getting started with pxi-1042

[A2N]

I am tasked to get a PXI-1042 chassis that has several PXI boards up and running to capture temp and current data for an upcoming test and I have no idea where to start.    The boards installed are PXI-6232, 6238, 2527, and 4070, and the software packages I can see are Measurement and Automation V 4.2.1.3001, Microsoft visual Studio V 2.0.50727, and NI Measurement Studio 8.1.20.377, plus Visual C++ and visual C. Does anyone know of a tutorial that could walk me through a sample project, just to get oriented about the HW and SW, their interaction, and different capabilities? Thanks in advance.

[RT4CY]

Hi A2N,

Thanks for posting on the NI Discussion Forums!  I understand you need to take current and temperature measurements with your PXI hardware.  Fortunately, you have one of our DMMs and Switch multiplexer modules.  You can do all of your measurements using the PXI 4070 DMM and PXI 2527 Switch module. 

To get more familiar with the hardware, you can start by viewing the Soft Front Panels in Measurement and Automation Explorer (MAX).  Open up MAX by going to Start»All Programs»National Instruments.  Expand the Devices and Interfaces tab, and locate your PXI 4070.  Right-click on the device and choose Test Panels.  This will bring up the NI-DMM Soft Front Panel where you can take simple measurements with the DMM.  You can do the same with the Switch module and make connections on your switch.

It would be much easier for you if you had LabVIEW or LabWindows CVI.  Open up MAX and expand the Software tab, and see if you have any of these software packages. 

If you are restricted to Visual Studio, then it gets a little tougher.  You will use .NET wrappers to develop your application in either C# or VB.NET.  See the following KB for more information. 

Also, there are some C examples that come with the NI-SWITCH driver. Go to Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-SWITCH»Examples

Another great resource is the NI-DMM and NI-Switch Help documents.  Go to Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI-SWITCH (or NI-DMM)»Documentation.  Each of these documents has a C/C++/VB function reference guide.

For additional information, check out the following links.

Performing High-Accuracy Temperature Measurements Using a NI Digital Multimeter and Switch
Shunt Resistors in Conjunction with Switches for Measuring Current with an NI-DMM
What Precautions Should I Take When Measuring Current with an NI 407x DMM?