RT target startup application is corrupt

[Ozfarmboy]

Hi there,

System details:

 - LabVIEW 6.1 RT

 - Fieldpoint Explorer 3.0.2

 - 2 * traditional FP networks (both use FP2000 controller)

I'm building an executable onto the FP2000, and the exe isn't starting.  When I open LabVIEW, and select the target, I am presented with the following error: "RT target startup application is corrupt".

Now, I've seen this before, and I think it was due to the app using too much memory.  I optimised my code, and got around it.  However this time around, I'm a little stumped!  Since I have two controllers, the app works ok on one, but not the other! Also, the exe on the broken controller is 806KB, but 844KB on the working one! I have been able to delete half the sub-VIs, and created an exe, and that worked (although it only had the functionality required!), which is why I'm thinking its to do with memory constraints.

About 2 years ago, we had a problem with one of the controllers, and the OS was re-installed onto it by an NI Sales Engineer.  This is the controller where the app works fine!  So do I need to do the same for the other controller.  If yes, then how do you update the OS and drivers onto a FP2000, using Fieldpoint Explorer? The FP networks have slightly different modules on them.

This has all come about, because a new host PC is now being used, so the LabVIEW environment had to be re-installed.  A slightly different DAQ Drivers CD was used (6.9.3, instead of 6.9.2), however the second host PC (which didn't require re-installing) was used to build the exe, and it didn't work from there either.

Sorry if this doesn't make sense!

Any clues anyone?

[eek]

Hi Christopher,

Is there any particular reason why you are still using FP Explorer? I ask because Measurement and Automation Explorer has been around for awhile now and it is much more powerful and easy to use. Specifically, I can coach you through how to update the OS and drivers on your FP from MAX. Since you are using LV 6, I would suggest you download the FP 4.0 driver onto your host computer. Once you install this, it will automatically include MAX. If you are running on Windows, you can download the installer from here.

Cheers,

Emilie Kopp | Applications Engineer | National Instruments

[Ozfarmboy]

Hi Emilie,

Thanks for your reply.  I guess I'll have to do that.  My client only had Fieldpoint Explorer 3.0.2 at their site the other day, when I raised it.  I am familiar with uploading new drivers to FP through MAX.  So I'll just get the latest version of Fieldpoint (are there any limitations with LabVIEW 6.1, and latest version of Fieldpoint?), update MAX, and do it that way.  That seems like the best way forward.  I assume Fieldpoint upgrades are free?

Thanks

[NIJanell]

They most definitely are - you just have to create a MYNI account.

[Ozfarmboy]

Well, I haven't been able to progress much here unfortunately!

We've decided, with the help of an NI support engineer in Sydney, that the FP-2000 had issues, so they sent me a spare. I no longer get the "corrupt" error message, but have new problems now:

I've done the following:

1) Installed Fieldpoint 4.0.1

2) Got the Fieldpoint 4.1 CD, and installed the Fieldpoint_Embedded section and NI-MAX ONLY

3) Updated  RT Controller to have LabVIEW 6.1.3.

4) Updated RT Controller to have OS = Safe Mode 10.4 (how does one actually know what version of OS they have?)

So, the configuration I have is:

Host PC:

• LabVIEW 6.1 RT
• Fieldpoint 4.0.1
• NI-MAX 3.1
• RT Drivers - LabVIEW 6.1.3

FP-2000 RT Controller:

• LabVIEW RT 6.1.3
• IA Control Environment 1.0.28
• NI-Serial 2.02
• Another driver (can't remember off hand)
• My application (which appears to be working - at least I am getting comms to my host PC)

Note: I can't get the Watchdog or VISA drivers onto here, as they need to be compatible with LabVIEW RT 7.0.0

My end result, is that the executable starts, and is running on the RT controller.  However, the A, B, C, D LEDs all stay ON, and the READY LED of each module does NOT come on.  This suggests to me that I STILL have a firmware issue. Comms through MAX seems flakey too.

Anyone know where we've gone wrong here?  I've spent the best part of three days stuffing around with this now! In hindsight, I would have recommended upgrading to a more recent version of LabVIEW, however my client never wanted to do this, as LabVIEW 6.1 was sufficient.  I just wander how this would have been possible three or four years ago?

[TommyTestBoy]

Christopher,

It looks like you have the correct versions of software installed on your controller, so I don't see anything obviously wrong with anything you have done.  The symptom you mention of all 4 LEDs turned on, and the ready light not on for your modules, indicates that the controller is failing to load some of the drivers when you boot it up - so you're right, I think there is a firmware/driver installation issue here.

Now, I know there are some problems in this older version of the FieldPoint installation mechanism on the RT controller, so I bet you are running into that.  Basically, the install/uninstall from MAX did not always work correctly when updating an installation.  It should work if you "start from scratch", in other words, remove all the software components from your RT system by either uninstalling them, or formatting the controller's hard drive (see this Knowledge Base entry for more details: http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/6D0F9F74FD2DAD0186256EE5007198D4.  Then install the software as you did before.

If that does not work, then I suggest you ftp to your controller and get the "ni-rt.ini" file that is in the root directory of the controller, and post it here and we can probably tell what driver components are not getting loaded correctly when you boot up your controller.

Sorry for the inconvenience.  We are working on ways to improve the RT install experience for FieldPoint so this is more straightforward.

-Tommy

[Ozfarmboy]

Hi Tommy,

Thanks for your prompt reply.

The spare controller was sent to me already formatted.  By this I mean the NI Support Engineer ran the "format disk" option for me, before sending it out. So I had an empty RT Controller to start with.

And while I think of it, I was never actually able to get the "Format disk" option in NI-MAX.

I will get a hold of the ni-rt.ini file and post it today.

[Ozfarmboy]

Tommy.

Attached is the Ni-rt.ini file.

[TommyTestBoy · Accepted solution]

Christopher -

I do see a problem in the .ini file you sent me.  In the [LVRT] section, there is an entry for startup DLLs.  These DLLs tell LabVIEW RT to load them at boot-time.  Currently, there is only one DLL in the entry:

[LVRT]
...
StartupDLLs=/ni-rt/system/FPLVMgr.dll
...

There should be another DLL listed here.  This is your problem.

This ni-rt.ini file is updated when you install driver components from MAX to your controller.  
You should not need to know what DLLs are in the list, they should just get updated automatically.

Try this work around:
Make sure MAX is closed.  Go to your "<National Instruments Directory>\RT Images" directory.  
<National Instruments Directory> is probably C:\Program Files\National Instruments.  
Extract the attached zip file to this directory.  Relaunch MAX and uninstall/reinstall or format your controller and reinstall.


The longer explanation of what was broken and what this zip file fixes:
There are files in the RT images directory that specify what DLLs and ini information is ftp'ed 
to your controller when you perform an install from MAX.  In older versions of MAX (such as 3.1), 
there was a bug where some of the information is parsed incorrectly from the RT images files.  
You can look in zip file and see there are places where I added a ';' to the end of the startup DLL 
entries because this makes it easier for MAX to parse.  This problem is fixed in newer versions of MAX (4.1 and on), but it is
probably easier for you to use this zip file instead of updating your MAX version.

Let me know if this does not fix your problem. 

-Tommy

[Ozfarmboy]

That seems to have worked Tommy!

Many thanks for your help!