Now that you have successfully configured your CompactRIO system, walk through the steps for using the NI Distributed System Manager to monitor your system and verify sensor connections.
Open the Distributed System Manager from All Programs»National Instruments
The Distributed System Manager is a central location for managing and monitoring NI systems on your network. It is a useful tool for debugging and quickly viewing your I/O values and system resource usage.
- Select Actions»Add System to My Systems
- Enter the IP address or name (that you assigned in Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX)) of your CompactRIO system
- Expand My Systems
Select your CompactRIO system and then select the CPU/Memory tab
This tab provides insight into the CPU and memory usage on your CompactRIO system. In the column on the right, you can also view additional details such as CPU load per real-time priority and contiguous memory available. It is good practice to monitor the CPU and memory usage on your system during development. In general, your CPU usage should remain below 80 percent to ensure reliable operation.
- Select the Scan Engine tab
- Expand your CompactRIO system in the left-hand column
If you do not see your I/O modules listed below your CompactRIO system, click the Refresh Local Modules button
Note: A small subset of C Series I/O modules may not appear in the system manager. You will discover these modules later in NI LabVIEW.
Expand the library items named Mod1 through Modn
These libraries contain the tags, known as I/O variables, for the channels of your C Series I/O modules supported by CompactRIO Scan Mode (accessing I/O directly through scan mode versus LabVIEW FPGA will be explained in a later lesson).
Select an I/O variable to view its value on a trend chart. Because you do not have sensors connected yet, you will most likely see floating values on analog input modules
In the system shown below, we have already connected a thermocouple to channel 0 of Mod1, a 9211 thermocouple input module. You can see the rise in temperature on the trend chart. For output modules, you can also update digital and analog output values using the system manager.
Now refer to your C Series I/O module manuals to connect your sensors. C Series I/O modules are hot swappable, so you may remove them, connect your sensors, and plug them back in, without removing power from your CompactRIO system.
Once you have connected your sensors, you are ready to start your first application with LabVIEW and CompactRIO. If you are new to LabVIEW, visit the Learn LabVIEW Basics tutorial before beginning your first CompactRIO application. If you are already familiar with LabVIEW, you are ready to begin your first application.
