Remote Debug on Windows Targets

[hurban]

Since its introduction a few years ago, working with LV Realtime targets via the LabVIEW project is really a pleasure: I just write my LabVIEW RT VI and then press the run-button => I can now use execution highlighting, breakpoints etc. just as if the VI were running locally on my development PC ... this is a truly smooth and convenient way of developing software on the RT-target.

Is it not possible to provide just the same functionality and convenience for Windows Targets? Most of the time I need to install and test/debug programs (executables) on customer's PCs with no LV development system on them. I guess that is what many of us need to do.

I am well aware that the LV touch panel target is already a big step into this direction but frankly its not nearly as nice to use as the RT-target.

Probably NI would need to charge a runtime license for that but considering the potential timesavings at the customers site this should not be a big obstacle. One could perhaps bundle the license with the NI-3110 industrial PC ?

Below is a screenshot of what I mean.

Regards HU

[tst]

The debug functionality, at least, does exist - LV has a remote debug option which should build an executable with all the FPs and BDs and connect to it from LV over the network. I have only used it rarely, so I don't remember the specifics, but it should be in one of the menus (probably the Operate menu).

Also, NI does have a debug license for LV which is supposed to be cheaper and only meant for debugging. Again, I don't have the specifics, but you should be able to get them directly from NI.

[hurban]

@tst

of course this basic "remote debug" feature has been there under the "operate" menu for a long time and I am using it a lot - for lack of something more convenient ...   but have you ever tried working with it on a larger application ... ? Try it out and you will see what I mean 😉 - it is just unwieldy.

What I am trying to say: all the basic functionality is already implemented in LabVIEW- its just a matter of improving user-friendliness to make remote debugging Windows applications as pleasant an experience as under RT

[SteenSchmidt]

Really nice idea. Couple it with the ability to debug reentrant VIs on remote targets and we have a winner.

Cheers,

Steen