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Help Needed

 We are currently using LabVIEW 2017 SP1 as our sole data acquisitioning software for articles under test (diesel engines) in one of our test cells.

  Last week it was brought to my attention that the software had stopped converting .TDMS files into readable Excel format. Upon investigation I concluded that 3 of the VI’s responsible for merging channel data into .TDMS and then converting it into Excel format had lost needed library memory and or file paths had been lost/corrupted. What to do from here is unknown territory for me as I have no experience with LabVIEW.

 

The affected VI’s are as follows: Convert TDMS to XLS.vi / Merge TDMS(SubVI).vi / Main_802.vi

 

error code 97 unknown system error a null or previously deleted refnum was passed in as an input.

 

 

 

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Message 1 of 13
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Those sound like custom VIs, or ones from an Add-in, that you'll need to attach.

 

Zip them with  some example TDMS files they are supposed to operate on.

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Message 2 of 13
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Hello MrBimble,

why are you converting the TMDS file to a XLS file in the first place? There is a Excel Add-In for reading TDMS files with Excel:

 

https://www.ni.com/de-de/support/downloads/tools-network/download.tdm-excel-add-in-for-microsoft-exc...

 

When you are not working with the XLS-File in your program maybe you can replace/delete these "broken" VIs and only use the native TDMS-VIs inside of LabVIEW to write the channel data to the TDMS-File.

 

Heinz

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Message 3 of 13
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Hi Bimple,

 


@MrBimple wrote:

The affected VI’s are as follows: Convert TDMS to XLS.vi / Merge TDMS(SubVI).vi / Main_802.vi


Can you attach those VIs?

 

Other topic: has there been an update to Windows or Office on those computer(s)? Office updates can also influence the operation of (LabVIEW RGT) functions which are used to remotely control MSOffice tools…

Best regards,
GerdW


using LV2016/2019/2021 on Win10/11+cRIO, TestStand2016/2019
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Yes, here are the VI's. I should mention that ms office is not licensed on the machine in question.

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Message 5 of 13
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Hi Bimple,

 


@MrBimple wrote:

I should mention that ms office is not licensed on the machine in question.


The "Convert TDMS to XLS" remotely controls Excel via ActiveX, and it requests help from the TDM(S) Add-in for Excel.

When the conversion doesn't work as expected then either Excel has changed (other version, missing license, etc.) or that TDM(S) Add-in isn't available as it was before (maybe due to missing Office license?). Check both options…

 

(Why don't you use an official license for that office software?)

 

The "Merge TDMS" just shows some race conditions, which easily could be removed by using more wires!

The "Main 802" is just bad. It's way too big in filesize and block diagram size. It uses way too many local variables and shows all the mistakes of untrained/unexperienced LabVIEW programmers…

Best regards,
GerdW


using LV2016/2019/2021 on Win10/11+cRIO, TestStand2016/2019
Message 6 of 13
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Thank you for clarifying about the licenses. Some context: a recent headcount reduction with our engineering staff has left us with no support for this system. Basically, the guy who wrote and maintained it is gone and left with no supporting documentation.

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Message 7 of 13
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@MrBimple wrote:

  Last week it was brought to my attention that the software had stopped converting .TDMS files into readable Excel format.

 


Sorry for having to deal with this. I think we narrowed the problem down.

 

On a side note, it took almost a day to get this thread going, possibly because of your generic and uninteresting subject line. Most will just skip it. We can safely assume that every new thread here "needs help" one way or another. 😄 You would get a much more targeted audience by using a descriptive subject, e.g. "TDMS to Excel stopped working", or similar.

 

You should also be aware that you can zip more than one file. Attaching four separate zip files, each basically containing one VI is just much more work for us.

 

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Message 8 of 13
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@MrBimple wrote:

Thank you for clarifying about the licenses. Some context: a recent headcount reduction with our engineering staff has left us with no support for this system. Basically, the guy who wrote and maintained it is gone and left with no supporting documentation.


Sounds like a good fire!  When you interview the next developer make sure the conversation includes that problem and hire the candidate that isn't afraid to ask to see some code and example documents. 


"Should be" isn't "Is" -Jay
Message 9 of 13
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Hi Bimple,

 


@MrBimple wrote:

 Basically, the guy who wrote and maintained it is gone and left with no supporting documentation.


There are some options:

  • Prepare a good offer for that guy to fix your problems. Maybe he will take that offer...
  • Prepare to sue that guy because of missing information. I guess you need good lawyers in this case...
  • Prepare a good offer for other freelancers to fix your problems...
  • Invest in time and learning resources to learn LabVIEW on your own to be able to fix your problems...

I guess some options are more easy to go than others. 🙂

Best regards,
GerdW


using LV2016/2019/2021 on Win10/11+cRIO, TestStand2016/2019
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Message 10 of 13
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