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National Instruments Compact FieldPoint is an easy-to use, highly expandable industrial control and measurement system composed of rugged and dependable I/O modules and intelligent communication interfaces. With many types of I/O modules, available you can connect a wide variety of sensors to the system. Compact FieldPoint I/O modules filter, calibrate, and scale raw sensor signals to engineering units. You can download your LabVIEW application to the embedded controller for reliable stand-alone operation. Compact FieldPoint network communication allows you to access I/O points nearby or miles away on the network using the same simple read/write software framework.
Compact FieldPoint Frequently Asked Questions (1 of 3)
Compact FieldPoint Frequently Asked Questions (3 of 3)
Table of Contents
- Do I Need to Install a New Version of FieldPoint Explorer?
- Is Software Developed for FieldPoint Compatible with Compact FieldPoint?
- Can I Interface Compact FieldPoint with a Supervisory Host Computer or SCADA Software Package?
- Can I Download Ladder-Logic Code (IEC-1131) to Compact FieldPoint?
- Does the RS-485 Port on the cFP-2020 Controller Support 2-Wire or 4-Wire?
- Is the Removable Compact Flash on the cFP-2020 Hot-Swappable?
Do I Need to Install a New Version of FieldPoint Explorer?
Yes, you must install FieldPoint Explorer version 3.0.2 or higher on the host PC. In addition to support for Compact FieldPoint, FieldPoint Explorer 3.0.2 also provides:
- Optimized LabVIEW 6.1 palette for embedded LabVIEW Real-Time FieldPoint systems. The new LabVIEW functions allow faster embedded reads and writes to I/O for both Compact FieldPoint and FieldPoint.
- Improved channel naming scheme
After you upgrade the host software, you must upgrade the firmware on older controllers. If you are using LabVIEW 6.1, install firmware version 6.1.1. You can do this by searching for the cFP-20xx or FP-20xx module in Remote System Explorer in FieldPoint Explorer. Right-click the controller and choose "Install/Upgrade Software." On the pull-down menu, choose v 6.1.1. The version of LabVIEW remains 6.1 on the host side. The new firmware uses more DRAM, so some applications may need to reduce their memory usage or be upgraded to an FP-2010 or cFP-2010.
See Also:
Drivers and Updates: FieldPoint Explorer
Is Software Developed for FieldPoint Compatible with Compact FieldPoint?
FieldPoint and Compact FieldPoint are identical from a software perspective. The only difference is that Compact FieldPoint requires the latest version of FieldPoint Explorer (version 3.0.2 or higher). In addition, Compact FieldPoint controller interfaces and I/O modules appear with a preceding 'cFP' in their name, compared to 'FP' for traditional FieldPoint modules (e.g., the "cFP-2000" controller instead of "FP-2000"). To use existing software, you need to edit the string inputs to the FP Create Tag VIs to include the 'c'. If you want to maintain compatibility with your existing FieldPoint configuration (.IAK) files, you can change the default 'cFP' names to 'FP' in FieldPoint Explorer.
You can also take an existing .IAK file and simply change the IP address in FieldPoint Explorer to point to the Compact FieldPoint bank. You will also need to change the Device Type of the network module. The network module device name can remain "FP-2000 @0", but under Edit This Device you need to change the device type to cFP-2000. The Device Type does not change for I/O modules.
Can I Interface Compact FieldPoint with a Supervisory Host Computer or SCADA Software Package?
Compact FieldPoint automatically publishes its I/O data to an OPC server located on the host computer used to configure the I/O bank. You can also publish calculated values to the OPC server using the Publish Data VI. Most SCADA software packages for Windows support OPC, and most vendors of industrial I/O hardware provide OPC servers for their hardware. This makes it easy to integrate Compact FieldPoint with a wide variety of industrial I/O hardware such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and other industrial devices. You can use a third-party SCADA package, Lookout, or the LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control (DSC) Module. The LabVIEW DSC Module provides built-in tools for data management, automatic datalogging, alarm and event logging, real-time and historical trending, networking, and security. These tools enable you to quickly develop distributed monitoring applications.
Can I Download Ladder-Logic Code (IEC-1131) to Compact FieldPoint?
No, Compact FieldPoint is programmed using LabVIEW, which provides a comprehensive graphical development environment and a wealth of functionality developed over its fifteen-year history. For the parts of your application well suited for IEC-1131 functionality, National Instruments recommends using a PLC. You can easily add Compact FieldPoint to systems containing PLCs or other industrial devices, and Compact FieldPoint excels at network communication over Ethernet and serial networks. Its LabVIEW programming interface and embedded real-time capability make Compact FieldPoint particularly well suited for applications involving analog signals and provide powerful built-in functionality for control, signal processing, datalogging, and communication. The LabVIEW Real-Time Module gives you the ability to download and embed your applications on the industrial-grade Compact FieldPoint controller and also includes easy-to-use toolkits for embedded control and real-time signal processing.
Does the RS-485 Port on the cFP-2020 Controller Support 2-Wire or 4-Wire?
The RS-485 port on the cFP-2020 Controller supports 4-wire mode only and does not support 2-wire mode.
Is the Removable Compact Flash on the cFP-2020 Hot-Swappable?
The removable Compact Flash can be removed while the cFP-2020 controller is running, but you must make sure that no data is being written to it. If data is being written to the Flash when it is removed, the Flash can become corrupt and the module may need to be sent back for repairs. One way to avoid writing to the Flash when it is removed is to use one of the user-definable DIP switches on the controller to disable logging. The application can monitor the DIP switch and stop logging when the switch is off.
The Flash is not hot-insertable. The Flash will not be damaged by inserting it while the cFP-2020 is running, but the Flash will not be recognized until the controller is restarted.
See Also:
Products and Services: Removable Storage for NI cFP-2020
Related Links:
Products and Services: Compact FieldPoint
Compact FieldPoint Frequenlty Asked Questions (1 of 3)
Compact FieldPoint Frequently Asked Questions (3 of 3)
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