XNET Interface Mapping

[mattb1]

Hello,

I was attempting to connect a cDAQ-9178 with three NI 9860s installed and in NI MAX it maps some of the CAN interfaces as 'CAN-1' (see attachment) and does not give me the option to change the interface name. Usually there is no '-' in the name. I did have to update the firmware on these modules to match the version of XNET on the computer, but the problem persisted. I also attempted on a different computer with no issues. In MAX I went through 'Reset Configuration Data', which also did not solve the problem.

I had previously connected to many (100+) C-series CAN modules all of which had proper CAN interfaces. 

My question is, did XNET run out of 'available' interface names? 

Any ideas here?

[francine.p]

Why do you need to change the names from CAN-1 to CAN1? Is this causing an issue in your application development?

I haven't seen this format and am not sure why a hyphen would be added to the name of the port. What version of NI-MAX are you using? 

Also, for some reason the attachment isn't opening. Can you send it again?

[mattb1]

CAN-1 is not a valid interface name. If I go the simple route and use the XNET bus monitor, it won't even let me start the session.

I am using XNET 17.0.1 and MAX 17.1.

I tried again to attach the picture, hopefully it worked this time.

[francine.p]

Interesting... I haven't seen that before but I'll see what information I can find on why NI MAX might be naming the NI-XNET Interface with a hyphen. 

In the meantime, here's a VI created by a community member that you can use to rename CAN and LIN ports programmatically. Does this help solve the issue you're seeing?

https://forums.ni.com/t5/Example-Program-Drafts/Rename-CAN-and-LIN-Ports-for-XNET-Interfaces-Program...

[mattb1]

I used the VI that you suggested, but when I tried to rename one of the interfaces that has a hyphen, I got the 'XNET interface not valid' error.

I then used that VI to rename a valid interface and once the rename took effect, some (but not all) of the interfaces that previously had the hyphen were named normally.

Seems like there is some kind of conflict in the auto-naming that XNET does. Awhile ago I had around 100 interfaces mapped as I was going through all of our equipment and wonder if it has something to do with XNET running out of available names.

[francine.p]

I did some more research and it seems that this issue has come up in the past, although it's rare. The interface name can spontaneously switch to "CAN-1" as a secondary symptom of another internal error. This happens when the driver tries to communicate with the hardware and doesn't get a response (could be due to FPGA, soft processor, bus, etc.)

Are you getting any other errors other than the name changing to "CAN-1"? What are the status LED lights on your device showing?

I would recommend you try tearing down the driver by closing out of everything (LabVIEW, MAX, Test Stand, etc.) without shutting down your computer. Wait 30 seconds, then open up MAX (only MAX) and perform a self-test of your device. Are you able to successfully self-test it? Are the port names still coming up as "CAN-1"?

[francine.p]

Also, I don't suspect the issue is due to XNET running out of available names, although I couldn't tell you for sure. Are you able to use the device on a different computer as a workaround (where the interfaces are properly named) or do you need to use it on this specific computer?

[mattb1]

The only symptom I am seeing it the 'CAN-1'. I restarted my computer multiple times and power cycled the cDAQ chassis more than once. The NI 9860 passed self test every time, but still shows 'CAN-1'.

I am able to use the devices on a different computer, but it would still be nice to know what is happening here.

[francine.p]

I did some more digging and it seems the issue has been solved in the past by upgrading to XNET 17.5.1. NI has taken steps to improve reliability and error reporting for register reads in the latest version. Here's the link to download XNET 17.5.1 for windows:

http://www.ni.com/download/ni-xnet-17.5.1/7277/en/

After reinstalling software are you still seeing this issue? Let us know what your results are!