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

Primary Software: LabVIEW Modules>>LabVIEW Real-Time Module
Primary Software Version: 8.2
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.  The utility checks the hardware to see if the components, such as network adapters and processors, are present that are required for a real-time desktop PC.  The list of compatible components are documented in Developer Zone Tutorial: Requirements for a Desktop PC as a Real-Time Target.

The utility installs onto a USB drive and formats it as a boot device. Note: You will lose all data on the USB drive.  There are two ways you can obtain this utility.
  1. By downloading it at Drivers and Updates: LabVIEW Real-Time Module 2011 - Desktop PC Evaluator - PharLap.  Run the installer and follow steps to format USB drive.
  2. Open Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) on the development machine and select Tools » RT Disk Utilities » Create Desktop PC Utility USB Drive
    3. (this option requires Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) 4.1 and LabVIEW Real-Time Module 8.20 / LabWindows/CVI Real-Time Module 8.1 (or later) installed.)
Once the USB drive is formatted as a boot device, on the real-time target PC, configure the boot sequence in the BIOS to start with a USB storage device.  Plug in your device into the target PC and reboot the computer.

Before testing the compatibility of your system, you must format your real-time PC to FAT32 or Reliance. The evaluator utility can be used to format your disk properly.  Upon boot up the screen will display a list of options. In order to format your drive, choose the option Format hard disk.

When the hard disk is successfully formatted, reboot the target PC and boot from the USB Utility once again. From the list of options, select Evaluate system.

The utility will then begin testing your system.  If you pass the test successfully, then you should see a similar result as shown in Figure 1. If the PC cannot be converted to a real-time system, you will see an incompatibility result. An example is shown in Figure 2.


Figure 1: Real-Time Desktop PC Evaluator Passed Test


Figure 2: Real-Time Desktop PC Evaluator Failed Test (incompatible chipset)

The most common incompatibility is the ethernet chipset. For convenient set-up, the Products and Services: NI LabVIEW Real-Time Deployment License for Desktop PCs 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 or Reliance 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.

If hardware prevents you to use a USB device, you can use the PC evaluator on a floppy disk.  You will need to have a floppy drive on the development PC and the intended target PC.  The following steps are to boot from a floppy disk using the utility. 

  1. Download the Drivers and Updates: LabVIEW Real-Time Module 2011 - Desktop PC Evaluator - PharLap
  2. Extract the two files to the same folder on your local hard drive
  3. Run the attachment, which will extract the utility to a floppy disk (This will format and overwrite any existing data on the floppy disk)
  4. On the real-time target PC, configure the boot sequence in the BIOS to start with the floppy drive
  5. Reboot the real-time target PC with the disk inserted
  6. Select the option Evaluate system from the menu


Related Links:
Drivers and Updates: LabVIEW 2011 Real-Time Module  - Desktop PC Evaluator - PharLap
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


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Report Date: 05/15/2008
Last Updated: 10/17/2011
Document ID: 4LEHIQ4N

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