Using the NI 951x Drive Interface Modules in LabVIEW FPGA

Issue Details

Can I run the NI 951x drive interface modules in FPGA Interface Mode? What are the requirements to do so?

Solution

The primary use case of the NI 951x drive interface modules is with the NI SoftMotion Module which utilizes the RIO Scan Interface Mode. Using NI SoftMotion simplifies system configuration and programming. For more information about the NI SoftMotion Module see the Related Links section below. 

Previous releases of CompactRIO Device Drivers and NI-RIO supported using the NI 951x C Series drive interface modules in FPGA Interface Mode. They have module and channel specific I/O Properties and Methods that could be accessed with the FPGA module. Beginning with the release of CompactRIO Device Drivers 17.6 in December 2017, current and future versions of NI-RIO no longer support LabVIEW FPGA mode. Use a previous version of CompactRIO Device Drivers to continue using these modules in LabVIEW FPGA mode. See below for previous version support information. 

CompactRIO Device Drivers and NI-RIO 17.0 and earlier: 

The NI 951x C Series drive interface modules have module and channel specific I/O Properties and Methods that can be accessed with the FPGA module. 

The software and hardware needed to use the NI 951x modules in FPGA Interface Mode are:

• NI LabVIEW FPGA Module
• NI-RIO driver
• NI LabVIEW Real-Time Module
• Any NI CompactRIO chassis
• Modules must be placed in a high-speed interface slot

 

Additional Information

Notes: 
1. NI SoftMotion does not need to be installed for interaction with the FPGA I/O Nodes.
2. To use the NI 9512 drive interface module in FPGA Interface Mode, you must download a module firmware update included in NI-RIO 3.5 or later. Refer to the related links for instructions on updating the firmware.

For more details on using the 951x C Series drive interface modules in FPGA mode, refer to the LabVIEW Help and see the I/O nodes available in FPGA Interface mode. See the Related Links section below for additional resources.