LabVIEW Crashes or Hangs When Adding Real-Time Target to Project

Issue Details

• When I try to add a Real-Time (RT) target to my LabVIEW project, LabVIEW hangs and becomes unresponsive. I have to kill LabVIEW from Task Manager. What causes this?
• I am trying to add my CompactRIO (cRIO) to a LabVIEW project using an IP address. However, LabVIEW crashes when I do so. How can I troubleshoot this?

Solution

This behaviour can be caused by several factors including:

• Firewall and security blocks.
• Network connectivity issues.

Follow the steps below to narrow down the root cause and resolve the issue:

1. Check if the RT target is detected in NI Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) correctly.
   • If the device is not detected, refer to NI CompactRIO or Network Device Doesn't Show Up or is Missing in MAX.
2. If the RT target is connected directly to the host PC's Ethernet port, configure the network settings so that:
   1. The host PC and RT target are on the same subnet.
   2. The host PC to RT target network is private.
3. If the RT target is connected to the building network, ensure that the connection is as direct as possible.
   • Network switches or hubs can cause the connection to be unreliable.
4. If the RT target has a USB connection, connect to the host PC over USB instead.
   • This will identify whether the problem is specific to Ethernet. Refer to your device's user manual for USB connection instructions.
5. Ensure that the necessary ports have been allowed through the firewall.
   1. If using a cRIO, refer to What Ports Do I Need to Open on My Firewall for Communicating with CompactRIO?
   2. For other RT targets, the required ports can be identified by reading through Configuring Software and Hardware Firewalls to Support NI Products.
6. If using any third party security or anti-virus software, temporarily disable it to verify if this is blocking the device's communication with LabVIEW.
7. If another RT target is available, try connecting to this instead.
   • If the problem is not present on other devices, consider reformatting the problematic device.
8. Check the connection with another cable, in case the USB or Ethernet cable is damaged.