VBAI PC targeting

[JChec]

Hi,

I'm trying to find out if it is possible to target a remote PC to deploy VBAI inspections and debug. A client has the VBAI on a PC to develop on and has the VBAI runtime license for the PC to be used in the factory. I've done research on the knowledge base. Articles like this give the inpression you can't and that you would have to buy VBAI for the PC you would like to deploy on and debug. Is there maybe a way to target the remote PC?

Thanks

[Brad · Accepted solution]

One point of confusion that we should clear up is the term target. When talking about PCs or machines running Windows (i.e. PXI controller could run Windows), VBAI can be installed on these machines and run inspcetions on this machine, but we don't consider this a target and you cannot target a Windows machine running VBAI. You cannot connect to VBAI from a remote machine when VBAI is running on a Windows system.  You can install VBAI on Windows based machines with a RunTime only license and this allows you to run inspections, open the inspection in Configuration mode, debug the inspection, and edit steps, but you cannot add new steps, or copy and paste steps/states. You could have a VBAI inspection using Ethernet/IP, TCP, or some other communication mechanism and interact with an inspection that is configured to communicate with remote devices, but you cannot connect with another VBAI to control a VBAI running on Windows.

For Vision targets (CVS, EVS, Smart Camera), you can install VBAI on these targets using a host PC with VBAI installed (i.e. similar to how MAX allows you to install software for remote targets). You cannot configure, create, edit inspections on the target by itself...you have to connect to a target from a host running the same version of VBAI and use the Windows VBAI to control, configure, run inspections on the target. You could have a startup inspection configured on the target so whenever the target is rebooted, it starts running a specific inspection, or you could configure Product Selection so the inspection could change based on hardware signals or communication form TCP, Ethernet/IP, Modbus, etc. If you just have the runtime license on the host machine, the same rules as mentioned above apply (you can start/stop inspections, edit existing steps, debug, but you cannot create new steps). No VBAI license is required for targets, when you purchase a target you can install VBAI and run inspections without needing any additional licensing for the target. You can also use a Custom UI for the inspection interface and enable the web server on the target so you can open a web page on any machine on the same network as the target and view and control the custom interface of the inspection running on the target from a web page. You can also use the activeX control to open a connection to either a remote target (CVS, EVS, or Smart Camera) or a local VBAI (need to have VBAI installed locally). Using the ActiveX control, you can load inspections, start/stop inspections, get inspection results/images, etc, but you cannot develop or change inspections using the activeX control.

Hope this helps,

Brad

Message Edited by Brad on 06-09-2010 08:41 AM

[JChec]

Hi Brad,

Great reply, thanks!