NI hardware detection

[shavecp]

This is more of a conceptual question.

I have bought a number of NI USB6008 or similar and I am making various pieces of test equipment with them in. So if I have a user who plugs 2 pieces of equipment in that both contain USB6008's then what is the best way of telling them apart? I.e. which device number links to which piece of equipment. 

I could have a look up table for the serial number vs what the test equipment is. The down side to this is that some one will have to manage this look up table. 

Any suggestions? 

[GerdW]

Hi shave,

even MAX differs between your USB6008 boxes by their serial number, so it should be best to do the same…

You can read the serial number using some DAQmx property nodes!

[Hooovahh]

In MAX each device will be assigned an alias.  If you plug in both devices at once they will be given unique aliases, and you can use this to destinguish one from the other.  If you want to do it programatically, and find the alias associated with a device based on the serial number, the DAQmx properties work, or you can use the System Configuration tools to find the hardware with a given set of filter criteria.

[AnalogKid2DigitalMan]

Do you have a spare analog or digital input available on each device?

You could set the port/line to a specific unique state on each device, read the input value, and thus identify which device is which.

-AK2DM

[natasftw]

Wouldn't wiring a specific port to a specific state so you could read this value be a lot more complicated than simply reading a property node, as already suggested?

[crossrulz]

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@natasftw wrote:

Wouldn't wiring a specific port to a specific state so you could read this value be a lot more complicated than simply reading a property node, as already suggested?

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Not necessarily.  If you do this wiring as part of a harness going to a fixture or whatever else, then you have better information.  You know which device should be measuring what.

[shavecp]

Another option is putting a potential divider between 5V+ and GND and measuring the voltage output from the divider on an analogue in. You can have different voltages for different pieces of equipment. This gives you more options on only 1 pin. It depends on your hardware and which pins you need to use. 

Ideally I would like a 20 byte storage on the hardware so you can add a device name however I know this isnt going to happen any time soon. 

Aliases are a good idea if the hardware is going to be static and always used with 1 PC. Mine will be used on different PC's so I think Im going to go down a look up table with the serial numbers in them.  

[shavecp]

Another option is putting a potential divider between 5V+ and GND and measuring the voltage output from the divider on an analogue in. You can have different voltages for different pieces of equipment. This gives you more options on only 1 pin. It depends on your hardware and which pins you need to use. 

Ideally I would like a 20 byte storage on the hardware so you can add a device name however I know this isnt going to happen any time soon. 

Aliases are a good idea if the hardware is going to be static and always used with 1 PC. Mine will be used on different PC's so I think Im going to go down a look up table with the serial numbers in them.