Can I run PDA 8.5 with LabVIEW 8.21?

[Mellobuck]

Good afternoon,

I am running an application that uses a PDA to communicate with a cFP-2120 module. This is headless and they are the only two items on the LAN. Upon upgrading to 8.5 and the 8.5 PDA module I saw a great performance and functionality increase on my PDA. However, I seem to be seeing a large functionality DECREASE on the cFP-2120. So, can I "have my cake and eat it too" by installing PDA 8.5 on top of LabVIEW 8.21?

Or, more likely, can I create and install the PDA executable in a 8.5 project, and the cFP exe in a 8.21 project (not using the enhanced functions available in PDA 8.5, just upgrading the code), and have the (currently implemented) shared variable communication continue to work?

Thank you,

Mellobuck

[tst]

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@Mellobuck wrote:

can I "have my cake and eat it too" by installing PDA 8.5 on top of LabVIEW 8.21?

I'm 99.9999999% sure the answer would be no. At the very least, the VIs are probably precompiled to 8.5, but I wouldn't be surprised if it also relies on things in LV 8.5 itself. You might be able to install it to 8.5 and then hack it to work with 8.2, but I wouldn't try that.

can I create and install the PDA executable in a 8.5 project, and the cFP exe in a 8.21 project (not using the enhanced functions available in PDA 8.5, just upgrading the code), and have the (currently implemented) shared variable communication continue to work?

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I don't know exactly how the shared variables engine works (I don't have any experience with them), but I would guess the answer to that one would be yes. I suggest you try it with a small sample project and see how it works. Make sure you have your simulation accurate enough (e.g. data types used, data rates, etc.).

P.S. Is PDA 8.5 finally good? I haven't tried any PDA version newer than 7.1, which was still very buggy.

[Mellobuck]

TST,

Thanks for the guidance, I will try the small demo project to test things out.

As to the PDA module, I wias really impressed with the improved functions that came out with 8.5. Displays, memory usage and update rates are all much improved. I have not yet used any of the new methods, properties or controls that were exposed.

-Mello

[Yi Y]

Hi Mellobuck,

Unfortunately, LabVIEW PDA 8.5 does not work with LabVIEW 8.2.1.  Shared variables, if implemented with the same interface, should technically still communicate correctly between two executables. However, shared variables are implemented differently in 8.5 than 8.2.1, so it's possible that there's a communication issue.  I'd really appreciate it if you could post here and let us know what you find out with your test application.  If there is a communication issue, we'll probably have to raise that to the attention of R&D.

Thanks!

Yi Y.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments
http://www.ni.com/support

[Yi Y]

Hi Mellobuck,
Just posting to clarify my previous post. LabVIEW PDA 8.5 will only work with LabVIEW 8.5, because the LabVIEW modules version is only compatible with LabVIEW that is the same version.
Also, I have confirmed that Shared Variable communications will continue to work regardless of which version of LabVIEW the vi was written in.  So you can run your PDA application written in LabVIEW 8.5 and run that on your PDA and communicate via shared variables with the program written in 8.2.1 running on your FP hardware.
Hope this helps!

Yi Y.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments
http://www.ni.com/support

Message Edited by Yi Y on 10-09-2007 01:44 PM