Variable Manager + All values are X

[Taylor_647]

Hi Mike,

In the bottom right corner there is an icon (I think it looks like a computer tower). Double click and select the computer "name\CITADEL" from the pull down menu beside "Server." I'm not sure if that is actually what fixes the problem, it just seemed that when I changed that everything started working but I'm not sure why. Also, while I was trying to troubleshoot the problem I found that my issue was more with the databse (process nicitdl5.exe, specifilcally) and not the variable manager.

Hope this helped!

Taylor

[mbtoday]

Ok, thanks for the information.  I presume by "lower right" you mean the Windows Taskbar notification area, next to the time indicator?  In my case there is no icon for the database server.  I hope at this point that someone from NI can step in and explain the "X" problem in Variable Manager, or exactly what is going wrong with Citadel to cause such behavior.  It's definitely making project development difficult.

Thanks again,

Mike

[Sappster]

Hi Mike,

I'm not sure what is causing the issue you and Taylor are seeing, but I would like to try and replicate the issue. If you can provide all the information and files I would need to run your code the same way you are and details about the server you are connecting to, I'll look into reproducing the issue.

Taylor - Can you explain with a little more detail how you configured your Variable manager or Citadel to resolve the issue?

[mbtoday]

It will be time-consuming to get authorization to send files through.  In the meantime, I have attached a screen capture showing a few good variables and the rest as "X". 

These variables are all defined in an lvlib file in project manager.  They are bound to ethernet compact Fieldpoint DIs and DOs.  They are auto-deployed when a referencing VI starts. 

The variables are all working ok in the SVE - the VI can read and write them and their corresponding bound compact fieldpoint I/O points operate. 

To me, this points to a problem with the Variable Manager.  I'd be surprised if Citadel was involved at all - I would expect it to be doing read-only accesses to the variables in the SVE.  What I'm really hoping here is that you can show someone on the R&D team the screen shot and they can say "oh yeah, issue XYZ".

Thanks,

Mike

[Taylor_647]

Hi,

The only thing I changed was the Server Services manager pull down menu. I didn't configure the Citadel database or variable manager. Asking around, we apparently had similar communication issues before with some other sytems. Specifying the database directly seemed to solve the problem before as well. Also I am not sure if this will help but when all my variables became X's the process nicitdl5.exe CPU usage jumped to 25% and stayed there until I stopped  and restarted it. I'm not sure if this happens in your case, Mike, but it may help to understand if these problems are connected or not.

Taylor

[mbtoday]

This is the part I'm having trouble with:    "The only thing I changed was the Server Services manager pull down menu" - I'm trying to find this but not having much luck.  I have Labview & DSC 8.5.1.  No notification shortcut in the windows task bar.  From the start menu, I can find Programs -> Microsoft SQL Server 2005->Configuration Tools -> SQL Server Configuration Manager.  Is that what has the pull-down list?    If so I can't find it in there.

One new data point - While searching through the NI programs folder, I found "Server Explorer" and connected IT to the SVE - it has the same problems only it shows "???" instead of "X".  Screen shot attached.

Thanks again,

Mike

[mbtoday]

Just to confirm, at least for a binary shared variable bound to a digital output on a compact Fieldpoint DO channel, Variable Manager will display "true/false" radio buttons for me if I right-click the variable in the watch list and select "edit variable".  When I set it to true, the output comes on.  When I set it to false, the output goes off.   Meanwhile, I have a separate VI running with a pushbutton bound to the shared variable - created by dragging the shared variable from project explorer onto the front panel.  The green status LED is on, and the button controls the output as well.

I don't see any variable engine or SQL Server errors in the system event log either, just routine messages (in no particular order):

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The description for Event ID ( 0 ) in Source ( NI Variable Engine ) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. You may be able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and Support for details. The following information is part of the event:

NI Variable Engine stopped..

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Server resumed execution after being idle 12068 seconds: user activity awakened the server. This is an informational message only. No user action is required.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

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Starting up database 'nicitadel_Default_Database'.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

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The description for Event ID ( 0 ) in Source ( NI Variable Engine ) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. You may be able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and Support for details. The following information is part of the event:

\\.\FieldpointLibrary: Loaded process..

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The description for Event ID ( 0 ) in Source ( NI Variable Engine ) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. You may be able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and Support for details. The following information is part of the event:

NI Variable Engine started.

Executable: C:\Program Files\National Instruments\Shared\Tagger\tagsrv.exe

Plug In Path: C:\Program Files\National Instruments\Shared\Tagger\

Plug Ins: LogosRTServer, NI OPC Server Plugin., Citadel 5, MXS, LogosRTClient.

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Mike

[mbtoday]

More information:   When I use Server Explorer to look at the values in the OPCFieldPoint server, everything is ok there.  "???" is displayed for a few channels with floating inputs and the quality field is "E.U. exceeded".  Some show as "XXX" with a quality of "Value Bad", but again, those are unconnected inputs.

Also, using Microsoft SQL Server Configuration Manager and stopping the CITADEL process altogether has no effect on any of this.

Mike

[mbtoday]

Further information:  Server Explorer, connected to the Shared Variable Engine, shows "value uncertain" for the variables that show up as "X" in Variable Manager.  See the screen shot:

[mbtoday]

I upgraded the firmware in all 5 cFP-1808 systems to 6.05 from 6.01.  No difference.

It seems that if I reboot the PC, and run my VI, it will connect properly to all of the shared variables.  But then if I run Variable Manager or ServerExplorer and look at the Variable Engine, I get a mix of "good" and "uncertain" values forever more - until the next reboot.  Removing the variables, stopping the process, removing the process, stopping and starting the shared variable engine - nothing makes them work again other than a reboot.

Mike