Remote I/O

Remote I/O enables you to use a FieldPoint RT controller to access I/O modules connected to other network modules. You can use the Project Explorer to add items from I/O modules on any connected FieldPoint bank to your LabVIEW project.

Complete the following steps to access I/O on a FieldPoint serial bank:

1. Add the FieldPoint banks with the I/O items you want to your project.
2. Add I/O items from the new bank to a VI in your project under My Computer. Test the VI.
3. Configure the FieldPoint RT controller you want to use to access the I/O on the remote bank.
4. Disconnect the serial cable from the host computer COM port and connect it to a COM port on the FieldPoint RT controller.
5. Drag and drop the icon for the VI onto the icon for the FieldPoint RT controller in the project configuration tree.

Complete the following steps to access I/O on a FieldPoint Ethernet bank:

1. Add the FieldPoint banks with the I/O items you want to your project.
2. Add I/O items from the new bank to a VI in your project under My Computer. Test the VI.
3. Configure the FieldPoint RT controller you want to use to access the I/O on the remote bank.
4. Drag and drop the icon for the VI onto the icon for the FieldPoint RT controller in the project configuration tree.

Note  Network I/O tasks run at normal priority. If a VI running embedded on an RT controller contains I/O items that must be accessed over Ethernet, set the VI to run at normal priority. Alternatively, you can use the Real-Time Timing VIs to ensure that normal-priority tasks in the VI can run.

Note  When MAX or LabVIEW downloads remote I/O item names to a controller, it saves a file called fpremote.ini on the controller at [IP address]/ni-rt/system. If you are not using remote I/O, having this file on a controller adds unnecessary delay to startup time. To avoid downloading remote item names when you deploy configuration changes from a host PC, you can create a DWORD registry value called Disable Remote ItemName Download in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\National Instruments\FieldPoint Explorer\Settings and assign a nonzero data value to the new registry value. This change will take effect when you exit and relaunch MAX or LabVIEW. If MAX or LabVIEW has already downloaded remote item names to the controller, you can FTP to [IP address]/ni-rt/system and delete fpremote.ini.