FPGA DMA versus LIN error

[koutnym]

I have encountered problem when trying to work with LabVIEW 2012 FPGA (LabVIEW 2011 FPGA worked since now fine). Attached you can find two LabVIEW 2012 projects (OK – working well, NOK – producing an error).

When I included into project LIN module NI 9866, my DMA FIFO causes following error:

Error -61206 occurred at Main_RT.vi

Possible reason(s):

LabVIEW FPGA:  The configured item does not exist.

It was working fine in LabVIEW 2011. Why LabVIEW 2012 is causing troubles? I tried every possible solution I found on the NI web pages. I have installed latest software available from NI (including patches). Nothing is working. There must be problem with an integrated FPGA support for NI 9866 module.

If you open FPGA VI Reference from VI, DMA is “visible”  while directly from bitfile not. Attached projects are including compiled bitfiles. You can simply compare them even without appropriate hardware.

[PiDi]

When I opened your NOK project, I've got error on NI 9866. Does this module works ok in your project? Do you have NI-XNET drivers installed (http://joule.ni.com/nidu/cds/view/p/id/3465/)? When I installed them, the problem was gone - the fact that RT doesn't find FIFO apparently came from this error in project.

[koutnym]

On my PC (Win7) is installed in parallel LabVIEW 2011 and then also LabVIEW 2012,both 32bit. All is patched with latest updates. Be quite sure, that I played back and forward with versions of NI-XNET (including 1.6), installing/uninstalling LabVIEW FPGA, playing with Xillinx support... All the toolkits and add-ons are installed in proper order. I tried it many times, spend almost 3days and result is - LabVIEW 2011 (LabVIEW FPGA 2011) works fine, LabVIEW 2012 (LabVIEW 2012) not.

There must be difference in LabVIEW FPGA 2012 versus 2011. See, I am able compile my project, then draw RT application (as is in my dummy examples). When FPGA reference is linked in RT target code as VI, DMA FIFOs are visible for invoke nodes. When I define as FPGA reference directly bitfile, invoke node is not able to see it! And this happens only under LabVIEW 2012 when NI 9866 is included in the project. The same scenario for LabVIEW 2011 works fine in any case. I've triple checked it...

Please, open my NOK project and re-link FPGA reference from VI to existing bitfile (already part of the supplied files). Do not compile or rebuild the code on first try. If you are able to see DMA FIFO through invoke node (no broken wires), then you are lucky man, not me. The only problem  I have right now is, that bitfile contains DMA FIFO (for sure, check it) but LabVIEW FPGA 2012 patch f1 invoke node is not able to see it (in combination with LIN module only). And as I said before, LabVIEW 2011 is working fine (same code).

Any suggestion is appreciated.

[koutnym]

Before I leave LV FPGA 2012 till next working release, here is a bug evidence if someone is interested in:

- Get previously attached FPGA_DMA_NOK.zip project.

- Open DMA_NOK.lvproj

- Open Main_RT.vi file and Configure Open FPGA VI Reference

- Choose Bitfile (DMANOK_FPGATarget_MainFPGA_xCFgxRF7YcQ.lvbitx)

If you see broken wires, ok then, do the following:

- Save and close Main_RT.vi

- Open DMANOK_FPGATarget_MainFPGA_xCFgxRF7YcQ.lvbitx using any XML editor and remove whole section:

    <MultiplexedChannel name="NiRioDecomDma"> .. </MultiplexedChannel>

- Save modified bitfile

- Open again Main_RT.vi

If there is no broken wire, ok then... and now you see what I've ment... LV FPGA 2012 (while LV FPGA 2011 is ok) has some kind of troubles with X-NET FPGA support.

[okubik · Accepted solution]

This is definitely an FPGA issue (It seems that this bitfile parsing problem was introduced in FPGA 2012) however it was already reported as CAR. I hope it's get fixed by future Service Pack.
It seems that removing the <MultiplexedChannel> node from under <DmaChannelAllocationList> in the lvbitx file restores functionality to the FIFOs. So you can do it manually or use attached VI that fixes bitfile after compiling.

Let me know there is anything else that I can do for you.

Best Regrds,

Ondřej
NIEE AE

[RVallieu]

Was this issue with DMA transfers fixed in LV 2013?

What was the original CAR relating to the issues with the DMA FIFOs hwne pointing to the bitfile?

Thanks.  Trying to find out if this was fixed.

[okubik]

Hello Ryan,

this bug has been fixed in LV FPGA 2012 SP1. If you are using ver. 2012 you can use VI attached in the previous post to repair corrupted lvbitx file.

Regards,

Ondřej K.

NIEE AE