Application file does not run on user-end system

[JPrakash]

    Thanks a lot Brian. Your response helped me a lot indeed. I have one more doubt regarding security of my VI. I would be sending my executable file and the NI USB-6221 hardware along with the driver CDs. Now I want to ensure that the client cannot use this program to run duplicated versions of the hardware. Can this be done effectively with some lock utility? If yes, please do send in points about the same.
    One more thing is that I want to record the readings I get through DAQ in MS Excel worksheet. How should I proceed ? Please advise.
       Thank you very much.
          JPrakash
 

[Brian_T]

JPrakash,

One way you can do this is read the serial number of the DAQmx device (or some other device specific property), compare it to the device that the program is licensed to, then either allow the program to run or return an error if there is not a match.  To find the serial number of the device, you can use the DAQmx Device Property Node, which can be found on the block diagram at Measurement I/O->NI-DAQmx->Advanced->System Setup->DAQmx Device Property Node.  To use this property node you will need to wire the active device in (Dev1, Dev2, etc) then read out the serial number.

To record the readings in an Excel worksheet, you can use the Excel toolkit, which you can download here.  You can install this library into the user.lib folder inside the LabVIEW folder, and when you restart LabVIEW, the VI's will be available under the User Libraries palette on the block diagram.  You could also look in the LabVIEW Example Finder (Help->Find Examples) and look specifically at the Write Table to XL.vi.  This will be a good example of how you can write your tabular data to an Excel worksheet.  Hope this helps!

Brian T
Applications Engineer

[JPrakash]

    Thanks for the great suggestions. Here is a major point on the performance of my VI regarding accuracy and repeatability. In my application, I need to read the voltage across the test reed-switch through an analog input terminal (namely ai0). The voltage across the switch is around +5V when the switch is open and less than 0.01V when it is closed. I need to read the voltage in both the cases.
    Previously I connected ai0 and ai8 in differential mode and set the maximum and minimum limits to +5V and 0V respectively. When the switch closes and I read the low voltage (less than 0.01V) across the switch, the readings are carry a large error since I am reading only 0.2% of the maximum voltage (+5V).
    Now to overcome this serious problem, can I use another pair of analog input terminals (ai1 and ai9) wired across the same reed switch, set with maximum and minimum limits of +10mV and 0V respectively and use it to read the voltage exclusively after the switch closes ?
    Am I correct in considering that a 0-10mV analog input setup will read more accurate and errorless in the lower voltage range than a 0-5V setup ? Please clear this basic doubt of mine and do send in your suggestions.

Thanks a lot
-JPrakash

[Brian_T]

Yes you are correct that with a smaller input range, the more precise your reading will be.  The input range is divided up into a certain amount of voltage levels (based on the resolution), and with a smaller input range, the difference between each voltage level will be that much smaller, thus providing you with more accurate readings.  I hope this helps!

Brian T

[JPrakash]

Hi, can you please explain a little more in detail the steps of installing the MS-Excel toolkit ?I could not make it out from the text f0ile.

Thank you
JPrakash

[Brian_T]

You can download the excel_toolkit_lv6i.zip file and extract its contents.  Then you can add the excel.llb file that is contained in the folder to the following location:

C:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW x.x\user.lib

When you restart LabVIEW, you should be able to find the Excel VI's on the functions palette under User Libraries.  Let me know if you have any trouble.

[JPrakash]

Thanks Mike,
                      for your valuable advice all through my work. I followed your instructions and the Excel objects are now available in the User Library class. But when I try to select one of them and place it on my VI, it says that the VI version is older than the Labview version. I herewith attach a snapshot of the error message. Please advise.

Thanks,
JPrakash

[parthabe]

Your snapshot of the error message has not got attached.

Even if it is a older version, it should open unless it is < LV version 6.0.

Anyway you can open LV & do a Mass Compile of the Excel toolkit LLB thro' the Tools --> Advanced --> Mass Compile menu option.

Try it out & update here your inference/result.