How to programmatically download a iak-file to FP-1000/FP-1001

[FelixL]

I use fieldpoints in a production line for more than 3 Years now. To minimize downtime in case of hardware-failure we've Backup-Modules. It takes only seconds to replace a broken I/O Module, but the network-modules (FP-1000/FP-1001 in my case) are a real problem. Physical replacement takes some time of course, but the modules configuration is a real mess.
It takes dozens of clicks only to TRANSFER (not create) configuration data from a given iak-file to a off the shelf FP-1000/FP-1001 network-module ! And there is always the risk of accidental changes, which may lead to any sort of malfunction. You need to be well trained to do this task properly.
But our electrician or anybody else should be able to rep
lace a broken network-module - in case I am on holiday ! But I don't want to train him or somebody else on fieldpoint explorer only to cope with this rare kind of problems.
my proposed solution :
In the fieldpoint-explorer, one should have a download- Button to execute this task automatically, and a verify Button to compare the content of the network-modules flash and the iak file.
And finally, a LV-programmer should be able to access the fieldpoint-explorer programmatically via activeX or command line like 'FieldPoint /com1 /”example.iak” /download'

Questions
did any fieldpoint user create a LV-tool to execute the download automatically ?
or how to make NI produce such a tool or how to make NI produce Modules which never break ?

[JohnM]

The download configuration button sounds like an excellent feature that should be added to FieldPoint Explorer. I will pass this information onto the FieldPoint Development group. However, there is a programmatic way of downloading configuration setting to a FieldPoint network module. In your case, you would need the LabVIEW Optomux VIs that ship will FieldPoint Explorer 3.0.0 and later. To obtain these VIs, you must either have LabVIEW RT, or do a custom installation of FieldPoint Explorer, verifying the LabVIEW RT VI check box is checked. To obtain the most recent version of FieldPoint Explorer go to the following web site:

http://digital.ni.com/softlib.nsf/websearch/7C99C563A473BC8686256B520056A923?OpenDocument&node=132060_US

These VIs provide an in
terface to communicate to the FieldPoint Serial network modules which use the Optomux communication protocol. To use these VIs, you will need the FP-1000/1001 Programmers Reference Manual which can be located at the following web site:

http://digital.ni.com/manuals.nsf/websearch/EE241C7357D3F8CE862567840072F554?OpenDocument&node=132090_US

You can also view some LabVIEW examples that use the Optomux VIs in the LabVIEW\Examples\FieldPoint\Optomux folder after you install FieldPoint Explorer with LabVIEW RT support. The final suggestion I would give, it so obtain PortMon from the following web site:

http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/portmon.shtml

PortMon allows you to view communication on your serial port. Using this utility, you can view the commands that FieldPoint Explorer is sending to the FieldPoint bank to get a better feel of the Optomux communication protocol.

Finally, I am curious as what problems you have seen with the FieldPoint modules. If you are
having issues, please contact the National Instruments Automation Support group to help you with determining the cause of the problem to prevent future module from being damaged.

Best Regards,

John M

[FelixL]

Thank you,
I hope the FieldPoint Development group will implement such features. Will I get feedback from this group (a estimated implementation date ?)
I have got a optomux documentation,
but I estimate that it would be too time consuming to realize a download function myself.
(And I think such a essantial feature is the manufacturers natural task)

[JohnM]

The time frame for this new feature will be sometime in the next year. However, to create such a program in LabVIEW using the Optomux VIs would only take about 4 to 8 hours depending on the number of FieldPoint banks that need programmatic configuration and the level of LabVIEW Programming experience you have. To get a feel on how to programmatically configure a FieldPoint bank, refer to the example Opto TC_120 Read.vi located in the \National Instruments\LabVIEW 6.1\examples\FieldPoint\Optomux folder. This examples configures all the channels of a FP-TC-120 module and reads the reads the channels. The overall complexity has been simplified with the availability of the Optomux VIs that come with FieldPoint Explorer 3.0. To obtain these VIs, yo
u must either have LabVIEW Real-Time, or do a custom install and check the LabVIEW Real-Time VIs to have them installed. The VIs will be located in the FieldPoint pallette.

JohnM

[FelixL]

I found the "Opto TC_120 Read.vi".
This vi is a sort of little editor. It allows you to configurate the FP-Devices. Thus it would be a REPLACEMENT of the fieldpoint explorer.
To follow up this way, one would require a good knowledge of the FP's internals.

As mentioned, I look for something else.
(The missing link iak-file <-> FP-Network)

The Optomux VIs are useful to programmatically configure a FieldPoint bank, no doubt.
But there is no way to extract the neccessary information from the *.iak file to feed it into the the Optomux VIs !
There is the "iak-world"
e.g. "FP Get Configuration Info.vi"
using device-name, item-name (= Strings)
or the dynamically created "FP refnum"

and there are the Optomux VIs using
"Modu
le Address" "Positions" (= Numbers)

given a device-name, item-name and so on
there is no way to produce the
"Module Address" "Positions"
Even if I had 4-8 days or 4-8 month, I could not do it without reverse-engineering the way the iak-file works.
That's why I need Ni to do this job.
(or to communicate more iak-details)
But I would prefer the former.

Thanks in advance !