Best options for enabling remote control of laboratory exercises

[Monroe]

I am exploring options for moving laboratory exercise to be remote controlled in response to COVID19. Over the past 2 decades I have created an open source Process Control and Data Acquisition application using LabVIEW and Cornell students at all levels use that software in our labs. I see that NI has both Remote Panels and a NXG web option. I'm wondering what is the best option for enabling a large LabVIEW application for remote control. It appears that Remote Panels no longer supports most web browsers. I don't want to invest in a strategy that will be deprecated soon!

[MilanR]

Hi Monroe,

It appears that Remote Panels no longer supports most web browsers. I don't want to invest in a strategy that will be deprecated soon!

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As you mention Remote Panels require a plugin to be installed and have limited support in modern browsers.In contrast WebVIs developed with the LabVIEW NXG Web Module do not require a plugin and support modern browsers.

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I'm wondering what is the best option for enabling a large LabVIEW application for remote control.

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The approach for Remote Panels is to take an exisiting LabVIEW application and make the panel available through the web browser.

The approach for utilizing LabVIEW NXG Module with an existing large application would be to augment the application to publish data / listen for requests and create WebVIs to observe the published data / send requests.

Some strategies for augmenting an existing LabVIEW application are to include a LabVIEW Web Service that supports making HTTP requests as demonstrated by the Call LabVIEW Web Service example or to publish / read Tags and Messages as demonstrated by the Call SystemLink Data Services example.