LXI Power Supply extends LabVIEW Executable Start Time

[SercoSteveB]

I have built a PXI System (1085 chassis, with various PXI Instruments and an LXI Power Supply (from TDK Lambda) that is connected to the PXI Controller via a USB to Ethernet converter).  The PXI Controller is running Win7 Professional (64-BIT) and I have installed TestStand 2019 (32 and 64 BIT versions), LabVIEW RTE and instrument drivers for the PXI instruments and the LXI Power Supply. I have configured NI-MAX and see all of the instruments (I am happy the Ethernet Connectivity between Power Supply and PXI Controller is good).

When I run a LabVIEW Executable on my system, irrespective of whether the Executable interacts with any instrumentation I get the following behaviour: (NOTE: For testing the behaviour described below I have created a VI that simply contains a While Loop, Stop Button and a 200ms Delay inside the loop.  To be clear my VI does not make any instrument calls):

1. With the LXI Power Supply disconnected from the system (I did this by disconnecting the Ethernet lead from the USB to Ethernet Converter), my Test LabVIEW Executable takes 1-2 seconds to start 😊.
2. With the LXI Power Supply connected to the system, my Test LabVIEW Executable takes 24 seconds to start ☹️.

When I say takes 24 seconds to start I mean the time taken from double clicking the LabVIEW Executable to the executable icon being displayed on the windows taskbar (and the VI Front Panel being displayed).

Any thoughts on why executable start time would be extended in this way and how to remove the delay would be greatly appreciated?

Steve

[crossrulz]

It's possible it is the USB-Ethernet adapter.  What controller are you using?  Is there an extra Ethernet port you could use?  What Ethernet adapter are you using?  It's not exactly cost effective, but you could also try a PXI Ethernet card.

[SercoSteveB]

Hi Tim, thanks for the response.

Unfortunately I have travelled that road and have ruled that out.  The PXI Controller is the 8840, which has two Ethernet Ports.  I have done the same test connecting the Power Supply directly to one of the PXI Controller Ethernet Ports and saw a 24 second delay with the PSU connected and 1-2 seconds without the Power Supply connected.

At the moment to me it feels related to NI-MAX as I see the same sort of behaviour when launching MAX, I haven't timed it but the time from double clicking the MAX icon to the MAX Splash screen being displayed is definitely longer when the Power Supply is connected.  What I don't understand is why a LV EXE, that doesn't contain any instrument comms, might be impacted by something going on inside MAX?  Is it part of the LabVIEW RTE that scans all instruments before launching an EXE?  Can that functionality be switched OFF?  So many questions!

The only thing I can find on NI.com around slow NI-MAX starts with LAN instrumentation is around firewall settings. Currently I am seeing 24 seconds with the Firewall turned off.

[crossrulz]

---

@SercoSteveB wrote:

The only thing I can find on NI.com around slow NI-MAX starts with LAN instrumentation is around firewall settings. Currently I am seeing 24 seconds with the Firewall turned off.

---

One more stupid thought: Are you using static IP addresses?  I'm wondering if a DHCP server is changing things in the system or not properly communicating the IP table to the system.  Speaking from experience, I have not ran into this issue and I use LXI and TCP communications with most of my test systems.  I strictly use static IP addresses because DHCP is just more layers that can go wrong.  I like simplicity.

[SercoSteveB]

Yep, I am using static IP addressing.

It is looking more and more like an NI-MAX thing.  If I launch MAX and delete the Power Supply from the Network Devices section and then close MAX I can then run my Test EXE any number of times and do not see the 24 second delay.  However when I launch MAX again the Power Supply will be detected, automatically added to Network Devices and then any subsequent launches of MAX or my Test EXE have the 24 second delay.

Best guess at the moment is that MAX is interacting with the Power Supply during boot-up and that interaction is taking 24 seconds?!?!?!

[crossrulz]

---

@SercoSteveB wrote:

Yep, I am using static IP addressing.

It is looking more and more like an NI-MAX thing.  If I launch MAX and delete the Power Supply from the Network Devices section and then close MAX I can then run my Test EXE any number of times and do not see the 24 second delay.  However when I launch MAX again the Power Supply will be detected, automatically added to Network Devices and then any subsequent launches of MAX or my Test EXE have the 24 second delay.

Best guess at the moment is that MAX is interacting with the Power Supply during boot-up and that interaction is taking 24 seconds?!?!?!

---

That is sounding more like VISA trying to verify the configured sessions when its RTE is started up.  That information would be needed to populate the VISA Reference controls.