Installing INF files for USB device

[sjsodergren]

Hello, I have gone through the tutorial for installing INF files for a USB device that I will be communicating with LabView. The link the the tutorial is: http://www.ni.com/white-paper/4478/en

I have created the INF file on my computer and copied it to my INF folder on my computer and when I right click to install, nothing seems to happen. I am pretty sure that a .PNF file is suppsed to be created as well, but I do not see it on the list. The INF file is attached below. I'm not sure if I did something wrong, or if there's another step to do. Thanks

[Dennis_Knutson]

Are you sure you needed to create the VISA driver? Are you sure there is not an existing driver for the device that is installed? Does the instrument show up in windows device manager? If it was listed there before you went through everything with VISA, then you would have to first uninstall that driver. Of course, uninstalling an existing driver in favor of a VISA one might not make any sense.

p.s. That tutorial should have big warning signs pasted all over it - Do NOT use unless you really have the detailed information from the vendor in order to make it work. Do NOT use if you have vendor provided driver.

[sjsodergren]

What I am using is an IR Thermometer from Thermoworks with a USB interface. It came with a software instrallation CD that has a list of drivers and its own software application (but I want to use LabView), but I was not sure if it was compatible with LabView. If I install this driver software, do you think that I can still work with the instrument in VISA and LabView?

[Dennis_Knutson]

You can probably work with the driver provided by the vendor but it is unlikely that it is VISA unless the USB is emulating a serial port. There are numerous options for using external code - Call Library Function Node, ActiveX, .NET, etc. It all depends on what the driver is written with. Didn't they provide any documentation on using the driver?

[sjsodergren]

in MAX, the device shows up under "Serial" and is listed as COM4, so I think that it is acting as a serial, as you mentioned. If it recognizes my device there, will I be able to use it in LabView? And unfortunately, the company provided me almost no information. I've already contacted them for assistance and am waiting to hear back

[Dennis_Knutson]

Yes, if you get the information from the vendor as to what commands to send etc. One thing as a desperation attempt would be to use a sniffer program such as portmon from Microsoft with the program they provide.