National Instruments NI 2590/2591 - Manual (Page 13)

Chapter 1 Routing Signals with Your NI 2590/2591
© National Instruments Corporation 1-5 NI 2590/2591 User Manual
Software Choices
You have several options to choose from when programming your National
Instruments switch module. You can use the NI-SWITCH driver software
or National Instruments application software.
NI-SWITCH Driver Software
The NI-SWITCH instrument driver is an Interchangeable Virtual
Instrument (IVI)-compliant instrument driver that is bundled with the
module at no cost.
NI-SWITCH features a set of operations and attributes that exercise all
the functionality of the switching hardware, including configuration,
opening/closing, and scanning. In addition, NI-SWITCHNI-SWITCH
comes with an interactive soft front panel and online documentation.
NI-SWITCH eliminates the need to understand complex register
programming and interrupt handling in the Microsoft operating systems,
and frees you to focus on creating your test system.
National Instruments Application Software
LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI are innovative program development
software packages for data acquisition and control applications. LabVIEW
uses graphical programming, whereas LabWindows/CVI enhances
traditional programming languages. Both packages include extensive
libraries for data acquisition, instrument control, data analysis, and
graphical data presentation. Using LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI can
significantly reduce the development time for your data acquisition and
control application.
LabVIEW features interactive graphics, a state-of-the-art user interface,
and a powerful graphical programming language. The LabVIEW
NI-SWITCH VI Library, a series of virtual instruments (VIs) for using
LabVIEW with National Instruments switch hardware, is included with
the NI-SWITCH driver.
LabWindows/CVI features interactive graphics, a state-of-the-art user
interface, and uses the ANSI standard C programming language. The
LabWindows/CVI NI-SWITCH Library, a series of functions for using
LabWindows/CVI with National Instruments switch hardware, is included
with the NI-SWITCH driver.