Upgrade and Compatibility Issues
Refer to the readme.html file in the labview directory for known issues, additional compatibility issues, and information about late addition features in LabVIEW 8.5.
Upgrading from LabVIEW 8.2
You might encounter the following compatibility issues when you upgrade to LabVIEW 8.5 from LabVIEW 8.2.
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Note You also can refer to the National Instruments Web site at ni.com/info and enter the info code ex5d8c for more information about additional issues you may encounter upgrading from LabVIEW 8.2.x. |
Platforms Supported
LabVIEW 8.5 includes the following changes in platforms supported:
- LabVIEW 8.5 supports Windows Vista x86 and x64.
- LabVIEW 8.5 supports Macintosh computers with both Intel and PowerPC processors.
System Requirements
(Windows) LabVIEW 8.5 requires at least 1.2 GB of disk space for the LabVIEW installation.
(Mac OS) LabVIEW 8.5 requires at least 502 MB of disk space for the LabVIEW minimum LabVIEW installation or 734 MB disk space for the complete LabVIEW installation.
(Linux) LabVIEW 8.5 requires at least 450 MB of disk space for the minimum LabVIEW installation or 640 MB disk space for the complete LabVIEW installation.
Printed Documentation
The following documents did not change for LabVIEW 8.5. Therefore, the content might not reflect changes made in LabVIEW 8.5.
- (LabVIEW 8.2 and 8.5) LabVIEW Quick Reference Card
- (LabVIEW 8.2 and 8.5) LabVIEW Fundamentals Manual—Because the LabVIEW Fundamentals Manual is a subset of the Fundamentals book in the LabVIEW Help, refer to the Fundamentals book on the Contents tab of the LabVIEW Help for updated content.
Windows Vista Compatibility Issues
LabVIEW 8.5 supports the Windows Vista OS on 32 and 64-bit systems with the following functionality changes.
The In Port and Out Port VIs do not appear on the Functions palette because they allow read/write access to any I/O port on the system, which is discouraged for security reasons on the Vista OS.
- (Windows Vista x86) VI components install properly but show up as unsigned in the Windows Defender log. The VIs do run properly.
- (Windows Vista x64) These VIs return error -4850.
VI and Function Behavior Changes
The behavior of the following VIs and functions changed in LabVIEW 8.5.
Enhancements to Analysis VIs and Functions
In each version of LabVIEW, National Instruments enhances many of the algorithms behind LabVIEW and C functions. National Instruments also upgrades LabVIEW to use the latest compilers. These enhancements, along with changes in computer hardware and software, might cause differences in the numerical results between LabVIEW 8.2.x or earlier and LabVIEW 8.5. When you compare double-precision, floating-point numbers, you might notice small differences on the order of 1E–16. Refer to the National Instruments Web site at ni.com/info and enter the info code exiigr for more information about comparing floating-point numbers.
Mathematics VIs
LabVIEW 8.5 includes changes to the following Mathematics VIs:
- Find All Zeroes of f(x)—This VI was renamed to the Find All Zeros of f(x) VI.
- Zeroes and Extrema of f(x)—This VI was renamed to the Zeros and Extrema of f(x) VI.
Numeric Functions
LabVIEW 8.5 includes changes to the following Numeric functions:
- Round Toward +Infinity—The Round To +Infinity function was renamed the Round Toward +Infinity function.
- Round Toward -Infinity—The Round To -Infinity function was renamed the Round Toward -Infinity function.
Signal Processing VIs
In the Transition Measurements VI, the preshoot output changed to pre-transition. This output also changed from a 64-bit double-precision, floating-point numeric data type to a cluster data type. The overshoot output changed to post-transition. This output also changed from a 64-bit double-precision, floating-point numeric data type to a cluster data type.
Hyperbolic Functions
LabVIEW 8.5 includes changes to the following hyperbolic functions:
- The Inverse Hyperbolic Cosine function returns NaN when the input value is a real number that is out of range for the function.
- The Inverse Hyperbolic Secant function returns NaN when the input value is a real number that is out of range for the function.
Libraries & Executables VIs and Functions
In the Call Library Function Node, when configuring a Pascal string pointer, you must wire a value to the string input on the block diagram. When configuring a C string pointer, you must wire a value to the string input or specify the string size in the Minimum size pull-down menu on the Parameters tab of the Call Library Function dialog box. You cannot run the VI until you specify values for the strings.
Open VI Reference Function
In LabVIEW 8.0.x and 8.2.x, if the name of the VI from the vi path input matches the name of a VI in memory on that target, LabVIEW returns a reference to the VI in memory and LabVIEW does not load the VI specified in the vi path input. In LabVIEW 8.5, if the name of the VI from the vi path input matches the name of a VI in memory on that target but the paths differ, the Open VI Reference function returns an error.
Polymorphic VI Terminals that Support 64-bit and Double-Precision Numeric Data Types
LabVIEW coerces extended-precision numeric data to double-precision numeric data if you wire it to a terminal of a polymorphic VI that supports both the double-precision numeric and 64-bit integer types. This coercion preserves a portion of the fractional component of the original data.
Miscellaneous VI and Function Behavior Changes
LabVIEW 8.5 includes the following miscellaneous VI and function behavior changes:
- The Instr Get Attribute VI and Instr Set Attribute VI no longer ship with LabVIEW. If you use either of these VIs in an application, replace them with the Property Node on the VISA Advanced palette for equivalent functionality.
- The All Folders parameter of the Recursive File List VI can contain folder shortcuts, but the VI does not recurse them.
Property, Method, and Event Behavior Changes
The behavior of the following properties, methods, and events changed in LabVIEW 8.5:
- The Data Binding:Path property of the Control class is read/write and settable when the VI is running. To write this property, you must bind the control to an NI Publish-Subscribe-Protocol URL before you begin writing.
- The Target:CPU property of the Application class includes the value AMD/Intel x64.
- The Target:Operation System property of the Application class includes the values Windows x64 and Linux x64.
- The Point to Row Column method of the TreeControl class returns the tag TREE_COLUMN_HEADERS when you wire a point within the column headers of the tree.
- The LabVIEW Class:Create method includes a name input. If you do not wire the name input, LabVIEW prompts the user to name the class at run time.
- The Control Value:Get [Variant], Control Value:Get [Flattened], Control Value:Set [Variant], and Control Value:Set [Flattened] methods no longer trim leading and trailing whitespace when searching for controls.
Deprecated Properties, Methods, and Events
LabVIEW 8.5 does not support the following properties, methods, and events:
- Default Instance property of the LVClassLibrary class. Use the Get LV Class Default Value VI instead.
- Geometry property of the SceneObject class. Use the Drawable property instead.
- Grid Colors property of the GraphChart class. Use the Grid Colors property instead.
- Grid Colors:X Color property of the GraphChart class. Use the Grid Colors: Major and Grid Colors: Minor properties instead.
- Grid Colors:Y Color property of the GraphChart class. Use the Grid Colors: Major and Grid Colors: Minor properties instead.
- Legend:Plots Shown property of the WaveformChart class. Use the Legend:Number of Rows property instead.
- Legend:Plots Shown property of the WaveformGraph class. Use the Legend:Number of Rows property instead.
- Pixel Width property of the ListBox class. Use the Bounds:Width property instead.
- Scrollbars Visible property of the Picture class. Use the Horizontal Scrollbar Visible and Vertical Scrollbar Visible properties instead.
- Set Geometry method of the SceneObject class. Use the Set Drawable method instead.
- Scene:Geometry:New Mesh method of the Application class. Use the Scene:Drawable:Geometry:New Mesh method instead.
- Drag Starting event of the Control class. Use the Drag Starting event of the appropriate control class instead.
- Drag Starting? event of the Control class. Use the Drag Starting? event of the appropriate control class instead.
Renamed Properties, Methods, and Events
The following properties, methods, and events are renamed in LabVIEW 8.5:
| Class | LabVIEW 8.2 Name | LabVIEW 8.5 Name | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| AbsTime, Numeric | Data Range | Data Entry Limits | Property |
| AbsTime, Numeric | Data Range:Increment | Data Entry Limits:Increment | Property |
| AbsTime, Numeric | Data Range:Maximum | Data Entry Limits:Maximum | Property |
| AbsTime, Numeric | Data Range:Minimum | Data Entry Limits:Minimum | Property |
| AbsTime, Numeric | Out of Range Action | Response to Value Outside Limits | Property |
| AbsTime, Numeric | Out of Range Action:Increment | Response to Value Outside Limits:Increment | Property |
| AbsTime, Numeric | Out of Range Action:Maximum | Response to Value Outside Limits:Maximum | Property |
| AbsTime, Numeric | Out of Range Action:Minimum | Response to Value Outside Limits:Minimum | Property |
| Application | Library:Get Project Library File Version | Library:Get File LabVIEW Version | Method |
| Application | Scene:Geometry:New Box | Scene:Drawable:Geometry:New Box | Method |
| Application | Scene:Geometry:New Cone | Scene:Drawable:Geometry:New Cone | Method |
| Application | Scene:Geometry:New Cylinder | Scene:Drawable:Geometry:New Cylinder | Method |
| Application | Scene:Geometry:New Height Field | Scene:Drawable:Geometry:New Height Field | Method |
| Application | Scene:Geometry:New Mesh | Scene:Drawable:Geometry:New Mesh | Method |
| Application | Scene:Geometry:New Sphere | Scene:Drawable:Geometry:New Sphere | Method |
| Application (ActiveX) | LibraryGetProjectLibFileVersion | LibraryGetFileLVVersion | Method |
| Digital, NumericText, and Scale | Format & Precision | Display Format | Property |
| Digital, NumericText, and Scale | Format & Precision:Format | Display Format:Format | Property |
| Digital, NumericText, and Scale | Format & Precision:Precision | Display Format:Precision | Property |
| DigitalTable | Column Headers Visible | Signal Number Visible | Property |
| DigitalTable | Row Headers Visible | Transitions Visible | Property |
| SceneGraphDisplay and SceneWindow | Clear Color | Background Color | Property |
| SceneObject | Set Geometry | Set Drawable | Method |
| VI | Connector Pane | Connector Pane:Set | Property |
LabVIEW MathScript Behavior Changes (Windows, Not in Base Package)
LabVIEW 8.5 includes the following changes to LabVIEW MathScript:
- Changes you make to the search path list or the working directory using the following MathScript functions apply only to the current instance of the LabVIEW MathScript Window or the MathScript Node from which you call the function:
LabVIEW resets the search path list and the working directory to the default when you close the LabVIEW MathScript Window or when the VI that contains the MathScript Node stops running.
- The syntax for the qz function changed from [q, z, alpha, beta, evec] = qz(a, b) to [S, T, Q, Z, R, L] = qz(A, B, type).
LabVIEW Class Icons
If you created a LabVIEW class icon in LabVIEW 8.2 and you want the icon displayed when you place a class control or indicator on the block diagram, you must update the class icon to occupy a smaller space so that the class mask does not obscure any part of the class icon. Use an image no larger than 32 pixels wide by 19 pixels high.
Opening LLBs in LabVIEW
The Enable Windows Explorer for LLB files option on the Environment page of the Options dialog box no longer exists. LabVIEW opens LLBs in the LLB Manager window. Refer to the National Instruments Web site at ni.com/info and enter the info code exvfc5 for more information about opening LLBs.
Timed Loop Priority Level Restriction
In LabVIEW 8.2.x and earlier, you can select up to 2 to the power of 32 for the priority level of a Timed Loop. LabVIEW 8.5 supports only priority levels less than 65,535.
Waveform Data Type
When indexing beyond the bounds of an array of waveforms, the resulting waveform is a proper default waveform with the dt value equal to 1, instead of an improper waveform with the dt value equal to 0. This also is true when executing a For Loop with a scalar output tunnel zero times.