Programs lock up when DMD is reading from a PLC

[OrionHE]

Windows 10 Pro, latest updates
DMD 2.0.3, and all previous versions
Surface Pro 4 and previous HP laptop

If I connect to a PLC and read its program into memory, whatever the last program/app I was using becomes intermittently unusable. In the case of reads over the internet, some of these intervals can last 20 seconds or more.

I have tested this with Wunderlist, Calculator, Microsoft Edge, and Google Chrome.

I can render a video file, audio file, or composite image without freezing other applications. What is it about DMD that insists on hampering my usage of other programs? Task manager doesn't seem to indicate anything during the freezes, and I can continue to use other programs as long as they weren't the immediately prior application.

[BobO]

Not sure. I see the same thing. We'll dig into it.

[OrionHE]

Thank you. I await your findings (and fixes).

[OrionHE]

I figure enough time has passed that it's ok to bring this up again. DMD still locks me out of other programs during the connecting part of DMD to a PLC. Can it not do that?

[OrionHE]

Necro bump to show appreciation.

From Updates.pdf

PLC Communication ? enhanced Windows responsiveness during PLC read/write project operations (5772).

[BobO]

Necro bump to show appreciation.

From Updates.pdf

PLC Communication ? enhanced Windows responsiveness during PLC read/write project operations (5772).

It isn't perfect, but it's much improved. And you're welcome!

[OrionHE]

Is this the one!!??

Communication ? reduced lockups across multiple online Designer instances (6828); startup of
the Communication Server does not disable Windows Desktop or top window (6843).

[franji1]

Is this the one!!??

Communication ? reduced lockups across multiple online Designer instances (6828); startup of
the Communication Server does not disable Windows Desktop or top window (6843).

The timing windows for "deadly embrace" have been greatly reduced, however there is still an issue with I/O System View Online Status, which we are close to addressing.

Interestingly enough, when we tried to duplicate the 2.9 issue in the current 2.10.1 Production Release with the "same" I/O System View Status as 2.9, we could NOT lock it up (something we can easily do with Designer 2.9.4).  Could it be that the "other" fixes that we addressed in 2.10 helped a lot more than we thought?  Maybe.  Regardless, we know the current I/O System View Status is doing things that should not be done, so we are continuing our "adjustment" of I/O System View status - TBD.

So Caveat Emptor with Online Status of I/O System View in 2.10.1.

[OrionHE]

Thanks for the info and the update!

[franji1]

One thing we can try to help understand what is going on is to generate a dump file whenever the lockup occurs.  This can be done by running a special version of Task Manager that is for 32 bit applications (like Designer).

After Designer 2.10 "hangs", run the 32 bit version of Task Manager ? THIS IS NOT THE VERSION THAT NORMALLY RUNS ON WINDOWS 64 BIT!!!

1.   Browse to c:\Windows\SysWOW64 and look for the file Taskmgr.exe.  Double click on it to launch it.  This step is critical (this is NOT the normal "task manager").
2.   Once the 32 bit version of Task Manager is running, click on the Details tab and sort the list by Name.
3.   Look for DmDesigner.exe
4.   Right click on DmDesigner.exe to bring up the context menu, and in the bottom half of the menu, click on the Create dump file menu option.
5.   Repeat step 4 for CSMainDm.exe to generate a .dmp file for the comm server app.

The files are probably too large to email, so we will have to use a different way for us to get those two files (I can temporarily share a One Drive folder, for example).  Let me know when you have the .dmp files ready.