Developing Windows CE applications using LabVIEW

[FightOnSCTrojan]

LabVIEW Enthusiasts:

  

I was proposed a project to migrate a substantial piece of code (~120 Sub-VIs) developed in LabVIEW 7.1 in WinXP to WinCE.  Although after doing some research and reading the tutorial titled “Using LabVIEW to Develop Applications for Windows CE OS Devices” http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/4577 , I do not seem to have made any progress.

 

Particularly, I would like to learn:

 

1. Can an x86-based device running Win CE only be treated as a “Pocket PC 2003” device? The main concern is graphics resolution, and I would like to at least accomplish (1024x768 pixels), while the best Pocket PC can probably render 640x480

 

2. Does anyone have any experience migrating code from “Regular” LabVIEW Development System to Mobile/PDA module?  A knowledgebase article (416DHQ4B) indicates, as of  Oct/2006 v Lv 8.0 that LabVIEW PDA are not multithreaded. Is this still the case for LabVIEW Mobile 8.6?

 

3. I will also appreciate any comments regarding developing on the Mobile/PDA module, since there is not that much discussion in the forum about this topic.

 

Sincerely,

 Santiago

[Coq_Rouge]

Dear FightOnSC…

I think that the Labview touch panel module is the toolkit you are looking for. Not the mobile toolkit. With touch panel module you may build applications for windows CE. With the resolution you need. I have a friend with license for this toolkit. He has built a simple application for me. I am running it under Windows CE 6.0. I am able to start and run the application. But VISA is not working. So I have no serial communication, and the setup is useless for me. I will start a new thread regarding this question.  Your application is quite large. Have you considered to use windows embedded (or XP embedded) as OS. This way you may use a standard application builder

[FightOnSCTrojan]

LabVIEW Touch Panel Module, I believe, would require a target with touch panel capabilities (Correct me if I am wrong), which is not in our immediate plans. My client evaluated Windows XP embedded but decided against it. If it were up to be, we would be running compact RIO on LabVIEW RT. Oh well.

  

Not sure if the link below will be the solution to your problem

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/5482EA4D46EC9EB48625728F005095AC?OpenDocument.

[Coq_Rouge]

I think you are wrong. The PC I am using to run CE is an old laptop computer 450 MHz. It is not a touch panel module. The software also runs stable on my old laptop. Responds correct to all mouse and keyboard activity. My problem is the visa driver. So I think the touch panel module name is somewhat misleading. Anyway if you are going to use CE and Labview you have to use the touch panel module. The mobile module do not support windows CE.

If somone in this forum has experience with Labview and windows CE 6.0. I would like to hear about it. 

[FightOnSCTrojan]

Thanks for your input.

LabVIEW Mobile Module can be used to deploy Win CE applications and that is a fact.

http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/4577

Although based on the information that you have given me, LV Touch Panel Module does seem to be a better fit for my project, assuming that the VISA problem is not a bug for the entire module, but just for your system.

Going back to square one: What is the requirement for an application to run in Windows CE? Does WinCE have its own “EXE” type of application format? The application that your friend wrote, did you install it via ActiveSync or did you just move the file into the system and run?  

Best,

Santiago

[Coq_Rouge]

You may use active sync or USB mem stick for transfer of the application. But you will not get an installer. The application is a exe file pluss support files. Have you used windows CE before? I am asking because you can not buy Windows CE on a DVD like Windows Vista. It is more complicated than that. You will find more info here http://www.microsoft.com/windowsembedded/en-us/products/windowsce/default.mspx Microsoft is also offering a 180 days free trail version. I think you also may order a free 30 days trail version of both the touch panel, and the mobile module. As a tip do not install Labview module trail version, before you have succeeded in building a working CE image. If you are new to CE it may take some time to build your working CE os. I know becasue it took me some time to sort out how.

[DaveS1]

Hi, I am also working on geting Labview to Run on Windows CE. At the moment I am trying the touch panel module however while I can build my VI and sucessfully download it to my target it will not run. Clicking on the Vi's icon does nothing.

I built the image for CE Rev2 using MS Platform Builder and I must have left a component out that is causing this behavior. I need to figure out what is needed for LV to run on the target. (Incidently the target is a Gumstix Verdix Pro using a PXA270 ARM cpu) .

[DaveS1]

Ok I see the error I was making.  IN PB I needed to add the Standard SDK for CE.Net - However this is not supported in CE6 R2. infact PB (platform builder) issues a warning to this. PB does allow you to use it anyways. I added this and now I have a simple test app on my device.

[Coq_Rouge]

Have you included the AYGShell API in your Image. One of my problem was that I did not include this option. The Labview app in CE did not start. After I included this option things worked. By the way, do you have working VISA for RS232 comunication? I also think you have to install VISA every time you power off if you do not use Hive-Based Registry. But I may be wrong here