Three Ways to Deploy the *.PDB file to Your Amulet Display

With the Amulet Display, you are able to create custom applications and deploy them using the Amulet Deployment Utility. Applications are created using Amulet's software called GEMstudio. Once completed, the applications are compiled and *.pdb files are generated. Typically you deploy your *.pdb file directly from GEMstudio, but there are situations when you would want to deploy from a different host than the Amulet development computer.
 

Once you have the *.pdb created, there are three methods for deploying this code: from the embedded target’s RS-232 port, from the host computer directly off the development computer over USB, or with VISA forwarding from the development computer through the embedded target’s RS-232 port.
 

This document will walk through the different methods of manually deploying your *.pdb file to your Amulet Display with either your embedded device or host computer.

Initial Set-Up Procedure

Before you can deploy your *.pdb file, you will first need to generate it from GEMstudio. To do this, open your project and go to File»Save as Production File. You will have to change the file type to pdb/file (*.pdb).

Figure 1. How to save your application as a *.pdb file.

Take note of where this file is stored as you will be accessing it when you deploy your project to your Amulet Display. The project is automatically compiled when you save it in this format.
 

The first step in deploying your *.pdb file, regardless of deployment method, will be to install the Amulet Display API on your host computer. This software can be found in the VI Package Manager. You also will need to be sure that the NI embedded target is connected to the network and you can see it in Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX). The important parts to note are that the serial ports are recognized correctly and that the IP Address is listed as shown in the image below:

Figure 2. Take note of the serial port and IP of your embedded target.

Next, open up the Amulet Thermostat Demo by going to Help»Find Examples in any LabVIEW Window. In the NI Example Finder, click Directory Structure and navigate to Amulet Display API»Amulet Thermostat Demo»controls»Amulet Thermostat Demo.lvproj.

Figure 3. In order to find the Amulet Thermostat Demo, make sure to select Directory Structure.
 

Using the Amulet Deployment Utility

At this point, you have three different options for deployment. You can deploy directly over a USB connection, through a serial cable from the embedded target, and through VISA forwarding remotely from the host computer.
 

2a. Deployment over Direct USB Connection

1. Connect a USB cable directly from the development computer to the Amulet Display.  Take note of the COM port that Windows assigns to the device.

2. Open Deploy PDB to Amulet LCD.vi

3. Select the path to the *.pdb file on your computer.

4. Change the COM port to the port that Windows associated with the Amulet Display.

    

   

   Figure 4. The deployment VI requires a path to your *.pdb file and a COM Port.
    

5. Execute the VI. The deployment process may take as long as 15 minutes for larger applications.

6. Close the VI.

2b. Deployment over Serial via Real Time

1. Connect to the target by right clicking your embedded device and selecting Connect.

2. Now you will have to put your *.pdb file on the embedded controller.  This process will depend on the operating system on your target. 

   Note: If you are using a Real-Time OS, refer to the document titled Real-Time Controllers and Real-Time Operating System Compatibility to find which OS is on your target. 
   
   If you are using a target with VxWorks, Phar Lap ETS, or Windows, you will need to FTP the file to the target.  Follow the steps in the article titled FTP Transfer of Files between Host and Real-Time Targets in MAX to send the file down to the target.
   
   If you are using a Linux RT, you will need to use WebDAV to transfer files to your Real-Time Target.

3. Next, drag Deploy PDB to Amulet LCD.vi down under your embedded target.  This will allow for the code to run on the device and upload the code to the display. Open the newly moved VI.

    

   

   Figure 5. Move the Deploy PDB to Amulet LCD.vi down to the embedded device.

    

4. Set the COM Port on the front panel (this will typically be ASRL1::INSTR, but could be different if there are multiple ports) and select the appropriate name for the *.pdb file.

    

   

   Figure 6. The file path will correspond to the embedded target's drive.

    

5. Click the Run button. The deployment process may take several minutes for larger applications.

6. Close the VI.

2c. Deployment via VISA Forwarding

1. Assert that your Amulet Display is connected to your embedded device.

2. Open Deploy PDB to Amulet LCD.vi.

3. Select the path to the *.pdb file on your computer.

4. Select the COM port for the Embedded Device using this format:

   
       visa://xx.xx.xx.xx/ASRL1::INSTR

    

   

   Figure 7. Ensure that the IP of the embedded device is included in the COM Port.

    

5. Run the VI. The deployment process may take several minutes for larger applications.

6. Close the VI.