Network Configuration Dialog Box
Select Tools»Real-Time Module»Configure Time-triggered Network to open the Network Configuration dialog box.
Use the Network Configuration dialog box to configure a time-triggered network for deterministic communication using time-triggered shared variables. You must create the time-triggered shared variables before you can configure the time-triggered network.
This dialog box includes the following components:
- Check Configuration—Checks the current configuration of the time-triggered network for errors and displays them in the Errors text box. LabVIEW returns a conflict error if you attempt to deploy time-triggered shared variables to an RT target when the time-triggered network configuration contains errors.
- OK—Accepts the current configuration and closes the Network Configuration dialog box.
- Cancel—Rejects the current configuration and closes the Network Configuration dialog box.
This dialog box includes the following pages:
- Time-triggered Network—Click on the top-level network node to display the Time-triggered Network page. This page includes the following components:
- Network Speed—Specifies the speed of the deterministic network. The top speed of a time-triggered network is determined by the slowest speed of any target, switch, or hub in the network. The Network Configuration dialog box uses the Network Speed setting to calculate variable transmission times. LabVIEW returns an error at run time if the run-time speed of the network does not match the configured speed.
- 100 MBit—Specifies a 100 Mbps network.
- 1 GBit—Specifies a 1,000 Mbps, or gigabit, network.
- Cycle Time(us)—Specifies the length of a cycle for the communication schedule in microseconds.
- Shared Memory Reflection Start Time (us)—Specifies the time when the first target node in the time-triggered network begins to transmit, or reflect, data from shared memory blocks.
- SMBs Transmission Time (us)—Displays a calculation of the total time required to transmit all of the data in the shared memory blocks for all target nodes of the time-triggered network.
- Network Speed—Specifies the speed of the deterministic network. The top speed of a time-triggered network is determined by the slowest speed of any target, switch, or hub in the network. The Network Configuration dialog box uses the Network Speed setting to calculate variable transmission times. LabVIEW returns an error at run time if the run-time speed of the network does not match the configured speed.
- Target—Right-click the top-level Time-triggered Network node and select an RT target from the Add Target shortcut menu to display the Target page. This page includes the following components:
- Master—Specifies whether the RT target is the master node.
- Target ID (6 chars)—Specifies a unique ID for the RT target within the time-triggered network. The default value for Target ID is the first six characters in the name of the RT target. You cannot configure two targets with the same Target ID. The length of the Target ID cannot exceed six characters.
- Adapter Speed—Specifies the speed of the RT target network adapter used for deterministic communication.
- 100 MBit—Specifies a 100 Mbps network.
- 1 GBit—Specifies a 1,000 Mbps, or gigabit, network.
- SMB Offset (us)—Displays the time when the shared memory block for the selected target node begins to transmit, or reflect, data.
- SMB Transmission Time (us)—Displays a calculation of the total time required to transmit all of the data in the shared memory block for the selected target node.
- Auto Select Ethernet Card—Use an Ethernet device with Mode set to Time-Triggered Network or an Ethernet device with a Mode set to Disabled. You can use the Advanced Ethernet Settings dialog box in Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) to configure additional Ethernet devices for an RT target and to configure the mode of the Ethernet devices. Refer to the Advanced Ethernet Settings topic of the Measurement & Automation Explorer Help for more information about the Advanced Ethernet Settings dialog box. The Network Configuration dialog box returns an error if no secondary Ethernet devices exist on the RT target.
- MAC Address—Specifies the MAC address of the RT target network adapter used for the time-triggered network. Returns an error if you select the MAC address of a restricted Ethernet device, such as the primary device.
- Time-triggered Variable—Click a time-triggered shared variable under an RT target to display the Time-triggered Variable page. This page includes the following components:
- SMB Variable—Specifies whether the time-triggered variable is a dedicated slot variable or shared memory block variable. The shared memory block variables of a target node transmit their data as a collection during a section of time in the network cycle. Dedicated slot variables transmit their data individually during a section of time in the network cycle.
- Offset (us)—Specifies the time when a dedicated slot variable begins to transmit data during the network cycle.
- Max Size (bytes)—Displays the maximum size of the variable data.
- Transmission Time (us)—Displays a calculation of the amount of time required to transmit the data for the variable during a network cycle.
- Timing Source—Right-click the top-level Time-triggered Network node and select Add Timing Source from the shortcut menu to display the Timing Source page. Use a timing source in a time-triggered network and the Create Time Triggered Network Timing Source VI to control the execution of timed structures. This page includes the following components:
- Timing Source Name—Specifies a unique name for the timing source of the deterministic network.
- Timing Source Type—Specifies the type of the timing source you want to create.
- Data Received—Triggers a start event when the Associated Variable receives new data and the data is ready to be read by the target. The timing source does not trigger a start event if the data received by the variable is not new data.
- Data Sent—Triggers a start event when the Associated Variable sends new data and the data is ready to be read by the destination target. The timing source does not trigger a start event if the data sent by the variable is not new data.
- Channel Start—Triggers a start event when the transmission of the variable data begins in the network schedule for the Associated Variable.
- Channel Stop—Triggers a start event when the transmission of the variable data ends in the network cycle for the Associated Variable.
- SMB Reflected—Triggers a start event when the shared memory block for the Target finishes reflecting, or sharing, data.
- SMBs Reflected—Triggers a start event when the shared memory blocks for the time-triggered network finish reflecting, or sharing, data. All the shared memory blocks in the time-triggered network must be available before the timing source triggers the initial start event. Cycles after the initial start event do not require all the shared memory blocks and will trigger after the last available block.
- Associated Variable—Specifies the dedicated slot variable used by the timing source. The selections available from the Associated Variable pull-down list change according to the Timing Source Type you select.
- Target—Specifies the target node to monitor when you select SMB Reflected from the Timing Source Type pull-down list.