Measurement and control via Producer/Consumer

Hello folks,
Iam trying to realise an automated projekt, for testing an actuator.
It has to Measure the Signals, process them and also has to create signals controling the actuator.
So far no Problem....But,it also has to run trough 3 or more Test-cycles of wich each has different ControlSignals.
(example: Test1 - input: 40VSin(40Hz), Test2 - input:Triangle, Test 3 - input: 100Vsin(100Hz)
It still doesnt sound quite difficult, but as an LabView beginner, i´m having a lot of trouble finding the Right Structure to realise all This. normally i use SPS systems, but this time it has to be Labview
Had some trys an hav uploaded them.
But The Producer/Consumer Structure makes some Problems. It doesnt give out any Signals from the ProducerLoop. :/
Is there any outher way programing Labview more efficient for that Problem ?
Sorry 4 the bad English
Greetings
Solved!
Go to Solution.
Attachments:
ProcessTest2.vi ‏129 KB

MarioMueller wrote:
Hello folks,
Iam trying to realise an automated projekt, for testing an actuator.
It has to Measure the Signals, process them and also has to create signals controling the actuator.
So far no Problem....But,it also has to run trough 3 or more Test-cycles of wich each has different ControlSignals.
(example: Test1 - input: 40VSin(40Hz), Test2 - input:Triangle, Test 3 - input: 100Vsin(100Hz)
It still doesnt sound quite difficult, but as an LabView beginner, i´m having a lot of trouble finding the Right Structure to realise all This. normally i use SPS systems, but this time it has to be Labview
Had some trys an hav uploaded them.
But The Producer/Consumer Structure makes some Problems. It doesnt give out any Signals from the ProducerLoop. :/
Is there any outher way programing Labview more efficient for that Problem ?
Sorry 4 the bad English
Greetings
your architecture is hard to follow. i think you can do this with a state machine..write out your test requirements in steps and what requirement you need to transition. be more specific in describing your problems (error messeges?)..

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what I am trying to do is to compare 2 algorithms, with the same computation time. To measure the time, one can for example:
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Check out:
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Producer consumer error 200279

Hello,
So I’m about to go crazy and hoping someone can help me here. I’m writing a program that controls a motor and using a producer/consumer method to write the data at 10,000 intervals a second. I’ve read through multiple examples and I don’t see what I’m missing. I’m trying to record 18 different readings from a DAQ 9178, 3 readings for voltage module NI 9205, 1 reading for current module Ni 9203, 2 readings for accelerometer module Ni 9234 and 12 readings for temperature module 9213. Every time I run the program I keep getting the error message 200279 and it states that it’s trying to read samples that no longer exist. It advised me to increase the buffer rate. So I did as it suggested in multiple ways and the error messages keeps showing up. I’ve also shut down the computer, exited and restarted Labview several times and none of this worked. I have included the a picture file below. Where the problem is, is in the producer loop and the error is shown coming out of the DAQ error indicator. One idea I had but I’m unsure how to approach it is to somehow mean the data coming out of the DAQ to reduce what’s getting to the buffer. If anyone knows how to fix this problem please explain it in detail (I mean talk to me like I’m stupid) cause I’ve been stuck on this problem for almost two weeks now. Thank you in advance to anyone who can help.
SteelTiki
Solved!
Go to Solution.

The DAQ error isn't related to your choice of architecture, although your implementation of it might be hurting you. It's almost impossible to follow what's going on in your diagram because you have wires running in many directions (try to keep data flowing from left to right), there are local variables all over the place (almost definitely not needed), and there's a lot of code that's not in the image or is hidden in another frame of the sequence. Normally one would not have the event structure as the consumer loop (as you've done), and it's generally not a good idea to have multiple event structure in the same VI (with rare exceptions usually involving user events). It might not solve your problem but it would be worth taking the time to clean up your diagram. Eliminate sequence structures and local variables as much as possible, move some code into subVIs, and straighten out your wires.
As for the DAQ error: the DAQ board is reading data into a circular buffer, and you're not reading it fast enough, so samples are being overwritten. The reason you're not reading it fast enough is because you only read a single sample at a time (the DAQmx Read is configured for 1 sample on multiple channels) but you say you're acquiring 10,000 samples/second. Since your loop won't run 10,000 times per second, you're not reading all the data, which causes the error. Try configuring the DAQmx Read for multiple samples.

First attempt at Producer Consumer Architecture: continuous read and dynamically update parameters.

Hello,
I am currently working with two instruments; an Agilent E3646A and an NI 6212 BNC. My objective is to have the 6212 to be continuously taking measurements according to predefined parameters while the E3646A's parameters can be continuously updated. This simple instrument combination is intended to help me learn the necessarry achitecture; continuous measurement, dynamic output control, and more instruments will be added in the future.
I've previously posted on a similar, but more complicated, setup (http://forums.ni.com/t5/Instrument-Control-GPIB-Serial/Split-second-lag-when-controlling-two-instrum... and was advised to try the Producer Consumer Architecture. I've found relevant literature on the site (http://www.ni.com/white-paper/3023/en/, https://decibel.ni.com/content/docs/DOC-2431), searched the forums and constructed my own VI. While my first attempt at a Producer Consumer Architecture has resolved some of the issues I was having when I first posted on the subject, however, new issues have arisen with regard to reading and stopping the VI.
I am currently able to run the VI and update the device parameters. Previously, I would get a freeze while the instrument was being updated and could not toggle parameters until it was done. This has been resolved although the read only updates when a parameter has been updated although it is outside of the event structure. Furthermore the Stop button does not work in any context. I've also gotten occasional errors regarding the Deqeue Element but the bulk of the trouble is Error -200279 "Attempted to read samples that are no longer available" at DAQmx Read. I realize that there is a problem in my Producer Loop but haven't been able to figure out how to resolve it.
This is my first attempt at a Producer Consumer Architecture and already I can see that it is a powerful tool. I read as much as I could and looked at the relevant examples but expected to have some issues in the beginning. Would really appreciate any advice so I can take full advantage of the architecture.
Hope to hear from you,
Yusif Nurizade
Solved!
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Attachments:
DCe3646A_DAQ6212_Prod_Con_4_13a_2014.vi ‏89 KB

Jon,
Thank you for the response and the suggestions.
I created the Local Variable for the Stop Button and moved the original into its own Event Case. It is now able to stop VI execution although I get Warning -1073676294 which I understand to be the buffer issue. The warning says that this was incurred on VISA Open for the E3646A's Initialize VI which is outside both loops, however, which I don't understand.
I tried increasing buffer size by decreasing the Number of Samples as per suggestions I found on NI forum threads. I've brought it down as low as 1 but the graph still only updates when an Event occurs and I keep getting the same buffer error. You suggested that the problem could be that they are in the same loop; does this mean that the DAQmx read should be outside both Producer and Consumer Loops or moved into the Consumer Loop? I found a couple of links ( http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/Producer-Consumer-Design-Pattern-DAQmx-Event-Structure/td-p/2744450 , http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/Producer-Consumer-Architecture/td-p/494883 -first response) on dealing with an Event Structure that my own VI is based. Alternatively, I found another link ( http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/Producer-Consumer-Design-Pattern-DAQmx-Event-Structure/td-p/2744450 - first response) on a DAQmx Read with an Event Structure that places the graph in the Consumer Loop.
The core of my purpose in setting up this Producer Consumer Architecture is so that I could read continuously while the instrument parameters are updated dynamically so it's very important that I understand how this works. I am particularly struggling with how the Event Structure is controlling the While Loop's Execution.
Hope to hear form you,
Yusif Nurizade
Attachments:
DCe3646A_DAQ6212_Prod_Con_4_14a_2014_Edit_I.vi ‏90 KB

Producer consumer control of temperature

Hello Everyone
Im using a DAQ 6008, and Labview 8.5 to achieve the following outcome:
measure the temperature across a heater bank, compare the temperature to set point, using PID, output a analog value - (0 -5) this then is used to control the duty cycle of pwm output in labview (pwm vi)
I previously tried to write this all into 1 while loop, however due to the slow duty cycle required (1hz) for my output, and the fast sampling of the input I got a 200279 error.
After reading many forums, I have now converted this to a producer consumer loop. Where the Producer loop, reads the temp, and PID produces an output, it outputs the result to the consumer loop, to create the duty cycle of my pwm output.
I have a question about the queuing data: My worry is that "old duty" cycle values will be building up in the queue, resulting in a old duty cycles for the pwm output, which do not correspond to the latest as possible temperature - resulting in a unstable control.
Was hoping some one would be able to clarify this ?
Thanks/ Dankie

If you only want the latest data, use a notifier instead. The notifier can only store a single value.
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AJAX producer/consumer and JAVA producer/consumer in same project

I've already successfully integrated and customized the code for both an AJAX and JAVA producer/consumer client in JMS (using ActiveMQ as the JMS broker and Tomcat as the webapp container). While both have been working well in separate projects, unfortunately, I'm having a bit of trouble trying to integrate them for the purpose of running an AJAX message listener and JAVA message listener in the same project.
What I'm trying to do is have JAVA act as the failover for when the AJAX JMS consumer is not listening (i.e. when the browser is closed). When a browser client opens, the (constantly running) JAVA client can ignore the messages... but... when no browser client is initialized, the JAVA client should respond to the messages on behalf of the AJAX client.
I've tried using a ServletContextListener pattern, which I was hoping would "automagically" launch the JAVA listener via its main method, whenever the Servlet gets initialized (i.e. it would auto-start when Tomcat gets restarted, or, anytime the Servlet gets redeployed) but it seems Tomcat is not thread-safe and this might be causing some problems.
In any case, I can't seem to get the JAVA client to reliably start running and stay running for the lifetime of my AJAX client (webapp .war), and without including them in the same project and same J2EE container sharing the same ServletContext, I don't know how its possible to ensure they are running and starting and stopping at the same time.
Is there perhaps a better way to accomplish this?
Edited by: bcmoney on May 17, 2010 1:25 PM

I've already successfully integrated and customized the code for both an AJAX and JAVA producer/consumer client in JMS (using ActiveMQ as the JMS broker and Tomcat as the webapp container). While both have been working well in separate projects, unfortunately, I'm having a bit of trouble trying to integrate them for the purpose of running an AJAX message listener and JAVA message listener in the same project.
What I'm trying to do is have JAVA act as the failover for when the AJAX JMS consumer is not listening (i.e. when the browser is closed). When a browser client opens, the (constantly running) JAVA client can ignore the messages... but... when no browser client is initialized, the JAVA client should respond to the messages on behalf of the AJAX client.
I've tried using a ServletContextListener pattern, which I was hoping would "automagically" launch the JAVA listener via its main method, whenever the Servlet gets initialized (i.e. it would auto-start when Tomcat gets restarted, or, anytime the Servlet gets redeployed) but it seems Tomcat is not thread-safe and this might be causing some problems.
In any case, I can't seem to get the JAVA client to reliably start running and stay running for the lifetime of my AJAX client (webapp .war), and without including them in the same project and same J2EE container sharing the same ServletContext, I don't know how its possible to ensure they are running and starting and stopping at the same time.
Is there perhaps a better way to accomplish this?
Edited by: bcmoney on May 17, 2010 1:25 PM

Producer consumer with analog and digital inputs and outputs

Hi everyone,
I am working on a control system program for some practical test work. Currently I am working on the data acuisition component of the Labview program. My architecture is produced-consumer loops with a que. My system will have analog inputs, analog outputs, digital inputs and digital outputs. It's not a time critical sytem, but I would like all of the data acquisition to be synchronised. I have attached my program as it is at the moment. I am having trouble getting all of the data into the que since I have two data types. Also, I'm not sure if i've synchronised the four read/write sequences correctly. I would greatly appreciate if somebody could take a look at my program and give me some advice. Thanks in advance.
Solved!
Go to Solution.
Attachments:
control_v2_DAQ loop.vi ‏46 KB

Robert, the specific error that I get is:
Error -200462 occurred at DAQmx Start Task.vi:6
Possible reason(s):
Generation cannot be started because the output buffer is empty.
Write data before starting a buffered generation. The following actions can empty the buffer: changing the size of the buffer, unreserving a task, setting the Regeneration Mode property, changing the Sample Mode, or configuring retriggering.
Task Name: Heater testing lab digital outputs
This error occurs at the 'DAQmx write.vi' function. I just want to sent one sample per second, for each channel. I would like the producer and consumer loops to each run once every second.
I have attached part of my code with just the data acquisition and writing. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Attachments:
control_v2_ML_simple.vi ‏83 KB

Producer Consumer Subpanels, User events and DAQ

Hello All,
I am working on a Producer Consumer application and have beed looking at subpanels for user navigation. The application needs to be capable of responding to user generated events but also manage data received from attached data acquisition and control hardware. This is a 2 part question.
I need to implement about 15 screens in this application and have started integrating subpanels. I need to be able to navigate from one subpanel vi to another using subvi buttons but dont understand how to build this functionality. Can I build functionlaity so that when I click on a subpanel loaded vi's button it will load the vi referenced by that button and the original dissappears.
I have a 3 loop producer event template consisting of (1)data acquisition producer, (2) user event producer and (3) consumer loop but theres not much detail, are there any reasonable templates out there? I have seen the data- consumer and user-consumer but no mix of all 3.
Advice appreciated
Chris

I use subpanels to host my display vi's and control them dynamically. I would have a loop or vi process that manages your subpanel. You could use user events, queues or notifiers to send messages to this subpanel manager to perform the basic functions such as loading a vi into a subpanel, removing a vi from subpanel (you can remove and stop the vi or keep the vi running in the background or even make it a floating vi.) A subpanel button can create a local event which in turn could trigger a user event or message to the subpanel manager. I have attached my subpanel manager to give you some ideas...
Attachments:
Subpanel Manager.vi ‏39 KB

State Machine and producer consumer design patterns

Hi!
In my application I am using state machine(for top level VI) and producer consumer(for subVIs) design patterns throught out.
If there is no activity on the front panel for 1min then the ideal state is invoked. Following are the situation of the ideal state:
1. It checks for any hardware present on the network . If no hardware is found on the network within 1 min then the application and LabVIEW exits.
2. While the ideal state checks for the hardware, and user clicks on any front panel button then it should exit the ideal state. The control
should be in the respective button state.
I am able to achive the point#1 mentioned above but could not get the point #2 to work. I am including the snap shot of
the state machine(default case) and prouducer consumer(deafualt state).
Each screen has the concept of the ideal state. The only additional step in the subVIs is that when the ideal state is reached and the time has expired then it will close the subVIfront panel.It will go to the exit state of the Main(top level) VI. Thus closing the application and quitting LabVIEW.
Any ideas or suggestions. Will multithreading and notifiers help?
TIA
Rachana
Attachments:
Sanpshot_Of_Design.zip ‏75 KB

Hi Rachana,
I was thinking about using event structures wherein there would an event case that would handle any value change event for any of the buttons on the front panel. But before suggesting that, I would need to know more about the Ideal State subvi( more specifically, how is it checking for any hardware present on the network and where is the one minute wait coming from?).
Please feel free to respond to this post with your questions/comments.
Regards,
Ankita A.

Input and output on same device, producer/consumer structure

Hello interested people,
I have a question about using the same device for both digital inputs
and outputs. I have written a simple program of one while loop
that continuously polls the device, processes, and requests. I
have addressed the device using two DAQmx Asst. and I have attached
them with their error in/out cluster terminals to provide data flow and
eliminate the chance of addressing the devices at the same time (which
produces an error). Now I want to change this program structure
to a producer/consumer loop foundation with state machine.
In this design, I will have the DI in the producer loop and the DO in
the consumer loop, under one of the states. I can't simply
connect the error in/out ports in this configuration, so my question is
how to avoid the error caused by addressing the same device
simultaneously with two different tasks (input and output)? I
have attached two VI's, the "One Loop" vi is the original configuration
(simplified), and the Producer-Consumer vi is a NONSENSICAL program
that simply represents the desired configuration. (I don't need
any comments on the programming of this vi, it is only an example for
illustration of the problem).
I am thinking about bundling the input data and the error cluster, both
from the PXI 6528 DI, into one cluster, queueing that up, and
unbundling the de-queued elements for some kind of data flow between
the producer loop and the "Request" state of the consumer loop.
Is this the right approach, or am I barking up the wrong tree?
Thanks
Attachments:
One Loop DO DI.vi ‏102 KB
Producer-Consumer DI-DO.vi ‏106 KB

Hello,
It sounds to me like you really have two modes:
1. user interface actions determine execution
2. user interface is locked, and execution is automated.
I think it would make sense to use the producer consumer for an architecture. Basically you would do the following:
1. program the producer to handle the user interface as you normally would.
2. provide one additional event case in the producer which would be your "automated handling" case. In that case, you could put a state machine which could run until whatever conditions were met to put your program back in "user interface mode".
Keep in mind that you can use custom USER EVENTS to programmatically generate events ie. you can trigger the start of your "automated handling" form anywhere in your code at virtually any time.
I think this would allow you to take advantage of the producer consumer architecture in its intended spirit, while integrating an automated routine.
I hope this helps!
Best Regards,
JLS
Best,
JLS
Sixclear

LV producer consumer and TestStand

In the TestStand process model, I've replaced the original Get UUT Serial Number dialog with a custom dialog that has some additional fields, and will (eventually) allow the operator to BarCode scan the serial number.
I'm thinking about using LabVIEW's template for Producer/Consumer. I basically want to allow the user to hang out at this dialog until the click on either "START" or "CANCEL". They can tab to the different fields, and Scan in the serial number if desired. What types of 'events' would I want to capture? Is this even the right design pattern for this situation?
Also, this dialog needs to be modal (in front of TestStand executive).
Thoughts?

mrBean,
By custom dialog do you mean a seperate VI that you open and show the front panel when the step executes?
If that is the case the producer consumer might be overkill. From what I've seen one of the main reasons one would use this pattern is to seperate the acquisition loop from the data record loop. In that manner the data recording doesn't slow down the data acquisition. I've used a wedge type barcode scanner in the past and it is pretty easy to impliment.
On a side note I really enjoy reading your posts on both of the forum boards. I too at some later date will be creating a custom operator interface using LabView and your questions have been really helpful in my formulation of a plan. Thanks
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Producer/Consumer Design Pattern + DAQmx + Event Structure

Dear community users,
at the moment I try to implement the Producer/Consumer Design Pattern into my current project. For this purpose I am trying to make a "minimal-example" in which I use the Producer/Consumer Design Pattern for the data acquisition and analysis (display in GraphXY, calculation etc..) process. In the Producer Loop I perform the data readings via DAQmxRead.VI and in the Consumer Loop, in this example only, I display the data in a GraphXY. At the same time I want to control the data acquisition via an Event Structure, for example Start Measurement/Stop Measurement Buttons. To configure the measurement time, for example if the user only wants to measure 150 sec, I use the Time Out Event of the Event Structure. This is a technique which is often used, when data acquisition and Event Structures are used at the same time (Excuse me if this is wrong!). Due to understand the Producer/Consumer Design Pattern I looked up in the Template\Framework of LabVIEW.
In the attachment you will find my "minimal-example", which -sadly-, not working. What should I do ?
Thank you.
Best regards,
tugrul öztürk
Attachments:
daqEngine_PCP.vi ‏35 KB

Your VI will never stop due to the Ok Button that stops the producer loop is read OUTSIDE of the loop. Add an event case for it.
Move the Start and the Ok Button inside of their respective event cases. This will allow the latch to reset when they are read.
Change the Ok Button to a stop button.
Use a Greater Or Equal instead of Equal for the measurement time comparison. What if somebody randomly changes it to 0 on you? Again, you will never stop.
Is the DAQ only supposed to read for "Measurement Time". Right now, it constantly reads. So if you don't use the DAQmx Read, you will get a buffer overflow error. You need to put the DAQmx Start Task inside of the Start event case and then the Stop DAQmx Task inside of the Timeout event case when the measurement time is exceeded. You should also perform the read regardless inside of the Timeout event case.
I HATE telling the consumer loop to stop by destroying the queue. You can look data that way. Instead, send something an empty array. In the consumer, check for an empty array. If it is empty, stop. Destroy the queue only AFTER BOTH LOOPS HAVE COMPLETED.
You should also report your errors in some way. Simple Error Handler at the minimum.
Since you are using Continous Samples, don't limit the buffer. Leave the Samples per Channel unwired on the DAQmx Timing VI.
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Producer consumer timing

Back again
Thought I was getting somewhere now I am at another brick wall.
Bit of background:
I have a producer consumer set up. In the producer loop there are 2 DAQmx read VI's reading from a Pressure task and a Temperature task. These are multiple channels, 1 sample, outputtng a 1D wave form. This loop is set to run every 20ms. The two tasks were created using DAQmx Create Channel VI's and DAQmx Start Task VI's. The producer loop feeds a display on the front panel with the sensor values and this hopefully is refreshed at the 50Hz I have asked for. Secondly the loop bundles up the waveforms and puts them in a queue where they are picked up for logging by the consumer loop. In the consumer loop I have a wait 1000ms timer and a Write to Measurment File Express VI to do the logging. This is supposed to log at 1 per second.
The queue is set to enqueue at opposite end, and the max queue length is set to 1. I.E. I only want to log the value at that specific second, but I want to show the data on the front panel at 50 times a second.
Now heres my problems:
1) I replaced the DAQmx Create channel's with a MAX project task wired into my DAQmx Start Task VI. As expected the thing picks up and displays the sensor values as it did before. However there is now a problem logging. Before when I had the DAQmx Create Channel, the logging recorded my values correctly at 1 second intervals. The time stamp in the X column went up by 1 second for each set of results. But now, with the MAX project task (needed because of custom scales and differing min/max values for different sensors), The logging still seems to happen at 1 per second, but the time stamp intervals are the same as the sampling rate set in the task!!! (ie at 50Hz the time stamp goes up 20ms for each result even though the results are being recorded at 1 per second)
2) The timing just seems out of whack.
I keep getting errors that the requested data no longer exists, that it was there but then was over written. Increasing the buffer size or sampling rate is supposed to remedy this... but what sampling rate? the rate set in the task? or the loop iteration speed? I dont understand.
Secondly, despite telling my consumer loop to wait one second between picking up stuff out of the queue to log, it seems to be going round nearly the same pace as the producer loop. To top this off the producer isnt going round at the speed I asked it too either! I put indicators on the loop counters to see this. they are going round at maybe 2Hz.
I have included my VI's
What am I doing wrong, its really bugging the crap out of me!
Attachments:
EngineMon.zip ‏90 KB

The reason you would use get time and date in seconds to to ensure that you log every second. If you use the 1 second wait then you do not take into account the exicution time of your loop. If you add more to the loop in the future than you will see that you do not log every second as you thought. If you loop took 500ms to exicute and you have the 1000ms wait then the actual excution time for recoding to file is 1.5 seconds not 1000ms as you desired. The way I did it will always give you one second unless you exicution time for your loop exceeds one second.''
I did make one change to the vi. I shoulod have put the write in the true false case so that the write only happens when the 1 second has expired.
Tim
Johnson Controls
Holland Michigan
Attachments:
VDU3.vi ‏59 KB

Producer consumer vs state machine

Hi there,
I have been on and around for quite a while to understand how can I re-design an application, which was originally built using a mix of sequence structure, while loops and event structures. And now I am making a newer version of the same application, for research purposes, while learning the LabVIEW techniques. Earlier I used LabVIEW versions 5 and 6 to make simple programs for fuzzy logic and neural networks. And that's not a good reference.
Ok, after learning that Producer Consumer (PC) and Standard State Machines (SSM or SM) are two new approaches for a better (scalable, flexible and efficient) coding as suggest by veterans, in one thread where I asked about another issue, I have started digging into this topic and now I am on a point where I have to implement it finally (spent pretty much time in the learning phase).
I have several questions.
To start the discussion, I would give a brief description of my application.
It's a networked application, where the network communication happens using DataSocket (one reason to use LabVIEW as the environment).
We are talking about the client application, which communicates with other applications on remote computer, via Internet.
User interface involves a tab control, with several pages-
On startup, the controls/indicators (now onwards referred as controls only), are initialized, datasocket connection is checked (rather internet is checked, and a connection established with the remote datasocket server) (page 1)
If connected to the datasocket server, the user selects Login/Registration (page 2)
Login and/or Registration happen on page 3/4
Then the user sees a table of remote users to connect to (page 5)
Upon selection of a remote user, and after clicking on "connect", the user will see a video indicator, with a lot of other controls. (page 6)
On this page with video indicator and controls, the user has a lot of activities, in which many messages are sent and received to/from the remote machine.
the user may disconnect and go back to page 5, and log out and go back to page 2 and so on.
I hope this is clear.
I have thought about two different ways to do this application. Using PS or by SSM.
In the attachments, I have given a diagram (with errors, of course, because of unlinked controls), for each of the approach, plus the original application's diagram.
I hope this is sufficient for anybody to understand my case and give suggestions.
I am looking for suggestions about which is a better model for my type of case. I have been to discussions like this one and saw that there are many issues regarding dequeue in PC model. So I am curious to know if SSM is a better and latest model or it's more primitive? Which looks better for my application's performance?
Thanks ahead!
Vaibhav
Attachments:
OldDesign.vi ‏41 KB
PCDesign.vi ‏42 KB
SSMDesign.vi ‏46 KB

Vaibhav wrote:
@ Harold
Thanks. Any suggestion how can I start and stop that loop in parallel with other loops? Like, if some event occurs, the loop should start execution, and keep on moving, while other events are being traced and executed.
In those examples where you had a while loop inside a case structure, that bit of code will only execute one time. It will immediately read the boolean at the start of the program, if the value was true before the porgram started, then the while loop will run. Once that while loop stops, the case structure will end. It will never execute again unless you completely stop and restart your program. If the boolean is false before the program starts, the false case will execute immediately. Nothing happens since it is empty and it is done, never to run again (unless you stop and restart your VI) You should turn the structure around. Put the case structure in the while loop. Make sure you put a small wait statement in the loop so that it doesn't run full speed eating up CPU cycles just polling the status of the boolean.
@ Ravens
Thanks for the detailed comment.
One thing I would clarify. The user will not be able to switch between the pages using the tab control. The program will direct appropriate page to the user. I kept the tabs visible just for your idea of the pages. Sorry, I didn't mention that.
Do you think it's still a bad design?
If the tabs will be hidden or disabled, you will probably be okay. I wouldn't call it a bad design. I wouldn't do it that way. But as long as you understand the possibility of problems and prevent that. Especially some time down the road when you modify the program in some other way that could lead to a problem because you forgot about the dependencies of the event structures on the state of the state machine.
Yes, I agree about only one event structure to handle all the events. But since the user will not be able to click somewhere else, other than those possible controls, I thought to keep it like this.
I thought the events are captured only if we are in that case. I think I am wrong, right? Events are captured at any time, even if the case has never executed before, or will never execute. Ok, The events will be captured, but will not be executed until in that case.
And that's the reason why I have two separate event structures, in two separate phases of the program.
Because, prior to page 6, the events will occur sequencially. The user will click somewhere, then some message will be transmitted over DataSocket, then some message may come , then again some user action and so on. But, when the user starts using page 6, there will be parallel process of user controls events and actions, and incoming messages and corresponding actions. For this, in the page 6, I need a different kind of execution. So I separated the two event structures.
At first I thought to have SSM, and then I thought to PC, just because I can have two separate parallel processes - one for user events, and another for messages (because that way I can take maximum advantage of message tracking). But looking at other complexities, I find SSM more appropriate. Can you please tell me how can I have my message loop and events loop parallel to each other and just one event structure?
You can have a dequeue function in your state machine loop and have it be a consumer loop. Use a timeout on the Dequeue. If there is a timeout, have the statemachine execute normally after that perhaps just passing the enum wire straight into the case structure of the state machine. If it doesn't timeout meaning you got a message, then look at the message that is dequeued and act on it. Perhaps it means ignoring the enum coming in from the shift register and changing the enum to something else to feed into the case structure of the state machine. Attached is an example
Attachments:
PCDesign[1]_BD.png ‏6 KB

Measurement and control via Producer/Consumer

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