Provide a Virtual Machine (VM) in which to run LV RT systems on

[gsussman]

When developing RT code (especially system upgrades) it would be truly helpful to have a virtual machine (VMware, MS Virtual PC, Sun Virtual box, etc....) that would allow us to run the actual VxWorks OS and LVRT in it's native environment, within the Windows OS. This would allow the code to run on the actual RTOS (I realize that determinism would be scacrificed) and provide the ability to actually test the functionality of the code in the actual environment to ensure that it runs as it should. It would also preclude the need to have a bunch of RT controllers sitting on the shelf in the event that you might need them.

There is and emulator for PDA module, why not for RT.

[andre.buurman@carya]

Use instructions in section B of https://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-Real-Time-Idea-Exchange/Provide-a-Virtual-Machine-VM-in-which-to-ru...

If you get into the window where 2 boot options verbose and non-verbose, don't choose anything, but press e

Then the screen shown in B2 should appear and the change the grub parameters to match.

[djac91]

That worked. Thanks

[djac91]

It shows up as a compactRIO device under remote systems in MAX. How can I change it to a PXI controller instead

[fmorandat]

Hi djac91,

I'm quite busy this week, but I hope it will help you anyway.

To change the kind of target, it's necessary to edit the fields DeviceCode and TargetClass of the file /boot/grub/grubenv.

To edit this file, checking this post can help you :
https://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-Real-Time-Idea-Exchange/Provide-a-Virtual-Machine-VM-in-which-to-ru...

For a PXI target :
- the value of TargetClass is "PXI" (without the "").
- and for the DeviceCode, 0x77E1 will fit.

So, the commands will be :

• grub-editenv - set TargetClass=PXI
• grub-editenv - set DeviceCode=0x77E1

- In the today's NXG 5.0, it will be recognized as a 8840.
(For the RT version, it seems you can switch to it via the SystemDesigner -I still discover).

- I didn't test the VM in LabVIEW 2020 yet.

About using NI's VM for other targets : Dan is right, preferabily use supported targets by greeNI, depending on LabVIEW version you want to use. NXG or standard.
Otherwise it can oddly brings a kind of confusion -if there is one.

Regards.

(A complete post/white paper for current installation would be useful, isn't it ?)

[nwxan90]

I have written out the full instructions I just want to do some more testing with 2020 next week before I publish them. 

I will share a link to them once I have them written as we have learned a lot since we started experimenting in this thread. 

[zundap1970]

Hi all a try to repeat the procedure described in this thread but...without the same result 😞

First of all I don't have a NI Linux *.iso file for cRIO so I used "standard_x64_recovery.iso" file from NI package manager (via ni-linux-rt-pxi-system-image-2019.09_19.5_online_repack2.exe)

After that I create the VM with settings :

2048 MB RAM, 10 GB HD, EFI on, Ethernet board as only host and controller USB 3.o (xHCI) selected.

The VM is based on Oracle VM 6.1 + Oracle_VM_VirtualBox_Extension_Pack-6.1.12.vbox-extpack 

run the VM, select the *.iso file and the verbose mode but the installation is blocket at :

and the keyboard doesn't work.

First of all...someone has suggestion about how to skip this problem?

Someone can indicate where is possible found RTOS for cRIO target? The file used seems for pxi

[fmorandat]

Hi zundap,

I don't know where this "repack exe" comes from (the lasts iso files are made for cRIO), but if nothing changed you can find a help for the keyboard on the post of André, 5 posts upper.

Try that first, then use recents posts of nwxan90 (at least p.4) to change the target type.

PM me if you need.

[Taggart]

Using VMware, 

on first boot appears to be hanging here. any ideas?

 

Nevermind. Figured it out. Missed the UEFI setting. I'll leave this up in case someone else runs into the same thing.

[Taggart]

I did a write up of my experience doing this in VMware here. It takes most of the information here and condense it into one spot. Thank you all for sharing all your knowledge.

https://www.sasworkshops.com/how-to-create-a-crio-virtual-machine/

[Oli_Wachno]

Some findings from my side (working with RT2018)

VM Software

Oracle VirtualBox 6.1 with expansion pack 6.1.22 on Win10, no HyperV installed

VM Configuration:

OS Type:    Other

Version:      Other/Unknown(64Bit)

BaseMemory: 2048MB

Enable:       EFI

USB:           USB3.0 (available with extension pack)

Network: Advanced -> AdapterType Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop, Cable Connected

After installing the extension pack, I was able to use an external keyboard (assigned directly to the VM) as well as the Laptop keyboard to access the CRIO command line.

Hope this helps.