Unable to develop a basic CRio project

[Tarrou]

Hi there!

I am working with a CRio-9073 chassis and a NI 9205 module. I want to develop a LabVIEW graphic client on the host computer.

What I want to do is quite simple and I think I should use the Scan Interface for that. I have followed all the instructions from this page :
http://www.ni.com/getting-started/install-software/compactrio

... to this page :
http://www.ni.com/tutorial/11197/en/

Nothing goes wrong so far but I admit I have been struggling with many things that I have finally fixed. Yet when I open a new VI by "right-clicking on the CompactRIO real-time controller in the project", both front panel and block diagram open but I have an empty function palette.

I am completely stuck and would appreciate any help.

Regards,
William

[Tarrou]

I would like to add a slight clarification to my request.

It is impossible for me to develop the VI when I follow the instructions given on the tutoriel. If I add the VI to my CRio I can neither add any function on the block diagramm, nor drag and drop  the I/O variables from the LabVIEW Project to the block diagram.

Yet if I add the VI to My System, nothing goes wrong. I can add I/O variables and run complex timed loop (this requires a short deployment step at the beginning). The point is that I cannot synchronize my timed loop to Scan Engine (option "Synchronize to Scan Engine" is shaded).

I also give you screenshots from NI MAX with all the softwares instqlled on my system.

Thanks in advance.

William

[nathand · Accepted solution]

Which version of LabVIEW are you using? I note that you have both LabVIEW 2013 SP2 (with no toolkits) and LabVIEW 2014 installed (with the FPGA and Real-Time toolkits), but your cRIO has LabVIEW 2013 installed. You need to have the same version of LabVIEW running on both the cRIO and your development machine.

That said, that wouldn't explain an empty palette. Can you share a screenshot, showing your project, including the cRIO target, with a VI opened under that target, and with the palette that appears when you right-click the block diagram (even if empty) pinned to the window? I've never seen a completely blank palette. Are you trying to add the VI to the cRIO target, or the FPGA under it?

[Tarrou]

Hi Nathand,

Thanks for your reply. I have attached the screenshot. LabVIEW files open with LabVIEW 13.0f2.

I have forced the project to be opened on LabVIEW 2014 and the function palette is not empty any more. I also can synchronize with the Scan Engine but my I/O module is not recognized in the project (it does not appear).

This does not surprise me as you told me I need to have "the same version of LabVIEW running on both the cRIO and your development machine". I now understand where the problem is so I will try to solve it and give you feedback.

Thank you very much.

William

[nathand]

The note next to the cRIO in the project that says "features not available" is a good hint that your installation is missing the toolkits you need (in that version of LabVIEW). You can update the software on the cRIO by clicking on the software group, under the cRIO target, within Measurement and Automation Explorer. If you can't update the cRIO software, then you need to install the RT and FPGA toolkits for LabVIEW 2013.

[Tarrou]

Thanks for all and sorry for the late reply. I have finally installed the RT and FPGA modules for LabVIEW 2013 and it works perfectly.

Regards