Launch code targeted to compact vision system

Question

Following the NI tutorial on "Easy Ways to Launch Code Targeted to the Real-Time Controller," I am attempting to use the 'System Exec.vi' with an assembled command line in a 'LabVIEW for Windows' program on the host such that I can skip the steps associated with opening LabVIEW on the real-time target and manually downloading the code I want to run on the real-time target.
As such, in the LabVIEW for Windows host program, I use the command line to feed into the 'system exec.vi' with the exact following syntax (including quotations):
"C:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW 7.1\LabVIEW.exe" -target 192.168.10.15 "C:\Program Files\National Instruments\ROTH LABVIEW\DAPC-NICC_71\RT_grab_images.vi"
I perform this st
ep just prior to calling by reference the 'RT_grab_images.vi' to acquire a set of images using the compact vision system and transfer these back to the host. However, I get an error 7, file not found (I am assuming it is the 'RT_grab_images.vi' file that is not found). If I have already manually downloaded the 'RT_grab_images.vi' (which negates the advantage of using 'system exec.vi' with the command line shown), everything works fine.
Can someone comment on this?
Thanks,
Don

Answer 1

Ok, this worked and from one of the other NI engineer (Michael Hoag), we discovered a way to programmatically execute this procedure using system exec.vi and a script file. For example, see the attached.
Below is more information from Michael if you have VI that you need to launch that has subVIs, and if you need to launch from other directories than c:\.
"Don,
Alright, with a little more persistance and work I think we now have a
working solution. I realized that the problem was that after copying the
VI over to the CVS, the VI was not in memory and was never "downloaded."
This means that all of the necessary subVIs (like all the standard LabVIEW
VIs from vi.lib) were never loaded onto the CVS and therefore the VI would
not execute when we used VI server, unless the VI had already been loaded
into the CVS' memory by targeting it.
To solve this problem, all we need to do is build a library (.llb) file for
our program that includes all subVIs, even those from vi.lib. This can be
done in LabVIEW, by going to the File menu and selecting Save With Options.
Make sure the "Include vi.lib files" option is checked and then create the
distribution. I have attached a new screenshot of my block diagram where
you can see that now I reference the main VI through the llb file (see the
path in the block diagram). In this case I placed it in the startup
folder, but that should not be a requirement. I also modified my script
file to take into account these changes.
I have rebooted the CVS several times to make sure nothing is in memory and
ran this new code. This appears to correct that last problem and should
get you moving forward with your application. Let me know how this goes
for you, and hopefully we have found a solution here.
Regards
Michael Haag
Applications Engineer
National Instruments"
"Don,
The error you are receiving when trying to call directory "C:\Program
Files\National Instruments\ROTH LABVIEW\DAPC-NICC_71" is definitely a
result of the DOS command prompt not linking the spaces and long
file/directory names. If you want to use that directory then you'll
probably have to figure out what the 8 character representation of those
files and directories are. For example if you want to get into C:\Program
Files\ then it will most likely be C:\Progra~1\. If you go to a DOS
command prompt (In windows go to Start >> Run and type in COMMAND), and
then type "dir /x" to display the directories, then the /x will have it
show the 8-character name for the directories and files.
Attachments:
rt_script.txt ‏1 KB
system_exec_to_launch_ftp_script.vi ‏12 KB