cRIO-9033 Flicker

[LJHerskowitz]

I have the UI enabled on a cRIO-9033. The 9033 has a mini displayport output. I am using a mini displayport to displayport cable to connect to a monitor. The display annoyingly flickered constantly. That monitor was old so I got a newer monitor that only had a VGA connection. So using a mini displayport to VGA cable I hooked up the new monitor, and that display also flickered. I switched monitors but kept the same VGA cable and it still flickered. The Displayport cable is from StarTech and the VGA cable is from Cable Matters. I found this page which said that I can buy a converter from NI that will work, but I can't find a way to buy only that part. Also what is special about those converters? What is causing the flicker?

[Jarek]

Does it flicker if you start an empty VI (maybe just with a loop with a delay inside)?

[LJHerskowitz]

It doen't have anything to do with the startup VI. The entire screen is flickering not just the VI.

[Sam_Sharp]

Personally, I would suspect the DisplayPort to VGA adapter is causing the issue (I have had issues with various sorts of converters before...hdmi to DVI, mini-DP to DP/VGA/DVI) - ideally I would recommend trying a monitor with a DisplayPort input to rule it out but this probably isn't something you're likely to have available as they're quite new. You could try a DisplayPort to DVI adapter?

[LJHerskowitz]

I did try a mini displayport to displayport on a monitor and it did not work. That monitor was old, so currently I am testing that same cable (mini displayport to displayport) on another monitor. The flickering would not happen immediately so I am letting it run to see if it happens again.

The problem with adapters is that the cRIO only works with active adapters not passive ones. And I do not have any active ones.

[HollyBerry]

It sounds like you may have come across KnowledgeBase: Why Is My Monitor Display Blank When Connected to a UI-Enabled cDAQ or cRIO? but I thought I'd link it just in case.

National instruments sells an active Mini DisplayPort ot VGA adapter if you are interested. It is part number: 157230-0R5

Have a great afternoon!

[LJHerskowitz]

Thank you for the information, but I was aware of the passive converter issue. That page says the monitor will be blank with a wrong converter not flicker. Have you seen it flicker with the wrong converter? I can't find an NI page with the converter you mention. Where can I find information on it? Has the flicker been seen before and if so what information do you have on it?

[HollyBerry]

I haven't seen the flicker before but it is hard to pinpoint the behavior of all unsupported adapters. 

Unfortunately, there is not an individual product page for that connector. You can type the part number into the order by part website or you could call in to order that individual part. You could also add this entire system to you cart and then remove the DAQ controller once it is in your cart.

Good luck to you!

[LJHerskowitz]

I am currently using an active converter. I am using this cable, and if  you go to the technical specifications on that page it says it is active. So I am confused. Is there something special about your converters? Is the cable I have somehow incompatible and if so is this the only cable that is incompatible or is there a host of cables that don't work correctly with the 903X series? And have you seen the flicker before? I still haven't proven the cable is the problem, and it isn't documented that a cable issue will cause flickering and not just a blank screen. Though admittedly it does seem most likely. But still I am not inclined to purchase another converter just to see if the problem is solved.

[HollyBerry]

While third party active adapters might work, they are not tested and not supported. There hasn't been any reported cases thus far of a flickering display from a cRIO-903X. Therefore, I do not have data pull from but the cable is the most likely cause. 

Per the this KB: 

The cDAQ-9132/9134 and cRIO-9030/9031/9033 only support active DVI adapters, VGA adapters and native DisplayPort adapters that are sold by National Instruments; passive HDMI and DVI adapters are not supported in any way. Active third-party DVI or HDMI adapters may function properly but are unsupported.

Best of luck to you!