What Software Do I Need to Program My CompactRIO Hardware?

Updated Sep 8, 2023

Reported In

Hardware

  • CompactRIO Chassis

Software

  • LabVIEW Real-Time Module
  • LabVIEW FPGA Module
  • LabVIEW

Driver

  • NI CompactRIO
  • NI-RIO

Issue Details

What software/drivers should I have on my host PC to use my CompactRIO (cRIO) hardware?

Solution

Depending on your needs, to use the cRIO hardware you might need different software.
 

Configuration on NI MAX

To detect and configure (modify network settings, update firmware, format, install software, etc.) your cRIO system you need the following software:
  1. NI CompactRIO drivers
     

Programming With LabVIEW

In order to program your cRIO you need to have the following software installed on your computer in this order:

  1. LabVIEW Development System
  2. LabVIEW Real-Time Module
  3. LabVIEW FPGA Module (required only if you want to program the FPGA directly)
  4. NI CompactRIO drivers
 

Programming With Third-Party Programming Languages

Alternatively, you can use third-party programming languages like C, C++, or Python to program your cRIO system. In this case, the following software is required:

  1. Third-party Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
  2. LabVIEW Development System (required only if LabVIEW FPGA Module is required)
  3. LabVIEW FPGA Module (required only if you want to program the FPGA directly)
  4. NI CompactRIO drivers

Getting Started with C/C++ Development for NI Linux Real-Time tutorial is available.

Additional Information

When installing the software please consider these caveats: