Install Windows 10 on the USRP-2974

Updated Nov 17, 2022

Environment

Hardware

  • USRP-2974

I would like to put Windows 10 on my USRP-2974.
How do I convert from the Real Time OS that the device ships with?

1. Create a Windows 10 bootable USB drive from Microsoft
2. Insert the USB drive and boot the USRP. When booting, hold down F10 on the keyboard until this screen appears:


3. Select the name of the USB stick inserted and follow the Windows installation prompts
4. At the installation type Window, select Custom


5. Delete all partitions in the hard drive's current configuration and then click Next. Windows will format the drive and create 4 Partitions. Select the partition shown and select Next.


6. Follow the Prompts until the desktop is shown. Connect to the internet and install the Intel Driver. If you cannot connect the controller to the internet, download the installer to a USB Drive and move it over to the USRP.
7. Run Windows Update to ensure all security patches are installed and that other hardware drivers are installed. Check Windows Device Manager for any exclamation points and missing drivers.
8. Proceed to LabVIEW, LabVIEW Communications, and NI-USRP Driver Installation. When everything is installed, NI MAX should show the USRP as below:


Additional Information

To move back to the original configuration, you will need to follow the Provisioning Guide linked below.

After the Windows installation, if the Windows Device Manager shows "Dual RS232-HS" devices as unknown with no driver associated, you might need to install Digilent drivers. This enables the connection of the host to Xilinx FPGA over JTAG and is not needed unless Xilinx Vivado based deployment or recovery is intended. 

If there is still an unrecognized "PCI Data Acquisition and Signal Processing Controller" device in the Windows Device Manager, consider installing NI PXI Platform Services. Sometimes a missing Intel Management Engine Interface driver also results in such unrecognized PCI device in the Device Manager. Please check the software section of the SoM (Congatec COM Express conga-TS170) for more details about the required drivers related to the USRP 2974 controller.