Loading RT applications with LabVIEW Development Enviorment

[jhannam01]

I am developing a RT application for the cFP-2120.  This application will be running on numerous controllers spread across the globe.  The problem I am facing is that if I have a software update I don't know of a way to update the software on teh cFP without LabVIEW, which mean that I have to get a Labtop with LabVIEW on it to every service hand.  No to mention the fact that I have to expose the source code to everyone of those service hands.  Does anyone have any solutions or suggestions to this problem

[tst]

The application running on the FieldPoint is located at c:\ni-rt\startup on the FP and can be replaced by using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). To do this, you will need to send your application to the client and have them use an FTP client (you can find those on the web or if you have MAX installed, you can right click on the target in the Remote Targets section and select File Transfer) to connect to the FP and copy the file to that location.

Assuming your application runs automatically on startup they can now do this in several stages:

1. Toggle the DIP switch responsible of stopping the application when resetting the module (I think it's 6, 7 or 8).
2. Reset the module so the program stops running.
3. Connect to the FP using the FTP client and replace the old application with the new one.
4. Toggle the switch back down and reset the controller.
5. The new program should now run.

If you have the internet toolkit you should have some FTP VIs and you could try to write some code which will do this automatically and would only require your client to select the file and maybe the address and password for the FP (you can save those in a configuration file). Another way would be to connect the controller to the internet so you can do this yourself, but I wouldn't do that and it would probably be complicated anyway.

[Matthew_Williams]

I'll add my two cents to tst's comments:

We have built into our pc application the ftp routines to automatically update the cfp.

1) Make sure the cfp app has a reliable way to indicate to the pc what version of
your software it is running.
2) Watch your lv versions; cfp modules with newer firmware can have problems
with older executables.  We 'format disk' all new cfp modules and load in a
golden image.
3) You can ftp in a new executable without downing the cfp.  I would recommend
ftp'ing it in as startup.new, then confirm that it has copied in properly before proceeding.
4) You can't delete or overwrite startup.exe from c:/ni-rt/startup; it must be renamed
something else before it can be deleted.  You can do this while your app is running.
5) There are routines (logos:// something) to programmatically reboot the cfp so it
is possible to do the entire update without physical access to the cfp.

Hope this is helpful.


Matt

[jhannam01]

Thanks for the great advice guys.  The issue of not beling able to overwrite the startup.exe file answers some questions.  I did forget to mention one issue and that is that I am using shared variables in the software.  Are either of you aware of how these are handled.