Web UI and Serial communication

[gracietti]

I've just started reading about Web UI. It seems useful but I coudn't get how I can communicate a Web UI application with some instrument by serial/USB, for example. Is it possible to have normal VISA VIs and other toolkits inside Web UI? Or maybe, would it be possible to develop a stand-alone app using LabVIEW (and all VIs and toolkits I'm used to) and then importing it into Web UI?

Thanks

Marcelo

[gracietti]

I got my doubts solved at the FAQ page (http://www.ni.com/white-paper/11604/en):

Can users import LabVIEW code into LabVIEW Web UI Builder (or vice versa)?

No, there is currently no way to import LabVIEW code into LabVIEW Web UI Builder, or vice versa. This feature will be considered for a future release.

Which types of network communication are supported in Web UI Builder?

Currently, calling web services via HTTP is the only means of communicating from the applications created with LabVIEW Web UI Builder to the outside world.

Concluding, no way of communicating a Web UI with hardwares, neither using LabVIEW toolkits... Is that right?

Thanks

[malcolmsmith · Accepted solution]

That's basically correct - LabVIEW code can't be imported, and you can't directly interface with hardware - and the only communication allowed is with web services (LabVIEW or otherwise).

So if you have hardware that you want to interface with from Web UI Builder, you would need to build a LabVIEW web service that exposed certain functionality, and then consume that from UI Builder with the Import Web Service feature.

[PackersFan]

You'd have to create a LabVIEW application to communicate with your hardware.  This application would run on the computer that is connected to the hardware.  This computer would then need to host web services (that can be built in LabVIEW) that publish the data from the hardware (or control the hardware).  WebUI Builder then communicates with these web services, that in turn communicate with the hardware.

So yes, you can communicate with serial hardware from WebUI.  You just need a middle-man (web services).