@jyang72211 wrote:
So for the referencincg a VI option, it is mainly for debug. Even though the user is specifying a *.vi file, the asscoiated bitfile is loaded as well. Since I am specifying the path of the fpga vi only, how does labview knows where is the bitfile? By using this option to debug, i still need to recompile the bitfile everytime I make changes to the fpga vi, correct? Doesn't it take a long time? Is there a better way to debug, so that I don't have to spend time recompling the bitfile everything a change is made?
In my opinion, referencing a VI is the normal way to do it, and referencing a bitfile is only for situations when the original VI is not available (for example, you don't have the FPGA toolkit installed, or you have changed it but want to skip the recompile). Please, take some time to write an FPGA VI instead of asking so many questions. You'll learn more faster.
Searching the NI site would be a good idea too, since many of your questions are answered in the KnowledgeBase articles (note all the links I've provided).
Again, reasons to reference the FPGA VI directly, since apparently I was not clear enough last time:
1) If you reference a FPGA VI, you can open its front panel while it is running (on the FPGA). This allows you to see what the FPGA is doing. You cannot do this with a bitfile because it has no front panel.
2) You can run a FPGA VI in simulation: right-click the FPGA target in the project and choose Execute VI On -> Development Computer. When you run the FPGA VI on the development computer no compilation is necessary. It will run much slower, of course, but you can use the standard LabVIEW debugging tools. This should also answer your "is there a better way to debug" question. See "How to test FPGA code without recompilation after a change is made." [broken link removed]
As for how LabVIEW knows where to find the bitfile, please see "Can I Choose Where My FPGA Bitfile Is Saved After A Compile?" [broken link removed]
