Shared Variable connectivity in LabVIEW Mobile

[erls]

Hello,

I'm developping an application for a portable device running Pocket PC 2003 O/S.

I'm trying to figure out whether shared variable connectivity VIs (Open, Read, Write, etc..) are supported in LabVIEW Mobile 2010 module or not?

Is dragging shared variables from the "My Computer" target directly under "Pocket PC 2003 Device" target the only way to use shared variables in LabVIEW Mobile?

Thanks.

[Elizabeth_K.]

Hi erls,

Basically, mobile targets can not host shared variables, but can access them.  There is more information here: Are Shared Variables Available For LabVIEW Mobile Module (Formerly PDA Module) and Touch Panel Modul...  and here: Creating and Using Shared Variables in the LabVIEW PDA Module.

Note that the PDA Module was renamed to Mobile Module, so any documentation on the PDA Module is applicable.

Regards,

Elizabeth K. 

National Instruments | Applications Engineer | www.ni.com/support 

[erls]

I have read all those articles arleady and i know mobile targets cannot host shared variables.  That was not the question...

I asked specifically whether SV connectivity VIs, i.e "Open Variable Connection.vi", "Read Variable.vi", "Write Variable.vi", "Close Variable Connection.vi", etc... were supported or not under LabVIEW Mobile. 

The articles you mentioned talk about dragging a shared variable from the host "My Computer" target to the mobile target.  Only then will it be possible to access the variables directly.  However, in my case, the server that will be hosting the shared variables will not be the "My Computer" target but a completely different machine.  I need to be able to specify the connection url for the variables i will be connecting to once the mobile application is deployed.  Is there any way, under LabVIEW mobile, to programmatically specify the connection url to a shared variable?

Thanks.

[Elizabeth_K.]

Sorry misinterpreting your question, and thank you for the clarification.

The "Open Variable Connection.vi", "Read Variable.vi", "Write Variable.vi", "Close Variable Connection.vi", etc. are not available for use under the mobile module.

One way that you can access variables that are hosted on a different PC to is enable aliasing on the variable under My Computer and bind that variable it to the variable that you do want to monitor.

Regards,

Elizabeth K.

National Instruments | Applications Engineer | www.ni.com/support 

[soren_jensen]

Is NI planning to implement progamatically connecting/reading/writing/closing of SV's functionality using the PDA/LabVIEW Mobile module ?.

In my company we have started to include a cFP 2220 + various I/O modules with one of our products - might I say thats not easy when the Siemens guys can sell their PLC's at a fraction of the NI cost- but please do read on...

As a user-interface an 8" touch panel is used. One of the problems is that I have to "hardcode" the IP address of the SV's used on the touch panel to connect to specific variables on the cFP 2220 var. engine. This gives the tedious work of recompiling the touch panel code over and over again for specific customers needing specific IP addresses for their cFP controllers. And if the customer uses MAX to change the IP address of the cFP, then his GUI stops working.

Initiallly I had this problem with the cFP 2120 controller, and thought that my problems would be solved when the cFP2220 came out, since it has two network cards. One card could then be used for "local" communication with the touch panel/GUI and the other for the company network of our customer. Needless to say I was sad to find out that the var. engine can only run on one of the cards - not both.

The only other solution I see it to implement a homemade protocol via TCP/IP, but this is a lot of work and not really the intention of the Shared Variable.

Any suggestions to a soltion of the above problem would be greatly apriciated.

/søren jensen

[Elizabeth_K.]

You may want to take a look at the Current Value Table (CVT) Reference Library.  Be sure to pay extra attention to this link: An HMI Architecture for the NI LabVIEW Touch Panel Module.  This may help you implement the type of architecture that you are trying to accomplish.

Regards,

Elizabeth K. 

National Instruments | Applications Engineer | www.ni.com/support