Installing the LabVIEW FPGA Evaluation Tools

In order to get started, you must follow this link to the "NI LabVIEW Modules and Toolkits for Embedded Design" page https://lumen.ni.com/nicif/us/evaltlktembdes/content.xhtml, registration required.

• LabVIEW 2009 (755 MB)
• LabVIEW Real-Time Module (477 MB)
• LabVIEW FPGA Module (1.83 GB)
• NI Device Drivers 2009.8 (http://joule.ni.com/nidu/cds/view/p/id/1361/lang/en)

After you have finished installing LabVIEW 2009, make sure you restart your computer and double-click on "LV2009RT.exe."

This screen should automatically appear:

Click on the default option, "Install NI LabVIEW 2009 Real-Time Module". Enter your name and select the 2^nd option, "I nstall NI LabVIEW 2009 Real-Time Evaluation"

Right-Click on "NI Device Drivers" and select "Do Not Install"

Click Next and Next and use the default options.

When installation completes, be sure to restart your computer again before starting to install, the 3^rd and final required component for using LabVIEW to program FPGAs.

LabVIEW for FPGA 2009

In order to install LabVIEW for FPGA 2009, you will need a tool that can mount ISO images. My personal favorite freeware application is Elaborate Bytes AG Virtual CloneDrive, available here:

http://www.elby.ch/fun/software/index.html

Using Virtual CloneDrive is very easy, just right-click on LVFPGA2009_ENG.iso and select "Open With->Mount Files with Virtual CloneDrive"

After selecting that option, you can load the installer by allowing AutoRun to execute.

Select the "Install NI LabVIEW 2009 FPGA Module"

Select the "Install NI LabVIEW 2009 FPGA Module Evaluation" option.

Select "Do Not Install" for the NI-RIO option:

Almost there… you now have to install the NI Device Drivers, this will allow you to simulate almost every single hardware offering provided by National Instruments, that way you can actually see if your algorithm fits on a given hardware offering.

NI Device Drivers

Start by double-clicking on "dcd-aug09-1.exe", "dcd-aug09-2a.exe," and "dcd-aug09-2b.exe." Wait until after all three archives have finished extracting to their default locations before clicking next on this welcome screen:

The default options are fine:

Now you can take a break, installation will take a few minutes (depending on the speed of your hard drive of course)

Don't forget to restart your computer.