NI-DAQ 8.x Overview

National Instruments measurement devices are packaged with NI-DAQ driver software, an extensive library of functions and VIs you can call from your application software, such as LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI, to program your NI measurement devices. Measurement devices include DAQ devices such as the M Series multifunction I/O (MIO) devices, signal conditioning modules, and switch modules. Driver software has an application programming interface (API), which is a library of VIs, functions, classes, attributes, and properties for creating applications for your device.

NI-DAQ includes two NI-DAQ drivers, NI-DAQmx and Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy). Each has its own API, hardware configuration, and software configuration.

NI-DAQmx

NI-DAQmx is the latest NI-DAQ driver with the following advantages over Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy):

Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy)

Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) is an upgrade of the earlier version of NI-DAQ. Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) has the same VIs and functions and works the same way as NI-DAQ 6.9.3, except you can use Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) and NI-DAQmx on the same computer, and some hardware is no longer supported.

Who Can Use NI-DAQmx

You should install and use NI-DAQmx if the following situations apply:

If you are using NI application software with NI-DAQmx, you must use LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, or Measurement Studio version 7.x or later, VI Logger 2.x or later, or the LabVIEW Real-Time Module 7.1 or later.

If you use one of the Microsoft .NET languages, Visual C# and/or Visual Basic .NET, or a device supported only by NI-DAQmx, such as an M Series device, you must use NI-DAQmx.

You also can use NI-DAQmx with a supported compiler, such as an ANSI C compiler.

Who Must Use Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy)

Install and use Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) if one of the following situations apply:

Note  The earliest version of NI application software supported by Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) is version 6.0. LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, or Measurement Studio versions 6.x can use Traditional NI-DAQ (Legacy) from the NI-DAQ 8.x distribution.