cRIO RT OS 8.5 versus host LV 8.0

[Mugur]

Here's my problem:

I can see cRIO 9012 in MAX but I can't see it when I try to add it in a project. The cRIO has LV RT 8.5 and I'm using LV 8.0.

Could anyone say what shold I do?

TKS

[JMota]

Hi,

Did you install CompactRIO support for LV 8.0 from the NI-RIO installer?  Can you add a CompactRIO controller by type (offline addition - 3rd radio button in the Add Targets and Devices dialog)? Do you see an option for adding a Real-Time PXI Controller?

If you don't see the option to add a CompactRIO controller by type, that means CompactRIO support for LV 8.0 is not installed on your system. If you "can do discovery" of CompactRIO controllers but you just get a message saying Devices not found, that could be due firewall settings preventing LV from sending and receiving messages to/from the network.

Are you doing the right-click>>Add Targets and Devices... from the project's root item (as opposed to from the My Computer item)?

JMota


Message Edited by JMota on 07-01-2008 04:43 PM

[Mugur]

Hi,

I did all that. The problem is that LV can't find the devices, with the firewall turned off. I have some previous experience with cRIO and I had no problems in setting up the connections and communication just that this time the controller is a new one and has preinstalled LV RT 8.5 and I only have LV 8.0 on my machine. I confirm that I have inatalled the support for LV 8.5 installed for fpga. I was kind of hoping that I don't have to downgade the cRIO from 8.5 to 8.0.

[JMota]

First of all, in order for you to be able to run LV RT VIs onto the controller from a host with LV RT 8.0, you will have to install LV 8.0 onto the controller. There is no way around it. You need to either upgrade the host, or downgrade the target.

The fact that the controller has 8.5 should not prevent you from discovering it from LabVIEW though (if the correct software is installed on the host and no firewall is blocking messages). Once you try to run an RT VI, that's where you will get an error telling you that the host and target versions do not match.

What I would suggest you trying is create an offline cRIO controller, give it the IP address of your controller and then try to connect to it. At that point if the controller still has 8.5 you should get the error.  If you can't create the cRIO controller offline, that means the correct software is not installed on the host, and that would explain why discovery of the controller from LV 8.0 doesn't work.

You mention you installed support for LV FPGA 8.5; that's not going to help you much if you don't have LV, LV RT and LV FPGA 8.5 installed on the host. If you have LV 8.0 on the host, you need to make sure you have CompactRIO support for LV 8.0 on the host.

Hope this makes sense.

JMota
National Instruments

[Mugur]

I've already uninstalled all the sotware on the controler and format the flash. However, at the custom reinstalation it gave me only two option of RT OS, that is 8.5 and 8.2 even thouh I had installed LV RT 8.0 on host. Why

I wonder if it is possible that this controller is restricted to LV RT 8.5 and 8.2 only - which wouldn make sense though. No mater what verison I've chosen i still couldn't see the controller in project manager (firewall off).

[JMota]

Sorry for leading in you in the wrong direction. The 9012 and 9014 controllers are only supported in LV 8.2 and later. I guess that explains everything.

At this page you can find the information about the versions of NI-RIO and LabVIEW that you need to be able to use CompactRIO hardware.

ftp://ftp.ni.com/pub/devzone/tut/crio_software_versions.htm

The right way to get to that page is to go to  www.ni.com/info  and enter the "rdsoftwareversion" info code.


Message Edited by JMota on 07-02-2008 12:01 PM

[Mugur]

JMota

everithing is clear now, but unfotunately I had to find that by wasting considerable amount of time.

The most anoying thing is that none of the engineers I've already contacted (those hwo bothered (1) to reply to my problem - I'm refering to direct e-mails not forums) mentioned such a compatibility. Meanwhile I installed and uninstalled different version of drivers and now I have to wipe everithing and do a clean LV install again (one more day wasted).

I've noticed NI in your signature. Could you pleas be kind and circulate the previous link to your coleagues, especialy to those who sell hardware.

anyway..... thaks a lot for your help

Regards

[JMota]

Mugur,

I completely understand your frustration after spending a lot of time figuring out that the hardware that you bought is not compatible with the version of software you are using. I'm a software engineer for NI's R&D, and even though we try to design our software to tell users about hardware that is not supported by the current version of software installed, it is not an easy problem since we are designing for hardware that does not exist yet.

I will circulate the version supported link as you mention, and I have a few ideas of things we can do to better handle these types of cases.

Thinking in retrospective, trying to create the hardware offline should have given some indication of whether the hardware is supported by the installed software or not. E.g. in this case you should only have seen the "cRIO-9002" and "cRIO-9004" as the only types of cRIO Controllers that can be added to a project.  Something to keep in mind to troubleshoot this kind of problems in the future.

Regards.

JMota

[Mugur]

JMota

I'm cool now :). I realise that is some incompatibility just by looking at the option that the GUI offered me. However, that is not the problem. I am frustrated because the sales engineer sold me someting that he was supose to know that I won't be able to use. Plus that the information you've sent me is not easyly accesible when you brouse the NI page. But this is old story now. I should talk to him, not with you; but how can I talk to him when he doesn't reply ...

Indeed I could see the other two controllers. I have also a 9002 and I will stick with that until I get the new software.

You've been of grat help. Thanks again.