March 2013
This file contains important information about NI VeriStand 2013 SP1, including system requirements and installation instructions.
Upgrade and Compatibility Issues
Automating the Installation of NI Products
How to Use NI Software with Microsoft Windows 8
NI VeriStand is configuration-based testing software, allowing you to develop, prototype, and test control systems using hardware I/O and your simulation models. The NI VeriStand software framework enables you to perform real-time or PC-based test configuration and execution that can be easily customized and extended with LabVIEW, NI TestStand, and other software tools.
NI VeriStand includes a run-time editable user interface as well as a test manager you can use to configure and implement triggered multi-file data logging, real-time test sequencing, stimulus generation and playback, and model calibration.
The following sections describe support considerations for using NI VeriStand in various types of systems.
| Windows Systems1 | Real-Time Targets | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System |
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| RAM/Processor |
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| Required Software |
| NI VeriStand software (install from MAX) |
1 The following considerations apply to using NI VeriStand on Windows:
2 You can achieve higher Primary Control Loop rates by using targets with higher-performance specifications. | ||
Note The following sections describe system requirements that apply if you use models, LabVIEW functionality, and .NET APIs in your system.
To configure and run a simulation using your existing compiled model, you need only NI VeriStand installed. You need additional software to perform other tasks with models, as the following list describes:
If you use other modeling environments, contact your model vendor for requirements for developing a model and converting it into a compiled model.
To create custom devices, menu items, workspace controls and indicators, or timing and sync devices, you must have LabVIEW 2013 or later. The LabVIEW functionality in NI VeriStand always requires like-numbered versions.
The NI VeriStand .NET APIs require the following Microsoft software:
Complete the following steps to install NI VeriStand.
Note If you purchased this product with an NI Software Suite or NI Product Bundle, use the installation media that shipped with your purchase to install this product.
NI VeriStand 2013 SP1 contains the following new features.
NI VeriStand 2013 SP1 supports compiling models with the Microsoft Visual C++ 10.0 compiler. You can now use Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 C++ Express, Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Professional or Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 4 to compile The MathWorks, Inc. Simulink® and other models.
The following sections describe issues to be aware of when you upgrade to NI VeriStand 2013 SP1.
Note National Instruments recommends that you also review the Upgrade and Compatibility Issues in the readme files for each NI VeriStand version between the version from which you are upgrading and NI VeriStand 2013 SP1. To access the documents, refer to the National Instruments website at ni.com/info and enter the Info Code for the appropriate NI VeriStand version from the following list:
Models compiled from LabVIEW VIs (.lvmodel files) using LabVIEW 2012 or earlier must be recompiled using LabVIEW 2013. The LabVIEW functionality in NI VeriStand always requires like-numbered versions.
National Instruments posts information about critical updates and security notifications on ni.com. Visit ni.com/info and enter Info Code updates to access this information.
NI VeriStand includes the following documentation resources:
| Resource | Contents | Access Instructions |
|---|---|---|
| NI VeriStand Help | Conceptual, how-to, and reference information for using NI VeriStand. | In software: Help»Search the NI VeriStand Help OR Windows Start menu: All Programs»National Instruments»NI VeriStand»VeriStand Help |
| NI VeriStand .NET API Help | Reference information for the .NET APIs included with NI VeriStand. You can access these assemblies from any .NET-compatible programming language or environment, including NI LabVIEW™ and NI TestStand™. | Windows Start menu: All Programs»National Instruments»NI VeriStand»VeriStand .NET API Help. |
| NI VeriStand Model Framework Introduction | Information about how to use the NI VeriStand Model Framework to compile your existing C and C++ model code so you can load your models in NI VeriStand. | You can access this guide from the RootDrive:\VeriStand\xxxx\ModelInterface\custom directory, where RootDrive is the drive where NI software installs and xxxx is the NI VeriStand version number. Note You must explicitly select NI VeriStand Model Framework when you run the NI VeriStand installer. |
Note If you install NI VeriStand with the compatible version of LabVIEW, you also can access a subset of the NI VeriStand Help, including information about the NI VeriStand VIs and extending NI VeriStand functionality with LabVIEW, from the LabVIEW Help. From the pull-down menu in LabVIEW, select Help»LabVIEW Help.
NI VeriStand includes several types of examples:
Tip On Windows 7/Vista, the default location of the <Public Documents> directory is C:\Users\Public\Public Documents.
You can access the software and documentation known issues list online. Refer to the National Instruments website for an up-to-date list of known issues in NI VeriStand 2013 and NI VeriStand 2013 SP1.
The following items are the IDs and titles of a subset of issues fixed in NI VeriStand 2013 SP1. This is not an exhaustive list of issues fixed in the current version of NI VeriStand. If you have a CAR ID, you can search this list to validate the issue has been fixed.
| ID | Fixed Issue |
|---|---|
385803 | CAN data replay does not work if the trigger channel is not specified |
| 430662 | Embedded Data Logger cannot log alias channels |
| 432828 | When importing a list of ten thousand mappings, the progress bar goes backwards |
| 433777 | Loading an NI-XNET database of unsupported format freezes NI VeriStand 2013 |
| 444555 | Hardware Discovery Wizard cannot find DAQ cards in target systems with DAQmx 9.8 and NI System Configuration 5.5.1 |
| 445193 | Reloading a .txt file saved by Model Parameter Manager results in an issue with arrays |
| 448469 | Stimulus profiles produce an invalid ATML file if Stop Logging step does not produce log files |
| 449833 | NI VeriStand does not save changes to the numerical format of workspace controls |
| 450159 | NI VeriStand System Definition API does not have functionality for disabling XNET ports |
| 425731 | Multi-rate model tasks do not update correctly at high loop rates. |
| 431001 | Loading an XNET Database with an unsupported format causes NI VeriStand to freeze. |
| 431038 | Hardware Discovery Wizard does not detect all DAQ devices. |
| 403405 | Multi-rate models do not work if there is a timing offset. |
| 432660 | NI VeriStand 2013 does not properly recognize the Visual Studio 2008 compiler as a supported compiler. |
| 433428 | NI VeriStand is unable to set some FPGA boards as master timing sources. |
| 433157 | NI VeriStand 2013 incorrectly returns Error 1026 at Call By Reference when calling Get Item Property in a Custom Device. |
| 434519 | NI VeriStand improperly sets the Chassis parameter Export start trigger on line to None. |
| 432134 | Error -307702 thrown incorrectly when importing model into NI VeriStand. |
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 4.0, 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 4.0 separately before you install NI software.
For more information, refer to the following KnowledgeBase articles:
When you install National Instruments software on Microsoft Windows 8, you will notice a few additional tiles on the Start screen, including shortcuts to NI application software products such as NI LabVIEW, Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX), and the new NI Launcher.
NI Launcher helps you find and launch installed NI products. It provides you with a method of finding NI products similar to the Start menu in previous versions of Microsoft Windows. To use NI Launcher, click the NI Launcher tile on the Start screen. NI Launcher launches the desktop and opens a menu containing a list of NI products. Click any NI product to launch it.
| Note NI MAX does not appear as a desktop shortcut when installed on Microsoft Windows 8. You can launch MAX either from the Start screen or from within NI Launcher. |
For convenience, you can pin your most-used NI applications, such as MAX, to either the Start screen or the Taskbar on the desktop, as necessary:
| Current Application | Icon Location | Pin to Action |
| Windows 8 Desktop | Desktop Taskbar | Right-click application and select Pin to Taskbar |
| Windows 8 Desktop | Start screen | Right-click application and select Pin to Start |
| Windows 8 Start screen | Desktop Taskbar | Right-click application and select Pin to taskbar from the menu bar on the bottom of the screen |
If you want to find a particular application or related files, such as documentation files, from the Start screen, you can access all installed files by right-clicking anywhere on the Start screen and selecting All apps. A list of all installed software and related files appears, in alphabetical order by creator or type.
For more information about NI support for Windows 8, visit ni.com/windows8.
National Instruments NI VeriStand will drop support for Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 as of July 1, 2016. Versions of NI VeriStand that ship after July 1, 2016 will not install or run on Windows Vista, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003. For detailed information about NI application software product life cycles, visit ni.com/info and enter one of the following Info Codes:
| Product | Info Code |
| NI LabVIEW | lifecycle |
| NI LabWindows™/CVI™ | cvi_lifecycle |
| NI Measurement Studio | mstudiolifecycle |
| NI TestStand | tslcp |
| NI DIAdem | ddlcp |
| NI SignalExpress | selcp |
| NI VeriStand | nivslifecycle |
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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:
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Patents
For patents covering the National Instruments products/technology, refer to the appropriate location: Help»Patents in your software, the patents.txt file on your media, or the National Instruments Patent Notice at ni.com/patents.