Can I control LabVIEW remotely from a computer that doesn't have it installed?

[optoelectro]

Hi, I have a PC at work that has LabVIEW (LV) installed, and I control several machines using a GPIB/USB interface. I'd like to be able to control them remotely, from home, so I can start new experiments without having to go into my lab. However, my home PC doesn't have LV. What are my options for doing this?

The most obvious solution is to use some software that lets me remotely control my work PC, and then just do it from that. However, it'd be nice if there's an easy way to interface with LV directly. For example, something where it would create the VI as a webpage, and then I could view it in my browser from home, or something. Is there anything like that?

What are my options for controlling it from home, without LV on my home PC?

[I_Love_LabView]

Labview has a web-publishing tool that I used often in grad school. I think that would be the best option.

[altenbach · Accepted solution]

If "at work" is any reasonable company, there will be a firewall and it would be difficult to do anything without their approval. Connections to the internal network from random outside locations are typically blocked for good reasons. Talk to your IT department first.

Assuming you can connect to the the computer remotely, you can start reading here. Be aware that many modern web browser (e.g. Chrome) no longer support or allow NPAPI style plugins, so your browser choices are limited.

A better choice is direct remote control. This allows you to fully control the LabVIEW app, even start it if it is not currently running, loading/saving files, etc.

I typically use Chrome remote desktop. I can connect to any of my computers from anywhere, even if the computers on both sides are located on pivate networks behind NAT or behind firewalls. Works great!

[optoelectro]

Oh, Chrome Remote Desktop is actually exactly what I was just looking at! I'll try it and report back, thanks. "Work" here is a university. They support lots of off-campus remote access options (like VPN), so hopefully it'll work.

[altenbach]

Chrome remote Destop should work directly. VPN might slow you down, depending on the speed of your home connection and the traffic load on the VPN server. (there is even a chrome remote desktop client for android!)

Chrome remote desktop uses exclusively connections initiated from the local PC (from the viewpoint of the firewall and NAT) which are then, with the help of google servers, patched together so both incoming and outgoing traffic goes over that same connection directly between the two systems.

[optoelectro]

Thanks, Chrome Remote Desktop worked perfectly!