Real Time Programming with LabVIEW RT

John Limroth Software Engineer Thurs Aug 17 10:15-1:15 p.m., 1:45-4:45 p.m. Exhibit (3G)
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Agenda
LabVIEW RT basics Current RT hardware targets Using LabVIEW RT Advanced programming techniques Software/hardware watchdogs Application builder
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What is Real-time?
Real-time does NOT mean real fast! Requires deterministic response Windows does NOT guarantee determinism

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RT Hardware Architecture
RTOS embedded LabVIEW TCP/IP connection Win OS LabVIEW QP Motherboard
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DAQ board QP

A/D A/D A/D

Target motherboard A/D DAQ board

LabVIEW RT Software
LabVIEW RT adds two extra components to regular LabVIEW

The RT Development System

Part of it runs on host PC Programming and debugging LabVIEW code

The RT Engine
Runs on target Executes embedded code Independent of host PC

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Software Architecture
Three separate instances of LabVIEW

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Software Architecture
Application development
(Instance B)
RT development system front panel User Interface Thread RT engine (diagram) DAQ VIs RT data acquisition daughter card

High-performance application
(Instance A) Host PC
VI Server Host LabVIEW application on Windows PC TCP/IP Peek/poke DAQ VIs Plug-in DAQ board

RT engine (diagram)

Target

DAQ VIs RT data acquisition daughter card

(Instance C) ni.com

(Instance C)

Agenda
LabVIEW RT basics Current RT hardware targets Using LabVIEW RT Advanced programming techniques Software/hardware watchdogs Application Builder
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RT Series DAQ Devices

Hardware
Processor
486 133 MHz AMD chip

Memory
8 MB of DRAM for LabVIEW executable and NI-DAQ.dll 1 kB of SRAM for shared memory

Two user-defined LEDs

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RT Series DAQ Devices

Form Factors
Single product based on DAQ devices
7030/6040E : 16 channel, 12-bit resolution, 250 kS/s 7030/6030E : 16 channel, 16-bit resolution, 100 kS/s 7030/6533 : 32 high-speed digital lines

Single PCI slot Double PXI slot All SCXI and accessories supported

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Installing the RT Series DAQ Card

Installed and seen in MAX RT intelligent card has one device number Daughter card has separate device number No test panels
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RT PXI Controller
General description
Connected through Ethernet Pre-loaded RTOS and software Available with LV RT 5.1.2 and NI-DAQ 6.7 PXI-8156B (233 or 333 MHz) must be configured

Communication
Default user interface thread VI Server TCP/IP
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RT PXI Hardware
Supported hardware
All PXI chassis without monitors All of regular NI-DAQ MXI-3

Configure your own system

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Remote System Explorer

Configures system Installs or upgrades software Creates utility disks Lists installed software or hardware

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Installation Procedure
Ensure the system is ready to be configured
Must reside on same subnet Run the uninstall disk if questionable

Create boot floppy (RT system specific) Reboot system with floppy installed
IP = 0.0.0.0 Serial number is from Ethernet chip set

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Installation Procedure (cont.)

Assign IP address, name, password, etc
Password is optional

Reboot system Upgrade/download software

Choose install script Verify software versions

Reboot system RT system is ready

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Exercise 1 Configuring a PXI Controller

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File Structure
Viewable through Windows OS Ph_exec.exe and ni-rt.ini in root directory Embedded PXI File Structure (c:\ni-rt\)
\system\ includes emblview.exe, ni-daq.dll, etc \startup\ includes boot up executables

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Useful Tools in MAX

Remote DAQ Configuration
Sets the properties of the remote DAQ boards Also available through Remote System Explorer

Remote Device Access

RDA Server enabled on RT Series PXI controller Allows user to test the board with test panels

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Exercise 2 Troubleshooting RT Series PXI controller

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Agenda
LabVIEW RT Basics Current RT hardware targets Using LabVIEW RT Advanced programming techniques Software/hardware watchdogs Application Builder
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Embedding a VI Step 1
Select target platform
Host RT intelligent card PXI controller on network

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Embedding a VI Step 2
Download code on target

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Embedding a VI Step 3
Exit without closing RT Engine

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Exercise 3 Download a VI

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Shared Memory
 Incremental read/write high-level continuous transfer of array of singles  Read/write VIs incorporates a flag (8-bit word) to make reading and writing more efficient  Low-level peeks and pokes basic building blocks for other levels

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VI Server
Similar to normal VI Server Different machine name that corresponds to RT Series Intelligent Card device number (DAQ::1) Requirements
VI must be loaded in memory LabVIEW RT must be running on target

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Download Application
Loads VI into dynamic memory without running it VI is now ready to run (Download bar will not appear)

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LabVIEW RT Running on Target

Important aspect of VI Server Exit without closing RT Engine VIs
Keeps LabVIEW RT open Closes user interface

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Exercise 4 Using VI Server

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TCP/IP with LabVIEW RT

Similar to regular LabVIEW Requires different machine names to correspond to Intelligent DAQ Cards (DAQ::1) Used to communicate large chunks of data Not deterministic

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Exercise 5 Using TCP/IP

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Agenda
LabVIEW RT basics Current RT hardware targets Using LabVIEW RT Advanced programming techniques Software/hardware watchdogs Application Builder
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Programming Tips Timing

Keep unnecessary computations outside of the time-critical loop Keep configuration VIs outside of the loop Sleep mode helps maintain loop rates while allowing other loops to share time

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Programming Tips Memory

Determinism
Pre-allocate arrays Avoid shared resources

Performance
Cast data to the proper type Inplaceness Global Variables
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Exercise 6 Reducing the Jitter in a LabVIEW RT Program

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Single-Threaded LabVIEW
Computer Thread CoCo-routines User Interface Loop Exec( )

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Multithreaded LabVIEW
Computer Thread UI Loop Exec() Messages Thread Exec( ) Thread Exec( ) Exec( ) Thread

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LabVIEW RT Target System

RT Computer Thread Messages Thread Exec( ) Thread Exec( ) Exec() Exec( ) Thread

Communication TCP/IP Loop

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LabVIEW RT Deployed System

Host PC
Thread Thread Exec() Thread Exec() Thread Exec() Exec() Exec() Thread Exec() UI Loop

-Shared memory -TCP/IP -VI server

RT Series hardware target

Thread Thread Exec() Communi cation Thread Exec()

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Understanding Priorities
Normal priority
Allows the CPU to be shared

Time-critical priority
100% of CPU time Sleep mode is very important

Subroutine priority
Highest priority level Releases thread only when done
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Exercise 7 Understanding Priorities

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Agenda
LabVIEW RT basics Current RT hardware targets Using LabVIEW RT Advanced programming techniques Software/hardware watchdogs Application Builder
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Watchdogs

Hardware or software mechanism that checks the status of the embedded system Increases the systems robustness Generally requires a low overhead

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Software Watchdog
Host PC

(?)

Software watchdog can use the shared memory One side writes a value that is constantly changing Both host PC and embedded PC can implement watchdogs

1K

(?)
Embedded PC

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Hardware Watchdog
 Digital/counter lines can be used to trigger other systems
External System 1

(?)

(?)
Embedded PC

External System 2

CTR/DIO

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Built-in Hardware Watchdog API

Extra hardware counter/timer Continuously counts down Software continually resets the counter Can be configured to take action
Reset PXI System Set Occurrence Trigger

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Exercise 8 Implementing a Hardware Watchdog

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Agenda
LabVIEW RT basics Current RT hardware targets Using LabVIEW RT Advanced programming techniques Software/hardware watchdogs Application Builder
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Application Builder
Usually targeted to host PC Extra RT options
Show RT target selection dialog Quit RT boot application after downloading

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Targeting to the PXI Controller

Able to save executable to disk Remove serpdrv App Settings Tab is disabled

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Networked Preferences
Application Builder (when connected to TARGET)
Default name Startup.exe (C:\ni-rt\startup) NETWORKED PREFERENCES->RT Target: Miscellaneous Install path Name must be 8.3

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Command Line Arguments

 Used to alter execution
Ex: c:\mybuiltapp.exe target DAQ::1 reset quithost

RT Series DAQ device -target DAQ::1

RT Series PXI system 130.164.48.51

-reset Resets device not available -quithost Exits without Exits without closing RT Engines closing RT Engines

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Exercise 9 Using Application Builder

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End of LabVIEW RT Hands-on Questions?

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