How to create user application protection/registration

[LyLee]

Is there any way in LabVIEW to create a user-registration protection for the software?  The user should obtain a certina registration file or registration code to active the software, also, this registration code needs to be associated with a certain CompactRIO controller, so the software can only run with that controller and chassis.  Is there any way to do this?

[Christian_L]

LyLee,

I'm currently developing a new reference design (fancy name for example) that shows how to create and use a license file with a CompactRIO application for this purpose. I have attached the current beta version of the code for you to use. The project includes three different examples. The first uses only the controller serial number as the basis for the license key. The second example uses the controller, backplane and C series modules serial numbers. The third example includes the ability to enable specific features in your application based on the license key. This would allow you to have different versions/features of your application that are enabled using the license key.

The license key encryption/decryption is based on the Hill Cipher and uses a 3x3 U8 matrix as the encryption key. You should change the value of the encryption key in the example before using it for your application. (Some values for the encryption key are not valid and you should check the corresponding output on the VI that creates the license key.)

The example stores the license key in a INI file stored on the cRIO controller.

I would appreciate any feedback or questions that you might have on the code before we publish it with a more detailed description on DeveloperZone. I would also like to hear a bit more detail about your specific application and how you plan to distribute it to your customers.

[LyLee]

Hi,

Thanks for the example.  But I have an older version of Labview.  Can you save it in an older version, say, 8.0 ?

[Christian_L]

Here's the code for the first example in LV 8.0.