NI XML DAQ Schema ?

Question

I would like to know if NI, an alliance member, or someone else has come up with, or is working on a DAQ schema for at least the common NI DAQ boards? We seem to use (*.txt) configuration files more and more, which tend to be long and rather ugly text files that in most cases, are handed off to the customer for their use. What usually happens is that they hand it off to someone else and file inputting errors occur, then one of us gets a phone call, which leads to loss of program time & dollars.
So, I looked at the OpenG LabXML DOM parser as a common architecture for parsing and have started writing an XML schema that would at least allow (the user to edit the XML configuration using validation against the *.xsd schema file, via a LabVIEW XML config
file editing s/w program. The validation check against the schema code is also in the main data acquisition program. In summary, this greatly limits editing mistakes by the user.
I would like to incorporate the most common boards we have first, like the 6031E, and the 6508E and the 6509E. Soon, I'm sure we'll like to incorporate the M-Series common boards too. Before I go and "finish" this venture involving most of the DAQmx properties and methods, I was wondering if I am re-inventing the wheel?

Answer 1

Hello Karl,
Although your idea of applying XML to your measurement system sounds like a good idea, I believe that you will be the first that I have heard of doing such. NI does not have such a application as you are intending to build, nor do I know of any plans to include one. Good luck on your development.
Jared A