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LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control (DSC) Module developers can distribute their applications from their development machines to run-time machines. The LabVIEW Application Builder is used to generate the distribution kit. Part of the builder set-up is to list all necessary files involved in the distribution. The list is generally divided into three subgroups: top-level VI(s), dynamically called VIs, and support files. While it is fairly easy for the developers to identify the first two groups, due to their familiarity with the application, it is not always easy to list all support files. There are support files specific to the application, such as spreadsheet files, help files, and so on. These files are usually defined and created by the developer. The second set of support files are the files used by NI products - files like preference files, configuration files, and so on. The following products and drivers are commonly used with the LabVIEW DSC Module and are covered in this document: FieldPoint, NI-DAQ, Lookout Protocol Drivers, Database Connectivity toolset, Report Generation toolkit for Microsoft Office, and the Internet toolkit.
All LabVIEW applications require the Run-time Engine in order to run. The LabVIEW DSC Module Deployment License must be installed on the target machine. Also the 3D Graph, DataSocket, and NI Reports support files are now part of the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine installation on Windows platforms (this was not true for LabVIEW 5.x). There is only one INI file that you might want to include in your application distribution as a support file:
LabVIEW.ini - general LabVIEW settings
- development machine directory: <LabVIEW>
- run-time machine directory: <DSC Run-Time System> .The LabVIEW.ini file has to be renamed to your executable name. You also have to manually edit the file. Refer to the linked KnowledgeBase article for step-by-step instructions on how to do that.
DSCEngine.ini - general Tag Engine settings
- development machine directory: <LabVIEW>
- run-time machine directory: <DSC Run-Time System>
lvdsc.ini - storage for most of the Tools»Datalogging & Supervisory Control»Options
- development machine directory: <LabVIEW>
- run-time machine directory: <DSC Run-Time System>
htv.ini - Historical Trend Viewer settings
- development machine directory: <LabVIEW>\project\lvdsc
- run-time machine directory: <DSC Run-Time System>\project\lvdsc
scf.ini - Tag Configuration Editor settings
- development machine directory: <LabVIEW>\project\lvdsc
- run-time machine directory: <DSC Run-Time System>\project\lvdsc
*.ccdb - Common Configuration Database
- development machine directory: application specific, check the Tools»Datalogging & Supervisory Control»Advanced»Server Browser title to identify your active *.ccdb file (default file is nati.ccdb in the National Instrument directory)
- run-time machine directory: any location, make sure you make the file active by loading it in the Server Explorer (File»Open) or if programmatic approach is required set Active CCDB key in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\National Instruments\NI-Servers. Refer to LabVIEW Advanced examples to learn how to programmatically access registry LabVIEW code.
lookout.sec - user accounts configuration
- development machine directory: windows\system on (9x/Me) or winnt\system32 (NT/2000) or windows\system32 (XP)
- run-time machine directory: windows\system on (9x/Me) or winnt\system32 (NT/2000) or windows\system32 (XP)
dscdatasets.ini - Data Sets Configuration
- development machine directory: <LabVIEW>\vi.lib\lvdsc\servers\Data Set Logger
- run-time machine directory: <DSC Run-Time System>\vi.lib\lvdsc\servers\Data Set Logger
lvsec.cfg - security preferences (Tools»Datalogging & Supervisory Control»Options»Advanced»Security Preferences)
- development machine directory: <LabVIEW>\vi.lib\extensions\security
- run-time machine directory: <DSC Run-Time System>\vi.lib\extensions\security
lvdsc.acl - tools access settings (Tools»Datalogging & Supervisory Control»Options»Advanced»Tools Access)
- development machine directory: <LabVIEW>
- run-time machine directory: <DSC Run-Time System>
uistart.cfg - VIs to launch at startup (Tools»Datalogging & Supervisory Control»Advanced»Startup VIs)
- development machine directory: <LabVIEW>\vi.lib\extensions\uistartup
- run-time machine directory: <DSC Run-Time System>\vi.lib\extensions\uistartup
logos.ini - Citadel and network settings (if the file does not exist the default is used)
- development machine directory: windows or winnt
- run-time machine directory: windows or winnt
*.tmd - Tag Monitor configuration
- development machine directory: application specific, does not exist unless you create one (File»Save)
- run-time machine directory: any location
ddeproxy.ini - DDE communication configuration (if the file does not exist the default is used)
- development machine directory: <LabVIEW>\vi.lib\lvdsc\servers\dde proxy, the files stores configuration done through Servers»DDE Server Configuration in the Tag Configuration Editor.
- run-time machine directory: <DSC Run-Time System>\vi.lib\lvdsc\servers\dde proxy
There are 4 ways you can access FieldPoint devices from the LabVIEW DSC module. The application distribution differs for each of them:
1) Using OPCFieldPoint - is the recommended way. First, you need to make sure FieldPoint server is installed on the run-time systems machine. Include the *.iak as a support file and make it active on the target machine:
*.iak - FieldPoint configuration file
- development machine directory: application specific, launch FieldPoint Explorer to identify your active *.iak file
- run-time machine directory: any location, make sure you make the file active by loading it in the FieldPoint Explorer or if programmatic approach is required set GlobalIAKFile key in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\National Instruments\FieldPoint\<version>\OPC. Refer to LabVIEW Advanced examples to learn how to programmatically access registry from LabVIEW code.
2) Using FieldPoint IAK Server - is rather obsolete. FieldPoint server has to be installed on the run-time machine. The configuration is stored in the Common Configuration Database (*.ccdb), see the LabVIEW DSC module section above for more details on CCDB.
3) Using FieldPoint VIs - bypasses the Tag Engine. It is not used in LabVIEW DSC module type of applications.
4) Using Logos protocol - only supported for the Ethernet network modules. FieldPoint server does not have to be installed on the target machine, also no support files have to be distributed.
NI-DAQ driver has to be installed on the run-time machine. The configuration is stored in the active *.daq file (default is config.daq).
*.daq - DAQ configuration file
- development machine directory: application specific, configuration is done through MAX
- run-time machine directory: any location, make sure you make the file active by loading it in MAX (Tools»NI-DAQ Configuration»Set Active Configuration)
Lookout Protocol Drivers must be installed on the target computer. The configuration is stored in the active *.lpd file.
*.lpd - the LPD OPC server configuration
- development machine directory: application specific, configuration is done in the LPD environment
- run-time machine directory: any location, make sure you make the file active by loading it in the LPD (File»Open) or by modifying the lookout.ini file (see below). This file can be modified manually or if programmatic approach is required set Startup key in the [System] section. Refer to Configuration File examples to learn how to modify an INI file from LabVIEW code.
Additional support files:
lookout.ini, <driver>.ini - general or driver specific configuration
- development machine directory: Lookout Protocol Drivers
- run-time machine directory: Lookout Protocol Drivers
Find LabVIEW Add-Ons on the LabVIEW Tools Network.
This section lists some of the LabVIEW add-on toolkits that might require additional support files:
1) Database Connectivity Toolset
This add-on toolkit does not have to be installed on the target machine; however, you have to make sure the Microsoft Data Access (MDAC) is. Refer to the Building Application Chapter in the Database Connectivity Toolset User Manual linked below. Also make sure all the Data Links (*.UDL) files are included. If your application required an ODBC driver, you have to make sure it is installed on the target machine.
2) Report Generation Toolkit for Microsoft Office
Note for 1.0a version: you must add the _wordsub.llb and _exclsub.llb libraries as support files. These two libraries contain subVIs that the high-level Report Generation VIs can call dynamically. They are located in the <LabVIEW>\vi.lib\office directory.
3) The Internet Toolkit
Please follow the link below to learn how to deploy such an application:
See Also:
Database Connectivity Toolset User Manual
Related Links:
Building Applications Created with the LabVIEW DSC Module