MacBook Pro - XP - Labview

[RL]

Does anyone have experience with operating Labview 8.2 on a MacBook Pro when booted in XP?  I would like to get a MacBook Pro as my home computer, as understood in the NI license agreement, to run my Developer Suite.  It would be nice to know before hand how it will run. 

Raymond

Message Edited by RL on 07-09-2007 11:17 AM

[johnsold]

Raymond,

LV8.2 runs fine on the Mac side on a MacBook. I don't have a Windows version, so I cannot comment on that. I suspect that the only significant issue would be hardware driver issues. For your application that may not be a major issue. Apple's hardware is just enough different that some Windows drivers may not be fully functional.

Lynn

[RL]

Unfortunately Lynn this Suite is for Windows.  So I will be able to use ActiveX and DAQmx but I don't know where it will decide to bite me.  I do have Labview 7.1 for the Mac but that brought about another can of worms regarding the portability of the Virtual Instruments to other platforms.  The data capture will most likely be done on PCs. CompactRIO and USB devices. 

Another unknown is the rumoured Virtual Platforms that will be incorporated into the next OS X.

Raymond

[Spectre_Dave]

RL

I have installed labVIEW 7.1 & 8.2 on an Intel Mac using parallels (http://www.parallels.com/) and Windows XP.  This works fine - as a matter of fact with Parallels 3.0 you do not even see the windows Virtual machine.  With Coherance a Windows start bar appears above the dock once windows has started.  You can then run the windows version of LabVIEW seemlessly in the Mac OSX environment.

MDDave

[RL]

Dave,

Have you tried to communicate with a FPGA using the MacBook?  This has been a project full of grief.  It does not show up in MAX nor does it show up on the Client List of the Router.  The Router lights indicate a functioning connection.  Internet is accessible through the Router therefore the connection from the MacBook to the Router is good.  I have also tried a direct connection with a cross-over cable (built to CompactRIO specifications) but to no avail.

I can't query the CompactRio directly because no IP address is given and since I can't access it there does not appear to be a way of assigning it an IP Address.

I hope that more people have experience with this than earlier in the summer. 

I am using XP with Parallels.

Raymond

Message Edited by RL on 10-21-2007 03:52 PM

[chilly_charly]

I'm new to this problem since I have installed Fusion (VMWare) on my MacBook last week only. LV 8.5 runs flawlessly and I'm able, at last, to use IMAQ vision on my MacIntosh.

To date, I have only done communication trials through USB. I have successfully played with a NXT system (Lego). I'll try tomorrow to connect to a PXI chassis. I'll report the result here.

[RL]

There is a paucity of CompactRIO ethernet communication instructions.   It appears the programmers designed MAX to take care of all the communications but when something is wrong there are no instructions on how to correct the situation.  It is a page out of the MS Plug & Pray Manual.

I telephoned Support a week ago but I still not closer to a solution.  My hope, now, is that some bright person on the Forum has figured out the solution. 

Perhaps I should also canvass other appropriate forums.

Raymond

[Spectre_Dave]

RL

I'm sorry but I have not tried to communicate with an FPGA whilst on my Mac.  What I have done on the MAC is to modify LabVIEW code then move it to the windoze machine where I recompiled it (RUN button).   The problem with LabVIEW FPGA is that you need a Real Target to be able to modify the code.  It would be nice to create a virtual target on the Mac then move it to the windoze @ work.

[Craig_D]

RL,

I personally have not used parallels, but it is my understanding that there should be the same as connecting a CompactRIO on a pure XP system.  With this in mind, there are a few reasons why you wouldn't be able to see the controller in MAX.  I strongly recommend checking out this DevZone article on Troubleshooting CompactRIO Controllers in Measurement and Automation Explorer.

Whenever a CompactRIO controller cannot be found in MAX and seemingly everything has been tried, I would say the most common cause is the firewall blocking discovery.  The controller broadcasts itself via UDP and firewalls can often block this.  The first thing I'd have you try is disabling the firewall.

When connecting via a crossover cable, make sure you've given your host PC a static IP address as well.  Follow the steps listed in this KnowledgeBase article when connecting to a CompactRIO with a crossover cable.

Another troubleshooting tool you can use is console out from the controller to determine if there are any problems encountered.  See this KnowledgeBase article for more information on this.

Regards,

Craig D

Applications Engineer

National Instruments

[RL]

Thanks Craig,

Firewall was off even though XP would put it on again (I checked it regularly because MS features are usually annoying).  The Static Address comment you made is valid so I will look into the Static IP Address when I try it with a X-over cable.  I look at the articles with the aim of ending this problem.

Raymond