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Bryan

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Posts posted by Bryan

  1. I've been looking at the front panel for the OpenG commander for a little while this morning trying to figure out how Jim got certain controls to move, scale and even stay put when adjusting the size of the window.

    I checked to see if the "Scale objects with window size" box was checked in the VI properties, but it wasn't.

    How did you dood it Jim?

  2. Thanks for the pointer, I learned a few things, but unfortunately, this isn't what I'm looking for.

    I'm not looking to make my application THE executive. I would like to know the best way to launch TestStand and start the execution of a sequence file (possibly even login as well) FROM labview, not within labview. It's simpler than that even.

    The program I've created in LabVIEW is a test sequence browser. It allows a user to view revisions of sequence files stored in Visual Source Safe and select one to run.

    At startup, the LabVIEW program downloads the latest revisions of the support VIs and other files used in the sequences. When a user selects a sequence to run, it downloads that sequence from VSS to a specific directory and (currently through a command prompt VI) opens the sequence in TestStand.

    When the operator is done running sequences and closes the program, the program removes all of the support files and *.seq files leaving behind the file structure and collected test data.

    I know there's probably a MUCH better way of doing what I'm doing, but since I'm still learning TestStand and don't have a whole lot of time to become a TestStand guru, I've been working with what I know.

    TestStand's source control stuff seems limited to workspaces and such. What we're doing is running individual sequences, more specifically on average of 15 sequences for different tests per UUT. Because of the uniqueness of each unit (and our lack of available development time) we've had to develop these sequences as we get each unit.

    Back to my problem though, so far it seems like the command prompt route I'm using currently best fits my needs whereas the TestStand API is intended to create a test executive out of a LabVIEW VI, which is much further in depth than I need to get.

    Thanks for your help though! :beer: I'll keep messing with the example to see if I stumble across something that fits my needs.

  3. I'm running LV7.1 and TS3.1.

    What I want to do is somewhat the opposite of how TestStand and LabVIEW were intended to interact I believe, since TestStand is intended to be the top level application calling LabVIEW.

    What I want to do is control the TestStand application from LabVIEW. More specifiaclly, open the application, display the window, open a teststand sequence file and start it.

    That's basically it, sounds simple enough doesn't it? I looked through the ActiveX APIs and couldn't find any clear-cut way of doing it. For example, when controlling MS Office, you can open the application, make it visible, open files, etc. I'm having a hard time finding a way to do it through creatable objects.

    I'm probably missing something that's really easy. Could someone who knows point me in the right direction? I should be able to take it from there. So far, the only path I've been down is with the Engine API.

    For now, I've been calling the sequence file through the command prompt subVI. It works, but doesn't allow me the level of control I'd like.

    Thanks,

    Bryan

  4. Thanks for the detailed information Michael. That helps me understand it more.

    To date, I think I've been using the DSC module waaaayyy below it's capabilities, but not having time to really get familiar with it has me using it in the way I've been able to initially get it to work.

    Using DataSocket will probably be the least efficient way for us to do what we want, but like you said, will be the cheapest and require far less time to implement than other solutions I've been looking at.

  5. I believe that you can use Datasocket to connect to OPC data, but as far as I know, this is highly unrecommended for anything more than a fairly small number of tags. You can search NI's site for quite a few posts about OPC.

    Another option I saw recommended there was to use the OPC server from Kepware.

    5652[/snapback]

    We're going to be using quite a few tags I believe, so datasocket would be out.

    I forgot to mention. We're using profibus cards from a vendor that supplies both DDE and OPC servers to use with their cards. Is the OPC server from Kepware more "friendly" to use with LabVIEW?

  6. Is it possible?

    We're going to be developing a rather large application using multiple computers, all of which will have OPC servers running on them. Currently, we're using LabVIEW with the DSC module to access the OPC tags. DSC licenses are rather expensive, and cost is definitely a factor in our case.

    Does anybody know if there is a way to access OPC Server objects/tag values in LabVIEW without purchasing the DSC module? An option we're keeping in the back of our minds is using the OPCDAAuto.dll and essentially creating our own little version of it, but it requires time (of which we don't have much) and a learning curve.

    If anybody's done something like this, I would much appreciate a point in the right direction, example code or anything I can get my hands on.

    Thank you much-ly!

  7. Another update...

    It's a BOY!

    Had the 5 month ultrasound yesterday and found out. He's healthy, active, and camera-shy. He kept moving around where we couldn't see him, then just gave up and covered his face with his hand.

  8. I can't read german, so I can't get the specifics of the error, but I do know that sometimes if loops aren't properly stopped and references closed before your application exits, you can get errors.

    For example, with an exe I built, I had a property node (or method, don't remember which) that closed the front panel residing inside of my main while loop. Therefore, the window was closing before the loop exited and I would get an error in the exe when it closed. This only happened on some machines, but not all. I moved it outside the loop and haven't seen it since.

  9. Would certification be more worth it for someone who is more or less self-employed and consulting than someone who has a permanent job as a LabVIEW developer?

    I'm guessing the first one is probably going to be the answer. I don't know of many (or any) companies that will give raises and promotions to someone just because they got certification, although if for some reason I would end up having to search for another job, it may come in handy, but even then, I don't know if starting salary would change based on certification, or lack thereof.

  10. <-- courtesy of a good friend of mine. Considering my interest in vehicles, I would say it's definitely appropriate.

    *sniff* That's my boy/girl (won't know until next Dr visit).

    My wife's about 4 months along, and doc says she's doing great.

  11. Just a little update. We were to the doctor yesterday. She said that my wife is 8 weeks along and everything appears fine. I got my first view of our baby and it was a humbling experience seeing it and it's little 160bpm heart going a mile a minute.

    Here's a picture of the ultrasound:

    8wks.jpg

  12. Well, since I'm the one answering my own Linux-specific posts, I guess you could say that I'm the resident Linux LabVIEW expert? Haha!

    Anyway, I found out that it was an issue with 2 environment variables not being set.

    VXIPNPPATH=/usr/[path to directory containing vxipnp]/vxipnpLD_LIBRARY_PATH=$VXIPNPPATH/binexport VXIPNPPATH LD_LIBRARY_PATH

    It varies I guess with what flavor of linux you're running, but with what I'm using, listed in the first post, I had to enter these variables in the /etc/profile file.

  13. I'm trying to access the COM ports on a computer running Fedora Core 2 Kernel version 2.6.5-1.358 and LabVIEW for Linux 7.1.

    The VISA controls don't show any COM ports available and there are 2 of them on the computer itself.

    Being new to Linux, I don't know anything about accessing COM ports through Linux, most of the information I've been finding online is C-oriented and hasn't been helpful in communicating with them from LabVIEW. I'd like to somehow make sure that the OS even sees the COM ports, if it doesn't, I have to find out why and how to talk to them through LabVIEW.

    Any help is appreciated!

  14. :D Well, I just found out this weekend that I might be a daddy. It has yet to be confirmed by a doctor, but all of the symptoms are there and the home test was positive! We're thrilled, but at the same time, as normal, I'm scared.

    A new chapter in my life has begun and I'm hoping I can do my part and do it well. :D

  15. We just finished installing LabVIEW 7.1 on Fedora 2 and 3 and came across an interesting issue that would allow us to install LabVIEW but not run it (the splash window would open, then pause, freeze and close).

    Turns out that Fedora 2+ uses a filesystem convention that doesn't have "." and ".." as the first two directories. Apparently LabVIEW depends on this.

    To get LabVIEW to run on Fedora 2+ log in as "root" and execute the following code in your shell for all EXT3 partitions:

    tune2fs -O ^dir_index /dev/(yourPartition)

    I'm running Fedora 2 installed on a USB hard drive with (2) EXT3 formatted partitions, so mine was:

    tune2fs -O ^dir_index /dev/sda1tune2fs -O ^dir_index /dev/sda2

    You should be able to immediately run LabVIEW afterwards.

  16. Thanks for the info!

    I remember seeing that before but forgot about it. I see that the only stipulation is that you have to replace the VI in memory with one of the same name. It would be neat if I could do that even with subVIs that are not the same name, but I guess that's kind of a mundane detail unless one's forced to adhere to strict naming conventions and is in a situation where using a different VI of the same name is not acceptable.

  17. I've had situations where I've wanted to replace multiple instances of a subVI in a block diagram by finding each one, right clicking on it, going to "REPLACE" and replacing each one with the same new VI.

    It would be neat if, along with the current "Find" function, that you had the option of replacing multiple instances of a function with a new one similar to how you would use Find/Replace in notepad to find and replace text, or a hybrid of LabVIEW's separate "Find" and "Replace" features if you will.

    Of course, my "wish" is geared primarily toward user-created VIs, but I suppose being able to do it with the provided LabVIEW functions would be helpful as well.

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