The easiest and fastest way to reboot a Real-Time Target (RT) is to hit the Reset button located on the front of the controller. Sometimes this is not an option but there are many other ways to reset the device. This is not an inclusive list but will explore some of the more creative means of rebooting a RT Target. The methods below will be broken into three categories: Physical, Software, and Programmatic Methods.
Physical Methods:
- The Reset Button.
- Available in the front panel of your RT targets.
- Use a narrow tool such as a screwdriver or pen to push the reset button will reboot the RT Controller.
- For PXIe and cDAQ controllers with NI Linux RT OS you will also find the reset button on its front panel. Refer to the user manual of your target.
- Unplug the power chord of your RT target.
- This is sometimes overlooked as an option but is particularly useful in situations where the RT target is not as easily accessed as the power source.
Software Methods:
- NI Measurement & Automation Explorer (NI MAX).
- Access your RT target under Remote Systems and select restart option.
- Project Explorer.
- In a LabVIEW Project Explorer, right-click on a RT Target and go to Utilities >> Restart. Older LabVIEW versions show Reboot option instead.
- Shell Terminal.
- You can access your RT target shell by connecting a monitor to console out port or remotely through SSH session and run reboot command.
Programmatic Methods:
- For LabVIEW 2011 or older use the RT Restart Target VI from RT Utilites palette.
- With the LabVIEW Real-Time module installed, the Real-Time palette in LabVIEW has a RT Utilities sub-palette which includes the RT Restart Target VI.
- This VI can run on the RT Target to reboot itself or on a separate target to restart a RT target remotely.
- For LabVIEW 2012 or newer use the Restart VI from NI System Configuration Palette.
- You must have installed the NI System Configuration Driver
- This VI can run on the RT Target to reboot itself or on a separate target to restart a RT target remotely.
- FPGA Level Reboot.
- With the LabVIEW FPGA module installed, the FPGA target in a LabVIEW Project Explorer will include Chassis I/O which will include System Reset. The easiest way to use this feature is to drag and drop the System Reset onto a FPGA VI block diagram.
- This method only applies to cRIO and sbRIO targets.
