Chapter 1
Introduction
©
National Instruments Corporation
1-3
NI PCI-7342 Hardware User Manual
clockwise (CW) /counter-clockwise (CCW) digital command outputs. All
stepper axes support full, half, and microstepping applications.
Getting Started
The following items are necessary for setting up and getting started with
your motion controller:
❑
PCI-7342 motion controller
❑
A computer with an available PCI slot
❑
One of the following software packages and documentation:
–
LabVIEW
–
LabWindows
™
/CVI
™
–
NI-Motion
❑
NI PCI-7342 Hardware User Manual
❑
NI-Motion Software Reference Manual
Software Programming Choices
The simple but powerful high-level function set application programming
interface (API) makes programming your controller easy. All setup and
motion control functions are easily executed by calling into either a static
or dynamic link library (DLL). These libraries are callable from C, Visual
Basic, and other high-level languages. Full function set implementations
are available for LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, and other
industry-standard software programs.
National Instruments Application Software
LabVIEW is based on the graphical programming language G and features
interactive graphics and a state-of-the-art user interface. In LabVIEW,
you can create 32-bit compiled programs and stand-alone executables
for custom automation, data acquisition, test, measurement, and control
solutions. National Instruments offers the NI-Motion VI Library, a series
of virtual instruments (VIs) for using LabVIEW with the National
Instruments motion control hardware. The NI-Motion VI library
implements the full function set API and a powerful set of demo functions,
example programs, and fully operational, high-level application routines.
