Deploying a LabVIEW Real-Time Startup Executable Without the LabVIEW Development Environment

Updated May 14, 2025

Environment

Hardware

  • CompactRIO Chassis

Software

  • LabVIEW Real-Time Module

The recommended method for deploying a LabVIEW Real-Time startup executable is to do so through the LabVIEW Project . If you know the real-time executable will need to be deployed outside the LabVIEW development environment, you can create a component definition file (.cdf) by following Building and Deploying a Stand-Alone Real-Time Application .

If you have a LabVIEW executable file, but do not have the LabVIEW Development Environment or the Real-Time and FPGA modules, you can still deploy your startup executable to Phar Lap, VxWorks, and NI Linux RT targets through one of the available solutions below.

Using identical hardware
It is possible to deploy the executable on a duplicate image via the Replication and Deployment (RAD) Utility. If you need to deploy to a Linux Real-Time target outside the LabVIEW Development environment, this is the recommended method. Instructions for how to install and use RAD are included in the previous link.

If the executable has been compiled for the correct target.
You can use FTP/SFTP to download files onto your real-time controller:
  1. Place the executable in the appropriate directory for the real-time OS:
    • Phar Lap and VxWorks: c:\ni-rt\startup\
    • NI-Linux RT: /home/lvuser/natinst/bin
  2. Open the config/ini file for your OS in a text editor:
    • Phar Lap and VXWorks: c:\ni-rt.ini NI-RT.ini
    • NI Linux RT: /etc/natinst/share/lvrt.conf
    • Note: It may be easier to transfer the file to a host, edit it, and transfer it back to the target.
  3. Add the following lines to the config/ini file:
    • Phar Lap and VXWorks:
      • RTTarget.ApplicationPath=c:\ni-rt\startup\startup.rtexe
      • RTTarget.LaunchAppAtBoot="True"
    • NI Linux RT:
      • RTTarget.ApplicationPath=/home/lvuser/natinst/bin/startup.rtexe
      • RTTarget.LaunchAppAtBoot="True"
    • Note: startup.rtexe should be changed to be the name of your executable file

Note: You have to modify the NI-RT.ini or lvrt.conf file to ensure the startup executable starts at boot-up. When a startup application is deployed from the LabVIEW Project, LabVIEW sets the flags automatically.

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