Ethernet DAQ in multiple PCs

[andcp360]

Can i use an ethernet hub to send data from ethernet DAQ to multiple computers? I mean, an ethernet hub repeats the original signal to run a LabVIEW made monitor .exe to live monitoring in multiple PCs... Is that possible?

[_Bryan]

The easy answer is yes.  You will have one main computer that will get the data from the ethernet DAQ and publish that data to shared variables.  Then you can have other programs read the shared variables over the network. 

[andcp360]

Thanks for the answer! To be sure... I like to build an application in LabVIEW that allows live check of the different variables from ethernet DAQ. Then if i hub the original ethernet signal to send it to multiples PCs and run my LabVIEW app, i will not have problems to get data in all PCs... Is correct that?

[_Bryan]

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One computer running LabVIEW will get data from the DAQ.  Then that computer can pass the data to other computers running LabVIEW using shared variables on the same network. 

So only 1 computer gets data or controls the DAQ, but that computer shares the data will the other computers on the network.  So if the other computers are only looking at the data it is no problem.  If you want the other computers to control anything using the DAQ it is possible, but it gets more complicated. 

[andcp360]

Ok, i guess i got it. Thanks again. Effectively, only 1 computer must manipulate data from DAQ and others only must watch it...

[_Bryan]

In this simple case yes, 1 computer controls the DAQ hardware (read/write) and the other computers read the data that is passed through the shared variable.  Now each computer reading the shared variable can manipulate the data any way it wants once it gets the data.  It just does not send that data back to the DAQ in this case.  This is based on your original post saying you only want to monitor data on multiple computers.

It is possible to have all the computers control the DAQ output, you just have to write more code to account for that.

As another option you could look into remote panels depending on how many computers you want to monitor the data.  It is the same thing only different  

Remote panels are web pages where users can see an image of the front panel on the computer connected to the DAQ.  You just need to install the LabVIEW runtime on each computer that wants to view the web page.  But this way you do not have to put en executable on each computer because they will use a web browser to watch the data.

I don't want to confuse you, but there a many options on how to do what you want.  You might want to find your local NI rep and have him come in and discuss all the options.

[andcp360]

Thanks a lot... I am from Costa Rica and just tomorrow (or today for you) NI in Costa Rica will offer a seminar to introduce to DAQ data acquisition with LabVIEW so i will ask a lot of questions! "Pura vida" like we say in Costa Rica!