Can't add LINX target in 2022 Q3 Professional Edition

[dstubbs95]

Hi, I am having an issue with adding a LINX target to my LabVIEW project. When I try to add a target to the project, I only see Real-Time CompactDAQ. There is no LINX category of devices to add. The LINX toolkit was installed using VIPM and appears to be working, at least somewhat, because I was able to run through the target configuration wizard and install the correct runtimes onto my raspberry pi. Everything seems to work fine with the community edition, but I need to have the licensed version installed for some other projects that use libraries not available in the community edition. As I understand it, the community edition ships with LINX whereas LINX should be supported with any other LabVIEW version via installation from VIPM. Does anyone have any advice? 

I am working with a fresh install of LabVIEW 2022 Q3 Professional Edition with the LINX toolkit installed from VIPM. The version of the LINX toolkit is 1.0.0.9. 

[dstubbs95]

I ended up solving my own problem based on a somewhat related form topic posted here: LabVIEW 2020 Professional Required Software for Raspberry Pi Project - NI Community

I was missing the real time module for LabVIEW. I installed that and now everything seems to be working. I figured I would leave this post up in case someone else has the same issue, maybe they will find this on Google. That being said, I do think there could be some check in the LINX installation that notifies the user the RT module is required for LINX to work properly.

[rolfk · Accepted solution]

Please also note that the Toollkit is actually now called the Hobbyist Toolkit. NI has restarted the version number from 1.0 and then also changed its name to avoid various upgrade problems and confusions. The evil had already happened but you should never install the actual Linx Toolkit in any modern (>= 2020) version of LabVIEW.

[dstubbs95]

Rolf,

Thanks for pointing this out, I was unaware! I found this page: Using Raspberry Pi with LabVIEW - NI which mentions installing the NI LINX toolkit from VIPM. But I didn't go as far as to click the link on that page for the LINX toolkit, which now appears to re-direct to this page to download the hobbyist toolkit: LabVIEW Hobbyist Toolkit Download - NI. 

To be clear then, the correct approach for LabVIEW > 2020 would be to install the Hobbyist Toolkit from the NI Package Manager? I didn't think to check there, but it does appear to be in the package manager for me. I assume that version would also pull in the correct dependencies such as the RT Module. 

[rolfk]

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@dstubbs95 wrote: I assume that version would also pull in the correct dependencies such as the RT Module. 

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No the RT module is a paid license and is not installed itself. The Hobbyist Toolkit includes the necessary project providers that allow the LabVIEW project to recognize and load the according Raspberry Pi and Beaglebone Black providers in a similar way as how that is done for the RT Toolkit. But it is by far not the RT Toolkit itself, just a few files that let the LabVIEW project load the according Embedded providers for Raspberry Pi and Beaglebone Black.

The RT Toolkit installs the necessary support to let the LabVIEW project recognize those providers and make the necessary popup menus available. The Community Installer comes with this provider support installed but it is only a tiny fraction of what the RT Toolkit really contains.

[DerrickB]

FYI I've added that KB to my list of KBs to update.

[crouxel]

I had to download Makerhub Toolbox 2.0.0.35 in addition to (or maybe despite) the NI Labview LINX Toolbox 1.0.0.9 from the tutorial I am following https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfCg-M-g7yY&ab_channel=IndustrialITandAutomation

[rolfk]

It's not quite clear to me when this video was made. But it is factually wrong in terms of what you would need for LabVIEW 2020 and newer. The LabVIEW Linx Toolkit that you can download is NOT the one you should install for LabVIEW 2020 and newer. There was a version mixup when they released LabVIEW Community Edition 2020 and the initial Toolkit released then had a somewhat unfortunate version number that made it appear to be lower than the version released somewhere after 2014 for the original LabVIEW Linx package.

Consequently NI renamed the Toolkit to LabVIEW Hobbyist Toolkit and that is what you need to download and install through VIPM. All the LabVIEW Linx Toolkits that can still be downloaded are ONLY for LabVIEW versions before 2020 (and really only easily worked for LabVIEW 2014).

Once you install the LabVIEW Linx Toolkit into LabVIEW 2021 or newer your installation for sure is hosed and there is NO well documented way to recover from that besides deinstalling everything and starting all over, first installing LabVIEW and then the LabVIEW Hobbyist Toolkit! Connection to a Raspberry Pi is normally not possible anymore, although in some instances it seems to work for one time and then never again!

Or you go with the Community Edition right away and can forget about installing any Hobbyist or Linx Toolkit! In fact DON't try to install either of these, even the Hobbyist Toolkit installation might mess up your Community Edition LabVIEW installation.