Deploying multiple VI's at once to the FieldPoint controller

[Daniel Faria]

Hello.

I have one VI that, when I run it, it runs other 5 VI's automatically (using the "invoke node/run vi") on the host PC. Now, what I need to do is to deploy all the VI's to the FieldPoint. How can I make the main VI, after deployed, to deploy/run the other 5 automatically, as it did on the host PC?

Thanks a lot for any help!!

[Matthew_Williams]

When you build the main application you have to include the 'invoked' .vis as Dynamic VIs.

Tools->Build Application->Source Files->Add Dynamic VI...

This will make the Application Builder include those files and everything should work just
as in the dev. system.

Hope this helps.

Matt

[Daniel Faria]

Well, Matt...

First of all, what do you exactly mean with "build the main application". I do not intend to create an executable (unless you tell me that it is a better way to do it), but only deploy the developed VI's to the FieldPoint.

Second, when I go do the "Tools" menu, I can only find a "Build Executable" option. Is that what you were talking about? However, it is disabled! (Do you know why?) So... I can't even continue to follow your suggestion to test it...

Thank you very much for your help.

Daniel

[Steven_T]

Daniel,

For the VI to be deployed and run the 5 other VIs on the target system, all 6 VIs must be on the target.  You have two options. 

1.  You can build a single executable and deploy it to the FieldPoint Real-Time system.  However, you must have application builder or the Professional Development System to use this option.  You will also need to include the 5 VIs as dynamic VIs in the application.

2.  You can build 5 executables each in a different folder in the Real-Time target (one for each VI).  You can then have the VI targetted to the FieldPoint open each of these VIs while they are inside the executables.  This also requires application builder.

If you do not have the application builder, then these are not an options for you.  I would recommend to combine the VIs into a single VI that will call each of them as normal subvis.  You can then run this larger VI with subvis targeted to the FieldPoint Controller. 

I hope this helps.

Steven T.

[Daniel Faria]

Thanks, Steven.

I would say that to combine the VI's into a single one is not a practical option for me. Hence, based on your comments, my only applicable option is to build the executable(s)? How can I easly check if I have the application buider in the system I'm working at?

If you (or anybody else) have any other suggestion, I'll really appreciate the help.

Daniel

[Khalid]

Steven, in LabVIEW 8.2, can't we add the dynamic VIs to the Project and do the 'Deploy All'? This should "deploy" all these VIs to the controller, right?

I am not sure what version Daniel has, but I would like to know this for myself.

Thanks,

-Khalid

[Daniel Faria]

Hey, guys.

OK. I'm going to create the single executable and deploy it to the FP. But you didn't say what should be the VIs' paths on the "invoke node" components so that the main VI could run them. I tried just to use their names (assuming they would be in the same directory), but it didn't work...

Thanks a lot!

Daniel

[Steven_T]

Khalid,

I tried a few experiments with deploying all on an RT Target.  I tried running a VI from the host and accessing the vis in memory using VI server.  This may be a dead end since I do not see any properties that would allow me to get the references to the VIs currently in memory.  I also ran into a dead end using a VI on the target to access a reference to a VI in memory.   So far I have not met with success, but I think that I could be doing something wrong.  Let me know if you have tried similar experiments.

Daniel,

When you added the vi into the dynamically called box, it places the dynamic VIs inside of the executable.  This is in the same directory as the VI that you are calling them from.  You can use the constant for current VI's path with a strip path VI and build path VI with the name of the VI.  I hope this helps you.

Steven T.