Manual Installation of an NI Real-Time Hypervisor System

The NI Real-Time Hypervisor is a software package that enables LabVIEW Real-Time (RT) and either Windows XP or Red Hat Enterprise Linux Operating Systems (OSs) to be run simultaneously on a single multi-core PXI or industrial controller (there are two distinct versions of the hypervisor software). After you install the NI Real-Time Hypervisor on a controller, you can work within the general-purpose OS environment and run Windows or Linux applications while deploying LabVIEW Real-Time applications to the same controller. This tutorial describes how to manually setup a NI Real-Time Hypervisor system running Windows XP.

1. Installation Overview
2. Hardware Setup
3. Create Hard Drive Partitions for the Windows and Real-Time Operating Systems
4. Software Installation
5. NI Real-Time Hypervisor Configuration
6. Installing NI Real-Time Hypervisor on an Existing Windows  XP Controller

Installation Overview

Most of the work in setting up a NI Real-Time Hypervisor system is formatting the disk correctly and installing Windows XP. If you already have Windows XP installed on the controller you can create an additional Real-Time partition. However, NI recommends starting the installation from scratch. If you choose to create a Real-Time partition on an existing Windows XP controller, the instructions are found at the end of this article.

Hardware Setup

1. With the chassis powered down, connect a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and a USB CD/DVD drive.
2. Insert the PXI Recovery Disk that shipped with the PXI Controller into the USB CD/DVD drive.
3. Power on the monitor and the chassis.
4. Enter the BIOS by repeatedly pressing the F2 or Delete key as prompted by the startup screen.
5. In the BIOS, select the Advanced tab
   1. Select SATA Configuration and verify that the SATA MODE SELECTION is set to AHCI. If not, change the mode the AHCI.
   2. Press the Esc key to move back up a level.

6. Now select the LabVIEW RT tab
   1. Verify that the Boot Configuration is set to Windows/Other OS. If not, modify the Boot Configuration.

7. Select the Boot tab
   1. For Boot Option #1, select your USB CD/DVD drive (specified by manufacturer).

8.  Press F10 to enter the Save menu.
9.  Select YES to save changes.
10.  Power cycle the chassis.

Create Hard Drive Partitions for the Windows and Real-Time Operating Systems

1. The PXI Controller should now boot from the PXI Recovery disk.
2. Follow the installation prompts.
   1. Choose the option to create two partitions: one NTFS partition for Windows XP and a FAT32 partition for LabVIEW Real-Time.
   2. As a general rule, the size of the Real-Time partition should be approximately 20% of the total hard drive, with a recommended minimum size of 32GB and maximum size of 2TB
   3. DO NOT install Acronis True Image.
3. Allow the installation to complete. This will take up to an hour.

The hard drive now has two partitions and Windows XP is installed.

Software Installation

The only installer required is the NI Real-Time Hypervisor 2.1 software. You may choose to install LabVIEW and LabVIEW Real-Time if you would like to use the Windows side as the host environment.

1. Install LabVIEW 2011 and LabVIEW Real-Time 2011
2. Install the device drivers for all the PXI cards you wish to use.
3. Install the NI Real-Time Hypervisor software 2.1
   1. The NI Real-Time Hypervisor 2.1 software must be purchased from National Instruments. If you have lost your copy of the media, please contact National Instruments for replacement media.

Note: If you are installing NI Real-Time Hypervisor 1.0 (not recommended), which supports LabVIEW 2009, complete the following steps next. Otherwise, proceed to the following section.

4. Change Windows XP into Standard Mode
   1. Open the Windows XP Device Manager
   2. Right click on Computer»ACPI Multiprocessor PC. Select Update Driver.
   3. Choose to install from a specific location. Choose "don't search". Select Standard PC, then proceed through the menus and reboot.
   4. The computer is expected to take a long time to boot and re-detect devices on the next boot. Also, multiple reboots may be needed to detect all USB devices.

NI Real-Time Hypervisor Configuration

1. Boot into Windows XP
2. Launch the NI Real-Time Hypervisor Manager utility (Go to Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI Real-Time Hypervisor). 
3. Proceed through the dialog boxes, as they will prompt you to 'Run Setup', which will install boot files.
4. Reboot the PXI controller when prompted.
5. Boot back into Windows XP and run the NI Real-Time Hypervisor Manager.
6. Assign I/O devices, CPUs and RAM to the Windows OS or the LabVIEW Real-Time OS, as desired.
7. Click the Apply button. 
8. When you exit the configuration utility, further instructions will appear. You may be instructed to relocate certain PXI cards in the chassis.
9. Reboot the controller.
10. You will now see a GRUB menu that will allow you to boot into the NI Real-Time Hypervisor or Microsoft Windows (only). Select NI Real-Time Hypervisor to have access to both Windows XP and the RT OS.

Installing NI Real-Time Hypervisor on an Existing Windows  XP Controller

If you have Windows XP installed on a supported controller and you do NOT have Acronis True Image installed, you can create an additional partition for LabVIEW Real-Time and leave the Windows XP installation intact

1. Download a third party tool such as EASEUS Partition Manager (http://www.partition-tool.com/download.htm) to compact the existing Windows NTFS partition.
   
2. Use Windows Disk Management (Controls Panels»Administrative Tools>>Computer Management) to set up the system as a dual-boot controller and create:
   •    primary FAT32 partition:  Size = 32GB+; Name = LABVIEW_RT
   •    primary NTFS partition:  Size = 1.5GB+;  Name = WIN_XP

3.  Continue the installation instructions from the Software Installation Section.

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