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Requirements for a Desktop PC as a LabVIEW Real-Time 7.1 Target

Primary Software: LabVIEW Modules>>Real-Time Module
Primary Software Version: 7.1
Primary Software Fixed Version: N/A
Secondary Software: N/A

Problem:
What are the system requirements for a Desktop PC to be used as a target with the LabVIEW Real-Time Module (Version 7.1) and how should it be installed?

Solution:
Important Note: This KnowledgeBase is specifically for LabVIEW Real-Time versions 7.1 or 7.1.1 only. Please see the related links section below for information on using LabVIEW Real-Time version 8.0 or later on a Desktop PC target.

Basic System Requirements:

The basic system requirements must be met by the desktop computer in order to run the LabVIEW Real-Time engine.

• Intel® Pentium® 4-based PC
  
• Supported Ethernet options
  
  1. NI-PCI-8232 GPIB/Gigabit Ethernet
     
  2. An integrated or PCI Intel® Network adapter, using an Intel® 82540, 82559, 82558, or 82550 chipset (Intel Pro/100 S for example)
• Parallel ATA (IDE) hard disk drive (see Additional Hard Drive Notes for more details)
  
• FAT32 file system on the primary hard drive of the desktop PC
• 3.5 inch floppy drive (1.44 MB)
  
• PS2 Keyboard and Monitor (may be required during initial setup)
  

Note: LabVIEW Real-Time does not support USB and it is recommend that USB be disabled in the BIOS to prevent jitter. A USB floppy drive and/or keyboard could be used for the initial setup of a system after which USB should be disabled.

Additional Hard Drive Notes:

Many desktop PCs are now available with Serial ATA hard drives. LabVIEW Real-Time does not support Serial ATA, however the following options may be available depending on the specific desktop PC.

• A Parallel ATA drive can be installed and the Serial ATA controllers can be disabled in the BIOS
  
• The BIOS may have the option of setting the Serial ATA controller to a mode making the drive appear to be Parallel ATA. This may referred to with different names such as "PATA", "Legacy", "Compatibility", or other names. An example of this mode is discussed in section 4.1 of "Intel® 82801EB (ICH5) and Intel® 82801ER (ICH5R) Serial ATA Controller - Programmer’s Reference Manual (PRM)". Some PC BIOS may not support this mode

Additional Requirements:

• LabVIEW Real-Time Module version 7.1 or 7.11
  
• NI LabVIEW Real-Time Deployment License for Desktop PCs
  
• LabVIEW Real-Time for Desktop PC Floppy Disks (These disk are available with the purchase of the above NI LabVIEW Real-Time Deployment License for Desktop PCs)
  
  • Boot disk
    
  • Format Hard Drive disk
    
  • Safe Mode disk
  
  
• The following floppy disks may also be necessary during development, and can be created with Measurement & Automation Explorer from Tools»RT PXI Disk Utilities
  
  • PXI Uninstall disk
    
  • PXI IP Reset disk
    
  • PXI Launch Settings disk

Configuring a Desktop PC Using a Boot Disk:

Complete the following steps to configure a Desktop PC using a boot disk. The procedure will vary depending on the Ethernet Adapter being used.

1. If using a PCI network adapter, install the supported Ethernet card in an available PCI
   
2. National Instruments recommends that you remove PCI boards not supported by the LabVIEW Real-Time Module such as sound cards, SCSI adapters, and modems
   
3. Turn on the desktop PC and access the BIOS configuration utility
   Note: BIOS configurations and configuration interfaces for desktop PCs vary between different manufacturers and system models. Consult the motherboard or system manual for information about accessing and configuring the BIOS settings of the desktop PC.
   
   • Set the boot configuration to use the floppy drive as the first boot device
     
   • Disable USB support
     
   • Optionally, disable any unnecessary integrated peripherals that use an interrupt request line (IRQ) such as sound cards, serial, and parallel ports
   • Save the configuration changes and exit the BIOS configuration utility
   • If the hard drive has not been formatted with the FAT32 file system, insert the format disk in the floppy drive and reboot the desktop PC
     • Follow the prompts to format the hard drive with the FAT32 file system
   
   
4. Insert the LabVIEW Real-Time for PC Boot Disk in the floppy drive and reboot the desktop PC

Refer to Measurement and Automation Explorer Help for more information on configuring a remote system.

Software Installation:

Complete the following steps to install software on the desktop PC.

1. When you start-up the desktop PC using a Boot disk or from a formatted hard drive, the desktop PC loads with the basic real-time operating system and a null IP address of 0.0.0.0
   • You can connect a monitor to the desktop PC to display startup messages
     
2. Open Measurement and Automation Explorer on another computer in the same subnet and expand the Remote Systems category
   • MAX lists the desktop PC as 0.0.0.0 in the Remote Systems list
     
3. Click on the 0.0.0.0 entry to access the Network Settings tab
   
4. Enter a name for the RT target in the Name text box
   
5. Set the network configuration options of the RT target in the IP Settings section and click the Apply button
   • Click OK when MAX prompts you to reboot the RT target to allow the changes to take effect
   • After rebooting, the RT target appears in the Remote Systems list with the assigned name and IP address
     
6. Expand the RT target in the Remote Systems list and click on the Software category
   
7. Click the Install Software button in the toolbar to launch the LabVIEW Real-Time Install Software Wizard
   
8. Install the software you require on the RT target
   Note: If using an NI PCI-823x Gigabit or a PCI Ethernet card with 82540 chipset, you must install the Intel 82540 Ethernet Driver with LabVIEW Real-Time. If you fail to do this, then you must use a PXI Uninstall Disk (created from MAX) to uninstall all software, and begin the software installation process again.
   
9. Use an FTP client to transfer lvalarms.dll from the \National Instruments\RT Images\LabVIEW\7063 directory on the host computer to the \ni-rt\system directory on the RT target
   • If you reinstall the LabVIEW software on the RT target, you must recopy lvalarms.dll to the target
   • Refer to Measurement and Automation Explorer Help for more information on software installation to a remote system
     

Related Links:
Developer Zone: Converting a Desktop PC to a LabVIEW Real-Time Target
KnowledgeBase 39NDI8PK: Requirements for a Desktop PC as a Real-Time Target

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Report Date: 03/23/2006
Last Updated: 10/20/2008
Document ID: 3VM9HMQS

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