How Can I Test My PC for Compatibility with LabVIEW Real-Time or LabWindows/CVI Real-Time for Desktop ETS?

Primary Software: LabVIEW Modules>>Real-Time Module
Primary Software Version: 5.0
Primary Software Fixed Version: N/A
Secondary Software: N/A
Hardware: PXI/CompactPCI>>Controllers

Problem:
I have a desktop or single-board computer (SBC) for use as a LabVIEW Real-Time or LabWindows/CVI Real-Time target. How can I validate compatibility of my system for use as a real-time target?

Solution:
National Instruments provides a utility that can be run on a desktop PC to verify compatibility with LabVIEW Real-Time. This utility will detect whether appropriate components required for a real-time desktop PC are present, such as network adapter and processor as documented in Requirements for a Desktop PC as a Real-Time Target.

Before testing the compatitbility of your system, you must format your real-time PC to FAT32. You can use the USB utility to format the drive, as seen in Figure 1, option 6. Format hard disk.

Figure 1: LabVIEW Real-Time Desktop PC Utilities Menu

There are two ways to run this utility:

USB Drive
If you have a USB drive, Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) 4.1 and LabVIEW Real-Time Module 8.20 / LabWindows/CVI Real-Time Module 8.1 (or later) installed, you can then create the PC evaluator utility in MAX
1. Open Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) on the development machine
2. Select Tools » RT Disk Utilities » Create Desktop PC Utility USB Drive
3. On the real-time target PC, configure the boot sequence in the BIOS to start with a USB storage device
4. Reboot the real-time target PC with the Desktop PC Utiltiy USB Drive in any USB port
5. Select option 7. Evaluate system from the menu as shown in Figure 1
Floppy Disk
If you have a floppy drive on the development PC and the intended target PC, then use the utility attached to this document. You must have a floppy drive in order for the utility to run.

Download the PC Evaluator

Extract the two files to the same folder on your local hard drive

Run the attachment, which will extract the utility to a floppy disk (This will format and overwrite any existing data on the floppy disk)

On the real-time target PC, configure the boot sequence in the BIOS to start with the floppy drive

Reboot the real-time target PC with the disk inserted

Select option 7. Evaluate system from the menu as shown in Figure 1

If you pass the test successfully, then you should see a similar result as in Figure 2. If the PC cannot be converted to a real-time system, you will see an incompatibility result as shown in Figure 3

The most common incompatibility is Ethernet chipset. For convenient set-up, the Real-Time ETS Desktop Bundle may be purchased which combines the LabVIEW Real-Time deployment license with a PCI Ethernet board that meets the LabVIEW Real-Time hardware requirements.

Other possible Errors:
If the PC evaluator fails without reporting an error, then try changing BIOS settings according to the manuals available for your hardware. Otherwise, the evaluator will report on common errors such as non-FAT32 file systems.

If you see the message LOADING PHARBOOTSYS and after a few minutes it turns into LOADING PHARBOOTSYS error, refer to KnowledgeBase 4QCAQT09: PHARBOOTSYS Errors when Booting Real-Time PC from USB Key.

Figure 2: Real-Time Desktop PC Evaluator Passed Test

Figure 3: Real-Time Desktop PC Evaluator Failed Test (incompatible chipset)

Related Links:
Drivers and Updates: LabVIEW Real-Time Module 8.5 - ETS, PharLap, Real-Time OS, Windows - Desktop PC Evaluator
Developer Zone Tutorial: Converting a Desktop PC to a LabVIEW Real-Time Target
KnowledgeBase 39NDI8PK: Requirements for a Desktop PC as a Real-Time Target
KnowledgeBase 4QCAQT09:PHARBOOTSYS Errors when Booting Real-Time PC from USB Key

Attachments:

Report Date: 05/15/2008
Last Updated: 06/03/2009
Document ID: 4LEHIQ4N

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