Can the cFP-2000 be programmed with LabVIEW 2010 SP1 / Real Time 10.0.1?

[JohnShannon]

I have a cFP-2000 device that I want to use for a small project.  I see on the NI website that it says "

Support for LabVIEW Real-Time Module 8.5.1 and earlier", and "Support for Windows Vista and earlier".  Does this mean that I can't use the latest version of LabVIEW (2010 SP1) with Real Time (version 10.0.1) running on a Windows 7 machine?  If not, what version of LabVIEW, Real-Time, and operating system do I need? 

When I tried to add a new target under LabVIEW 2010 SP1, the cFP-2000 was not listed as one of the choices. 

[Wayne.C · Accepted solution]

As the NI support documents indicate, you need LV version 8.5.1 or earlier to program the cFP-20xx family of devices.  Version 8.5.1 of LabVIEW does not run on Win7.  You will need Windows Vista or something earlier such as XP.

[David_A]

All of the documents below will give you a better understanding of why the cFP-20XX series is not compatible with LabVIEW 8.6 or later. There is also a link below that shows what versions of Windows Operating Systems are compatible with each version of LabVIEW.

Recommended LabVIEW Real-Time Versions for Real-Time [c]FieldPoint Controllers

LabVIEW RT Memory Usage on FieldPoint Controllers

Windows Version Compatibility with LabVIEW

David A.

[JohnShannon]

Thanks for the info. The only reason I had the question was that the NI support info stated that 8.5.1 & earlier were supported, but did not say that later versions were not supported, so I had to ask. 

I'm programming it using LabVIEW 8.5.1 right now. 

[schudon2]

Let me add another wrinkle to this- what version of CVI Labwindows can control a cFP-2000?

I am stuck with this version of controller and I am currently using LV 8.2 to control it but my group prefers and uses CVI exclusively.  I inherited this project because I do have LV experience. 

[PatJamSim]

Hello schudon2,

The answer to your question is unfortunately not as straightforward as the rest of this thread.  LabWindows/CVI Real-Time is not compatible with Compact FieldPoint controllers, which means you cannot use the FieldPoint API in your code.  This does not mean you cannot use CVI to control you cFP; it simply limits the functionality compared to LabVIEW.  Here is an example of CVI code that controls FieldPoint devices.

Your question is very close to the one asked in this thread, which discusses mostly how to use CVI with cFP, and has some excellent information, and recommends using LabVIEW with DLLs built in CVI.  I highly recommend reading through this thread when deciding how best to work in LabVIEW with your CVI-preferring colleagues.

Now then, on to your question of version compatibility.  CVI versions do not correspond directly to versions of LabVIEW, complicating this problem.  According to this table, LabVIEW (Real-Time) 8.2 corresponds to FieldPoint 5.0.1 or later.  According to this link, LabWindows/CVI 8.1.1 is compatible with FieldPoint 5.0.1.  Similarly, this link indicates that LabWindows/CVI 8.5 is compatible with FieldPoint 6.0, which in turn is compatible as far back as LabVIEW 8.5 and will still work with your device.  As such, it appears the best version for your use would be CVI 8.1.1, or a version very close to it.  CVI 8.5 should also work, and was the version used with a cFP-2000 in the thread linked above; the version you choose may be dependent on the FieldPoint driver you will be using.  Various other versions may also work without bugs as long as the limited memory on the CFP-2000 is not consumed with the embedded software; it may be worth attempting just to see how the behavior turns out.

Hopefully this information is useful for you.  Good luck with your application.