Need advice on storing configuration variables for use by FP2000 Controller for embedded application.

Question

I am creating 8 machines that generally operate in the same way and each will be controlled using a FP-2000 controller. The only difference between the machines is a set of scaling constants and pass values for determining if the machine completed its process successfully.
In the past, using an idependent PC and Labview, I have created a configuration.vi for writing the constants and configuration variables to a data file on my hard drive. Then in the auto.vi I read(only once each time the program is started) the file and store the data in the program. I would like to do something similar with this system but am not familar with the Field Point system.
I know i
t is probably not difficult to store the data to the host computer and transfer it to the modules but I am better off writing to the modules once and storing the data onboard the FP controller for use by an embedded application. This way, if the network connection is lost for any reason, the machine can still operate. Is this possible, and if not what do you suggest in order to prevent being so reliant on the host computer?
Thank you for your help.

Answer 1

Mike,
There are a number of ways to accomplish what you desire. The easiest is to continue doing what you are already doing. The FP-20xx series modules treat their flash memory as if it was a hard drive, so the file I/O VI's in LabVIEW work just the same in a FP-20xx as on a regular computer running LabVIEW. The primary variation will be in how you write the files over the network. Since mapping network drives is more of a Windows functionality, you can not simply have a VI running on your host computer use a File I/O VI to write to a FP-20xx. Instead, what you will need to do is to write the file to you local drive and then FTP (file transfer protocol) the VI to the FP-20xx module. This can be done using the LabVIEW Internet toolkit or any 3rd party FTP util
ity. One word of advice; the OS on the FP-20xx does not support long filenames but due to a problem in the FTP server, long filenames (non 8.3 compliant) may be uploaded and once there, you will be unable to access the file again, even to delete it.
An alternative method that I have seen used is to use a global VI and write to it from the host machine through the use of VI server. You can then have the program on-board the FP-20xx save the globals to your configuration file.
Regards,
Aaron