RIO evaluation kit setup wrong serial number

[count3r5tr1ke]

I'm trying to set up the RIO Evaluation Kit. Hardware is detected but the serial number is wrong (the setup says it's 1709592 but the board says 171B00D). I followed the instructions at this webpage on setting the IP address but it doesn't help.

I have tried the following four scenarios, each has the same result:

 - set IP, board connected directly

 - automatic (not set) IP, board connected directly

 - set IP, board connected through router

 - automatic IP, board connected through router

Was the hardware supposed to be connected during installation? The installer gave no indication of that. Or is it ok to ignore the wrong number? What should I do if the serial number doesn't match? On the setup screen, the text gets cut off after "If the serial number matches, click"

(edit: Should have mentioned I'm on Win7)

[ColdenR]

Hello count3r5tr1ke,

I looked up your serial numbers in the system, and the first one is for your overall RIO Eval Kit, and the second is for your single board RIO (SBRIO-9636) specifically. So in this case I wouldn't worry about the mismatch.

[count3r5tr1ke]

Thanks for your response, so if I ignore the mismatch it won't cause problems later on? Just wondering, if a different board was plugged in later on would that have to be setup all over again or the software would still work? 

[ColdenR]

If you plugged in another board, you would still need to do all of the IP configuration necessary to connect to it, and install all the software you need on the board. But in your code it would be relatively simple to substitute the new board in for the old board. If they are the same model, you can just change the IP address in the project (if it's different). If they're a different model, you can just add the new cRIO to the project and copy the necessary files over from the old cRIO.

[count3r5tr1ke]

OK so I clicked next, kept the defaults, and selected manual IP as instructed in the FAQ (because the board is connected directly). It attempts manual IP assignment for a little while but then goes back to the previous screen saying "Go back to step 2 and check configuration." The configuration is just plugging in power and ethernet. I could try it with a router but would prefer to connect directly. Any suggestions? 

[count3r5tr1ke]

The same thing happens regardless of whether DHCP is static or automatic as configured in control panel.

The target IP given in the setup is 169.254.84.198, but ipconfig gives 169.254.178.77 when DHCP is automatic. Same subnet mask for both of them (255.255.0.0). In the setup, 0.0.0.0 for DNS IP and default gateway. In ipconfig, default gateway is just blank and it doesn't say DNS IP.

When the IP address and subnet mask are set as specified in the FAQ, the setup utility gives the same values but ipconfig gives IPv4 address as 192.168.0.1 and subnet mask is 255.255.255.0. Still blank default gateway. 

If it matters, the ethernet card is Intel 82567LM Gigabit Network Connection

[count3r5tr1ke]

It works when using a router, I guess this means I would need a crossover cable to connect directly? 

[ColdenR]

Yes, when you're using a direct connection you need a crossover cable. This article talks about connecting to a cRIO using a cross-over cable:

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/72AE8CADA1AF075686256A16005D55B1

[count3r5tr1ke]

Thanks for all your help, one more question, if I use the board through the router now but later on switch to using a crossover cable (that is, different connection but same board), will I need to run setup again? 

[ColdenR]

You will just need to make some modifications in your program and computer to account for the new IP address. Right now you either have a static IP address or a DHCP-acquired IP address. If you connect directly to your computer, you will need to use a static IP address for your cRIO, and you will need your computer and your cRIO to use IPs in the same domain.

When you hook up a cRIO via a cross-over cable and reset the IP address, it will acquire a link-local IP address (169.254.x.x). You will need to use the same IP address format on your computer, as described in that link above. 

If the cRIO IP address changes, you just have to change the IP address of the cRIO in your project to match, so that it can connect. The rest of your code will still function correctly, as long as the cRIO in your project is connected.