What is Compact FieldPoint?

National Instruments Compact FieldPoint is an easy-to-use, highly expandable industrial control and measurement system composed of rugged and dependable I/O modules and intelligent communication interfaces. Download your LabVIEW application to the embedded controller for reliable, stand-alone operation and connect your sensors directly to high-accuracy analog and discrete I/O modules. The Compact FieldPoint I/O modules filter, calibrate, and scale raw sensor signals to engineering units and perform self-diagnostics to look for problems, such as an open thermocouple. Compact FieldPoint network communication interfaces automatically publish measurements with an Ethernet network. Access I/O points nearby or miles away on the network using the same simple read/write software framework. Connect virtually any sensor type with the wide variety of I/O modules. The most common sensor types include thermocouples, RTDs, strain gauges, 4-20 mA sensors, and a variety of digital signals from 5-30 VDC and 0-250 VAC.

How do I select the components for my Compact FieldPoint rugged, intelligent I/O system?

Any Compact FieldPoint system consists of these components: Controller Interface, I/O Modules, Backplane, and Connector Blocks. Use our online product selection guide to build your Compact FieldPoint system in three easy steps.

What are the similarities and differences between the FieldPoint modular distributed I/O system and Compact FieldPoint rugged intelligent I/O system?

Similarities:

Only FieldPoint Modular, Distributed I/O:

Only Compact FieldPoint Rugged Intelligent I/O:

How do I get started performing measurements or controlling actuators with Compact FieldPoint?

Compact FieldPoint is very easy to use and allows you to quickly begin performing industrial control and measurement. Getting started is a simple two step process - one, configure the I/O using FieldPoint Explorer, and two, read or write the I/O. During configuration, you may wish to select the measurement units, for instance "-270 ?C to 1770 ?C " for a thermocouple input channel. Read or write the scaled measurements in FieldPoint Explorer or connect any LabVIEW control or indicator to an I/O channel by simply right-clicking, selecting Data Operations>DataSocket Connection, and then browsing to the I/O signal. For the highest performance and for embedded applications, use the FP Read and FP Write functions in LabVIEW, which are located on the FieldPoint palette. Download FREE FieldPoint Explorer

How do I perform data acquisition with Compact FieldPoint?

For easy wiring without the need for external cables or connector blocks, Compact FieldPoint connector blocks feature screw terminal connections. Once configured through the easy to use FieldPoint Explorer interface, the Compact FieldPoint bank automatically communicates with any networked supervisory computer running FieldPoint Explorer. In LabVIEW, you can connect any control or indicator to FieldPoint I/O with just a few mouse clicks. In this example, we demonstrate connecting a LabVIEW Waveform Chart to thermocouple input channel 0.

How do I embed my LabVIEW application on Compact FieldPoint for reliable stand-alone operation on the real-time controller?

Tight integration between the LabVIEW software environment and real-time hardware targets, such as Compact FieldPoint, make your control development process quick and easy. You can take advantage of powerful graphical development using industry-standard LabVIEW to rapidly implement your control system using an extensive palette of open-source functions and tools. First, develop on your Windows host computer using graphical programming blocks. Next, download the application to an embedded controller such the Compact FieldPoint cFP-2020. Finally, deploy your application for dependable long-term execution that performs reliability both with and without a network connection. Once deployed, you can access the embedded application through any web browser by connecting to the embedded Web server of the real-time PXI or real-time FieldPoint controller. View the online PID Control Tutorial.

How do I perform historical datalogging with Compact FieldPoint?

Historical datalogging is easy with Compact FieldPoint and the LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control module. In LabVIEW, navigate to Tools>Datalogging & Supervisory Control>Configure Tags. Then, select the tag names you would like to log into the historical measurement database. These tags can include both Compact FieldPoint channels, as well as third-party devices such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs) or other industrial devices. Finally, navigate to Tools>Datalogging & Supervisory Control>Monitor Tags. Get detailed information on historical datalogging.

How do I create a remote panel user interface for my embedded LabVIEW application?

Once the real-time application is running, view or control it with any authorized computer on the network from a Web browser using remote panels. Create a remote panel user interface for your LabVIEW application with just a few mouse clicks. View the online PID Control Tutorial.

Can I interface Compact FieldPoint to a supervisory host computer or SCADA software package?

Yes, Compact FieldPoint automatically publishes its I/O data to an OPC server located on the host computer used to configure the I/O bank. You receive this server free of charge with Compact FieldPoint, and it is integrated into the FieldPoint Explorer software. Most SCADA software packages for Windows support OPC, and most vendors of industrial I/O hardware provide OPC servers for their hardware. This makes it easy to integrate Compact FieldPoint with a wide variety of industrial I/O hardware such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and other industrial devices. You may use a third-party SCADA package or the LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control (DSC) Module. The LabVIEW DSC Module provides built-in tools for data management, automatic data logging, alarm and event logging, real-time and historical trending, networking, and security. These tools allow you to quickly develop distributed monitoring applications.

What are the benefits of developing my industrial control or measurement application using LabVIEW?

With LabVIEW, you can run your application on a host computer networked to FieldPoint hardware or, with a few mouse clicks, you can download and embed the application onto the real-time industrial processor. Whether executed on the host computer or embedded to a cFP-20xx controller, LabVIEW features powerful functionality and provides a highly-integrated environment for analog control system development, signal processing, embedded data logging, and many other applications. LabVIEW is a complete programming language that is highly customizable and easily tailored to your application needs. LabVIEW provides ease of use from top to bottom, which allows you to focus on your goals and objectives rather than the intricacies of a difficult programming language. Develop in LabVIEW allows you to simultaneously create the user interface and block diagram application code. LabVIEW provides a single software environment for embedded real-time control (LabVIEW Real-Time), networked PC-based control (LabVIEW for Windows), as well as SCADA (LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control). The NI Developer Suite includes all of these capabilities.

The PID Control Toolkit and real-time point-by-point analysis palettes in LabVIEW are modular building blocks that you can use to implement your control system with unlimited flexibility. In additional, both palettes are open source LabVIEW code that you can completely modify or view. Customers like Shell have found that this built-in power and flexibility are critical to the success of projects requiring custom control algorithms.

Do I need to install a new version of FieldPoint Explorer to use Compact FieldPoint?

Yes, you must install FieldPoint Explorer version 3.0.2 or higher. FieldPoint Explorer 3.0.2 also provides:

What installation, mounting, and cabling options do I have with Compact FieldPoint?

Compact FieldPoint provides a variety of installation and mounting options, including DIN rail wall mounting, panel mounting, and 19-in. rack mounting. In addition, National Instruments offers NEMA rated enclosures. For details, refer to the online Products and Services offering.

By using industry-standard 37-pin DSUB signal connectors, Compact FieldPoint offers a wide variety of connectivity options. The first option is to use a connector block that is installed directly into the Compact FieldPoint bank - the cFP-CB-1 (general purpose), or cFP-CB-3 (isothermal). If you are connecting to high voltage signals (UL CATII), you must use the cFP-CB-1 connector block. These integrated connector blocks provide screw terminal connections, a strain relief bar, cable tie slots, and a built-in CJC sensor for thermocouple measurements. The cFP-CB-3 is an isothermal connector block that provides the highest accuracy thermocouple measurements, although you can also use the cFP-CB-1 for thermocouples.

The second option is to use an external connector block that cables to the Compact FieldPoint bank, which you can install up to 2 m away on a DIN rail. In this configuration, you can use the SH-37M-37F, a 37pin male-to-female cable in 1 or 2 m lengths. National Instruments offers both horizontal (CB-37FH) and vertical (CB-37FV) external DIN rail mounting connector blocks.

The third option is to purchase another 37-pin connector block from a third party vendor, or to make a custom cable that connects directly to the external device, sensor, or actuator. You may create your own custom cable to connect Compact FieldPoint I/O modules to external devices, sensors, and actuators. The user manual for each I/O module includes a table that lists the pin assignments for each I/O signal. National Instruments also offers a 4 m cable with a 37-pin connector at one end and color-coded, pig-tail wires at the other. For details, consult the Compact FieldPoint Accessories Operating Instructions manual.

Does the RS-485 port on the cFP-2020 Controller support 2-wire or 4-wire mode?

The RS-485 port on the cFP-2020 Controller supports 4-wire mode only and does not support 2-wire mode.

Is the removable Compact Flash on the cFP-2020 hot-swappable?

No. You must restart the controller after changing the removable Flash on the cFP-2020 controller.

Can I add Compact FieldPoint to an industrial automation system that contains PLCs?

Yes, Compact FieldPoint makes it easy to add powerful control, measurement, data logging, and signal processing capabilities to systems containing PLCs. The LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control Module includes OPC servers for more than 100 industrial device types, making it easy to create a hybrid system containing many different devices and communication protocols.