How to support multiple users at the same time?

[StevenInToronto]

Hi all,

I have a Labview software which controls a analyzer via GPIB connector. When user A is using the software, user B has to wait until A is done. But actually, the analyzer is not very busy, when user A is using the software.

I want user A, B, C and D can use the software at the same time. just like we can open Multiple websites at the same time.

How can I program the software, so that the software can be open multiple times? Do you have any example?

Thanks a lot.

Steven

[GerdW · Accepted solution]

HI parallel,

do you really want to use the same hardware in different instances at the same time? What if user A uses a different device setting than user B?

There might be problems accessing the connection port (GPIB card) in parallel too...

It's the same usual problem you will have with any shared resource. Instead of calling the same software multiple times in parallel you should make your software aware of multiple users...

[StevenInToronto]

Hi GerdW,

Thanks a lot.

I just want to try. If there is no way to do that, I will try to add the multi-user function in the software.

Best.

Steven

[Dennis_Knutson]

I don't think you understand basic instrument communication. Especially with GPIB, parallel useage is impossible. It processes one command at a time and has no idea if that command comes from program a or program b. Creating multiple instances of program is trivial. Managing the access to the single instrument is not.

[mikeporter]

Are all the users going to be measuring the exact same thing from the same instrument?

It would be possible to write a separate instrument server application that would handle all the direct interactions with the instrument. When one of the users needed to access the instrument, they would gain access to it through this server.

The big, Big, BIG caveat is that each interaction with the instrument would need to be atomic. In other words each access would need to configure the instrument, initiate the reading, report the results, and then reset the instrument back to some known default value.

As Dennis said, not a trivial process, but probably do-able...

Mike...