Tell me if the following is correct:
- You are working on a LabVIEW Project (using LabVIEW Project) that includes an FPGA Target.
- You have some FPGA code that, in Development Mode, you can deploy to the FPGA and run, interacting with its controls and indicators in LabVIEW Project.
- You now want to run a Host VI that "calls" this FPGA code, passing in controls and getting back the indicators.
I've not done a lot (and none, recently) with FPGA, but have done a fair amount with LabVIEW RT and communication with different targets. I may mess up some of the details for your particular Target, but the general principles should still apply --
- For the Host to communicate with the Target, the Target must be running its code. [In my case, I've either built an Executable for the Target and set it to run as Startup Code, so it is "always running", or, if I'm developing, I deploy to the Target "by hand" and start it.
- The Host needs to establish communication with the Target and use agreed-upon Protocols.
It sounds to me like most of what I described you are doing. The only thing that I'm uncertain about is whether the Target is running its code already when you try to control it from the Host.
I can appreciate you reluctance to share valuable Intellectual Property here. However, you could copy your entire Project to something called "Forum Project", go to the FPGA code and strip out everything except some very simple function, go to the Host code and strip out everything except connecting with the FPGA and doing very simple communication, and saving this (very-much-smaller and largely "anonymous") Project. Compress the folder containing the Project and all of its VIs, and attach the ZIP file. This way, we "see the code" but you "protect the IP".
Bob Schor
