As I described before it is very unlikely, that the board saw signals which were out of range. And both boards have a total amount of operation time below 100 hours each.

Greetings!

Olli