HypervisorInstallationGuide_WindowsV13.pdf (1.0 MB) v1.3
Versions
| Version | Date | Comment | Edited by | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Oct 7, 2019 | First Edition | Brittany Langston | |
| 1.1 | Oct 16, 2019 | Indicated AS4.7 improvements, improved AHCI driver update section | Brittany Langston | |
| 1.2 | Nov 14, 2019 | Updated minimum BIOS requirements | Brittany Langston | |
| 1.3 | June 7, 2022 | Moved system requirements into document. Moved troubleshooting and FAQ to appendices. Validated accuracy of document. | Chris Hairston |
1 Introduction
B&R Hypervisor makes it possible to run B&R Automation Runtime parallel to Windows or Linux on a B&R PC. Each operating system runs directly and exclusively on the hardware allocated to it. All of the configuration for Hypervisor is done in Automation Studio.
The purpose of this document is to provide a step-by-step guide for B&R Hypervisor installation with Windows as the GPOS. It is assumed that the user has basic knowledge of B&R systems and Automation Studio.
For a full overview of the details and theory behind B&R Hypervisor, refer to the following location in the AS Help: Real-time operating system → Target systems → Target systems – SG4 → B&R Hypervisor
2 Prerequisites
Before you get started with the Hypervisor installation, verify that you are using supported hardware / software and that you have the necessary accessories at your disposal.
2.1 Required Software
B&R Hypervisor is available beginning with the following Automation Studio / Automation Runtime versions, depending on your target:
| PLC Family | Minimum AS / AR Versions |
|---|---|
| PC9xx | AS 4.4 / F4.44 |
| PC21xx | AS 4.4 / F4.44 |
| PC31xx* | AS 4.4 / B4.45, AS 4.5 / A4.52 |
| PC22xx | AS 4.6 / E4.61 |
- requires hardware upgrade 2.0.0.0 or newer
Required Hardware
x86 architecture with BIOS/CSM support
At least one logical CPU must be available for each configured operating system
RAM: 4 GB (technically 2 GB can be sufficient, but 4 GB is highly recommended)
2.3 GPOS
GPOS stands for General Purpose Operating System. The GPOS (either Windows or Linux) runs parallel to ARembedded. The GPOS must already be installed on the target system prior to Hypervisor installation.
Supported GPOSs:
Windows 10 2016 64bit (legacy boot)
Windows 10 2016 64bit (UEFI boot). Supported with AS4.7 and up.
Windows 10 2019 64-bit (UEFI boot)
This installation guide is designed for the case that Windows is the GPOS. If you need the installation guide for Linux as the GPOS, please contact the B&R Support team (Section 6).
2.4 Necessary Accessories
USB mass storage device (note that all existing contents will be overwritten!)
USB keyboard
A USB hub is helpful if your PC only has 2 USB ports total (e.g. the PC2100 / PC2200)
2.5 Hardware Specific Requirements
See Appendix A.
3 Steps to Install Hypervisor
3.1 Update the BIOS (if necessary)
If your MTCX version is insufficient, then it will be updated when Hypervisor is installed. On the contrary, if your BIOS version is insufficient, then you must update this manually.
Determine the minimum required BIOS version for your PC according to the chart below. This information can also be found in the Help at the following path:
Real-time operating system → Target systems → Target systems – SG4 → B&R Hypervisor → Configuration and installation → Preparations for installation
| PC Family | Minimum BIOS Version |
|---|---|
| PC9xx-TS77 | 1.27 |
| PC9xx-TS17 | 1.14 |
| PC21xx | 1.40 |
| PC31xx | 1.12 |
| PC22xx | 1.05 |
Determine what keystroke is required to enter the BIOS on your PC. Refer to the chart below:
| PC Family | Key to Enter BIOS |
|---|---|
| PC9xx | F2 or Del |
| PC21xx | F2 |
| PC31xx | F2, Del or Esc |
| PC22xx | F2, Del or Esc |
Cycle power on the PC. Repeatedly press the key identified in Step 2 while the PC is booting to enter the BIOS.
The BIOS version can be viewed on the Main page of the BIOS with no additional user input for all PCs except for the PC2100. In the case of the PC2100, on the Main page you must click Enter on “System Information” and then you will see the BIOS version.
If your BIOS version is less than the required BIOS version identified in Step 1, then it needs to be updated before Hypervisor is installed. If your BIOS version is already sufficient, skip to Section 3.2.
The BIOS upgrade files and steps to perform the BIOS upgrade can be found on the B&R website (www.br-automation.com). Click the Downloads tab, then specify your PC family. For example, for the PPC2100:
You may have to click “Load more” at the bottom of the download results to find the BIOS and User’s Manual. Then the BIOS will appear in the list:
The manual will be found in the documentation section:
The steps to update the BIOS are included in the PC User’s Manual. Refer to the “Software” chapter and update the BIOS.
After the BIOS update is complete, repeat Steps 2 & 3 to go back into the BIOS in preparation for Section 3.2.
3.2 Configure the BIOS
At this point you should still be in the BIOS of your PC. If not, repeat Section 3.1 Steps 2 & 3 to enter the BIOS. Then:
Restore BIOS defaults by pressing “F9” followed by “Enter”.
Navigate to Appendix A or the following location in the AS Help to identify the required BIOS settings for your PC for Hypervisor:
Real-time operating system → Target systems → Target systems – SG4 → B&R Hypervisor → Configuration and installation → Preparations for installation
Make the necessary changes in the BIOS.
Press “F10” to save changes and exit the BIOS. Wait for the PC to boot back into the Windows.
3.3 Shrink the Windows Volume
The size of the Windows volume needs to be decreased to make space for ARembedded.
Open the Start Menu and expand “Windows Administrative Tools”. Click “Computer Management”. Then select “Disk Management” on the left.
Right-click on the Windows volume and select “Shrink Volume…”
Wait a few seconds for the shrink space to be analyzed by the disk manager.
Shrink the volume by at least 1024 MB (2048 MB is recommended). Then click “Shrink”.
Note that the maximum size you can shrink the volume by is displayed in the pop-up as “Size of available shrink space in MB”. You cannot shrink the volume by more than this value.
Afterwards, you will see unallocated space on your disk. The size of the unallocated space will match the shrink size that was set in Step 4. This unallocated space is what will be used by ARembedded. Close the Computer Management window.
3.4 Install ADI 1.2 or Newer
Download the ADI driver from the B&R website. The minimum required version is 1.2, but it is recommended to use the latest version.
The ADI driver can be found on the B&R website (www.br-automation.com). For example, for the PPC2100:
The resulting download will be a .zip file.
Copy the .zip file onto a USB drive. Plug the USB drive into the B&R PC and copy/paste the .zip file locally onto the PC (e.g. on the Desktop). Unzip the file. Then run the installer.
3.5 Replace AHCI Driver (PC910 TS17 and PC3100 ONLY)
If you have a PC910 with a QM170/HM170/CM236 chipset (TS17) or a PC3100, you must replace the Intel AHCI driver with the standard driver from Microsoft. If you have any other PC, skip to Section 3.6.
Open the Device Manager by right-clicking on the Windows Start menu and selecting “Device Manager”. Then expand “IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers”:
Right click on the SATA AHCI Controller and select “Update Driver Software…”. Note that the exact description of the SATA AHCI Controller will vary depending on your PC family.
Select “Browse my computer for driver software”.
Select “Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer”.
Check the box to “Show compatible hardware”. Then select “Standard SATA AHCI Controller” from the list. Then click Next to update the driver.
You will see a message indicating that the driver updated successfully. Click Close.
Restart Windows.
3.6 Plan Ethernet and USB Interfaces
The physical Ethernet and USB ports on the B&R PC must be assigned to either ARembedded or Windows. They cannot be accessed by both operating systems. Therefore, at this point you must decide which interfaces will correspond to which operating system. Take note of the following:
At least one USB port must be assigned to ARembedded
At the moment, any USB ports integrated into the panel will always be assigned to the GPOS
You must use a USB port which is assigned to ARembedded for your Technology Guard dongle
For example, the PPC2100 has two Ethernet ports and two USB ports. Therefore, one of each port can be assigned to each operating system:
| Interface | Address | Example OS Assignment |
|---|---|---|
| ETH1 | IF3 | ARemb |
| ETH2 | IF4 | Windows |
| USB1 | IF5 | ARemb |
| USB2 | IF6 | Windows |
3.7 Configure the Automation Studio Project for Hypervisor
At this point it is assumed that an Automation Studio project has been created with the relevant hardware.
Confirm that the correct PC hardware has been set in the Physical View.
Open the CPU configuration (Physical View, right-click on CPU, select “Configuration”). At the bottom, expand “B&R Hypervisor configuration” and make two changes:
Set “Activate B&R Hypervisor” to “on”.
Set the “Size of DRAM” to a value between 256 MiB and 2048 MiB. This corresponds to the amount of DRAM assigned to ARemb. The remaining DRAM on your PC gets assigned to Windows.
For example, a 5PPC2100.​BY48-000 has 8GB of DRAM (refer to the Technical Data of the datasheet). If 1GB is assigned to ARembedded in the CPU configuration, then 7GB are left for Windows.
Note that Windows 10 IoT LTSB 2016 64bit requires 2 GB of RAM dedicated to itself in order to function properly. Therefore, make sure you do not assign DRAM to ARemb in such a way that < 2 GB remains for Windows.
Assign the Ethernet interfaces according to the planning from Section 3.6. To do so:
From the Physical View, right click on an Ethernet interface and select “Configuration”.
Assign the interface to either ARembedded or Windows (GPOS) via the “Operating system” dropdown.
If you assign the interface to ARembedded, set the IP parameters as needed for the application. This will be the IP address that you use to connect to ARembedded via Automation Studio.
Repeat for all Ethernet interfaces.
Assign the USB interfaces according to the planning from Section 3.6. To do so:
From the Physical View, right click on a USB interface and select “Configuration”.
Assign the interface to either ARembedded or Windows (GPOS) via the “Operating system” dropdown.
Repeat for all USB interfaces. Remember that at least one USB interface must be assigned to ARembedded.
Any interfaces that are assigned to the GPOS (Windows) will appear grayed out in the Physical View and will be indicated by “–> GPOS” (with the exception of USB ports integrated directly into the panel).
3.8 Generate the Hypervisor USB Install Drive
Plug a USB drive into your development PC. Any USB flash drive (USB2.0 or USB3.0) with sufficient storage space will suffice. Note that in the following steps, all of the existing contents of the USB drive will be destroyed. Be sure to copy any pertinent files from the USB drive to another storage medium as needed.
Rebuild the project (Project → Rebuild Configuration). After the build completes, select “Don’t Transfer” on the transfer pop-up.
Go to “Project” → “Project Installation” → “Create USB Install Drive”.
In the resulting pop-up, confirm the drive letter corresponding to your USB drive has been selected in the drop-down. Then click “Install on application storage”. You will then see a pop-up reminding you that the USB drive will be formatted and all existing data will be lost. Click “Yes” to this pop-up.
Once the install finishes, click “Close”. Remove the USB drive from your development PC.
3.9 Install the B&R Hypervisor Driver
The B&R Hypervisor Driver installer was automatically added to your USB drive when you created the Hypervisor USB Install Drive in Section 3.8. To install:
Plug the USB drive into the PC and boot the PC into Windows.
Copy/paste the Hypervisor driver installer from the USB drive onto the PC (e.g. the Desktop). The installer will be located on the USB drive at the following path:
D:\BRHypervisor\GPOSDrivers\Windows
Run the installer (BRHypervisor_x64_1.3.0.1.exe).
3.10 Install Hypervisor
Shut down Windows and power down the B&R PC.
Plug the USB drive that was prepared in Section 3.8 into a USB port which was assigned to ARembedded in Section 3.7 Step 4 . This is very important: you must plug the USB drive containing the Hypervisor installation into a USB port which is assigned to ARembedded. Hypervisor will not install properly if you plug the USB drive into a USB port which is assigned to Windows!
Determine what keystroke is required to enter the boot menu on your PC. Refer to the chart below:
| PC Family | Key to Enter Boot Menu |
|---|---|
| PC9xx | F11 |
| PC21xx | F5 |
| PC31xx | Esc or F2 |
| PC22xx | Esc or F2 |
Power up the PC. Repeatedly press the key identified in Step 3 while the PC is booting to enter the Boot Menu.
Once you are in the Boot Menu, select the USB drive from the list. This will cause the B&R PC to boot from the USB drive.
You will see a black screen with a lot of vertically scrolling white text. Wait for this process to finish.
Next, you will see a box with two options. Highlight option 1 for “Install” and press Enter to select this option.
On the subsequent selection box, highlight “Install” and press Enter.
On the final message box, press Enter to trigger the PC to restart:
Hypervisor is installed. This process will take at least 4 minutes. The PC will reboot 5 times. Once installation is complete, the PC will boot back into Windows.
If the PC does not boot back into Windows after about 10 minutes, refer to Section 4 for troubleshooting steps.
3.11 Connect to ARembedded via Automation Studio
Now that Hypervisor is installed, ARembedded can be accessed via Automation Studio just like a standard ARembedded target (i.e. X20CPU). Go to to “Online” → “Settings” to either manually connect to the IP address that you configured in Section 3.7 Step 3c or browse for the target. If you have trouble connecting to ARembedded, contact B&R Support (refer to Section 6).
4 Appendices
4.1 Appendix A – Hardware Specific BIOS/UEFI Setting Requirements
4.1.1 xPC9xx-TS77
APC910 (TS77)
Main BIOS Version: ≥ 1.27 (menu path: Main)
MTCX Version: ≥ 1.24
ARemb Upgrade: ≥ F4.44
Automation Studio: ≥ V4.4 (V4.8.2 for 5PC910.SX03-00 )
Real-time environment: Enabled (menu path: Advanced / OEM features)
Intel Virtualization Technology: Enabled (menu path: Advanced / CPU configuration)
Hypervisor environment: Enabled (menu path: Advanced / OEM features)
Boot option sorting method: UEFI and Legacy (menu path: Boot / Boot configuration)
PPC900 (TS77) (Same as APC unless otherwise noted)
Main BIOS version: ≥ 1.26 (menu path: Main)
Additional information for APC910 & PPC900 (TS77):
Hardware support for virtualization technology (main BIOS version <1.30)
Hardware support for hypervisor operation (main BIOS version ≥1.30) (recommended)
UEFI GPOS is not supported on the target system.
4.1.2 xPC9xx-TS17
APC910 & PPC910 (TS17)
Main BIOS Version: ≥ 1.27 (menu path: Main)
MTCX Version: ≥ 1.24
ARemb Upgrade: ≥ F4.44
Automation Studio: ≥ V4.4 (V4.8.2 for 5PC910.SX03-00 )
Real-time environment: Enabled (menu path: Advanced / OEM features)
Hypervisor environment: Enabled (menu path: Advanced / OEM features)
Additional information for APC910 & PPC900:
Hardware support for virtualization technology (main BIOS version <1.16)
Hardware support for hypervisor operation (main BIOS version ≥1.16) (recommended)
4.1.3 xPC2100
APC2100 & PPC2100
Main BIOS Version: ≥ 1.27 (menu path: Main)
MTCX Version: ≥ 1.13
ARemb Upgrade: ≥ F4.44
Automation Studio: ≥ V4.4
Real-time environment: Enabled (menu path: Advanced / OEM features)
Hypervisor environment: Enabled (menu path: Advanced / OEM features)
Additional information for APC2100 & PPC2100:
Hardware support for virtualization technology (main BIOS version <1.40)
Hardware support for hypervisor operation (main BIOS version ≥1.40) (recommended)
Set the boot type according to the GPOS (see Windows system information - BIOS mode (UEFI or previous version (Legacy)))
4.1.4 xPC2200
APC2200 & PPC2200
Main BIOS Version: ≥ 1.05 (menu path: Main)
MTCX Version: ≥ 1.05
ARemb Upgrade: ≥ F4.63
Automation Studio: ≥ V4.6.2
Real-time environment: Enabled (menu path: Advanced / OEM features)
Hypervisor environment: Enabled (menu path: Advanced / OEM features)
EFI device first (menu path: Boot): Dependent on GPOS Type
Legacy Boot: Disabled
UEFI Boot: Enabled
Additional information for APC2200 & PPC2200:
Set the boot type according to the GPOS (see Windows system information - BIOS mode (UEFI or previous version (Legacy)))
4.1.5 xPC3100
APC3100 & PPC3100
Main BIOS Version: ≥ 1.12 (menu path: Main)
MTCX Version: ≥ 4.19
ARemb Upgrade: ≥ B4.45
Automation Studio: ≥ V4.4.5
Real-time environment: Enabled (menu path: Advanced / OEM features)
Hypervisor environment: Enabled (menu path: Advanced / OEM features)
EFI device first (menu path: Boot): Dependent on GPOS Type
Legacy Boot: Disabled
UEFI Boot: Enabled
Additional information for APC3100 & PPC3100:
Set the boot type according to the GPOS (see Windows system information - BIOS mode (UEFI or previous version (Legacy)))
4.2 Appendix B - Hyperthreading
Starting with Automation Runtime A4.71, hyperthreading can be used if the hardware supports it. To do this, setting “Real-time environment” must be disabled. This enables hyperthreading in a hypervisor system and preserves all other settings necessary for real-time operation. Automation Runtime also uses a physical core exclusively for hyperthreading. It is possible to enabled “shared mode” in Automation Runtime A4.91 and later.
4.3 Appendix C – FAQ
A few frequently asked questions are listed below. For an additional list of FAQ, refer to the AS Help:
Real-time operating system → Target systems → Target systems – SG4 → B&R Hypervisor → FAQ
4.3.1 How to Uninstall Hypervisor
To uninstall Hypervisor, repeat Section 3.10 steps 1 – 5 using the same USB drive you used to install Hypervisor. After you boot from the USB stick you will see the menu shown below. Select option 1 to “Deinstall” Hypervisor and press Enter. After uninstallation is complete, the PC will reboot.
4.3.2 What is ETHinternal?
ETHinternal is a virtual Ethernet port which provides a connection between ARembedded and Windows. By default, ETHinternal is configured to act as a DHCP server. It can be used to assign the IP addresses to the Ethernet ports on the Windows side (provided that they are configured to receive their IP addresses from a DHCP server). This interface can be used to communicate via sockets, with the AsTCP and AsUDP libraries.
4.3.3 Why does Windows reboot when AR restarts?
ARembedded is not affected when Windows is restarted. However, if ARembedded is restarted (via a warm restart, for example), then Windows will restart. The reason this happens is because a power fail is executed by AR, which prompts the GPOS to also shut down.
This behavior only occurs if the application was developed with AS 4.4 – AS 4.6. The behavior was improved with AS4.7 so that a restart of ARembedded does not trigger a restart of Windows.
4.3.4 How do you access the mapp View visualization?
There are no differences in the way that mapp View is developed or configured in the Automation Studio project when Hypervisor is in use. Once the project has been transferred to ARembedded, the mapp View visualization can be accessed on the Windows side by using the IP address of ETHinternal in Google Chrome.
If you are connecting to mapp View using an external client, then connect to an Ethernet port assigned to ARembedded and use the IP address of that ARembedded Ethernet port. If you only have the option to connect to an Ethernet port which is assigned to Windows, then contact the B&R Support team (Section 6) for the additional steps required to access the mapp View visualization.
4.3.5 Why can’t I repartition the target via transfer?
With a UEFI hypervisor system, there is a limitation that prevents repartitioning from being performed while the system is running. This limitation is not present with legacy boot. Refer to the chart below:
4.4 Appendix D – Troubleshooting Tips
If Hypervisor does not install properly, check the following points in the provided order:
4.4.1 Confirm the USB Port
Confirm that the USB port you have plugged the Hypervisor Install Drive into has been assigned to ARembedded. Refer to Section 3.7 Step 4. If you try to install Hypervisor on a USB port that is assigned to Windows, then the installation will hang on a black screen with white text. The last line will likely read “/OS/1 Booting runtime 0” or “/OS/1 I/O access blocked”.
4.4.2 Re-generate the USB Install Drive
Repeat Section 3.8 (Generate the Hypervisor USB Install Drive) and 3.10 (Install Hypervisor). Sometimes this is all it takes to get Hypervisor to install correctly.
4.4.3 Try a Different USB Drive
Repeat Section 3.8 but use a different USB drive. Make sure it is not only a different drive, but also a different brand from the one you initially tried. Then repeat Section 3.10.
4.4.4 Check the BIOS
Confirm that the BIOS settings were set correctly (refer to Section 3.2).
4.4.5 Confirm the Hardware Configuration
Confirm that you configured the correct hardware for the PC in the Physical View of the Automation Studio project. If you did not, then correct the error and repeat Section 3.8 and 3.10.
4.4.6 Try a Different USB Port
Try installing Hypervisor via a different USB port on the PC. Note that this may require you to change some settings in the Automation Studio project and regenerate the USB install drive, since the USB port that you use for installation must be assigned to ARembedded. Refer to Section 3.7 Step 4.
4.4.7 Check the Available Log Files
There are three log files that can be consulted if Hypervisor does not install properly:
There will be a log file on the root directory of the USB drive called “install_log.txt”.
There will be another log file in the root directory of one of the partitions on the CFast card, called “log.txt”.
Depending on how far AR was able to boot, you may be able to get the AR log file from AS or the SDM.
Check all logs that are available to you for errors or information which point to the problem. Depending on the situation, you may only have 1 or 2 of these logs at your disposal. If anything in the logs is unclear, contact the B&R Support team (see Section 6) and provide any available logs.
4.5 Appendix E – B&R Support
If you run into any problems installing Hypervisor which are not clarified by this document, please contact the B&R Support team.
Email: Support.US@br-automation.com
Phone: 770-807-8737
Hours:
Mon-Thurs: 8AM-6PM ET
Fri: 8AM-5PM ET