LabVIEW 2021 FPGA Module Readme

July 2021

This file contains installation instructions and compatibility information for the LabVIEW FPGA Module.

You can find more release information on ni.com.

• LabVIEW FPGA Module Release Notes: Known issues, bugs fixed since the last release, and other notes about this release
• LabVIEW FPGA Module Manuals: New features, behavior changes, and other documentation

Overview

FPGA Module System Requirements

FPGA Compile Farm Server System Requirements

Installation Instructions

Product Security and Critical Updates

FPGA Module (64-Bit)

Upgrade and Compatibility Issues

Accessing the Help

Finding Examples

Automating the Installation of NI Products

Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 10

Unsupported Windows Operating Systems

Legal Information

Overview

With the LabVIEW FPGA Module, you can create VIs that run on NI FPGA targets, such as reconfigurable I/O (RIO) devices. The FPGA Module helps you design complex systems by providing a highly-integrated development environment, a large ecosystem of IP libraries, a high-fidelity simulator, and debugging features. The FPGA Module also includes the FPGA Compile Farm Server. You can use the FPGA Compile Farm Server to offload compiles to dedicated computers.

FPGA Module System Requirements

The development computer is a PC or NI PXI/PXI Express system on which you install LabVIEW and the FPGA Module. You can also install the Xilinx compilation tools on your development computer to compile LabVIEW FPGA VIs locally. However, if the FPGA design or target requires more than 2 GB of memory, NI recommends you install the Xilinx compilation tools on a separate computer. This computer is referred to as the remote compile worker.

Visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code XilinxCompileTools for more information about the NI hardware supported by each Xilinx compilation tool.

The development computer must meet the following system requirements:

• LabVIEW 2021 Full or Professional Development Systems
• 1.2 GHz Pentium processor or equivalent
• 3 GB of additional disk space
• Memory¹:
  • At least 3 GB of RAM for Virtex-5 and earlier FPGA targets
  • At least 4 GB of RAM for Virtex-6 and later FPGA targets
• One of the following operating systems:
  • Windows 10
  • Windows Server 2019
  • Windows Server 2016

  Note  Refer to Unsupported Windows Operating Systems for more information about support for Microsoft Windows OSes.

• NI FPGA device
• Device driver software—To program most devices with the LabVIEW FPGA Module, install the device driver software. Refer to the hardware documentation for requirements for a specific device.

¹ Memory requirements vary according to both the FPGA target and the FPGA VI you create for that target.

Refer to the LabVIEW Readme for additional system requirements and supported operating systems for LabVIEW.

FPGA Compile Farm Server System Requirements

If you install the FPGA Compile Farm Server on a separate computer, you can configure that computer to be a remote compile farm server. If you install the Xilinx compilation tools on a separate computer, you can configure that computer to be a remote compile worker.

Refer to the Setting Up a Remote Compile Farm Server or Compile Worker section of this document for information about setting up and using a local or remote compile farm server or compile worker. Visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code XilinxCompileTools for more information about the NI hardware supported by each Xilinx compilation tool.

You can use either a Windows or Linux computer as a compile worker. Refer to the Xilinx Compilation Tools Readme for information about the minimum system requirements.

The remote compile farm server must meet the following minimum system requirements:

• 35 MB of disk space
• 1 GB RAM
• One of the following operating systems:
  • Windows 10
  • Windows Server 2019
  • Windows Server 2016
• Web browser that supports Microsoft Silverlight for accessing compile job queues via the NI Web-based Configuration & Monitoring Service FPGA Compile Farm Console

Installation Instructions

This section provides information about installing the FPGA Module and related components.

Note  If you are upgrading from a previous version of LabVIEW, you must install the LabVIEW 2021 FPGA Module before mass-compiling existing FPGA VIs. Otherwise, some FPGA-specific VIs might have mutation issues.

Installing the FPGA Module on a Development Computer

Download the FPGA Module installer from ni.com/downloads. NI software includes NI Package Manager to handle the installation. Refer to the NI Package Manager Manual for more information about installing, removing, and upgrading NI software using NI Package Manager.

To install LabVIEW and the FPGA Module using the LabVIEW Platform media, complete the following steps:

1. Log in as an administrator or as a user with administrative privileges.
2. Insert the LabVIEW Platform media. To request additional LabVIEW Platform media, refer to the NI website. If you purchased this product with an NI Software Suite or NI Product Bundle, use the installation media that shipped with your purchases to install this product.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen to install and activate the following software in this order:
   • LabVIEW
   • FPGA Module
   • (Optional) LabVIEW Real-Time Module—Use the LabVIEW Real-Time Module to program the real-time OS on NI PXI, NI PXI Express, NI CompactRIO, and NI Single-Board RIO devices. You have a temporary license for this product.
   • Xilinx Compilation Tools—Install these compilation tools on the development computer if you want to compile your LabVIEW FPGA VIs locally. You must install these tools on your development computer if you plan to use the Configure Component-Level IP wizard, configure the IP Integration Node, incorporate Xilinx IP, or use third-party simulation. Refer to your hardware documentation for information about the FPGA chip in your device and install the appropriate set of tools. Visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code XilinxCompileTools for more information about the NI hardware supported by each Xilinx compilation tool.
     • Xilinx Compilation Tools for Windows—Install these compilation tools if you will compile your FPGA VIs on a Windows computer. The Xilinx compilation tools for Windows include Vivado 2019.1 and ISE 14.7.
     • Xilinx 10.1 Compilation Tools—Install the Xilinx 10.1 compilation tools if your FPGA device contains a Xilinx Virtex II chip. To download the Xilinx 10.1 compilation tools, refer to ni.com/info and enter the Info Code FPGATool101.
     Note  To configure the IP Integration Node, or use the Configure Component-Level IP wizard on Virtex-II devices, you also must install the Xilinx Compilation Tool for ISE 14.7. Xilinx IP and simulation exports are not supported on Virtex-II FPGA devices.
   • (Optional) FPGA Compile Farm Server—Use the FPGA Compile Farm Server to distribute FPGA VI compile jobs across multiple remote computers.
     Note  Use the LabVIEW FPGA Compile Cloud Service to increase the development efficiency by offloading compile jobs to multiple computers in a cloud environment.
   • Device Driver—Device drivers contain driver software for most FPGA targets. Refer to your FPGA target hardware documentation for information about additional or different device drivers you need.

In addition to installing program files and documentation in the LabVIEW directory, the installer also puts files from Xilinx in the x:\NIFPGA directory, where x is the drive on which you installed LabVIEW. The FPGA Module uses these files to compile FPGA VIs into code that runs on an FPGA target.

Setting Up a Remote Compile Farm Server or Compile Worker

You can use the LabVIEW Platform media to install the FPGA Compile Farm Server to offload compiles to dedicated computer. You must install the FPGA Compile Farm Server separately on any remote machine that you want to use to manage your compilations. Also, you must install the Xilinx compilation tools on any machine that you want to use as a remote compile worker. Visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code XilinxCompileTools for more information about the NI hardware supported by each Xilinx compilation tool.

• Windows—Visit ni.com/info and enter the Info Code FPGAkb1rcs for information about setting up the FPGA compile farm server on a remote computer.
• Linux—Refer to the FPGA Module Xilinx Compilation Tools for Linux Readme for information about setting up a remote compile worker.

NI also offers the LabVIEW FPGA Compile Cloud Service to increase the development efficiency by offloading compile jobs to multiple computers in a cloud environment. Visit ni.com/trycompilecloud for information about the LabVIEW FPGA Compile Cloud.

Product Security and Critical Updates

Visit ni.com/security to view and subscribe to receive security notifications about NI products. Visit ni.com/r/critical-updates for information about critical updates from NI.

FPGA Module (64-Bit)

The FPGA Module (64-bit) provides access to more memory than the FPGA Module (32-bit) can provide. The FPGA Module (64-bit) is available in English only.

Supported Hardware

The FPGA Module (64-bit) supports the following NI hardware devices:

• PCIe-576x/577x/5785/798x
• PXIe-5163R/5164R/517xR/5745/576x/577x/5785/659xR/7902R/791x/797xR/798x
• USRP-RIO devices

You cannot use an unsupported device with the FPGA Module (64-bit) or run example VIs that require an unsupported device in the FPGA Module (64-bit). Refer to the specific hardware documentation for more information about compatibility with the FPGA Module (64-bit).

Upgrade and Compatibility Issues

If you upgrade from the LabVIEW 2019 FPGA Module or later to the LabVIEW 2021 FPGA Module, you might encounter the following compatibility issues:

• Deprecating FPGA IP Builder—FPGA IP Builder is deprecated in the LabVIEW 2021 FPGA Module.
• Vivado Version Upgrade—The Vivado compilation tool version is upgraded from 2017.2 to 2019.1 with the following changes and compatibility issues:
  • The Xilinx IP palette adds the following functions:
    • Audio Formatter
    • I2S Receiver
    • I2S Transmitter
    • LDPC Encoder/Decoder
    • Polar Encoder/Decoder
    • Soft-Decision FEC—This IP is available on only Zynq UltrascalePlus RFSoc targets.
    • SPDIF/AES3
    • UHD-SDI Audio—This IP is not available on Artix 7 targets.
  • The following functions are no longer available on the Xilinx IP palette:
    • Video Frame Buffer Write
    • Video Frame Buffer Read
    • Video Mixer
  • If you open a VI saved in a previous version of LabVIEW that contains an IP Integration Node or Xilinx IP node, complete the following steps to regenerate or reconfigure files.

    IP Integration Node

    Xilinx IP Node

    Regenerate support files for the IP by selecting Tools»FPGA Module»Regenerate IP Integration Node Support Files from LabVIEW and following the on-screen instructions. Note  If LabVIEW fails to update all support files, re-add the IP Integration Node to the VI and generate the support files for the IP Integration Node. If the IP Integration Node contains Xilinx Vivado IP configuration (.xci) files, continue with the following steps: Regenerate the Xilinx Vivado IP configuration (.xci) files in the latest Xilinx compilation tools for Vivado. Re-add the configuration files to the IP Integration Node. Re-add the IP Integration Node to the VI. Generate the support files for the IP Integration Node.

    Regenerate support files for the Xilinx IP node by selecting Tools»FPGA Module»Regenerate IP Integration Node Support Files from LabVIEW and following the on-screen instructions. Verify the behavior of the Xilinx IP node. Reconfigure the Xilinx IP node if its behavior has changed.

If you upgrade from the LabVIEW 2018 FPGA Module or earlier to the LabVIEW 2021 FPGA Module, refer to previous versions of the LabVIEW FPGA Module readme or LabVIEW FPGA Module Release and Upgrade Notes, available on ni.com/manuals, for additional changes in previous versions of the FPGA Module.

Note  The LabVIEW FPGA Module Release and Upgrade Notes document was deprecated from the 2016 release.

Upgrading the FPGA Module requires you to upgrade to a new version of the Xilinx compilation tools. This upgrade can change the timing or resource utilization characteristics of FPGA VIs you developed in previous versions or cause these VIs to fail to compile. NI recommends that you test all FPGA designs after upgrading.

Accessing the Help

Refer to the LabVIEW Help, accessible by selecting Help»LabVIEW Help from LabVIEW, for information about the FPGA Module.

Finding Examples

Select Help»Find Examples from LabVIEW to launch the NI Example Finder. You can modify an example VI to fit an application, or you can copy and paste from one or more examples into a VI that you create.

Automating the Installation of NI Products

You can automate the installation of most NI products using command-line arguments to suppress some or all of the installer user interface and dialog boxes.

If the NI product you are installing uses Microsoft .NET 4.6.2, the .NET installer may run before any NI software installs and may require a reboot before the installation of NI software begins. To avoid a .NET reboot, install .NET 4.6.2 separately before you install NI software.

For more information about automating the installation of NI products, refer to Automating an Installer in the NI Package Manager manual.

Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 10

Microsoft Windows 10 is the latest version of the Windows operating system and features significant changes compared to previous versions. Windows 10 introduces several new capabilities and also combines features from both Windows 7 and Windows 8. For more information about NI support for Windows 10, visit ni.com/windows10.

Unsupported Windows Operating Systems

The LabVIEW FPGA Module no longer supports Windows Vista/XP/7/8.x, Windows Server 2003/2008/2012, or any 32-bit Windows operating system. Versions of this product that ship after May 1, 2021, may not install or execute correctly on these operating systems. For detailed information about NI operating system support, visit http://www.ni.com/r/win32bitsupport.

Legal Information

Copyright

© 2003–2021 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.

Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of National Instruments Corporation.

NI respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask our users to do the same. NI software is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Where NI software may be used to reproduce software or other materials belonging to others, you may use NI software only to reproduce materials that you may reproduce in accordance with the terms of any applicable license or other legal restriction.

Third-Party Copyright Notices

The SharpZipLib_Notice.pdf file contains a third-party copyright notice for third-party components used by certain FPGA Module features. The following directory is the default installation location for the file, but the location might vary depending on the configuration of the local computer:

\National Instruments\LabVIEW <version>\FPGA\Legal\

End-User License Agreements and Third-Party Legal Notices

You can find end-user license agreements (EULAs) and third-party legal notices in the following locations after installation:

• Notices are located in the <National Instruments>\_Legal Information and <National Instruments> directories.
• EULAs are located in the <National Instruments>\Shared\MDF\Legal\license directory.
• Review <National Instruments>\_Legal Information.txt for information on including legal information in installers built with NI products.

U.S. Government Restricted Rights

If you are an agency, department, or other entity of the United States Government ("Government"), the use, duplication, reproduction, release, modification, disclosure or transfer of the technical data included in this manual is governed by the Restricted Rights provisions under Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.227-14 for civilian agencies and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement Section 252.227-7014 and 252.227-7015 for military agencies.

IVI Foundation Copyright Notice

Content from the IVI specifications reproduced with permission from the IVI Foundation.

The IVI Foundation and its member companies make no warranty of any kind with regard to this material, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The IVI Foundation and its member companies shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.

Trademarks

Refer to the NI Trademarks and Logo Guidelines at ni.com/trademarks for information on NI trademarks. Other product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.

Patents

For patents covering the NI products/technology, refer to the appropriate location: Help»Patents in your software, the patents.txt file on your media, or the NI Patent Notice at ni.com/patents.

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