Recommended machanism to control labview over network

[Pechmann]

Hello,

a rather general question but I hope to get some recommendation.

I really searched a lot but somehow lost my orientation.

I am building a labview2013 executable which can be used on a local PC as any normal programm.

But I also want to be able to access the labview executable from a remote PC and set controls and run VIs.

The controlling application on the remote PC will be developed in C# (VS2010 or VS2013)

So I'd like to ask which is the best way to remote control a labview executable over the network with C#?

Kind regards,

Ralf

[GerdW · Accepted solution]

Hi Pechmann,

I can suggest using network communication (UDP, TCP) to send commands to your LabVIEW program( acting as server) and to send data to your client/remote control…

[crossrulz]

I second the use of TCP/IP.  You can make up your own command structure that both LabVIEW and C# can handle.

[JohnCS]

If you are bound to using C# on your remote, consider setting up your local LabVIEW app to use LabVIEW Web Services. Then, you will be able to send commands from the remote and receive messages back from the local. This could be done simply in a browser or you could write a C# to communicate using basic HTTP protocol. Tools for doing this are built into both LabVIEW and Visual Studio.

Or, if you can install the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine on the remote, then you can use Remote Front Panels on the local. The VI can be seen and controlled in a web browser. 

Both of these methods are built into LabVIEW and C# and are easily accessible. Google "restful web'' plus C# or LabVIEW to see some examples and tutorials.  

JohnCS

[mikeporter]

Depending upon how comfortable you are with c# you could also create a small .NET assembly in LV that handles the network communications. The C# program, would call the .NET assembly that would then handle the comm with the LV application.

The advantage of this approach is that it would open up your options for communicating with the remote application.

Mike...

[Pechmann]

Hello Gerd,

did I get it right that you did not mean a built-in web-service or something but instead to program a tcp listener with the tcp lib-vis in the labview application?

Greetings,

Ralf

[crossrulz]

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@Pechmann wrote:

Hello Gerd,

did I get it right that you did not mean a built-in web-service or something but instead to program a tcp listener with the tcp lib-vis in the labview application?

Greetings,

Ralf

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That's exactly what I recommend

[GerdW]

Hallo Ralf,

as crossrulz and I said:

You need to program some communication on both sides: LV program and C client…

[Pechmann]

Thanks for your replies.

I'm going to use the TCP approach in C# and LabView.

Another advantage is that I don't need a labview runtime on the client side.

Regards,

Ralf

[mikeporter]

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@Pechmann wrote:

Thanks for your replies.

I'm going to use the TCP approach in C# and LabView.

Another advantage is that I don't need a labview runtime on the client side.

Regards,

Ralf

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...and the disadvantage is that if that when that protocol changes you are now modifying two separate applications written in two different languages.

Mike...