Access to cFP-2020 LEDs

[Graziano]

Hi Everybody!

    This is not the silly question "how to switch on cFP-2020 LEDs...".  I'm trying to access cFP-2020 LEDs without referring to .iak file, and without using fieldpoint I/O point controls.

    More in general, if I develop a VI, in which I have an cFP-2020 at address, say 1.0.0.1, I'll have I/O points such as

    FieldPoint\FP @ 1_0_0_1\cFP-2020 @0\LED A

    and if I want to download the same application on cFP-2020 at address, say 1.0.0.2, I'll have to manually change all I/O points.  This is not practical, specially in my case, in which my application is going to be downloaded on several cFP by someone else, who doesn't know in detail Fieldpoint, MAX and LabVIEW, and I'd like to make simpler his/her work.

   I'd like to be the most independent as possible from .iak file.

  Any hint is apreciated!!!!!

graziano

[Matthew_Williams]

---

@Graziano wrote:
Hi Everybody!

    This is not the silly question "how to switch on cFP-2020 LEDs...".  I'm trying to access cFP-2020 LEDs without referring to .iak file, and without using fieldpoint I/O point controls.

    More in general, if I develop a VI, in which I have an cFP-2020 at address, say 1.0.0.1, I'll have I/O points such as

@    FieldPoint\FP @ 1_0_0_1\cFP-2020 @0\LED A

    and if I want to download the same application on cFP-2020 at address, say 1.0.0.2, I'll have to manually change all I/O points.  This is not practical, specially in my case, in which my application is going to be downloaded on several cFP by someone else, who doesn't know in detail Fieldpoint, MAX and LabVIEW, and I'd like to make simpler his/her work.

   I'd like to be the most independent as possible from .iak file.

  Any hint is apreciated!!!!!

graziano

---

I don't know of a simple way to do what you describe; sure would be nice though.
We elected to use the cFP-20x0 controller serial number instead of the default ip.

@FieldPoint\0112973D\cFP-2020 @0\LED A

Makes setup a little bit easier, isn't ip related and since we are already using the
s/n for other things (license control) we already have it available in the controller.

If you are going to be setting up a volume of controllers it might be worth creating
a master unit and then imaging the entire disk.  Use the image to setup new units
with ftp (change \ni-rt.ini and \system\www\index.htm as I recall before updating).
Avoids all kinds of interesting troubleshooting when new controllers arrive with
a slightly different OS setup.  You still have to do the MAX step, however.

Matt

[Graziano]

First of all, thank you Matt for your help, but this doesn't solve my problem....
  
In fact, I can force the operator to configure cFP modules in MAX with a name that doesn't involves IP, but he/she will have to do a lot of job, and for someone who doesn't know in depth Fieldpoint.....


What would be good, is accessing device addresses; I mean, LED A is address 0x0020, why can't I write directly at this address, like I do in microprocessors programming?

About your suggetion of using the image of a master device, it would be great if NI can ensure it works!!!   That'll be the solution!!!!

greetings!

graziano

[tst]

You can build a Fieldpoint I\O channel as a string and then either type cast it to an FP I/O before your loop (to avoid the constant conversion) or wire it directly into the FP VI. Since you can easily concatenate strings, I believe that should solve your problem.

[Matthew_Williams]

Have you looked at the Fieldpoint Optomux commands?  I believe they
give you access at the level you are talking about.  If your setups will
be consistent that might allow you to avoid the MAX configuration all
together.  I've never explored the Optomux stuff, however, so hopefully
someone more knowledgeable will chime in.

Matt

[AlessioD]

You may find something interest on this web page

Communication Techniques in Fieldpoint and Logos

AlessioD

[Graziano]

Hi Mat, thanks again, but I already use Optomux commands.  They're low level, but they are for communication with FieldPoint Network interface module....

I mean, in my architecture, I've a PC, communicating with RS232 with a cFP-2020 ("intelligent" controller), which is communicating via 485 with FP-1001 modules and I/O modules attached

   PC --> cFP-2020 --> FP-1001+DI+DO+......

In my cFP-2020 I run an embedded application (couldn't be different, I cannot use Ethernet...), and I use Optomux commands to access the FP-1001, Digital I/O modules....

Anyway, you cannot use Optomux commands (I think...) to access "yourself", in the sense that cFP-2020 cannot access its LEDs with Optomux Commands....

Greetings!

graziano

      PS.: I know this is a quite strange architecture, but it's customer defined..... so it's the best achitecture in the world!

[Graziano]

Hi AlessioD!

    Your answer gave me the opportunity of discovering new features (never heard about Logos, I only noticed the name, somewhere, in NI.com.....).  Unfortunately, as you can read in my last answer, my system doesn't include network ethernet cables ;-).

   Sorry, it would have been better to formerly describe my system, I know!

greetings!

graziano

[Graziano]

Hi tst!!!!

    This is interesting, I've tried and it works.  But doesn't definitively solve my problem...... what I'm wishing, is to directly access LEDs (let's talk about leds, it's simpler...).

    A cFP-2020 has a fixed number of LEDs, I would like to be able to access them as I do with serial ports (e.g., to access COM4 I don't have to specify FieldPoint/1_0_0_1/COM4 !).

   Moreover, I suppose that directly accessing to memory-mapped I/O can be faster than using alias!

   Bye!

graziano

[tst]

I don't think such an interface exists and since I don't remember using the serial port on a FP, I don't know what the difference is. I suppose that with a serial port, I would just say "COM1".

You can implement the string method by using something like this example LV2 global. You first set the general name at the beginning of the program (from a configuration file, or if possible, through a VI which returns this data (the FP Get Configuration Info VI might be able to help you there)). Then you set the additional name at each point during the program. There can obviously be other methods, but that's just an example.

BTW, in general, it's very risky to use FieldPoint as the root for your I/O points, as it is just the last iak file saved in MAX.
Inside the I/O configuration screen there is a second tab where you can give other names to iak files, which I think is strongly recommended.