National Instruments 4350, 435, 4351 Where To Start

WHERE TO START WITH THE NI 435X

This document explains how to begin using the National Instruments
4350/4351 (NI 435X) high-precision data acquisition (DAQ) temperature
and voltage meters for PCMCIA, USB, PCI, and PXI/CompactPCI buses.

Conventions

The following conventions are used in this document:

» The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options

to a final action. The sequence File»Page Setup»Options directs you to
pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item, and select Options
from the last dialog box.

♦ The ♦ symbol indicates that the following text applies only to a specific

product, a specific operating system, or a specific software version.

This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.

This icon denotes a caution, which advises you of precautions to take to
avoid injury, data loss, or a system crash. When this symbol is marked on
the product, refer to the Read Me First: Safety and Radio-Frequency
Interference document, shipped with the product, for precautions to take.

bold Bold text denotes items that you must select or click in the software, such

as menu items and dialog box options. Bold text also denotes parameter
names.

italic Italic text denotes variables, emphasis, a cross reference, or an introduction

to a key concept. This font also denotes text that is a placeholder for a word
or value that you must supply.

monospace Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter from the

keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and syntax examples.
This font is also used for the proper names of disk drives, paths, directories,

CVI™, LabVIEW™, Measurement Studio™, National Instruments™, NI™, ni.com™, and NI-DAQ™ are trademarks of
National Instruments Corporation. Product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of
their respective companies. For patents covering National Instruments products, refer to the appropriate location:
Help»Patents in your software, the patents.txt file on your CD, or ni.com/patents.

ni.com

© 1997–2002 National Instruments Corp. All rights reserved.

October 2002

321562D-01

programs, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions, operations,
variables, filenames and extensions, and code excerpts.

NI 435X Refers to all devices in the National Instruments 4350 and 4351 families.

Unpacking the Kit

Follow the unpacking instructions below that correspond to the
NI 435X device.

♦ NI PCMCIA-4350

The NI PCMCIA-4350 is shipped in an antistatic vinyl package; when you
are not using the NI PCMCIA-4350, store it in the antistatic vinyl package.
Because the NI PCMCIA-4350
no additional electrostatic discharge (ESD) precautions are necessary.
However, for your own safety and to protect the NI PCMCIA-4350, never
touch the connector pins.

♦ NI PXI-4351 and NI PCI-4351

The NI PXI-4351 and NI PCI-4351 ship in antistatic vinyl packages that
prevent electrostatic damage to the device. ESD can damage several
components on the device. To avoid such damage when handling the
device, take the following precautions:

• Ground yourself using a grounding strap or by holding a grounded
object.

• Touch the antistatic package to a metal part on the computer chassis
before removing the device from the package.

• Remove the device from the package and inspect the device for loose
components or any other sign of damage. Notify NI if the device
appears damaged in any way. Do not install a damaged device in the
computer.

• Never touch the exposed connector pins.

•Do not touch the printed circuit board or any components on the board
because this may affect performance of the device.

is enclosed in a fully shielded package,

Caution The NI PXI-4351 and NI PCI-4351 are ESD/contamination sensitive. Handle the

board using the edges or metal bracket.

♦ NI USB-4350

The NI USB-4350 is shipped in an antistatic vinyl package; when you are
not using the NI USB-4350, store it in the antistatic vinyl package. Because
the NI USB-4350 is enclosed in a fully shielded package, no additional

Where to Start with the NI 435X 2 ni.com

ESD precautions are necessary. However, for your own safety and to
protect the NI USB-4350, never touch the connector pins.

What You Need to Get Started

To set up and use the NI 435X device, you need the following items:

❑ A computer

❑ One of the following NI 435X high-precision DAQ devices:

– NI PCMCIA-4350

– NI USB-4350

– NI PXI-4351

– NI PCI-4351

❑ NI-DAQ 6.9.3 or higher for PC compatibles

❑ Logger Soft Front Panel 1.0.1 or higher

❑ If you want to program with the device, use one of the following

software packages and documentation:

– LabVIEW 6.1 or later

– Measurement Studio LabWindows

– Measurement Studio for Visual Basic

– Third-party compiler

™

/CVI™ 4.0 or later

❑ Optional cables and accessories

❑ Read Me First: Safety and Radio-Frequency Interference

❑ VI Logger Soft Front Panel Note to Users

❑ Getting Started with VI Logger

Installing the Software

Install NI-DAQ and the application software before you install the
NI 435X device. If you are using LabVIEW, Measurement Studio
LabWindows/CVI, or Measurement Studio for Visual Basic, refer to their
software release notes for installation instructions. If you are using
programming languages such as Visual Basic, C, or C++ with NI-DAQ,
follow the NI-DAQ release note instructions for installing third-party
compilers.

© National Instruments Corporation 3 Where to Start with the NI 435X

Complete the following steps to install the NI 435X software, which
includes NI-DAQ 6.9.3, Logger Soft Front Panel 1.0.1, and the NI 435X
instrument driver:

1. Insert the NI-DAQ 6.9.3 installation CD. Follow the instructions that
appear on the screen.

2. Insert the Logger Soft Front Panel 1.0.1 and NI 435X instrument driver
CD. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.

3. Click OK to restart the computer.

After you install the software, you are ready to install the NI 435X
hardware. Refer to the Installing the NI 435X section for further
instructions.

Installing the NI 435X

Caution Refer to the Read Me First: Safety and Radio-Frequency Interference document

before removing equipment covers or connecting/disconnecting any signal wires.

Power off the computer and, depending upon the device type, install the
NI 435X following the instructions in this section.

Note You can plug in the NI PCMCIA-4350 and NI USB-4350 at any time after the

drivers are installed without powering off the computer.

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