NI digital write task

Learn how to send digital commands to NI devices with Synnax.

This task follows the standard task lifecycle.

Task configuration reference

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`device`	string	-	Device key to write to
`state_rate`	number	`10`	Rate (Hz) at which state channels are updated
`channels`	array	-	List of digital output channel configurations

Channel configuration reference

DO Channel NI-DAQmx C API Reference

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`cmd_channel`	number	-	Synnax channel key for command values
`state_channel`	number	-	Synnax channel key for state feedback
`port`	number	-	Physical port
`line`	number	-	Line number on the port

Important rules

One task per module -> Only one running task can claim a module at a time.

How-to

When you create channels with a client library, give each command channel its own index channel. A writer that holds several commands on one index must write all of them in every frame.

Configure and run task

import synnax as sy
from synnax import ni

client = sy.Synnax()

# Retrieve device
digital_dev = client.devices.retrieve(name="Mod1_Digital")

# Create command channels, each with its own index
do_0_0_cmd_time = client.channels.create(
    name="do_0_0_cmd_time",
    is_index=True,
    data_type=sy.DataType.TIMESTAMP,
    retrieve_if_name_exists=True,
)
do_0_0_cmd = client.channels.create(
    name="do_0_0_cmd",
    index=do_0_0_cmd_time.key,
    data_type=sy.DataType.UINT8,
    retrieve_if_name_exists=True,
)
do_0_1_cmd_time = client.channels.create(
    name="do_0_1_cmd_time",
    is_index=True,
    data_type=sy.DataType.TIMESTAMP,
    retrieve_if_name_exists=True,
)
do_0_1_cmd = client.channels.create(
    name="do_0_1_cmd",
    index=do_0_1_cmd_time.key,
    data_type=sy.DataType.UINT8,
    retrieve_if_name_exists=True,
)
do_1_0_cmd_time = client.channels.create(
    name="do_1_0_cmd_time",
    is_index=True,
    data_type=sy.DataType.TIMESTAMP,
    retrieve_if_name_exists=True,
)
do_1_0_cmd = client.channels.create(
    name="do_1_0_cmd",
    index=do_1_0_cmd_time.key,
    data_type=sy.DataType.UINT8,
    retrieve_if_name_exists=True,
)

# Create state time index
do_state_time = client.channels.create(
    name="do_state_time",
    is_index=True,
    data_type=sy.DataType.TIMESTAMP,
    retrieve_if_name_exists=True,
)

# Create state channels
do_0_0_state = client.channels.create(
    name="do_0_0_state",
    index=do_state_time.key,
    data_type=sy.DataType.UINT8,
    retrieve_if_name_exists=True,
)
do_0_1_state = client.channels.create(
    name="do_0_1_state",
    index=do_state_time.key,
    data_type=sy.DataType.UINT8,
    retrieve_if_name_exists=True,
)
do_1_0_state = client.channels.create(
    name="do_1_0_state",
    index=do_state_time.key,
    data_type=sy.DataType.UINT8,
    retrieve_if_name_exists=True,
)

# Create and configure task
task = ni.DigitalWriteTask(
    name="NI Digital Write Task",
    device=digital_dev.key,
    state_rate=sy.Rate.HZ * 20,
    channels=[
        ni.DOChannel(
            cmd_channel=do_0_0_cmd.key,
            state_channel=do_0_0_state.key,
            port=0,
            line=0,
        ),
        ni.DOChannel(
            cmd_channel=do_0_1_cmd.key,
            state_channel=do_0_1_state.key,
            port=0,
            line=1,
        ),
        ni.DOChannel(
            cmd_channel=do_1_0_cmd.key,
            state_channel=do_1_0_state.key,
            port=1,
            line=0,
        ),
    ],
)

client.tasks.configure(task)

# Start task and write commands
with task.run():
    with client.open_writer(
        start=sy.TimeStamp.now(),
        channels=["do_0_0_cmd", "do_0_1_cmd", "do_1_0_cmd"],
    ) as writer:
        # Set outputs
        writer.write({
            "do_0_0_cmd": 1,  # Port 0 Line 0 high
            "do_0_1_cmd": 0,  # Port 0 Line 1 low
            "do_1_0_cmd": 1,  # Port 1 Line 0 high
        })

        # Read back states
        with client.open_streamer(["do_0_0_state", "do_0_1_state", "do_1_0_state"]) as streamer:
            frame = streamer.read()
            print(f"Port 0 Line 0: {frame['do_0_0_state']}")
            print(f"Port 0 Line 1: {frame['do_0_1_state']}")
            print(f"Port 1 Line 0: {frame['do_1_0_state']}")

Edit task configuration

# Retrieve existing task
task = client.tasks.retrieve(name="NI Digital Write Task")
task = ni.DigitalWriteTask(internal=task)

# Update task-level configuration
task.config.auto_start = True
task.config.state_rate = int(sy.Rate.HZ * 50)

# Update first channel configuration
task.config.channels[0].port = 0
task.config.channels[0].line = 2

# Update second channel configuration
task.config.channels[1].port = 0
task.config.channels[1].line = 3

# Update third channel configuration
task.config.channels[2].port = 1
task.config.channels[2].line = 1

# Apply changes
client.tasks.configure(task)

Configure and run task

import { Synnax, TimeStamp } from "@synnaxlabs/client";

const client = new Synnax();

// Retrieve device
const [digitalDev] = await client.devices.retrieve({ names: ["Mod1_Digital"] });

// Create command channels, each with its own index
const do00CmdTime = await client.channels.create(
  {
    name: "do_0_0_cmd_time",
    isIndex: true,
    dataType: "timestamp",
  },
  { retrieveIfNameExists: true },
);
const do00Cmd = await client.channels.create(
  {
    name: "do_0_0_cmd",
    index: do00CmdTime.key,
    dataType: "uint8",
  },
  { retrieveIfNameExists: true },
);

const do01CmdTime = await client.channels.create(
  {
    name: "do_0_1_cmd_time",
    isIndex: true,
    dataType: "timestamp",
  },
  { retrieveIfNameExists: true },
);
const do01Cmd = await client.channels.create(
  {
    name: "do_0_1_cmd",
    index: do01CmdTime.key,
    dataType: "uint8",
  },
  { retrieveIfNameExists: true },
);

const do10CmdTime = await client.channels.create(
  {
    name: "do_1_0_cmd_time",
    isIndex: true,
    dataType: "timestamp",
  },
  { retrieveIfNameExists: true },
);
const do10Cmd = await client.channels.create(
  {
    name: "do_1_0_cmd",
    index: do10CmdTime.key,
    dataType: "uint8",
  },
  { retrieveIfNameExists: true },
);

// Create state time index
const doStateTime = await client.channels.create(
  {
    name: "do_state_time",
    isIndex: true,
    dataType: "timestamp",
  },
  { retrieveIfNameExists: true },
);

// Create state channels
const do00State = await client.channels.create(
  {
    name: "do_0_0_state",
    index: doStateTime.key,
    dataType: "uint8",
  },
  { retrieveIfNameExists: true },
);

const do01State = await client.channels.create(
  {
    name: "do_0_1_state",
    index: doStateTime.key,
    dataType: "uint8",
  },
  { retrieveIfNameExists: true },
);

const do10State = await client.channels.create(
  {
    name: "do_1_0_state",
    index: doStateTime.key,
    dataType: "uint8",
  },
  { retrieveIfNameExists: true },
);

// Create and configure task
const task = await client.tasks.create({
  name: "NI Digital Write Task",
  rack: digitalDev.rack,
  type: "ni_digital_write",
  config: {
    device: digitalDev.key,
    stateRate: 20,
    channels: [
      {
        cmdChannel: do00Cmd.key,
        stateChannel: do00State.key,
        port: 0,
        line: 0,
      },
      {
        cmdChannel: do01Cmd.key,
        stateChannel: do01State.key,
        port: 0,
        line: 1,
      },
      {
        cmdChannel: do10Cmd.key,
        stateChannel: do10State.key,
        port: 1,
        line: 0,
      },
    ],
  },
});

// Start task
await task.start();

// Write commands
const writer = await client.openWriter({
  start: TimeStamp.now(),
  channels: ["do_0_0_cmd", "do_0_1_cmd", "do_1_0_cmd"],
});

await writer.write({
  do_0_0_cmd: 1, // Port 0 Line 0 high
  do_0_1_cmd: 0, // Port 0 Line 1 low
  do_1_0_cmd: 1, // Port 1 Line 0 high
});

// Read states
const streamer = await client.openStreamer([
  "do_0_0_state",
  "do_0_1_state",
  "do_1_0_state",
]);
const frame = await streamer.read();
console.log(`Port 0 Line 0: ${frame.get("do_0_0_state").at(-1)}`);
console.log(`Port 0 Line 1: ${frame.get("do_0_1_state").at(-1)}`);
console.log(`Port 1 Line 0: ${frame.get("do_1_0_state").at(-1)}`);

// Stop task
await task.stop();
await writer.close();
await streamer.close();

Edit task configuration

import { ni } from "@synnaxlabs/client";

// Retrieve existing task
const task = await client.tasks.retrieve({ name: "NI Digital Write Task" });

// Parse and update configuration
const config = ni.digitalWriteConfigZ.parse(task.config);

// Update task-level configuration
config.autoStart = true;
config.stateRate = 50;

// Update first channel configuration
config.channels[0].port = 0;
config.channels[0].line = 2;

// Update second channel configuration
config.channels[1].port = 0;
config.channels[1].line = 3;

// Update third channel configuration
config.channels[2].port = 1;
config.channels[2].line = 1;

// Apply changes
await client.tasks.create({
  key: task.key,
  rack: task.rack,
  name: task.name,
  type: task.type,
  config,
});

Digital read task

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