fpga compile worker error (file not found)

[GabbyG]

Hi

I try to get started with the FPGA functionality of cRIO and got stuck. This seems to be no issue of the cRIO(9014) but of the Xilinx software together with NI.

I am running an English LV 2011 ( many previuos versions installed as well) on  a German Windows XP prof. 32 bit.

I was setting up a little project and when it came to compiling ran into errors. First I asked a colleague than I checked the NI support web site. Next time I'll contact the NI local support, but maybe some of you guys hast a faster answer before.

1. I want to run a local compile server. I can start it from start> programs>NI> FPGA. Up pops a  question whether I want to allow others to connect remotly. The answer seems to make no difference.

    I do not see any icon in the task bar or elsewhere. SHOULD I see a process running in the task manager ? 

2. The NI Service locator seems to be running http:/localhost:3580/dump shows a table  like attached. SHOULD I see the server running here ?

3. If I start the Compile Worker after some seconds I get a message saying something like file not found. I think, compile server error is only a followup.

I have already re-installed the Xilinx-Tools from the down loaded iso. (that having started yesterday night ......) .

I attach as well the log file. (would have liked, but three is the max)

That whole system of compilation seems to be not very stable when I see all the posts, but I have not found these specific errors.

So I still hope someone has an idea.

Thanks in advance

Gabi 

[Christian Mergl]

Have you allready seen this KB?

There it says:

If you have the Xilinx Tools installed and you still get this error it is possible that you are targeting the wrong device in your project. This could happen if you are using an example from the NI Example Finder because these examples are often targeted to a specific device. For example, the Digital Line Output - R Series.lvproj example is targeted for a PCI-7831R, which requires the 10.1 Xilinx tools. If you have the Xilinx 11.5 tools installed because you have a device that requires 11.5, and you forget to change the target in the project, you will receive one of the above errors. To remedy this, just change the target in the project to match your device.

The FPGA Compile System also requires the .NET 3.5 Framework. Ensure that you have this installed on your computer as well as any other Windows updates.

Christian

[GabbyG]

In the end, after many hours of repairing, removing, downloading, re-installing etc.etc., I used the brute force.

The Xilinx compilers reside in the directory c:\NIFPGA (and only there, no way to move to another place, once your root drive gets crowded)

It's 11 GB and probably many many thousand files.

So instead of on my notebook, that I usally work with, I installed the two Xilinx packages on my Destop-Computer where it worked flawlessly.

Of course it takes again hours.

This achieved I defragmented my laptop and copied the whole tree. Now I can compile also there.

Second thoughts:

Is it really worth using that so highly promoted FPGA  on cRIO  ???? We'll see.

Gabi 

[Christian Mergl]

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@Gabi Tillmann wrote:

Second thoughts:

Is it really worth using that so highly promoted FPGA  on cRIO  ???? We'll see.

---

This Question is technically wrong!

Whenever you are using the C-Series IO-Modules of the cRIO you are using the FPGA, even in ScanMode where NI RIO loads pre-defined bitfiles onto the FPGA.

The FPGA provides you ns Timing, it gives you nativly true parallelism, you are directly programming the bahaviour of FlipFlops, LUTs, Registers and so on.

It gives you the ability to programm hardware without the need to understand complex HDL languages.

The cRIO is besides PXI the most flexible and powerful (908x) platform NI offers. The decision to use an FPGA or to use a cRIO should not be "because it's there".

The decision to use an FPGA-based Platform depends on the complexity of the application, just think about custome beahviour of IOs or custom triggering.

Christian

P.s.: Great that you solved your compiler issue.