Compact FieldPoint LabVIEW Real-Time Controllers with Ethernet
LabVIEW Shared Variable
Software
cFP-21xx controllers are compatible with the new LabVIEW shared
variable that simplifies communication between distributed PAC systems.
To create a shared variable within a LabVIEW Project, right-click on the
location that will host the shared variable, either the Windows system
or a cFP-21xx real-time controller. Then create a shared variable, or choose
to bind the variable to an I/O source such as a FieldPoint I/O tag on a
FieldPoint controller on the network. Figure 2 shows a LabVIEW Project
with a cFP-2120 target that is hosting shared variables for the PID
Setpoint, dt, and Process Variable. When this code is deployed to the
cFP-2120 real-time controller, the shared variable configuration is
deployed. The cFP-2120 real-time controller updates values for these
shared variables independently from the Windows system.
NI LabVIEW is a graphical development environment that delivers
unparalleled flexibility and ease of use in demanding industrial
measurement, automation, and control applications. With LabVIEW,
you quickly create user interfaces for interactive software system
control. LabVIEW makes it easy to construct simple or complex
applications using an extensive palette of functions and tools – from
simple analog PID process control loops to high-channel-count hybrid
control systems. Each LabVIEW Real-Time hardware target, including
Compact FieldPoint embedded controllers, has a dedicated processor
running a real-time OS for reliability, stability, and determinism. Use
the LabVIEW platform for your industrial measurement, automation,
and control applications by following these three steps:
• Choose your I/O – LabVIEW delivers access to the widest selection
of I/O, from data acquisition, motion control, and vision integration
to machine vision and custom-designed I/O from a single environment.
• Choose your analysis or control methods – With more than 450
LabVIEW analysis and control functions, you define your system
to meet your specific requirements.
Note: cFP-21xx controllers are recommended if you want to host shared
variables on the real-time controller. Hosting shared variables requires
the shared variable engine to be installed to the embedded target.
• Choose your real-time deployment platform – Once you create
your LabVIEW application, deploy it to run deterministically on
the hardware platform you choose.
LabVIEW 8 Project
and FieldPoint Programming
Drag-and-Drop Programming
With the new LabVIEW 8 Project, programming is simplified with
drag-and-drop functionality. You can add local or distributed I/O from any
Compact FieldPoint bank simply by dragging I/O from a LabVIEW Project to
the VI where you want to read/write to that FieldPoint tag. Figure 1 shows
I/O from a cFP-AI-102 module on a cFP-2120 bank being added to a new VI.
LabVIEW automatically creates the FieldPoint tag and appropriate FieldPoint
Read/Write VI when you drag an item from the LabVIEW Project Explorer.
Figure 2. The cFP-2120 real-time controller hosts LabVIEW shared variables.
Expansion I/O with NI cFP-1808
For systems that require more than eight Compact FieldPoint modules, the
new National Instruments cFP-1808 network interface provides an easy
way to add expansion I/O over Ethernet or serial. A single cFP-21xx
controller can connect to as many additional NI cFP-1808 network
interface systems as the Ethernet network allows. With LabVIEW 8,
the I/O from an expansion system appears in the LabVIEW Project and
is easy to program using the FieldPoint API by simply dragging a tag from
the cFP-1808 bank to a VI.
Figure 1. A LabVIEW Project provides easy access to Compact FieldPoint I/O.
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