B205mini-i / USRP-N210 Data Rate Choking

[abenevides]

I've been having serious issues running this hardware with the NI-USRP driver in labview 2024 Q3 on windows 11.

Just to get straight to the point, I can't even run either of these models continuously without running into underflow or overflow issues while executing FINITE data executions via the NI USRP example code.

It works almost all of the time, but I'm guaranteed to get some issue with the buffers eventually which makes it basically unusable for production testing. I've already tried configuring my VIs for real-time, and I've gone so far as to use third-party apps like process lasso force prioritization of labview over all other tasks.

The worst case I've seen so far, running the N210 for 14 hours straight at 20.4MS/s only for it to choke after moving a wireless mouse.

I'm fairly certain this is a driver issue. I've tried NI-USRP 2025 Q2, 2024 Q4, and 2023 Q3. I'm trying 2022 next, and I'm not even sure it's compatible with my labview version since there is no compatibility listing.

I see version 21.0 is the one listed for compatibility on Windows 11, but it's not even compatible with newer versions of labview like 2024 Q3. Is that just a mistake, or implying that "good" performance on a USRP on Windows 11 is only obtainable in version 21.0?

As a point of reference, we have an old USRP N210 running an application for satellite simulation. It runs 24/7 for years without encountering issues like this. I know it, because the NI USRP driver immediately will kill the process if any underflow or overflow occurs. That program is third-party and locked down, but I know for a fact it's an old driver and an old labview version. However, it's running on a new windows machine just fine. 

So what gives?

[abenevides]

Just a quick note to follow up on the first message.

I installed the latest LabVIEW 2025 and the latest NI-USRP driver.

Still cannot run the b205 without hitting a wall eventually. FINITE or CONT, but especially bad in continuous mode.

I've been through all the stuff about Windows power settings, affinity settings, etc.

I made a quick edit of the example code for rapid firing different versions of the driver and attached it here.

[abenevides · Accepted solution]

This is the solution to NI-USRP.

ni/labview-usrp-examples: Repository of application examples utilizing the USRP Hardware Driver (UHD...

Please explain why this workaround has to exist. Why can't the standard NI-USRP add-on work just like every other official NI device driver add-on? In my opinion, this is embarrassing for NI.

How can you make great tools like DAQmx, VISA and be a major contributor to the SCPI consortium, then drop the ball for NI-USRP alone? This product line has its place in your catalog and should be given the same level of consideration.

My solution to poor data rates on NI-USRP... don't use it at all and instead use this python node to funnel between the Ettus Python API and Labview while only using the NI-USRP add-on VIs as a framework! 😵 Please fix NI-USRP to make something as useable as your other products.