December 2007
This file contains important information about the LabVIEW 8.5.1 Datalogging and Supervisory Control (DSC) Module, including installation and upgrade issues, compatibility issues, and changes from the DSC Module 8.2. Refer to the LabVIEW Upgrade Notes and to the LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control Module Release and Upgrade Notes for more information about upgrade and compatibility issues, a list of new features in LabVIEW 8.5, and installation instructions. You can access the LabVIEW Upgrade Notes by selecting Help»Search the LabVIEW Help in LabVIEW and navigating to the LabVIEW Documentation Resources book on the Contents tab. You can access the LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control Module Release and Upgrade Notes by selecting Help»Search the LabVIEW Help in LabVIEW and navigating to the DSC Module»Related Documentation topic on the Contents tab.
Refer to the labview\readme directory for readme files about LabVIEW add-ons, including the DSC Module.
Supported Platforms
Installation Instructions
Installing the LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control Module Silently
Licensing
DSC Module 8.5 Features and Changes
Documentation Additions
Known Issues
Bug Fixes
The DSC Module supports Windows Vista/XP/2000. The DSC Module does not support Windows NT/Me/98/95/Server 2003. Refer to the LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control Module Release and Upgrade Notes for a complete list of system requirements.
Refer to the LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control Module Release and Upgrade Notes for installation instructions. The following list describes additional installation considerations.
The DSC Module installer enables a mixed security mode on existing SQL Servers. If the target computer does not have an SQL Server installed, the DSC Module installer installs SQL Express in the mixed security mode.
Use the following command line prompt to change the default password for the sa user:
Sqlcmd -S"localhost\CITADEL" -U"sa" -P"COMPUTER_ID" -Q"sp_password 'COMPUTER_ID', 'NEW_PASSWORD', 'sa'"
If the mixed security mode is not acceptable, change both the SQL Express and Citadel login modes. You must set the registry DWORD values HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSSQLServer\MSSQLServer\LoginMode and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\National Instruments\Citadel\5.0\IntegratedSecurity to 1.
National Instruments recommends that you change the login mode immediately after you install the DSC Module. Otherwise, you must relink all existing Citadel databases. Restart the SQL Express and Citadel services in order for changes to take effect. If you use integrated NT security, you might need to configure the server machine and all clients explicitly.
Note: The DSC Module 8.2 uses Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE 2000), not SQL Express. If you upgrade the DSC Module 8.2 to the DSC Module 8.5.1, any existing databases continue to use MSDE 2000 for alarm logging, but new databases you create use SQL Express. If you detach an existing database from the DSC Module and then reattach the database, the DSC Module migrates the database to SQL Express.
You might want to uninstall MSDE 2000 after installing the DSC Module 8.5.1. Complete the following steps to uninstall MSDE 2000.
You can control programmatically which features in the DSC Module distribution to enable or disable for installation. You therefore can install a subset of the DSC Module distribution silently. Refer to the silent_install.txt file in the Bin directory on the LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control Module CD for more information about installing the DSC Module silently and about feature selection automation.
Refer to the LabVIEW Release Notes for more information about licensing in LabVIEW.
The NI OPC Servers application installed with the DSC Module provides a temporary license for a two-hour evaluation period. You must activate a valid license to continue using the NI OPC Servers application after the evaluation period expires.
Refer to the LabVIEW Help for programming concepts, step-by-step instructions, and reference information about the DSC Module 8.5 features. Access the LabVIEW Help by selecting Help»Search the LabVIEW Help.
By default, the LabVIEW Statistical Process Control Toolkit is installed when you install the DSC Module. Use the Statistical Process Control VIs to monitor, analyze, and control processes.
Refer to the readme_SPC.html file, available by selecting Start»All Programs»National Instruments»LabVIEW 8.5»Readme, for more information about using the Statistical Process Control Toolkit.
Use the NI OPC Servers application, available by selecting Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI OPC Servers»NI OPC Servers, to transfer data from industrial devices and systems to client applications on a host machine. The NI OPC Servers application enables data sharing between a variety of applications, such as human-machine interface software, manufacturing execution systems, and enterprise resource planning applications.
By default, the NI OPC Servers application is installed when you install the DSC Module. You have a temporary license for a two-hour evaluation period. If you do not activate the NI OPC Servers application license, this application runs in evaluation mode for two hours. When the evaluation period expires, you must activate a valid license to continue using the NI OPC Servers application.
Refer to the NI OPC Servers Help, available by selecting Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI OPC Servers»NI OPC Servers Help, for more information about activating and using the NI OPC Servers application.
Logging diagnostic information about OPC Client I/O servers can help you debug an OPC system. You can use the options on the Diagnostics page of the Configure OPC Client I/O Server dialog box to log diagnostic information about an OPC Client I/O server you create.
OPC Client I/O servers communicate with both LabVIEW and the Shared Variable Engine. The OPC Client I/O servers log this communication to HTML log files. The log files highlight communication activities in blue and communication errors in red. The log files also provide explanations of the communication errors. You therefore can use the log files to debug an OPC system.
In addition to supporting Boolean values and 16-bit unsigned integers, the Modbus and Modbus Slave I/O servers support other data types, including 16-bit signed integers, 32-bit signed and unsigned integers, 32-bit floating-point numbers, and arrays of these data types. These data types enable the Modbus and Modbus Slave I/O servers to access and update multiple Modbus points simultaneously.
EPICS, or the Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System, is a set of open-source software tools you can use to develop large, distributed control systems. EPICS systems use the Channel Access (CA) network protocol to pass data between EPICS clients and EPICS servers, also known as input/output controllers (IOCs). The CA network protocol is an Ethernet-based protocol.
The DSC Module acts as an EPICS client. With the DSC Module, you can monitor and update process variables that an IOC publishes using the CA network protocol. You can create an EPICS Client I/O server to read process variables from and write process variables directly to an IOC.
In the Project Explorer window, right-click a target, such as the My Computer target, and select New»I/O Server from the shortcut menu. In the Create New I/O Server dialog box, select EPICS Client and click the Continue button to create an EPICS Client I/O server.
Use the Multi-Segment Pipe control to represent real-world pipe networks that you need to monitor. Use the Multi-Segment Pipe control to reshape and resize an entire pipe network interactively. You can add pipe segments to this pipe network, remove pipe segments, and change the direction in which the flanges point. You also can change the color of the pipe network to customize what the pipe network represents.
The DSC Module 8.5 provides the following new VIs:
Use the Multiple Variable Editor window to configure a large number of shared variables at one time. Right-click a LabVIEW project library and select Edit Variables from the shortcut menu to display the Multiple Variable Editor window.
The Multiple Variable Editor window includes the following enhancements:
You no longer need to use the Multiple Variable Editor window to import or export shared variable configuration information to or from a spreadsheet file. To import the information, right-click a project library and select Import Variables from the shortcut menu. To export the information, right-click a project library and select Export Variables from the shortcut menu.
SharedVariableIO properties in the following categories are available in real-time operating systems.
The following items are known issues in the DSC Module 8.5.1.
| ID | Known Issue |
|---|---|
| — | If you have Windows Vista installed, you have restricted access to the system by default even if you log in as an administrator. Windows Vista sets part of the file system to read-only, and the DSC Module might not have sufficient access rights for some files. To ensure that datalogging to the Citadel database is successful, you must specify an appropriate database location to which the DSC Module has full access. By default, the DSC Module configures appropriate access rights for the labview\data folder and stores the database in that folder. If you want to store the database in a different folder, ensure that the folder meets the following requirements:
|
| — | If you have Windows XP installed, the DSC Module stores the Citadel database in the labview\data folder by default. If you want to store the database in a different folder, ensure that the folder is writable by the NETWORK SERVICE user. |
| — | If you have Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed, DSC Module networking does not function as expected. You must manually configure the Windows firewall Exceptions list and reboot the computer. Refer to the National Instruments Web site at ni.com/info and enter the info code exprc4 for more information about correcting this problem. |
| — | If you uninstall the DSC Module 8.5 and an earlier version of LabVIEW remains on the system, the earlier version of LabVIEW might try to repair itself the next time you open it. The repair process might remove any patches you installed for that version of LabVIEW. Make sure to reinstall any patches you have on the system after the repair finishes. In particular, LabVIEW might prompt you to repair the DSC Common Tools component. |
| — | The following installation and uninstallation procedures might prevent some I/O servers from functioning properly:
|
| — | The DSC Module does not support building DLLs with the Application Builder. |
| — | If you programmatically create or modify a LabVIEW library, you must modify the library in the context of a project. |
| — | If you configure a shared variable for data or event logging but the Shared Variable Engine cannot establish a connection to the database, the Shared Variable Engine triggers an alarm and logs the data to the default database. |
| — | When you use a third-party OPC client to connect to the National Instruments Variable Engine OPC server, the server name might appear as National Instruments Variable Engine and National Instruments Variable Engine.1. To ensure forward compatibility, select the National Instruments Variable Engine instance when configuring an OPC connection. |
| — | If you migrate an application from the DSC Module 7.x to the DSC Module 8.5, the application might perform less well than expected in the DSC Module 8.5. Refer to the National Instruments Web site at ni.com/info and enter the info code exzd8c for more information about this problem. |
| — | Enabling the Logging property of a deployed library does not log the current values of any shared variables in that library. The Shared Variable Engine logs all subsequent value changes based on logging deadband settings. |
| — | Browsing the National Instruments Variable Engine OPC server with an OPC 2.x client using the OPC_FLAT flag returns only the first seven levels of hierarchy. |
| — | The LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control Module Release and Upgrade Notes and the Getting Started with the LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control Module manual did not change for the DSC Module 8.5.1. Therefore, the content in the two documents does not reflect changes made in the DSC Module 8.5.1. |
| 4AO9CAV9 | The DSC Module OPC Client I/O server does not support non-Western character sets. |
| 3R8EFNKY | Network-published shared variables might not function properly if multiple network adapters are enabled on the same computer. If you have multiple network adapters enabled, you can force the Shared Variable Engine to use a specific adapter by adding the following lines to the C:\Windows\logos.ini file: [LOGOS] ServiceBindTo=xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx where xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx represents the MAC address of the network adapter. |
| 3XPC7K4J | When you save an online process to a library file, the security configuration on the process is lost. |
| 49ADBM61 | If you install the DSC Module 8.5 on a machine that already has the DSC Module 8.2 installed, LabVIEW 8.2 displays additional I/O servers in the I/O Server Type list of the Create New I/O Server dialog box. However, you cannot configure or use those additional I/O servers. |
| 3YE737V9 | Custom VI-based I/O servers that you create in LabVIEW 8.2 after you install the DSC Module 8.5 on the same machine do not work. |
| 4AO9F0V9 | The NI Keyboard Filter Driver does not support Windows x64. |
| 3O1DPHV9 | The NI HyperTrend ActiveX control might plot horizontal lines for unchanging item values. Scroll or zoom the NI HyperTrend display to remove the horizontal lines. |
| 47KCCTV9 | You cannot configure multiple front panel binding options for multi-element controls, such as clusters and charts. |
| 45MB0571 | If you use dots in library names, the NI Shared Variable Monitor does not show alarm information for shared variables. |
| 40D848V9 | In the Front Panel Binding Mass Configuration dialog box, you cannot import a front panel binding URL text file that contains single quotation marks in the binding path. |
| 454GITH7 | Invalid variable binding does not show a bad status alarm. |
| 43R8EEZU | You cannot log alarms to specific user folders in Windows Vista. |
| 4A4B57H7 | The Configure OPC Client I/O Server dialog box hangs if you browse a remote machine with the Windows Firewall enabled. |
| 49G47MQW | The watch list in Variable Manager might display incorrect values for some data types, such as Int8 and Int16. |
| 44PCSLH7 | The NI HyperTrend ActiveX control does not display shared variables of single type. |
| 3YDEUQV9 | Logging to a remote database might affect system performance. |
The following table lists bugs fixed in the DSC Module 8.5.1.
| Bug ID | Fixed Issue |
|---|---|
| 45794BQR | DataSet Marking Demo does not work on PC that is not attached to a network |
| 4AEAHT0S | OPC Client I/O server cannot work with item name which contains '.' |
| 4BJCNS61 | Online shared variable creation incorrectly creates variant data types |
| 4BU9K5HQ | Error when uninstalling SPC Toolkit |
| 4DN81H0S | In some case OPC I/O Server crashes variable engine when stopping processes |
The following table lists bugs fixed in the DSC Module 8.5.
| Bug ID | Fixed Issue |
|---|---|
| 3R9ES7HA | Front Panel Mass Binding cannot see controls inside a tab control |
| 3U87R7V9 | OPC Browsing errors undefined |
| 3UMCJPV9 | OPC Monad does not correctly detect "disconnections" (It should make use of Keep Alive feature or a heartbeat to detect disconnects) |
| 3UMCKQ00 | Need to add some array-type data items for Modbus I/O Server |
| 3YK9ESA1 | To support deploy multiple libraries programmatically |
| 3YMBP4V9 | Cannot programmatically set a RoC alarm on an analog value in library |
| 3YMBUSV9 | Cannot programmatically set an initial value for a U32 |
| 3ZJDSAV9 | Modbus IO server should use appropriate types for register ranges |
| 3ZKAUI4J | We should disable DSC specific feature packs for a variable created on RT target |
| 40L9SM0S | Deploy Library VI can NOT work correctly if the library file extension name is upper case |
| 40NGMMKZ | Multiple "shared variable value change notifications" being fired at start of VI |
| 43CAGFV9 | DSC Realtime trend should handle more numeric types and process errors correctly |
| 43CAKP00 | DSC Realtime trend should report actual error codes |
| 43FBJKV9 | Scaling in DSC 8.2 does not allow "inverse" scaling |
| 44OGBWQ | LV crashed when I inputted the path to the LV project file (.lvproj) to the "library path" input to "Deploy Library" by mistake |
| 45HGRQH7 | The scf migration failed to create Tags who belong to the second I/O group of an OPC server |
| 45HH2IV9 | Alarm Viewer doesn't acknowledge alarms using specified user |
| 45I9AV4J | shared variable events - Add the options to allow users to customize the changes they want |
| 45NH8KV9 | ActiveX Alarm Browser Takes Several Seconds to "Run" |
| 466ER800 | The Alarm Feature Pack dialog needs a way to configure the ability to generate an alarm on value change |
| 46FCGBIQ | Alarm goes away before it should |
| 484EJF00 | MVE – The Alarm Feature Pack dialog needs a way to configure the ability to generate an alarm on value change |
| 48T8BVH7 | Deploy library with relative path does not work on built app |
| 49ADNMV9 | Default Alert Viewer on the DSC palettes is pre-registered for processes |
| 49D98100 | Importing Tags with Empty Description Field From CSV Causes -1950679017 LabVIEW Invalid combination of feature packs |
Note: The previous tables do not include all the bugs fixed for the DSC Module 8.5.1 and DSC Module 8.5.
Copyright
© 2007 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.
Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of National Instruments Corporation.
In regards to components that use Citadel 5, the following copyright applies. Copyright © 1994 Hewlett-Packard Company. Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute and sell this software and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that the above copyright notice appears in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation. Hewlett-Packard Company makes no representations about the suitability of this software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.
Trademarks
National Instruments, NI, ni.com, LabVIEW, and Citadel are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation. Refer to the Terms of Use section on ni.com/legal for more information about National Instruments trademarks.
Other product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.
Patents
For patents covering the National Instruments products, refer to the appropriate location: Help»Patents in your software, the patents.txt file on your CD, or ni.com/patents.