Error 63040 kRIOStatusRPCConnectionError while using a desktop PC as a Real-Time Target.

[Jinghua]

Hi,I'm trying to configure a desktop PC to be an ETS target. A PCI7833R card has been installed on the computer. We intend to let the FPGA handle some low-level IO that has very specific timing requirements and leave the control algorithm to run at a slower rate under the real-time OS on the target.The problem is, we can not successfully connect to the target and detect the PCI7833R card.What was done done during installation:1. Create a USB drive to boot the target PC.2. Run option 7 to evaluate the system and verify that it can be used as a target. (It's an industrial rack-mount PC with Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz and 3GB of memory. Evaluation passed successfully.)2. Run option 2 to boot into safe mode, configure its IP, and install all available software related to the Labview Real-Time Module, including NI-RIO etc. (Done in MAX)3. Run option 1 to boot using software installed on the hard disk.The symptoms:1. Under safe mode, we can see the target, connect to it and see all the installed software on it in MAX, but we can not see anything under Devices and Interfaces. The NI-RIO settings panel shows -63040 kRIOStatusRPCConnectionError (Is this because the RIO Server is not started under safe mode?)2. If the target boots using software installed on the hard disk, then I see "NI RIO Server 2.4.0 started successfully. Welcome to NI Labview 8.5." etc. at the bottom of the screen, and the CPU monitoring gauge at the top of the screen. The system seems to be working fine. But when I look under remote systems in MAX, I'm unable to connect to the target at all. Sometimes I'm able to see that the target is running after refreshing, but once I click on it to see the network settings, the target message immediately turns to "disconnected." Then I will not be able to connect any more. I have never been able to see anything in devices and interfaces or software under the target. I.e., I can't connect to the target if it boots normally and not in safe mode. (I can ping the target without any problems under this mode.)What's been attempted after contacting the NI Shanghai office:1. Ensure that all software are of the same version on both the host and the target. (Updated to Labview 8.5.1, NI-RIO 2.4.0, etc.)2. Ensure that none of the computers are firewalled. (No firewalls have ever been installed. The windows firewall is not running on any of the computers we tried to use as a host.)3. Ensure that the IP settings are correct, including the gateway and DNS server. (We tried two things: A) Directly connecting to the university network and specifying IP information manually; B) Connect all computers to a router and use DHCP to assign internal IPs.)None of the above improves the situation. The symptoms are exactly the same.Can anyone share their experience with this kind of configuration? Any suggestions? (The only thing suggested by NI Shanghai that I haven't tried is to format the hard disk on the target and boot without using the USB. But I need to be able to boot into windows on the target PC again for some other work so I'm reluctant to try it. And I don't understand how it could sovle the problem.)Thanks,Jinghua Zhong

[Pakman]

Hi Jinghua, Have you tried using the IP Reset Disk to reset the IP address to 0.0.0.0?  If so, do you ever see the target PC listed in MAX as 0.0.0.0?  Hit F5 to refresh the target listing.  Also, does the target PC have two network adapters installed?

[Jinghua]

Peter, yes I have tried resetting the IP to 0.0.0.0. Without a valid IP, the target will only boot into safe mode. As I mentioned, the host have no problem seeing the target and the installed software under safe mode. (After resetting, the target is listed as 0.0.0.0. I can then assign a new IP for it in MAX.)The target PC do have two network adapters on board. However, I have disabled one of them in the BIOS from the very beginning. The target only reports one adapter when it boots up.Thanks,JinghuaEDIT: Added what's in the parenthesis.Message Edited by Jinghua on 06-30-2008 03:37 AM

[Kevin_S]

Hi Jinghua,
 
Did you format your desktop PC as as ETS target, or are you booting off of the USB drive?&nbsp; (You can create a dual boot on your PC computer so that you have the option of booting into ETX or another operation system.&nbsp; It is possible, but&nbsp;note that&nbsp;it is an unsupported feature.&nbsp; This <a href="http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/B106BD4C654F0F2A86256E8E00245C84?OpenDocument" target="_blank">article</a> explains how to do it with a PXI controller, and you could use the same method for a PC.)
&nbsp;
You are correct that one of the first things I would recommend is to format your PC with a Real-Time Operating System.&nbsp; (This would be ETS in your case.)&nbsp; The reason for this is outlined in this <a href="http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/04CA96A4A0D7CB778625719A00515831?OpenDocument" target="_blank">article</a>.&nbsp; Just as a sidenote, the USB communication protocol&nbsp;is inherently non-deterministic itself, so booting a Real-Time Operating System off of a USB drive could potentially destroy the determinism that you're trying to achieve.
&nbsp;
You should be good with your 2.4 version of NI-RIO.&nbsp; This <a href="ftp://ftp.ni.com/pub/devzone/tut/crio_software_versions.htm" target="_blank">link</a> outlines the minimum software compatibilities.
&nbsp;
I hope this helps,
Kevin S.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments

[Jinghua]

Kevin, I have tried formatting the hard disk of the target, reinstalling all the software, and booting directly off the hard disk. It didn't help. The symptom is exactly the same. All the messages displayed on the target screen are normal, but I cannot connect to the target from the host.Thanks,Jinghua

[Kevin_S]

Hi Jinghua,
What versions of LabVIEW,&nbsp;LabVIEW Real-Time, and Measurement and Automation Explorer (MAX)&nbsp;are you using?
Kevin S.Applications EngineerNational Instruments

[Jinghua]

Kevin, I have Labview 8.5.1, Real-time Module 8.5.0, NI-RIO 2.4.0, and MAX 4.4.The problem has been resolved. I didn't pay attention to the following.From <a href="http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/440BAF128AA75F95862572580081EB3D?OpenDocument" target="_blank">this knowledge base article</a>: RAM requirement: RT supports 2 GB (gigabytes)&nbsp; maximum RAM
- In Real-Time 8.5.0 and previous, too much RAM may cause deployment errors.
I thought I have Real-Time 8.5.1, when in fact it's 8.5.0 even though Labview is 8.5.1. In my case, NI VISA Server 4.3 won't start properly when there are more than 2 gigabytes of memory installed. I had 3 GB. Once I unplugged 1 and left only 2 GB, the system started without a hitch.Thanks,JinghuaMessage Edited by Jinghua on 07-07-2008 09:58 AM