VI to configure FP1001 watchdog using optomux?

[Aaron_G]

Bob,

The first command sent following a watchdog event should return a watchdog occured warning. Looking at page 2-3 of the FP-1000/1001 Programmers Reference Manual, this is documented as error code 06, and should be returned by the Optomux VIs as a warning number 32902.

As you note, the command will be ignored, this is the designed behavior and is documented in the description of the warning, "FieldPoint: Communications link network watchdog timed out. The command was ignored." It is also documented on page 2-3 of the FP-1000/1001 Programmers Reference Manual.

Regards,

Aaron

[Graziano]

Happy to hear you to be nearer to the solution!

  Anyway, we were experimentig RS485 repeater problems too...

   Let me know about further developement, as I'm interested in this matter, as you said!

  Have a nice day!

graziano

[bob_miller]

Graziano,

I am currently traveling (getting the watchdog functioning well enough to prevent "bad things" from happening due to network failure was my last task), so it may be a bit before I have more data. But I will get back to it and post what I find, including what is amiss with the RS-485 communication

Aaron,

thanks for the clarification on the watchdog warning .It showed up as an error in the "Write discrete FP-TB-10" VI example I was using to play with the module and I didn't take the time to fully diagnose, assuming it was a feature like the power-up behavior. By the way, an older post of yours was helpful in getting started on this task. If you can take the time to peuse the posted VI, I was hoping you'd chime in and set us straight...

Bob

[Graziano]

? which post?

[Aaron_G]

Bob,

Looking at your VI:

1) You do not !Q, !V, !l (lowercase "L"), or !X in the loop. These settings are not changing and can be set once and retained forever.

2) Using !W Store Snapshot is going to take the current outputs of all channels on all modules and store them as power-up settings. Thus !h is redundant (or conversely !W is redundant). I would suggest you use the !W and remove the !h (see #4 below).

3) Likewise, using !T to configure the channel to use the watchdog is only necessary once.

4) Several years ago (~1999-2000), I spoke with one of the original FieldPoint HW engineers about the exact thing you are trying to do (store the watchdog/powerup every time an output changes). The flash memory used in the FP-1000/1001 modules had a relatively limited number of write cycles, so if you are changing outputs frequently, you will eventually damage the memory. I believe the memory  had on the order of several hundred thousand write cycles but I do not remember the number that well. His advice was not to constantly store a snapshot/watchdog. The snapshot (powerup) and watchdogs were intended as safe states for the system, not a constantly updated memory of the last state. Since I have not been at NI for several years, I do not know if they use the same memory or not any more.

Regards,

Aaron

[Travis G.]

Hello All,

The compact flash used in National Instruments Fieldpoint controllers is industrial grade, guaranteed for up to 300,000 write cycles.  This is actually much better than the most compact flash drives on the market.  

This limitation is definitely something to consider when programming file I/O operations with Fieldpoint controllers.

I hope this helps,

Travis G.
Applications Engineering
National Instruments

[Aaron_G]

Travis,

The FP-1000/1001 do not use Compact Flash. They do have a programmable memory which may be flash or may be an older technology, so the number of write cycles may vary.

Regards,

Aaron