Figure 1-1. The Relationship Between The Programming Environment, Ni-Daq, And Your Hardware - National Instruments AT-MIO/AI E Series User Manual

Chapter 1 Introduction
AT-MIO/AI E Series User Manual
NI-DAQ has both high-level DAQ I/O functions for maximum ease of
use and low-level DAQ I/O functions for maximum flexibility and
performance. Examples of high-level functions are streaming data to
disk or acquiring a certain number of data points. An example of a
low-level function is writing directly to registers on the DAQ device.
NI-DAQ does not sacrifice the performance of National Instruments
DAQ devices because it lets multiple devices operate at their peak
performance.
NI-DAQ also internally addresses many of the complex issues between
the computer and the DAQ hardware such as programming interrupts
and DMA controllers. NI-DAQ maintains a consistent software
interface among its different versions so that you can change platforms
with minimal modifications to your code. Whether you are using
conventional programming languages, LabVIEW, or
LabWindows/CVI, your application uses the NI-DAQ driver software,
as illustrated in Figure 1-1.
Conventional
Programming
Environment
(PC, Macintosh, or
Sun SPARCstation)
DAQ or
SCXI Hardware
Figure 1-1. The Relationship between the Programming Environment, NI-DAQ, and
LabVIEW
(PC, Macintosh, or
Sun SPARCstation)
NI-DAQ
Driver Software
Your Hardware
1-4
LabWindows/CVI
(PC or
Sun SPARCstation)
Personal
Computer
or
Workstation
National Instruments Corporation