PXI System does not appear in MAX 4.0

[RonC]

Hello,

My system comprises LabVIEW RT 7.0, target PXI-8176 controller in PXI-1000B chassis, PXI-6608, PXI-6711, NI-4472, PXI-6704, PXI-6527, PXI-8423/4, PXI-8422/4.  This has been stable for two years. I recently solved an RS-485 2-wire mode configuration problem, using information in a discussion forum thread, by upgrading to NI-VISA 3.4.1 and NI-Serial 2.5.5.  MAX 4.0 was installed as part of this process.  Everything seemed to work fine.  I instructed a distant customer to do the same, but they experienced some difficulty. To ensure we were working from the same starting point, I re-initialized my PXI system, using PXI Format Hard Drive Disk, version 7.0, from MAX 4.0.  I configured TCP IP address, and re-installed the RT software on the PXI controller.

Next, I attempted to configure the PXI controller and chassis, in MAX, to update the pxisys.ini file, but the PXI System (Unidentified) does not appear under Remote System>>IP address>>Devices and Interfaces.  Similarly for the serial ports.  This worked before, but I cannot get this back.  What is wrong?

Best regards,

RonC

[Bassett_Hound]

Hi Ron,

Are you able to see any of your cards under devices and interfaces?  I would suggest reformating again and then start out with only putting LabVIEW RT 7.0 on your PXI system and see if you are able to identify the chassis.  After that add drivers one by one until everything is working correctly or you run into the same issue.  If the serial driver was the newest driver save this driver for last.

Regards,

Bassett

[RonC]

Hello Bassett

Thank you for your assistance.

- I can see all the DAQ cards, under Tools>>Traditional NI-DAQ Configuration>>Remote DAQ Configuration...

- Nothing appears under Remote Systems>><IP Address>>>Devices and Interfaces.

- I cannot see the controller, the chassis, or the serial cards anywhere.

I tried as you suggested, and nothing appears under Devices and Interfaces, either after LabVIEW RT 7.0.0 installation, or at any step along the way after that.  One thing I find particularly confusing is that, after the intial install of NI-VISA 3.4.1 and NI-Serial 2.5.5, I could see and configure the PXI system.

After the software is installed, there is a default pxisys.ini file in C:\NI-RT\SYSTEM\.  I tried replacing this with the pxisys.ini from the working configuration (I saved this before reformatting) but it made no difference. I did the same thing with the ni-rt.ini file, it also made no difference.

Thanks,

RonC

[Bassett_Hound]

Hi RonC,

You might check to make sure that your controller is not booting up in install mode and is booting up into Real-Time.   Also check to make sure your VISA settings and VISA Server settings are correct.  The document linked will explain how to setup NI-VISA for remote systems. 

Accessing PXI Instruments with NI-VISA in LabVIEW RT
http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/websearch/01F9536A7A1D12A486256FF000561DA6?OpenDocument

Let me know if either of these help out.

Regards,

S. Bassett

[RonC]

Hello S. Bassett

The controller is definitely booting in RT mode -- I can still run my applications on the RT target.  VISA seems configured properly also, I can make VISA calls without error in the application.

In fact, the RT system seems to work correctly, and I contemplated leaving it as it is. However, the fact that MAX does not recognize the PXI system makes me nervous, and I cannot do some of the things I may want to do, for example independently configure RS-485 port wire mode in MAX (the ports do not show up either).  Traditional DAQ configuration in MAX works.

After your last post, I found a brief reference in MAX Help that indicated "PXI Services" had to be downloaded before the chassis could be configured.  But there are no other mentions of what PXI Services is, what it does, or how to install them. PXI Services does not show up as RT Software in MAX. In the Windows Add/Remove Programs control panel in Windows, in the National Instruments software section, there are two apparently related entries:

- NI PXI Platform Services for LabVIEW Real-Time 1.5.1

- NI PXI Platform Services for Windows 1.5.1

But, I cannot get these to install on the RT target.  Not knowing what was causing the problem, I uninstalled everything from  National Instruments, deleted all folders, and reformatted the PXI platform.  There was one problem during this process -- after uninstalling NI-Serial 2.5.5, it does not get removed from the Add/Remove programs control panel.  There is still a registry key that the uninstaller did not remove -- presumably this is the problem.

I have rebuilt everything, but could not get NI-Serial to install -- the installer thinks there is a newer installed on the RT target (there isn't) and refuses to install NI-Serial 2.5.5.  So right now, I cannot install NI-SERIAL (any version), or remove the 'existing' NI_SERIAL, because it isn't actually there, and there is no uninstaller.

Otherwise, everything seems to be back to where it was before I "upgraded" to NI-VISA 3.4.1.  This was NI-VISA 3.0, LV RT 7.0, and MAX 3.0.2.  I have not yet been able to install NI-Serial, so I cannot yet see if I have also restored my original problem -- the one that led me to have to upgrade NI-VISA and NI-SERIAL in the first place.

Most importantly, there is now a "PXI Services v1.1.2" installed on the RT target.  I am quite sure the problem with MAX 4.0 not recognizing my PXI system has to do with the absence of this driver on the RT target.

Thanks again for your interest and help,

RonC

[Bassett_Hound]

Hi RonC,

Without installing the NI-Serial Drivers the ports will not be visable.  After installing NI-Serial for RT they shoud be accessible under devices and Interfaces as normal.  If the registry key was not removed you may have to remove it manually.   PXI Services should be installed when MAX was installed.  Just so we are on the same page, when you said you have gotten everything back to normal this means you are able to identify your PXI chassis in MAX.  If this is true there may be an issue with MAX 4.0 and LabVIEW RT 7.0.

I have a PXI-8176 and will install LabVIEW RT 7.0 on it to see if it exhibits the same behavior and will let you know the results.

Thanks,

S. Bassett

[RonC]

Hi S. Bassett

Yes, in answer to your question -- the PXI system showed up in MAX, as PXI System (Unidentified), and I was able to identify the controller and chassis, and this information persists between restarts.  Other than the serial driver, everything has been returned to where it was before I attempted the NI-VISA 3.4.1 upgrade.  I thought this NI-VISA install would be safe, because the original recommendation came from a thread discussing a problem with LV 7.0 and not being able to get  an RS-485 device into 2-wire mode.  This was the exact problem I was having.

I am still stuck on the serial driver.  I deleted the only registry key I can find related to NI-Serial, but this has made no difference. MAX does not recognize any serial software as being present, either on the host or the target. The Windows Add/Remove Programs control panel shows an item in the National Instruments software list; "NI-Serial for LabVIEW RT".  Attempting to remove this item fails -- NI-IRDA gets removed, then the process chokes on NI-SERIAL -- get Error 1638 (unexplained).  The "NI-Serial for LabVIEW RT" does not get removed from the list.  NI serial driver installation, attempting to re-install the NI-SERIAL v2.5.3 (the version on my LV 7.0 CDs) fails because the installer says a newer version is already installed (it isn't)  The installer for NI-SERIAL v 2.5.5 that I downloaded, which is actually only an updater, will not run because it reports a "different" version is already installed.  So the NI installer for 2.5.3 reports a "newer" version, the updater for 2.5.5 reports a "different" version. The highest previously-installed version is 2.5.5, the pre-upgrade version was 2.5.3. The uninstaller reports a driver that does not exist, and then chokes trying to  "uninstall" it, but without explaining what the error is.

So, I am stuck right now on this issue.  Obviously there is persistent information retained somewhere that is confusing the installers/uninstallers but I cannot find where this is.

Thank you for your continuing interest and help on this.

RonC

[Bassett_Hound]

Error 1638 is an MSI installer error that means another version of this product is already installed. Installation of this version cannot continue. Since you have already uninstalled it I would concluded there was problem with the uninstall leaving some installer files behind.  You may want to give NI Technical support a call as they have an un-installer program to help resolve MSI installer errors.

I recently installed LabVIEW RT 7.0 on my PXI-8176 Controller and found that the PXI Device does not show up in Devices and Interfaces when using MAX 4.0 and LabVIEW RT 7.0.  I was able to see my cards in the Remote DAQ Config.  I'll investigate a little further and let you know what I find out too.

Regards,

S. Bassett

[RonC]

After uninstalling NI everything, and a thorough registry search and destroy, I was able to install NI-Serial 2.5.3.  I am now back to where I was before my original attempt to solve the problem, which was PXI-8423 RS-485 ports could not be put in 2-wire mode using WIRE_MODE key in NI-RT.INI file.

RonC

[Bassett_Hound]

RonC,

After investigating futher and doing several  installs,  it does look like there may be an issue with the PXI Chassis being recognized on a RT System with LabVIEW Real-Time 7.0 and MAX 4.0.  I will need to investigate a little further to try if there is a work around for this issue.  I'll let you know what I find out. 

Regards,

Steven B.