Installation Guide

Overview

This section explains how to install Addi-Pack, set up your environment, and verify that your ADDI-DATA cards are correctly detected.

This section will guide you through:

  1. Installing the drivers and API libraries

  2. Verifying that your ADDI-DATA card is correctly detected

  3. Running your first sample

OS Dependencies

Windows:

  • Visual Studio 2022 (or higher)

  • Administrator rights during installation

Linux:

  • dkms

  • glibc-devel

  • kernel-devel

  • cmake

  • make

Note

On CentOS, you must enable the EPEL repository before installing Addi-Pack:

sudo dnf install epel-release
sudo dnf install dkms glibc-devel kernel-devel cmake gcc-c++

The EPEL (Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux) repository provides additional development tools not available in default CentOS/RHEL repositories.

Installation

Inserting a PCI, PCIe or CPCI/CPCIs card

Follow these general steps to install your ADDI-DATA PCI or PCIe card safely:

  1. Power Down and Unplug the PC

    • Shut down your computer completely.

    • Unplug it from the power source before opening the case.

  2. Prepare Your Workspace

    • Work on a clean, non-conductive surface.

    • Use an anti-static wrist strap if available, or regularly touch a grounded metal part of the case to discharge static electricity.

  3. Open the PC Case

    • Remove the side panel or cover according to your PC manufacturer’s instructions.

  4. Locate a Free PCI/PCIe Slot

    • Identify a compatible free slot (PCI, PCIe, CompactPCI(CPCI) or CompactPCI Serial (CPCIs) depending on the card model).

    • Remove the corresponding metal bracket on the case.

  5. Insert the card Carefully

    • Hold the card by its edges. Avoid touching the gold connectors or electronic components.

    • Align the card with the slot and press it down evenly and firmly on both ends until it is fully seated.

    • Do not force it, if it doesn’t fit, verify the alignment.

  6. Secure the card

    • Use a screw to fasten the mounting bracket to the chassis.

  7. Check for Obstructions

    • Make sure no cables or nearby components are pressing against the card.

  8. Close the Case and Reconnect Power

    • Replace the case panel and reconnect the power cord.

  9. Power On and Verify Detection

    • Start your computer.

    • On Windows, check the Device Manager.

    • On Linux, run lspci to verify the board is recognized.

Windows

  1. Download the installer

    Download the latest installer (.exe) from the official ADDI-DATA website (https://www.addi-data.com/drivers).

  2. Run the installer

    • Run AddiPack-2025.x-Windows-x86_64.exe with administrative privileges.

    • Follow the on-screen steps.

  3. Verify the environment variable

    The installer adds an environment variable that points to the directory in program files. It’s name is AddiPack_ROOT. You can verify the existence of said variable via the following command.

    echo $env:AddiPack_ROOT

  4. Check device detection

    From PowerShell:

    cd "$env:AddiPack_ROOT\samples\bin\x64\generic"
.\get_devices_info.exe

    You should see a list of detected devices.

    For a detailed explanation and sample output, see the verify_installation section.

Linux (Debian / Ubuntu)

  1. Download the package

    Download the latest package (.deb) from ADDI-DATA website (https://www.addi-data.com/drivers).

    Example: AddiPack-2025.09.1-Linux-x86_64.deb

  2. Install dependencies

    sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential dkms cmake

  3. Install Addi-Pack

    sudo dpkg -i AddiPack-2025.09.1-Linux-x86_64.deb

  4. Check device detection

    Compile and run a sample:

    cd $AddiPack_ROOT/samples/get_devices_info
cmake -B build && cmake --build build
./build/get_devices_info

Note

The variable $AddiPack_ROOT is automatically set during installation. On Linux, the default path is: /opt/addi-data/addipack

Tip

If your card is not detected, check if the kernel module is loaded:

lsmod | grep addi

Example output if loaded correctly:

apcie1032             40960  0
apcie1564             40960  0

CentOS Stream 10

CentOS uses RPM packages and requires EPEL to be enabled.

  1. Enable EPEL repository

    sudo dnf install epel-release

  2. Install dependencies

    sudo dnf install dkms glibc-devel kernel-devel cmake make gcc-c++

  3. Install Addi-Pack

    Download the latest package (.rpm) from ADDI-DATA website (https://www.addi-data.com/drivers).

    Example: AddiPack-2025.09.1-Linux-x86_64.rpm

    sudo rpm -ivh AddiPack-2025.09.1-Linux-x86_64.rpm

  4. Check device detection

    Compile and run a sample:

    cd $AddiPack_ROOT/samples/get_devices_info
cmake -B build && cmake --build build
./build/get_devices_info

Warning

Some CentOS systems use old Python versions. Upgrade your Python version to 3.8+ (previous versions aren’t supported by API)

sudo dnf install python38

Verify Installation

After installing Addi-Pack and inserting the hardware, you should verify that the device is correctly detected by the system.

You can perform this check using either the CLI sample or the Python API, depending on your workflow.

Using the CLI sample

The get_devices_info utility, located in the samples directory, lists all detected ADDI-DATA devices and displays their hardware properties. To run it, follow the OS-specific commands shown in the installation sections above.

A typical output looks like:

========== Device 0 (0) ==========
Product Name: APCIe-1032
Bus: 3 | Device: 0 | Vendor ID: 0x15B8 | Device ID: 0x1032
Interrupt: 11 | Bus Type: PCIe

BAR0: 0xFE800000
BAR3: 0xFE840000

Digital Inputs: 32 | Outputs: 0 | Digital Ports: 2 | Interrupt Mask: 0x0000FFFF

This confirms that the driver is loaded, and the device is properly detected.

Note

If no device is listed, make sure that:

  • The card is correctly inserted and securely fastened,

  • The driver was installed with Administrator rights.

Warning

If AddiPack_ROOT is missing or incorrect, CMake, Python, or SDK tools may fail to locate Addi-Pack components.

Using Python

You can also check for detected devices programmatically using the addipack Python module:

from addipack import DeviceDiscovery
devices = DeviceDiscovery.get_devices()
for dev in devices:
   print(dev)

This will list the same devices returned by the CLI utility, with detailed information accessible via the API.

Ready-to-use Samples

After installation, explore our samples located in $AddiPack_ROOT/samples. Binaries are directly available for Windows users under bin/x64/generic or bin/win32/generic if using a 32 bits PC. Each sample source code is available under their respective subfolder.

Folder Name

Purpose

get_devices_info

Lists all detected cards and their capabilities. (only available in C)

digital_io
Contains two samples, one for inputs

and the other one for outputs.

timer

Demonstrates timer start, stop and read operations.

counter

Show pulse counting and interrupt handling.

watchdog

Demonstrates watchdog timer setup and expiration behavior.

Installation Known Issues

Issue

Solution

Driver conflicts (Windows)

Uninstall any previous AddiPack driver version, reboot.

Driver conflicts (Linux)

Remove conflicting drivers such as Comedi, then reload the Addi-Pack DKMS module.

Card not detected

Check hardware slot, BIOS, or driver status. Try moving the card to a different slot if available.

Dependency errors (Linux)

Install dkms, glibc-devel, and kernel headers.

Missing environment variable

Add AddiPack_ROOT to /etc/environment manually.

Unsigned driver warning (Windows 11)

Use the official signed installer.

Wrong permissions on device files

Adjust permissions with chmod, or configure udev rules.

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