Creating an exe with 6.1 and VISA

[Baldy]

My labview program communicates with a serial device using visa. It works on the development system. When I build it to an exe and move it to the target system, there are no errors, but communication is timing out.

I know the target system hardware is good because I can communicate using hyperterminal. Also note that after running exe app, then running hyperterminal, if I send I get a bunch of replies to strings sent from exe app.

[Bill Choy]

Did you install VISA runtime engine for the target system? You can check it at Measurement and Automation Explorer(MAX) under Configuration->Software. Download it at the following link if you don't have. http://digital.ni.com/softlib.nsf/webcategories/85256410006C055586256BBB002C0E91?opendocument&node=132060_US

[Baldy]

Yes. I first installed run time 2.6.0, which is the same version I have on the development system. When that didn't work I installed run time 3.0.1 which is the latest version compatible with W98 (target system OS).

[Kenos]

You appear to have the right visa functions installed. Have you tried NOT using say "COM1" as the resource name to the visa fxn in the LabV source code (which would work on the devepmt system) but instead use "ASRL1::INSTR" to build the EXE for the target machine? The target machine does not know "COM1" which I found out in the past. Good luck.

[Baldy]

Yes. I created a resource name control, which is a drop-down list showing only the available resources, with names like ASRL2:INSTR. This control is active on the target machine and the list updates correctly when I add or remove serial resources.

Again, I have partial communication. There are no errors on the visa open or visa write vi, but the visa read vi times out.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Steven B]

Hello,

Another idea I have is check and make sure that the Serial Port settings are the same on the target machine as they are on the development system. For example, you need to make sure the parity bits, baud rate, stop bits, etc. are set the same on both machines.

Hope this helps!

Regards,
Steven B.
Applications Engineering
National Instruments

[Baldy]

They are. In fact, hyperterminal communicates fine.
Thanks.

[Steven B]

Hello,

Well, the next thing I would recommend then would be to take two NI-SPY captures, one when using the development environment, and the other when using the exe. You can then compare the NI-SPY captures to see what the differences are.

Here is a tutorial on NI-SPY if you are not familiar with it.

http://zone.ni.com/devzone/conceptd.nsf/webmain/C31BC5FB34DBC0EF86256ADF007B8A47?opendocument

Regards,
Steven B.
Applications Engineering
National Instruments

[Baldy]

OK this looks promising.
I ran NI-Spy on the development machine.
How do I install it on the run-time machine? The tutorial you pointed me to says it is part of VXI, but as far as I know I don't have or use VXI.

Additional note: exe application works on development machine. Target machine hardware is good as evidenced by communication checks out with hyperterminal.


Thanks.
-Jim

[Steven B]

Hi Jim,

NI-SPY should be installed when you install NI-488.2 on the run-time machine. You can find it at Start >> Programs >> National Instruments.

Good luck!

Regards,
Steven B.
Applications Engineering
National Instruments