Chapter 1
Introduction
1-4
ni.com
Optional Fieldbus Network Tools
Your kit includes either the NI-FBUS Communications Manager software,
the NI-FBUS Configurator software, or both. In addition, you can order
the NI-FBUS Monitor, LabVIEW DSC, and/or Lookout from National
Instruments. If you have not already done so, you also can order the
NI-FBUS Configurator.
The NI-FBUS Monitor helps you monitor and debug Fieldbus data traffic.
It is primarily used to debug the development of device and host
applications. It symbolically decodes data packets from the Fieldbus,
monitors the live list (devices currently on the bus), and performs statistical
analysis of packets.
Note
If you are using this interface as a bus monitor, the other interface (if this is a
two-port card) cannot be used for NI-FBUS. This means that you must have another link
master on the link—either another PCMCIA-FBUS card, or a device with link master
capabilities. An interface card can either run NI-FBUS software or NI-FMON software at
any given time. If the card has two ports, they both must have the same usage. This is
because a different stack is downloaded to the card for it to be used in conjunction with
NI-FMON. Your interface card must be running NI-FBUS to act as the Link Active
Scheduler. This means that if your interface card is the only link master on the link, you
cannot use that card for running NI-FMON (even if the card has two ports) since that would
leave the link without a link master. In this situation, you would need to obtain either a link
master field device or another link master interface card in order to use NI-FMON.
LabVIEW DSC helps you perform data acquisition and analysis, create
a human-machine interface (HMI), or develop an advanced supervisory
control application in a graphical development environment.
LabVIEW DSC includes real-time process monitoring, historical trending,
alarm and event reporting, online configuration, and PLC connectivity.
Lookout helps you create graphical representations on a computer screen
of real-world devices such as switches, dial gauges, chart recorders,
pushbuttons, knobs, sliders, and meters. After linking these images to your
field instruments, you can configure Lookout to generate alarms, log data
to disk, animate custom graphics, print reports, automatically adjust
setpoints, historically trend information, warn operators of malfunctions,
and so on.
