August 2020
This document contains information to introduce you to the LabVIEW 2020 SoftMotion Module including installation information, a list of changes in this version of SoftMotion, and information about known issues for this version of SoftMotion.
Automating the Installation of NI Products
Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 10
Using NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8.1
NI Software Drops Support for Phar Lap ETS Real-Time Operating System in 2022
The LabVIEW SoftMotion Module allows you to use the LabVIEW project to configure and test your motion axis settings, tune your servo motors, program deterministic motion profiles, create custom motion applications, and simulate your designs created in SOLIDWORKS.
Note Refer to the SoftMotion Selection Guide for a description of the different SoftMotion Module packages available.
The LabVIEW 2020 SoftMotion Module supports the following operating systems:
1 NI software installs VC2015 Runtime and .NET 4.6.2. Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 require Microsoft updates to support these items. Refer to Microsoft KB2919442 and KB2919355 for more information about how to install these updates.
2 NI software is signed with a SHA-256 certificate. Windows 7 SP1, Windows Embedded Standard 7 SP1, and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 require Microsoft updates to support SHA-256. Refer to Microsoft KB3033929 and KB3125574 for more information about how to install these updates.
Note Refer to LabVIEW 2020 SoftMotion Module Drops Support for Windows 7 (32- and 64-Bit), Windows Server 2008 R2, and All 32-Bit Windows Operating Systems in 2021 for information about future OS support.
Note In 2016 LabVIEW SoftMotion Module dropped support for Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and installations of Windows 7 without any service packs. LabVIEW 2020 SoftMotion Module will not install or run on an unsupported OS. You cannot deploy or distribute applications that use LabVIEW 2020 SoftMotion Module to an unsupported OS. Additionally, after installing LabVIEW 2020 SoftMotion Module, you cannot use any installers built on this computer with any version of LabVIEW, LabWindows™/CVI™, NI TestStand™, or Measurement Studio on an unsupported OS.
For more information about the changes to our OS support for 2016, visit ni.com/r/OSSupport2016.
Note Support for Windows 32-bit operating systems may require disabling physical address extension (PAE). To learn how this might affect your system and what actions you might need to take, visit ni.com/r/PAESupport.
The LabVIEW SoftMotion Module runs as a 32-bit application on all operating systems.
To run the LabVIEW SoftMotion Module, National Instruments recommends that your system meet the following requirements in addition to the minimum requirements for the LabVIEW Development System for Windows:
The LabVIEW 2020 SoftMotion Module is compatible with the following National Instruments software.
Note To use SoftMotion for SOLIDWORKS you must have SOLIDWORKS 2009 SP2.1 or later.
NI installs LabVIEW 2020 SoftMotion Module using NI Package Manager. If you do not already have NI software installed, LabVIEW 2020 SoftMotion Module installs NI Package Manager to handle the installation of your NI software. Visit ni.com/r/NIPMDownload to download NI Package Manager. Refer to the NI Package Manager Manual for more information about installing, removing, and upgrading NI software using NI Package Manager.
Notes
The LabVIEW SoftMotion Module relies on licensing activation. After the evaluation period for SoftMotion Module expires, you must activate a valid license before you can run the full version of the software. To activate the SoftMotion Module, use the serial number you received as part of your installation package.
If the LabVIEW SoftMotion Module is not activated and the evaluation period expires, the product will have restricted functionality. Refer to the SoftMotion Selection Guide for a description of the different SoftMotion Module packages available.
Refer to the Activation Instructions for National Instruments Software for more information about licensing activation.
LabVIEW 2020 SoftMotion Module is fully supported on LabVIEW 2020.
Refer to the National Instruments Website for a complete list of supported real-time controllers.
SDI plug-ins for third-party EtherCAT motor drives are actively released and updated on the LabVIEW Tools Network. To learn more about SDI or download plug-ins, visit the National Instruments Website.
Refer to the National Instruments Website for an up-to-date list of all bug fixes in this release.
To use the updates and features included in the LabVIEW 2020 SoftMotion Module, you must install the LabVIEW 2020 SoftMotion Module software on the LabVIEW Real-Time target system using Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX). NI recommends reformatting your LabVIEW Real-Time target and installing the latest recommended software set when upgrading LabVIEW and the LabVIEW SoftMotion Module.
Refer to the LabVIEW Help, accessible by selecting Help»LabVIEW Help from the pull-down menu in LabVIEW, for information about SoftMotion Module concepts, using SoftMotion, step-by-step instructions using the LabVIEW SoftMotion Module, and reference information about SoftMotion VIs and functions.
LabVIEW examples for the SoftMotion Module can be found in the Example Finder (at Help > Find Examples) in two different directories: the Hardware Input and Output\Motion Control\SoftMotion folder and the Toolkits and Modules\SoftMotion folder. The examples are grouped into three primary categories:
The Getting Started Guides contain detailed information for setting up and configuring specific SoftMotion hardware. Visit the Resources tab on the product page at ni.com to find a Getting Started Guide for your hardware. In LabVIEW 2014 SP1 SoftMotion Module and later, the examples for the NI 9502, 9503, and 9503 drive modules were converted to Sample Projects. These can be found in the Create Project menu in LabVIEW.
You can access the software and documentation known issues list online. Refer to the National Instruments Web site for an up-to-date list of known issues in this release.
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. However, starting with the August 2012 releases (products using NI Installers version 3.1 or later), you may need to perform additional steps before or during a silent installation of NI software.
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, refer to the following KnowledgeBase articles:
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.
When you install NI software on Microsoft Windows 8.1, you will notice a few additional tiles in the Apps view, including shortcuts to NI application software products such as NI LabVIEW, Measurement & Automation Explorer (NI MAX), and NI Launcher. For more information about NI support for Windows 8.1, visit ni.com/windows8.
LabVIEW SoftMotion Module will drop support for Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit), Windows Server 2008 R2, and all 32-bit Windows operating systems starting in 2021. 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 ni.com/r/win32bitsupport.
NI Software will drop support for Phar Lap ETS Real-Time Operating System starting in 2022. Versions of this product that ship after May 1, 2022, may not install or execute correctly on this operating system. For high-level information on the support roadmap for Phar Lap and its replacement, NI Linux Real-Time, visit ni.com/r/xf35k1. To find out what hardware is supported on PXI controllers running NI Linux Real-Time, visit ni.com/r/b7g5wi.
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