Assigning an IP Address

You can connect to your remote system either by connecting it and your host computer to a local area network or by connecting it directly to your host computer using a CAT-5 crossover cable. Either way, your remote system must have an IP address assigned to it. You can either attempt to obtain an IP address automatically or manually specify one.

Some targets, such as all FieldPoint FP-160x RT targets, require that you specify a static IP address, as they do not support automatic IP address assignment. You may also need to specify an IP address if your remote system is not connected to a network and you want to make a direct connection. Refer to Specifying a Static IP Address for help specifying an IP address.

If your remote system is on a network that has a DHCP server, you may be able to automatically obtain an IP address from the DHCP server. A DHCP server allocates an IP address to your target each time the target is started. You do not need to specify other information such as Subnet Mask if you select the Obtain an IP address automatically option. If you do not know whether your network has a DHCP server, check with your network administrator for assistance. To automatically obtain an IP address, select Obtain an IP address automatically, then click Apply. You must restart the remote system for any changes to take effect.

Not all DHCP servers are implemented in the same manner. Therefore, some might not be compatible with the LabVIEW Real-Time Module. After you select Obtain an IP address automatically and restart the RT target, LabVIEW Real-Time tries to obtain an IP address from the DHCP server. If this operation fails, LabVIEW Real-Time automatically restarts the RT target and attempts to assign an automatic private IP address (169.254.x.x), if your target supports this feature. Automatic private IP addresses are network addresses intended for use in a local network only. After three failed attempts, LabVIEW Real-Time returns to the default configuration with IP address 0.0.0.0. In this case, you need to explicitly specify the network parameters.

In addition, when you use a DHCP server, the server allocates an IP address to the remote system each time you boot the target. The new IP address might be different than the address previously assigned. If you use the DHCP server to assign an IP address to your target, you need to check the IP address using MAX each time you target LabVIEW Real-Time to the target. To avoid needing to check the IP address each time, specify a static IP address for the target instead of using a DHCP server.