Finding Your Way in Hardware Configuration Utility

Hardware Configuration Utility has two main panes. The left pane is called the System Pane and the right pane is called the Configuration Pane. Refer to the following figure for more information about items in each pane.

System Pane

The System Pane displays all discoverable hardware in your system. The main sections of the System Pane are the system controller and the device slots.



  1. Add hardware
  2. Refresh— Update the displayed status of connected system devices.
  3. Remove hardware— Remove a local or remote RT device from the System Pane.
  4. Device name
  5. Model number
  6. Product family
  7. Serial number
  8. Hardware detection type
  9. Slot number
  10. Ports on the device
  11. System controller
  12. Accessories
  13. Connected device/chassis— The icon this wire is connected to represents the connection type. In this example, the device is connected through a USB interface.
  14. Simulated network device
  15. Configuration Pane

Configuration Pane

The Configuration Pane displays device information, configuration settings, and actions to perform on your devices.

Common Configuration Actions

Select a chassis, device, port, or accessory by clicking it in the System Pane to display configuration options in the Configuration Pane. Refer to the following list for descriptions of common configuration options available in the Configuration Pane.
  • Rename device — Change a device name by entering a new name in the text field. Press Enter or away to another field commits the new name.
  • Reset device — Re-initialize a connected device.
  • Self-test — Perform a brief test of device resources to ensure it is functioning correctly. If a device self-test fails, refer to device documentation on ni.com for more information.
  • Self-calibrate — Perform device self-calibration on supported devices to ensure accurate measurements. Refer to device documentation on ni.com for specific self-calibration information, such as recommended self-calibration intervals and recommended external calibration intervals.
    Note Ensure that no other tasks are running on the system while performing configuration actions. Drivers typically need exclusive access to device resources to successfully complete configuration actions.