Downloading schedule to LAS other than NI.

[BusUser]

Hello,

I would like to download schedule to a Link Master device other than NI. I have made NI as a Basic device and another device as a LAS. I referred the Appendix A in the manual "NI FBUS CM User Manual.pdf". The example in the section 3-2 (in the same pdf) talks about downloading a schedule to an interface. Is it possible to download a schedule to other LAS device rather than NI interface?

Thanks in advance.

Ketan Likhate

[Ryan.S]

The schedule for function blocks will be download to each related devices.

The schedule for LAS will be downloaded to all Master Devices. In this way, any Master Device can run as LAS.  So it doesn't matter whether you set the NI interface card as Basic Device or not.

[BusUser]

Ryan,

Appendix A "Configuring Link Active Schedule File" says that I can download the schedule file using NI dialog utility. I have prepared the schedule as per the format mentioned in the Appendix and trying to download it. Using Ni dialog I am able to download the schedule only to the NI interface and not to the another LM device on the segment. This I am doing to test my LM device for various schedules.

Can you suggest a solution so that I can download the custom prepared schedule (using .INI file format) to my LM device?

Thanks.

Ketan

[fieldbus]

Hello Ketan,

We are sorry that the NI-FBUS Dialog Utility can only download the LAS schedule into the interface card - what Ryan explained is the behavior of NI-FBUS Configurator; however, Dialog cannot provide the complete configuration as Configurator does. So we would like to suggest you use NI-FBUS Configurator or other FF configuration tools to test the LM device, they will be much more helpful. Hope it helps!

[BusUser]

Hi,

I am trying to use NI API in my application. Could you pls provide some help on using an API nifDownloadDomain()? Do you have sample code for using this API?

Thanks.

Ketan

[Ryan.S]

You can find the API in NI-FBUS Hardware&Software User Manual, page 6-4.

Do you have any problem when using this function?

[BusUser]

Ryan,

I have already referred the API manual.

I am using the sample VB code that comes with the installation. I have added few lines into it to test nifDownloaDomain() API but it is giving me an error "Resource" and error code -6. I don't know what is the meaning of this error. So I thought of getting some sample code from you for this API and modify it to suit my application. Also, this API accepts file as one of the input.  What kind of file it should be....text, binary or any other?. Idea again is to download customized schedule to a LM device using Download Domain service of FMS.

Appreciate your help. Thanks.

Ketan

[Ryan.S]

I'm sorry that we don't have sample code for this function.

[BusUser]

Ryan,

Could you give me a file format for the file which is required to pass to the function nifDownloadDomain()? The help document does not give any idea about it.

One more request....do you have 'C' or 'C++' sample code (like VB) which uses fieldbus API function calls? If yes can you share it?

Thanks.

Ketan