The National Instruments team is pleased to announce the availability of CompactRIO 21.0 is NI driver software that provides support for identifying, programming, and deploying CompactRIO systems, and also provides support for the CompactRIO Controller, CompactRIO Chassis, and CompactRIO Single-Board Controller.



The National Instruments team is pleased to announce the availability of CompactRIO 21.0 is NI driver software that provides support for identifying, programming, and deploying CompactRIO systems, and also provides support for the CompactRIO Controller, CompactRIO Chassis, and CompactRIO Single-Board Controller.

What's New in NI CompactRIO 21.0 and Drivers
- Added support for LabVIEW 2021
NI CompactRIO 21.0 and Drivers Bug Fixes
1498821 2-wire RS-485 communication on an sbRIO with LabVIEW 2020 transmits incorrect data
When communicating data over RS-485 port on an sbRIO using 2-wire mode in LabVIEW 2020, the first byte is not transmitted correctly. Include relevant system information, steps to reproduce, and any workarounds.

CompactRIO is a rugged, reconfigurable embedded system containing three components: a processor running a real-time operating system (RTOS), a reconfigurable field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and interchangeable industrial I/O modules. The real-time processor offers reliable, predictable behavior and excels at floating-point math and analysis, while the FPGA excels at smaller tasks that require high-speed logic and precise timing. Often CompactRIO applications incorporate a human machine interface (HMI), which provides the operator with a graphical user interface (GUI) for monitoring the system's state and setting operating parameters.

LabVIEW is a graphical programming environment used by millions of engineers and scientists to develop sophisticated control systems using graphical icons and wires that resemble a flowchart. It offers integration with thousands of hardware devices and provides hundreds of built-in libraries for advanced control, analysis, and data visualization-all for creating user-defined systems more quickly. The LabVIEW platform is scalable across multiple targets and OSs, and, in the case of CompactRIO, LabVIEW can be used to access and integrate all of the components of the reconfigurable I/O (RIO) architecture.

The real-time controller contains a processor that reliably and deterministically executes LabVIEW Real-Time applications and offers multirate control, execution tracing, onboard data logging, and communication with peripherals. Additional options include redundant 9 to 30 VDC supply inputs, a real-time clock, hardware watchdog timers, dual Ethernet ports, up to 2 GB of data storage, and built-in USB and RS232 support

Follow this getting started video to set up your new CompactRIO system. Vineet will take you through steps to setup and configure your CompactRIO controller, so that you are ready to start your first LabVIEW application


Since 1976, National Instruments has equipped engineers and scientists with tools that accelerate productivity, innovation and discovery. NI's graphical system design approach to engineering provides an integrated software and hardware platform that speeds the development of any system needing measurement and control. The company's long-term vision and focus on improving society through its technology supports the success of its customers, employees, suppliers and shareholders.

Product: NI CompactRIO
Version: 21.0 with Drivers
Supported Architectures: 32bit / 64bit
Website Home Page :

http://www.ni.com

Languages Supported: multilanguages
System Requirements: PC *
Size: 6.5 Gb

System Requirements
Installing NI CompactRIO 21.0 and Drivers requires at least 2 GB of RAM in addition to the requirements for LabVIEW, the LabVIEW Real-Time Module, and the LabVIEW FPGA Module.

Supported Operating Systems
NI CompactRIO 21.0 and Drivers supports the following operating systems:
- Windows 10
- Windows Server 2019
- Windows Server 2016
Application Software Support
NI CompactRIO 21.0 and Drivers supports the following application software versions, including service packs.
- LabVIEW 2021
- LabVIEW 2020 SP1
- LabVIEW 2019 SP1
- LabVIEW 2018 SP1
- LabVIEW NXG 5.1
Installing NI CompactRIO 21.0 and Drivers
Complete the following steps to install NI CompactRIO 21.0 and Drivers for use with LabVIEW. Refer to the Supported Hardware and Software section to confirm which software versions support your specific hardware devices.
- Install one of the supported versions of LabVIEW. Refer to Application Software Support for a list of which versions of LabVIEW NI CompactRIO 21.0 and Drivers supports.
- Install the LabVIEW Real-Time Module.
- Install the LabVIEW FPGA Module.
- Install NI CompactRIO 21.0 and Drivers.