Touch Panel Computer: Getting started

[haagy]

Hi guys

We have a cRio (9034) which we want to run autonomously via a touch panel computer (TPC-2230). Until now even though the panel doesn't show up in NI max we can implement it in the project and connect. When we run a VI in this part of the explorer the only thing that works is that the Front Panel pops up on the touch panel. We can't give any commands back to the host PC.

Currently we are using a MOXA switch with standard ethernet cables. Do we need crossover ethernet cables? What can we do to establish the communication (NI-MAX...?). And as soon as this works: How can we disconnect the host and control the cRIO only with the touch panel (communication, where to save/upload stuff)? Unfortunately the documentation concerning these problems is not to good, does anyone have good documentation?

Thank you in advance!

[Bob_Schor · Accepted solution]

First, a trick I learned many years ago when connecting devices using Etherhet and TCP/IP.  Forget about cross-over cables -- invest in a simple 4-5 port "switch" (should cost at most $30) which lets you plug in any two cables (cross-over or not) and "figures out" how to wire device-to-device.  This has saved so much hassle with cables ...

About six years ago (before PCs had touch-screens), we bought a Touch Panel that you put in front of a Flat Panel Display and it acted as a Mouse with left-click and Mouse Position (I forgot if/how right-click was handled, probably the same way the Mac does it).  A student convinced his professor to purchase an early All-in-One with a touch-screen interface, and we had all kinds of problems, primarily timing, as right-click was "Hold finger on screen for 1 second" or something like that, and we were timing "How fast can you touch a lit target".  We managed to "fool" the Mouse Driver, and brought the issue to NI's attention.  Fortunately, that student graduated and I didn't worry about this anymore.

My advice is to write a very tiny LabVIEW program with a Boolean and a numeric Control, and a Boolean and numeric Indicator and try to get it to recognize interactions with the Controls.  Good luck, and report back your successes or failures.  If all else fails, call NI Support ...

Bob Schor

[Soski14]

Hello!

Could you please illustrate me on how you managed to successfully make a connection between the TPC-2230 and your host device (RIO device or host PC).

I've been trying to make a connection through shared variables with two simple VIs, one built as an EXE that runs on the TPC-2230 and another one running on my Host PC. Sadly, the changes that I make to a variable on the Touch Panel are not reflected on the Host PC. 

I'd like to know some kind of step-by-step on how to make this procedure correctly.

I'm runnning LabVIEW 2017 (32-bit) on my host PC

The TPC has installed these two packages:

LabVIEW 2017 Run-time Engine SP1 (32-bit) f3 Patch

LabVIEW RemoteDevelpment 2017

Thanks in advance