NI 9144 with Windows PC as EtherCAT Master

[BowenM]

Now that I've fixed my crash problems...

I'm having a very hard time finding good documentation on how to get the NI 9144 working directly with a PC acting as the EtherCAT Master.  Ideally I would like a link to some good documentation on this 🙂  If not, please help me troubleshoot.

Steps I've taken so far:

-Installed Scan Engine and EtherCAT custom device

-Installed NI Industrial Communications for DeviceNet (16.0.0)

-Installed NI Industrial Communications for EtherCAT (16.1.0)

-Created new VeriStand project. Since I could find no way to detect the EtherCAT IP address, I called OS Windows and IP LocalHost on the controller page.  I suspect this is wrong, but I have found nothing with multiple Google searches.

-Added Custom Device

-Added EtherCAT Master

-Added NI 9144 ECAT Slave and configured for my hardware.

Attempting to deploy project still returns the same error:

The VeriStand Gateway encountered an error while deploying the System Definition file.

Details:
Error -1950678964 occurred at Project Window.lvlib:Project Window.vi >> Project Window.lvlib:Command Loop.vi >> NI_VS Workspace ExecutionAPI.lvlib:NI VeriStand - Connect to System.vi

Possible reason(s):

LabVIEW: Failed to load NI Scan Engine software required for I/O Variable access. If you are hosting I/O variables on an RT target, ensure that the NI Scan Engine is installed on the RT target. If you are hosting I/O variables on Windows, you must install a Windows I/O driver, such as DeviceNet, that includes NI Scan Engine support. If you are hosting I/O variables in a Windows VI, the VI must be part of an open LabVIEW project. If you are hosting I/O variables in a Windows-built application, the application must be configured to include hardware configuration.

[joshe]

Have you used MAX to tell your Ethernet Port to use EtherCAT?  I know you have to do this for a PXI system.  I am not sure the EtherCAT and Scan Custom Device supports this on a PC, It works on CRIO and PXI.

-Josh

[a_clucker]

Hi BowenM,

Please see this post. Seems to be what you're trying to do.

[a_clucker]

The EtherCAT 16.0 readme lists what devices you can use as masters.

[BowenM]

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@a_clucker wrote:

Hi BowenM,

Please see this post. Seems to be what you're trying to do.

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Close.  I ran into that post... it is mainly for setting up a PC to act as a RT Controller (requirements, instructions, etc).  It has nothing to do with how to make VeriStand act as the EtherCAT Master.  It looks to me if I followed that route, I'd need to have a second computer to talk to the first computer that is talking to the EtherCAT.  I don't want that - and I don't need real-time for this application.

Josh,

As far as I have been able to tell, the NI-9144 is not configurable in MAX.  Am I missing something?

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[BowenM]

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@a_clucker wrote:

The EtherCAT 16.0 readme lists what devices you can use as masters.

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The problem is I purchased this on a recommendation from one of NI's application's engineers.  I made it very clear the configuration I would be using it in and even asked if he was sure it would work.  I'm hoping there wasn't a miscommunication...

Edit:  Also, the error message itself seems like this should be possible

" If you are hosting I/O variables on Windows, you must install a Windows I/O driver, such as DeviceNet, that includes NI Scan Engine support."

It's that error that led me to installing DeviceNet drivers.

[a_clucker]

Are you using the VeriStand Add-on: Scan Engine and EtherCAT custom device?

If so, it looks like you'll still need the RT controller:

If you are using that add on, there's also a specific support structure for it (also in the link).

I'd recommend reaching out to your sales representative if you think there was a miscommunication.