In FPGA project, want to change Component Level IP Path under FPGA Target => IO Module Properties (defaulted to C:\Program Files)

[Goldfish_Crackers]

I'm using an FlexRIO FPGA project and under IO Module => Properties I would like to change the default file path to where my project files are located. 

Basically, when I generate the Compenent-Level IP under FPGA Target => Properties => Component-Level IP, that file path is different than what I have to chose from in IO Module => Properties (this properties box only locates the default NI modules, I want to point it to my own somewhere else).  How would I do that?

Please see the attached screenshot for reference.

[Ben_S]

Hello!

The user is not able to change that file path. There are two places on your computer where LabVIEW will look for IO Module CLIPs.

1. C:\Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments\FlexRIO\IO Modules\.....
2. C:\Program Files (x86)\National Instruments\Shared\FlexRIO\IO Modules\....

The first listed location is intended for users to put their IO Module CLIPs there. The second listed location is for NI Developed IO Module CLIPs. In reality, LabVIEW doesn't really care which directory you put it in.

If you are creating a CLIP that is not intended to be the IO Module CLIP, then where it's files are stored doesn't matter.

Let me know if this doesn't help answer your question.

[Goldfish_Crackers]

This makes sense and does help answer my question.  I do have a follow-up quesiton though, is there a way I can configure LabVIEW to look in a third place on my computer for IO Module CLIPs?  I'm currently developing my project (LabVIEW FPGA + VHDL) outside of those areas and would like to keep everything, including the IO Module CLIP VHDL files + tbc/contraints, in one place (if possible).  It would make the way we handle code source control/development where I work quite a bit easier.

[dklipec]

You can create a symbolic link to the directory that contains your CLIP.  You can use the mklink command in Windows 7 and Vista, and the command you can use in earlier versions of Windows is junction, but you might have to install it (it is an old Sysinternals tool, http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896768.aspx)

Just create a link from your current source controlled directory in the C:\Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments\FlexRIO\IO Modules\..... directory.  LabVIEW should follow that link when it does the load.

mklink /D "C:\Users\Public\Documents\National Instruments\FlexRIO\IO Modules\Linked CLIPs" d:\MyProject\CLIP

You'll have to run it as an elevated user to make the link.

Message was edited by: dklipec to add that Vista also has the mklink command

[Goldfish_Crackers]

It looks like what I'm asking about is possible, see attached.  I want my screen to look like that basically, except not pathed to "Documents and Settings". (Screenshot is from one of the manuals)

[Ben_S]

When you select a CLIP in the IO Module Properties window, the dialog will show you the path to where that CLIP is located. The path being shown in that screenshot is the Windows XP version of Path #1 I showed in one of the previous posts. The path I showed was the Windows 7 version. The Home directory can change between OS versions as shown in this article, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_directory.

The suggestion listed by dklipec looks like it will effectively do what you are wanting, let us know if that doesn't look like it will work for you.

There is another possible solution (not as elegant as dklipec's) that will allow you to keep all but 1 file in a seperate location. All that LabVIEW is really looking for in those two directories is your *.tbc file. So, you can put your *.tbc file in one of those two locations and point it back to wherever you want to store all your other files. If you do this, the processing for configuring the IO Module CLIP in your project is not as straight forward.

[Goldfish_Crackers]

I should be able to work with the options you've given me, I should be good to go.  Thanks for the help guys!

[Ben_S]

No Problem! Let us know if any other questions come up on this topic.