Extending LabVIEW to the Web Using the LabSocket System

Extending LabVIEWto the Web Using the

LabSocket System

John Bergmans, CLD

Bergmans Mechatronics LLC

Bay Area LabVIEW User Group Meeting

Santa Clara, CA

Nov 19, 2013

B e r g m a n s M e c h a t r o n i c s L L C

1616 Bedford Lane, Unit A bergmans.comNewport Beach, CA 92660 @jbergmans

http://bergmans.com/


Current Approaches to Remote LabVIEW Access1.Native Client App

• Use TCP/IP sockets, LabVIEW shared variables, or .NET, to transmit data between client and LabVIEW

• Requires custom client development and modifications to LabVIEW app

2.LabVIEW Remote Panels• Requires LabVIEW Run-Time Engine (RTE) and browser plug-in on client platform

3.LabVIEW Web Services• Data transferred between application and client using the HTTP request-

response model (REpresentative State Transfer (REST) architecture)• Requires development of client software using Web languages

eg. HTML/JavaScript

4.LabVIEW Web UI Builder (http://www.ni.com/uibuilder/)• Build and run apps in browser using reduced-capabiliy LabVIEW• Requires Silverlight plug-in (runs on Windows and Mac OS X)

5.Data Dashboard for LabVIEW• Requires development of user interface and linking UI to block diagram• Limited to iOS, Android, Windows 8 and Windows Phone devices

http://www.ni.com/uibuilder/


LabSocket System

Browser

LabSocket ServerPlatform

HTTP Server

Message Broker

“Target VI”

LabSocket Support VIs

LabVIEW Host Platform

Browser

Browser

WebSocket Interface

(Over TCP-IP)

HTML5 WebSockets enable automatic replication of LabVIEW front panel in a browser without plug-ins


Startup- LabVIEW Front Panel screenscrape, send HTML and JavaScript code to HTTP server

Continous Operation- Transmit updates of LabVIEW front panel to browser- Update LabVIEW front panel when user generates events in browser

TCP-IPSocket

Interface


Other Configurations

Browser

LabSocket ServerPlatform (VM)

HTTP Server

Message Broker

“Target VI”



Browser

Browser

WebSocket Interface

(Over TCP-IP)

TCP-IPSocket

Interface

Browser

LabSocket ServerPlatform (VM)

HTTP Server

Message Broker

“Target VI”



Browser

Browser

WebSocket Interface

(Over TCP-IP)

TCP-IPSocket

Interface

PC on LAN


Demo Configuration

Browser

LabSocket ServerPlatform

HTTP Server

Message Broker

“Target VI”


MacBook Pro

Browser

Browser

WebSocket Interface

(Over TCP-IP)

TCP-IPSocket

Interface

Server in San Jose, CA

Amazon EC2 Instancein Northern VA


Graphing

LabVIEW Front Panel Browser Representation


MultiColumn ListBoxes



LabSocket Start VITools Palette Context Help


Authentication• Authentication=T forces users to enter credentials • User authentication managed by ActiveMQ message broker


Moodle Integration

LabVIEW Front Panel LabSocket iframe in Moodle Lesson

• Option for integration with MOODLE Course Management System - https://moodle.org/

• application_type = moodle_integration places web page in moodle file structure

https://moodle.org/


Remote Cascade Lab - KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden)

GUI Main View Live Traverse Results

• Objective: to perform tests on turbine airfoils• LabVIEW software used to control test rig• LabSocket system enables lab testing to be performed

remotely using browser• Remote control of rig aided by use of web cam• 70 students have operated rig remotely with LabSocket

system to date (60 in groups of 3-6 and 10 individually)• Lab part of EU funded Virtual Campus Hub project

Additional information at: http://www.energy.kth.se/proj/projects/Remote_labs/RL/RL_website/RCL/RCL.html

http://www.energy.kth.se/proj/projects/Remote_labs/RL/RL_website/RCL/RCL.html

http://www.energy.kth.se/proj/projects/Remote_labs/RL/RL_website/RCL/Gallery/RCL_gallery.html


SportJury – First Commercial LabSocket Application

iPod touch browser screenshots

Swiss Snow Happening judges entering score data on iPod touch devices

Data aggregated on central PC

• Distributed, multi-user application for judging ski competitions• Used successfully at 2011 Swiss Snow Happening in Saas-Fee, Switzerland• Developed by Dynasys, D. Kölliker (Neuenegg, Switzerland) www.dynasys.ch

http://dynasys.ch/


“Multi-Pack” Systems for TEMPUS Program• TEMPUS: EU Program for modernization of higher education programs in Eastern

Europe, Central Asia, Western Balkans and Mediterranean - http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/tempus/

• “Multi-Pack” systems (eg. “Twin-Pack”, “Five-Pack”, etc) to be delivered as complete sets to TEMPUS partner university labs

• Integration with MOODLE Course Management System - https://moodle.org/

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/tempus/

https://moodle.org/


LabSocket-RTLabSocket for LabVIEW Real-Time


LabSocket-RT

HTTP Server

Message Broker

“Target VI” Copy


LabVIEW RT Host Platform

Browser

WebSocket Interface

(Over TCP-IP)

TCP-IPSocket

Interface

Block Diagram Interface VIs

“Target VI”

LabSocket-RT Converter

LabVIEW Development PC

“Target VI” Copy


Step 1 LabSocket-RT Converter copies HTML and JS to HTTP Server

Step 3 “Target VI” Copymanually deployed to RT Host

VM or Physical Server

Step 2 LabSocket-RT Converter inserts Block Diagram Interface

VIs into “Target VI” copy

• Special version for access to applications on LabVIEW Real-Time platforms

• Support for reduced set of Front Panel elements• Possible use case: RT application monitoring /

debugging


LabSocket-RT• Converter replaces front panel elements in block diagram with “Block

Diagram Interface VIs”

Demo1.vi Demo1_RT.vi



LabSocket-RT• LabSocket RT Converter modifies copy of Target VI block diagram• Start Converter from Tools > LabSocket RT > LabSocket RT Converter …• Target copy manually added to project, included in build, and deloyed to RT plaform

LabSocket RT Converter

LabVIEW RT Project


LabSocket-RT

Chrome Browser on Mac

Chrome Browser on iPhone

Demo1.vi Front Panel (Idle)

Screenshots


Closing Notes

• Coming soon: LabSocket on LabVIEW Tools Network

• Possible framework for custom or more complex applications

• Consider: LabVIEW / LabSocket as dynamic web authoring system (NoFlo alternative)

• What other applications can be enabled by WebSockets?


ContactJohn BergmansBergmans Mechatronics LLC

phone: 714-474-8956e-mail: [email protected]: bergmans.comtwitter: @jbergmans

More Information and Downloadable Demoslabsocket.com

mailto:[email protected]

https://twitter.com/%23!/jbergmans


Extra Slides


LabSocket Details

• Dynamically replicates LabVIEW front panel element values and properties such as color, visibility, disabled state, etc.

• Compatible with desktop and mobile browsers that have native WebSocket support (including Safari browser in iPhone, iPod touch and iPad). Option available for browsers without WebSocket support.

• Two possible architectures• Basic – one LabVIEW front panel replicated in one or more browsers• Multi-Client – multiple unique copies of a LabVIEW VI each connect to one or

more browsers

• Two platforms for LabSocket Server• Customer Server (LAN or cloud)• LabSocket Cloud

• Additional information and downloadable evaluation system at www.labsocket.com

http://labsocket.com/


Element Test VI



Waveform Charts



Waveform Graphs


Extending LabVIEW to the Web Using the LabSocket System

Technology

Transcript of Extending LabVIEW to the Web Using the LabSocket System