LabVIEW

This is a TOTAL sandbox for all things LabVIEW. It will get more structure as time goes on...

• Module 1
  • VI: Virtual Instrument
  • DAQmx driver for NI DAQ devices
  • Front panel for UI, block diagram for code
• Module 2
  • Project Explorer - where things begin! And where files are managed!
  • lvproj, vi, and ctl extensions for projects, instruments, and controls
  • Help menu - woo!
  • Front Panel - user interface; controls and indicators (input and output) linked to diagram
  • Block Diagram - code of the vi; terminals, functions, nodes, and wires
  • Create project
  • Exercise at the end is a little more complicated than it should be...
• Module 3
  • Front panel
  • Controls supply data (knobs, buttons)
    • Boolean switches
    • Dials
  • Indicators show values (graphs, charts)
  • Right-click to add things; different styles
    • Numeric, boolean, strings, graphs
    • Drag to add to the panel and then label it
    • Right-click menu to modify
  • Numeric - can be complex!
  • Boolean - on or off
  • String - ASCII characters
  • List, Table, Tab, Enum, File
  • End of module exercise = VERY FRUSTRATING! No idea how to do it correctly.
• Module 4
  • Context help, Terminals, Nodes, Wires, Constants, Wiring Tool, Function Palette
  • Context help - hover; CTRL-H to toggle
  • Terminals - label names some in block diagram and front panel; rt click to unlabel in
  • Nodes - inputs and outputs (fcn, subvi, structures)
    • Structures - loops and case
  • Wires - transfer data - style and color depend on type and dimension
  • Constant - constant...obvi
  • Wiring tool - hover, spool of wire, click 1, click 2; View->Tools Palette\
  • End of module exercise = OMGWTFBBQ! Skip past the "Put the label on the thing" and the rest work fine
• Module 5
  • Node works only when all inputs available; output only when node done
  • Thankfully, these EOM work!
• Module 6
  • Express VIs - summaries, but overhead
  • Drivers for 3rd party
  • DAQ Assistant, Simulate Signal, Read From Measurement
  • Amplitude and Level, Statistics, Spectral, Tone, Filter
  • Write to measurement, Build Text
  • Indicators: Numeric, Chart, Graph - use Dynamic Data Type (dark blue)
  • Building - use DAQ Assistant from functions palette
  • Wait - why did the voice change?
  • Annnnnd the exercises reject the right answer but take a wrong answer. Uff. Annnnnd can't actually see the names of all the options. Dante must be proud.
• Module 7
  • This oughtta be good - "debugging?" ??
  • Run button broken is ultimate fail
  • Step into, over, out buttons for troubleshooting
  • Probe to check wire values
  • Error-out to error-in passes errors along; error handler VI at the end gets them all
• Module 8
  • Loops for repeating code, such as taking data
  • While loops and For loops
  • Programming->Structures->While; then draw box around code to loop
  • While loop conditional in bottom right - can be a stop or a go
  • While loop iteration terminal at bottom left
  • Loop tunnels pass information outside of loop
  • For loop count terminal at top left
  • Shift registers to store information from prior
  • Waveform chart will keep track of all iterations of data graphically
• Module 9
  • Use input values to determine what subdiagrams to use
  • Structures->Case and draw it around
  • Selector at bottom left (green); adapt based on actual input type
• Module 10
  • Data structures - arrays (similar types) and clusters (different types)
  • Array Shell - put the indicator in - can change to 1D and then 2D
  • Waveform graph can display array data
  • Bundles make cluster wires; unbundle splits out; Cluster, Class, and Variant; "by name" version can be helpful
  • Front Panel: Array Matrix and Cluster Palette -> add indicators and get a cluster in Block Diagram