I C/SPI

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

June 2011
371746C-01
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Important Information
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The NI USB-845x hardware is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of shipment, as
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Compliance

Electromagnetic Compatibility Information

This hardware has been tested and found to comply with the applicable regulatory requirements and limits for electromagnetic
compatibility (EMC) as indicated in the hardware’s Declaration of Conformity (DoC)1. These requirements and limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the hardware is operated in the intended
electromagnetic environment. In special cases, for example when either highly sensitive or noisy hardware is being used in close
proximity, additional mitigation measures may have to be employed to minimize the potential for electromagnetic interference.
While this hardware is compliant with the applicable regulatory EMC requirements, there is no guarantee that interference will
not occur in a particular installation. To minimize the potential for the hardware to cause interference to radio and television
reception or to experience unacceptable performance degradation, install and use this hardware in strict accordance with the
instructions in the hardware documentation and the DoC1.
If this hardware does cause interference with licensed radio communications services or other nearby electronics, which can be
determined by turning the hardware off and on, you are encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the
following measures:
• Reorient the antenna of the receiver (the device suffering interference).
• Relocate the transmitter (the device generating interference) with respect to the receiver.
• Plug the transmitter into a different outlet so that the transmitter and the receiver are on different branch circuits.
Some hardware may require the use of a metal, shielded enclosure (windowless version) to meet the EMC requirements for
special EMC environments such as, for marine use or in heavy industrial areas. Refer to the hardware’s user documentation and
the DoC1 for product installation requirements.
When the hardware is connected to a test object or to test leads, the system may become more sensitive to disturbances or may
cause interference in the local electromagnetic environment.
Operation of this hardware in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference. Users are required to correct the
interference at their own expense or cease operation of the hardware.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by National Instruments could void the user’s right to operate the hardware
under the local regulatory rules.

1 The Declaration of Conformity (DoC) contains important EMC compliance information and instructions for the user or
installer. To obtain the DoC for this product, visit ni.com/certification, search by model number or product line,
and click the appropriate link in the Certification column.
Contents

About This Manual

Conventions ...................................................................................................................xvii

Chapter 1
Introduction
I2C Bus...........................................................................................................................1-1
I2C Terminology..............................................................................................1-1
I2C Bus ............................................................................................................1-2
I2C Arbitration .................................................................................................1-2
I2C Transfers....................................................................................................1-3
I2C Clock Stretching........................................................................................1-4
I2C Extended (10-Bit) Addressing ..................................................................1-4
I2C High Speed Master Code ..........................................................................1-4
I2C vs. SMBus .................................................................................................1-5
SPI Bus ..........................................................................................................................1-6
SPI Terminology .............................................................................................1-6
SPI Bus ............................................................................................................1-7
Clock and Polarity ...........................................................................................1-7
Error Handling.................................................................................................1-8

Chapter 2
Installation
Software Installation ......................................................................................................2-1
Hardware Installation.....................................................................................................2-1

Chapter 3
NI USB-845x Hardware Overview
Overview........................................................................................................................3-1
NI USB-8451 .................................................................................................................3-1
Overview .........................................................................................................3-1
Block Diagram.................................................................................................3-2
Installing Software...........................................................................................3-2
Setting Up Hardware .......................................................................................3-2
NI USB-8451 ....................................................................................3-2
NI USB-8451 OEM ..........................................................................3-3
I/O Connector and Cable .................................................................................3-4
NI USB-8451 ....................................................................................3-4
NI USB-8451 OEM ..........................................................................3-5

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Signal Descriptions ......................................................................................... 3-6

Front-End I/O Interfaces ................................................................................. 3-7
Digital I/O (DIO) .............................................................................. 3-7
SPI Interface ..................................................................................... 3-9
I2C Interface...................................................................................... 3-10
I/O Protection .................................................................................................. 3-10
Power-On States.............................................................................................. 3-11
+5 V Power Source ......................................................................................... 3-11
NI USB-8452................................................................................................................. 3-11
Overview ......................................................................................................... 3-11
Block Diagram ................................................................................................ 3-12
Installing Software .......................................................................................... 3-12
Setting Up Hardware....................................................................................... 3-12
Signal Descriptions ......................................................................................... 3-14
Front-End I/O Interfaces ................................................................................. 3-15
SPI Interface ..................................................................................... 3-15
I2C Interface...................................................................................... 3-17
Digital I/O (DIO) .............................................................................. 3-18
LED Indicators ................................................................................................ 3-19
I/O Protection .................................................................................................. 3-20
Power-On States.............................................................................................. 3-20
Power Sources................................................................................................. 3-20
+5 V Power Source........................................................................... 3-20
Vref I/O Reference Voltage.............................................................. 3-21

Chapter 4
Using the NI-845x API

Chapter 5
Using the NI-845x I2C API
I2C Basic Programming Model ..................................................................................... 5-1
I2C Configure .................................................................................................. 5-2
I2C Write ......................................................................................................... 5-2
I2C Read .......................................................................................................... 5-2
I2C Write Read ................................................................................................ 5-2
2
I C Advanced Programming Model .............................................................................. 5-2
Script: Set I2C Clock Rate............................................................................... 5-4
Script: Pullup Enable ...................................................................................... 5-4
Script: Set I2C High Speed Clock Rate .......................................................... 5-4
Script: Set I2C High Speed Enable ................................................................. 5-4
Script: Issue Start Condition ........................................................................... 5-4
Script: Send High Speed Master Code............................................................ 5-5

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Script: Send Address + Read...........................................................................5-5

Script: Read .....................................................................................................5-5
Script: Send Address + Write ..........................................................................5-5
Script: Write ....................................................................................................5-5
Script: Issue Stop Condition............................................................................5-5
Run Script........................................................................................................5-6
Extract Read Data............................................................................................5-6

Chapter 6
NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW
General Device ..............................................................................................................6-2
NI-845x Close Reference.vi ............................................................................6-2
NI-845x Device Property Node.......................................................................6-4
NI-845x Device Reference ..............................................................................6-7
Configuration .................................................................................................................6-8
NI-845x I2C Configuration Property Node.....................................................6-8
NI-845x I2C Create Configuration Reference.vi ............................................6-12
Basic...............................................................................................................................6-14
NI-845x I2C Read.vi .......................................................................................6-14
NI-845x I2C Write Read.vi .............................................................................6-16
NI-845x I2C Write.vi ......................................................................................6-18
Advanced .......................................................................................................................6-20
NI-845x I2C Create Script Reference.vi .........................................................6-20
NI-845x I2C Extract Script Read Data.vi........................................................6-22
NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi ..............................................................................6-24
NI-845x I2C Script Address+Read.vi .............................................................6-26
NI-845x I2C Script Address+Write.vi ............................................................6-28
NI-845x I2C Script Clock Rate.vi ...................................................................6-30
NI-845x I2C Script Delay.vi ...........................................................................6-32
NI-845x I2C Script DIO Configure Line.vi ....................................................6-34
NI-845x I2C Script DIO Configure Port.vi.....................................................6-36
NI-845x I2C Script DIO Read Line.vi ............................................................6-38
NI-845x I2C Script DIO Read Port.vi.............................................................6-40
NI-845x I2C Script DIO Write Line.vi ...........................................................6-42
NI-845x I2C Script DIO Write Port.vi ............................................................6-44
NI-845x I2C Script Pullup Enable.vi ..............................................................6-46
NI-845x I2C Script HS Enable.vi....................................................................6-48
NI-845x I2C Script HS Master Code.vi ..........................................................6-50
NI-845x I2C Script HS Clock Rate.vi.............................................................6-52
NI-845x I2C Script Issue Start.vi ....................................................................6-54
NI-845x I2C Script Issue Stop.vi ....................................................................6-56
NI-845x I2C Script Read.vi.............................................................................6-58
NI-845x I2C Script Write.vi............................................................................6-60

© National Instruments Corporation vii NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

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Chapter 7
NI-845x I2C API for C
Section Headings ........................................................................................................... 7-1
Purpose............................................................................................................ 7-1
Format ............................................................................................................. 7-1
Inputs and Outputs .......................................................................................... 7-1
Description ...................................................................................................... 7-1
Data Types..................................................................................................................... 7-1
List of Functions............................................................................................................ 7-2
General Device .............................................................................................................. 7-8
ni845xClose .................................................................................................... 7-8
ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle ...................................................................... 7-9
ni845xDeviceLock .......................................................................................... 7-10
ni845xDeviceUnlock ...................................................................................... 7-11
ni845xFindDevice........................................................................................... 7-12
ni845xFindDeviceNext ................................................................................... 7-14
ni845xOpen ..................................................................................................... 7-15
ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel ............................................................................... 7-16
ni845xI2cSetPullupEnable.............................................................................. 7-17
ni845xStatusToString...................................................................................... 7-18
Configuration................................................................................................................. 7-20
ni845xI2cConfigurationClose......................................................................... 7-20
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetAddress ............................................................... 7-21
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetAddressSize ........................................................ 7-22
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetClockRate ........................................................... 7-23
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSClockRate ...................................................... 7-24
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSEnable ............................................................ 7-25
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSMasterCode.................................................... 7-26
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetPort...................................................................... 7-27
ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen ......................................................................... 7-28
ni845xI2cConfigurationSetAddress................................................................ 7-29
ni845xI2cConfigurationSetAddressSize......................................................... 7-30
ni845xI2cConfigurationSetClockRate ............................................................ 7-31
ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSClockRate ....................................................... 7-32
ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSEnable............................................................. 7-33
ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSMasterCode .................................................... 7-34
ni845xI2cConfigurationSetPort ...................................................................... 7-35
Basic .............................................................................................................................. 7-36
ni845xI2cRead ................................................................................................ 7-36
ni845xI2cWrite ............................................................................................... 7-38
ni845xI2cWriteRead ....................................................................................... 7-40

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Advanced .......................................................................................................................7-42
ni845xI2cScriptAddressRead ..........................................................................7-42
ni845xI2cScriptAddressWrite .........................................................................7-43
ni845xI2cScriptClockRate ..............................................................................7-44
ni845xI2cScriptClose ......................................................................................7-45
ni845xI2cScriptDelay......................................................................................7-46
ni845xI2cScriptDioConfigureLine..................................................................7-47
ni845xI2cScriptDioConfigurePort ..................................................................7-48
ni845xI2cScriptDioReadLine..........................................................................7-49
ni845xI2cScriptDioReadPort ..........................................................................7-51
ni845xI2cScriptDioWriteLine.........................................................................7-52
ni845xI2cScriptDioWritePort..........................................................................7-54
ni845xI2cScriptPullupEnable..........................................................................7-55
ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData ....................................................................7-56
ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadDataSize .............................................................7-57
ni845xI2cScriptHSEnable ...............................................................................7-58
ni845xI2cScriptHSMasterCode.......................................................................7-59
ni845xI2cScriptHSClockRate .........................................................................7-60
ni845xI2cScriptIssueStart................................................................................7-61
ni845xI2cScriptIssueStop................................................................................7-62
ni845xI2cScriptOpen.......................................................................................7-63
ni845xI2cScriptRead .......................................................................................7-64
ni845xI2cScriptReset ......................................................................................7-66
ni845xI2cScriptRun.........................................................................................7-67
ni845xI2cScriptWrite ......................................................................................7-68

Chapter 8
Using the NI-845x SPI API
NI-845x SPI Basic Programming Model.......................................................................8-1
SPI Configure ..................................................................................................8-2
SPI Write Read ................................................................................................8-2
SPI Timing Characteristics..............................................................................8-2
NI-845x SPI Advanced Programming Model ...............................................................8-3
Script: Enable SPI............................................................................................8-5
Script: Configure Phase, Polarity, Clock Rate ................................................8-5
Script: Chip Select Low...................................................................................8-5
Script: Write Read ...........................................................................................8-5
Script: Chip Select High..................................................................................8-5
Script: Disable SPI ..........................................................................................8-6
Run Script........................................................................................................8-6
Extract Read Data............................................................................................8-6

© National Instruments Corporation ix NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

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Chapter 9
NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW
General Device .............................................................................................................. 9-2
NI-845x Close Reference.vi............................................................................ 9-2
NI-845x Device Property Node ...................................................................... 9-4
NI-845x Device Reference.............................................................................. 9-7
Configuration................................................................................................................. 9-8
NI-845x SPI Configuration Property Node .................................................... 9-8
NI-845x SPI Create Configuration Reference.vi ............................................ 9-11
Basic .............................................................................................................................. 9-13
NI-845x SPI Write Read.vi ............................................................................. 9-13
Advanced....................................................................................................................... 9-15
NI-845x SPI Create Script Reference.vi ......................................................... 9-15
NI-845x SPI Extract Script Read Data.vi ....................................................... 9-17
NI-845x SPI Run Script.vi .............................................................................. 9-19
NI-845x SPI Script Clock Polarity Phase.vi ................................................... 9-21
NI-845x SPI Script Clock Rate.vi................................................................... 9-23
NI-845x SPI Script CS High.vi....................................................................... 9-25
NI-845x SPI Script CS Low.vi ....................................................................... 9-27
NI-845x SPI Script Delay.vi ........................................................................... 9-29
NI-845x SPI Script DIO Configure Line.vi .................................................... 9-31
NI-845x SPI Script DIO Configure Port.vi..................................................... 9-33
NI-845x SPI Script DIO Read Line.vi ............................................................ 9-35
NI-845x SPI Script DIO Read Port.vi............................................................. 9-37
NI-845x SPI Script DIO Write Line.vi ........................................................... 9-39
NI-845x SPI Script DIO Write Port.vi............................................................ 9-41
NI-845x SPI Script Disable SPI.vi.................................................................. 9-43
NI-845x SPI Script Enable SPI.vi................................................................... 9-45
NI-845x SPI Script Write Read.vi .................................................................. 9-47

Chapter 10
NI-845x SPI API for C
Section Headings ........................................................................................................... 10-1
Purpose............................................................................................................ 10-1
Format ............................................................................................................. 10-1
Inputs and Outputs .......................................................................................... 10-1
Description ...................................................................................................... 10-1
Data Types..................................................................................................................... 10-1
List of Functions............................................................................................................ 10-2
General Device .............................................................................................................. 10-7
ni845xClose .................................................................................................... 10-7
ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle ...................................................................... 10-8

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ni845xDeviceLock ..........................................................................................10-9
ni845xDeviceUnlock.......................................................................................10-10
ni845xFindDevice ...........................................................................................10-11
ni845xFindDeviceNext....................................................................................10-13
ni845xOpen .....................................................................................................10-14
ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel................................................................................10-15
ni845xStatusToString ......................................................................................10-16
Configuration .................................................................................................................10-18
ni845xSpiConfigurationClose .........................................................................10-18
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetChipSelect...........................................................10-19
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockPhase..........................................................10-20
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockPolarity ......................................................10-21
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockRate............................................................10-22
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetPort......................................................................10-23
ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen..........................................................................10-24
ni845xSpiConfigurationSetChipSelect............................................................10-25
ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockPhase ..........................................................10-26
ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockPolarity.......................................................10-27
ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockRate ............................................................10-28
ni845xSpiConfigurationSetPort ......................................................................10-29
Basic...............................................................................................................................10-30
ni845xSpiWriteRead .......................................................................................10-30
Advanced .......................................................................................................................10-32
ni845xSpiScriptClockPolarityPhase................................................................10-32
ni845xSpiScriptClockRate ..............................................................................10-34
ni845xSpiScriptClose ......................................................................................10-35
ni845xSpiScriptCSHigh ..................................................................................10-36
ni845xSpiScriptCSLow...................................................................................10-37
ni845xSpiScriptDelay......................................................................................10-38
ni845xSpiScriptDioConfigureLine..................................................................10-39
ni845xSpiScriptDioConfigurePort ..................................................................10-40
ni845xSpiScriptDioReadLine..........................................................................10-41
ni845xSpiScriptDioReadPort ..........................................................................10-43
ni845xSpiScriptDioWriteLine.........................................................................10-44
ni845xSpiScriptDioWritePort .........................................................................10-46
ni845xSpiScriptDisableSPI .............................................................................10-47
ni845xSpiScriptEnableSPI ..............................................................................10-48
ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData....................................................................10-49
ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadDataSize.............................................................10-50
ni845xSpiScriptOpen ......................................................................................10-51
ni845xSpiScriptReset ......................................................................................10-52
ni845xSpiScriptRun ........................................................................................10-53
ni845xSpiScriptWriteRead..............................................................................10-54

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Chapter 11
Using the NI-845x SPI
Stream API
NI-845x SPI Stream Programming Model .................................................................... 11-1
SPI Stream Configure ..................................................................................... 11-2
SPI Stream Start .............................................................................................. 11-2
SPI Stream Read ............................................................................................. 11-2
SPI Stream Stop .............................................................................................. 11-2
Waveform 1 ................................................................................................................... 11-3
Extra SPI Pin Descriptions ............................................................................................ 11-4
CONV ............................................................................................................. 11-4
DRDY ............................................................................................................. 11-4
Chip Select ...................................................................................................... 11-4

Chapter 12
NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW
General Device .............................................................................................................. 12-2
NI-845x Close Reference.vi............................................................................ 12-2
NI-845x Device Property Node ...................................................................... 12-4
NI-845x Device Reference.............................................................................. 12-7
Configuration................................................................................................................. 12-8
NI-845x SPI Stream Configuration Property Node ........................................ 12-8
NI-845x SPI Stream Create Configuration Reference.vi................................ 12-16
Basic .............................................................................................................................. 12-18
NI-845x SPI Stream Read.vi........................................................................... 12-18
NI-845x SPI Stream Start.vi ........................................................................... 12-20
NI-845x SPI Stream Stop.vi............................................................................ 12-22

Chapter 13
NI-845x SPI Stream API for C
Section Headings ........................................................................................................... 13-1
Purpose............................................................................................................ 13-1
Format ............................................................................................................. 13-1
Inputs and Outputs .......................................................................................... 13-1
Description ...................................................................................................... 13-1
Data Types..................................................................................................................... 13-1
List of Functions............................................................................................................ 13-2
General Device .............................................................................................................. 13-5
ni845xClose .................................................................................................... 13-5
ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle ...................................................................... 13-6
ni845xDeviceLock .......................................................................................... 13-7

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ni845xDeviceUnlock.......................................................................................13-8
ni845xFindDevice ...........................................................................................13-9
ni845xFindDeviceNext....................................................................................13-11
ni845xOpen .....................................................................................................13-12
ni845xStatusToString ......................................................................................13-13
SPI Stream Configuration ..............................................................................................13-15
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationClose..............................................................13-15
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen ..............................................................13-16
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetNumBits...................................................13-17
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetNumSamples............................................13-18
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetPacketSize................................................13-19
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetClockPhase ..............................................13-20
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1GetPinConfig .....................................13-21
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetClockPolarity...........................................13-22
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1GetTimingParam................................13-23
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetMosiData.......................................13-25
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetNumBits ...................................................13-26
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetNumSamples ............................................13-27
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetPacketSize ................................................13-28
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetClockPhase...............................................13-29
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetPinConfig ......................................13-30
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetClockPolarity............................................13-31
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetTimingParam ................................13-32
SPI Stream API ..............................................................................................................13-34
ni845xSpiStreamRead .....................................................................................13-34
ni845xSpiStreamStart......................................................................................13-36
ni845xSpiStreamStop ......................................................................................13-37

Chapter 14
Using the NI-845x DIO API
NI-845x DIO Basic Programming Model .....................................................................14-1
DIO Port Configure .........................................................................................14-2
DIO Port Write ................................................................................................14-2
DIO Port Read .................................................................................................14-2
DIO Line Write................................................................................................14-2
DIO Line Read ................................................................................................14-2

© National Instruments Corporation xiii NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Contents

Chapter 15
NI-845x DIO API for LabVIEW
General Device .............................................................................................................. 15-2
NI-845x Close Reference.vi............................................................................ 15-2
NI-845x Device Property Node ...................................................................... 15-4
NI-845x Device Reference.............................................................................. 15-7
Basic .............................................................................................................................. 15-8
NI-845x DIO Read Line.vi ............................................................................. 15-8
NI-845x DIO Read Port.vi .............................................................................. 15-10
NI-845x DIO Write Line.vi ............................................................................ 15-12
NI-845x DIO Write Port.vi ............................................................................. 15-14

Chapter 16
NI-845x DIO API for C
Section Headings ........................................................................................................... 16-1
Purpose............................................................................................................ 16-1
Format ............................................................................................................. 16-1
Inputs and Outputs .......................................................................................... 16-1
Description ...................................................................................................... 16-1
Data Types..................................................................................................................... 16-1
List of Functions............................................................................................................ 16-2
General Device .............................................................................................................. 16-4
ni845xClose .................................................................................................... 16-4
ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle ...................................................................... 16-5
ni845xDeviceLock .......................................................................................... 16-6
ni845xDeviceUnlock ...................................................................................... 16-7
ni845xFindDevice........................................................................................... 16-8
ni845xFindDeviceNext ................................................................................... 16-10
ni845xOpen ..................................................................................................... 16-11
ni845xStatusToString...................................................................................... 16-12
Basic .............................................................................................................................. 16-14
ni845xDioReadLine ........................................................................................ 16-14
ni845xDioReadPort......................................................................................... 16-16
ni845xDioSetPortLineDirectionMap .............................................................. 16-17
ni845xDioSetDriverType................................................................................ 16-18
ni845xDioWriteLine ....................................................................................... 16-19
ni845xDioWritePort........................................................................................ 16-20
ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel ............................................................................... 16-21

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual xiv ni.com

 Contents

Appendix A
NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications

Appendix B
Technical Support and Professional Services

Glossary

Index

© National Instruments Corporation xv NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

About This Manual

This manual explains how to use the NI-845x software. It contains

installation and configuration information, function reference for a
LabVIEW or C-based API, and a USB-845x hardware overview and
specifications.

Use this manual to learn the basics of I2C and SPI communication with
NI-845x, as well as how to develop an application.

Conventions
The following conventions are used in this manual:

» The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options
to a final action. The sequence Options»Settings»General directs you to
pull down the Options menu, select the Settings item, and select General
from the last dialog box.

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 a
product, refer to the Safety section in Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware
Specifications, for information about 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. Italic text 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,
programs, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions, operations,
variables, filenames, and extensions.

© National Instruments Corporation xvii NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Introduction
1
This chapter introduces the Inter-IC (I2C) and Serial Peripheral Interface
(SPI) buses.

I2C Bus
NXP (formerly Philips Semiconductors) developed the I2C bus in the early
1980s to connect a CPU to peripheral chips in televisions. I2C is also used
to communicate with temperature sensors, EEPROMs, LCD displays, and
other embedded peripheral devices.

I2C Terminology
This manual uses the following I2C bus terms:

I 2C Inter-IC.

SMBus System Management Bus.

Transmitter Device transmitting data on the bus.

Receiver Device receiving data from the bus.

Master Device that can initiate and terminate a

transfer on the bus. The master is
responsible for generating the clock
(SCL) signal.

Master Code Unique 3-bit code designated to each

High Speed master to identify the master
initiating a High Speed operation and
arbitrate the I2C bus.

Slave Device addressed by the master.

Multimaster The ability for more than one master to

co-exist on the bus concurrently without
data loss.

© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 1 Introduction

Arbitration The procedure to allow multiple masters

to determine which single master controls
the bus for a particular transfer time.

Synchronization The defined procedure to allow the clock

signals provided by two or more masters
to be synchronized.

SDA Serial DAta (data signal line).

SCL Serial CLock (clock signal line).

I2C Bus
The I2C bus is a two-wire half-duplex serial interface. The two wires, SDA
and SCL, are both bidirectional. The I2C specification version 3.0 defines
four speed categories: Standard mode at up to 100 kbits/s, Fast mode at up
to 400 kbits/s, Fast mode Plus at up to 1 Mbits/s, and High Speed mode at
up to 3.4 Mbits/s.

Each device connected to the I2C bus has a unique 7-bit I2C address to
facilitate identification and communication by the master. Typically, the
upper four bits are fixed and assigned to specific categories of devices
(for example, 1010 is assigned to serial EEPROMs). The three lower bits
are programmable through hardware address pins, allowing up to eight
devices of the same type to be connected to a single I2C bus.

Each device on the bus (both master and slave) can be a receiver and/or
transmitter. For example, an LCD is typically only a receiver, while an
EEPROM is both a transmitter and receiver.

The I2C is a multimaster bus, meaning that multiple masters can be

connected to the bus at the same time. While a master is initiating a transfer
on the bus, all other devices, including other masters, are acting like slaves.
However, if another master is trying to control the bus at the same time, I2C
defines an arbitration mechanism to determine which master gets control of
the bus.

I2C Arbitration
When two masters are trying to control the bus simultaneously, or if a
second master joins the bus in the middle of a transfer and wants to control
the bus, the I2C bus has an arbitration scheme to guarantee no data
corruption.

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 Chapter 1 Introduction

With I2C, a line (both SDA and SCL) is either driven low or allowed to be
pulled high. When a master changes a line state to high, it must sample the
line afterwards to make sure it really has been pulled high. If the master
samples the SDA bus after setting it high, and the sample shows that the line
is low, it knows another master is driving it low. The master assumes it has
lost arbitration and waits until it detects a stop condition before making
another attempt to start transmitting.

When in High Speed mode, arbitration occurs only during the master code
transfer. Each master code must be unique on the I2C bus so the arbitration
is finalized once the entire master code has been transferred.

I2C Transfers

Occurs n-1 times

(where n is the number of bytes to transfer)

SCL:
SDA: STA A6 A5 A4 A3 A2 A1 A0 R/W ACK D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1 D0 ACK D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1 D0 NAK STP

Figure 1-1. I2C Transfers

To initiate a transfer, the master issues a start condition by changing the

SDA line level from high to low while keeping the SCL clock line high.
When this occurs, the bus is considered busy, and all devices on the bus get
ready to listen for incoming data.

Next, the master sends the 7-bit address and 1-bit data transfer direction on
the bus to configure for the appropriate data transfer. All slaves compare the
address with their own address. If the address matches, the slave produces
an acknowledge signal.

If the master detects an acknowledge signal, it starts transmitting or

receiving data. To transmit data to a device, the master places the first bit
onto the SDA line and generates a clock pulse to transmit the bit across the
bus to the slave. To receive data from a device, the master releases the SDA
line, allowing the slave to take control of it. The master generates a clock
pulse on the SCL line for each bit, reading the data while the SCL line is
high. The device is not allowed to change the SDA line state while the SCL
line is high.

After the data transmission, the master issues the stop condition by
changing the SDA line from low to high while keeping the SCL clock line

© National Instruments Corporation 1-3 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 1 Introduction

high. When this occurs, the bus is considered free again for another master
to initiate a data transfer.

For High Speed mode, the transfer is initiated with a start condition
followed by a master code transmitted at a non-High Speed clock rate.
Because master codes are unique on the I2C bus, the master code never
should be followed by an acknowledge signal. Once the master code has
been transmitted, a restart condition is transmitted followed by the control
byte and data transmitted at a High Speed clock rate.

I2C Clock Stretching

Because the master controls the clock, the I2C specification provides a
mechanism to allow the slave to slow down the bus traffic when it is not
ready. This mechanism is known as clock stretching. When not in High
Speed mode, a slave may additionally hold down SCL to prevent it from
rising high again to slow down the SCL clock rate or pause I2C
communication during any SCL low phase. When in High Speed mode,
SCL may be stretched only after the reception and acknowledgement of a
byte.

When the master attempts to make SCL high to complete the current clock
pulse, it must verify that it has really gone high. If it is still low, it knows a
slave is holding it low and must wait until it goes high before continuing.

I2C Extended (10-Bit) Addressing

Typical I2C devices use a 7-bit addressing scheme. I2C also defines a 10-bit
addressing scheme that allows up to 1024 additional addresses to be
connected to the I2C bus. This 10-bit addressing scheme does not affect the
existing 7-bit addressing, allowing both 7-bit and 10-bit addressed devices
to share the bus. A device that supports 10-bit addressing receives the
address across two bytes. The first byte consists of the NXP-designated
10-bit slave address group (11110), the 2 MSBs of the device address, and
the Read/Write bit. The next data byte sent across the bus contains the eight
LSBs of the address.

I2C High Speed Master Code

For High Speed mode, the NXP specification defines a master code
transferred in Standard, Fast, or Fast mode Plus to arbitrate the I2C bus. All
High Speed masters must have a master code defined, and all master codes
must be unique on the bus. The master code consists of the NXP-designated

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 Chapter 1 Introduction

master code address group (00001), then the three master code bits. This
allows up to eight High Speed masters to be connected to the High Speed
I2C bus; however, the NXP I2C specification describes master code 0 as
reserved for test and diagnostic purposes.

I2C vs. SMBus

Intel defined the System Management Bus (SMBus) in 1995. This bus is
used primarily in personal computers and servers for low-speed system
management communications.

The I2C bus and SMBus are very similar; at frequencies at or below
100 kHz, they tend to be interchangeable. However, the following sections
describe some important differences.

Timeout and Clock Rates

I2C has no minimum clock rate, and as such there is no minimum clock
frequency duration. However, SMBus does not allow the clock to be slower
than 10 kHz; a device will reset if the clock remains low for more than
35 ms.

I2C allows clock rates of 100 kHz, 400 kHz, 1 MHz, and 3.4 MHz, whereas
SMBus is limited to a maximum clock rate of 100 kHz.

Logic Levels
Logic high is defined on I2C as 0.7 * VDD. On SMBus, logic high is defined
as 2.1 V.

Logic low is defined on I2C as 0.3 * VDD. On SMBus, logic low is defined
as 0.8 V.

Current Levels
The sink current also varies between I2C and SMBus. In I2C, the maximum
is 3 mA for Standard and High Speed mode. For Fast mode, the maximum
sink current is 6 mA, and Fast mode Plus allows 20 mA. SMBus has a
maximum of 350 µA. This determines the lowest acceptable value of the
pull-up resistor. At 3 V in Standard mode, an I2C bus should have a pull-up
of > 1 k; SMBus should have a pull-up of > 8.5 k. However, many
SMBus systems violate this rule; a common range for both SMBus and I2C
tends to be in the 2.4–3.9 k range, but may vary significantly for various
speeds and bus capacitance ranges.

© National Instruments Corporation 1-5 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 1 Introduction

For more information about I2C current limitations and pullup resistor
selection, refer to the NXP I2C specification.

Throughout this document, we will refer to the bus as an I2C bus. For
information about compatibility of your NI 845x device with SMBus,
refer to Chapter 3, NI USB-845x Hardware Overview.

SPI Bus
The SPI bus is a de facto standard originated by Motorola and is used to
communicate with devices such as EEPROMs, real-time clocks, converters
(ADC and DAC), and sensors. Implementations may vary, as SPI does not
have a formal specification.

SPI Terminology
This manual uses the following SPI bus terms:

CLK CLocK. The clock is generated by the master device

and controls when data is sent and read.

MOSI Master Output, Slave Input. The MOSI line carries

data from the master to the slave.

MISO Master Input, Slave Output. The MISO carries data

from the slave to the master.

CS or SS Chip Select or Slave Select. Connection from the

master to a slave that signals the slave to listen for
SPI clock and data signals.

CPOL Clock POLarity. The polarity indicating whether the

clock makes positive or negative pulses.

CPHA Clock PHAse. This controls the positioning of the

data bits relative to the clock edges.

Shift Register A shift register is connected to the MOSI and MISO

lines. As data is read from the input, it is placed into
the shift register. Data from the shift register is
placed into the output, creating a full-duplex
communication loop.

Master The master device provides the clock signal and

determines the chip select line state.

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 Chapter 1 Introduction

Slave The slave device receives the clock and chip select
from the master. The maximum number of slaves is
dependent on the number of available chip select
lines.

SPI Bus
The SPI bus is a four-wire, full-duplex serial interface. Three of the wires,
SCK, MOSI, and MISO, are shared along with a fourth wire, known as the
chip select, which is a direction connection between the master and a single
slave.

Communication across SPI uses a system known as data exchange.

Whenever a bit is written to an SPI device across the MOSI lines, the SPI
device concurrently returns a bit on the MISO line. Because data is
transferred in both directions, it is up to the receiving device to know
whether the received by is meaningful or not. For example, to receive data
from an EEPROM, the master must configure the EEPROM to send n bytes
of data and then must send n bytes to be exchanged for valid data. These
bytes can usually be any value, and writing them serves only to clock the
data out of the receiving device.

Clock and Polarity

Parameters called clock polarity (CPOL) and clock phase (CPHA)
determine the clock idle state and the edge of the clock signal when the data
is driven and sampled. These parameters are sometimes expressed as
four modes, as shown in Table 1-1.

Table 1-1. SPI Modes

SPI Mode Polarity Phase

0 0 0
1 0 1
2 1 0
3 1 1

When the polarity is 0, the clock idles low. When the polarity is 1, the clock
idles high. When the phase is 0, data is latched at the clock transition from
idle to asserted. When the phase is 1, the data is latched at the clock
transition from asserted to idle. Figure 1-2 shows how the four SPI modes
affect the clock and sample times.

© National Instruments Corporation 1-7 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 1 Introduction

CPHA = 0 CPHA = 1

Sample Sample

CPOL = 0

CPOL = 1

Sample Sample

Figure 1-2. SPI Polarity Phase Differences

Error Handling
Unlike I2C, SPI has no acknowledgement mechanism or flow control. This
prevents the SPI master from knowing whether a slave received a data byte
correctly or even whether it is connected to the bus.

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Installation
2
This chapter explains how to install the NI-845x software and hardware.

Software Installation
This section discusses installing the NI-845x software on Microsoft
Windows.

Note You need administrator privileges to install the NI-845x software on your computer.

1. Insert the NI-845x Software CD into your CD-ROM drive. The

installer launches if your CD-ROM drive plays data CDs
automatically. If the installer does not launch automatically, navigate
to the CD using Windows Explorer and launch the autorun.exe file
from your NI-845x Software CD.
2. The Installation Wizard guides you through the necessary steps to
install the NI-845x software. You can go back and change values where
appropriate by clicking the Back button. You can exit the setup where
appropriate by clicking Cancel.
3. When installation is complete, select Finish.

Hardware Installation
Step 1: Unpack the Devices, Accessories, and Cables
Your device ships in an antistatic package to prevent electrostatic discharge
(ESD) damage to the device. ESD can damage several components on the
device.

To avoid such damage, take the following precautions:

• Ground yourself using a grounding strap or by touching a grounded
object.
• Touch the antistatic package to a metal part of the computer chassis
before removing the device from the package.

© National Instruments Corporation 2-1 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 2 Installation

Remove the device from the package and inspect the device for loose
components or any sign of damage. Notify National Instruments if the
device appears damaged in any way. Do not install a damaged device into
your computer or PXI chassis.

Store the device in the antistatic package when the device is not in use.

For safety and compliance information, refer to the device documentation

packaged with your device.

Step 2: Install the Devices, Accessories, and Cables

Complete the following steps to install an NI USB device:
1. Connect the USB cable from the computer USB port or from any other
hub that provides USB power to the USB port on the device. The
following figure shows the USB cable and its connectors.

1
2

1 Host/Hub/PC USB Port 2 NI USB Device USB Port

2. Power on your computer or PXI chassis. On some Windows systems,

the Found New Hardware wizard opens with a dialog box for every
device installed. Click Next or Yes to install the software for each
device.
3. Install accessories and/or terminal blocks according to the instructions
in their user guides.

Step 3: Confirm that Your Device Is Recognized

To verify that the USB device is recognized, complete the following steps:
1. Double-click the Measurement & Automation icon on the desktop to
open Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX).
2. Expand Devices and Interfaces.
3. Verify that the device appears under USB Devices. If the device does
not appear, press <F5> to refresh the view in MAX. If the device is still
not recognized, refer to ni.com.support/install for
troubleshooting information.

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NI USB-845x Hardware
3
Overview

Overview
NI USB-845x modules are USB 2.0 devices that provide I2C and SPI
connectivity along with general-purpose DIO lines.

NI USB-8451
Overview
The NI USB-8451 is a full-speed USB 2.0 device that provides I2C (up to
250 KHz) and SPI (up to 12 MHz) connectivity, along with eight SPI chip
select lines and eight general-purpose DIO lines.

The NI USB-8451 is available in an enclosure and as a board-only version.

In this manual, the enclosure version is referred to as the NI USB-8451, and
the board-only version is referred to as the NI USB-8451 OEM. Unless
otherwise noted, all information in this manual applies to both the
NI USB-8451 and NI USB-8451 OEM.

© National Instruments Corporation 3-1 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

Block Diagram

Short Circuit Protection

Current Limiting Circuit
VBus

Full-Speed USB Interface

Terminal Block
I2C

USB USB Microcontroller SPI

P0.<0..7>

Figure 3-1. NI USB-8451 Block Diagram

Installing Software
Install the software provided with the NI USB-8451 or NI USB-8451 OEM
module. Refer to the NI-845x Software and Hardware Installation Guide
for more information.

Setting Up Hardware
NI USB-8451
Complete the following steps to set up the hardware:
1. Install the combicon screw terminal blocks by inserting them into the
combicon jacks.

Note The NI USB-8451 kit ships with signal labels. You can apply the signal labels to the
screw terminal blocks for easy signal identification.

2. Refer to Table 3-1 and Figure 3-2 for label orientation and affix the
provided signal labels to the screw terminal blocks. Until the signal
labels are applied, you can insert the screw terminal blocks into either
combicon jack.

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 Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

3 4

1 Overlay Label with Pin Orientation Guides 3 Screw Terminal Blocks

2 Combicon Jack 4 Signal Labels

Figure 3-2. Signal Label Application Diagram

Note Once you label the screw terminal blocks, you must insert them into only the
matching combicon jacks, as the overlay label on the NI USB-8451 device indicates.

3. Connect the wiring to the appropriate screw terminals.

NI USB-8451 OEM
The NI USB-8451 OEM board has a USB Series B-type receptacle for
connection to the host machine. For the front-end I/O, the board has a
34-pin IDC ribbon cable header. Use any 34-pin female IDC (ribbon) cable
to access the I/O.

© National Instruments Corporation 3-3 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

I/O Connector and Cable

NI USB-8451
The NI USB-8451 ships with two detachable terminal blocks for digital
signals. The individual terminals accept 16 AWG to 28 AWG wire.

Table 3-1 lists the digital terminal assignments.

Table 3-1. Digital Terminal Assignments

Module Terminal Signal Module Terminal Signal

1 GND 17 P0.0
2 +5 V 18 P0.1
3 SPI CS 7 19 P0.2
4 SPI CS 6 20 P0.3
5 SPI CS 5 21 P0.4
6 NC 22 P0.5
7 GND 23 P0.6
8 GND 24 P0.7
9 SPI CS 4 25 GND
10 SPI CS 3 26 GND
11 SPI CS 2 27 NC
12 SPI CS 1 28 NC
13 SPI CS 0 29 I2C SDA
14 SPI MOSI 30 I2C SCL
(SDO)
15 SPI MISO 31 +5 V
(SDI)
16 SPI CLK 32 GND
(SCLK)

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 Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

NI USB-8451 OEM
Use any 34-pin female IDC (ribbon) cable to connect to the IDC connector
on the NI USB-8451 OEM.

Table 3-2 lists the pin assignments and signal names for the IDC connector.

Table 3-2. Pin Assignments

Signal Pin Connector Pin Signal

NC 1 2 GND
NC 3 4 SCLK
SDA 5 6 GND
SCL 7 8 MISO
NC 9 Pin 1 Pin 2 10 GND
CS5 11 12 MOSI
CS6 13 14 GND
CS7 15 16 CS0
P0.0 17 18 GND
P0.1 19 20 CS1
P0.2 21 22 GND
P0.3 23 24 CS2
P0.4 25 Pin 33 Pin 34 26 GND
P0.5 27 28 CS3
P0.6 29 30 GND
P0.7 31 32 CS4
+5V 33 34 +5V

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Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

Signal Descriptions
Table 3-3 describes the signals available on the I/O connectors.

Table 3-3. Signal Descriptions

Signal Name Direction Description

SPI CS <0..7> Output Chip Select Signals—Outputs used to select the desired
SPI peripheral device.
SPI MOSI (SDO) Output Master Output Slave Input—SPI communication
signal to slave device.
SPI MISO (SDI) Input Master Input Slave Output—SPI communication
signal from slave device.
SPI CLK (SCLK) Output SPI Clock—SPI output clock signal to slave devices
capable of clock rates up to 12 MHz.
I2C SDA Open-drain I2C Serial Data—Data signal for I2C communication.
I2C SCL Open-drain I2C Clock—I2C clock signal to slave devices capable of
clock rates up to 250 kHz.
P0.<0..7> Input or Digital I/O Signals—You can individually configure
output each signal as an input or output. You can configure the
port for open-drain or push-pull output.1
+5 V Output +5 V—The voltage source provided by the USB host.
The voltage is nominally 5 V, but varies from system to
system.
GND — Ground—The reference for the digital signals and the
+5 VDC supply.
NC — No Connect—Do not connect any signals to this
terminal.
1 If you configure the DIO port for open-drain output, you must supply pull-up resistors to V
cc (3.3 or 5 V). The resistor value
must not be lower than 1 k.

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 Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

Front-End I/O Interfaces

Digital I/O (DIO)
The NI USB-8451 (and NI USB-8451 OEM) has eight single-ended digital
lines, P0.<0..7>.

You can program each DIO line individually as a static DI or DO line. You
can use static DIO lines to monitor or control digital signals. All samples
of static DI lines and updates of DO lines are software timed.

The default configuration of the DIO port is push-pull, allowing 3.3 V

operations. To achieve 5 V operation, change the output driver type to
open-drain and add an external pull-up resistor (Rp), as shown in
Figure 3-3. Do not use a pull-up resistor of less than 1 k.

USB-8451 DIO Box

Short Circuit Protection
Current Limiting Circuit
+5 V VBus

Rp
External
Pull-Up
Resistor P0.0 Port Pad

Rl
Load

A GND

Figure 3-3. Example of Connecting External User-Provided Resistor

© National Instruments Corporation 3-7 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

Figure 3-4 shows P0.<0..7> connected to example signals configured as

digital inputs and digital outputs. Refer to Figure 3-4 for some common
examples of connections of DIO lines with standard circuits.

+5 V
1
LED

P0.0
P0.1
P0.2
2 P0.3
P0.4
+5 V TTL Signal P0.5
3 P0.6
P0.7

Switch

GND
I/O Connector

1 P0.0 Configured as an Open-Drain Digital Output Driving an LED

2 P0.4 Configured as a Digital Input Receiving a TTL Signal from a Gated Invertor
3 P0.7 Configured as a Digital Input Receiving a 0 V or 5 V Signal from a Switch

Figure 3-4. Example of Connecting a Load

Caution Exceeding the maximum input voltage ratings or maximum output ratings, which
are listed in Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, can damage the USB
device and the computer. National Instruments is not liable for any damage resulting from
such signal connections.

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 Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

SPI Interface
Figure 3-5 shows a typical SPI interface to three peripherals. All devices
share the SPI MISO, SPI MOSI, and SPI CLK signals. Each peripheral has
its own CS signal for addressing it.

USB-8451

CS 0
Slave 0 CS 1
CS 2
CS CS 3
MISO CS 4
MOSI CS 5
CLK CS 6
CS 7

Slave 1
SPI MOSI
(SDO)
CS
SPI MISO
MISO
(SDI)
MOSI
SPI CLK
CLK (SCLK)

Slave 2
GND
CS
MISO
MOSI
CLK

Figure 3-5. SPI Interface to Three Peripherals

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Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

I2C Interface
Figure 3-6 shows a typical I2C interface to two peripherals. All devices on
the I2C bus share the SDA and SCL signals. SDA and SCL must be pulled
up externally. Refer to the I2C specification to select the correct resistor
values for your bus.

VDD VDD

USB-8451

SDA
Slave 0
SCL
SDA

SCL

GND GND

Slave 1

SDA

SCL

GND

Figure 3-6. I2C Interface to Two Peripherals

I/O Protection
Each DIO, SPI, and SPI CS signal is protected against overvoltage,
undervoltage, and overcurrent conditions, as well as ESD events. However,
you should avoid these fault conditions by following these guidelines:
• If you configure a line as an output, do not connect it to any external
signal source, ground signal, or power supply.
• If you configure a line as an output, understand the current
requirements of the load connected to these signals. Do not exceed the
specified current output limits of the module.

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 Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

• If you configure a line as an input, do not drive the line with voltages
outside its normal operating range.
• Treat the module as you would treat any static-sensitive device.
Always properly ground yourself and the equipment when handling
the USB device or connecting to it.

Caution Take special care with respect to the I2C SDA and SCL lines. To allow for external
pull-ups, the circuit protection has been removed. Do not exceed the specified voltages for
these signals.

Power-On States
At system startup and reset, the hardware sets all DIO lines to
high-impedance inputs. The module does not drive any of the signals high
or low.

+5 V Power Source
The NI USB-8451 (and NI USB-8451 OEM) supplies a nominal 5 V from
two pins, one on each screw terminal block. The USB host provides the
voltage source. The voltage is nominally 5 V, but varies from system to
system. Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for
more information about USB bus power specifications. You can use this
source to power external components.

Note While the device is in USB suspend, the output is disabled.

Caution When using the 5 V source, understand the current requirements of the load
connected. Do not exceed the specified current USB Vbus output limits.

NI USB-8452
Overview
The NI USB-8452 is a high-speed USB device featuring both I2C (up to
3.3 MHz) and SPI (up to 50 MHz) connectivity along with eight chip select
lines and eight general-purpose DIO lines. The NI USB-8452 has a
programmable reference voltage to allow communication using I2C, SPI,
and DIO at multiple logic levels.

The NI USB-8452 is available in a board-only packaging only. In this

manual, it is referred to as the NI USB-8452 OEM.

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Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

Block Diagram
The block diagram in Figure 3-7 shows key NI USB-8452 OEM module
functional components.

Short Circuit Protection

Current Limiting Circuit
VBus Programmable Vref
High-Speed USB Interface

Voltage Vref

Terminal Block
I2C I2C

USB Level
USB FPGA SPI SPI
Controller Shifter

DIO/CS DIO/CS

Figure 3-7. NI USB-8452 OEM Block Diagram

The NI USB-8452 OEM is a USB 2.0 high-speed, high-power device with

a maximum theoretical transfer rate of 480 Mb/s. Using a high-speed
FPGA-based architecture, the NI USB-8452 OEM supports SPI data
acquisition up to 50 MHz and I2C communication up to 3.3 MHz. The
programmable reference voltage covers popular logic families from 1.2 V
to 3.3 V, which makes the NI USB-8452 OEM versatile for most SPI/I2C
tests and verifications.

Refer to Safety in Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for

important safety information.

Installing Software
Install the software provided with the NI USB-8452 OEM. Refer to the
NI-845x Software and Hardware Installation Guide for more information.

Setting Up Hardware
Complete the following steps to set up the hardware:
1. Attach a suitable cable to the IDE-40 connector (pin 20 is left out on
purpose) on the NI USB-8452 OEM module.

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 Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

Note You can use a standard 40-pin IDE (ribbon) cable to access the front-end I/O pins
(SPI, I2C, and digital I/O) of the NI USB-8452 OEM module.

2. Connect the other end of the cable to your board. Refer to Figure 3-8
for the IDE connector pinout. Refer to Signal Descriptions for more
information about the signals. Connect the ground pins next to the
functional pins for better signal integrity.

1 2

Vref GND
GND SPI_SCLK
I2C_SDA GND
GND SPI_MISO
I2C_SCL GND
GND SPI_MOSI
DIO(0) GND
GND CS(0)
DIO(1) GND
DIO(2) NA
GND CS(1)
DIO(3) GND
GND CS(2)
DIO(4) GND
GND CS(3)
DIO(5) CS(4)
DIO(6) CS(5)
DIO(7) CS(6)
GND CS(7)
GND +5V
39 40

Figure 3-8. IDE-40 Connector Pin Assignments

3. The USB-8452 OEM board has a USB series B-type receptacle for
connection to the host machine. Use a suitable cable to plug in the USB
series B-type receptacle.

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Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

Signal Descriptions
Table 3-4 describes the signals available on the I/O connectors.

Table 3-4. Signal Descriptions

Signal Name Direction Description

SPI_SCLK Output SPI Clock—SPI output clock signal to slave devices capable
of clock rates up to 50 MHz.
SPI_MOSI Output Master Output Slave Input—SPI communication signal to
slave device.
SPI_MISO Input Master Input Slave Output—SPI communication signal
from slave device.
CS<0..7>1 Output Chip Select Signals—Outputs used to select the desired SPI
peripheral device.
DIO<0..7> 2 Input or Digital I/O Ports—You can individually configure each signal
Output as an input or push-pull output.
I2C_SCL Open-drain3 I2C Clock—I2C clock signal to slave devices, capable of clock
rates up to 3.3 MHz.
I2C_SDA Open-drain3 I2C Serial Data—Data signal for I2C communication.
+5V Output +5 V—Fixed 5 V output with ±5% tolerance, with a maximum
output drive capability of 20 mA.
Vref Output Vref—User programmable I2C/SPI/DIO reference voltage
output. Used for internal and external voltage reference.
Maximum output drive capability of 20 mA.
GND — Ground—Ground reference for all IO interfaces and +5 V,
Vref voltage references.
NA — Not available.
1 Youcan configure CS(0) as hardware-timed chip-select, which has a fixed timing relationship to SPI signal lines. Refer to
Chapter 11, Using the NI-845x SPI Stream API, for details.
2 Some of these pins have special functionality in SPI stream mode. Refer to Chapter 11, Using the NI-845x SPI Stream API,
for details.
3 You can enable or disable onboard pull-up resistors. You must enable these for Vref  1.8 V for the FPGA to properly
detect a low-to-high transition. Refer to Chapter 5, Using the NI-845x I2C API, for more information about enabling pull-ups
on the I2C lines.

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 Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

Front-End I/O Interfaces

Caution Exceeding the maximum input voltage ratings or maximum output ratings, which
are listed in Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, can damage the USB
device and the computer. National Instruments is not liable for any damage resulting from
such signal connections.

SPI Interface
The NI USB-8452 OEM SPI master interface supports clock rates up to
50 MHz and can be divided down to support lower rates. Meanwhile, you
also can switch voltage levels by configuring the programmable voltage
regulator on board. The NI USB-8452 OEM supports logic families of
1.2 V, 1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V, and 3.3 V.

Figure 3-9 shows a typical SPI interface to three peripherals. All devices
share the SPI MISO, SPI MOSI, and SPI CLK signals. Each peripheral has
its own CS signal for addressing it.

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Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

USB-8452

CS 0
Slave 0 CS 1
CS 2
CS CS 3
MISO CS 4
MOSI CS 5
CLK CS 6
CS 7

Slave 1
SPI MOSI
(SDO)
CS
SPI MISO
MISO
(SDI)
MOSI
SPI CLK
CLK (SCLK)

Slave 2
GND
CS
MISO
MOSI
CLK

Figure 3-9. SPI Interface to Three Peripherals

The NI USB-8452 OEM SPI master interface supports two modes:

standard mode and stream mode. The standard mode is generally backward
compatible with the NI USB-8451 (except for programmable logic levels
and clock rates). Meanwhile, in stream mode you have more control over
SPI timing and packet formation. This mode supports hardware timed data
streaming, which increases system throughput in cases of high-speed data
acquisition.

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 Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

Standard Mode
The SPI standard API provides the most fundamental SPI transaction type:
write/read. You can access most existing SPI devices using this transaction.
This mode is backward compatible with the NI USB-8451 and works with
the NI-845x basic and advanced APIs. SPI packet length is fixed to 8 bits
(1 byte).

Stream Mode
With the stream API, you can get direct control over SPI timing parameters
and additional functional pins such as hardware timed chip select (CS(0)),
data ready (DIO(1)), and conversion (DIO(0)) lines, which are widely
adopted in modern analog to digital converters (ADCs). You can define
output/trigger waveforms based on a 10 ns system clock and run
continuously to stream in/out data. Refer to Chapter 11, Using the NI-845x
SPI Stream API, for further information. You can combine standard and
stream modes to generate a complete configuration and acquisition loop.

I2C Interface
Figure 3-10 shows a typical I2C interface to two peripherals. All devices on
the I2C bus share the SDA and SCL signals. SDA and SCL lines must be
pulled up internally for 1.2 V, 1.5 V, and 1.8 V. SDA and SCL lines may
be pulled up internally or externally for 2.5 V and 3.3 V. Refer to the I2C
specification to select the correct resistor values if using external pull-ups.

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Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

USB-8452
(Optional)
3.3 V 3.3 V
Vref Vref

SDA
Slave 0
Voltage
SCL
Translator
SDA
FPGA
SCL

GND GND

Slave 1

SDA

SCL

GND

Figure 3-10. I2C Interface to Two Peripherals

The NI USB-8452 OEM I2C master interface supports Standard mode, Fast
mode, Fast mode Plus, and High Speed mode (HS mode), defined in I2C 3.0
specifications. Refer to I2C Interface in Appendix A, NI USB-845x
Hardware Specifications, for list of supported I2C data rates.

Refer to Chapter 5, Using the NI-845x I2C API, for more information
about programming and using the I2C interface.

Digital I/O (DIO)

You can program each NI USB-8452 OEM DIO line individually as a static
DI or DO line. You can use these I/O lines to monitor or control digital
signals directly. You also can configure the logic level the same way as SPI
and I2C interfaces. All samples of DI lines and updates of DO lines are
software timed. All DIO lines are push-pull if configured as output. If
disabled, these lines are tri-stated with weak pull-down resistors (40 k).

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 Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

Refer to Chapter 14, Using the NI-845x DIO API, for more information
about programming and using the DIO lines.

Note While the device is in USB suspend, all I/O outputs are disabled.

LED Indicators
The NI USB-8452 OEM has two LED indicators alongside the USB
connector, as shown in Figure 3-11.

STATUS USB

Figure 3-11. LED Indicators

The blue LED marked USB is the USB status LED.

State Status
Off Unplugged or suspend mode, or disabled
Solid blue Connected to an active USB port

The green LED marked STATUS indicates the SPI/I2C interface’s current
working status.

State Status
Off SPI/I2C interface is idle
Blinking green SPI/I2C interface is active
Solid green SPI interface is waiting on response from slave

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Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

I/O Protection
Each signal line is protected against overvoltage, undervoltage, and
overcurrent conditions. However, you should avoid these fault conditions
by following these guidelines:
• If you configure a line as an output, do not connect it to any external
signal source, ground signal, or power supply.
• If you configure a line as an output, understand the current
requirements of the load connected to these signals. Do not exceed the
specified current output limits of the NI USB-8452 OEM.
• If you configure a line as an input, do not drive the line with voltages
outside its normal operating range.
• Treat the NI USB-8452 OEM as you would treat any static sensitive
device. Always properly ground yourself and the equipment when
handling the USB device or connecting to it.

Power-On States
At system startup and resume from suspend, the hardware tri-states all IO
ports including I2C, SPI, DIO, and CS lines, among which SPI, DIO and
CS lines are weakly pulled down to GND with 40 k resistors. The
NI USB-8452 OEM does not drive any of the signals high or low.

Power Sources
+5 V Power Source
The NI USB-8452 OEM offers a 5 V output from pin 40. The voltage
source is generated from an onboard regulator, with ±5% tolerance. Refer
to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for more
information. You can use this source to power external components with
low power budget at 20 mA current maximum.

Note The +5 V power source output is enabled on the first NI-845x API call. While the
device is in USB suspend, the +5 V power source output is disabled. The +5 V power
source output is reenabled after the next NI-845x API call.

Caution If you accidentally short the +5 V source or apply an external load that exceeds
the power budget, the NI USB-8452 OEM automatically enters over current protection and
cuts off front power. In this case, you are warned to check your connection and reboot the
system. In the meantime, front I/O activity is stopped.

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 Chapter 3 NI USB-845x Hardware Overview

Vref I/O Reference Voltage

The NI USB-8452 OEM also provides a programmable reference voltage
from pin 1. You can configure this reference voltage as 1.2 V, 1.5 V, 1.8 V,
2.5 V, and 3.3 V. You can program the reference voltage based on the
application, and the NI USB-8452 OEM board adapts to the programmed
voltage level. The voltage source is provided mainly as a voltage reference
to external circuitry or as power source for low power budget components.
It can source 20 mA current maximum. Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x
Hardware Specifications, for more information.

Note Vref is not enabled before you choose a specific voltage or use the default voltage
(3.3 V). While the device is in USB suspend, this output is disabled.

Caution If you accidentally short Vref or apply an external load that exceeds the power
budget, the NI USB-8452 OEM automatically enters over current protection and cuts off
front power. In this case, you are warned to check your connection and reboot the system.
In the meantime, front I/O activity is stopped and tri-stated with weak pull down (40 k)
to GND.

© National Instruments Corporation 3-21 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Using the NI-845x API
4
The NI-845x API consists of handles (references), property nodes
(LabVIEW only), and functions. A handle identifies a particular piece of
hardware or the configuration for use in the API functions. For example, to
access an NI 845x device, you first must create a device handle by
providing the name of the NI 845x device configured in Measurement &
Automation Explorer (MAX). After creating the device handle, the
NI-845x software functions use the returned handle to determine which
NI 845x device to communicate with.

The NI-845x API has other handles also. An example is a configuration

handle that describes the device characteristics used for communication.
An I²C configuration contains properties such as the bus clock rate and
device address to use for communication. Refer to the specific API calls for
more information on how to use handles in the NI-845x API. In LabVIEW,
you can pass the configuration handle into a property node to configure
specific characteristics. In other languages, you pass the handle into the
special configuration functions to configure the characteristics. In addition,
many API functions use the configuration to perform the desired action.

© National Instruments Corporation 4-1 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Using the NI-845x I2C API
5
This chapter helps you get started with the I2C API.

I2C Basic Programming Model

The I2C Basic API provides the most fundamental I2C transaction types:
write, read, and write/read. You can access the majority of off-the-shelf
I2C devices using these transactions. The I2C Basic API allows you to
easily and quickly develop applications to communicate with these devices.
For those situations in which the I2C Basic API does not provide the
functionality you need, use the I2C Advanced API to create custom I2C
transactions.

When you use the I2C Basic API, the first step is to create an I2C
configuration to describe the communication requirements between the
NI 845x device and the I2C slave device. To make an I2C configuration,
create an I2C configuration reference and set the appropriate properties as
desired. You can then read or write data to the I2C slave device.

The diagram in Figure 5-1 describes the programming model for

the NI-845x I2C Basic API. Within the application, you repeat this
programming model for each I2C device. The diagram is followed by a
description of each step in the model.

I2C Configure

I2C Write I2C Read I2C Write Read

Figure 5-1. Basic Programming Model for I2C Communication

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Chapter 5 Using the NI-845x I2C API

I2C Configure
Use the NI-845x I2C Configuration Property Node in LabVIEW
and ni845xI2cConfiguration* calls in other languages to set the
specific I2C configuration that describes the characteristics of the device to
communicate with.

I2C Write
Use NI-845x I2C Write.vi in LabVIEW and ni845xI2cWrite in other
languages to write an array of data to an I2C slave device.

I2C Read
Use NI-845x I2C Read.vi in LabVIEW and ni845xI2cRead in other
languages to read an array of data from an I2C slave device.

I2C Write Read

Use NI-845x I2C Write Read.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xI2cWriteRead in other languages to write an array of data
followed by a read (combined format) on an I2C slave device.

I2C Advanced Programming Model

The NXP I2C specification is extremely flexible and allows multiple
possibilities for constructing transactions beyond those handled by the I2C
Basic API. The I2C Advanced API provides a set of script commands that
allow you great flexibility in creating custom I2C transactions for your
particular needs. For example, you can use scripting in the following
scenarios:
• Validating a new device design, when you want to issue individual I2C
conditions to the bus, with or without variable delays in between, so
that you can observe device response.
• Issuing a transaction to a device and measuring its responses (using
NI 845x DIO pins configured for input) at multiple points within the
transaction.
• Using the NI 845x DIO pins configured for output to provide
additional control or addressing.
• Doing performance testing, in which you see how a device responds to
variable delays, clock rate changes, etc. within a transaction.
• Issuing multiple reads and writes to a device, or multiple devices,
within one transaction, to avoid relinquishing the bus.

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 Chapter 5 Using the NI-845x I2C API

When you use the I2C Advanced API, the first step is to create a script that
describes the communication between an I2C master and an I2C slave
device. Then you execute the script and extract the read data if needed. The
script size is limited only by the amount of memory available on your PC.
The number of read commands, I2C Script Read, I2C Script DIO Read
Port, and I2C Script DIO Read Line within each script is limited to 64.

The diagram in Figure 5-2 describes an example of programming with the

scripting functions for the NI-845x I2C Advanced API. The diagram is
followed by a description of each step in the model.

Script: Set I2C Clock Rate

Script: Issue Start Condition

Script: Send Address + Read Script: Send Address + Write

Script: Read Script: Write

Script: Issue Stop Condition

Run Script

Extract Read Data

Figure 5-2. Example of Advanced Programming Model

with Scripting API for I2C Communication

© National Instruments Corporation 5-3 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 5 Using the NI-845x I2C API

Script: Set I2C Clock Rate

Use NI-845x I2C Script Clock Rate.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xI2cScriptClockRate in other languages to add an I2C Script
Clock Rate command to the I2C script. This command sets the I2C clock
rate for the I2C port you specify when you run the script.

Script: Pullup Enable

Use NI-845x I2C Script Pullup Enable.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xI2cScriptPullupEnable in other languages to add an I2C
Script Pullup Enable command to the I2C script. This command enables or
disables the internal I2C pullup resistors. This command is valid only for
NI 845x devices with onboard pull-up resistors.

Script: Set I2C High Speed Clock Rate

Use NI-845x I2C Script High Speed Clock Rate.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xI2cScriptHsClockRate in other languages to add an I2C Script
HS Clock Rate command to the I2C script. This command sets the I2C High
Speed clock rate for the I2C port you specify when you run the script. This
command is valid only for NI 845x devices that support High Speed I2C.

Script: Set I2C High Speed Enable

Use NI-845x I2C Script HS Enable.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xI2cScriptHsEnable in other languages to add an I2C Script HS
Enable command to the I2C script. This command enables or disables High
Speed mode. This command is valid only for NI 845x devices that support
High Speed I2C.

Script: Issue Start Condition

Use NI-845x I2C Script Issue Start.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xI2cScriptIssueStart in other languages to add an I2C Script
Issue Start command to the I2C script. This command issues a start
condition on the I2C bus connected to the I2C port you specify when you
run the script.

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 Chapter 5 Using the NI-845x I2C API

Script: Send High Speed Master Code

Use NI-845x I2C Script Master Code.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xI2cScriptHsMasterCode in other languages to add an I2C
Script HS Master Code command to the I2C script. This command
transmits the I2C High Speed master code. This command is valid only for
NI 845x devices that support High Speed I2C.

Script: Send Address + Read

Use NI-845x I2C Script Address+Read.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xI2cScriptAddressRead in other languages to add an I2C Script
Address+Read command to the I2C script. This command writes a 7-bit
address, followed by the direction bit set to read, to the I2C bus connected
to the I2C port you specify when you run the script.

Script: Read
Use NI-845x I2C Script Read.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xI2cScriptRead in other languages to add an I2C Script Read
command to the I2C script. This command reads an array of data from a
device connected to the I2C port you specify when you run the script.

Script: Send Address + Write

Use NI-845x I2C Script Address+Write.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xI2cScriptAddressRead in other languages to add an I2C Script
Address+Write command to the I2C script. This command writes a 7-bit
address, followed by the direction bit set to write, to the I2C bus connected
to the I2C port you specify when you run the script.

Script: Write
Use NI-845x I2C Script Write.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xI2cScriptWrite in other languages to add an I2C Script Write
command to the I2C Script. This command writes an array of data to an I2C
slave device when you run the script.

Script: Issue Stop Condition

Use NI-845x I2C Script Issue Stop.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xI2cScriptIssueStop in other languages to add an I2C Script
Issue Stop command to the I2C script. This command issues a stop
condition on the I2C bus connected to the I2C port you specify when you
run the script.

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Chapter 5 Using the NI-845x I2C API

Run Script
Use NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi in LabVIEW and ni845xI2cScriptRun
in other languages to execute an I2C script on the desired device.

Extract Read Data

Use NI-845x I2C Extract Script Read Data.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData in other languages to extract the
desired read data from an I2C script that has been previously run. Each I2C
script read command (I2C Script Read, I2C Script DIO Read Port, I2C
Script DIO Read Line) returns a script read index to be passed into the
Extract Read Data function.

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NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW
6
This chapter lists the LabVIEW VIs for the NI-845x I2C API and describes the format,
purpose, and parameters for each VI. The VIs in this chapter are listed alphabetically.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-1 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

General Device
NI-845x Close Reference.vi

Purpose
Closes a previously opened reference.

Inputs
reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device, I2C configuration, SPI
configuration, SPI stream configuration, I2C script, or SPI script.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an
error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a

LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x Close Reference.vi to close a previously opened reference.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-3 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

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NI-845x Device Property Node

Purpose
A property node with the NI-845x Device class preselected. This property node allows you to
modify properties of your NI 845x device.

Inputs
device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
device reference out is a reference to an NI 845x device after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a

LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
The list below describes all valid properties for the NI-845x Device Property Node.

DIO:Active Port

The DIO:Active Port property sets the active DIO port for further DIO
port configuration. The format for this property is a decimal string. For
example, the string 0 represents DIO Port 0. The default value of this
property is 0. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, the port value must
be 0.

DIO:Driver Type

The DIO:Driver Type property configures the active DIO port with the
desired driver type characteristics. DIO:Driver Type uses the following
values:
Open-Drain

The DIO driver type is configured for open-drain.

Push-Pull

The DIO driver type is configured for push-pull. The actual

voltage driven (when sourcing a high value) is determined by the
I/O Voltage Level property.

The default value of this property is Push-Pull.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine

the available driver types on your hardware.

DIO:Line Direction Map

The DIO:Line Direction Map property sets the line direction map for the
active DIO Port. The value is a bitmap that specifies the function of each
individual line within the port. If bit x = 1, line x is an output. If bit x = 0,
line x is an input.

The default value of this property is 0 (all lines configured for input).

© National Instruments Corporation 6-5 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

I/O Voltage Level

The I/O Voltage Level property sets the board voltage. This property sets
the voltage for SPI, I2C, and DIO. The default value for this property is
3.3V. This property uses the following values:

3.3V

I/O Voltage is set to 3.3 V.

2.5V

I/O Voltage is set to 2.5 V.

1.8V

I/O Voltage is set to 1.8 V.

1.5V

I/O Voltage is set to 1.5 V.

1.2V

I/O Voltage is set to 1.2 V.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine

the available voltage levels on your hardware.

I2C Pullup Enable

The I2C Pullup Enable property enables or disables the internal pullup
resistors connected to SDA and SCL.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine

whether your hardware has onboard pull-up resistors.

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x Device Reference

Purpose
Specifies the device resource to be used for communication.

Description
Use the NI-845x Device Reference to describe the NI 845x device to communicate with. You
can wire the reference into a property node to set specific device parameters or to an NI-845x
API call to invoke the function on the associated NI 845x device.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-7 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

Configuration
NI-845x I2C Configuration Property Node

Purpose
A property node with the NI-845x I2C Configuration class preselected. This property node
allows you to query and modify I2C configuration properties of your NI 845x device.

Inputs
i2c configuration in is a reference to a specific I2C configuration that
describes the characteristics of the device to communicate with.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
i2c configuration out is a reference to a specific I2C configuration that
describes the characteristics of the device to communicate with.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
The list below describes all valid properties for the NI-845x I2C Configuration Property
Node.

Port

Specifies the I2C port that this configuration communicates across.

Refer to Chapter 3, NI USB-845x Hardware Overview, to determine the
number of I2C ports your NI 845x device supports.

The default value of this property is 0.

Clock Rate in kHz

Specifies the I2C clock rate. Refer to Chapter 3, NI USB-845x Hardware

Overview, to determine which clock rates your NI 845x device supports. If
your hardware does not support the supplied clock rate, a warning is
generated, and the next smallest supported clock rate is used. If the supplied
clock rate is smaller than the smallest supported clock rate, an error is
generated.

If High Speed mode is enabled, this clock rate is used to transfer the master
code.

The default value of this property is 100 kHz.

Address Size

Specifies the addressing scheme to use when addressing the I2C slave
device this configuration describes. Address Size uses the following
values:
7 Bits

The NI 845x hardware uses the standard 7-bit addressing when

communicating with the I2C slave device.

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Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

10 Bits

The NI 845x hardware uses the extended 10-bit addressing when

communicating with the I2C slave device.
The default value of this property is 7 Bits.

Address

Specifies the I2C slave address. The default address is 0. For 7-bit device
addressing, the NXP I2C Specification defines a 7-bit slave address and a
direction bit. During the address phase of an I2C transaction, these values
are sent across the bus as one byte (slave address in bits 7–1, direction in
bit 0). The NI-845x software follows the convention used in the NXP
I2C Specification and defines an address for a 7-bit device as a 7-bit value.
The NI-845x software internally sets the direction bit to the correct value,
depending on the function (write or read). Some manufacturers specify the
address for their 7-bit device as a byte. In such cases, bits 7–1 contain the
slave address, and bit 0 contains the direction. When using the NI-845x
software, discard the direction bit and right-shift the byte value by one to
create the 7-bit address.

HighSpeed:Enable

Enables High Speed (HS) mode. The default is set to High Speed mode
disabled. When High Speed mode is enabled, the NXP I2C Specification
defines a Master Code and a High Speed clock rate.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine

whether your NI 845x device supports High Speed mode.

HighSpeed:ClockRate
Specifies the I2C clock rate. Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware
Specifications, to determine which High Speed clock rates your NI 845x
device supports. If your hardware does not support the supplied High Speed
clock rate, a warning is generated, and the next smallest supported High
Speed clock rate is used. If the supplied High Speed clock rate is smaller
than the smallest supported High Speed clock rate, an error is generated.

The default value of this property is 1700 kHz.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine

the High Speed clock rates your NI 845x device supports.

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

HighSpeed:MasterCode

Specifies the master code to be used for High Speed mode. The NXP I2C
Specification defines the master code as a 3-bit number that is unique on
the I2C bus.

This property requires High Speed mode to be enabled.

The default value of this property is 1.

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Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x I2C Create Configuration Reference.vi

Purpose
Creates a new NI-845x I2C configuration.

Inputs
error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an
error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.
source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Output
i2c configuration is a reference to the newly created NI-845x I2C
configuration.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0
means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a

LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Create Configuration Reference.vi to create a new configuration to
use with the NI-845x I2C Basic API. Pass the reference to a property node to make the
configuration match the settings of your I2C slave. Then, pass the configuration to the I2C
basic functions to execute them on the described I2C slave. After you finish communicating
with your I2C slave, pass the reference into a new property node to reconfigure it or use
NI-845x Close Reference.vi to delete the configuration.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-13 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

Basic
NI-845x I2C Read.vi

Purpose
Reads an array of data from an I2C slave device.

Inputs
device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

i2c configuration in is a reference to a specific I2C configuration that

describes the characteristics of the device to communicate with. Connect
this configuration reference into a property node to set the specific
configuration parameters.

num bytes to read specifies the number of bytes to read from the I2C slave.
error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an
error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.
source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

Outputs
device reference out is a reference to the NI 845x device after this VI runs.

i2c configuration out is a reference to the I2C configuration after this VI

runs.
read data contains an array of read data from the I2C slave.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.
source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Read.vi to read an array of data from an I2C slave device. Per the NXP I2C
Specification, each byte read up to the last byte is acknowledged. The last byte is not
acknowledged. This VI first waits for the I2C bus to be free. If the I2C bus is not free within
the one second timeout of your NI 845x device, an error is returned. If the bus is free before
the timeout, the NI 845x device executes a 7 or 10-bit I2C read transaction, per the NXP I2C
Specification. The address type (7 or 10-bit) and other configuration parameters are specified
by the configuration wired into i2c configuration in. If the NI 845x device tries to access the
bus at the same time as another I2C master device and loses arbitration, the read transaction
is terminated and an error is returned. If the address of the transaction is not acknowledged
by the slave device, an error is returned. Otherwise, the transaction is completed, and a stop
condition is generated per the NXP I2C Specification.

Before using NI-845x I2C Read.vi, you need to ensure that the configuration parameters
specified in i2c configuration in are correct for the device you want to access.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-15 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x I2C Write Read.vi

Purpose
Performs a write followed by read (combined format) on an I2C slave device.

Inputs
device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

i2c configuration in is a reference to a specific I2C configuration that

describes the characteristics of the device to communicate with. Connect
this configuration reference into a property node to set the specific
configuration parameters.

write data contains an array of data to write to the I2C slave.

num bytes to read specifies the number of bytes to read from the I2C slave.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

Outputs
device reference out is a reference to the NI 845x device after this VI runs.

i2c configuration out is a reference to the I2C configuration after this VI

runs.
read data contains an array of read data from the I2C slave.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.
source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Write Read.vi to perform a write followed by read (combined format)
on an I2C slave device. During the read portion of the transaction, per the NXP I2C
Specification, each byte read up to the last byte is acknowledged. The last byte is not
acknowledged. This VI first waits for the I2C bus to be free. If the I2C bus is not free within
the one second timeout of your NI 845x device, an error is returned. If the bus is free before
the timeout, the NI 845x device executes a 7 or 10-bit I2C write/read transaction. Per the NXP
I2C Specification, the write/read transaction consists of a start–write–restart–read– stop
sequence.

The address type (7 or 10-bit) and other configuration parameters are specified by the
configuration wired into i2c configuration in. If the NI 845x device tries to access the bus
at the same time as another I2C master device and loses arbitration, the read transaction is
terminated and an error is returned. If an address or byte write within the transaction is not
acknowledged by the slave device, an error is returned. Otherwise, the transaction is
completed and a stop condition is generated per the NXP I2C Specification. It should be noted
that this type of combined transaction is provided because it is commonly used (for example,
with EEPROMs). The NXP I2C Specification provides flexibility in the construction of I2C
transactions. The NI-845x I2C scripting VIs allow creating and customizing complex I2C
transactions as needed.

Before using NI-845x I2C Write Read.vi, you need to ensure that the configuration
parameters specified in i2c configuration in are correct for the device you want to access.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-17 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x I2C Write.vi

Purpose
Writes an array of data to an I2C slave device.

Inputs
device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

i2c configuration in is a reference to a specific I2C configuration that

describes the characteristics of the device to communicate with. Connect
this configuration reference into a property node to set the specific
configuration parameters.

write data contains an array of data to write to the I2C slave.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an
error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

Outputs
device reference out is a reference to the NI 845x device after this VI runs.

i2c configuration out is a reference to the I2C configuration after this VI

runs.
error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an
error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Write.vi to write an array of data to an I2C slave device. This VI first waits
for the I2C bus to be free. If the I2C bus is not free within the one second timeout of your
NI 845x device, an error is returned. If the bus is free before the timeout, the NI 845x device
executes a 7 or 10-bit I2C write transaction, per the NXP I2C Specification. The address type
(7 or 10-bit) and other configuration parameters are specified by the configuration wired into
i2c configuration in. If the NI 845x device tries to access the bus at the same time as another
I2C master device and loses arbitration, the write transaction is terminated and an error is
returned. If any byte of the transaction is not acknowledged by the slave device, an error is
returned. Otherwise, the transaction is completed, and a stop condition is generated per the
NXP I2C Specification.

Before using NI-845x I2C Write.vi, you need to ensure that the configuration parameters
specified in i2c configuration in are correct for the device you currently want to access.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-19 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

Advanced
NI-845x I2C Create Script Reference.vi

Purpose
Creates a new NI-845x I2C script.

Inputs
error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an
error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.
source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Output
i2c script reference is a reference to the newly created NI-845x I2C script.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a

LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Create Script Reference.vi to create a new script to use with the NI-845x
I2C Advanced API. Pass the reference to I2C script functions to create the script. Then, call
NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi to execute your script on your NI 845x device. After you finish
executing your script, use NI-845x Close Reference.vi to delete the script.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-21 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x I2C Extract Script Read Data.vi

Purpose
Extracts the desired read data from an I2C script, referenced by i2c script reference in, which
has been processed by NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi. Each script read command (NI-845x I2C
Script Read.vi, NI-845x I2C Script DIO Read Port.vi, NI-845x I2C Script DIO Read
Line.vi) returns a script read index. Data may be extracted for each script read index in a
script, by wiring each to a separate NI-845x I2C Extract Script Read Data.vi.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

script read index identifies the read in the script whose data should be
extracted.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

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Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

read data is the data returned for the script command specified by script
read index.
error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an
error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Extract Script Read Data.vi to extract the desired read data from an I2C
script, referenced by i2c script reference in, which has been processed by NI-845x I2C Run
Script.vi. Each I2C script read command (NI-845x I2C Script Read.vi, NI-845x I2C Script
DIO Read Port.vi, NI-845x I2C Script DIO Read Line.vi) returns a script read index.

Data may be extracted for each script read in different ways. For example, you can wire the
script read index output of each script read VI to its own NI-845x I2C Extract Script Read
Data.vi. You can also place NI-845x I2C Extract Script Read Data.vi in a For Loop and
wire the loop iteration terminal to the script read index input. Add one to the script read
index output of the last read and wire this value to the loop count terminal. The output of the
For Loop will be an array of read data arrays.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-23 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi

Purpose
Executes an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference in on the device referenced by
device reference in.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

port specifies the I2C port this script runs on.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an
error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

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Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

device reference out is a reference to the NI 845x device after this VI runs.
error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an
error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi to execute an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference
in on the device referenced by device reference in. You must first create an I2C script using
the I2C scripting VIs. Next, you wire its script reference into i2c script reference in. If you
have multiple NI 845x devices installed in your system, you can select which device to write
your I2C script to by wiring its device reference to device reference in. If your NI 845x device
supports multiple I2C ports, you can also select which port to write your I2C script to. For
single I2C port NI 845x devices, you must use the default port (0). In this way, you can create
one script to run on various NI 845x devices, on various I2C ports within those devices.
NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi loads and executes your I2C script on the NI 845x device and I2C
port you specify, then returns success or error. If your script contained any read commands,
you may use NI-845x I2C Extract Script Read Data.vi to extract the read data after
executing NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-25 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x I2C Script Address+Read.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Address+Read command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script
reference in. This command writes a 7-bit address to the I2C bus. The direction bit is
internally set to 1 for read.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

address specifies the 7-bit address to read. For 7-bit device addressing, the
NXP I2C Specification defines a 7-bit slave address and a direction bit.
During the address phase of an I2C transaction, these values are sent
across the bus as one byte (slave address in bits 7–1, direction in bit 0).
The NI-845x software follows the convention used in the NXP I2C
Specification and defines an address for a 7-bit device as a 7-bit value.
The NI-845x software internally sets the direction bit to the correct value,
depending on the function (write or read). Some manufacturers specify the
address for their 7-bit device as a byte. In such cases, bits 7–1 contain the
slave address, and bit 0 contains the direction. When using the NI-845x
software, discard the direction bit and right-shift the byte value by one to
create the 7-bit address.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.
status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when
status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a

LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.
error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an
error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Script Address+Read.vi to add an I2C Script Address+Read command to
an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference in. This command writes a 7-bit address to
the I2C bus connected to the I2C port you specify when you use NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi
to execute the script. The direction bit is internally set to 1 for read. This command assumes
that a start condition has been previously issued to the I2C bus using an I2C script start
command. It clocks out the 7-bit address and direction bit and then waits for a slave device on
the I2C bus to acknowledge or not acknowledge the address. If a slave does not acknowledge
the address, NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi exits with an error.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-27 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x I2C Script Address+Write.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Address+Write command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script
reference in. This command writes a 7-bit address to the I2C bus. The direction bit is
internally set to 0 for write.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

address specifies the 7-bit address to write. For 7-bit device addressing, the
NXP I2C Specification defines a 7-bit slave address and a direction bit.
During the address phase of an I2C transaction, these values are sent
across the bus as one byte (slave address in bits 7–1, direction in bit 0).
The NI-845x software follows the convention used in the NXP I2C
Specification and defines an address for a 7-bit device as a 7-bit value.
The NI-845x software internally sets the direction bit to the correct value,
depending on the function (write or read). Some manufacturers specify the
address for their 7-bit device as a byte. In such cases, bits 7–1 contain the
slave address, and bit 0 contains the direction. When using the NI-845x
software, discard the direction bit and right-shift the byte value by one to
create the 7-bit address.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.
status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when
status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a

LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.
error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an
error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Script Address+Write.vi to add an I2C Script Address+Write command
to an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference in. This command writes a 7-bit address
to the I2C bus connected to the I2C port you specify when you use NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi
to execute the script. The direction bit is internally set to 0 for write. This command assumes
that a start condition has been previously issued to the I2C bus using an I2C script start
command. It clocks out the 7-bit address and direction bit and then waits for a slave device on
the I2C bus to acknowledge or not acknowledge the address. If a slave does not acknowledge
the address, NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi exits with an error.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-29 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x I2C Script Clock Rate.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Clock Rate command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference
in. This command sets the I2C clock rate.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

clock rate in kHz specifies the I2C clock rate. Refer to Chapter 3, NI
USB-845x Hardware Overview, to determine which clock rates your
NI 845x device supports.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Script Clock Rate.vi to add an I2C Script Clock Rate command to an I2C
script referenced by i2c script reference in. This command sets the I2C clock rate for the I2C
port you specify when you use NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi to execute the script. The NI 845x
device can clock data only at specific rates. If the selected rate is not one of the rates your
hardware supports, the NI-845x driver adjusts it down to a supported rate and generates a
warning. If the selected rate is lower than all supported rates, an error is generated.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-31 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x I2C Script Delay.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Delay command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference in.
This command adds a delay after the previous I2C script command.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

delay in milliseconds specifies the desired delay.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Script Delay.vi to add an I2C Script Delay command to an I2C script
referenced by i2c script reference in. This command adds a delay after the previous I2C
script command.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-33 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x I2C Script DIO Configure Line.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script DIO Configure Line command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script
reference in. This command configures a DIO line on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

port number specifies the DIO port that contains the line number.

line number specifies the DIO line to configure.

configuration specifies the line configuration. configuration uses the

following values:

input The line is configured for input.

output The line is configured for output.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an
error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.
source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Script DIO Configure Line.vi to add an I2C Script DIO Configure Line
command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference in. This command allows you
to configure one line, specified by line number, of a byte-wide DIO port, as an input or
output. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the port number input to select
the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, port number must be left at the
default (0).

© National Instruments Corporation 6-35 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x I2C Script DIO Configure Port.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script DIO Configure Port command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script
reference in. This command configures a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

port number specifies the DIO port to configure.

configuration value is a bitmap that specifies the function of each

individual line of a port. If bit x = 1, line x is an output. If bit x = 0, line x is
an input.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Script DIO Configure Port.vi to add an I2C Script DIO Configure Port
command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference in. This command allows
you to configure all eight lines of a byte-wide DIO port. Setting a bit to 1 configures the
corresponding DIO port line for output. Setting a bit to 0 configures the corresponding port
line for input. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the port number input to
select the port to configure. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, port number must be
left at the default (0).

© National Instruments Corporation 6-37 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x I2C Script DIO Read Line.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script DIO Read Line command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script
reference in. This command reads from a DIO line on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

port number specifies the DIO port that contains the line number.

line number specifies the DIO line to read.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

script read index is the index of the read command within the script. It is
used as an input into NI-845x I2C Extract Script Read Data.vi.
error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an
error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Script DIO Read Line.vi to add an I2C Script DIO Read command to an
I2C script referenced by i2c script reference in. This command allows you to read one line,
specified by line number, of a byte-wide DIO port. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO
ports, use the port number input to select the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO
port, port number must be left at the default (0).

To obtain the logic level read from the specified DIO port line, wire script read index to
NI-845x I2C Extract Script Read Data.vi after script execution. If NI-845x I2C Extract
Script Read Data.vi returns 0, the logic level read on the specified line was low. If
NI-845x I2C Extract Script Read Data.vi returns 1, the logic level read on the specified
line was high.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-39 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x I2C Script DIO Read Port.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script DIO Read Port command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script
reference in. This command reads from a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

port number specifies the DIO port to read.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

script read index is the index of the read command within the script. It is
used as an input into NI-845x I2C Extract Script Read Data.vi.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Script DIO Read Port.vi to add an I2C Script DIO Read Port command to
an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference in. This command allows you to read all
8 bits on a byte-wide DIO port. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the port
number input to select the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, port number
must be left at the default (0).

To obtain the data byte read from the specified DIO port, wire script read index to NI-845x
I2C Extract Script Read Data.vi after script execution, which returns the data byte read by
this script command.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-41 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x I2C Script DIO Write Line.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script DIO Write Line command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script
reference in. This command writes to a DIO line on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

port number specifies the DIO port that contains the line number.

line number specifies the DIO line to write.

write value specifies the value to write to the line. write value uses the
following values:

0 (Logic Low) The line is set to the logic low state.

1 (Logic High) The line is set to the logic high state.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.
source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

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Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Script DIO Write Line.vi to add an I2C Script DIO Write Line command
to an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference in. This command allows you to write one
line, specified by line number, of a byte-wide DIO port. If write value is 1, the specified
line’s output is driven to a high logic level. If write value is 0, the specified line’s output is
driven to a low logic level. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the port number
input to select the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, port number must
be left at the default (0).

© National Instruments Corporation 6-43 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x I2C Script DIO Write Port.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script DIO Write Port command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script
reference in. This command writes to a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

port number specifies the DIO port to write.

write value is the value to write to the DIO port. Only lines configured for
output are updated.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

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Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Script DIO Write Port.vi to add an I2C Script DIO Write Port command
to an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference in. This command allows you to write all
8 bits on a byte-wide DIO port. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the port
number input to select the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, port number
must be left at the default (0).

© National Instruments Corporation 6-45 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

NI-845x I2C Script Pullup Enable.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Pullup Enable command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script
reference in. This command enables or disables the internal pullups on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

pullup enable controls the enabled state of the internal pullups.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

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 Chapter 6 NI-845x I2C API for LabVIEW

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Script Pullup Enable.vi to add an I2C Script Pullup Enable command to
an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference in. Use this command to set the status of
onboard pullups for I2C operations. The pullup resistors pull SDA and SCL up to I/O Voltage
Level.

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NI-845x I2C Script HS Enable.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script HS Enable command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference
in. This command enables or disables High Speed mode on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

hs enable sets the High Speed mode to enabled or disabled on an NI 845x

device.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

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code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI 845x I2C Script HS Enable.vi to add an I2C Script HS Enable command to an I2C
script referenced by i2c script reference in. Use this command to enable High Speed mode.
High Speed mode must be enabled to use the High Speed clock rate or the High Speed master
code.

High Speed mode is described in the NXP I2C Specification.

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NI-845x I2C Script HS Master Code.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script HS Master Code command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script
reference in. This command transfers the master code for High Speed mode on an NI 845x
device.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

hs master code sets the lower 3 bits of the master code on the NI 845x
device.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

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Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI 845x I2C HS Master Code.vi to add an I2C Script HS Master Code command to an
I2C script referenced by i2c script reference in. This command writes a master code to the
I2C bus connected to the I2C port you specify when you use NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi
to execute the script. This command assumes that a start condition previously has been
issued to the I2C bus using an I2C script start command. The master code is internally set
to 00001XXX. The lower three bits are set using the I2C Script HS Master Code command.
After the master code is transferred, the device waits for the slave device on the I2C bus to
acknowledge or not acknowledge the master code. If a slave acknowledges the master code,
NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi exits with an error.

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NI-845x I2C Script HS Clock Rate.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script HS Clock Rate command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script
reference in. This command sets the I2C High Speed clock rate.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

hs clock rate specifies the I2C High Speed clock rate. Refer to Appendix A,
NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine which clock rates
your NI 845x device supports.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

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Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Script HS Clock Rate.vi to add an I2C Script High Speed Clock Rate
command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference in. This command sets the I2C
High Speed clock rate for the I2C port you specify when you use NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi
to execute the script. The NI 845x device can clock data only at specific rates. If the selected
rate is not one of the rates your hardware supports, the NI-845x driver adjusts it down to a
supported rate and generates a warning. If the selected rate is lower than all supported rates,
an error is generated.

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NI-845x I2C Script Issue Start.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Issue Start command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference
in. This command issues a start condition on the I2C bus.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute

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the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI

executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Script Issue Start.vi to add an I2C Script Issue Start command to an I2C
script referenced by i2c script reference in. This command issues a start condition on the I2C
bus connected to the I2C port you specify when you use NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi to
execute the script. This command first waits for the I2C bus to be free. If the I2C bus is not
free within the one second timeout of your NI 845x device, an error is returned when NI-845x
I2C Run Script.vi is executed. If the bus is free before the timeout, the NI 845x device issues
the start condition on the I2C bus connected to the specified I2C port. This command should
also be used to issue a restart condition within an I2C transaction.

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NI-845x I2C Script Issue Stop.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Issue Stop command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference
in. This command issues a stop condition on the I2C bus.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute

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the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI

executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Script Issue Stop.vi to add an I2C Script Issue Stop command to an I2C
script referenced by i2c script reference in. This command issues a stop condition on the I2C
bus connected to the I2C port you specify when you use NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi to
execute the script. Per the NXP I2C Specification, all I2C transactions must be terminated with
a stop condition.

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NI-845x I2C Script Read.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Read command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference in. This
command reads an array of data from an I2C slave device.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

num bytes to read specifies the number of bytes to read from an I2C slave.

NAK Last Byte? sets whether the last byte read is acknowledged (FALSE)
or not acknowledged (TRUE) by the I2C interface. If NAK Last Byte? is
TRUE, all bytes up to the last byte read are acknowledged. The last byte
read is not acknowledged. If NAK Last Byte? is FALSE, all bytes are
acknowledged.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.
source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

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Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

script read index is the index of the read command within the script. It is
used as an input into NI-845x I2C Extract Script Read Data.vi.
error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an
error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Script Read.vi to add an I2C Script Read command to an I2C script
referenced by i2c script reference in. This command reads an array of data from a device
connected to the I2C port you specify when you use NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi to execute
the script. This command assumes that a start condition and address+read condition have been
issued to the I2C bus using prior I2C script commands. It clocks in num bytes to read bytes
from the I2C slave device, acknowledging each byte up to the last one. Depending on the
type of I2C transaction you want to build, you may want to acknowledge (ACK) or not
acknowledge (NAK) the last data byte read, which you can specify with the NAK last
byte? input.

To obtain the data read from the specified I2C port, you can wire script read index to NI-845x
I2C Extract Script Read Data.vi after execution of the script, which returns the data read by
this script command.

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NI-845x I2C Script Write.vi

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Write command to an I2C script referenced by i2c script reference in.
This command writes an array of data to an I2C slave device.

Inputs
i2c script reference in is a reference to an I2C script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

write data contains an array of data to write to the I2C slave.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
i2c script reference out is a reference to the I2C script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

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code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x I2C Script Write.vi to add an I2C Script Write command to an I2C script
referenced by i2c script reference in. This command writes an array of data to an I2C slave
device connected to the I2C port you specify when you use NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi to
execute the script. This command assumes that a start condition and address+write condition
have been issued to the I2C bus using prior I2C script commands. It clocks the write data
array into the I2C slave device, testing for a slave device acknowledge after transmission of
each byte. If a slave does not acknowledge a byte, NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi exits with an
error.

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NI-845x I2C API for C
7
This chapter lists the functions for the NI-845x I2C API and describes the format, purpose,
and parameters for each function. The functions are listed alphabetically in four categories:
general device, configuration, basic, and advanced.

Section Headings
The NI-845x I2C API for C functions include the following section headings.

Purpose
Each function description includes a brief statement of the function purpose.

Format
The format section describes the function format for the C programming language.

Inputs and Outputs

These sections list the function input and output parameters.

Description
The description section gives details about the purpose and effect of each function.

Data Types
The NI-845x I2C API for C functions use the following data types.

Data Type Purpose

uInt8 8-bit unsigned integer
uInt16 16-bit unsigned integer
uInt32 32-bit unsigned integer
int8 8-bit signed integer

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Data Type Purpose

int16 16-bit signed integer
int32 32-bit signed integer
uInt8 * Pointer to an 8-bit unsigned integer
uInt16 * Pointer to a 16-bit unsigned integer
uInt32 * Pointer to a 32-bit unsigned integer
int8 * Pointer to an 8-bit signed integer
int16 * Pointer to a 16-bit signed integer
int32 * Pointer to a 32-bit signed integer
char * ASCII string represented as an array of characters terminated
by null character ('\0')

List of Functions
The following table contains an alphabetical list of the NI-845x I2C API for C functions.

Function Purpose
ni845xClose Closes a previously opened NI 845x device.
ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle Closes the handles created by
ni845xFindDevice.

ni845xDeviceLock Locks NI 845x devices for access by a single

thread.
ni845xDeviceUnlock Unlocks NI 845x devices.
ni845xFindDevice Finds an NI 845x device and returns the total
number of NI 845x devices present. You can
find subsequent devices using
ni845xFindDeviceNext.

ni845xFindDeviceNext Finds subsequent devices after

ni845xFindDevice has been called.

ni845xI2cConfigurationClose Closes an NI-845x I2C I/O configuration.

ni845xI2cConfigurationGetAddress Retrieves the configuration’s address.

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Function Purpose
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetAddressSize Retrieves the configuration’s address size.
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetClockRate Retrieves the configuration’s clock rate in
kilohertz.
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSClockRate Retrieves the configuration’s High Speed
clock rate in kilohertz.
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSEnable Retrieves the configuration’s High Speed
enable setting.
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSMasterCode Retrieves the configuration’s High Speed
master code.
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetPort Retrieves the configuration’s port value.
ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen Creates a new NI-845x I2C configuration.
ni845xI2cConfigurationSetAddress Sets the configuration’s address.
ni845xI2cConfigurationSetAddressSize Sets the configuration’s address size.
ni845xI2cConfigurationSetClockRate Sets the configuration’s clock rate in
kilohertz.
ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSClockRate Sets the configuration’s High Speed clock
rate in kilohertz.
ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSEnable Sets the configuration’s High Speed enable
setting.
ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSMasterCode Sets the configuration’s High Speed master
code.
ni845xI2cConfigurationSetPort Sets the configuration’s port number.
ni845xI2cRead Reads an array of data from an I2C slave
device.
ni845xI2cScriptAddressRead Adds an I2C Script Address+Read command
to an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command writes a
7-bit address to the I2C bus. The direction bit
is internally set to 1 for read.

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Function Purpose
ni845xI2cScriptAddressWrite Adds an I2C Script Address+Write command
to an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command writes a
7-bit address to the I2C bus. The direction bit
is internally set to 0 for write.
ni845xI2cScriptClockRate Adds an I2C Script Clock Rate
command to an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command sets the I2C
clock rate.
ni845xI2cScriptClose Closes an I2C script.
ni845xI2cScriptDelay Adds an I2C Script Delay command to an I2C
script referenced by ScriptHandle. This
command adds a delay after the previous I2C
script command.
ni845xI2cScriptDioConfigureLine Adds an I2C Script DIO Configure Line
command to an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command configures a
DIO line on an NI 845x device.
ni845xI2cScriptDioConfigurePort Adds an I2C Script DIO Configure Port
command to an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command configures a
DIO port on an NI 845x device.
ni845xI2cScriptDioReadLine Adds an I2C Script DIO Read Line command
to an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command reads from a
DIO line on an NI 845x device.
ni845xI2cScriptDioReadPort Adds an I2C Script DIO Read Port command
to an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command reads from a
DIO port on an NI 845x device.
ni845xI2cScriptDioWriteLine Adds an I2C Script DIO Write Line command
to an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command writes to a
DIO line on an NI 845x device.

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Function Purpose
ni845xI2cScriptDioWritePort Adds an I2C Script DIO Write Port command
to an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command writes to a
DIO port on an NI 845x device.
ni845xI2cScriptPullupEnable Adds an I2C Script Pullup Enable
command to an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command enables
or disables the internal I2C pullup
resistors. The pullups connect to
ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel.

ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData Extracts the desired read data from an I2C

script, referenced by ScriptHandle, which
has been processed by
ni845xI2cScriptRun. Each script read
command (ni845xI2cScriptRead,
ni845xI2cScriptDioReadPort,
ni845xI2cScriptDioReadLine) returns a
script read index. You can extract data for
each script read index in a script, by passing
each index to
ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData.

ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadDataSize Retrieves the read data size from an I2C

script, referenced by ScriptHandle,
which has been processed by
ni845xI2cScriptRun. Each script read
command (ni845xI2cScriptRead,
ni845xI2cScriptDioReadPort,
ni845xI2cScriptDioReadLine) returns a
script read index. You can extract data for
each script read index in a script, by passing
each index to
ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData.

ni845xI2cScriptHSEnable Adds an I2C Script HS Enable command to

an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command enables the I2C port to run in
high-speed mode.

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Function Purpose
ni845xI2cScriptHSMasterCode Adds an I2C Script HS Master Code
command to an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command configures
the I2C master code, which is used to initiate
High Speed I2C mode.
ni845xI2cScriptHSClockRate Adds an I2C Script HS Clock Rate
command to an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command sets the
High Speed I2C clock rate.
ni845xI2cScriptIssueStart Adds an I2C Script Issue Start command to an
I2C script indicated by ScriptHandle. This
command issues a start condition on the I2C
bus.
ni845xI2cScriptIssueStop Adds an I2C Script Issue Stop command to an
I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command issues a stop condition on the
I2C bus.
ni845xI2cScriptOpen Opens an empty I2C script to begin adding
commands to.
ni845xI2cScriptRead Adds an I2C Script Read command to an I2C
script referenced by ScriptHandle. This
command reads an array of data from an I2C
slave device.
ni845xI2cScriptReset Resets an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle to an empty state.

ni845xI2cScriptRun Sends the I2C script to the desired NI 845x

device, which then interprets and runs it.
ni845xI2cScriptWrite Adds an I2C Script Write command to an I2C
script referenced by ScriptHandle. This
command writes an array of data to an I2C
slave device.
ni845xI2cSetPullupEnable Enables or disables the onboard I2C pullups.
ni845xI2cWrite Writes an array of data to an I2C slave device.
ni845xI2cWriteRead Performs a write followed by read (combined
format) on an I2C slave device.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

Function Purpose
ni845xOpen Opens an NI 845x device for use with various
write, read, and device property functions.
ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel Sets the voltage level of the NI-845x I/O pins
(DIO/SPI/VioRef).
ni845xStatusToString Converts a status code into a descriptive
string.

© National Instruments Corporation 7-7 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

General Device
ni845xClose

Purpose
Closes a previously opened NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xClose(uInt32 DeviceHandle);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle to be closed.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xClose to close a device handle previously opened by ni845xOpen. Passing an
invalid handle to ni845xClose is ignored.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle

Purpose
Closes the handles created by ni845xFindDevice.

Format
int32 ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle (
uInt32 FindDeviceHandle
);

Inputs
uInt32 FindDeviceHandle
Describes a find list. ni845xFindDevice creates this parameter.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle to close a find list. In this process, all allocated data
structures are freed.

© National Instruments Corporation 7-9 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xDeviceLock

Purpose
Locks NI 845x devices for access by a single thread.

Format
int32 ni845xDeviceLock(uInt32 DeviceHandle);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle to be locked.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
This function locks NI 845x devices and prevents multiple processes or threads from
accessing the device until the process or thread that owns the device lock calls an equal
number of ni845xDeviceUnlock calls. Any thread or process that attempts to call
ni845xDeviceLock when the device is already locked is forced to sleep by the
operating system. This is useful for when multiple Basic API device accesses must occur
uninterrupted by any other processes or threads. If a thread exits without fully unlocking
the device, the device is unlocked. If a thread is the current owner of the lock, and calls
ni845xDeviceLock again, the thread will not deadlock itself, but care must be taken to call
ni845xDeviceUnlock for every ni845xDeviceLock called. This function can possibly
lock a device indefinitely: If a thread never calls ni845xDeviceUnlock, or fails to call
ni845xDeviceUnlock for every ni845xDeviceLock call, and never exits, other processes
and threads are forced to wait. This is not recommended for users unfamiliar with threads or
processes. A simpler alternative is to use scripts. Scripts provide the same capability to ensure
transfers are uninterrupted, and with possible performance benefits.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xDeviceUnlock

Purpose
Unlocks NI 845x devices.

Format
int32 ni845xDeviceUnlock(uInt32 DeviceHandle);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle to be unlocked.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xDeviceUnlock to unlock access to an NI 845x device previously locked with
ni845xDeviceLock. Every call to ni845xDeviceLock must have a corresponding call to
ni845xDeviceUnlock. Refer to ni845xDeviceLock for more details regarding how to
use device locks.

© National Instruments Corporation 7-11 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xFindDevice

Purpose
Finds an NI 845x device and returns the total number of NI 845x devices present. You can find
subsequent devices using ni845xFindDeviceNext.

Format
int32 ni845xFindDevice (
char * pFirstDevice,
uInt32 * pFindDeviceHandle,
uInt32 * pNumberFound
);

Inputs
None.

Outputs
char * pFirstDevice
A pointer to the string containing the first NI 845x device found. You can pass this name
to the ni845xOpen function to open the device. If no devices exist, this is an empty
string.

uInt32 * pFindDeviceHandle
Returns a handle identifying this search session. This handle is used as an input in
ni845xFindDeviceNext and ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle.

uInt32 * pNumberFound
A pointer to the total number of NI 845x devices found in the system. You can use this
number in conjunction with the ni845xFindDeviceNext function to find a particular
device. If no devices exist, this returns 0.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xFindDevice to get a single NI 845x device and the number of NI 845x devices
in the system. You can then pass the string returned to ni845xOpen to access the device. If
you must discover more devices, use ni845xFindDeviceNext with pFindDeviceHandle

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

and pNumberFound to find the remaining NI 845x devices in the system. After finding all
desired devices, call ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle to close the device handle and
relinquish allocated resources.

Note pFirstDevice must be at least 256 bytes.

Note pFindDeviceHandle and pNumberFound are optional parameters. If only the first
match is important, and the total number of matches is not needed, you can pass in a NULL
pointer for both of these parameters, and the NI-845x driver automatically calls
ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle before this function returns.

© National Instruments Corporation 7-13 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xFindDeviceNext

Purpose
Finds subsequent devices after ni845xFindDevice has been called.

Format
int32 ni845xFindDeviceNext (
uInt32 FindDeviceHandle,
char * pNextDevice
);

Inputs
uInt32 FindDeviceHandle
Describes a find list. ni845xFindDevice creates this parameter.

Outputs
char * pNextDevice
A pointer to the string containing the next NI 845x device found. This is empty if no
further devices are left.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xFindDeviceNext after first calling ni845xFindDevice to find the remaining
devices in the system. You can then pass the string returned to ni845xOpen to access the
device.

Note pNextDevice must be at least 256 bytes.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xOpen

Purpose
Opens an NI 845x device for use with various write, read, and device property functions.

Format
int32 ni845xOpen (
char * pResourceName,
uInt32 * pDeviceHandle
);

Inputs
char * pResourceName
A resource name string corresponding to the NI 845x device to be opened.

Outputs
uInt32 * pDeviceHandle
A pointer to the device handle.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xOpen to open an NI 845x device for access. The string passed to
ni845xOpen can be any of the following: an ni845xFindDevice device string, an
ni845xFindDeviceNext device string, a Measurement & Automation Explorer resource
name, or a Measurement & Automation Explorer alias.

© National Instruments Corporation 7-15 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel

Purpose
Modifies the voltage output from a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt8 VoltageLevel
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt8 VoltageLevel
The desired voltage level. VoltageLevel uses the following values:
• kNi845x33Volts (33): The output I/O high level is 3.3 V.
• kNi845x25Volts (25): The output I/O high level is 2.5 V.
• kNi845x18Volts (18): The output I/O high level is 1.8 V.
• kNi845x15Volts (15): The output I/O high level is 1.5 V.
• kNi845x12Volts (12): The output I/O high level is 1.2 V.

The default value of this property is 3.3 V.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel to modify the board reference voltage of the NI 845x
device. The board reference voltage is used for SPI, I2C, and DIO. Refer to Chapter 3,
NI USB-845x Hardware Overview, to determine the available voltage levels on your
hardware.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cSetPullupEnable

Purpose
Modifies the voltage output from a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cSetPullupEnable (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt8 Enable
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt8 Enable
The setting for the pullup resistors. Enable uses the following values:
• kNi845xPullupDisable (0): Pullups are disabled.
• kNi845xPullupEnable (1): Pullups are enabled.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cPullupEnable to enable or disable the onboard pullup resistors for I2C
operations. The pullup resistors pull SDA and SCL up to ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel.

© National Instruments Corporation 7-17 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xStatusToString

Purpose
Converts a status code into a descriptive string.

Format
void ni845xStatusToString (
int32 StatusCode,
uInt32 MaxSize,
int8 * pStatusString
);

Inputs
int32 StatusCode
Status code returned from an NI-845x function.

uInt32 MaxSize
Size of the pStatusString buffer (in bytes).

Outputs
int8 * pStatusString
ASCII string that describes StatusCode.

Description
When the status code returned from an NI-845x function is nonzero, an error or warning is
indicated. This function obtains a description of the error/warning for debugging purposes.

The return code is passed into the StatusCode parameter. The MaxSize parameter
indicates the number of bytes available in pStatusString for the description (including
the NULL character). The description is truncated to size MaxSize if needed, but a size of
1024 characters is large enough to hold any description. The text returned in String is
null-terminated, so you can use it with ANSI C functions such as printf.

For applications written in C or C++, each NI-845x function returns a status code as a signed
32-bit integer. The following table summarizes the NI-845x use of this status.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

NI-845x Status Codes

Status Code Meaning

Negative Error—Function did not perform expected behavior.
Positive Warning—Function executed, but a condition arose that may
require attention.
Zero Success—Function completed successfully.

The application code should check the status returned from every NI-845x function. If an
error is detected, you should close all NI-845x handles, then exit the application. If a warning
is detected, you can display a message for debugging purposes, or simply ignore the warning.

In some situations, you may want to check for specific errors in the code and continue
communication when they occur. For example, when communicating to an I2C EEPROM,
you may expect the device to NAK its address during a write cycle, and you may use this
knowledge to poll for when the write cycle has completed.

© National Instruments Corporation 7-19 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

Configuration
ni845xI2cConfigurationClose

Purpose
Closes an I2C I/O configuration.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cConfigurationClose (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cConfigurationClose to close a configuration.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cConfigurationGetAddress

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration address.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cConfigurationGetAddress (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt16 * pAddress
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
uInt16 * pAddress
A pointer to an unsigned 16-bit integer to store the I2C slave address in.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cConfigurationGetAddress to retrieve the I2C configuration slave
address as a 7-bit number.

© National Instruments Corporation 7-21 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cConfigurationGetAddressSize

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration address size.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cConfigurationGetAddressSize (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
int32 * pSize
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
int32 * pSize
A pointer to an unsigned 32-bit integer to store the address size in.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cConfigurationGetAddressSize to retrieve the addressing scheme to use
when addressing the I2C slave device this configuration describes.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cConfigurationGetClockRate

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration clock rate in kilohertz.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cConfigurationGetClockRate (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt16 * pClockRate
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
uInt16 * pClockRate
A pointer to an unsigned 16-bit integer to store the clock rate in.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cConfigurationGetClockRate to retrieve the I2C clock rate in kilohertz.
This retrieves the value currently stored in memory, which may not be compatible with your
NI 845x device.

© National Instruments Corporation 7-23 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSClockRate

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration High Speed clock rate in kilohertz.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSClockRate (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt16 * pHSClockRate
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
uInt16 * pHSClockRate
A pointer to an unsigned 16-bit integer to store the clock rate in.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSClockRate to retrieve the I2C High Speed clock
rate in kilohertz. This retrieves the value currently stored in memory, which may not be
compatible with your NI 845x device.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSEnable

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration High Speed enable status.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSEnable (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt16 * pHSEnable
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
uInt8 * pHSEnable
A pointer to an unsigned 8-bit integer to store the enabled status in.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSEnable to retrieve the configuration High Speed
enable status. This retrieves the value currently stored in memory, which may not be
compatible with your NI 845x device.

© National Instruments Corporation 7-25 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSMasterCode

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration master code.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSMasterCode (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 * pHSMasterCode
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
uInt16 * pHSMasterCode
A pointer to an unsigned 8-bit integer to store the master code in.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSMasterCode to retrieve the I2C High Speed master
code. This retrieves the value currently stored in memory, which may not be compatible with
your NI 845x device.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cConfigurationGetPort

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration port value.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cConfigurationGetPort (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 * pPort
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
uInt8 * pPort
A pointer to an unsigned byte to store the port value in.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cConfigurationGetPort to retrieve the I2C port that this configuration
communicates across.

© National Instruments Corporation 7-27 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen

Purpose
Creates a new NI-845x I2C configuration.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen (
uInt32 * pConfigurationHandle
);

Inputs
None.

Outputs
uInt32 * pConfigurationHandle
A pointer to an unsigned 32-bit integer to store the configuration handle in. This must not
be NULL.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use this function to create a new configuration to use with the NI-845x I2C Basic API. Pass
the handles to the ni845xI2cConfigurationSet* series of functions to modify the
configuration properties. Then, pass the configuration to the I2C basic functions to execute
them on the described I2C slave. After you finish communicating with your I2C slave, pass
the handle to the ni845xI2cConfigurationSet* series of functions to reconfigure it or
use ni845xI2cConfigurationClose to delete the configuration.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cConfigurationSetAddress

Purpose
Sets the configuration address.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cConfigurationSetAddress (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt16 Address
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

uInt16 Address
The slave address. For 7-bit device addressing, the NXP I2C specification defines a 7-bit
slave address and a direction bit. During the address phase of an I2C transaction, these
values are sent across the bus as one byte (slave address in bits 7–1, direction in bit 0).
The NI-845x software follows the convention used in the NXP I2C specification and
defines an address for a 7-bit device as a 7-bit value. The NI-845x software internally sets
the direction bit to the correct value, depending on the function (write or read). Some
manufacturers specify the address for their 7-bit device as a byte. In such cases, bits 7–1
contain the slave address, and bit 0 contains the direction. When using the NI-845x
software, discard the direction bit and right-shift the byte value by one to create the 7-bit
address.
The address default value is 0.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cConfigurationSetAddress to set the I2C slave address. This is a 7-bit
number; do not include the direction bit.

© National Instruments Corporation 7-29 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cConfigurationSetAddressSize

Purpose
Sets the configuration address size.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cConfigurationSetAddressSize (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
int32 Size
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

int32 Size
The addressing scheme to use when addressing the I2C slave device this configuration
describes. Size uses the following values:
• kNi845xI2cAddress7Bit (0): The NI 845x hardware uses the standard 7-bit
addressing when communicating with the I2C slave device.
• kNi845xI2cAddress10Bit (1): The NI 845x hardware uses the extended 10-bit
addressing when communicating with the I2C slave device.
The address default value is kNi845xI2cAddress7Bit.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cConfigurationSetAddressSize to set the configuration address size as
either 7 bits or 10 bits.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cConfigurationSetClockRate

Purpose
Sets the configuration clock rate in kilohertz.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cConfigurationSetClockRate (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt16 ClockRate
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

uInt16 ClockRate
Specifies the I2C clock rate in kilohertz. Refer to Chapter 3, NI USB-845x Hardware
Overview, to determine which clock rates your NI 845x device supports. If your hardware
does not support the supplied clock rate, a warning is generated, and the next smallest
supported clock rate is used. If the supplied clock rate is smaller than the smallest
supported clock rate, an error is generated.
The clock rate default value is 100 kHz.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cConfigurationSetClockRate to set the I2C configuration clock rate in
kilohertz.

© National Instruments Corporation 7-31 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSClockRate

Purpose
Sets the configuration High Speed clock rate in kilohertz.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSClockRate (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt16 HSClockRate
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

uInt16 HSClockRate
Specifies the I2C clock rate in kilohertz. Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware
Specifications, to determine which High Speed clock rates your NI 845x device supports.
If your hardware does not support the supplied clock rate, a warning is generated, and the
next smallest supported clock rate is used. If the supplied clock rate is smaller than the
smallest supported clock rate, an error is generated.
The clock rate default value is 1666 Hz.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSClockRate to set the I2C configuration High Speed
clock rate in kilohertz.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSEnable

Purpose
Sets the configuration High Speed enabled status.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSEnable (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 HSEnable
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

uInt8 HSEnable
Specifies the I2C High Speed enabled status. Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x
Hardware Specifications, to determine if your NI 845x device supports I2C High Speed
mode. If your hardware does not support I2C High Speed Mode, an error is generated.
HSEnable uses the following values:
• kNi845xHSDisable (0): Disable High Speed mode.
• kNi845xHSEnable (1): Enable High Speed mode.
The default value is kNi845xHSDisable.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSEnable to set the I2C High Speed enabled status.

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Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSMasterCode

Purpose
Sets the configuration High Speed master code.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSMasterCode (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 HSMasterCode
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

uInt8 HSMasterCode
Specifies the I2C High Speed master code.

The default value is 1.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSMasterCode to set the I2C configuration High
Speed master code.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cConfigurationSetPort

Purpose
Sets the configuration port number.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cConfigurationSetPort (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

uInt8 Port
Specifies the I2C port that this configuration communicates across.
Refer to Chapter 3, NI USB-845x Hardware Overview, to determine the number of I2C
ports your NI 845x device supports.
The port number default value is 0.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cConfigurationSetPort to select the port where the I2C slave device
resides.

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Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

Basic
ni845xI2cRead

Purpose
Reads an array of data from an I2C slave device.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cRead (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt32 NumBytesToRead,
uInt32 * pReadSize,
uInt8 * pReadData
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
Configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

uInt32 NumBytesToRead
The number of bytes to read. This must be nonzero.

Outputs
uInt32 * pReadSize
A pointer to the amount of bytes read.

uInt8 * pReadData
A pointer to an array of bytes where the bytes that have been read are stored.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

Description
Use ni845xI2cRead to read an array of data from an I2C slave device. Per the NXP I2C
specification, each byte read up to the last byte is acknowledged. The last byte is not
acknowledged. This function first waits for the I2C bus to be free. If the I2C bus is not free
within the one second timeout of your NI 845x device, an error is returned. If the bus is free
before the timeout, the NI 845x device executes a 7-bit or 10-bit I2C read transaction, per the
NXP I2C specification. The address type (7-bit or 10-bit) and other configuration parameters
are specified by ConfigurationHandle. If the NI 845x device tries to access the bus at the
same time as another I2C master device and loses arbitration, the read transaction is
terminated and an error is returned. If the slave device does not acknowledge the transaction
address, an error is returned. Otherwise, the transaction is completed, and a stop condition is
generated per the NXP I2C specification.

Before using ni845xI2cRead, you must ensure that the configuration parameters specified
in ConfigurationHandle are correct for the device you want to access.

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Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cWrite

Purpose
Writes an array of data to an I2C slave device.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cWrite (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt32 WriteSize,
uInt8 * pWriteData
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
Configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

uInt32 WriteSize
The number of bytes to write. This must be nonzero.

uInt8 * pWriteData
A pointer to an array of bytes where the data to be written resides.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cWrite to write an array of data to an I2C slave device. This function first
waits for the I2C bus to be free. If the I2C bus is not free within the one second timeout of
your NI 845x device, an error is returned. If the bus is free before the timeout, the NI 845x
device executes a 7-bit or 10-bit I2C write transaction, per the NXP I2C specification.
The address type (7-bit or 10-bit) and other configuration parameters are specified by
ConfigurationHandle. If the NI 845x device tries to access the bus at the same time as
another I2C master device and loses arbitration, the write transaction is terminated and an

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

error is returned. If the slave device does not acknowledge any transaction byte, an error is
returned. Otherwise, the transaction is completed, and a stop condition is generated per the
NXP I2C specification.

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Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cWriteRead

Purpose
Performs a write followed by read (combined format) on an I2C slave device.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cWriteRead (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt32 WriteSize,
uInt8 * pWriteData,
uInt32 NumBytesToRead,
uInt32 * pReadSize,
uInt8 * pReadData
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
Configuration handle returned from ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen.

uInt32 WriteSize
The number of bytes to write. This must be nonzero.

uInt8 * pWriteData
A pointer to an array of bytes where the data to be written resides.

uInt32 NumBytesToRead
An unsigned 32-bit integer corresponding to the number of bytes to read. This must be
nonzero.

Outputs
uInt32 * pReadSize
A pointer to the amount of bytes read.

uInt8 * pReadData
A pointer to an array of bytes where the bytes that have been read are stored.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cWriteRead to perform a write followed by read (combined format) on an
I2C slave device. During the transaction read portion, per the NXP I2C specification, each byte
read up to the last byte is acknowledged. The last byte is not acknowledged. This function
first waits for the I2C bus to be free. If the I2C bus is not free within the one second timeout
of your NI 845x device, an error is returned. If the bus is free before the timeout, the
NI 845x device executes a 7-bit or 10-bit I2C write/read transaction. Per the NXP I2C
specification, the write/read transaction consists of a start-write-restart-read-stop sequence.
The address type (7-bit or 10-bit) and other configuration parameters are specified by
ConfigurationHandle. If the NI 845x device tries to access the bus at the same time as
another I2C master device and loses arbitration, the read transaction is terminated and an error
is returned. If the slave device does not acknowledge an address or byte write within the
transaction, an error is returned. Otherwise, the transaction is completed and a stop condition
is generated per the NXP I2C specification. Note that this type of combined transaction is
provided because it is commonly used (for example, with EEPROMs). The NXP I2C
specification provides flexibility in the construction of I2C transactions. The NI-845x I2C
scripting functions allow creating and customizing complex I2C transactions as needed.

Before using ni845xI2cWriteRead, you must ensure that the configuration parameters
specified in ConfigurationHandle are correct for the device you want to access.

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Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

Advanced
ni845xI2cScriptAddressRead

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Address+Read command to an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command writes a 7-bit address to the I2C bus. The direction bit is internally set to 1 for
read.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptAddressRead (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 Address
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt8 Address
The 7-bit slave address to read from.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptAddressRead to add an I2C Script Address+Read command to an
I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command writes a 7-bit address to the I2C bus
connected to the I2C port you specify when you use ni845xI2cScriptRun to execute the
script. The direction bit is internally set to 1 for read. This command assumes that a start
condition has been previously issued to the I2C bus using an I2C script start command. It
clocks out the 7-bit address and direction bit and then waits for a slave device on the I2C bus
to acknowledge or not acknowledge the address. If a slave does not acknowledge the address,
ni845xI2cScriptRun exits with an error.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptAddressWrite

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Address+Write command to an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command writes a 7-bit address to the I2C bus. The direction bit is internally set to 0 for
write.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptAddressWrite (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 Address
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt8 Address
The 7-bit I2C slave address to write to.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptAddressWrite to add an I2C Script Address+Write command to an
I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command writes a 7-bit address to the I2C bus
connected to the I2C port you specify when you use ni845xI2cScriptRun to execute the
script. The direction bit is internally set to 0 for write. This command assumes that a start
condition has been previously issued to the I2C bus using an I2C script start command. It
clocks out the 7-bit address and direction bit and then waits for a slave device on the I2C bus
to acknowledge or not acknowledge the address. If a slave does not acknowledge the address,
ni845xI2cScriptRun exits with an error.

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Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptClockRate

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Clock Rate command to an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. This
command sets the I2C clock rate.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptClockRate (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt16 ClockRate
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt16 ClockRate
The I2C clock rate in kilohertz. Refer to Chapter 3, NI USB-845x Hardware Overview,
to determine which clock rates your NI 845x device supports.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptClockRate to add an I2C Script Clock Rate command to an I2C
script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command sets the I2C clock rate for the I2C port
you specify when you use ni845xI2cScriptRun to execute the script. The NI 845x device
can clock data only at specific rates. If the selected rate is not one of the rates your hardware
supports, the NI-845x driver adjusts it down to a supported rate and generates a warning. If
the selected rate is lower than all supported rates, an error is generated.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptClose

Purpose
Closes an I2C script.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptClose (uInt32 ScriptHandle);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptClose to delete a script from memory.

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Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptDelay

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Delay command to an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. This
command adds a delay after the previous I2C script command.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptDelay (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 Delay
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt8 Delay
The desired delay in milliseconds.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptDelay to add an I2C Script Delay command to an I2C script
referenced by ScriptHandle. This command adds a delay after the previous I2C script
command in milliseconds.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptDioConfigureLine

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script DIO Configure Line command to an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command configures a DIO line on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptDioConfigureLine (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber,
uInt8 LineNumber,
int32 ConfigurationValue
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
The DIO port that contains the LineNumber.

uInt8 LineNumber
The DIO line to configure.

int32 ConfigurationValue
The line configuration. ConfigurationValue uses the following values:
• kNi845xDioInput (0): The line is configured for input.
• kNi845xDioOutput (1): The line is configured for output.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptDioConfigureLine to add an I2C Script DIO Configure Line
command to an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command allows you to
configure one line, specified by LineNumber, of a byte-wide DIO port, as an input or output.
For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the PortNumber input to select the desired
port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, leave PortNumber at the default (0).

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Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptDioConfigurePort

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script DIO Configure Port command to an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command configures a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptDioConfigurePort (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber,
uInt8 ConfigurationValue
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
The DIO port to configure.

uInt8 ConfigurationValue
Bitmap that specifies the function of each individual line of a port. If bit x = 1, line x is
an output. If bit x = 0, line x is an input.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptDioConfigurePort to add an I2C Script DIO Configure Port
command to an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. Use this command to configure all
eight lines of a byte-wide DIO port. Setting a bit to 1 configures the corresponding DIO port
line for output. Setting a bit to 0 configures the corresponding port line for input. For NI 845x
devices with multiple DIO ports, use the PortNumber input to select the port to configure.
For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, leave PortNumber at the default (0).

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptDioReadLine

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script DIO Read Line command to an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command reads from a DIO line on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptDioReadLine (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber,
uInt8 LineNumber,
uInt32* pScriptReadIndex
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
The DIO port that contains the LineNumber.

uInt8 LineNumber
The DIO line to read.

Outputs
uInt32 * pScriptReadIndex
An unsigned 32-bit integer pointer that stores the script read index. pScriptReadIndex
is the read command index within the script. It is used as an input into
ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

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Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptDioReadLine to add an I2C Script DIO Read command to an I2C
script referenced by ScriptHandle. Use this command to read one line, specified by
LineNumber, of a byte-wide DIO port. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the
PortNumber input to select the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, leave
PortNumber at the default (0).

To obtain the logic level read from the specified DIO port line, pass the value of
pScriptReadIndex to ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadDataSize to retrieve the
read data size and ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData after script execution.
ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData returns either kNi845xDioLogicLow if logic level
read on the specified line was low or kNi845xDioLogicHigh if the logic level read on the
specified line was high.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptDioReadPort

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script DIO Read Port command to an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command reads from a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptDioReadPort (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber,
uInt32 * pScriptReadIndex
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
The DIO port to read.

Outputs
uInt32 * pScriptReadIndex
An unsigned 32-bit integer pointer that stores the script read index. pScriptReadIndex
is the read command index within the script. It is used as an input into
ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptDioReadPort to add an I2C Script DIO Read Port command to an
I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. Use this command to read all 8 bits on a byte-wide
DIO port. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the PortNumber input to select
the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, leave PortNumber at the default (0).

To obtain the data byte read from the specified DIO port, pass the value of
pScriptReadIndex to ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadDataSize to retrieve the read
data size and ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData after script execution, which returns
the data byte read by this script command.

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Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptDioWriteLine

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script DIO Write Line command to an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command writes to a DIO line on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptDioWriteLine (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber,
uInt8 LineNumber,
int32 WriteData
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
The DIO port that contains the LineNumber.

uInt8 LineNumber
The DIO line to write.

int32 WriteData
The value to write to the line. WriteData uses the following values:
• kNi845xDioLogicLow (0): The line is set to the logic low state.
• kNi845xDioLogicHigh (1): The line is set to the logic high state.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptDioWriteLine to add an I2C Script DIO Write Line command to
an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. Use this command to write one line, specified by
LineNumber, of a byte-wide DIO port. If WriteData is kNi845xDioLogicHigh, the
specified line’s output is driven to a high logic level. If WriteData is
kNi845xDioLogicLow, the specified line’s output is driven to a low logic level. For NI 845x
devices with multiple DIO ports, use the PortNumber input to select the desired port. For
NI 845x devices with one DIO port, leave PortNumber at the default (0).

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ni845xI2cScriptDioWritePort

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script DIO Write Port command to an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command writes to a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptDioWritePort (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber,
uInt8 WriteData
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
The DIO port to write.

uInt8 WriteData
The value to write to the DIO port. Only lines configured for output are updated.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptDioWritePort to add an I2C Script DIO Write Port command to an
I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. Use this command to write all 8 bits on a byte-wide
DIO port. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the PortNumber input to select
the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, leave PortNumber at the default (0).

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ni845xI2cScriptPullupEnable

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Pullup Enable command to an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command enables or disables the onboard pullup resistors on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptPullupEnable (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 Enable
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt8 Enable
The setting for the pullup resistors. Enable uses the following values:
• kNi845xPullupDisable (0): Pullups are disabled.
• kNi845xPullupEnable (1): Pullups are enabled.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptPullupEnable to add an I2C Script Pullup Enable command to an
I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. Use this command to enable or disable the onboard
pullup resistors for I2C operations. The pullup resistors pull SDA and SCL up to
ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel.

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Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData

Purpose
Extracts the desired read data from an I2C script, referenced by ScriptHandle,
which has been processed by ni845xI2cScriptRun. Each script read
command (ni845xI2cScriptRead, ni845xI2cScriptDioReadPort,
ni845xI2cScriptDioReadLine) returns a script read index. You can extract
data for each script read index in a script, by passing each index to
ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt32 ScriptReadIndex,
uInt8 * pReadData
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt32 ScriptReadIndex
The index within the script whose data should be extracted.

Outputs
uInt8 * pReadData
A pointer to store the data returned for the script command specified by
ScriptReadIndex.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData to extract the desired read data from
an I2C script, indicated by ScriptHandle, which has been processed by
ni845xI2cScriptRun. Each I2C script read command (ni845xI2cScriptRead,
ni845xI2cScriptDioReadPort, ni845xI2cScriptDioReadLine) returns a script read
index.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadDataSize

Purpose
Retrieves the read data size from an I2C script, referenced by ScriptHandle,
which has been processed by ni845xI2cScriptRun. Each script read
command (ni845xI2cScriptRead, ni845xI2cScriptDioReadPort,
ni845xI2cScriptDioReadLine) returns a script read index. You can extract
data for each script read index in a script, by passing each index to
ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadDataSize (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt32 ScriptReadIndex,
uInt32 * pReadDataSize
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt32 ScriptReadIndex
The read in the script whose data should be extracted.

Outputs
uInt32 * pReadDataSize
Stores the read data buffer size at the given script read index.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadDataSize to retrieve the desired read data
size from an I2C script, indicated by ScriptHandle, which has been processed by
ni845xI2cScriptRun. Each I2C script read command (ni845xI2cScriptRead,
ni845xI2cScriptDioReadPort, ni845xI2cScriptDioReadLine) returns a script read
index.

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Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptHSEnable

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script HS Enable command to an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. This
command enables or disables High Speed mode on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptHSEnable (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 HSEnable
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt8 HSEnable
Enables or disables I2C High Speed mode. Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x
Hardware Specifications, to determine whether your NI 845x device supports High
Speed mode. HSEnable uses the following values:
• kNi845xHSDisable (0): Disable High Speed mode.
• kNi845xHSEnable (1): Enable High Speed mode.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptHSEnable to add an I2C Script High Speed enable command to an
I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command sets the I2C High Speed enable
status for the I2C port you specify when you use ni845xI2cScriptRun to execute the script.
If the hardware does not support High Speed mode, the NI-845x driver generates an error.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptHSMasterCode

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script High Speed Master Code command to an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command sets the I2C High Speed master code.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptHSMasterCode (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 HSMasterCode
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt8 HSMasterCode
The lower 3 bits of the I2C High Speed master code byte.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptHSMasterCode to add an I2C Script HS Master Code command to
an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command writes a master code to the I2C
bus connected to the I2C port you specify when you use ni845xI2cScriptRun to execute
the script. This command assumes a start condition previously has been issued to the I2C bus
using an I2C script start command. The master code is internally set to 00001XXX. The lower
three bits are set using HSMasterCode. After the master code is transferred, the device waits
for slave device on the I2C bus to acknowledge or not acknowledge the master code. If a slave
acknowledges the master code, ni845xI2cScriptRun exits with an error.

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Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptHSClockRate

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script High Speed Clock Rate command to an I2C script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command sets the I2C High Speed clock rate.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptHSClockRate (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 HSClockRate
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt16 HSClockRate
Specifies the I2C High Speed clock rate. Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware
Specifications, to determine which High Speed clock rates your NI 845x device supports.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptHSClockRate to add an I2C Script High Speed Clock Rate
command to an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command sets the I2C High
Speed clock rate for the I2C port you specify when you use ni845xI2cScriptRun to
execute the script. The NI 845x device can clock data only at specific rates. If the selected rate
is not one of the rates your hardware supports, the NI-845x driver adjusts it down to a
supported rate and generates a warning. If the selected rate is lower than all supported rates,
an error is generated.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptIssueStart

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Issue Start command to an I2C script indicated by ScriptHandle. This
command issues a start condition on the I2C bus.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptIssueStart (
uInt32 ScriptHandle
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptIssueStart to add an I2C Script Issue Start command to an I2C
script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command issues a start condition on the I2C
bus connected to the I2C port you specify when you use ni845xI2cScriptRun to
execute the script. This command first waits for the I2C bus to be free. If the I2C bus is
not free within the one second timeout of your NI 845x device, an error is returned when
ni845xI2cScriptRun is executed. If the bus is free before the timeout, the NI 845x device
issues the start condition on the I2C bus connected to the specified I2C port. This command
should also be used to issue a restart condition within an I2C transaction.

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Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptIssueStop

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Issue Stop command to an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. This
command issues a stop condition on the I2C bus.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptIssueStop (
uInt32 ScriptHandle
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptIssueStop to add an I2C Script Issue Stop command to an I2C
script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command issues a stop condition on the I2C bus
connected to the I2C port you specify when you use ni845xI2cScriptRun to execute the
script. Per the NXP I2C specification, you must terminate all I2C transactions with a stop
condition.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptOpen

Purpose
Opens an empty I2C script to begin adding commands to.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptOpen (uInt32 * pScriptHandle);

Inputs
None.

Outputs
uInt32 * pScriptHandle
A pointer to an unsigned 32-bit integer to store the new script handle in.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptOpen to create a new script to use with the NI-845x I2C Advanced
API. Pass the reference to I2C script functions to create the script. Then, call
ni845xI2cScriptRun to execute your script on your NI 845x device. After you finish
executing your script, use ni845xI2cScriptClose to delete the script.

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Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptRead

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Read command to an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. This
command reads an array of data from an I2C slave device.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptRead (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt32 NumBytesToRead,
int32 NotAcknowledgeLastByte,
uInt32* pScriptReadIndex
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt32 NumBytesToRead
The number of bytes to read. This must be nonzero.

int32 NotAcknowledgeLastByte
Whether the last byte read is acknowledged or not acknowledged by the I2C
interface. If NotAcknowledgeLastByte is kNi845xI2cNakTrue, all bytes
up to the last byte read are acknowledged. The last byte read is not acknowledged.
If NotAcknowledgeLastByte is kNi845xI2cNakFalse (0), all bytes are
acknowledged.

Outputs
uInt32 * pScriptReadIndex
An unsigned 32-bit integer pointer that stores the script read index. pScriptReadIndex
is the read command index within the script. It is used as an input into
ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptRead to add an I2C Script Read command to an I2C script referenced
by ScriptHandle. This command reads an array of data from a device connected to the I2C
port you specify when you use ni845xI2cScriptRun to execute the script. This command
assumes that a start condition and address+read condition have been issued to the I2C bus
using prior I2C script commands. It clocks in NumBytesToRead bytes from the I2C slave
device, acknowledging each byte up to the last one. Depending on the type of I2C transaction
you want to build, you may want to acknowledge (ACK) or not acknowledge (NAK) the last
data byte read, which you can specify with the NotAcknowledgeLastByte input. To obtain
the data read from the specified I2C port, you can pass the value of pScriptReadIndex after
script execution to ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadDataSize to get the read data size and
then to ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData after script execution, which returns the data
read by this script command.

© National Instruments Corporation 7-65 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptReset

Purpose
Resets an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle to an empty state.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptReset (uInt32 ScriptHandle);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptReset to reset a script to an empty state. Any commands or read data
stored in the script are deleted.

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 Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptRun

Purpose
Sends the I2C script to the desired NI 845x device, which then interprets and runs it.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptRun (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
An unsigned byte that represents the port number to run the script on.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptRun to execute an I2C script indicated by ScriptHandle on the
device indicated by DeviceHandle. You must first create an I2C script using the I2C
scripting commands. Next, pass the script handle into ScriptHandle. If you have multiple
NI 845x devices installed in your system, you can select which device to write your I2C script
to by passing its handle into DeviceHandle. If your NI 845x device supports multiple I2C
ports, you can also select which port to write your I2C script to. For single I2C port NI 845x
devices, you must use the default port (0). In this way, you can create one script to run on
various NI 845x devices, on various I2C ports within those devices. ni845xI2cScriptRun
loads and executes your I2C script on the NI 845x device and I2C port you specify,
then returns success or error. If your script contained any read commands, you may
use ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadDataSize to get the read data size, and
ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData to extract the read data after executing
ni845xI2cScriptRun.

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Chapter 7 NI-845x I2C API for C

ni845xI2cScriptWrite

Purpose
Adds an I2C Script Write command to an I2C script referenced by ScriptHandle. This
command writes an array of data to an I2C slave device.

Format
int32 ni845xI2cScriptWrite (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt32 WriteSize,
uInt8 * pWriteData
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xI2cScriptOpen.

uInt32 WriteSize
The number of bytes to write. This must be nonzero.

uInt8 * pWriteData
A pointer to an array of bytes where the data to be written resides.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xI2cScriptWrite to add an I2C Script Write command to an I2C script
referenced by ScriptHandle. This command writes an array of data to an I2C slave device
connected to the I2C port you specify when you use ni845xI2cScriptRun to execute the
script. This command assumes that a start condition and address+write condition have been
issued to the I2C bus using prior I2C script commands. It clocks the pWriteData array into
the I2C slave device, testing for a slave device acknowledge after transmission of each byte.
If a slave does not acknowledge a byte, ni845xI2cScriptRun exits with an error.

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Using the NI-845x SPI API
8
This chapter helps you get started with the SPI API.

NI-845x SPI Basic Programming Model

The SPI Basic API provides the most fundamental SPI transaction type:
write/read. You can access most off-the-shelf SPI devices using this
transaction. The SPI Basic API allows you to easily and quickly develop
applications to communicate with these devices. For those situations in
which the SPI Basic API does not provide the functionality you need, use
the SPI Advanced API to create custom SPI transactions.

When you use the SPI Basic API, the first step is to create an SPI
configuration to describe the communication requirements between the
845x and the SPI device. To make an SPI configuration, create an SPI
configuration reference and set the appropriate properties as desired. You
can then read or write data to the SPI device.

The diagram in Figure 8-1 describes the programming model for

the NI-845x SPI Basic API. Within the application, you repeat this
programming model for each SPI device. The diagram is followed by
a description of each step in the model.

SPI Configure

SPI Write/Read

Figure 8-1. NI-845x SPI API Basic Programming Model

© National Instruments Corporation 8-1 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 8 Using the NI-845x SPI API

SPI Configure
Use the NI-845x SPI Configuration Property Node in LabVIEW
and ni845xSpiConfiguration* calls in other languages to set the
specific SPI configuration that describes the characteristics of the device to
communicate with.

SPI Write Read

Use NI-845x SPI Write Read.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xSpiWriteRead in other languages to exchange an array of data
with an SPI slave device.

SPI Timing Characteristics

Figure 8-2 and Tables 8-1 and 8-2 show the timing characteristics of the
SPI bus when using the SPI Basic API. If the timing characteristics of your
device do not fit within these parameters, you can use the SPI Advanced
API to adjust the bus characteristics to match those of your device.

CS(0:7)

t1 t4

SCLK

t2 t3

Figure 8-2. SPI Waveform

Table 8-1. NI USB-8451 Basic API SPI Timing Characteristics

Symbol Parameter Min Max Units

t1 CS(0:7) assertion to first SCLK edge 5 15.4 s
t2 SCLK period 0.08333 20.83 s
t3 SCLK setup time 8.5 19 s
t4 Last SCLK edge to CS(0:7) deassertion 7.4 8.24 s

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 Chapter 8 Using the NI-845x SPI API

Table 8-2. NI USB-8452 Basic API SPI Timing Characteristics

Symbol Parameter Min Max Units

t1 CS(0:7) assertion to first SCLK edge 2.2 1 + ½ t21 s
t2 SCLK period 0.02 1000 s
t3 SCLK setup time 2.0 1 + ½ t21 s
t4 Last SCLK edge to CS(0:7) deassertion 2.2 1 + ½ t21 s
1 If 1 + ½ t2 is less than the minimum specification, the maximum is 0.5 s larger than the minimum.

NI-845x SPI Advanced Programming Model

The SPI Advanced API provides a set of script commands that allow you
great flexibility to construct custom SPI transactions to address your
particular needs. For example, you can use scripting in the following
scenarios:
• Executing individual byte transfers on the bus, with or without variable
delays in between, so that you can observe device response.
• Issuing a transaction to a device and measuring its responses (using
NI 845x DIO pins configured for input) at multiple points within the
transaction.
• Doing performance testing, in which you see how a device responds to
a variable delay, clock rate change, etc. between each byte transfer
within a transaction.
• Gang programming a set of EEPROMs, then verifying the data by
reading from each one afterwards.
• Communicating with devices that have an active high chip select line.

When you use the SPI Advanced API, the first step is to create a script that
describes the communication between an SPI master and an SPI slave
device. Then you execute the script and extract the read data if needed. The
script size is limited only by the amount of memory available on your PC.
The number of read commands, SPI Script Write Read, SPI Script DIO
Read Port, and SPI Script DIO Read Line within each script is limited to 64.

© National Instruments Corporation 8-3 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 8 Using the NI-845x SPI API

The diagram in Figure 8-3 describes an example of programming with the

scripting functions for the NI-845x SPI Advanced API. The diagram is
followed by a description of each step in the model.

Script: Enable SPI

Script: Configure Phase,

Polarity, Clock Rate

Script: Chip Select Low

Script: Write Read

Script: Chip Select High

Script: Disable SPI

Run Script

Extract Read Data

Figure 8-3. Scripting Functions Programming Example

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 Chapter 8 Using the NI-845x SPI API

Script: Enable SPI

Use NI-845x SPI Script Enable SPI.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xSpiScriptEnableSPI in other languages to add an SPI Script
Enable SPI command to the SPI script. This command switches the pins on
the SPI port you specify when you run the script from tristate to master
mode function.

Script: Configure Phase, Polarity, Clock Rate

Use NI-845x SPI Script Clock Polarity Phase.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xSpiScriptClockPolarityPhase in other languages to add an
SPI Script Clock Polarity Phase command to the SPI script. This command
sets the SPI clock idle state (CPOL) and clock edge position within each
data bit (CPHA) for the SPI port you specify when you run the script.

Use NI-845x SPI Script Clock Rate.vi in LabVIEW and

ni845xSpiScriptClockRate in other languages to add an SPI Script
Clock Rate command to the SPI script. This command sets the SPI clock
rate for the SPI port you specify when you run the script.

Script: Chip Select Low

Use NI-845x SPI Script CS Low.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xSpiScriptCSLow in other languages to add an SPI Script CS Low
command to the SPI script. This command sets an SPI chip select to the
logic low state when you run the script.

Script: Write Read

Use NI-845x SPI Script Write Read.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xSpiScriptWriteRead in other languages to add an SPI Script
Write Read command to the SPI script. This command exchanges an array
of data with an SPI slave device connected to the SPI port you specify when
you run the script.

Script: Chip Select High

Use NI-845x SPI Script CS High.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xSpiScriptCSHigh in other languages to add an SPI Script CS
High command to the SPI script. This command sets an SPI chip select to
the logic high state when you run the script.

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Chapter 8 Using the NI-845x SPI API

Script: Disable SPI

Use NI-845x SPI Script Disable SPI.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xSpiScriptDisableSPI in other languages to add an SPI Script
Disable SPI command to the SPI script. This command tristates the pins on
the SPI port you specify when you run the script.

Run Script
Use NI-845x SPI Run Script.vi in LabVIEW and ni845xSpiScriptRun
in other languages to execute an SPI script on the desired device.

Extract Read Data

Use NI-845x SPI Extract Script Read Data.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData in other languages to extract the
desired read data from a previously run SPI script. Each SPI script read
command (SPI Script Read, SPI Script DIO Read Port, SPI Script DIO
Read Line) returns a script read index to be passed into the Extract Read
Data function.

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NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW
9
This chapter lists the LabVIEW VIs for the NI-845x SPI API and describes the format,
purpose, and parameters for each VI. The VIs in this chapter are listed alphabetically.

© National Instruments Corporation 9-1 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

General Device
NI-845x Close Reference.vi

Purpose
Closes a previously opened reference.

Inputs
reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device, I2C configuration, SPI
configuration, SPI stream configuration, I2C script, or SPI script.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an
error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a

LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x Close Reference.vi to close a previously opened reference.

© National Instruments Corporation 9-3 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x Device Property Node

Purpose
A property node with the NI-845x Device class preselected. This property node allows you to
modify properties of your NI 845x device.

Inputs
device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.
source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
device reference out is a reference to an NI 845x device after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a

LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
The list below describes all valid properties for the NI-845x Device Property Node.

DIO:Active Port

The DIO:Active Port property sets the active DIO port for further DIO
port configuration. The format for this property is a decimal string. For
example, the string 0 represents DIO Port 0. The default value of this
property is 0. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, the port value must
be 0.
DIO:Driver Type

The DIO:Driver Type property configures the active DIO port with the
desired driver type characteristics. DIO:Driver Type uses the following
values:
Open-Drain

The DIO driver type is configured for open-drain.

Push-Pull

The DIO driver type is configured for push-pull. The actual

voltage driven (when sourcing a high value) is determined by the
I/O Voltage Level property.

The default value of this property is Push-Pull.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine

the available driver types on your hardware.

DIO:Line Direction Map

The DIO:Line Direction Map property sets the line direction map for the
active DIO Port. The value is a bitmap that specifies the function of each
individual line within the port. If bit x = 1, line x is an output. If bit x = 0,
line x is an input.

The default value of this property is 0 (all lines configured for input).

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Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

I/O Voltage Level

The I/O Voltage Level property sets the board voltage. This property sets
the voltage for SPI, I2C, and DIO. The default value for this property is
3.3V. This property uses the following values:

3.3V

I/O Voltage is set to 3.3 V.

2.5V

I/O Voltage is set to 2.5 V.

1.8V

I/O Voltage is set to 1.8 V.

1.5V

I/O Voltage is set to 1.5 V.

1.2V

I/O Voltage is set to 1.2 V.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine

the available voltage levels on your hardware.

I2C Pullup Enable

The I2C Pullup Enable property enables or disables the internal pullup
resistors connected to SDA and SCL.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine

whether your hardware has onboard pull-up resistors.

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x Device Reference

Purpose
Specifies the device resource to be used for communication.

Description
Use the NI-845x Device Reference to describe the NI 845x device to communicate with. You
can wire the reference into a property node to set specific device parameters or to an NI-845x
API call to invoke the function on the associated NI 845x device.

© National Instruments Corporation 9-7 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

Configuration
NI-845x SPI Configuration Property Node

Purpose
A property node with the NI-845x SPI Configuration class preselected. This property node
allows you to query and modify SPI configuration properties of your NI 845x device.

Inputs
spi configuration in is a reference to a specific SPI configuration that
describes the characteristics of the device to communicate with.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
spi configuration out is a reference to a specific SPI configuration that
describes the characteristics of the device to communicate with.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
The list below describes all valid properties for the NI-845x SPI Configuration Property
Node.

Chip Select

Selects the chip select line for this configuration.

The default value for this property is 0.

Port

Specifies the SPI port that this configuration communicates across.

The default value for this property is 0.

Refer to Chapter 3, NI USB-845x Hardware Overview, to determine the

number of SPI ports your NI 845x device supports.

Clock Rate in kHz

Specifies the SPI clock rate. Refer to Chapter 3, NI USB-845x Hardware
Overview, to determine which clock rates your NI 845x device supports. If
your hardware does not support the supplied clock rate, a warning is
generated, and the next smallest supported clock rate is used. If the supplied
clock rate is smaller than the smallest supported clock rate, an error is
generated.

The default value for this property is 1000 kHz (1 MHz).

Clock Polarity
Sets the idle state of the clock line for the SPI Port. Clock Polarity uses the
following values:

0 (Idle Low)

Clock is low in the idle state.

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Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

1 (Idle High)

Clock is high in the idle state.

The default value for this property is 0 (Idle Low).

Clock Phase

Sets the positioning of the data bits relative to the clock edges for the SPI
Port. Clock Phase uses the following values:

0 (First Edge)

Data is centered on the first edge of the clock period.

1 (Second Edge)

Data is centered on the second edge of the clock period.

The default value for this property is 0 (First Edge).

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Create Configuration Reference.vi

Purpose
Creates a new NI-845x SPI configuration.

Inputs
error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an
error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
spi configuration is a reference to the newly created NI-845x SPI
configuration.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is

© National Instruments Corporation 9-11 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a

LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Create Configuration Reference.vi to create a new configuration to
use with the NI-845x SPI Basic API. Pass the reference to a property node to make the
configuration match the settings of your SPI slave. Then, pass the configuration to the SPI
basic functions to execute them on the described SPI slave. After you finish communicating
with your SPI slave, pass the reference into a new property node to reconfigure it or use
NI-845x Close Reference.vi to delete the configuration.

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

Basic
NI-845x SPI Write Read.vi

Purpose
Exchanges an array of data with an SPI slave device.

Inputs
device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

spi configuration in is a reference to a specific SPI configuration that

describes the characteristics of the device to communicate with. Connect
this configuration reference into a property node to set the specific
configuration parameters.

write data contains an array of data to write to the SPI slave.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.
source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

© National Instruments Corporation 9-13 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

Outputs
device reference out is a reference to the NI 845x device after this VI runs.

spi configuration out is a reference to the SPI configuration after this

VI runs.
read data contains an array of read data from an SPI interface.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.
source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Write Read.vi to exchange an array of data with an SPI slave device. Due
to the full-duplex nature of SPI, the size of the read data equals the size of the write data,
unless there is an error. Some SPI devices act as receivers only and require one or more
command and data bytes to be sent to them in one SPI transaction. As this is device specific,
you need to review the device datasheet to package the required commands and data into the
write data array. Other SPI devices act as transceivers. These devices can receive data much
like receiver-only devices. But they can also transmit data, which usually requires writing one
or more command bytes plus a number of bytes equal to the number of bytes desired to be
read from the device. In most cases, the values of these bytes are not important, as they serve
only to clock data out of the device. Here again, the SPI transaction formats are device
specific, so you need to review the device datasheet to package the required commands and
data into the write data array.

Before using NI-845x SPI Write Read.vi, you need to ensure that the configuration
parameters specified in spi configuration in are correct for the device you currently want to
access.

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

Advanced
NI-845x SPI Create Script Reference.vi

Purpose
Creates a new NI-845x SPI script.

Inputs
error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an
error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
spi script reference is a reference to the newly created NI-845x SPI script.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is

© National Instruments Corporation 9-15 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a

LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Create Script Reference.vi to create a new script to use with the NI-845x
SPI Advanced API. Pass the reference to SPI script functions to create the script. Then, call
NI-845x SPI Run Script.vi to execute your script on your NI 845x device. After you have
finished executing your script, use NI-845x Close Reference.vi to delete the script.

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Extract Script Read Data.vi

Purpose
Extracts the desired read data from an SPI script, referenced by spi script reference in, which
has been processed by NI-845x SPI Run Script.vi. Each script read command (NI-845x SPI
Script Write Read.vi, NI-845x SPI Script DIO Read Port.vi, NI-845x SPI Script DIO
Read Line.vi) returns a script read index. Data may be extracted for each script read index in
a script, by wiring each to a separate NI-845x SPI Extract Script Read Data.vi.

Inputs
spi script reference in is a reference to an SPI script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

script read index identifies the read in the script whose data should be
extracted.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

© National Instruments Corporation 9-17 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

Outputs
spi script reference out is a reference to an SPI script after this VI runs.

read data is the data returned for the script command specified by script
read index.
error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an
error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Extract Script Read Data.vi to extract the desired read data from an SPI
script, referenced by spi script reference in, which has been processed by NI-845x SPI Run
Script.vi. Each SPI script read command (NI-845x SPI Script Write Read.vi, NI-845x SPI
Script DIO Read Port.vi, NI-845x SPI Script DIO Read Line.vi) returns a script read
index.

Data may be extracted for each script read in different ways. For example, you can wire the
script read index output of each script read VI to its own NI-845x SPI Extract Script Read
Data.vi. You can also place NI-845x SPI Extract Script Read Data.vi in a For Loop and
wire the loop iteration terminal to the script read index input. Add one to the script read
index output of the last read and wire this value to the loop count terminal. The output of the
For Loop will be an array of read data arrays.

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Run Script.vi

Purpose
Executes an SPI script referenced by spi script reference in on the device referenced by
device reference in.

Inputs
spi script reference in is a reference to an SPI script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

port specifies the SPI port this script will run on.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
spi script reference out is a reference to the SPI script after this VI runs.

device reference out is a reference to the NI 845x device after this VI runs.

© National Instruments Corporation 9-19 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Run Script.vi to execute an SPI script referenced by spi script reference
in on the device referenced by device reference in. You must first create an SPI script using
the SPI scripting VIs. Next, wire its script reference into spi script reference in.

If you have multiple NI 845x devices installed in your system, you can select which device to
write your SPI script to by wiring its device reference to device reference in. If your NI 845x
device supports multiple SPI ports, you can also select which port to write your SPI script to.
For single SPI port NI 845x devices, you must use the default port (0). In this way, you can
create one script to run on various NI 845x devices, on various SPI ports within those devices.

NI-845x SPI Run Script.vi loads and executes your SPI script on the NI 845x device and SPI
port you specify, then returns success or error. If your script contained any read commands,
you may use NI-845x SPI Extract Script Read Data.vi to extract the read data after
executing NI-845x SPI Run Script.vi.

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Script Clock Polarity Phase.vi

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script Clock Polarity Phase command to an SPI script referenced by spi script
reference in. This command sets the SPI clock idle state (CPOL) and clock edge position
within each data bit (CPHA).

Inputs
spi script reference in is a reference to an SPI script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

clock polarity sets the idle state of the clock line. The values for clock
polarity are:

0 (Idle Low) low in idle state

1 (Idle High) high in idle state

clock phase sets the positioning of the data bits relative to the clock edges.
The values for clock phase are:

0 (First Edge) data centered on first edge of clock period

1 (Second Edge) data centered on second edge of clock period

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.
code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0
means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is

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Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a

LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
spi script reference out is a reference to the SPI script after this VI runs.
error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an
error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Script Clock Polarity Phase.vi to add an SPI Script Clock Polarity Phase
command to an SPI script referenced by spi script reference in. This command sets the SPI
clock idle state (CPOL) and clock edge position within each data bit (CPHA) for the SPI port
you specify when you use NI-845x SPI Run Script.vi to execute the script.

Clock polarity sets the idle state of the SPI clock line. The default (0) sets the clock line to
idle at a low logic level. Setting the clock polarity to 1 sets the clock line to idle at a high logic
level. Clock phase sets the SPI clock edge on which the NI 845x SPI port centers each MOSI
data bit. The default (0) centers each MOSI data bit on the first edge of each clock cycle.
Setting the clock phase to 1 causes each MOSI data bit to be centered on the second edge of
each clock cycle.

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Script Clock Rate.vi

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script Clock Rate command to an SPI script referenced by spi script reference
in. This command sets the SPI clock rate.

Inputs
spi script reference in is a reference to an SPI script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

clock rate in kHz specifies the SPI clock rate. Refer to Chapter 3,
NI USB-845x Hardware Overview, which clock rates your NI 845x device
supports.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
spi script reference out is a reference to the SPI script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

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Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Script Clock Rate.vi to add an SPI Script Clock Rate command to an SPI
script referenced by spi script reference in. This command sets the SPI clock rate for the SPI
port you specify when you use NI-845x SPI Run Script.vi to execute the script. The NI 845x
device can clock data only at specific rates. If the selected rate is not one of the rates your
hardware supports, the NI-845x software adjusts it down to a supported rate and generates a
warning. If the selected rate is lower than all supported rates, an error is generated.

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Script CS High.vi

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script CS High command to an SPI script referenced by spi script reference in.
This command sets an SPI chip select to the logic high state.

Inputs
spi script reference in is a reference to an SPI script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

chip select specifies the chip select to set high.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
spi script reference out is a reference to the SPI script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

© National Instruments Corporation 9-25 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Script CS High.vi to add an SPI Script CS High command to an SPI
script referenced by spi script reference in. This command sets an SPI chip select to the
logic high state.

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Script CS Low.vi

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script CS Low command to an SPI script referenced by spi script reference in.
This command sets an SPI chip select to the logic low state.

Inputs
spi script reference in is a reference to an SPI script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

chip select specifies the chip select to set low.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
spi script reference out is a reference to the SPI script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

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Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Script CS Low.vi to add an SPI Script CS Low command to an SPI
script referenced by spi script reference in. This command sets an SPI chip select to the
logic low state.

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Script Delay.vi

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script Delay command to an SPI script referenced by spi script reference in.
This command adds a delay after the previous SPI script command.

Inputs
spi script reference in is a reference to an SPI script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

delay in milliseconds specifies the desired delay.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
spi script reference out is a reference to the SPI script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0
means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute

© National Instruments Corporation 9-29 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI

executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Script Delay.vi to add an SPI Script Delay command to an SPI script
referenced by spi script reference in. This command adds a delay after the previous SPI
script command.

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Script DIO Configure Line.vi

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script DIO Configure Line command to an SPI script referenced by spi script
reference in. This command configures a DIO line on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
spi script reference in is a reference to an SPI script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

port number specifies the DIO port that contains the line number.

line number specifies the DIO line to configure.

configuration specifies the line configuration. configuration uses the

following values:

input The line is configured for input.

output The line is configured for output.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an
error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.
source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

© National Instruments Corporation 9-31 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

Outputs
spi script reference out is a reference to the SPI script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Script DIO Configure Line.vi to add an SPI Script DIO Configure Line
command to an SPI script referenced by spi script reference in. This command allows you
to configure one line, specified by line number, of a byte-wide DIO port, as in input or
output. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the port number input to select the
desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, port number must be left at the default
(0).

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Script DIO Configure Port.vi

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script DIO Configure Port command to an SPI script referenced by spi script
reference in. This command configures a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
spi script reference in is a reference to an SPI script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

port number specifies the DIO port to configure.

configuration value is a bitmap that specifies the function of each

individual line of a port. If bit x = 1, line x is an output. If bit x = 0,
line x is an input.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

© National Instruments Corporation 9-33 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

Outputs
spi script reference out is a reference to the SPI script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Script DIO Configure Port.vi to add an SPI Script DIO Configure Port
command to an SPI script referenced by spi script reference in. This command allows
you to configure all eight lines of a byte-wide DIO port. Setting a bit to 1 configures the
corresponding DIO port line for output. Setting a bit to 0 configures the corresponding port
line for input. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the port number input to
select the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, port number must be left at
the default (0).

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Script DIO Read Line.vi

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script DIO Read Line command to an SPI script referenced by spi script
reference in. This command reads from a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
spi script reference in is a reference to an SPI script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

port number specifies the DIO port that contains the line number.

line number specifies the DIO line to read.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

© National Instruments Corporation 9-35 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

Outputs
spi script reference out is a reference to the SPI script after this VI runs.

script read index is the index of the read command within the script. It is
used as an input into NI-845x SPI Extract Script Read Data.vi.
error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an
error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Script DIO Read Line.vi to add an SPI Script DIO Read command to an
SPI script referenced by spi script reference in. This command allows you to read one line,
specified by line number, of a byte-wide DIO port. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO
ports, use the port number input to select the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO
port, port number must be left at the default (0).

To obtain the logic level read from the specified DIO port line, wire script read index to
NI-845x SPI Extract Script Read Data.vi after script execution. If NI-845x SPI Extract
Script Read Data.vi returns 0, the logic level read on the specified line was low. If
NI-845x SPI Extract Script Read Data.vi returns 1, the logic level read on the specified
line was high.

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Script DIO Read Port.vi

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script DIO Read Port command to an SPI script referenced by spi script
reference in. This command reads from a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
spi script reference in is a reference to an SPI script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

port number specifies the DIO port to read.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
spi script reference out is a reference to the SPI script after this VI runs.

script read index is the index of the read command within the script. It is
used as an input into NI-845x SPI Extract Script Read Data.vi.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

© National Instruments Corporation 9-37 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Script DIO Read Port.vi to add an SPI Script DIO Read Port command
to an SPI script referenced by spi script reference in. This command allows you to read all
8 bits on a byte-wide DIO port. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the port
number input to select the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, port number
must be left at the default (0).

To obtain the data byte read from the specified DIO port, wire script read index to NI-845x
SPI Extract Script Read Data.vi after script execution, which returns the data byte read by
this script command.

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Script DIO Write Line.vi

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script DIO Write Line command to an SPI script referenced by spi script
reference in. This command writes to a DIO line on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
spi script reference in is a reference to an SPI script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

port number specifies the DIO port that contains the line number.

line number specifies the DIO line to write.

write value specifies the value to write to the line. write value uses the
following values:

0 (Logic Low) The line is set to the logic low state.

1 (Logic High) The line is set to the logic high state.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.
source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

© National Instruments Corporation 9-39 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

Outputs
spi script reference out is a reference to the SPI script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Script DIO Write Line.vi to add an SPI Script DIO Write command to an
SPI script referenced by spi script reference in. This command allows you to write one line,
specified by line number, of a byte-wide DIO port. If write value is 1, the specified line’s
output is driven to a high logic level. If write value is 0, the specified line’s output is driven
to a low logic level. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the port number input
to select the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, port number must be left
at the default (0).

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Script DIO Write Port.vi

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script DIO Write Port command to an SPI script referenced by spi script
reference in. This command writes to a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
spi script reference in is a reference to an SPI script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

port number specifies the DIO port to write.

write value is the value to write to the DIO port. Only lines configured for
output are updated.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

© National Instruments Corporation 9-41 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

Outputs
spi script reference out is a reference to the SPI script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Script DIO Write Port.vi to add an SPI Script DIO Write Port command
to an SPI script referenced by spi script reference in. This command allows you to write all
8 bits on a byte-wide DIO port. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the port
number input to select the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, port number
must be left at the default (0).

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Script Disable SPI.vi

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script Disable SPI command to an SPI script referenced by spi script reference
in. This command tristates the pins on an SPI port specified using NI-845x SPI Run
Script.vi. It also tristates all chip select pins.

Inputs
spi script reference in is a reference to an SPI script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
spi script reference out is a reference to the SPI script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

© National Instruments Corporation 9-43 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Script Disable SPI.vi to add an SPI Script Disable SPI command to an SPI
script referenced by spi script reference in. This command tristates the pins on the SPI port
you specify when you use NI-845x SPI Run Script.vi. All chip select pins are also tristated.

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Script Enable SPI.vi

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script Enable SPI command to an SPI script referenced by spi script reference
in. This command switches the pins on an SPI port specified using NI-845x SPI Run
Script.vi to master mode function. All chip select pins are switched from tristate to push-pull
output driven high.

Inputs
spi script reference in is a reference to an SPI script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
spi script reference out is a reference to the SPI script after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

© National Instruments Corporation 9-45 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Script Enable SPI.vi to add an SPI Script Enable SPI command to an SPI
script referenced by spi script reference in. This command switches the pins on the SPI port
you specify when you use NI-845x SPI Run Script.vi, from tristate to master mode function.

Also, all chip select pins are switched from tristate to push-pull output driven high. It is
important to keep this in mind if you are creating a script to access a device with an active
high chip select input. You need to enable SPI and write the device chip select low until you
want to access it, at which time you set the chip select high, perform the write/read, and then
set the chip select low.

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 Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Script Write Read.vi

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script Write Read command to an SPI script referenced by spi script reference
in. This command exchanges an array of data with an SPI slave device.

Inputs
spi script reference in is a reference to an SPI script that is run on an
NI 845x device.

write data contains an array of data to write to the SPI slave.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
spi script reference out is a reference to the SPI script after this VI runs.

script read index is the index of the write/read command within the script.
It is used as an input into NI-845x SPI Extract Script Read Data.vi.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

© National Instruments Corporation 9-47 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 9 NI-845x SPI API for LabVIEW

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Script Write Read.vi to add an SPI Script Write Read command to an SPI
script referenced by spi script reference in. This command exchanges an array of data with
an SPI slave device connected to the SPI port you specify when you use NI-845x SPI Run
Script.vi to execute the script.

Due to the full-duplex nature of SPI, the size of the read data equals the size of the write data,
unless there is an error. Some SPI devices act as receivers only and require one or more
command and data bytes to be sent to them in one SPI transaction. As this is device specific,
you need to review the device datasheet to package the required commands and data into the
write data array. Other SPI devices act as transceivers. These devices can receive data much
like receiver-only devices. But they can also transmit data, which usually requires writing one
or more command bytes plus a number of bytes equal to the number of bytes desired to be
read from the device. In most cases, the values of these bytes are not important, as they serve
only to clock data out of the device. Here again, the SPI transaction formats are device
specific, so you need to review the device datasheet to package the required commands and
data into the write data array.

To obtain the data read from the specified SPI port, wire script read index to NI-845x SPI
Extract Script Read Data.vi after script execution, which returns the data read by this script
command.

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NI-845x SPI API for C
10
This chapter lists the functions for the NI-845x SPI API for C and describes the format,
purpose, and parameters for each function. The functions are listed alphabetically in four
categories: general device, configuration, basic, and advanced.

Section Headings
The NI-845x SPI API for C functions include the following section headings.

Purpose
Each function description includes a brief statement of the function purpose.

Format
The format section describes the function format for the C programming language.

Inputs and Outputs

These sections list the function input and output parameters.

Description
The description section gives details about the purpose and effect of each function.

Data Types
The NI-845x SPI API for C functions use the following data types.

Data Type Purpose

uInt8 8-bit unsigned integer
uInt16 16-bit unsigned integer
uInt32 32-bit unsigned integer
int8 8-bit signed integer

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

Data Type Purpose

int16 16-bit signed integer
int32 32-bit signed integer
uInt8 * Pointer to an 8-bit unsigned integer
uInt16 * Pointer to a 16-bit unsigned integer
uInt32 * Pointer to a 32-bit unsigned integer
int8 * Pointer to an 8-bit signed integer
int16 * Pointer to a 16-bit signed integer
int32 * Pointer to a 32-bit signed integer
char * ASCII string represented as an array of characters terminated
by null character ('\0')

List of Functions
The following table contains an alphabetical list of the NI-845x SPI API for C functions.

Function Purpose
ni845xClose Closes a previously opened NI 845x device.
ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle Closes the handles created by
ni845xFindDevice.

ni845xDeviceLock Locks NI 845x devices for access by a

single thread.
ni845xDeviceUnlock Unlocks NI 845x devices.
ni845xFindDevice Finds an NI 845x device and returns the
total number of NI 845x devices present.
You can find subsequent devices using
ni845xFindDeviceNext.

ni845xFindDeviceNext Finds subsequent devices after

ni845xFindDevice has been called.

ni845xOpen Opens an NI 845x device for use with

various write, read, and device property
functions.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

Function Purpose
ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel Sets the voltage level of the NI-845x I/O
pins (DIO/SPI/VioRef).
ni845xSpiConfigurationClose Closes a previously opened configuration.
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetChipSelect Retrieves the configuration chip select
value.
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockPhase Retrieves the configuration clock phase.
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockPolarity Retrieves the configuration clock polarity.
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockRate Retrieves the configuration clock rate in
kilohertz.
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetPort Retrieves the configuration port value.
ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen Creates a new NI-845x SPI configuration.
ni845xSpiConfigurationSetChipSelect Sets the configuration chip select.
ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockPhase Sets the configuration clock phase.
ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockPolarity Sets the configuration clock polarity.
ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockRate Sets the configuration clock rate in
kilohertz.
ni845xSpiConfigurationSetPort Sets the configuration port number.
ni845xSpiScriptClockPolarityPhase Adds an SPI Script Clock Polarity Phase
command to an SPI script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command sets the
SPI clock idle state (CPOL) and clock edge
position within each data bit (CPHA).
ni845xSpiScriptClockRate Adds an SPI Script Clock Rate
command to an SPI script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command sets the
SPI clock rate in kilohertz.
ni845xSpiScriptClose Closes a previously opened script handle.
ni845xSpiScriptCSHigh Adds an SPI Script CS High command to an
SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command sets an SPI chip select to the
logic high state.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

Function Purpose
ni845xSpiScriptCSLow Adds an SPI Script CS Low command to an
SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command sets an SPI chip select to the
logic low state.
ni845xSpiScriptDelay Adds an SPI Script Delay command to an
SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command adds a delay after the
previous SPI script command.
ni845xSpiScriptDioConfigureLine Adds an SPI Script DIO Configure Line
command to an SPI script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command configures
a DIO line on an NI 845x device.
ni845xSpiScriptDioConfigurePort Adds an SPI Script DIO Configure Port
command to an SPI script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command configures
a DIO port on an NI 845x device.
ni845xSpiScriptDioReadLine Adds an SPI Script DIO Read Line
command to an SPI script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command reads from
a DIO line on an NI 845x device.
ni845xSpiScriptDioReadPort Adds an SPI Script DIO Read Port
command to an SPI script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command reads from
a DIO port on an NI 845x device.
ni845xSpiScriptDioWriteLine Adds an SPI Script DIO Write Line
command to an SPI script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command writes to a
DIO line on an NI 845x device.
ni845xSpiScriptDioWritePort Adds an SPI Script DIO Write Port
command to an SPI script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command writes to a
DIO port on an NI 845x device.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

Function Purpose
ni845xSpiScriptDisableSPI Adds an SPI Script Disable SPI
command to an SPI script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command tristates
the pins on an SPI port specified using
ni845xSpiScriptRun. It also tristates all
chip select pins.
ni845xSpiScriptEnableSPI Adds an SPI Script Enable SPI
command to an SPI script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command switches
the pins on an SPI port specified using
ni845xSpiScriptRun to master mode
function. All chip select pins are switched
from tristate to push-pull output driven
high.
ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData Extracts the desired read data from
an SPI script, referenced by
ScriptHandle, which has been
processed by ni845xSpiScriptRun.
Each script read command
(ni845xSpiScriptWriteRead,
ni845xSpiScriptDioReadPort,
ni845xSpiScriptDioReadLine)
returns a script read index. You can extract
data for each script read index in a script, by
passing each index to a separate call of
ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData.

ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadDataSize Retrieves the read data size from

an SPI script, referenced by
ScriptHandle, which has been
processed by ni845xSpiScriptRun.
Each script read command
(ni845xSpiScriptWriteRead,
ni845xSpiScriptDioReadPort,
ni845xSpiScriptDioReadLine)
returns a script read index. You can
extract data for each script read index
in a script, by passing each index to
ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData.

ni845xSpiScriptOpen Creates a new NI-845x SPI script.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

Function Purpose
ni845xSpiScriptReset Resets an SPI script referenced by
ScriptHandle to an empty state.

ni845xSpiScriptRun Sends the SPI script to the desired NI 845x

device, which then interprets and runs it.
ni845xSpiScriptWriteRead Adds an SPI Script Write Read
command to an SPI script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command exchanges
an array of data with an SPI slave device.
ni845xSpiWriteRead Exchanges an array of data with an SPI
slave device.
ni845xStatusToString Converts a status code into a descriptive
string.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

General Device
ni845xClose

Purpose
Closes a previously opened NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xClose(uInt32 DeviceHandle);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle to be closed.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xClose to close a device handle previously opened by ni845xOpen. Passing an
invalid handle to ni845xClose is ignored.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle

Purpose
Closes the handles created by ni845xFindDevice.

Format
int32 ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle (
uInt32 FindDeviceHandle
);

Inputs
uInt32 FindDeviceHandle
Describes a find list. ni845xFindDevice creates this parameter.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle to close a find list. In this process, all allocated data
structures are freed.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xDeviceLock

Purpose
Locks NI 845x devices for access by a single thread.

Format
int32 ni845xDeviceLock(uInt32 DeviceHandle);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle to be locked.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
This function locks NI 845x devices and prevents multiple processes or threads from
accessing the device until the process or thread that owns the device lock calls an equal
number of ni845xDeviceUnlock calls. Any thread or process that attempts to call
ni845xDeviceLock when the device is already locked is forced to sleep by the
operating system. This is useful for when multiple Basic API device accesses must occur
uninterrupted by any other processes or threads. If a thread exits without fully unlocking
the device, the device is unlocked. If a thread is the current owner of the lock, and calls
ni845xDeviceLock again, the thread will not deadlock itself, but care must be taken to call
ni845xDeviceUnlock for every ni845xDeviceLock called. This function can possibly
lock a device indefinitely: If a thread never calls ni845xDeviceUnlock, or fails to call
ni845xDeviceUnlock for every ni845xDeviceLock call, and never exits, other processes
and threads are forced to wait. This is not recommended for users unfamiliar with threads or
processes. A simpler alternative is to use scripts. Scripts provide the same capability to ensure
transfers are uninterrupted, and with possible performance benefits.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xDeviceUnlock

Purpose
Unlocks NI 845x devices.

Format
int32 ni845xDeviceUnlock(uInt32 DeviceHandle);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle to be unlocked.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xDeviceUnlock to unlock access to an NI 845x device previously locked with
ni845xDeviceLock. Every call to ni845xDeviceLock must have a corresponding call to
ni845xDeviceUnlock. Refer to ni845xDeviceLock for more details regarding how to
use device locks.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xFindDevice

Purpose
Finds an NI 845x device and returns the total number of NI 845x devices present. You can find
subsequent devices using ni845xFindDeviceNext.

Format
int32 ni845xFindDevice (
char * pFirstDevice,
uInt32 * pFindDeviceHandle,
uInt32 * pNumberFound
);

Inputs
None.

Outputs
char * pFirstDevice
A pointer to the string containing the first NI 845x device found. You can pass this name
to the ni845xOpen function to open the device. If no devices exist, this is an empty
string.

uInt32 * pFindDeviceHandle
Returns a handle identifying this search session. This handle is used as an input in
ni845xFindDeviceNext and ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle.

uInt32 * pNumberFound
A pointer to the total number of NI 845x devices found in the system. You can use this
number in conjunction with the ni845xFindDeviceNext function to find a particular
device. If no devices exist, this returns 0.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xFindDevice to get a single NI 845x device and the number of NI 845x devices
in the system. You can then pass the string returned to ni845xOpen to access the device. If
you must discover more devices, use ni845xFindDeviceNext with pFindDeviceHandle

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

and pNumberFound to find the remaining NI 845x devices in the system. After finding all
desired devices, call ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle to close the device handle and
relinquish allocated resources.

Note pFirstDevice must be at least 256 bytes.

Note pFindDeviceHandle and pNumberFound are optional parameters. If only the first
match is important, and the total number of matches is not needed, you can pass in a NULL
pointer for both of these parameters, and the NI-845x driver automatically calls
ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle before this function returns.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xFindDeviceNext

Purpose
Finds subsequent devices after ni845xFindDevice has been called.

Format
int32 ni845xFindDeviceNext (
uInt32 FindDeviceHandle,
char * pNextDevice
);

Inputs
uInt32 FindDeviceHandle
Describes a find list. ni845xFindDevice creates this parameter.

Outputs
char * pNextDevice
A pointer to the string containing the next NI 845x device found. This is empty if no
further devices are left.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xFindDeviceNext after first calling ni845xFindDevice to find the remaining
devices in the system. You can then pass the string returned to ni845xOpen to access the
device.

Note pNextDevice must be at least 256 bytes.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xOpen

Purpose
Opens an NI 845x device for use with various write, read, and device property functions.

Format
int32 ni845xOpen (
char * pResourceName,
uInt32 * pDeviceHandle
);

Inputs
char * pResourceName
A resource name string corresponding to the NI 845x device to be opened.

Outputs
uInt32 * pDeviceHandle
A pointer to the device handle.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xOpen to open an NI 845x device for access. The string passed to
ni845xOpen can be any of the following: an ni845xFindDevice device string, an
ni845xFindDeviceNext device string, a Measurement & Automation Explorer resource
name, or a Measurement & Automation Explorer alias.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel

Purpose
Modifies the voltage output from a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt8 VoltageLevel
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt8 VoltageLevel
The desired voltage level. VoltageLevel uses the following values:
• kNi845x33Volts (33): The output I/O high level is 3.3 V.
• kNi845x25Volts (25): The output I/O high level is 2.5 V.
• kNi845x18Volts (18): The output I/O high level is 1.8 V.
• kNi845x15Volts (15): The output I/O high level is 1.5 V.
• kNi845x12Volts (12): The output I/O high level is 1.2 V.

The default value of this property is 3.3 V.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel to modify the board reference voltage of the NI 845x
device. The board reference voltage is used for SPI, I2C, and DIO. Refer to Appendix A,
NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine the available voltage levels on your
hardware.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xStatusToString

Purpose
Converts a status code into a descriptive string.

Format
void ni845xStatusToString (
int32 StatusCode,
uInt32 MaxSize,
int8 * pStatusString
);

Inputs
int32 StatusCode
Status code returned from an NI-845x function.

uInt32 MaxSize
Size of the pStatusString buffer (in bytes).

Outputs
int8 * pStatusString
ASCII string that describes StatusCode.

Description
When the status code returned from an NI-845x function is nonzero, an error or warning is
indicated. This function obtains a description of the error/warning for debugging purposes.

The return code is passed into the StatusCode parameter. The MaxSize parameter
indicates the number of bytes available in pStatusString for the description (including
the NULL character). The description is truncated to size MaxSize if needed, but a size of
1024 characters is large enough to hold any description. The text returned in String is
null-terminated, so you can use it with ANSI C functions such as printf.

For applications written in C or C++, each NI-845x function returns a status code as a signed
32-bit integer. The following table summarizes the NI-845x use of this status.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

NI-845x Status Codes

Status Code Meaning

Negative Error—Function did not perform expected behavior.
Positive Warning—Function executed, but a condition arose that may
require attention.
Zero Success—Function completed successfully.

The application code should check the status returned from every NI-845x function. If an
error is detected, you should close all NI-845x handles, then exit the application. If a warning
is detected, you can display a message for debugging purposes, or simply ignore the warning.

In some situations, you may want to check for specific errors in the code and continue
communication when they occur. For example, when communicating to an I2C EEPROM,
you may expect the device to NAK its address during a write cycle, and you may use this
knowledge to poll for when the write cycle has completed.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

Configuration
ni845xSpiConfigurationClose

Purpose
Closes a previously opened configuration.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiConfigurationClose (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiConfigurationClose to close a previously opened configuration handle.
Invalid configuration handles are ignored.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiConfigurationGetChipSelect

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration chip select value.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiConfigurationGetChipSelect (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt32 * pChipSelect
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
uInt32 * pChipSelect
A pointer to an unsigned 32-bit integer to store the chip select value in.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiConfigurationGetChipSelect to retrieve the chip select stored in the
configuration.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockPhase

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration clock phase.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockPhase (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
int32 * pClockPhase
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
int32 * pClockPhase
A pointer to an integer to store the clock phase in. pClockPhase uses the following
values:
• kNi845xSpiClockPhaseFirstEdge (0): Data is centered on the first edge of the
clock period.
• kNi845xSpiClockPhaseSecondEdge (1): Data is centered on the second edge of
the clock period.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockPhase to retrieve the value of the clock phase
that ConfigurationHandle uses.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockPolarity

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration clock polarity.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockPolarity (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
int32 * pClockPolarity
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
int32 * pClockPolarity
A pointer to an integer to store the clock polarity in. pClockPolarity uses the
following values:
• kNi845xSpiClockPolarityIdleLow (0): Clock is low in the idle state.
• kNi845xSpiClockPolarityIdleHigh (1): Clock is high in the idle state.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockPolarity to retrieve the value of the clock
polarity that the ConfigurationHandle uses to communicate with.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockRate

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration clock rate in kilohertz.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockRate (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt16 * pClockRate
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
uInt16 * pClockRate
A pointer to an unsigned 16-bit integer to store the clock rate in.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockRate to retrieve the SPI clock rate in kilohertz
that the ConfigurationHandle runs at.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiConfigurationGetPort

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration port value.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiConfigurationGetPort (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 * pPort
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
uInt8 * pPort
A pointer to an unsigned byte to store the port value in.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiConfigurationGetPort to retrieve the SPI port that the
ConfigurationHandle communicates across.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen

Purpose
Creates a new NI-845x SPI configuration.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen (
uInt32 * pConfigurationHandle
);

Inputs
None.

Outputs
uInt32 * pConfigurationHandle
A pointer to an unsigned 32-bit integer to store the configuration handle in.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen to create a new configuration to use with the NI-845x
SPI Basic API. Pass the configuration handle to the ni845xSpiConfigurationSet* series
of functions to make the configuration match the settings of your SPI slave. Then, pass the
configuration handle to the SPI basic functions to execute them on the described SPI slave.
After you finish communicating with your SPI slave, pass the configuration handle to the
ni845xSpiConfigurationSet* series of functions to reconfigure it or use
ni845xSpiConfigurationClose to delete the configuration.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiConfigurationSetChipSelect

Purpose
Sets the configuration chip select.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiConfigurationSetChipSelect (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt32 ChipSelect
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen.

uInt32 ChipSelect
Selects the chip select line for this configuration.
The default value for the chip select is 0.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiConfigurationSetChipSelect to select the chip select where the SPI
slave device resides.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockPhase

Purpose
Sets the configuration clock phase.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiSetConfigurationClockPhase (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
int32 ClockPhase
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen.

int32 ClockPhase
Sets the positioning of the data bits relative to the clock edges for the SPI Port.
ClockPhase uses the following values:
• kNi845xSpiClockPhaseFirstEdge (0): Data is centered on the first edge of the
clock period.
• kNi845xSpiClockPhaseSecondEdge (1): Data is centered on the second edge of
the clock period.
The default value for this property is kNi845xSpiClockPhaseFirstEdge.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockPhase to set the clock phase to use when
communicating with an SPI slave device.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockPolarity

Purpose
Sets the configuration clock polarity.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockPolarity (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
int32 ClockPolarity
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen.

int32 ClockPolarity
Sets the clock line idle state for the SPI Port. ClockPolarity uses the following values:
• kNi845xSpiClockPolarityIdleLow (0): Clock is low in the idle state.
• kNi845xSpiClockPolarityIdleHigh (1): Clock is high in the idle state.
The default value for this property is kNi845xSpiClockPolarityIdleLow.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockPolarity to set the clock polarity to use when
communicating with the SPI slave device.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockRate

Purpose
Sets the configuration clock rate in kilohertz.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockRate (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt16 ClockRate
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen.

uInt16 ClockRate
Specifies the SPI clock rate. Refer to Chapter 3, NI USB-845x Hardware Overview, to
determine which clock rates your NI 845x device supports. If your hardware does not
support the supplied clock rate, a warning is generated, and the next smallest supported
clock rate is used.
If the supplied clock rate is smaller than the smallest supported clock rate, an error is
generated.
The default value for the clock rate is 1000 kHz (1 MHz).

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockRate to set the SPI configuration clock rate in
kilohertz.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiConfigurationSetPort

Purpose
Sets the configuration port number.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiConfigurationSetPort (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 Port
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen.

uInt8 Port
Specifies the SPI port that this configuration communicates across.
Refer to Chapter 3, NI USB-845x Hardware Overview, to determine the number of SPI
ports your NI 845x device supports.
The default value for the port number is 0.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiConfigurationSetPort to select the SPI port where the SPI slave resides.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

Basic
ni845xSpiWriteRead

Purpose
Exchanges an array of data with an SPI slave device.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiWriteRead (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt32 WriteSize,
uInt8 * pWriteData,
uInt32 * pReadSize,
uInt8 * pReadData
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen.

uInt32 WriteSize
The number of bytes to write. This must be nonzero.

uInt8 * pWriteData
The data bytes to be written.

Outputs
uInt32 * pReadSize
A pointer to the amount of bytes read.

uInt8 * pReadData
A pointer to an array of bytes where the bytes that have been read are stored.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiWriteRead to exchange an array of data with an SPI slave device. Due to
the full-duplex nature of SPI, the read data size equals the write data size, unless there is an
error. Some SPI devices act as receivers only and require one or more command and data
bytes to be sent to them in one SPI transaction. As this is device specific, you must review
the device datasheet to package the required commands and data into the write data array.
Other SPI devices act as transceivers. These devices can receive data much like receiver-only
devices. But they can also transmit data, which usually requires writing one or more command
bytes plus a number of bytes equal to the number of bytes desired to be read from the device.
In most cases, the values of these bytes are not important, as they serve only to clock data out
of the device. Here again, the SPI transaction formats are device specific, so you must review
the device datasheet to package the required commands and data into the write data array.

Before using ni845xSpiWriteRead, you must ensure that the configuration parameters
specified in ConfigurationHandle are correct for the device you currently want to access.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

Advanced
ni845xSpiScriptClockPolarityPhase

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script Clock Polarity Phase command to an SPI script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command sets the SPI clock idle state (CPOL) and clock edge
position within each data bit (CPHA).

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptClockPolarityPhase (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
int32 Polarity,
int32 Phase
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

int32 Polarity
The clock line idle state for the SPI Port. Polarity uses the following values:
• kNi845xSpiClockPolarityIdleLow (0): Clock is low in the idle state.
• kNi845xSpiClockPolarityIdleHigh (1): Clock is high in the idle state.

int32 Phase
The positioning of the data bits relative to the clock edges for the SPI Port. Phase uses
the following values:
• kNi845xSpiClockPhaseFirstEdge (0): Data is centered on the first edge of the
clock period.
• kNi845xSpiClockPhaseSecondEdge (1): Data is centered on the second edge of
the clock period.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptClockPolarityPhase to add an SPI Script Clock Polarity Phase
command to an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command sets the SPI clock
idle state (CPOL) and clock edge position within each data bit (CPHA) for the SPI port
you specify when you use ni845xSpiScriptRun to execute the script. Polarity
sets SPI clock line idle state. The default (kNi845xSpiClockPolarityIdleLow)
sets the clock line to idle at a low logic level. Setting the clock polarity to
kNi845xSpiClockPolarityIdleHigh sets the clock line to idle at a high logic level.
Phase sets the SPI clock edge on which the NI-845x SPI port centers each MOSI data bit.
The default (kNi845xSpiClockPhaseFirstEdge) centers each MOSI data bit on the first
edge of each clock cycle. Setting the clock phase to kNi845xSpiClockPhaseSecondEdge
causes each MOSI data bit to be centered on the second edge of each clock cycle.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiScriptClockRate

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script Clock Rate command to an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle. This
command sets the SPI clock rate in kilohertz.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptClockRate (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt16 ClockRate
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

uInt16 ClockRate
The SPI clock rate in kilohertz. Refer to Chapter 3, NI USB-845x Hardware Overview,
to determine which clock rates your NI 845x device supports.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptClockRate to add an SPI Script Clock Rate command to an SPI
script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command sets the SPI clock rate for the SPI port
you specify when you use ni845xSpiScriptRun to execute the script. The NI 845x device
can clock data only at specific rates. If the selected rate is not one of the rates your hardware
supports, the NI-845x software adjusts it down to a supported rate and generates a warning.
If the selected rate is lower than all supported rates, an error is generated.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiScriptClose

Purpose
Closes a previously opened script handle.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptClose (uInt32 ScriptHandle);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptClose to close a previously opened reference.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiScriptCSHigh

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script CS High command to an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle. This
command sets an SPI chip select to the logic high state.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptCSHigh (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt32 ChipSelectNum
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

uInt32 ChipSelect
The chip select to set high.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptCSHigh to add an SPI Script CS High command to an SPI script
referenced by ScriptHandle. This command sets an SPI chip select to the logic high state.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiScriptCSLow

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script CS Low command to an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle. This
command sets an SPI chip select to the logic low state.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptCSLow (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt32 ChipSelectNum
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

uInt32 ChipSelect
The chip select to set low.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptCSLow to add an SPI Script CS Low command to an SPI script
referenced by ScriptHandle. This command sets an SPI chip select to the logic low state.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiScriptDelay

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script Delay command to an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle. This
command adds a delay after the previous SPI script command.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptDelay (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 Delay
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

uInt8 Delay
The desired delay in milliseconds.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptDelay to add an SPI Script Delay command to an SPI script
referenced by ScriptHandle. This command adds a delay after the previous SPI script
command.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiScriptDioConfigureLine

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script DIO Configure Line command to an SPI script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command configures a DIO line on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptDioConfigureLine (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber,
uInt8 LineNumber,
int32 ConfigurationValue
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
The DIO port that contains the LineNumber.

uInt8 LineNumber
The DIO line to configure.

int32 ConfigurationValue
The line configuration. ConfigurationValue uses the following values:
• kNi845xDioInput (0): The line is configured for input.
• kNi845xDioOutput (1): The line is configured for output.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptDioConfigureLine to add an SPI Script DIO Configure Line
command to an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command allows you to
configure one line, specified by LineNumber, of a byte-wide DIO port, as an input or output.
For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the PortNumber input to select the desired
port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, leave PortNumber at the default (0).

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiScriptDioConfigurePort

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script DIO Configure Port command to an SPI script referenced by
ScriptHandle. This command configures a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptDioConfigurePort (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber,
uInt8 ConfigurationValue
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
The DIO port to configure.

uInt8 ConfigurationValue
A bitmap that specifies the function of each individual line of a port. If bit x = 1, line x is
an output. If bit x = 0, line x is an input.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptDioConfigurePort to add an SPI Script DIO Configure Port
command to an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command allows you
to configure all eight lines of a byte-wide DIO port. Setting a bit to 1 configures the
corresponding DIO port line for output. Setting a bit to 0 configures the corresponding port
line for input. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the PortNumber input to
select the port to configure. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, leave PortNumber at the
default (0).

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiScriptDioReadLine

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script DIO Read Line command to an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command reads from a DIO line on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptDioReadLine(
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber,
uInt8 LineNumber,
uInt32 * pScriptReadIndex
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
The DIO port that contains the LineNumber.

uInt8 LineNumber
The DIO line to read.

Outputs
uInt32 * pScriptReadIndex
An unsigned 32-bit integer pointer that stores the script read index. pScriptReadIndex
is the index of the read command within the script. It is used as an input into
ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptDioReadLine to add an SPI Script DIO Read command to an SPI
script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command allows you to read one line, specified by
LineNumber, of a byte-wide DIO port. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

PortNumber input to select the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, leave
PortNumber at the default (0).

To obtain the logic level read from the specified DIO port line, pass the value of
pScriptReadIndex to ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadDataSize to retrieve
the read data size and ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData after script execution.
ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData returns either kNi845xDioLogicLow if the logic
level read on the specified line was low or kNi845xDioLogicHigh if the logic level read
on the specified line was high.

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiScriptDioReadPort

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script DIO Read Port command to an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command reads from a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptDioReadPort (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber,
uInt32 * pScriptReadIndex
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
The DIO port to read.

Outputs
uInt32 * pScriptReadIndex
An unsigned 32-bit integer pointer that stores the script read index. pScriptReadIndex
is the index of the read command within the script. It is used as an input into
ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptDioReadPort to add an SPI Script DIO Read Port command to an
SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle. Use this command to read all 8 bits on a byte-wide
DIO port. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the PortNumber input to select
the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, leave PortNumber at the default (0).

To obtain the data byte read from the specified DIO port, pass the value of
pScriptReadIndex to ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadDataSize to retrieve the read
data size and ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData after script execution, which returns
the data byte read by this script command.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiScriptDioWriteLine

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script DIO Write Line command to an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command writes to a DIO line on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptDioWriteLine (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber,
uInt8 LineNumber,
int32 WriteData
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
The DIO port that contains the LineNumber.

uInt8 LineNumber
The DIO line to write.

int32 WriteData
The value to write to the line. WriteData uses the following values:
• kNi845xDioLogicLow (0): The line is set to the logic low state.
• kNi845xDioLogicHigh (1): The line is set to the logic high state.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptDioWriteLine to add an SPI Script DIO Write Line
command to an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle. Use this command to write
one line, specified by LineNumber, of a byte-wide DIO port. If WriteData is

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

kNi845xDioLogicHigh, the specified line’s output is driven to a high logic level. If

WriteData is kNi845xDioLogicLow, the specified line’s output is driven to a low logic
level. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the PortNumber input to select the
desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, leave PortNumber at the default (0).

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiScriptDioWritePort

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script DIO Write Port command to an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command writes to a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptDioWritePort (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber,
uInt8 WriteData
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
The DIO port to write.

uInt8 WriteData
The value to write to the DIO port. Only lines configured for output are updated.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptDioWritePort to add an SPI Script DIO Write Port command to an
SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle. Use this command to write all 8 bits on a byte-wide
DIO port. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the PortNumber input to select
the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, leave PortNumber at the default (0).

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ni845xSpiScriptDisableSPI

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script Disable SPI command to an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle.
This command tristates the pins on an SPI port specified using ni845xSpiScriptRun. It
also tristates all chip select pins.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptDisableSPI (
uInt32 ScriptHandle
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptDisableSPI to add an SPI Script Disable SPI command to an SPI
script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command tristates the pins on the SPI port you
specify when you use ni845xSpiScriptRun. All chip select pins are also tristated.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiScriptEnableSPI

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script Enable SPI command to an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle. This
command switches the pins on an SPI port specified using ni845xSpiScriptRun to master
mode function. All chip select pins are switched from tristate to push-pull output driven high.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptEnableSPI (
uInt32 ScriptHandle
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptEnableSPI to add an SPI Script Enable SPI command to an SPI
script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command switches the pins on the SPI port you
specify when you use ni845xSpiScriptRun, from tristate to master mode function. Also,
all chip select pins are switched from tristate to push-pull output driven high. It is important
to keep this in mind if you are creating a script to access a device with an active high chip
select input. You need to enable SPI and write the device chip select low until you want to
access it, at which time you set the chip select high, perform the write/read, and then set the
chip select low.

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ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData

Purpose
Extracts the desired read data from an SPI script, referenced by ScriptHandle,
which has been processed by ni845xSpiScriptRun. Each script read
command (ni845xSpiScriptWriteRead, ni845xSpiScriptDioReadPort,
ni845xSpiScriptDioReadLine) returns a script read index. You can extract data
for each script read index in a script, by passing each index to a separate call of
ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt32 ScriptReadIndex,
uInt8 * pReadData
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

uInt32 ScriptReadIndex
Identifies the read in the script whose data should be extracted.

Outputs
uInt8 * pReadData
The data returned for the script command specified by ScriptReadIndex.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData to extract the desired read data
from an SPI script, indicated by ScriptHandle, which has been processed by
ni845xSpiScriptRun. Each SPI script read command (ni845xSpiScriptWriteRead,
ni845xSpiScriptDioReadPort, ni845xSpiScriptDioReadLine) returns a script read
index.

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ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadDataSize

Purpose
Retrieves the read data size from an SPI script, referenced by ScriptHandle,
which has been processed by ni845xSpiScriptRun. Each script read
command (ni845xSpiScriptWriteRead, ni845xSpiScriptDioReadPort,
ni845xSpiScriptDioReadLine) returns a script read index. You can extract data
for each script read index in a script, by passing each index to
ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadDataSize (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt32 ScriptReadIndex,
uInt32 * pReadDataSize
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

uInt32 ScriptReadIndex
Identifies the read in the script whose data size should be extracted.

Outputs
uInt32 * pReadDataSize
Stores the read data buffer size at the given index.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadDataSize to retrieve the desired read data
size from an SPI script, indicated by ScriptHandle, which has been processed by
ni845xSpiScriptRun. Each SPI script read command (ni845xSpiScriptWriteRead,
ni845xSpiScriptDioReadPort, ni845xSpiScriptDioReadLine) returns a script read
index.

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ni845xSpiScriptOpen

Purpose
Creates a new NI-845x SPI script.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptOpen (uInt32 * pScriptHandle);

Inputs
None.

Outputs
uInt32 * pScriptHandle
A pointer to an unsigned 32-bit integer to store the new script handle in.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptOpen to create a new script to use with the NI-845x SPI
Advanced API. Pass the reference to SPI script functions to create the script. Then, call
ni845xSpiScriptRun to execute your script on your NI 845x device. After you finish
executing your script, use ni845xSpiScriptClose to delete the script.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiScriptReset

Purpose
Resets an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle to an empty state.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptReset (uInt32 ScriptHandle);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptReset to reset a script to an empty state. Any commands or read data
stored in the script are deleted.

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ni845xSpiScriptRun

Purpose
Sends the SPI script to the desired NI 845x device, which then interprets and runs it.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptRun (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
The SPI port this script runs on.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptRun to execute an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle on the
device referenced by DeviceHandle. You must first create an SPI script using the SPI
scripting functions. Next, pass the script handle into ScriptHandle. If you have multiple
NI 845x devices installed in your system, you can select which device to write your SPI script
to by passing its handle into DeviceHandle. If your NI 845x device supports multiple SPI
ports, you can also select which port to write your SPI script to. For single SPI port NI 845x
devices, you must use the default port (0). In this way, you can create one script to run on
various NI 845x devices, on various SPI ports within those devices. ni845xSpiScriptRun
loads and executes your SPI script on the NI 845x device and SPI port you specify, then
returns success or error. If your script contained any read commands, you can use
ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData to extract the read data after executing
ni845xSpiScriptRun.

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Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

ni845xSpiScriptWriteRead

Purpose
Adds an SPI Script Write Read command to an SPI script referenced by ScriptHandle. This
command exchanges an array of data with an SPI slave device.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiScriptWriteRead (
uInt32 ScriptHandle,
uInt32 WriteSize,
uInt8 * pWriteData,
uInt32 * pScriptReadIndex
);

Inputs
uInt32 ScriptHandle
The script handle returned from ni845xSpiScriptOpen.

uInt32 WriteSize
The number of bytes to write. This must be nonzero.

uInt8 * pWriteData
The bytes to write.

Outputs
uInt32 * pScriptReadIndex
A pointer to the write/read command index within the script. It is used as an input into
ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiScriptWriteRead to add an SPI Script Write Read command to an SPI
script referenced by ScriptHandle. This command exchanges an array of data with an SPI
slave device connected to the SPI port you specify when you use ni845xSpiScriptRun to
execute the script. Due to the full-duplex nature of SPI, the read data size equals the write data
size, unless there is an error. Some SPI devices act as receivers only and require one or more
command and data bytes to be sent to them in one SPI transaction. As this is device specific,

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 Chapter 10 NI-845x SPI API for C

you need to review the device datasheet to package the required commands and data into the
write data array. Other SPI devices act as transceivers. These devices can receive data much
like receiver-only devices. But they can also transmit data, which usually requires writing one
or more command bytes plus a number of bytes equal to the number of bytes desired to be
read from the device. In most cases, the values of these bytes are not important, as they serve
only to clock data out of the device. Here again, the SPI transaction formats are device
specific, so you need to review the device datasheet to package the required commands and
data into the write data array. To obtain the data read from the specified SPI port, pass the
value of pScriptReadIndex to ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData after script
execution, which returns the data read by this script command.

© National Instruments Corporation 10-55 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Using the NI-845x SPI
11
Stream API
This chapter helps you get started with the NI-845x SPI Stream API.

NI-845x SPI Stream Programming Model

The SPI Stream API provides the highest performance SPI transaction by
allowing you to configure a timing waveform for SPI and DIO signals. This
API is ideal for reading high-speed streaming data from an SPI slave
device, such as an analog-to-digital converter (ADC).

When using the SPI Stream API, the first step is to create an SPI
stream configuration to describe the streaming waveform, as shown in
Figure 11-1. To make an SPI stream configuration, create an SPI stream
configuration reference and set the appropriate properties. Once the
configuration has the desired settings, start the streaming operation on
the hardware. Your NI 845x device then generates the waveform that the
configuration specifies onto the SPI bus and buffer data on board. To pull
data from the buffer, use the API to read data. This does not interrupt SPI
transactions occurring on the device. Once the desired amount of data has
been read, stop the streaming operation on the device to return to normal
mode.

Note Data continues to be buffered on the device until the specified number of samples
are acquired or the streaming mode is stopped.

© National Instruments Corporation 11-1 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 11 Using the NI-845x SPI Stream API

SPI Stream Configure

SPI Stream Start

SPI Stream Read

SPI Stream Stop

Figure 11-1. NI-845x SPI API Stream Programming Model

SPI Stream Configure

Use the NI-845x SPI Stream Configuration Property Node in LabVIEW
and ni845xSpiStreamConfiguration* calls in other languages to set
the specific SPI stream configuration that describes the characteristics of
the device to communicate with.

SPI Stream Start

Use NI-845x SPI Stream Start.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xSpiStreamStart in other languages to change the device mode
to streaming and start generating the specified waveform on the SPI bus.

SPI Stream Read

Use NI-845x SPI Stream Read.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xSpiStreamRead in other languages to read data from the buffer
on the NI 845x device.

SPI Stream Stop

Use NI-845x SPI Stream Stop.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xSpiStreamStop in other languages to change the device mode to
normal mode.

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 Chapter 11 Using the NI-845x SPI Stream API

Waveform 1
Figure 11-2 shows the waveform 1 timing diagram. Each timing
parameter is specified as a number of system clocks. Refer to Appendix A,
NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for a system clock description.

Depending on your pin configuration, not all timing parameters are used.
Only the necessary timing parameters are applied when generating the
waveform.

CONV T1

T6
T4
DRDY

T7
T8
T2
SPI
CS T11 T9

T5 n Bits

T3 T10
T12
SPI
SCLK
SCLK SCLK
High Low
SPI
MOSI

SPI
MISO

Figure 11-2. Waveform 1 Timing Diagram

Table 11-1 describes the timing parameters used depending on your pin
configuration. Using the timing parameters and pin configurations, you can
configure the waveform to communicate with an SPI slave.

© National Instruments Corporation 11-3 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 11 Using the NI-845x SPI Stream API

Table 11-1. Timing Parameters

Active Pin(s)1 SCLKH SCLKL T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9 T10 T11 T12

None   — — — — — — — — — — — 
CONV    —  — — — — — —  — —
DRDY   — — — —  — — — — — — —
CS   — — — — — —  —  —  —
CONV, CS     — — — —   — —  —
CONV, DRDY    — — —   — — — — — —
DRDY, CS   — — —  — —  — — —  —
CONV, DRDY,    — —  —   — — —  —
CS
1 Pins are considered active if configured as active high or active low.

Extra SPI Pin Descriptions

CONV
The CONV pin is commonly used to signal an SPI slave to begin data
conversion. When the CONV pin is configured as Active High, Active
Low, Drive High, or Drive Low, the pin is configured as an output using
GPIO0.

DRDY
The DRDY pin is commonly used to signal your NI 845x device that data
is ready to be read. When the DRDY pin is configured as Active High or
Active Low, the pin is configured as an input using GPIO1.

Chip Select
The Chip Select (CS) pin is commonly used to signal an SPI slave that your
NI 845x device is intending to communicate with it. When the CS pin is
configured as Active High, Active Low, Drive High, or Drive Low, the pin
is configured as an output using CS0.

Note Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for the pinout of your
NI 845x device.

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NI-845x SPI Stream API for
12
LabVIEW
This chapter lists the LabVIEW VIs for the NI-845x SPI Stream API and describes the format,
purpose, and parameters for each VI. The VIs in this chapter are listed alphabetically.

© National Instruments Corporation 12-1 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

General Device
NI-845x Close Reference.vi

Purpose
Closes a previously opened reference.

Inputs
reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device, I2C configuration, SPI
configuration, SPI stream configuration, I2C script, or SPI script.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an
error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is

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 Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a

LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x Close Reference.vi to close a previously opened reference.

© National Instruments Corporation 12-3 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

NI-845x Device Property Node

Purpose
A property node with the NI-845x Device class preselected. This property node allows you to
modify properties of your NI 845x device.

Inputs
device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.
source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
device reference out is a reference to an NI 845x device after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is

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 Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a

LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
The list below describes all valid properties for the NI-845x Device Property Node.

DIO:Active Port

The DIO:Active Port property sets the active DIO port for further DIO
port configuration. The format for this property is a decimal string. For
example, the string 0 represents DIO Port 0. The default value of this
property is 0. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, the port value must
be 0.
DIO:Driver Type

The DIO:Driver Type property configures the active DIO port with the
desired driver type characteristics. DIO:Driver Type uses the following
values:
Open-Drain

The DIO driver type is configured for open-drain.

Push-Pull

The DIO driver type is configured for push-pull. The actual

voltage driven (when sourcing a high value) is determined by the
I/O Voltage Level property.

The default value of this property is Push-Pull.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine

the available driver types on your hardware.

DIO:Line Direction Map

The DIO:Line Direction Map property sets the line direction map for the
active DIO Port. The value is a bitmap that specifies the function of each
individual line within the port. If bit x = 1, line x is an output. If bit x = 0,
line x is an input.

The default value of this property is 0 (all lines configured for input).

© National Instruments Corporation 12-5 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

I/O Voltage Level

The I/O Voltage Level property sets the board voltage. This property sets
the voltage for SPI, I2C, and DIO. The default value for this property is
3.3V. This property uses the following values:

3.3V

I/O Voltage is set to 3.3 V.

2.5V

I/O Voltage is set to 2.5 V.

1.8V

I/O Voltage is set to 1.8 V.

1.5V

I/O Voltage is set to 1.5 V.

1.2V

I/O Voltage is set to 1.2 V.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine

the available voltage levels on your hardware.

I2C Pullup Enable

The I2C Pullup Enable property enables or disables the internal pullup
resistors connected to SDA and SCL.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine

whether your hardware has onboard pull-up resistors.

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 Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

NI-845x Device Reference

Purpose
Specifies the device resource to be used for communication.

Description
Use the NI-845x Device Reference to describe the NI 845x device to communicate with. You
can wire the reference into a property node to set specific device parameters or to an NI-845x
API call to invoke the function on the associated NI 845x device.

© National Instruments Corporation 12-7 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

Configuration
NI-845x SPI Stream Configuration Property Node

Purpose
A property node with the NI-845x SPI Stream Configuration class preselected. This property
node allows you to query and modify SPI Stream configuration properties.

Inputs
spi stream configuration in is a reference to a specific SPI stream
configuration that describes the waveform to generate during streaming
operations.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
spi stream configuration out is a reference to a specific SPI stream
configuration that describes the waveform to generate during streaming
operations.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

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 Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
The list below describes all valid properties for the NI-845x SPI Stream Configuration
Property Node.

Number of Samples

Sets the number of samples to acquire. For continuous streaming, this

property should be set to 0.

The default value for this property is 0 (continuous streaming).

Number of Bits Per Sample

Sets the number of bits to be clocked in per sample. Refer to Chapter 3, NI

USB-845x Hardware Overview, for valid settings for this property.

The default value for this property is 8.

Clock Polarity

Sets the idle state of the clock line during SPI Streaming. Clock Polarity
uses the following values:

0 (Idle Low)

Clock is low in the idle state.

1 (Idle High)

Clock is high in the idle state.

The default value for this property is 0 (Idle Low).

© National Instruments Corporation 12-9 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

Clock Phase

Sets the positioning of the data bits relative to the clock during SPI
Streaming. Clock Phase uses the following values:

0 (First Edge)

Data is centered on the first edge of the clock period.

1 (Second Edge)

Data is centered on the second edge of the clock period.

The default value for this property is 0 (First Edge).

Packet Size

Sets the packet size for transfers between the host and your NI 845x device.

For most applications, set this parameter to a multiple of 512 bytes for
optimal performance.

This setting can affect the performance of data streaming to the host from
your NI 845x device. For slow SPI streaming configurations, setting this
property below 512 allows data to transfer to the host more often. Setting
the packet size too small, however, may cause the onboard buffer to
overflow for high-speed SPI streaming operations.

Waveform1:MOSI Data

Sets the data to be used to transfer on MOSI during an SPI operation. The
Number of Bits Per Sample determines the number of bytes used from the
array. During an SPI sample, only the least significant bits necessary are
transferred.

Note If not enough bytes are specified in the MOSI Data array, data bytes of 0 are padded
to the end of the array.

Waveform1:Timing:SCLKLow

Sets the number of system clocks for the SCLK low period for Waveform 1.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for valid

values for this parameter. The default value is 1.

Waveform1:Timing:SCLKHigh

Sets the number of system clocks for the SCLK high period for
Waveform 1.

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 Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for valid

values for this parameter. The default value is 1.

Waveform1:Timing:T1(convA->convD)

Sets the number of system clocks between CONV assert and CONV
deassert for Waveform 1. Depending on pin settings, this timing parameter
may not be applicable. The value stored in this setting is ignored at runtime
if the timing parameter is not necessary. Refer to Figure 11-2, Waveform 1
Timing Diagram, in Chapter 11, Using the NI-845x SPI Stream API, to
determine the timing parameters used for your application.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for valid

values for this parameter. The default value is 1.
Waveform1:Timing:T2(convD->csA)

Sets the number of system clocks between CONV deassert and Chip Select
assert for Waveform 1. Depending on pin settings, this timing parameter
may not be applicable. The value stored in this setting is ignored at runtime
if the timing parameter is not necessary. Refer to Figure 11-2, Waveform 1
Timing Diagram, in Chapter 11, Using the NI-845x SPI Stream API, to
determine the timing parameters used for your application.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for valid

values for this parameter. The default value is 1.
Waveform1:Timing:T3(convD->sclkA)

Sets the number of system clocks between CONV deassert and SCLK
assert (first bit) for Waveform 1. Depending on pin settings, this timing
parameter may not be applicable. The value stored in this setting is ignored
at runtime if the timing parameter is not necessary. Refer to Figure 11-2,
Waveform 1 Timing Diagram, in Chapter 11, Using the NI-845x SPI
Stream API, to determine the timing parameters used for your application.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for valid

values for this parameter. The default value is 1.
Waveform1:Timing:T4(drdyA->csA)

Sets the number of system clocks between DRDY assert and Chip Select
assert for Waveform 1. Depending on pin settings, this timing parameter
may not be applicable. The value stored in this setting is ignored at runtime
if the timing parameter is not necessary. Refer to Figure 11-2, Waveform 1
Timing Diagram, in Chapter 11, Using the NI-845x SPI Stream API, to
determine the timing parameters used for your application.

© National Instruments Corporation 12-11 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for valid

values for this parameter. The default value is 2.

Waveform1:Timing:T5(drdyA->sclkA)

Sets the number of system clocks between DRDY assert and SCLK assert
(first bit) for Waveform 1. Depending on pin settings, this timing parameter
may not be applicable. The value stored in this setting is ignored at runtime
if the timing parameter is not necessary. Refer to Figure 11-2, Waveform 1
Timing Diagram, in Chapter 11, Using the NI-845x SPI Stream API, to
determine the timing parameters used for your application.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for valid

values for this parameter. The default value is 2.
Waveform1:Timing:T6(drdyD->convA)

Sets the number of system clocks between DRDY deassert and CONV
assert for Waveform 1. Depending on pin settings, this timing parameter
may not be applicable. The value stored in this setting is ignored at runtime
if the timing parameter is not necessary. Refer to Figure 11-2, Waveform 1
Timing Diagram, in Chapter 11, Using the NI-845x SPI Stream API, to
determine the timing parameters used for your application.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for valid

values for this parameter. The default value is 2.
Waveform1:Timing:T7(csA->sclkA)

Sets the number of system clocks between Chip Select assert and SCLK
assert (first bit) for Waveform 1. Depending on pin settings, this timing
parameter may not be applicable. The value stored in this setting is ignored
at runtime if the timing parameter is not necessary. Refer to Figure 11-2,
Waveform 1 Timing Diagram, in Chapter 11, Using the NI-845x SPI
Stream API, to determine the timing parameters used for your application.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for valid

values for this parameter. The default value is 1.
Waveform1:Timing:T8(csD->convA)

Sets the number of system clocks between Chip Select deassert and CONV
assert for Waveform 1. Depending on pin settings, this timing parameter
may not be applicable. The value stored in this setting is ignored at runtime
if the timing parameter is not necessary. Refer to Figure 11-2, Waveform 1
Timing Diagram, in Chapter 11, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to
determine the timing parameters used for your application.

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 Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for valid

values for this parameter. The default value is 1.

Waveform1:Timing:T9(csD->csA)

Sets the number of system clocks between Chip Select deassert and Chip
Select assert (first bit) for Waveform 1. Depending on pin settings, this
timing parameter may not be applicable. The value stored in this setting is
ignored at runtime if the timing parameter is not necessary. Refer to
Figure 11-2, Waveform 1 Timing Diagram, in Chapter 11, Using the
NI-845x SPI Stream API, to determine the timing parameters used for your
application.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for valid

values for this parameter. The default value is 1.
Waveform1:Timing:T10(sclkD->convA)

Sets the number of system clocks between SCLK deassert (last bit) and
CONV assert for Waveform 1. Depending on pin settings, this timing
parameter may not be applicable. The value stored in this setting is ignored
at runtime if the timing parameter is not necessary. Refer to Figure 11-2,
Waveform 1 Timing Diagram, in Chapter 11, Using the NI-845x SPI
Stream API, to determine the timing parameters used for your application.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for valid

values for this parameter. The default value is 1.
Waveform1:Timing:T11(sclkD->csD)

Sets the number of system clocks between SCLK deassert (last bit) and CS
deassert for Waveform 1. Depending on pin settings, this timing parameter
may not be applicable. The value stored in this setting is ignored at runtime
if the timing parameter is not necessary. Refer to Figure 11-2, Waveform 1
Timing Diagram, in Chapter 11, Using the NI-845x SPI Stream API, to
determine the timing parameters used for your application.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for valid

values for this parameter. The default value is 1.
Waveform1:Timing:T12(sclkD->sclkA)

Sets the number of system clocks between SCLK deassert (last bit) and
SCLK assert (first bit) for Waveform 1. Depending on pin settings, this
timing parameter may not be applicable. The value stored in this setting is
ignored at runtime if the timing parameter is not necessary. Refer to
Figure 11-2, Waveform 1 Timing Diagram, in Chapter 11, Using the

© National Instruments Corporation 12-13 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Stream API, to determine the timing parameters used for your
application.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for valid

values for this parameter. The default value is 1.

Waveform1:Pin:CONV
Sets the configuration for the CONV pin. Waveform1:Pin:CONV uses
the following values:
Disabled

The pin is disabled.

Active High

The pin is set to active high.

Active Low

The pin is set to active low.

Drive High

The pin is driven high.

Drive Low

The pin is driven low.

Waveform1:Pin:DRDY

Sets the configuration for the DRDY pin. Waveform1:Pin:DRDY uses the
following values:
Disabled

The pin is disabled.

Active High

The pin is set to active high.

Active Low

The pin is set to active low.

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 Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

Waveform1:Pin:CS

Sets the configuration for the Chip Select pin. Waveform1:Pin:CS uses
the following values:
Disabled

The pin is disabled.

Active High

The pin is set to active high.

Active Low

The pin is set to active low.

Drive High

The pin is driven high.

Drive Low

The pin is driven low.

© National Instruments Corporation 12-15 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

NI-845x SPI Stream Create Configuration Reference.vi

Purpose
Creates a new NI-845x SPI Stream configuration.

Inputs
error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an
error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.
source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
spi stream configuration is a reference to the newly created NI-845x SPI
stream configuration.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

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 Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Stream Create Configuration Reference.vi to create a new configuration
to use with the NI-845x SPI Stream API. Pass the reference to a property node to make the
configuration match the settings of your SPI slave. Then, pass the configuration to the SPI
stream functions to execute them on the described SPI slave. After you finish communicating
with your SPI slave, pass the reference into a new property node to reconfigure it or use
NI-845x Close Reference.vi to delete the configuration.

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Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

Basic
NI-845x SPI Stream Read.vi

Purpose
Reads data from an SPI slave device

Inputs
device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

spi stream configuration in is a reference to a specific SPI stream

configuration that describes the waveform to generate during streaming
operations. Connect this configuration reference to a property node to set
the specific configuration parameters.

num bytes per read contains the number of bytes to attempt to read.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

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 Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

Outputs
device reference out is a reference to the NI 845x device after this VI runs.

spi stream configuration out is a reference to the SPI stream configuration

after this VI runs.
read data contains an array of read data from an SPI interface. All data is
padded to the nearest byte with zeros as the most significant bits.

Note A pad byte of 0 may be added to the end of a finite acquisition if the total number of
bytes read from the NI 845x device is not even.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0
means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Stream Read.vi to read data from an SPI slave device. The read size is less
than or equal to the value passed into num bytes per read and is dependent on the Packet
Size.

While your NI 845x device is in streaming mode, SPI operations continue to occur and buffer
onboard. NI-845x SPI Stream Read.vi does not affect SPI operations on the SPI bus. This
function reads the result of the started SPI streaming operation.

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NI-845x SPI Stream Start.vi

Purpose
Starts the streaming operation on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

spi stream configuration in is a reference to a specific SPI stream

configuration that describes the waveform to generate during streaming
operations. Connect this configuration reference to a property node to set
the specific configuration parameters.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
device reference out is a reference to the NI 845x device after this VI runs.

spi stream configuration out is a reference to the SPI stream configuration

after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

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 Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Stream Start.vi to put your NI 845x device into streaming mode. Once in
streaming mode, your NI 845x device generates the waveform described by spi stream
configuration in. Your NI 845x device remains in streaming mode until NI-845x SPI Stream
Stop.vi is called.

The data set in Waveform1:MOSI Data is output on MOSI on each SPI operation during
streaming. You can use this data to set up the SPI slave if necessary, but not all SPI slaves
require it.

Before using NI-845x SPI Stream Start.vi, you must ensure that the configuration
parameters specified in spi stream configuration in are correct for the device you currently
want to access.

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NI-845x SPI Stream Stop.vi

Purpose
Stops a streaming operation on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

spi stream configuration in is a reference to a specific SPI stream

configuration that describes the waveform to generate during streaming
operations. Connect this configuration reference to a property node to set
the specific configuration parameters.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
device reference out is a reference to the NI 845x device after this VI runs.

spi stream configuration out is a reference to the SPI stream configuration

after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

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 Chapter 12 NI-845x SPI Stream API for LabVIEW

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x SPI Stream Stop.vi to remove your NI 845x device from streaming mode.
When stopping, the device waits for the final SPI operation to complete if one is occurring.
No data can be read from the device once stopped. All unread data is discarded.

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NI-845x SPI Stream API for C
13
This chapter lists the functions for the NI-845x SPI Stream API for C and describes the
format, purpose, and parameters for each function. The functions are listed alphabetically in
four categories: general device, configuration, basic, and advanced.

Section Headings
The NI-845x SPI Stream API for C functions include the following section headings.

Purpose
Each function description includes a brief statement of the function purpose.

Format
The format section describes the function format for the C programming language.

Inputs and Outputs

These sections list the function input and output parameters.

Description
The description section gives details about the purpose and effect of each function.

Data Types
The NI-845x SPI Stream API for C functions use the following data types.

Data Type Purpose

uInt8 8-bit unsigned integer
uInt16 16-bit unsigned integer
uInt32 32-bit unsigned integer
int8 8-bit signed integer

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Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

Data Type Purpose

int16 16-bit signed integer
int32 32-bit signed integer
uInt8 * Pointer to an 8-bit unsigned integer
uInt16 * Pointer to a 16-bit unsigned integer
uInt32 * Pointer to a 32-bit unsigned integer
int8 * Pointer to an 8-bit signed integer
int16 * Pointer to a 16-bit signed integer
int32 * Pointer to a 32-bit signed integer
char * ASCII string represented as an array of characters terminated
by null character ('\0')

List of Functions
The following table contains an alphabetical list of the NI-845x SPI Stream API for C
functions.

Function Purpose
ni845xClose Closes a previously opened NI 845x
device.
ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle Closes the handles created by
ni845xFindDevice.

ni845xDeviceLock Locks NI 845x devices for access by a

single thread.
ni845xDeviceUnlock Unlocks NI 845x devices.
ni845xFindDevice Finds an NI 845x device and
returns the total number of NI 845x
devices present. You can find
subsequent devices using
ni845xFindDeviceNext.

ni845xFindDeviceNext Finds subsequent devices after

ni845xFindDevice has been called.

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 Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

Function Purpose
ni845xOpen Opens an NI 845x device for use with
various write, read, and device
property functions.
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationClose Closes an NI-845x SPI Stream
Configuration.
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen Creates a new NI-845x SPI Stream
Configuration.
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetNumBits Retrieves the configuration’s number
of bits per sample.
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetNumSamples Retrieves the configuration’s number
of samples to acquire.
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetPacketSize Retrieves the configuration’s packet
size.
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetClockPhase Retrieves the configuration’s clock
phase.
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1GetPinCon Retrieves the configuration’s setting
fig for an individual pin.
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetClockPolari Retrieves the configuration’s clock
ty polarity.
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1GetTiming Retrieves the configuration’s setting
Param for an individual timing parameter.
ni845xSpiStreamRead Reads data from the NI 845x device.
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetMosiDa Sets the configuration’s lower 32 bits
ta of data to be transferred on MOSI.
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetNumBits Sets the configuration’s number of bits
to be transferred.
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetNumSamples Sets the configuration’s number of
samples to be transferred.
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetPacketSize Sets the configuration’s packet size.
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetClockPhase Sets the configuration’s clock phase.
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetPinCon Sets the configuration’s setting for an
fig individual pin.

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Function Purpose
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetClockPolari Sets the configuration’s clock polarity.
ty
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetTiming Sets the configuration’s setting for an
Param individual timing parameter.
ni845xSpiStreamStart Starts the streaming operation.
ni845xSpiStreamStop Stops the streaming operation.
ni845xStatusToString Converts a status code into a
descriptive string.

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 Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

General Device
ni845xClose

Purpose
Closes a previously opened NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xClose(uInt32 DeviceHandle);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle to be closed.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xClose to close a device handle previously opened by ni845xOpen. Passing an
invalid handle to ni845xClose is ignored.

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ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle

Purpose
Closes the handles created by ni845xFindDevice.

Format
int32 ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle (
uInt32 FindDeviceHandle
);

Inputs
uInt32 FindDeviceHandle
Describes a find list. ni845xFindDevice creates this parameter.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle to close a find list. In this process, all allocated data
structures are freed.

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ni845xDeviceLock

Purpose
Locks NI 845x devices for access by a single thread.

Format
int32 ni845xDeviceLock(uInt32 DeviceHandle);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle to be locked.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
This function locks NI 845x devices and prevents multiple processes or threads from
accessing the device until the process or thread that owns the device lock calls an equal
number of ni845xDeviceUnlock calls. Any thread or process that attempts to call
ni845xDeviceLock when the device is already locked is forced to sleep by the
operating system. This is useful for when multiple Basic API device accesses must occur
uninterrupted by any other processes or threads. If a thread exits without fully unlocking
the device, the device is unlocked. If a thread is the current owner of the lock, and calls
ni845xDeviceLock again, the thread will not deadlock itself, but care must be taken to call
ni845xDeviceUnlock for every ni845xDeviceLock called. This function can possibly
lock a device indefinitely: If a thread never calls ni845xDeviceUnlock, or fails to call
ni845xDeviceUnlock for every ni845xDeviceLock call, and never exits, other processes
and threads are forced to wait. This is not recommended for users unfamiliar with threads or
processes. A simpler alternative is to use scripts. Scripts provide the same capability to ensure
transfers are uninterrupted, and with possible performance benefits.

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ni845xDeviceUnlock

Purpose
Unlocks NI 845x devices.

Format
int32 ni845xDeviceUnlock(uInt32 DeviceHandle);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle to be unlocked.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xDeviceUnlock to unlock access to an NI 845x device previously locked with
ni845xDeviceLock. Every call to ni845xDeviceLock must have a corresponding call to
ni845xDeviceUnlock. Refer to ni845xDeviceLock for more details regarding how to
use device locks.

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ni845xFindDevice

Purpose
Finds an NI 845x device and returns the total number of NI 845x devices present. You can find
subsequent devices using ni845xFindDeviceNext.

Format
int32 ni845xFindDevice (
char * FirstDevice,
uInt32 * FindDeviceHandle,
uInt32 * NumberFound
);

Inputs
None.

Outputs
char * FirstDevice
A pointer to the string containing the first NI 845x device found. You can pass this name
to the ni845xOpen function to open the device. If no devices exist, this is an empty
string.

uInt32 * FindDeviceHandle
Returns a handle identifying this search session. This handle is used as an input in
ni845xFindDeviceNext and ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle.

uInt32 * NumberFound
A pointer to the total number of NI 845x devices found in the system. You can use this
number in conjunction with the ni845xFindDeviceNext function to find a particular
device. If no devices exist, this returns 0.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xFindDevice to get a single NI 845x device and the number of NI 845x devices
in the system. You can then pass the string returned to ni845xOpen to access the device. If
you must discover more devices, use ni845xFindDeviceNext with FindDeviceHandle

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and NumberFound to find the remaining NI 845x devices in the system. After finding all
desired devices, call ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle to close the device handle and
relinquish allocated resources.

Note FirstDevice must be at least 256 bytes.

Note FindDeviceHandle and NumberFound are optional parameters. If only the first
match is important, and the total number of matches is not needed, you can pass in a NULL
pointer for both of these parameters, and the NI-845x driver automatically calls
ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle before this function returns.

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ni845xFindDeviceNext

Purpose
Finds subsequent devices after ni845xFindDevice has been called.

Format
int32 ni845xFindDeviceNext (
uInt32 FindDeviceHandle,
char * NextDevice
);

Inputs
uInt32 FindDeviceHandle
Describes a find list. ni845xFindDevice creates this parameter.

Outputs
char * NextDevice
A pointer to the string containing the next NI 845x device found. This is empty if no
further devices are left.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xFindDeviceNext after first calling ni845xFindDevice to find the remaining
devices in the system. You can then pass the string returned to ni845xOpen to access the
device.

Note NextDevice must be at least 256 bytes.

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ni845xOpen

Purpose
Opens an NI 845x device for use with various write, read, and device property functions.

Format
int32 ni845xOpen (
char * ResourceName,
uInt32 * DeviceHandle
);

Inputs
char * ResourceName
A resource name string corresponding to the NI 845x device to be opened.

Outputs
uInt32 * DeviceHandle
A pointer to the device handle.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xOpen to open an NI 845x device for access. The string passed to
ni845xOpen can be any of the following: an ni845xFindDevice device string, an
ni845xFindDeviceNext device string, a Measurement & Automation Explorer resource
name, or a Measurement & Automation Explorer alias.

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ni845xStatusToString

Purpose
Converts a status code into a descriptive string.

Format
void ni845xStatusToString (
int32 StatusCode,
uInt32 MaxSize,
int8 * StatusString
);

Inputs
int32 StatusCode
Status code returned from an NI-845x function.

uInt32 MaxSize
Size of the StatusString buffer (in bytes).

Outputs
int8 * StatusString
ASCII string that describes StatusCode.

Description
When the status code returned from an NI-845x function is nonzero, an error or warning is
indicated. This function obtains a description of the error/warning for debugging purposes.

The return code is passed into the StatusCode parameter. The MaxSize parameter
indicates the number of bytes available in StatusString for the description (including
the NULL character). The description is truncated to size MaxSize if needed, but a size of
1024 characters is large enough to hold any description. The text returned in String is
null-terminated, so you can use it with ANSI C functions such as printf.

For applications written in C or C++, each NI-845x function returns a status code as a signed
32-bit integer. The following table summarizes the NI-845x use of this status.

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NI-845x Status Codes

Status Code Meaning

Negative Error—Function did not perform expected behavior.
Positive Warning—Function executed, but a condition arose that may
require attention.
Zero Success—Function completed successfully.

The application code should check the status returned from every NI-845x function. If an
error is detected, you should close all NI-845x handles, then exit the application. If a warning
is detected, you can display a message for debugging purposes, or simply ignore the warning.

In some situations, you may want to check for specific errors in the code and continue
communication when they occur. For example, when communicating to an I2C EEPROM,
you may expect the device to NAK its address during a write cycle, and you may use this
knowledge to poll for when the write cycle has completed.

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SPI Stream Configuration

ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationClose

Purpose
Closes a previously opened SPI stream configuration.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationClose (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The SPI stream configuration handle returned from
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationClose to close a previously opened SPI stream
configuration handle. Invalid SPI stream configuration handles are ignored.

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ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen

Purpose
Creates a new NI-845x SPI stream configuration.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen (
uInt32 * ConfigurationHandle
);

Inputs
None.

Outputs
uInt32 * ConfigurationHandle
A pointer to an unsigned 32-bit integer to store the configuration handle in.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen to create a new configuration
to use with the NI-845x SPI Stream API. Pass the configuration handle to the
ni845xSpiConfigurationSet* series of functions to make the configuration match
the settings of your SPI slave. Then, pass the configuration handle to the SPI stream functions
to execute them on the described SPI slave. After you finish communicating with your SPI
slave, pass the configuration handle to the ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSet* series
of functions to reconfigure it or use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationClose to delete the
configuration.

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ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetNumBits

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration’s number of bits per sample.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetNumBits (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 * NumBits
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
uInt8 * NumBits
A pointer to an unsigned 8-bit integer to store the number of bits per sample.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetNumBits to retrieve the number of bits per
sample.

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ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetNumSamples

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration’s number of samples to acquire.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetNumSamples (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt32 * NumSamples
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
uInt32 * NumSamples
A pointer to an unsigned 32-bit integer to store the number of samples to stream.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetNumSamples to retrieve the number of
samples to stream.

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ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetPacketSize

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration’s packet size.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetPacketSize (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt32 * PacketSize
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
uInt32 * PacketSize
A pointer to an unsigned 32-bit integer to store the configuration’s packet size.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetPacketSize to retrieve the package size
between the host and your NI 845x device.

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ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetClockPhase

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration’s clock phase.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetClockPhase (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 * ClockPhase
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
uInt32 * ClockPhase
A pointer to an unsigned 8-bit integer to store the clock phase uses the following values:
• kNi845xSpiStreamClockPhaseFirstEdge (0): Data is updated on the first edge
of the clock period.
• kNi845xSpiStreamClockPhaseSecondEdge (1): Data is updated on the second
edge of the clock period.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetClockPhase to retrieve the clock phase used
by ConfigurationHandle.

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 Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1GetPinConfig

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration’s setting for an individual pin.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1GetPinConfig (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 PinNumber,
uInt8 * Mode
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

uInt8 PinNumber
An unsigned 8-bit integer to determine the pin uses the following values:
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1ConvPin (0): CONV pin for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1DrdyPin (1): DRDY pin for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1CsPin (2): Chip Select pin for Waveform 1.

Outputs
uInt8 * Mode
A pointer to an 8-bit unsigned integer to store the pin mode that uses the following values:
• kNi845xSpiStreamDisabled (0): Pin is disabled.
• kNi845xSpiStreamActiveHigh (1): Pin is set to active high.
• kNi845xSpiStreamActiveLow (2): Pin is set to active low.
• kNi845xSpiStreamDriveHigh (3): Pin driven high.
• kNi845xSpiStreamDriveLow (4): Pin driven low.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1GetPinConfig to retrieve the
configuration setting for a specific pin.

© National Instruments Corporation 13-21 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetClockPolarity

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration’s clock polarity.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetClockPolarity (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 * ClockPolarity
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
uInt32 * ClockPolarity
A pointer to an unsigned 8-bit integer to store the clock phase uses the following values:
• kNi845xSpiStreamClockPolarityIdleLow (0): Clock is low in the idle state.
• kNi845xSpiStreamClockPolarityIdleHigh (1): Clock is high in the idle
state.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetClockPolarity to retrieve the clock polarity
used by ConfigurationHandle.

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 Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1GetTimingParam

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration’s setting for an individual timing parameter.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1GetTimingParam (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 TimingParameter,
uInt32 * ParameterValue
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

uInt8 TimingParameter
An unsigned 8-bit integer to determine the timing parameter uses the following values:
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1SclkL (0): SCLK low period for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1SclkH (1): SCLK high period for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T1 (2): Timing Parameter T1—CONV assert to CONV
deassert for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T2 (3): Timing Parameter T2—CONV deassert to Chip
Select assert for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T3 (4): Timing Parameter T3—CONV deassert to
SCLK assert (first bit) for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T4 (5): Timing Parameter T4—DRDY assert to Chip
Select assert for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T5 (6): Timing Parameter T5—DRDY assert to SCLK
assert (first bit) for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T6 (7): Timing Parameter T6—DRDY deassert to
CONV assert for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T7 (8): Timing Parameter T7—Chip Select assert to
SCLK assert (first bit) for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T8 (9): Timing Parameter T8—Chip Select deassert to
CONV assert for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T9 (10): Timing Parameter T9—Chip Select deassert to
Chip Select assert.

© National Instruments Corporation 13-23 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T10 (11): Timing Parameter T10—SCLK deassert (last

bit) to CONV assert for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T11 (12): Timing Parameter T11—SCLK deassert (last
bit) to Chip Select deassert for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T12 (13): Timing Parameter T12—SCLK deassert (last
bit) to SCLK assert (first bit) for Waveform 1.

Outputs
uInt32 * ParameterValue
A pointer to an 32-bit unsigned integer to store the timing parameter in system clocks.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1GetTimingParam to retrieve a specific
timing parameter. Timing parameters are returned as number of system clocks. Refer to
Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for a description of the system clock on
your NI 845x device.

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 Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetMosiData

Purpose
Sets the configuration MOSI data.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetMosiData (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 * DataArray,
uInt32 ArraySize
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

uInt8* DataArray
An array of unsigned 8-bit integers used to specify the data transferred on MOSI.

uInt32 ArraySize
Size of DataArray supplied.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetMosiData to set the data for
transferring on MOSI during an SPI operation. The number of bits per sample determines the
number of bytes used from the array. During an SPI sample, only the least significant bits
necessary are transferred.

Note If not enough bytes are specified in the MOSI data array, data bytes of 0 are padded
to the end of the array.

© National Instruments Corporation 13-25 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetNumBits

Purpose
Sets the configuration’s number of bits per sample.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetNumBits (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 NumBits
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

uInt8 NumBits
An unsigned 8-bit integer that contains the number of bits per sample.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetNumBits to set the number of bits per sample.
Each SPI operation uses the number of bits this function specifies. The default for this setting
is 8-bit transfers. Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for valid
settings for this property.

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 Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetNumSamples

Purpose
Sets the configuration’s number of samples to acquire.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetNumSamples (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt32 NumSamples
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

uInt32 NumSamples
An unsigned 32-bit integer to set the number of samples to stream.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetNumSamples to set the number of samples to
stream. Setting this parameter to 0 indicates infinite streaming. If this parameter is nonzero,
the NI 845x device automatically stops streaming after the specified number of samples have
been transferred.

© National Instruments Corporation 13-27 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetPacketSize

Purpose
Sets the configuration’s packet size.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetPacketSize (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt32 PacketSize
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

uInt32 PacketSize
An unsigned 32-bit integer to set the packet size.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetPacketSize to configure the packet size
between the host and your NI 845x device.

For most applications, this parameter should be set to a multiple of 512 bytes for optimal
performance. This setting can affect the performance of data streaming to the host from your
NI 845x device. For slow SPI streaming configurations, this setting allows data to transfer to
the host more often. Setting the packet size too small may cause the onboard buffer to
overflow for high-speed SPI streaming operations.

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 Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetClockPhase

Purpose
Sets the configuration’s clock phase.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetClockPhase (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 ClockPhase
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

uInt32 ClockPhase
An unsigned 8-bit integer to store the clock phase uses the following values:
• kNi845xSpiStreamClockPhaseFirstEdge (0): Data is updated on the first edge
of the clock period.
• kNi845xSpiStreamClockPhaseSecondEdge (1): Data is updated on the second
edge of the clock period.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetClockPhase to set clock phase used by
ConfigurationHandle when communicating with an SPI slave device.

© National Instruments Corporation 13-29 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetPinConfig

Purpose
Sets the configuration’s setting for an individual pin.
Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetPinConfig (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 PinNumber,
uInt8 Mode
);
Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.
uInt8 PinNumber
An unsigned 8-bit integer to determine the pin uses the following values:
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1ConvPin (0): CONV output for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1DrdyPin (1): DRDY input for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1CsPin (2): Chip Select output for Waveform 1.
uInt8 Mode
An 8-bit unsigned integer to set the pin mode that uses the following values:
• kNi845xSpiStreamDisabled (0): Pin is disabled.
• kNi845xSpiStreamActiveHigh (1): Pin is set to active high.
• kNi845xSpiStreamActiveLow (2): Pin is set to active low.
• kNi845xSpiStreamDriveHigh (3): Pin driven high.
• kNi845xSpiStreamDriveLow (4): Pin driven low.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.
Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetPinConfig to set the configuration for
a specific pin. If a pin is described as an output, all modes are available. If a pin is described
as an input, kNi845xSpiStreamDriveHigh and kNi845xSpiStreamDriveHigh cannot
be used.

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 Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetClockPolarity

Purpose
Sets the configuration’s clock polarity.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetClockPolarity (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 ClockPolarity
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

uInt32 ClockPolarity
An unsigned 8-bit integer to set the clock phase uses the following values:
• kNi845xSpiStreamClockPolarityIdleLow (0): Clock is low in the idle state.
• kNi845xSpiStreamClockPolarityIdleHigh (1): Clock is high in the idle
state.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetClockPolarity to set the clock polarity used
by ConfigurationHandle when communicating with an SPI slave device.

© National Instruments Corporation 13-31 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetTimingParam

Purpose
Retrieves the configuration’s setting for an individual timing parameter.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetTimingParam (
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uInt8 TimingParameter,
uInt32 ParameterValue
);

Inputs
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

uInt8 TimingParameter
An unsigned 8-bit integer to determine the timing parameter uses the following values:
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1SclkL (0): SCLK low period for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1SclkH (1): SCLK high period for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T1 (2): Timing Parameter T1—CONV assert to CONV
deassert for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T2 (3): Timing Parameter T2—CONV deassert to Chip
Select assert for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T3 (4): Timing Parameter T3—CONV deassert to
SCLK assert (first bit) for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T4 (5): Timing Parameter T4—DRDY assert to Chip
Select assert for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T5 (6): Timing Parameter T5—DRDY assert to SCLK
assert (first bit) for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T6 (7): Timing Parameter T6—DRDY deassert to
CONV assert for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T7 (8): Timing Parameter T7—Chip Select assert to
SCLK assert (first bit) for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T8 (9): Timing Parameter T8—Chip Select deassert to
CONV assert for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T9 (10): Timing Parameter T9—Chip Select deassert to
Chip Select assert.

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 Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T10 (11): Timing Parameter T10—SCLK deassert (last

bit) to CONV assert for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T11 (12): Timing Parameter T11—SCLK deassert (last
bit) to Chip Select deassert for Waveform 1.
• kNi845xSpiStreamWave1T12 (13): Timing Parameter T12—SCLK deassert (last
bit) to SCLK assert (first bit) for Waveform 1.

uInt32 ParameterValue
A 32-bit unsigned integer to set the timing parameter in system clocks.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetTimingParam to set an individual
timing parameter. Timing parameters are returned as number of system clocks. Refer to
Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, for a description of the system clock
and valid timing values on your NI 845x device.

© National Instruments Corporation 13-33 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

SPI Stream API

ni845xSpiStreamRead

Purpose
Reads streaming data from an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamRead (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle,
uint32 NumBytesToRead,
uInt8 * ReadData,
uInt32 * ReadSize
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

uInt32 NumBytesToRead
The number of bytes to read. This number must be nonzero. ReadData must be large
enough to read the requested number of bytes.

Outputs
uInt8 * ReadData
A pointer to an array of bytes where the bytes that have been read are stored.

uInt32 * ReadSize
A pointer to the amount of bytes actually read.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

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 Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamRead to read data from an SPI slave device. The read size is less than
or equal to the value passed into ReadSize and is dependent on the packet size.

While your NI 845x device is in streaming mode, SPI operations continue to occur and buffer
on board. ni845xSpiStreamRead does not affect SPI operations on the SPI. This function
is reading the result of the streaming SPI operation started using ni845xSpiStreamStart.

© National Instruments Corporation 13-35 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

ni845xSpiStreamStart

Purpose
Starts the streaming operation on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamStart (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamStart to put your NI 845x device into streaming mode. Once in
streaming mode, your NI 845x device performs the SPI operations set to
ConfigurationHandle. Your NI 845x device remains in streaming mode until
ni845xSpiStreamStop is called.

The data set in ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetMosiData is output on

MOSI on each SPI operation during streaming. You can use this data to set up the SPI slave
if necessary, but not all SPI slaves require it.

Before using ni845xSpiStreamStart, you must ensure that the configuration parameters
specified in ConfigurationHandle are correct for the device you currently want to access.

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 Chapter 13 NI-845x SPI Stream API for C

ni845xSpiStreamStop

Purpose
Stops a streaming operation on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xSpiStreamStop (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt32 ConfigurationHandle
The configuration handle returned from ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSpiStreamStop to remove your NI 845x device from streaming mode. When
stopping, the device waits for the final SPI operation to complete if one is occurring. No data
can be read from the device once stopped.

© National Instruments Corporation 13-37 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Using the NI-845x DIO API
14
This chapter helps you get started with the DIO API.

NI-845x DIO Basic Programming Model

When you use the DIO API, the first step is to configure the DIO port to be
set for input or output as desired. Once the port is configured, you can write
or read lines from the port. You can use either port or line I/O for all DIO
calls. With the port calls, you can read or write all lines in a port at one time.
Alternately, with the line calls, you can read or write the lines in a port one
line at a time.

The diagram in Figure 14-1 describes the basic programming model for
the NI-845x DIO API. Within the application, you repeat this basic
programming model for each DIO call you need to make. The diagram
is followed by a description of each step in the model.

DIO Port Configure

DIO Port Write DIO Port Read DIO Line Write DIO Line Read

Figure 14-1. Basic Programming Model for DIO Communication

© National Instruments Corporation 14-1 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 14 Using the NI-845x DIO API

DIO Port Configure

The DIO Port configuration is set with the NI-845x Device Property Node
in LabVIEW and ni845xDioSet* calls in other languages. The following
parameters are available for configuring the DIO Port:
• DIO:Active Port (LabVIEW only) is the active DIO port to configure.
The subsequent property settings affect only the selected DIO port.
• DIO:Driver Type configures the driver type used when sourcing DIO
signals. The two options are open-drain and push-pull.

Note Not all NI 845x hardware supports all driver types.

• DIO:Line Direction Map indicates the direction (input or output) for

each line in the 8-bit DIO port.
• I/O Voltage Level indicates the voltage level (when sourcing a high
value) used for all push-pull I/O pins (SPI lines and DIO lines). It also
affects the reference voltage that I2C pins are pulled-up to if using
internal I2C pull-ups.

Note For other languages, this API call is ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel (this is a global
property, not scoped to the DIO subsystem).

DIO Port Write

Use NI-845x DIO Port Write.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xDioWritePort in other languages to write an 8-bit pattern to the
selected DIO port.

DIO Port Read

Use NI-845x DIO Port Read.vi in LabVIEW and ni845xDioReadPort
in other languages to read an 8-bit pattern from the selected DIO port.

DIO Line Write

Use NI-845x DIO Line Write.vi in LabVIEW and
ni845xDioWriteLine in other languages to write a value to a particular
line within the selected DIO port.

DIO Line Read

Use NI-845x DIO Line Read.vi in LabVIEW and ni845xDioReadLine
in other languages to read a value from a particular line within the selected
DIO port.

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NI-845x DIO API for LabVIEW
15
This chapter lists the LabVIEW VIs for the NI-845x DIO API and describes the format,
purpose, and parameters for each VI. The VIs in this chapter are listed alphabetically.

© National Instruments Corporation 15-1 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 15 NI-845x DIO API for LabVIEW

General Device
NI-845x Close Reference.vi

Purpose
Closes a previously opened reference.

Inputs
reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device, I2C configuration, SPI
configuration, SPI stream configuration, I2C script, or SPI script.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an
error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is

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 Chapter 15 NI-845x DIO API for LabVIEW

returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a

LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x Close Reference.vi to close a previously opened reference.

© National Instruments Corporation 15-3 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 15 NI-845x DIO API for LabVIEW

NI-845x Device Property Node

Purpose
A property node with the NI-845x Device class preselected. This property node allows you to
modify properties of your NI 845x device.

Inputs
device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
device reference out is a reference to an NI 845x device after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is

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 Chapter 15 NI-845x DIO API for LabVIEW

returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a

LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
The list below describes all valid properties for the NI-845x Device Property Node.

DIO:Active Port

The DIO:Active Port property sets the active DIO port for further DIO
port configuration. The format for this property is a decimal string. For
example, the string 0 represents DIO Port 0. The default value of this
property is 0. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, the port value must
be 0.
DIO:Driver Type

The DIO:Driver Type property configures the active DIO port with the
desired driver type characteristics. DIO:Driver Type uses the following
values:
Open-Drain

The DIO driver type is configured for open-drain.

Push-Pull

The DIO driver type is configured for push-pull. The actual

voltage driven (when sourcing a high value) is determined by the
I/O Voltage Level property.

The default value of this property is Push-Pull.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine

the available driver types on your hardware.

DIO:Line Direction Map

The DIO:Line Direction Map property sets the line direction map for the
active DIO Port. The value is a bitmap that specifies the function of each
individual line within the port. If bit x = 1, line x is an output. If bit x = 0,
line x is an input.

The default value of this property is 0 (all lines configured for input).

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I/O Voltage Level

The I/O Voltage Level property sets the board voltage. This property sets
the voltage for SPI, I2C, and DIO. The default value for this property is
3.3V. This property uses the following values:

3.3V

I/O Voltage is set to 3.3 V.

2.5V

I/O Voltage is set to 2.5 V.

1.8V

I/O Voltage is set to 1.8 V.

1.5V

I/O Voltage is set to 1.5 V.

1.2V

I/O Voltage is set to 1.2 V.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine

the available voltage levels on your hardware.

I2C Pullup Enable

The I2C Pullup Enable property enables or disables the internal pullup
resistors connected to SDA and SCL.

Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine

whether your hardware has onboard pull-up resistors.

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NI-845x Device Reference

Purpose
Specifies the device resource to be used for communication.

Description
Use the NI-845x Device Reference to describe the NI 845x device to communicate with. You
can wire the reference into a property node to set specific device parameters or to an NI-845x
API call to invoke the function on the associated NI 845x device.

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Basic
NI-845x DIO Read Line.vi

Purpose
Reads from a DIO line on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

port number specifies the DIO port that contains the line number.

line number specifies the DIO line to read.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

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Outputs
device reference out is a reference to the NI 845x device after this VI runs.

read value is the value read from the line. read value uses the following
values:
0 (Logic Low) The line read is in the logic low state.

1 (Logic High) The line read is in the logic high state.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x DIO Read Line.vi to read one line, specified by line number, of a byte-wide
DIO port. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the port number input to select
the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, port number must be left at the
default (0). If read value is 0, the logic level read on the specified line was low. If read value
is 1, the logic level read on the specified line was high.

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NI-845x DIO Read Port.vi

Purpose
Reads from a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

port number specifies the DIO port to read.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
device reference out is a reference to the NI 845x device after this VI runs.

read value is the value read from the DIO port. If a DIO pin was previously
configured for input, the logic level being driven onto it by external
circuitry is returned. If a DIO pin was previously configured for output,
the logic level driven onto the pin internally is returned. read value bit
n = DIO n.

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error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.

status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x DIO Read Port.vi to read all 8 bits on a byte-wide DIO port. For NI 845x
devices with multiple DIO ports, use the port number input to select the desired port. For
NI 845x devices with one DIO port, port number must be left at the default (0).

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Chapter 15 NI-845x DIO API for LabVIEW

NI-845x DIO Write Line.vi

Purpose
Writes to a DIO line on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

port number specifies the DIO port that contains the line number.

line number specifies the DIO line to write.

write value specifies the value to write to the line. write value uses the
following values:

0 (Logic Low) The line is set to the logic low state.

1 (Logic High) The line is set to the logic high state.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.
source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

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Outputs
device reference out is a reference to the NI 845x device after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x DIO Write Line.vi to write one line, specified by line number, of a byte-wide
DIO port. If write value is 1, the specified line’s output is driven to a high logic level. If write
value is 0, the specified line’s output is driven to a low logic level. For NI 845x devices with
multiple DIO ports, use the port number input to select the desired port. For NI 845x devices
with one DIO port, port number must be left at the default (0).

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NI-845x DIO Write Port.vi

Purpose
Writes to a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Inputs
device reference in is a reference to an NI 845x device.

port number specifies the DIO port to write.

write value is the value to write to the DIO port. Only lines configured for
output are updated.

error in describes error conditions occurring before the VI executes. If an

error has already occurred, the VI returns the value of the error in cluster
in error out.

status is TRUE if an error occurred. This VI is not executed when

status is TRUE.

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Outputs
device reference out is a reference to the NI 845x device after this VI runs.

error out describes error conditions. If the error in cluster indicated an

error, the error out cluster contains the same information. Otherwise,
error out describes the error status of this VI.
status is TRUE if an error occurred.
 Chapter 15 NI-845x DIO API for LabVIEW

code is the error code number identifying an error. A value of 0

means success. A negative value means error: VI did not execute
the intended operation. A positive value means warning: VI
executed intended operation, but an informational warning is
returned. For a description of the code, wire the error cluster to a
LabVIEW error-handling VI, such as the Simple Error Handler.

source identifies the VI where the error occurred.

Description
Use NI-845x DIO Write Port.vi to write all 8 bits on a byte-wide DIO port. For NI 845x
devices with multiple DIO ports, use the port number input to select the desired port. For
NI 845x devices with one DIO port, port number must be left at the default (0).

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NI-845x DIO API for C
16
This chapter lists the functions for the NI-845x DIO API. The following topics describe the
format, purpose, and parameters for each function. The functions are listed alphabetically in
two categories: general device and basic.

Section Headings
The NI-845x DIO API for C functions include the following section headings.

Purpose
Each function description includes a brief statement of the function purpose.

Format
The format section describes the function format for the C programming language.

Inputs and Outputs

These sections list the function input and output parameters.

Description
The description section gives details about the purpose and effect of each function.

Data Types
The NI-845x DIO API for C functions use the following data types.

Data Type Purpose

uInt8 8-bit unsigned integer
uInt16 16-bit unsigned integer
uInt32 32-bit unsigned integer
int8 8-bit signed integer

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Chapter 16 NI-845x DIO API for C

Data Type Purpose

int16 16-bit signed integer
int32 32-bit signed integer
uInt8 * Pointer to an 8-bit unsigned integer
uInt16 * Pointer to a 16-bit unsigned integer
uInt32 * Pointer to a 32-bit unsigned integer
int8 * Pointer to an 8-bit signed integer
int16 * Pointer to a 16-bit signed integer
int32 * Pointer to a 32-bit signed integer
char * ASCII string represented as an array of characters terminated
by null character ('\0')

List of Functions
The following table contains an alphabetical list of the NI-845x DIO API for C functions.

Function Purpose
ni845xClose Closes a previously opened NI 845x device.
ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle Closes the handles created by
ni845xFindDevice.

ni845xDeviceLock Locks NI 845x devices for access by a single

thread.
ni845xDeviceUnlock Unlocks NI 845x devices.
ni845xDioReadLine Reads from a DIO line on an NI 845x device.
ni845xDioReadPort Reads from a DIO port on an NI 845x device.
ni845xDioSetDriverType Configures the driver type used when sourcing
DIO signals on an NI 845x device.
ni845xDioSetPortLineDirectionMap Configures a DIO port on an NI 845x device for
input or output.
ni845xDioWriteLine Writes to a DIO line on an NI 845x device.
ni845xDioWritePort Writes to a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

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Function Purpose
ni845xFindDevice Finds an NI 845x device and returns the total
number of NI 845x devices present. You can find
subsequent devices using
ni845xFindDeviceNext.

ni845xFindDeviceNext Finds subsequent devices after

ni845xFindDevice has been called.

ni845xOpen Opens an NI 845x device for use with various

write, read, and device property functions.
ni845xStatusToString Converts a status code into a descriptive string.
ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel Sets the voltage level of the NI-845x I/O pins
(DIO/SPI/VioRef).

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General Device
ni845xClose

Purpose
Closes a previously opened NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xClose(uInt32 DeviceHandle);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle to be closed.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xClose to close a device handle previously opened by ni845xOpen. Passing an
invalid handle to ni845xClose is ignored.

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ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle

Purpose
Closes the handles created by ni845xFindDevice.

Format
int32 ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle (
uInt32 FindDeviceHandle
);

Inputs
uInt32 FindDeviceHandle
Describes a find list. ni845xFindDevice creates this parameter.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle to close a find list. In this process, all allocated data
structures are freed.

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ni845xDeviceLock

Purpose
Locks NI 845x devices for access by a single thread.

Format
int32 ni845xDeviceLock(uInt32 DeviceHandle);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle to be locked.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
This function locks NI 845x devices and prevents multiple processes or threads from
accessing the device until the process or thread that owns the device lock calls an equal
number of ni845xDeviceUnlock calls. Any thread or process that attempts to call
ni845xDeviceLock when the device is already locked is forced to sleep by the
operating system. This is useful for when multiple Basic API device accesses must occur
uninterrupted by any other processes or threads. If a thread exits without fully unlocking
the device, the device is unlocked. If a thread is the current owner of the lock, and calls
ni845xDeviceLock again, the thread will not deadlock itself, but care must be taken to call
ni845xDeviceUnlock for every ni845xDeviceLock called. This function can possibly
lock a device indefinitely: If a thread never calls ni845xDeviceUnlock, or fails to call
ni845xDeviceUnlock for every ni845xDeviceLock call, and never exits, other processes
and threads are forced to wait. This is not recommended for users unfamiliar with threads or
processes. A simpler alternative is to use scripts. Scripts provide the same capability to ensure
transfers are uninterrupted, and with possible performance benefits.

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ni845xDeviceUnlock

Purpose
Unlocks NI 845x devices.

Format
int32 ni845xDeviceUnlock(uInt32 DeviceHandle);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle to be unlocked.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xDeviceUnlock to unlock access to an NI 845x device previously locked with
ni845xDeviceLock. Every call to ni845xDeviceLock must have a corresponding call to
ni845xDeviceUnlock. Refer to ni845xDeviceLock for more details regarding how to
use device locks.

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ni845xFindDevice

Purpose
Finds an NI 845x device and returns the total number of NI 845x devices present. You can find
subsequent devices using ni845xFindDeviceNext.

Format
int32 ni845xFindDevice (
char * pFirstDevice,
uInt32 * pFindDeviceHandle,
uInt32 * pNumberFound
);

Inputs
None.

Outputs
char * pFirstDevice
A pointer to the string containing the first NI 845x device found. You can pass this name
to the ni845xOpen function to open the device. If no devices exist, this is an empty
string.

uInt32 * pFindDeviceHandle
Returns a handle identifying this search session. This handle is used as an input in
ni845xFindDeviceNext and ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle.

uInt32 * pNumberFound
A pointer to the total number of NI 845x devices found in the system. You can use this
number in conjunction with the ni845xFindDeviceNext function to find a particular
device. If no devices exist, this returns 0.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

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Description
Use ni845xFindDevice to get a single NI 845x device and the number of NI 845x devices
in the system. You can then pass the string returned to ni845xOpen to access the device. If
you must discover more devices, use ni845xFindDeviceNext with pFindDeviceHandle
and pNumberFound to find the remaining NI 845x devices in the system. After finding all
desired devices, call ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle to close the device handle and
relinquish allocated resources.

Note pFirstDevice must be at least 256 bytes.

Note pFindDeviceHandle and pNumberFound are optional parameters. If only the first
match is important, and the total number of matches is not needed, you can pass in a NULL
pointer for both of these parameters, and the NI-845x driver automatically calls
ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle before this function returns.

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ni845xFindDeviceNext

Purpose
Finds subsequent devices after ni845xFindDevice has been called.

Format
int32 ni845xFindDeviceNext (
uInt32 FindDeviceHandle,
char * pNextDevice
);

Inputs
uInt32 FindDeviceHandle
Describes a find list. ni845xFindDevice creates this parameter.

Outputs
char * pNextDevice
A pointer to the string containing the next NI 845x device found. This is empty if no
further devices are left.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xFindDeviceNext after first calling ni845xFindDevice to find the remaining
devices in the system. You can then pass the string returned to ni845xOpen to access the
device.

Note pNextDevice must be at least 256 bytes.

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ni845xOpen

Purpose
Opens an NI 845x device for use with various write, read, and device property functions.

Format
int32 ni845xOpen (
char * pResourceName,
uInt32 * pDeviceHandle
);

Inputs
char * pResourceName
A resource name string corresponding to the NI 845x device to be opened.

Outputs
uInt32 * pDeviceHandle
A pointer to the device handle.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xOpen to open an NI 845x device for access. The string passed to
ni845xOpen can be any of the following: an ni845xFindDevice device string, an
ni845xFindDeviceNext device string, a Measurement & Automation Explorer resource
name, or a Measurement & Automation Explorer alias.

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ni845xStatusToString

Purpose
Converts a status code into a descriptive string.

Format
void ni845xStatusToString (
int32 StatusCode,
uInt32 MaxSize,
int8 * pStatusString
);

Inputs
int32 StatusCode
Status code returned from an NI-845x function.

uInt32 MaxSize
Size of the pStatusString buffer (in bytes).

Outputs
int8 * pStatusString
ASCII string that describes StatusCode.

Description
When the status code returned from an NI-845x function is nonzero, an error or warning is
indicated. This function obtains a description of the error/warning for debugging purposes.

The return code is passed into the StatusCode parameter. The MaxSize parameter
indicates the number of bytes available in pStatusString for the description (including
the NULL character). The description is truncated to size MaxSize if needed, but a size of
1024 characters is large enough to hold any description. The text returned in String is
null-terminated, so you can use it with ANSI C functions such as printf.

For applications written in C or C++, each NI-845x function returns a status code as a signed
32-bit integer. The following table summarizes the NI-845x use of this status.

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NI-845x Status Codes

Status Code Meaning

Negative Error—Function did not perform expected behavior.
Positive Warning—Function executed, but a condition arose that may
require attention.
Zero Success—Function completed successfully.

The application code should check the status returned from every NI-845x function. If an
error is detected, you should close all NI-845x handles, then exit the application. If a warning
is detected, you can display a message for debugging purposes, or simply ignore the warning.

In some situations, you may want to check for specific errors in the code and continue
communication when they occur. For example, when communicating to an I2C EEPROM,
you may expect the device to NAK its address during a write cycle, and you may use this
knowledge to poll for when the write cycle has completed.

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Basic
ni845xDioReadLine

Purpose
Reads from a DIO line on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xDioReadLine (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber,
uInt8 LineNumber,
int32 * pReadData
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
PortNumber specifies the DIO port that contains the LineNumber.

uInt8 LineNumber
LineNumber specifies the DIO line to read.

Outputs
int32 * pReadData
Contains the value read from the line. pReadData uses the following values:
• kNi845xDioLogicLow (0): The line is set to the logic low state.
• kNi845xDioLogicHigh (1): The line is set to the logic high state.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

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Description
Use ni845xDioReadLine to read one line, specified by LineNumber, of a byte-wide DIO
port. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the PortNumber input to select the
desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, leave PortNumber at the default (0). If
pReadData is kNi845xDioLogicLow, the logic level read on the specified line was low. If
pReadData is kNi845xDioLogicHigh, the logic level read on the specified line was high.

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ni845xDioReadPort

Purpose
Reads from a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xDioReadPort (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber,
uInt8 * pReadData
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
PortNumber specifies the DIO port to read.

Outputs
uInt8 * pReadData
Contains the value read from the DIO port. If a DIO pin was previously configured for
input, the logic level being driven onto it by external circuitry is returned. If a DIO pin
was previously configured for output, the logic level driven onto the pin internally is
returned. pReadData bit n = DIO n.

Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xDioReadPort to read all 8 bits on a byte-wide DIO port. For NI 845x devices
with multiple DIO ports, use the PortNumber input to select the desired port. For NI 845x
devices with one DIO port, leave PortNumber at the default (0).

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual 16-16 ni.com

 Chapter 16 NI-845x DIO API for C

ni845xDioSetPortLineDirectionMap

Purpose
Configures a DIO port on an NI 845x device for input or output.

Format
int32 ni845xDioSetPortLineDirectionMap (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt8 DioPort,
uInt8 Map
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt8 DioPort
The DIO port that contains the LineNumber.

uInt8 Map
Sets the line direction map for the active DIO Port. The value is a bitmap that specifies
the function of each individual line within the port. If bit x = 1, line x is an output. If bit
x = 0, line x is an input.
The default value of this property is 0 (all lines configured for input).

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xDioSetPortLineDirectionMap to modify a DIO port on an NI 845x device
for input or output.

© National Instruments Corporation 16-17 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 16 NI-845x DIO API for C

ni845xDioSetDriverType

Purpose
Configures the driver type used when sourcing DIO signals on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xDioSetDriverType (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt8 DioPort,
uInt8 Type
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt8 DioPort
The DIO port that contains the LineNumber.

uInt8 Type
The desired output driver type. Type uses the following values:
• kNi845xOpenDrain (0): The port is configured for open-drain.
• kNi845xPushPull (1): The port is configured for push-pull.
The default value of this property is Push-Pull.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xDioSetDriverType to modify the DIO driver type that the NI 845x devices use
to source DIO signals. Refer to Appendix A, NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to
determine which driver types your NI 845x device supports.

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual 16-18 ni.com

 Chapter 16 NI-845x DIO API for C

ni845xDioWriteLine

Purpose
Writes to a DIO line on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xDioWriteLine (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber,
uInt8 LineNumber,
int32 WriteData
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
The DIO port that contains the LineNumber.

uInt8 LineNumber
The DIO line to write.

int32 WriteData
The value to write to the line. WriteData uses the following values:
• kNi845xDioLogicLow (0): The line is set to the logic low state.
• kNi845xDioLogicHigh (1): The line is set to the logic high state.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xDioWriteLine to write one line, specified by LineNumber, of a byte-wide DIO
port. If WriteData is kNi845xDioLogicHigh, the specified line’s output is driven to a high
logic level. If WriteData is kNi845xDioLogicLow, the specified line’s output is driven to
a low logic level. For NI 845x devices with multiple DIO ports, use the PortNumber input to
select the desired port. For NI 845x devices with one DIO port, leave PortNumber at the
default (0).

© National Instruments Corporation 16-19 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Chapter 16 NI-845x DIO API for C

ni845xDioWritePort

Purpose
Writes to a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xDioWritePort (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt8 PortNumber,
uInt8 WriteData
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt8 PortNumber
The DIO port to write.

uInt8 WriteData
The value to write to the DIO port. Only lines configured for output are updated.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xDioWritePort to write all 8 bits on a byte-wide DIO port. For NI 845x devices
with multiple DIO ports, use the PortNumber input to select the desired port. For NI 845x
devices with one DIO port, leave PortNumber at the default (0).

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual 16-20 ni.com

 Chapter 16 NI-845x DIO API for C

ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel

Purpose
Modifies the voltage output from a DIO port on an NI 845x device.

Format
int32 ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel (
uInt32 DeviceHandle,
uInt8 VoltageLevel
);

Inputs
uInt32 DeviceHandle
Device handle returned from ni845xOpen.

uInt8 VoltageLevel
The desired voltage level. VoltageLevel uses the following values:
• kNi845x33Volts (33): The output I/O high level is 3.3 V.
• kNi845x25Volts (25): The output I/O high level is 2.5 V.
• kNi845x18Volts (18): The output I/O high level is 1.8 V.
• kNi845x15Volts (15): The output I/O high level is 1.5 V.
• kNi845x12Volts (12): The output I/O high level is 1.2 V.

The default value of this property is 3.3 V.

Outputs
Return Value
The function call status. Zero means the function executed successfully. Negative specifies
an error, meaning the function did not perform the expected behavior. Positive specifies a
warning, meaning the function performed as expected, but a condition arose that might
require attention. For more information, refer to ni845xStatusToString.

Description
Use ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel to modify the board reference voltage of the NI 845x
device. The board reference voltage is used for SPI, I2C, and DIO. Refer to Appendix A, NI
USB-845x Hardware Specifications, to determine the available voltage levels on your
hardware.

© National Instruments Corporation 16-21 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

NI USB-845x Hardware
A
Specifications
This appendix lists the NI USB-845x hardware specifications.

NI USB-8451
The following specifications are typical at 25 °C unless otherwise noted.

Digital I/O (DIO)

Number of lines
P0.<0..7>......................................... 8

Direction control .................................... Input or output, software

selectable

Output driver type .................................. Push-pull (active drive) or

open-drain, software selectable

Absolute voltage range........................... –0.5 to +5.8 V with respect to

GND

Power-on state........................................ Input (high impedance)

© National Instruments Corporation A-1 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Appendix A NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications

Digital logic levels

Level Min Max Units

Input
Input low voltage –0.3 0.8 V
Input high voltage 2.0 5.8 V
Input leakage current — 50 A
Output
Output low voltage (I = 8.5 mA) — 0.8 V
Output high voltage
Push-pull (active drive), I = –8.5 mA 2.0 3.5 V
Open-drain Vcc1 Vcc1 V
1V refers to the pull-up voltage you select.
cc

SPI Interface
Signals
SPI CS <0..7>..................................Output
SPI MOSI (SDO).............................Output
SPI MISO (SDI) ..............................Input
SPI CLK (SCLK) ............................Output (12 MHz max)

Supported clock rates..............................48 kHz, 50 kHz, 60 kHz, 75 kHz,

80 kHz, 96 kHz, 100 kHz,
120 kHz, 125 kHz, 150 kHz,
160 kHz, 200 kHz, 240 kHz,
250 kHz, 300 kHz, 375 kHz,
400 kHz, 480 kHz, 500 kHz,
600 kHz, 750 kHz, 800 kHz,
1 MHz, 1.2 MHz, 1.5 MHz,
2 MHz, 2.4 MHz, 3 MHz, 4 MHz,
6 MHz, 12 MHz

Output driver type...................................Push-pull (active drive)

Absolute voltage range ...........................–0.5 to +5.8 V with respect to

GND

Power-on state ........................................Input (high impedance)

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual A-2 ni.com

 Appendix A NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications

Digital logic levels

Level Min Max Units

Input
Input low voltage –0.3 0.8 V
Input high voltage 2.0 5.8 V
Input leakage current — 50 A
Output
Output low voltage (I = 8.5 mA) — 0.8 V
Output high voltage
Push-pull (active drive), I = –8.5 mA 2.0 3.5 V

I2C Interface
Signals
SDA ................................................ Output/input
SCL ................................................. Output (250 kHz max)
Supported clock rates
I2C Standard Mode.......................... 32 kHz, 40 kHz, 50 kHz, 64 kHz,
80 kHz, 100 kHz
I2C Fast Mode ................................. 125 kHz, 160 kHz, 200 kHz,
250 kHz
Fast Mode Plus................................ Not supported
I2C High Speed Mode ..................... Not supported
Output driver type .................................. Open-drain
Absolute voltage range........................... –0.5 to +5.8 V with respect to
GND
Power-on state........................................ Input (high impedance)

Digital logic levels

Level Min Max Units

Output
Output low voltage (I = 8.5 mA) — 0.8 V
Output high voltage
Open-drain with external pull-up resistor 2.0 — V

Note This interface is compatible with both I2C and SMBus devices.

© National Instruments Corporation A-3 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Appendix A NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications

Bus Interface
USB specification ...................................Full-speed (12 Mb/s)

Power Requirements
USB
4.10 to 5.25 VDC.............................80 mA typical, 500 mA max
USB Suspend...................................300 µA
A standby mode,
500 µA
A max

Output Voltage Sources

+5 V output
Voltage ............................................4.10 V min, 5.25 V max
Current.............................................230 mA max

Physical Characteristics
NI USB-8451
Dimensions
Without connectors..........................6.35 cm × 8.51 cm × 2.31 cm
(2.50 in. × 3.35 in. × 0.91 in.)
With connectors...............................8.18 cm × 8.51 cm × 2.31 cm
(3.22 in. × 3.35 in. × 0.91 in.)

I/O connectors.........................................USB series B receptacle,

two 16-position (screw terminal)
plug headers

Screw-terminal wiring ............................16 AWG to 28 AWG copper

conductor wire with 10 mm
(0.39 in.) of insulation stripped
from the end

Torque for screw terminals.....................0.22 to 0.25 N • m

(2.0 to 2.2 lb • in.)

Weight ....................................................84 g (3 oz)

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual A-4 ni.com

 Appendix A NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications

NI USB-8451 OEM
Dimensions............................................. 5.74 cm × 6.73 cm × 1.15 cm
(2.26 in. × 2.65 in. × 0.45 in.)

I/O connectors ........................................ USB series B receptacle;

34-p IDC ribbon cable header

Weight.................................................... 21 g (0.74 oz)

Dimensional drawings
Figure A-1 shows a top view of the USB-8451 OEM. Figure A-2
shows the front and rear dimensions.

0.45 in. (11.5 mm)

0.18 in. (4.5 mm)
–0.03 in. (–0.8 mm)
–0.18 in. (–4.6 mm) 0.125 in. (3.18 mm) Diameter

2.26 in. (57.4 mm)

2.13 in. (54.1 mm)
1.78 in. (45.2 mm)
1.61 in. (40.8 mm)
1.45 in. (36.7 mm)
1.37 in. (34.7 mm) 1.13 in. (28.7 mm)
0.89 in. (22.7 mm)

0.48 in. (12.2 mm)

0.13 in. (3.3 mm)
0.00 in. (0.0 mm)
2.65 in. (67.3 mm)
2.41 in. (61.2 mm)
0.00 in. (0.0 mm) 2.04 in. (51.8 mm)
0.33 in. (8.3 mm) 1.66 in. (42.2 mm)

Figure A-1. USB-8451 OEM Dimensions (Top View)

Pin 1 0.45 in. (11.5 mm)

0.25 in. (6.4 mm)

0.34 in. (8.6 mm)

0.06 in. (1.6 mm)

Figure A-2. USB-8451 OEM Dimensions (Front and Rear Views)

© National Instruments Corporation A-5 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Appendix A NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications

Overvoltage Protection
Connect only voltages that are within these limits.

Channel-to-COM (one channel) .............± 30 V max,

Measurement Category I

Channels-to-COM
(one port, all channels) ........................... ± 8.9 V max,
Measurement Category I

Measurement Category I is for measurements performed on circuits not

directly connected to the electrical distribution system referred to as
MAINS voltage. MAINS is a hazardous live electrical supply system that
powers equipment. This category is for measurements of voltages from
specially protected secondary circuits. Such voltage measurements include
signal levels, special equipment, limited-energy parts of equipment,
circuits powered by regulated low-voltage sources, and electronics.

Caution Do not use this module for connection to signals or for measurements within
Measurement Categories II, III, or IV.

NI USB-8452
The following specifications are typical at 25 °C, unless otherwise noted.

Digital I/O(DIO)
Number of lines
DIO <0..7> ......................................8

Direction control.....................................Input or output, software

selectable

Output driver type...................................Push-pull (active drive)

Absolute voltage range ...........................–0.5 to +5.5 V with respect to

GND

Power-on state ........................................Tri-state with weak (40 k) pull

down to GND

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual A-6 ni.com

 Appendix A NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications

I/O specifications under different logic levels

Output Specifications
Voltage Low Level Voltage High Level
(VOL) (VOH) Output Drive Strength
(Full Temperature) (Full Temperature) (IO_MAX)
Logic Family Max (IOL = 100 uA) Min (IOH = 100 uA) Max
1.2 V 0.2 V 1.0 V ±3 mA
1.5 V 0.2 V 1.3 V ±6 mA
1.8 V 0.2 V 1.6 V ±8 mA
2.5 V 0.2 V 2.3 V ±9 mA
3.3 V 0.2 V 3.1 V ±12 mA
Output Impedance 70  (typical)
Input Specifications
Logic Family Input Voltage Low (VIL) Max Input Voltage High (VIH) Min
1.2 V 0.42 V 0.78 V
1.5 V 0.525 V 0.975 V
1.8 V 0.63 V 1.17 V
2.5 V 0.7 V 1.6 V
3.3 V 0.8 V 2V
Input Impedance High impedance
Input Protection –0.5 V to +5.5 V, ±50 mA maximum

SPI Interface
Signals
SPI CS <0..7> ................................. Output
SPI MOSI (SDO) ............................ Output
SPI MISO (SDI).............................. Input
SPI CLK (SCLK)............................ Output (50 MHz max)

© National Instruments Corporation A-7 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Appendix A NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications

Supported clock rates..............................25 kHz, 32 kHz, 40 kHz, 50 kHz,

80 kHz, 100 kHz, 125 kHz,
160 kHz, 200 kHz, 250 kHz,
400 kHz, 500 kHz, 625 kHz,
800 kHz, 1 MHz, 1.25 MHz,
2.5 MHz, 3.125 MHz, 4 MHz,
5 MHz, 6.25 MHz, 10 MHz,
12.5 MHz, 20 MHz, 25 MHz,
33.33 MHz, 50 MHz

Output driver type...................................Push-pull (active drive)

Absolute voltage range ...........................–0.5 to +5.5 V with respect to

GND

Power-on state ........................................Tri-state with weak (40 k) pull

down to GND

Transfer size ...........................................4 to 64 bits programmable

(API specific)

Bit ordering.............................................Most significant bit (msb) first

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual A-8 ni.com

 Appendix A NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications

SPI specifications under different logic levels

Output Specifications
Voltage Low Level Voltage High Level
(VOL) (VOH) Output Drive Strength
(Full Temperature) (Full Temperature) (IO_MAX)
Logic Family Max (IOL = 100 uA) Min (IOH = 100 uA) Max
1.2 V 0.2 V 1.0 V ±3 mA
1.5 V 0.2 V 1.3 V ±6 mA
1.8 V 0.2 V 1.6 V ±8 mA
2.5 V 0.2 V 2.3 V ±9 mA
3.3 V 0.2 V 3.1 V ±12 mA
Output Impedance 70  (typical)
Input Specifications
Logic Family Input Voltage Low (VIL) Max Input Voltage High (VIH) Min
1.2 V 0.42 V 0.78 V
1.5 V 0.525 V 0.975 V
1.8 V 0.63 V 1.17 V
2.5 V 0.7 V 1.6 V
3.3 V 0.8 V 2V
Input Impedance High impedance
Input Protection –0.5 V to +5.5 V, ±50 mA maximum

SPI timing requirements

Timing Parameter1 Min Max Unit

tclk SCLK period 20 — ns
tclkl SCLK low time 9 — ns
tclkh SCLK high time 9 — ns
tskew MOSI output skew (with regard to –2 2 ns
SCLK edge)

© National Instruments Corporation A-9 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Appendix A NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications

Timing Parameter1 Min Max Unit

t1 MISO hold time 5 — ns
t2 MISO setup time 4 — ns
1 All timing parameters are measured/required at IDC connector.

SPI timing diagram

tclk

SCLK
tclkh tclkl

MOSI D15 D14 D13 D12

tskew

t1 t2

MISO D15 D14 D13 D12

MISO Sampling Edge MOSI Update Edge

I2C Interface
Signals
SDA .................................................Output/input
SCL..................................................Output/input (3.3 MHz max)

Supported clock rates

I2C Standard Mode .........................16 kHz, 20 kHz, 25 kHz, 31 kHz,
40 kHz, 50 kHz, 62 kHz, 80 kHz,
100 kHz
I2C Fast Mode .................................125 kHz, 200 kHz, 250 kHz,
400 kHz

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual A-10 ni.com

 Appendix A NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications

I2C Fast Mode Plus ......................... 500 kHz, 1 Mhz

I2C High Speed Mode ..................... 1.11 MHz, 1.33 MHz, 2.22 MHz,
3.33 MHz

Output driver type .................................. Open-drain

Absolute voltage range........................... –0.5 V to +5.5 V with respect to

GND

Absolute input current............................ 40 mA max

Power-on state........................................ High impedance without pull-up

I2C specifications under different logic levels

Output Voltage Low (VOL) Input Voltage Low (VIL)

Logic Family Max Max
1.2 V 0.2 V 0.4 V
1.5 V 0.2 V 0.4 V
1.8 V 0.2 V 0.4 V
2.5 V 0.2 V 0.4 V
3.3 V 0.2 V 0.4 V
Pull-up current 3 mA (max)1
Onboard capacitance 70 pF (max)
Input protection 40 mA (max)
1 With onboard pull-up resistors enabled (tested under VOL = 0.24 V)

Note This interface is compatible with both I2C and SMBus devices. (SMBus
compatibility is only under Vref= 3.3 V and using external pull-up resistors instead of
onboard pull-ups. For a proper pull-up value, refer to the SMBus specifications.)

Bus Interface
USB specification .................................. USB 2.0 High-Speed (480 Mb/s)

© National Instruments Corporation A-11 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Appendix A NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications

Power Requirements
USB high-power bus-powered device
Input voltage....................................4.5 V min, 5.25 V max
Working mode current.....................500 mA maximum,
250 mA typical
USB suspend ...................................2.5 mA maximum (all front
I/O lines disconnected)

Output Voltage Sources

+5 V output
Voltage ............................................4.75 V min, 5.25 V max
Current.............................................20 mA max

Vref I/O reference output

Voltage ............................................1.2 V, 1.5 V, 1.8 V, 2.5 V,
3.3 V programmable, with
±10% tolerance
Current.............................................20 mA max

Physical Characteristics
Dimensions
Without connector(s) .......................3.39 in. × 2.62 in.
(8.61 cm × 6.65 cm)
With connector(s) ............................3.49 in. × 2.62 in.
(8.86 cm × 6.65 cm)
I/O connectors .................................1 × right angle USB series B
receptacle
1 × right angle male IDE cable
receptacle
Weight .............................................35 g (1.23 oz)

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual A-12 ni.com

 Appendix A NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications

Dimensional drawings
Figure A-3 shows a top view of the NI USB-8452 OEM. Figure A-4
shows the front and rear dimensions.

3.22 in. (81.9 mm)

0.05 in. (1.38 mm)

0.13 in. (3.21 mm)
0.16 in. (4.13 mm)
(3.18 mm) Diameter
4 x 0.125 in.
2.46 in. (62.42 mm)
2.29 in. (58.29 mm) 2.29 in. (58.29 mm)
2 x 0.63 in. 1.74 in. (44.26 mm)
1.52 in. (38.66 mm)
(1.59 mm) Radius
1.48 in. (37.53 mm)
1.38 in. (35.17 mm)
0.91 in. (23.13 mm)
0.82 in. (20.76 mm)
0.73 in. (18.63 mm)
0.55 in. (14.03 mm)
0.002 in. (0.06 mm) 0.00 in. (0.0 mm)
0.16 in. (4.13 mm)
3.33 in. (84.57 mm)
2.98 in. (75.68 mm)

2.56 in. (65.01 mm)

0.08 in. (2.1 mm)

0.00 in. (0.0 mm)
0.06 in. (1.59 mm)
0.56 in. (14.14 mm)
2.9 in. (73.65 mm)

Figure A-3. USB-8452 OEM Dimensions (Top View)

Pin 1 0.45 in. (11.51 mm)

0.34 in. (8.64 mm)

0.37 in. (9.27 mm)

0.06 in. (1.57 mm)

Figure A-4. USB-8452 OEM Dimensions (Front and Rear Views)

© National Instruments Corporation A-13 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Appendix A NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications

Safety
Safety Standards
This product meets the requirements of the following standards of safety
for electrical equipment for measurement, control, and laboratory use:
• IEC 61010-1, EN 61010-1
• UL 61010-1, CSA 61010-1

Note For UL and other safety certifications, refer to the product label or the Online
Product Certification section.

Hazardous Locations
The NI USB-845x modules are not certified for use in hazardous locations.

Electromagnetic Compatibility
NI USB-8451
This product meets the requirements of the following EMC standards for
electrical equipment for measurement, control, and laboratory use:
• EN 61326 (IEC 61326): Class A emissions; Basic immunity
• EN 55011 (CISPR 11): Group 1, Class A emissions
• AS/NZS CISPR 11: Group 1, Class A emissions
• FCC 47 CFR Part 15B: Class A emissions
• ICES-001: Class A emissions

Note For the standards applied to assess the EMC of this product, refer to the Online
Product Certification section.

Note For EMC compliance, operate this product according to the documentation.

NI USB-8451 OEM, NI USB-8452 OEM

The NI USB-8451 OEM and NI USB-8452 OEM devices are intended for
use as part of a system. To ensure that your system meets the appropriate
EMC standards, you must test the entire system.

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual A-14 ni.com

 Appendix A NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications

CE Compliance
NI USB-8451
This product meets the essential requirements of applicable European
Directives as follows:
• 2006/95/EC; Low-Voltage Directive (safety)
• 2004/108/EC; Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (EMC)

NI USB-8451 OEM, NI USB-8452 OEM

The NI USB-8451 OEM and NI USB-8452 OEM devices are intended for
use as part of a system. To ensure that your system meets the appropriate
CE Compliance regulations, you must test the entire system.

Online Product Certification

Refer to the product Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for additional
regulatory compliance information. To obtain product certifications and
the DoC for this product, visit ni.com/certification, search by model
number or product line, and click the appropriate link in the Certification
column.

Environmental
The NI USB-845x modules are intended for indoor use only.

Operating temperature
(IEC 60068-2-1 and IEC 60068-2-2) ..... 0 to 45 °C

Operating humidity (IEC 60068-2-56) .. 10 to 90% RH, noncondensing

Maximum altitude .................................. 2,000 m (at 25°C ambient

temperature)

Storage temperature (IEC 60068-2-1

and IEC 60068-2-2) ............................... –40 to 85 °C

Storage humidity (IEC 60068-2-56) ...... 5 to 90% RH, noncondensing

Pollution Degree (IEC 60664) ............... 2

© National Instruments Corporation A-15 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Appendix A NI USB-845x Hardware Specifications

Environmental Management
NI is committed to designing and manufacturing products in an
environmentally responsible manner. NI recognizes that eliminating
certain hazardous substances from our products is beneficial to the
environment and to NI customers.

For additional environmental information, refer to the NI and the

Environment Web page at ni.com/environment. This page contains the
environmental regulations and directives with which NI complies, as well
as other environmental information not included in this document.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

EU Customers At the end of the product life cycle, all products must be sent to a WEEE
recycling center. For more information about WEEE recycling centers, National
Instruments WEEE initiatives, and compliance with WEEE Directive 2002/96/EC on
Waste and Electronic Equipment, visit ni.com/environment/weee.

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NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual A-16 ni.com

Technical Support and
B
Professional Services
Visit the following sections of the award-winning National Instruments
Web site at ni.com for technical support and professional services:
• Support—Technical support at ni.com/support includes the
following resources:
– Self-Help Technical Resources—For answers and solutions,
visit ni.com/support for software drivers and updates,
a searchable KnowledgeBase, product manuals, step-by-step
troubleshooting wizards, thousands of example programs,
tutorials, application notes, instrument drivers, and so on.
Registered users also receive access to the NI Discussion Forums
at ni.com/forums. NI Applications Engineers make sure every
question submitted online receives an answer.
– Standard Service Program Membership—This program
entitles members to direct access to NI Applications Engineers
via phone and email for one-to-one technical support as well as
exclusive access to on demand training modules via the Services
Resource Center. NI offers complementary membership for a full
year after purchase, after which you may renew to continue your
benefits.
For information about other technical support options in your
area, visit ni.com/services, or contact your local office at
ni.com/contact.
• Training and Certification—Visit ni.com/training for
self-paced training, eLearning virtual classrooms, interactive CDs,
and Certification program information. You also can register for
instructor-led, hands-on courses at locations around the world.
• System Integration—If you have time constraints, limited in-house
technical resources, or other project challenges, National Instruments
Alliance Partner members can help. To learn more, call your local
NI office or visit ni.com/alliance.

© National Instruments Corporation B-1 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Appendix B Technical Support and Professional Services

You also can visit the Worldwide Offices section of ni.com/niglobal

to access the branch office Web sites, which provide up-to-date contact
information, support phone numbers, email addresses, and current events.

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual B-2 ni.com

Glossary

Symbol Prefix Value

p pico 10 –12
n nano 10 –9
 micro 10 – 6
m milli 10 –3
k kilo 10 3
M mega 10 6
G giga 10 9
T tera 10 12

A
Arbitration The procedure to allow multiple masters to determine which single master
controls the bus for a particular transfer time.

C
CLK CLocK. The clock is generated by the master device and controls when data
is sent and read.

CPHA Clock PHAse. This controls the positioning of the data bits relative to the
clock edges.

CPOL Clock POLarity. The polarity indicating whether the clock makes positive
or negative pulses.

CS or SS Chip Select or Slave Select. Connection from the master to a slave that
signals the slave to listen for SPI clock and data signals.

© National Instruments Corporation G-1 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Glossary

I
I2C Inter-IC

M
Master On the I2C bus, a device that can initiate and terminate a transfer on the bus.
The master is responsible for generating the clock (SCL) signal.
On the SPI bus, the master device provides the clock signal and determines
the chip select line state.

MISO Master Input, Slave Output. The MISO carries data from the slave to the
master.

MOSI Master Output, Slave Input. The MOSI line carries data from the master to
the slave.

Multimaster The ability for more than one master to co-exist on the bus concurrently
without data loss.

R
Receiver Device receiving data from the bus.

S
SCL Serial CLock (clock signal line).

SDA Serial DAta (data signal line).

Shift Register A shift register is connected to the MOSI and MISO lines. As data is read
from the input, it is placed into the shift register. Data from the shift register
is placed into the output, creating a full-duplex communication loop.

Slave On the I2C bus, a device addressed by the master.

On the SPI bus, the slave device receives the clock and chip select from the
master. The maximum number of slaves is dependent on the number of
available chip select lines.

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual G-2 ni.com

 Glossary

SMBus System Management Bus

Synchronization The defined procedure to allow the clock signals provided by two or more
masters to be synchronized.

T
Transmitter Device transmitting data on the bus.

© National Instruments Corporation G-3 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Index

Symbols ni845xDeviceUnlock, 7-11, 10-10, 13-8,

16-7
+5 V power source
ni845xDioReadLine, 16-14
NI USB-8451, 3-11
ni845xDioReadPort, 16-16
NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-20
ni845xDioSetDriverType, 16-18
ni845xDioSetPortLineDirectionMap,
A 16-17
ni845xDioWriteLine, 16-19
advanced functions, 7-42, 10-32
advanced VIs, 6-20, 9-15 ni845xDioWritePort, 16-20
ni845xFindDevice, 7-12, 10-11, 13-9,
arbitration, 1-2
16-8
ni845xFindDeviceNext, 7-14, 10-13,
B 13-11, 16-10
basic functions, 7-36, 10-30, 16-14 ni845xI2cConfigurationClose, 7-20
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetAddress, 7-21
basic VIs, 6-14, 9-13, 12-18, 15-8
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetAddressSize,
block diagram (figure)
7-22
NI USB-8451, 3-2
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetClockRate,
NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-12
7-23
bus interface specifications
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSClockRate,
NI USB-8451, A-4
7-24
NI USB-8452 OEM, A-11 ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSEnable,
7-25
C ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSMaster
Code, 7-26
C functions
ni845xI2cConfigurationGetPort, 7-27
advanced functions, 7-42, 10-32 ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen, 7-28
basic functions, 7-36, 10-30, 16-14
ni845xI2cConfigurationSetAddress, 7-29
configuration functions, 7-20, 10-18
ni845xI2cConfigurationSetAddressSize,
data types, 7-1, 10-1, 13-1, 16-1 7-30
general device functions, 7-8, 10-7, 13-5, ni845xI2cConfigurationSetClockRate,
16-4 7-31
ni845xClose, 7-8, 10-7, 13-5, 16-4 ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSClockRate,
ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle, 7-9, 7-32
10-8, 13-6, 16-5 ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSEnable,
ni845xDeviceLock, 7-10, 10-9, 13-7, 7-33
16-6 ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSMaster
Code, 7-34

© National Instruments Corporation I-1 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Index

ni845xI2cConfigurationSetPort, 7-35 ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockRate,

ni845xI2cRead, 7-36 10-22
ni845xI2cScriptAddressRead, 7-42 ni845xSpiConfigurationGetPort, 10-23
ni845xI2cScriptAddressWrite, 7-43 ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen, 10-24
ni845xI2cScriptClockRate, 7-44 ni845xSpiConfigurationSetChipSelect,
ni845xI2cScriptClose, 7-45 10-25
ni845xI2cScriptDelay, 7-46 ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockPhase,
ni845xI2cScriptDioConfigureLine, 7-47 10-26
ni845xI2cScriptDioConfigurePort, 7-48 ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockPolarity,
ni845xI2cScriptDioReadLine, 7-49 10-27
ni845xI2cScriptDioReadPort, 7-51 ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockRate,
ni845xI2cScriptDioWriteLine, 7-52 10-28
ni845xSpiConfigurationSetPort, 10-29
ni845xI2cScriptDioWritePort, 7-54
ni845xSpiScriptClockPolarityPhase,
ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData, 7-56
10-32
ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadDataSize,
7-57 ni845xSpiScriptClockRate, 10-34
ni845xSpiScriptClose, 10-35
ni845xI2cScriptHSClockRate, 7-60
ni845xSpiScriptCSHigh, 10-36
ni845xI2cScriptHSEnable, 7-58
ni845xI2cScriptHSMasterCode, 7-59 ni845xSpiScriptCSLow, 10-37
ni845xSpiScriptDelay, 10-38
ni845xI2cScriptIssueStart, 7-61
ni845xSpiScriptDioConfigureLine, 10-39
ni845xI2cScriptIssueStop, 7-62
ni845xI2cScriptOpen, 7-63 ni845xSpiScriptDioConfigurePort, 10-40
ni845xSpiScriptDioReadLine, 10-41
ni845xI2cScriptPullupEnable, 7-55
ni845xSpiScriptDioReadPort, 10-43
ni845xI2cScriptRead, 7-64
ni845xI2cScriptReset, 7-66 ni845xSpiScriptDioWriteLine, 10-44
ni845xSpiScriptDioWritePort, 10-46
ni845xI2cScriptRun, 7-67
ni845xSpiScriptDisableSPI, 10-47
ni845xI2cScriptWrite, 7-68
ni845xI2cSetPullupEnable, 7-17 ni845xSpiScriptEnableSPI, 10-48
ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData, 10-49
ni845xI2cWrite, 7-38
ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadDataSize,
ni845xI2cWriteRead, 7-40
10-50
ni845xOpen, 7-15, 10-14, 13-12, 16-11
ni845xSpiScriptOpen, 10-51
ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel, 7-16, 10-15,
ni845xSpiScriptReset, 10-52
16-21
ni845xSpiScriptRun, 10-53
ni845xSpiConfigurationClose, 10-18
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetChipSelect, ni845xSpiScriptWriteRead, 10-54
10-19 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationClose,
13-15
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockPhase,
10-20 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetClock
Phase, 13-20
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClock
Polarity, 10-21 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetClock
Polarity, 13-22

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual I-2 ni.com

 Index

ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetNum CONV pin, 11-4

Bits, 13-17 conventions used in the manual, xvii
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetNum current levels, 1-5
Samples, 13-18
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetPacket
Size, 13-19 D
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen, diagnostic tools (NI resources), B-1
13-16 digital I/O
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetClock NI USB-8451, 3-7
Phase, 13-29 NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-18
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetClock specifications
Polarity, 13-31 NI USB-8451, A-1
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetNum NI USB-8452 OEM, A-6
Bits, 13-26 digital terminal assignments (figure)
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetNum
NI USB-8451, 3-4
Samples, 13-27
dimensions
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetPacket
front and rear view (figure)
Size, 13-28
NI USB-8451 OEM, A-5
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1
NI USB-8452 OEM, A-13
GetPinConfig, 13-21
top view (figure)
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1
GetTimingParam, 13-23 NI USB-8451 OEM, A-5
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1Set NI USB-8452 OEM, A-13
MosiData, 13-25 DIO line read, 14-2
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1Set DIO line write, 14-2
PinConfig, 13-30 DIO port configure, 14-2
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1Set DIO port read, 14-2
TimingParam, 13-32 DIO port write, 14-2
ni845xSpiStreamRead, 13-34 documentation
ni845xSpiStreamStart, 13-36 conventions used in manual, xvii
ni845xSpiStreamStop, 13-37 NI resources, B-1
ni845xSpiWriteRead, 10-30 DRDY pin, 11-4
ni845xStatusToString, 7-18, 10-16, drivers (NI resources), B-1
13-13, 16-12
section headings, 7-1, 10-1, 13-1, 16-1
SPI stream configuration functions, 13-15 E
CE compliance specifications, A-15 electromagnetic compatibility specifications,
Chip Select pin, 11-4 A-14
clock and polarity, 1-7 environmental management specifications,
clock stretching, 1-4 A-16
configuration functions, 7-20, 10-18 environmental specifications, A-15
configuration VIs, 6-8, 9-8, 12-8 error handling, 1-8

© National Instruments Corporation I-3 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Index

examples (NI resources), B-1 High Speed master code, 1-4

extended (10-bit) addressing, 1-4 terminology, 1-1
external user-provided resistor, connection transfers (figure), 1-3
example (figure) I2C configure, 5-2
NI USB-8451, 3-7 I2C interface
extract read data NI USB-8451, 3-10
I2C API, 5-6 NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-17
SPI API, 8-6 specifications
NI USB-8451, A-3
NI USB-8452 OEM, A-10
G to two peripherals (figure)
general device functions, 7-8, 10-7, 13-5, 16-4 NI USB-8451, 3-10
general device VIs, 6-2, 9-2, 12-2, 15-2 NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-18
I2C read, 5-2
I2C vs. SMBus, 1-5
H
current levels, 1-5
hardware
logic levels, 1-5
installation, 2-1 timeout and clock rates, 1-5
overview, 3-1 2
I C write, 5-2
NI USB-8451, 3-1
I2C write read, 5-2
NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-11 installation
setup
hardware, 2-1
NI USB-8451, 3-2
software, 2-1
NI USB-8451 OEM, 3-3 instrument drivers (NI resources), B-1
NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-12
introduction, 1-1
specifications, A-1
hazardous locations, A-14
help, technical support, B-1 K
KnowledgeBase, B-1
I
I/O connector and cable L
NI USB-8451, 3-4 LabVIEW VIs
NI USB-8451 OEM, 3-5 advanced VIs, 6-20, 9-15
I/O protection basic VIs, 6-14, 9-13, 12-18, 15-8
NI USB-8451, 3-10 configuration VIs, 6-8, 9-8, 12-8
NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-20 general device VIs, 6-2, 9-2, 12-2, 15-2
2
I C bus, 1-1, 1-2 NI-845x Close Reference.vi, 6-2, 9-2,
arbitration, 1-2 12-2, 15-2
clock stretching, 1-4 NI-845x Device Property Node, 6-4, 9-4,
extended (10-bit) addressing, 1-4 12-4, 15-4

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual I-4 ni.com

 Index

NI-845x Device Reference, 6-7, 9-7, 12-7, NI-845x I2C Script Read.vi, 6-58
15-7 NI-845x I2C Script Write.vi, 6-60
NI-845x DIO Read Line.vi, 15-8 NI-845x I2C Write Read.vi, 6-16
NI-845x DIO Read Port.vi, 15-10 NI-845x I2C Write.vi, 6-18
NI-845x DIO Write Line.vi, 15-12 NI-845x SPI Configuration Property
NI-845x DIO Write Port.vi, 15-14 Node, 9-8
NI-845x I2C Configuration Property NI-845x SPI Create Configuration
Node, 6-8 Reference.vi, 9-11
NI-845x I2C Create Configuration NI-845x SPI Create Script Reference.vi,
Reference.vi, 6-12 9-15
NI-845x I2C Create Script Reference.vi, NI-845x SPI Extract Script Read Data.vi,
6-20 9-17
NI-845x I2C Extract Script Read Data.vi, NI-845x SPI Run Script.vi, 9-19
6-22 NI-845x SPI Script Clock Polarity
NI-845x I2C Read.vi, 6-14 Phase.vi, 9-21
NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi, 6-24 NI-845x SPI Script Clock Rate.vi, 9-23
NI-845x I2C Script Address+Read.vi, NI-845x SPI Script CS High.vi, 9-25
6-26 NI-845x SPI Script CS Low.vi, 9-27
NI-845x I2C Script Address+Write.vi, NI-845x SPI Script Delay.vi, 9-29
6-28 NI-845x SPI Script DIO Configure
NI-845x I2C Script Clock Rate.vi, 6-30 Line.vi, 9-31
NI-845x I2C Script Delay.vi, 6-32 NI-845x SPI Script DIO Configure
NI-845x I2C Script DIO Configure Port.vi, 9-33
Line.vi, 6-34 NI-845x SPI Script DIO Read Line.vi,
NI-845x I2C Script DIO Configure 9-35
Port.vi, 6-36 NI-845x SPI Script DIO Read Port.vi,
NI-845x I2C Script DIO Read Line.vi, 9-37
6-38 NI-845x SPI Script DIO Write Line.vi,
NI-845x I2C Script DIO Read Port.vi, 9-39
6-40 NI-845x SPI Script DIO Write Port.vi,
NI-845x I2C Script DIO Write Line.vi, 9-41
6-42 NI-845x SPI Script Disable SPI.vi, 9-43
NI-845x I2C Script DIO Write Port.vi, NI-845x SPI Script Enable SPI.vi, 9-45
6-44 NI-845x SPI Script Write Read.vi, 9-47
NI-845x I2C Script HS Clock Rate.vi, NI-845x SPI Stream Configuration
6-52 Property Node, 12-8
NI-845x I2C Script HS Enable.vi, 6-48 NI-845x SPI Stream Create Configuration
NI-845x I2C Script HS Master Code.vi, Reference.vi, 12-16
6-50 NI-845x SPI Stream Read.vi, 12-18,
NI-845x I2C Script Issue Start.vi, 6-54 12-20, 12-22
NI-845x I2C Script Issue Stop.vi, 6-56 NI-845x SPI Stream Start.vi, 12-20
NI-845x I2C Script Pullup Enable.vi, 6-46

© National Instruments Corporation I-5 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Index

NI-845x SPI Stream Stop.vi, 12-22 NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-11

NI-845x SPI Write Read.vi, 9-13 +5 V power source, 3-20
LED indicators (figure) block diagram (figure), 3-12
NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-19 digital I/O, 3-18
load connection example (figure) hardware
NI USB-8451, 3-8 overview, 3-11
logic levels, 1-5 setup, 3-12
I/O protection, 3-20
I2C interface, 3-17
N to two peripherals (figure), 3-18
National Instruments support and services, LED indicators (figure), 3-19
B-1 pin assignments (figure), 3-13
NI USB-8451, 3-1 power-on states, 3-20
+5 V power source, 3-11 signal descriptions (table), 3-14
block diagram (figure), 3-2 software installation, 3-12
digital I/O, 3-7 specifications, A-6
digital terminal assignments (figure), 3-4 SPI interface, 3-15
external user-provided resistor, standard mode, 3-17
connection example (figure), 3-7 stream mode, 3-17
hardware to three peripherals (figure), 3-16
overview, 3-1 Vref I/O reference voltage, 3-21
setup, 3-2 NI-845x API, 4-1
I/O connector and cable, 3-4 NI-845x Close Reference.vi, 6-2, 9-2, 12-2,
I/O protection, 3-10 15-2
I2C interface, 3-10 NI-845x Device Property Node, 6-4, 9-4, 12-4,
to two peripherals (figure), 3-10 15-4
load connection example (figure), 3-8 NI-845x Device Reference, 6-7, 9-7, 12-7,
power-on states, 3-11 15-7
signal descriptions (table), 3-6 NI-845x DIO API, 14-1
signal label application diagram (figure), basic programming model, 14-1
3-3 DIO line read, 14-2
software installation, 3-2 DIO line write, 14-2
specifications, A-1 DIO port configure, 14-2
SPI interface, 3-9 DIO port read, 14-2
to three peripherals (figure), 3-9 DIO port write, 14-2
NI USB-8451 OEM C functions, 16-1
hardware, setup, 3-3 LabVIEW VIs, 15-1
I/O connector and cable, 3-5 list of C functions, 16-2
pin assignments (table), 3-5 NI-845x DIO Read Line.vi, 15-8
NI-845x DIO Read Port.vi, 15-10
NI-845x DIO Write Line.vi, 15-12

NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual I-6 ni.com

 Index

NI-845x DIO Write Port.vi, 15-14 NI-845x I2C Script DIO Configure Port.vi,
NI-845x I2C API, 5-1 6-36
advanced programming model, 5-2 NI-845x I2C Script DIO Read Line.vi, 6-38
example (figure), 5-3 NI-845x I2C Script DIO Read Port.vi, 6-40
extract read data, 5-6 NI-845x I2C Script DIO Write Line.vi, 6-42
run script, 5-6 NI-845x I2C Script DIO Write Port.vi, 6-44
script: issue start condition, 5-4 NI-845x I2C Script HS Clock Rate.vi, 6-52
script: issue stop condition, 5-5 NI-845x I2C Script HS Enable.vi, 6-48
script: pullup enable, 5-4 NI-845x I2C Script HS Master Code.vi, 6-50
script: read, 5-5 NI-845x I2C Script Issue Start.vi, 6-54
script: send address + read, 5-5 NI-845x I2C Script Issue Stop.vi, 6-56
script: send address + write, 5-5 NI-845x I2C Script Pullup Enable.vi, 6-46
script: send High Speed master code, NI-845x I2C Script Read.vi, 6-58
5-5 NI-845x I2C Script Write.vi, 6-60
script: set I2C clock rate, 5-4 NI-845x I2C Write Read.vi, 6-16
script: set I2C High Speed clock rate, NI-845x I2C Write.vi, 6-18
5-4 NI-845x SPI API, 8-1
script: set I2C High Speed enable, 5-4 advanced programming model, 8-3
script: write, 5-5 extract read data, 8-6
basic programming model, 5-1 run script, 8-6
I2C configure, 5-2 script: chip select high, 8-5
I2C read, 5-2 script: chip select low, 8-5
I2C write, 5-2 script: configure phase, polarity,
I2C write read, 5-2 clock rate, 8-5
C functions, 7-1 script: disable SPI, 8-6
LabVIEW VIs, 6-1 script: enable SPI, 8-5
list of C functions, 7-2 script: write read, 8-5
NI-845x I2C Configuration Property Node, scripting functions programming
6-8 example (figure), 8-4
NI-845x I2C Create Configuration basic programming model, 8-1
Reference.vi, 6-12 SPI configure, 8-2
NI-845x I2C Create Script Reference.vi, 6-20 SPI timing characteristics, 8-2
NI-845x I2C Extract Script Read Data.vi, 6-22 SPI write read, 8-2
NI-845x I2C Read.vi, 6-14 C functions, 10-1
NI-845x I2C Run Script.vi, 6-24 LabVIEW VIs, 9-1
NI-845x I2C Script Address+Read.vi, 6-26 list of C functions, 10-2
NI-845x I2C Script Address+Write.vi, 6-28 NI-845x SPI Configuration Property Node,
NI-845x I2C Script Clock Rate.vi, 6-30 9-8
NI-845x I2C Script Delay.vi, 6-32 NI-845x SPI Create Configuration
NI-845x I2C Script DIO Configure Line.vi, Reference.vi, 9-11
6-34 NI-845x SPI Create Script Reference.vi, 9-15

© National Instruments Corporation I-7 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Index

NI-845x SPI Extract Script Read Data.vi, 9-17 NI-845x SPI Stream Read.vi, 12-18, 12-20,
NI-845x SPI Run Script.vi, 9-19 12-22
NI-845x SPI Script Clock Polarity Phase.vi, NI-845x SPI Stream Start.vi, 12-20
9-21 NI-845x SPI Stream Stop.vi, 12-22
NI-845x SPI Script Clock Rate.vi, 9-23 NI-845x SPI Write Read.vi, 9-13
NI-845x SPI Script CS High.vi, 9-25 ni845xClose, 7-8, 10-7, 13-5, 16-4
NI-845x SPI Script CS Low.vi, 9-27 ni845xCloseFindDeviceHandle, 7-9, 10-8,
NI-845x SPI Script Delay.vi, 9-29 13-6, 16-5
NI-845x SPI Script DIO Configure Line.vi, ni845xDeviceLock, 7-10, 10-9, 13-7, 16-6
9-31 ni845xDeviceUnlock, 7-11, 10-10, 13-8, 16-7
NI-845x SPI Script DIO Configure Port.vi, ni845xDioReadLine, 16-14
9-33 ni845xDioReadPort, 16-16
NI-845x SPI Script DIO Read Line.vi, 9-35 ni845xDioSetDriverType, 16-18
NI-845x SPI Script DIO Read Port.vi, 9-37 ni845xDioSetPortLineDirectionMap, 16-17
NI-845x SPI Script DIO Write Line.vi, 9-39 ni845xDioWriteLine, 16-19
NI-845x SPI Script DIO Write Port.vi, 9-41 ni845xDioWritePort, 16-20
NI-845x SPI Script Disable SPI.vi, 9-43 ni845xFindDevice, 7-12, 10-11, 13-9, 16-8
NI-845x SPI Script Enable SPI.vi, 9-45 ni845xFindDeviceNext, 7-14, 10-13, 13-11,
NI-845x SPI Script Write Read.vi, 9-47 16-10
NI-845x SPI Stream API ni845xI2cConfigurationClose, 7-20
C functions, 13-1 ni845xI2cConfigurationGetAddress, 7-21
Chip Select pin, 11-4 ni845xI2cConfigurationGetAddressSize, 7-22
CONV pin, 11-4 ni845xI2cConfigurationGetClockRate, 7-23
DRDY pin, 11-4 ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSClockRate,
extra SPI pin descriptions, 11-4 7-24
LabVIEW VIs, 12-1 ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSEnable, 7-25
list of C functions, 13-2 ni845xI2cConfigurationGetHSMasterCode,
programming model, 11-1 7-26
SPI stream configure, 11-2 ni845xI2cConfigurationGetPort, 7-27
SPI stream read, 11-2 ni845xI2cConfigurationOpen, 7-28
SPI stream start, 11-2 ni845xI2cConfigurationSetAddress, 7-29
SPI stream stop, 11-2 ni845xI2cConfigurationSetAddressSize, 7-30
using, 11-1 ni845xI2cConfigurationSetClockRate, 7-31
waveform 1, 11-3 ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSClockRate,
timing diagram (figure), 11-3 7-32
timing parameters (table), 11-4 ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSEnable, 7-33
NI-845x SPI Stream Configuration Property ni845xI2cConfigurationSetHSMasterCode,
Node, 12-8 7-34
NI-845x SPI Stream Create Configuration ni845xI2cConfigurationSetPort, 7-35
Reference.vi, 12-16 ni845xI2cRead, 7-36
ni845xI2cScriptAddressRead, 7-42

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 Index

ni845xI2cScriptAddressWrite, 7-43 ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockPolarity,

ni845xI2cScriptClockRate, 7-44 10-27
ni845xI2cScriptClose, 7-45 ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockRate, 10-28
ni845xI2cScriptDelay, 7-46 ni845xSpiConfigurationSetPort, 10-29
ni845xI2cScriptDioConfigureLine, 7-47 ni845xSpiScriptClockPolarityPhase, 10-32
ni845xI2cScriptDioConfigurePort, 7-48 ni845xSpiScriptClockRate, 10-34
ni845xI2cScriptDioReadLine, 7-49 ni845xSpiScriptClose, 10-35
ni845xI2cScriptDioReadPort, 7-51 ni845xSpiScriptCSHigh, 10-36
ni845xI2cScriptDioWriteLine, 7-52 ni845xSpiScriptCSLow, 10-37
ni845xI2cScriptDioWritePort, 7-54 ni845xSpiScriptDelay, 10-38
ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadData, 7-56 ni845xSpiScriptDioConfigureLine, 10-39
ni845xI2cScriptExtractReadDataSize, 7-57 ni845xSpiScriptDioConfigurePort, 10-40
ni845xI2cScriptHSClockRate, 7-60 ni845xSpiScriptDioReadLine, 10-41
ni845xI2cScriptHSEnable, 7-58 ni845xSpiScriptDioReadPort, 10-43
ni845xI2cScriptHSMasterCode, 7-59 ni845xSpiScriptDioWriteLine, 10-44
ni845xI2cScriptIssueStart, 7-61 ni845xSpiScriptDioWritePort, 10-46
ni845xI2cScriptIssueStop, 7-62 ni845xSpiScriptDisableSPI, 10-47
ni845xI2cScriptOpen, 7-63 ni845xSpiScriptEnableSPI, 10-48
ni845xI2cScriptPullupEnable, 7-55 ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadData, 10-49
ni845xI2cScriptRead, 7-64 ni845xSpiScriptExtractReadDataSize, 10-50
ni845xI2cScriptReset, 7-66 ni845xSpiScriptOpen, 10-51
ni845xI2cScriptRun, 7-67 ni845xSpiScriptReset, 10-52
ni845xI2cScriptWrite, 7-68 ni845xSpiScriptRun, 10-53
ni845xI2cSetPullupEnable, 7-17 ni845xSpiScriptWriteRead, 10-54
ni845xI2cWrite, 7-38 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationClose, 13-15
ni845xI2cWriteRead, 7-40 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetClock
ni845xOpen, 7-15, 10-14, 13-12, 16-11 Phase, 13-20
ni845xSetIoVoltageLevel, 7-16, 10-15, 16-21 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetClock
ni845xSpiConfigurationClose, 10-18 Polarity, 13-22
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetChipSelect, 10-19 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetNumBits,
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockPhase, 13-17
10-20 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetNum
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockPolarity, Samples, 13-18
10-21 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationGetPacketSize,
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetClockRate, 10-22 13-19
ni845xSpiConfigurationGetPort, 10-23 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationOpen, 13-16
ni845xSpiConfigurationOpen, 10-24 ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetClock
ni845xSpiConfigurationSetChipSelect, 10-25 Phase, 13-29
ni845xSpiConfigurationSetClockPhase, ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetClock
10-26 Polarity, 13-31

© National Instruments Corporation I-9 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Index

ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetNumBits, power requirements specifications

13-26 NI USB-8451, A-4
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetNum NI USB-8452 OEM, A-12
Samples, 13-27 power-on states
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationSetPacketSize, NI USB-8451, 3-11
13-28 NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-20
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1GetPin programming examples (NI resources), B-1
Config, 13-21
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1Get
TimingParam, 13-23 R
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1Set run script
MosiData, 13-25 I2C API, 5-6
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1SetPin SPI API, 8-6
Config, 13-30
ni845xSpiStreamConfigurationWave1Set
TimingParam, 13-32 S
ni845xSpiStreamRead, 13-34 safety specifications, A-14
ni845xSpiStreamStart, 13-36 scripts
ni845xSpiStreamStop, 13-37 chip select high, 8-5
ni845xSpiWriteRead, 10-30 chip select low, 8-5
ni845xStatusToString, 7-18, 10-16, 13-13, configure phase, polarity, clock rate, 8-5
16-12 disable SPI, 8-6
enable SPI, 8-5
O issue start condition, 5-4
issue stop condition, 5-5
online product certification specifications,
A-15 pullup enable, 5-4
read, 5-5
output voltage source specifications
send address + read, 5-5
NI USB-8451, A-4
NI USB-8452 OEM, A-12 send address + write, 5-5
send High Speed master code, 5-5
overvoltage protection specifications
set I2C clock rate, 5-4
NI USB-8451, A-6
set I2C High Speed clock rate, 5-4
set I2C High Speed Enable, 5-4
P write, 5-5
physical characteristic specifications write read, 8-5
NI USB-8451, A-4 signal descriptions (table)
NI USB-8451 OEM, A-5 NI USB-8451, 3-6
NI USB-8452 OEM, A-12 NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-14
pin assignments signal label application diagram (figure), 3-3
NI USB-8451 OEM, 3-5
NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-13

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 Index

SMBus online product certification, A-15

current levels, 1-5 safety, A-14
logic levels, 1-5 hazardous locations, A-14
timeout and clock rates, 1-5 SPI bus, 1-6
software clock and polarity, 1-7
installation, 2-1 error handling, 1-8
NI USB-8451, 3-2 overview, 1-7
NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-12 terminology, 1-6
NI resources, B-1 SPI configure, 8-2
specifications, A-1 SPI interface
CE compliance, A-15 NI USB-8451, 3-9
electromagnetic compatibility, A-14 NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-15
environmental, A-15 specifications
environmental management, A-16 NI USB-8451, A-2
NI USB-8451, A-1 NI USB-8452 OEM, A-7
bus interface, A-4 standard mode
digital I/0, A-1 NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-17
I2C interface, A-3 stream mode
output voltage sources, A-4 NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-17
overvoltage protection, A-6 to three peripherals (figure)
physical characteristics, A-4 NI USB-8451, 3-9
power requirements, A-4 NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-16
SPI interface, A-2 SPI pin descriptions, 11-4
NI USB-8451 OEM SPI Stream API, 11-1
front and rear view dimensions extra pin descriptions, 11-4
(figure), A-5 programming model, 11-1
physical characteristics, A-5 waveform 1, 11-3
top view dimensions (figure), A-5 SPI stream configuration functions, 13-15
NI USB-8452 OEM, A-6 SPI stream configure, 11-2
bus interface, A-11 SPI stream read, 11-2
digital I/0, A-6 SPI stream start, 11-2
front and rear view dimensions SPI stream stop, 11-2
(figure), A-13 SPI timing characteristics, 8-2
I2C interface, A-10 SPI write read, 8-2
output voltage sources, A-12 support, technical, B-1
physical characteristics, A-12
power requirements, A-12
SPI interface, A-7
top view dimensions (figure), A-13

© National Instruments Corporation I-11 NI-845x Hardware and Software Manual

Index

T W
technical support, B-1 waveform 1
terminology timing diagram (figure), 11-3
I2C bus, 1-1 timing paremeters (table), 11-4
SPI bus, 1-6 waveform1, 11-3
timeout and clock rates, 1-5 Web resources, B-1
training and certification (NI resources), B-1
troubleshooting (NI resources), B-1

V
Vref I/O reference voltage
NI USB-8452 OEM, 3-21

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