NI-VXI viMove16 error

[hockyhubby]

A customer of ours sent me the following error:

"They have done a software under Visual C++6 (Operating system is Win2K) which is using a command viMove16.

Depending on the PC done software was running, it failed or not. On a Pentium IV 2.6 GHz � RAM 256Mo Ram it works and a 4 years old Pentium III 500 MHz � RAM 128Mo it fails.

Both PCs are DELL ones and they�ve got the same installed libraries which are: NI-488.2 version 1.7 then NI-VXI libraries version 2.11 and NI-VISA 3.0.1. Tests are done using the same SR192 on the same mainframe (chassis, VXI modules plug-Ins and MXI-2 VXI board are the same). SR192 S/N is 1092, the module is equipped with 4 I/O modules SR115 (S/N: 402, 399, 409, and 413 - Rev. F).

On Pentium III computer the viM
ove16 command failed and return error: �BFFF0076� (Specified Width is not supported by this hardware). On Pentium IV the function right return value 0xfe3a. When count parameter is decreased, for example 0x694) the right value is returned by both PCs.

Function parameters are:

Address space: VI_A32_SPACE

Offset: 0x38006E

Count: 0x00075ea

Width: 16 bits

The error could be duplicated using NI-VISAIC (NI-VISA Interactive Control)."

As far as I know all VXI modules support D16 transfers. What would cause this error?

[ScotSalmon]

This problem, caused by certain combinations of PC chipsets and older NI hardware, appears in our knowledgebase under a few different entries. Our current Windows driver (3.0 or later) doesn't usually experience this particular issue even on vulnerable hardware, but older Windows drivers such as 2.1.1 did sometimes have the problem you describe. The first recommendation, then, is to update to NI-VXI 3.x (the current version is 3.3.1). If that is not possible, you can work around the problem on your Pentium III by disabling DMA. Refer to knowledgebase 1WGDSR3Y and the related KB's
linked from it for some further details.

Hopefully one of these options will solve your problem. There may be other more complex alternatives if necessary, but start with these ideas.

-Scot (PXI/VXI Senior Software Engineer)