LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual - National Instruments
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual - National Instruments
Basics Manual
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
January 2000 Edition
Part Number 320997E-01
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Trademarks
DAQ-STC
, DAQCard
, DAQPad
, LabVIEW
, MITE
, National Instruments
, ni.com
, NI-DAQ
, NI-PGIA
, PXI
,
RTSI
, and SCXI
+
Vs
Vcm
Instrumentation Amplifier
Measured Voltage
Grounded Signal Source
Common Mode Voltage,
Ground Potential, Noise, etc.
20 MHz 214.748 s
100 kHz 11 h 55 m 49.67 s
DAQ-STC 20 MHz 838 ms
100 kHz 167 s
Am9513 1 MHz 65 ms
100 kHz 655 ms
10 kHz 6.5 s
1 kHz 65 s
100 Hz 655 s
8253/54 2 MHz** 32 ms
1 MHz** 65 ms
* You can obtain this timebase by calling the Counter Get Attribute VI.
** A DAQ device with an 8253/54 counter has one of these internal timebases available
on counter 0, but not both.
National Instruments Corporation 27-1 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
27
Measuring Frequency
and Period
This chapter describes the various ways you can measure frequencies and
periods of TTL signals using the counters on your DAQ device. One cycle
of a signal, known as the period, is measured in units of time, usually
seconds. The inverse of period is frequency, which is measured in cycles
per second or hertz (Hz). The rate of your signal and the type of counter
on your DAQ device determine whether you use frequency or period
measurement. An example of when you would want to know the frequency
of a signal is if you need to monitor the shaft speed of a motor.
Knowing How and When to Measure
Frequency and Period
A common way to measure the frequency of a signal is to measure the
number of pulses that occur during a known time period. Figure 27-1
illustrates the measurement of a pulse train of an unknown frequency (f
s
)
by using a pulse of a known width (T
G
). The frequency of the waveform
equals the count divided by the known pulse width (frequency = count/T
G
).
The period is the reciprocal of the measured frequency (period = 1/f
s
). You
typically use frequency measurement for high-frequency signals where the
signal to be measured is approaching or faster than the chosen internal
timebase.
Chapter 27 Measuring Frequency and Period
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual 27-2 www.ni.com
Figure 27-1. Measuring Square Wave Frequency
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC, Am9513
For period measurement, you count the number of pulses of a known
frequency (f
s
) during one period of the signal to be measured. As shown in
Figure 27-2, the signal of a known frequency is connected to the SOURCE,
and the signal to be measured is connected to the GATE. The period is the
count divided by the known frequency (T
G
= count/f
s
).
Figure 27-2. Measuring a Square Wave Period
You typically use period measurement for low-frequency signals where
the signal to be measured is significantly slower than the chosen internal
timebase. The internal timebases for the TIO-ASIC are 20 MHz, 100 kHz,
and a device-specific maximum timebase. The internal timebases for the
DAQ-STC are 20 MHz and 100 kHz. The internal timebases for the
Am9513 are 1 MHz, 100 kHz, 10 kHz, 1 kHz, and 100 Hz. Whether you
use period measurement or frequency measurement, you always can obtain
GATE
SOURCE (CLK)
OUT
Count Register
T
G
input of unknown
frequency, f
s
pulse of known width
GATE
SOURCE
OUT
Count Register
T
G
input of known
frequency, f
s
Chapter 27 Measuring Frequency and Period
National Instruments Corporation 27-3 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
the other measurement by taking the inverse of the current one as shown in
the following equations.
8253/54
The 8253/54 chip does not support period measurement, but you can use
frequency measurement for a pulse train and take the inverse to get the
period. The frequency examples discussed in this chapter calculate the
period for you.
Connecting Counters to Measure Frequency and Period
Figure 27-3 shows typical external connections for measuring frequency.
In the figure, your device provides the signal with the frequency to be
measured to the SOURCE (CLK) of counter. It optionally can control the
GATE of counter-1. The OUT of counter-1 supplies a known pulse to the
GATE of counter. Finally, counter counts the number of cycles of the
unknown pulse during the known GATE pulse.
Figure 27-3. External Connections for Frequency Measurement
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC, Am9513
Figure 27-4 shows typical external connections for measuring period.
In the figure, your device provides the signal with the period to be
measured to the GATE of counter. A timebase of known frequency is
supplied to the SOURCE. This usually is an internal timebase, but it can
be externally supplied. The counting range of your counter must not be
exceeded during the period measurement. The range of the Am9513 is
65,335; the range of the DAQ-STC is 16,777,216; and the range of the
TIO-ASIC is 2
32
1. If the counting range is exceeded, select a slower
internal timebase.
period measurement
1
frequency measurement
------------------------------------------------------------ =
frequency measurement
1
period measurement
--------------------------------------------------- =
Chapter 27 Measuring Frequency and Period
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual 27-4 www.ni.com
Figure 27-4. External Connections for Period Measurement
Measuring the Frequency and Period
of High-Frequency Signals
How you measure the frequency and period of high-frequency signals
depends on the counter chip on your DAQ device. If you are unsure of
which chip your DAQ device has, refer to your hardware documentation.
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC
The Measure Frequency-Easy (DAQ-STC) VI located
in labview\examples\daq\counter\DAQ-STC.llb uses the Easy VI,
Measure Frequency, which can be found in FunctionsData
AcquisitionCounter.
This VI initiates the counter to count the number of rising edges of a
TTL signal at the SOURCE of counter during a known pulse at the GATE
of counter. The width of that known pulse is determined by gate width.
Frequency is the output for this example, and period is calculated by
taking the inverse of the frequency. Remember, you must externally wire
your signal to be measured to the SOURCE of counter, and the OUT
of counter-1 must be wired to the GATE of counter. For a complete
description of this example, refer to the information found in
WindowsShow VI Info.
Am9513
The Measure Frequency-Easy (9513) VI located in labview\examples\
daq\counter\Am9513.llb uses the Easy VI, Measure Frequency,
which can be found in FunctionsData AcquisitionCounter.
This VI initiates the counter to count the number of rising edges of a
TTL signal at the SOURCE of counter during a known pulse at the GATE
of counter. The width of that known pulse is determined by gate width.
Frequency is the output for this example, and period is calculated by
taking the inverse of the frequency. The valid? output lets you know if
Chapter 27 Measuring Frequency and Period
National Instruments Corporation 27-5 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
the measurement completed without an overflow. The number of counters
to use input lets you choose one counter for 16-bit measurement or two
counters for 32-bit measurement. Remember that you must externally
wire your signal to be measured to the SOURCE of counter, and the OUT
of counter-1 must be wired to the GATE of counter. For a complete
description of this example, refer to the information found in
WindowsShow VI Info.
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC, Am9513
If you need more control over when your frequency measurement begins
and ends, use the Intermediate VIs instead of the Easy VIs. Figure 27-5
shows one approach for this that uses the Event or Time Counter Config,
Adjacent Counters, Delayed Pulse Generator Config, Counter Start,
CTR Control, Counter Read, and Counter Stop VIs. The Delayed Pulse
Generator Config VI configures counter to count the number of pulses
while its GATE is high. The Adjacent Counters VI is used to determine the
correct counter-1. The Delayed Pulse Generator Config VI then configures
counter-1 to generate a single pulse for the GATE signal. The Counter
Start VI begins the counting operation for counter first, then counter-1.
The CTR Control VI is an Advanced VI that is used to check if the GATE
pulse has completed. The Counter Read VI returns the count value from
counter, which is used to determine the frequency and pulse width. Finally,
the Counter Stop VI stops the counter operation.
Figure 27-5. Frequency Measurement Example Using Intermediate VIs
Chapter 27 Measuring Frequency and Period
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual 27-6 www.ni.com
8253/54
The Measure Frequency > 1 kHz (8253) VI, located in
labview\examples\daq\counter\8253.llb, initiates the counter to
count the number of rising edges of a TTL signal at the CLK of counter
during a known pulse at the GATE of counter. The known pulse is created
by counter 0, and its width is determined by gate width. The maximum
width of the pulse is 32 ms if your DAQ device has a 2 MHz internal
timebase, and 65 ms if your DAQ device has a 1 MHz internal timebase.
This maximum pulse is why this example only reads frequencies higher
than 1 kHz. A frequency of 1 kHz generates 32 cycles during the 32 ms
pulse. As this cycle count decreases (as with lower frequencies), the
frequency measurement becomes less accurate. Frequency is the output
for this example, and period is determined by taking the inverse of the
frequency. You must externally wire the signal to be measured to the
CLK of counter, and the OUT of counter 0 must be wired through a
7404 inverter chip to the GATE of counter.
Notice the ICTR Control, Get Timebase (8253), and Wait + (ms) VIs on
the block diagram. The first two ICTR Control VIs reset counter and
counter 0. The next ICTR Control sets up counter to count down while
its GATE input is high. The Get Timebase (8253) VI returns the internal
timebase period for counter 0 of device. This value is multiplied by the
gate width to yield the count to be loaded into the count register of
counter 0. The next ICTR Control VI loads this count and sets up
counter 0 to output a low pulse, during which cycles of the signal to be
measured are counted.
One advantage of this example is that it uses only two counters. However,
this example has two notable limitations. One limitation is that it cannot
accurately measure low frequencies. If you need to measure lower
frequencies, use the Measure Frequency < 1 kHz (8253) VI located in
labview\examples\daq\counter\8253.llb. This VI uses three
counters. The other limitation is that there is a software dependency, which
causes counter 0 to output a pulse slightly longer than the count it is given.
This is the nature of the 8253 chip, and it can increase the readings of high
frequencies. To avoid this software delay, use the Measure FrequencyDig
Start > 1 kHz (8253) located in labview\examples\daq\counter\
8253.llb. For a complete description of each example, refer to the
information found in WindowsShow VI Info.
Chapter 27 Measuring Frequency and Period
National Instruments Corporation 27-7 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
Measuring the Period and
Frequency of Low-Frequency Signals
How you measure the period and frequency of low-frequency signals
depends on which counter chip is on your DAQ device. If you are uncertain
which chip your DAQ device has, refer to your hardware documentation.
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC
The Measure Period-Easy (DAQ-STC) VI, located in
labview\examples\daq\counter\DAQ-STC.llb, uses the Easy VI,
Measure Pulse Width or Period, which is located in FunctionsData
AcquisitionCounter.
You connect your signal of unknown period to the GATE of counter.
The counter measures the period between successive rising edges of your
TTL signal by counting the number of internal timebase cycles that occur
during the period. The period is the count divided by the timebase. The
frequency is determined by taking the inverse of the period. You must
choose timebase such that the counter does not reach its highest value,
or terminal count (TC). Refer to Table 26-1, Internal Counter Timebases
and Their Corresponding Maximum Pulse Width, Period, or Time
Measurements, for maximum measurable periods for TIO-ASIC and
DAQ-STC devices.
Am9513
The example Measure Period-Easy (9513) VI, located in
labview\examples\daq\counter\Am9513.llb, uses the Easy VI,
Measure Pulse Width or Period, located in FunctionsData Acquisition
Counter.
You connect your signal of unknown period to the GATE of counter. The
counter measures the period between successive rising edges of your TTL
signal by counting the number of internal timebase cycles that occur during
the period. The period is the count divided by the timebase. The frequency
is determined by taking the inverse of the period. The valid? output
indicates if the period was measured without overflow. Overflow occurs
when the counter reaches its highest value, or terminal count (TC). You
must choose timebase such that it does not reach TC. With a timebase of
1 MHz, the Am9513 can measure a period up to 65 ms. With a timebase of
100 Hz, you can measure a period up to 655 seconds.
Chapter 27 Measuring Frequency and Period
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual 27-8 www.ni.com
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC, Am9513
If you need more control over when period measurement begins and ends,
use the Intermediate VIs instead of the Easy VIs. Figure 27-6 shows how
to measure period and frequency.
Figure 27-6. Measuring Period Using Intermediate Counter VIs
The Intermediate VIs used in Figure 27-6 include Pulse Width or Period
Meas Config, Counter Start, Counter Read, and Counter Stop. The Pulse
Width or Period Meas Config VI configures the counter for period
measurement. The Counter Start VI begins the counting operation. The
Counter Read VI returns the count value from the counter, which is used to
determine the period and frequency. The Counter Stop VI stops the counter
operation.
8253/54
The 8253/54 chip does not support period measurement, but you can
use frequency measurement for a pulse train and take the inverse to get
the period. The Measure Frequency < 1 kHz (8253) VI located in
labview\examples\daq\counter\8253.llb measures frequency
and calculates the period for you.
National Instruments Corporation 28-1 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
28
Counting Signal Highs and Lows
This chapter describes the various ways you can count TTL signals using
the counters on your DAQ device. Counters can count external events such
as rising and falling edges on the SOURCE (CLK) input pin. They also
can count elapsed time using the rising and falling edges of an internal
timebase. An example of counting events is calculating the output of a
production line. An example of counting time is calculating how long it
takes to produce one item on a production line.
Connecting Counters to Count Events and Time
Figure 28-1 shows typical external connections for counting events. In
the figure, your device provides the TTL signal to be counted, and it is
connected to the SOURCE (CLK) of counter. The number of events
counted is determined by reading the count register of counter.
Figure 28-1. External Connections for Counting Events
Figure 28-2 shows typical external connections for counting elapsed
time. In the figure, your device provides a pulse to the GATE of counter.
While the gate pulse is high, counter counts a known internal timebase.
Dividing the count by the internal timebase determines the elapsed time.
Figure 28-2. External Connections for Counting Elapsed Time
Chapter 28 Counting Signal Highs and Lows
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual 28-2 www.ni.com
Am9513
With the Am9513, you can extend the counting range of a counter by
connecting the OUT of one counter to the SOURCE of the next higher
order counter (counter+1). This is called cascading counters. By cascading
counters you can increase your counting range from a 16-bit counting range
of 65,535 to a 32-bit counting range of 4,294,967,295. The Am9513 chip
has a set of five counters where higher-order counters can be cascaded. The
TIO-10 device has two Am9513 chips for a total of 10 counters. Table 28-1
identifies adjacent counters on the Am9513 (one and two chips). This
information is useful when cascading counters.
Figure 28-3 shows typical external connections for cascading counters
when counting events. Notice that the OUT of counter is connected to the
SOURCE of counter+1.
Figure 28-3. External Connections to Cascade Counters for Counting Events
Table 28-1. Adjacent Counters for Counter Chips
Next Lower Counter Counter Next Higher Counter
5 1 2
1 2 3
2 3 4
3 4 5
4 5 1
10 6 7
6 7 8
7 8 9
8 9 10
9 10 6
Chapter 28 Counting Signal Highs and Lows
National Instruments Corporation 28-3 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
Figure 28-4 shows typical external connections for cascading counters
when counting elapsed time. Notice that the OUT of counter is connected
to the SOURCE of counter+1.
Figure 28-4. External Connections to Cascade Counters for Counting Elapsed Time
Counting Events
How you count events depends upon which counter chip is on your
DAQ device. If you are uncertain which counter your DAQ device has,
refer to your hardware documentation.
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC
The Count Events-Easy (DAQ-STC) VI, located in labview\examples\
daq\counter\DAQ-STC.llb, uses the Easy VI, Count Events or Time,
which can be found in FunctionsData AcquisitionCounter.
This VI initiates the counter to count the number of rising edges of a
TTL signal at the SOURCE of counter. The counter continues counting
until you click the STOP button. You must externally wire your signal to
be counted to the SOURCE of counter. For a description of this example,
refer to the information found in WindowsShow VI Info.
If you need more control over when your event counting begins and ends,
use the Intermediate VIs instead of the Easy VIs. For an example, open the
Count Events-Int (DAQ-STC) VI located in labview\examples\daq\
counter\DAQ-STC.llb.
This example uses the Intermediate VIs Event or Time Counter Config,
Counter Start, Counter Read, and Counter Stop. The Event or Time Counter
Config VI configures counter to count the number of rising edges of a TTL
signal at its SOURCE input pin. The Counter Start VI begins the counting
operation for counter. The Counter Read VI returns the count until you
click the STOP button or an error occurs. Finally, the Counter Stop VI
stops the counter operation. Remember that you must externally wire your
signal to be counted to the SOURCE of counter. You optionally can gate
counter with a pulse to control when it starts and stops counting. To do this,
Chapter 28 Counting Signal Highs and Lows
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual 28-4 www.ni.com
wire your pulse to the GATE of counter, and choose the appropriate gate
mode from the front-panel menu. For a complete description of this
example, refer to the information found in WindowsShow VI Info.
Am9513
The Count Events-Easy (9513) VI, located in labview\examples\daq\
counter\Am9513.llb, uses the Easy VI, Count Events or Time, which
can be found in FunctionsData AcquisitionCounter.
This VI initiates the counter to count the number of rising edges of a
TTL signal at the SOURCE of counter. The counter continues counting
until you click the STOP button. You must externally wire your signal to
be counted to the SOURCE of counter. Additionally, you can cascade two
counters by choosing two counters (32-bits) in the number of counters to
use menu. This extends your counting range to over 4 billion. You also
must wire the OUT of counter to the SOURCE of counter+1 for this
increased counting range. For a complete description of this example, refer
to the information found in WindowsShow VI Info.
If you need more control over when your event counting begins and
ends, use the Intermediate VIs instead of the Easy VIs. For an example,
open the Count Events-Int (9513) VI located in labview\examples\
daq\counter\Am9513.llb.
This example uses the Intermediate VIs Event or Time Counter Config,
Counter Start, Counter Read, and Counter Stop. The Event or Time Counter
Config VI configures counter to count the number of rising edges of a TTL
signal at its SOURCE input pin. The Counter Start VI begins the counting
operation for counter. The Counter Read VI returns the count until you
click the STOP button or an error occurs. Finally, the Counter Stop VI
stops the counter operation. You must externally wire your signal to be
counted to the SOURCE of counter. You optionally can gate counter with
a pulse to control when it starts and stops counting. To do this, wire your
pulse to the GATE of counter, and choose the appropriate gate mode from
the front panel menu. Additionally, you can cascade two counters by
choosing two counters (32-bits) in the number of counters to use menu.
This extends your counting range to over 4 billion. You also must wire the
OUT of counter to the SOURCE of counter+1 for this increased counting
range. For a complete description of this example, read the information
found in WindowShow VI Info.
Chapter 28 Counting Signal Highs and Lows
National Instruments Corporation 28-5 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
8253/54
The Count Events (8253) VI, located in labview\examples\daq\
counter\8253.llb, uses the Intermediate VI, ICTR Control, found in
FunctionsData AcquisitionCounterIntermediate Counter.
This VI initiates the counter to count the number of rising edges of a
TTL signal at the CLK of counter. Looking at the block diagram, the first
call to ICTR Control loads the count register and sets up counter to count
down. The second call to ICTR Control reads the count register. Inside the
first While Loop, the count is read until it changes. While the count register
has previously been loaded, the new value is not active until the first edge
is counted on the CLK pin. Once the first edge comes in, the second While
Loop takes over and continually reads the count until you click the STOP
button or an error occurs. You must externally wire your signal to be
counted to the CLK of counter. For a complete description of this example,
refer to the information found in WindowsShow VI Info.
Counting Elapsed Time
How you count elapsed time depends upon which counter chip is on your
DAQ device. If you are unsure of which chip your DAQ device has, refer
to your hardware documentation.
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC
The Count Time-Easy (DAQ-STC) VI, located in labview\examples\
daq\counter\DAQ-STC.llb, uses the Easy VI, Count Events or Time,
which can be found in FunctionsData AcquisitionCounter.
This VI initiates the counter to count the number of rising edges of a known
internal timebase at the SOURCE of counter. The Count Events or
Time VI takes care of dividing the count by the timebase frequency to
determine the elapsed time. The counter continues timing until you click
the STOP button. You do not need to make any external connections. The
length of time that can be counted depends on the maximum count of the
counter and the chosen timebase. Refer to Table 26-1, Internal Counter
Timebases and Their Corresponding Maximum Pulse Width, Period, or
Time Measurements, for maximum measurable time information.
Chapter 28 Counting Signal Highs and Lows
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual 28-6 www.ni.com
If you need more control over when your elapsed timing begins and ends,
use the Intermediate VIs instead of the Easy VIs. For an example, open the
Count Time-Int (DAQ-STC) VI, located in labview\examples\daq\
counter\DAQ-STC.llb.
This example uses the Intermediate VIs Event or Time Counter Config,
Counter Start, Counter Read, and Counter Stop. The Event or Time Counter
Config VI configures counter to count the number of rising edges of a
known internal timebase. The Counter Start VI begins the counting
operation for counter. The Counter Read VI returns the count until you
click the STOP button or an error occurs. The count value is divided by the
timebase to determine the elapsed time. Finally, the Counter Stop VI stops
the counter operation. You do not need to make any external connections,
but you can optionally gate counter with a pulse to control when it starts
and stops timing. To do this, wire your pulse to the GATE of counter, and
choose the appropriate gate mode from the front panel menu. For a
complete description of this example, refer to the information found in
WindowsShow VI Info.
Am9513
The Count Time-Easy (9513) VI, located in labview\examples\daq\
counter\Am9513.llb, uses the Easy VI, Count Events or Time, which
can be found in FunctionsData AcquisitionCounter.
This VI initiates the counter to count the number of rising edges of a known
internal timebase at the SOURCE of counter. The Count Events or
Time VI takes care of dividing the count by the timebase frequency to
determine the elapsed time. The counter continues timing until you click
the STOP button. You do not need to make any external connections if the
number of counters to use menu is set to one counter (16-bits). If you set
the number of counters to use menu to two counters (32-bits), you must
externally wire the OUT of counter to the SOURCE of counter+1. The
length of time that can be counted depends on the maximum count of the
counter(s) and the chosen timebase. For example, the 65,535 (16-bit) count
of the Am9513 and a timebase of 1 MHz can count time for 65 ms. Using
the 100 Hz timebase and two counters (32-bits), you can count time for over
a year. For a complete description of this example, refer to the information
found in WindowsShow VI Info.
If you need more control over when your elapsed timing begins and
ends, use the Intermediate VIs instead of the Easy VIs. For an example,
open the Count Time-Int (9513) VI located in labview\examples\
daq\counter\Am9513.llb.
Chapter 28 Counting Signal Highs and Lows
National Instruments Corporation 28-7 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
This example uses the Intermediate VIs Event or Time Counter Config,
Counter Start, Counter Read, and Counter Stop. The Event or Time Counter
Config VI configures counter to count the number of rising edges of a
known internal timebase. The Counter Start VI begins the counting
operation for counter. The Counter Read VI returns the count until you
click the STOP button or an error occurs. The count value is divided by the
timebase to determine the elapsed time. Finally, the Counter Stop VI stops
the counter operation. You optionally can gate counter with a pulse to
control when it starts and stops timing. To do this, wire your pulse to
the GATE of counter, and choose the appropriate gate mode from the
front panel menu. Additionally, you can cascade two counters by choosing
two counters (32-bits) in the number of counters to use menu. This
extends your elapsed time range. You also must wire the OUT of counter
to the SOURCE of counter+1 for this increased range. For a complete
description of this example, refer to the information found in
WindowsShow VI Info.
8253/54
The Count Time (8253) VI, located in labview\examples\daq\
counter\8253.llb, uses the ICTR Control-Int VI, which can be found
in FunctionsData AcquisitionCounterIntermediate Counter.
This VI initiates the counter to count the number of rising edges of a
TTL timebase at the CLK of counter. Counter 0 creates the timebase.
Looking at the block diagram, the Timebase Generator (8253) VI sets up
Counter 0 to generate a timebase by dividing down its internal timebase.
The first call to ICTR Control loads the count register and sets up counter
to count down. Inside the While Loop, ICTR Control reads the count,
which is divided by the actual timebase frequency to determine the elapsed
time. The elapsed time increments until you click the STOP button or an
error occurs. The last two calls to ICTR Control reset Counter 0 and
counter. Remember that you must externally wire the OUT of Counter 0
to the CLK of counter. You optionally can gate counter with a pulse to
control when it starts and stops timing. To do this, wire your pulse to the
GATE of counter. For a complete description of this example, refer to the
information found in WindowsShow VI Info.
National Instruments Corporation 29-1 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
29
Dividing Frequencies
Dividing TTL frequencies is useful if you want to use an internal timebase
and the frequency you need does not exist. You can divide an existing
internal frequency to get what you need. You also can divide the frequency
of an external TTL signal. Frequency division results in a pulse or pulse
train from a counter for every N cycles of an internal or external source.
Counters can only decrease (divide down) the frequency of the source
signal. The resulting frequency is equal to the input frequency divided
by N (timebase divisor). N must be an integer number greater than 1.
Performing frequency division on an internal signal is called a down
counter. Frequency division on an external signal is called a signal divider.
Figure 29-1 shows typical wiring for frequency division.
Figure 29-1. Wiring Your Counters for Frequency Division
counter
your
device
your
device
your
device
gate
source
out
counter
your
device
gate
source
out
Frequency Division for a Signal Divider
Frequency Division for a Down Counter
Chapter 29 Dividing Frequencies
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual 29-2 www.ni.com
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC, Am9513
Figure 29-2 shows an example of a signal divider. It uses the Intermediate
counter VIs Down Counter or Divide Config, Counter Start, and
Counter Stop.
Figure 29-2. Programming a Single Divider for Frequency Division
The Down Counter or Divide Config VI configures the specified counter to
divide the SOURCE signal by the timebase divisor value and output a
signal when the counter reaches its terminal count (TC). Using Down
Counter or Divide Config VI, you can configure the type of output to be
pulse or toggled. The block diagram in Figure 29-2 outputs a high pulse
lasting one cycle of the source signal once the counter reaches its TC. For
more information on the different types of signal outputs, refer to the Down
Counter or Divide Config VI description in Chapter 27, Intermediate
Counter VIs, of the LabVIEW Function and VI Reference Manual, or the
LabVIEW Online Reference, available by selecting HelpOnline
Reference. The previous block diagram counts the rising edges of the
SOURCE signal, the default value of the source edge input. To locate the
inputs and outputs on this VI, use the Help window. Open this window by
choosing HelpShow Help.
The Counter Start VI tells the counter to start counting the SOURCE signal
edges. The counter stops the frequency division only when you click the
STOP button. The Counter Stop VI stops the counter immediately and
clears the count register. It is a good idea to always check your errors at the
end of an operation to see if the operation was successful.
You can alter the Down Counter or Divide Config VI to create a
down counter. To do this, change the timebase value from 0.0
(external SOURCE) to a frequency available on your counter. With the
Am9513 chip, you can choose timebases of 1 MHz, 100 kHz, 10 kHz,
1 kHz, and 100 Hz. With the DAQ-STC chip, you can choose timebases
of 20 MHz and 100 kHz.
Chapter 29 Dividing Frequencies
National Instruments Corporation 29-3 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
Instead of triggering frequency division for signal dividers and down
counters by software, as previously described, you can trigger using the
GATE signal. You can trigger while the GATE signal is high, low, or on the
rising or falling edge. For more information, refer to the Down Counter or
Divide Config VI description in Chapter 27, Intermediate Counter VIs,
of the LabVIEW Function and VI Reference Manual, or the LabVIEW
Online Reference, available by selecting HelpOnline Reference.
8253/54
To divide a frequency with the 8253/54 counter chip, use the example Cont
Pulse Train (8253) VI located in labview\examples\daq\8253.llb.
This example is explained in Chapter 25, Generating a Square Pulse
or Pulse Trains, in the Generating a Pulse Train section. For a complete
description of this example, refer to the information found in
WindowsShow VI Info.
National Instruments Corporation VII-1 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
Part VII
Debugging Your Data
Acquisition Application
This part of the manual contains an explanation of ways you can debug
your data acquisition application to make sure your application is
accurate and runs smoothly.
Part VII, Debugging Your Data Acquisition Application, contains
Chapter 30, Debugging Techniques, which describes some tips to help
determine why your VI is not working.
National Instruments Corporation 30-1 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
30
Debugging Techniques
Is your VI not working as you expected? This chapter shows you some
tips to help learn why your VI is not working. With LabVIEW DAQ
applications, you might find errors in hardware connections, software
configuration, or VI construction. The goal of this chapter is to help you
narrow down where the problem is in your program flow.
Hardware Connection Errors
When no error occurs but the data is not what you expected, you
might want to check your hardware connections and jumper settings.
For example, if you have an analog input application, make sure your
signals are properly grounded. For more information on analog input
configuration issues, refer to Chapter 5, Things You Should Know
about Analog Input.
For SCXI modules, verify that gain jumpers are set up properly. To verify
how a DAQ device gets set to a certain gain (or limit setting as noted in the
software), refer to Chapter 3, Basic LabVIEW Data Acquisition Concepts.
Another common SCXI hardware error is using digital lines on your DAQ
device that are reserved for communication with the SCXI modules.
To test that your hardware has not been damaged, connect a known voltage
to the channels you are using. To check the location of any hardware
connections, refer to your hardware user manual.
Software Configuration Errors
As you check hardware connections, verify that the NI-DAQ software
configuration reflects your hardware setup. For possible difficulties with
software configuration, read Chapter 2, Installing and Configuring Your
Data Acquisition Hardware, the chapter of this manual that describes your
specific application, or the NI-DAQ User Manual.
Chapter 30 Debugging Techniques
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual 30-2 www.ni.com
(Windows) In the Measurement & Automation Explorer, you can use the
NI-DAQ Test Panels to verify that your device is operating properly. Refer
to the NI-DAQ online help or Measurement & Automation Explorer online
help for more details.
VI Construction Errors
The various sections below describe methods to find problems with VI
construction. All the techniques described can be used by themselves or in
conjunction with one another.
Error Handling
The best way to determine if your application executed without an error
is to use one of the error handler VIs in your application. The Error
Handler VIs are located in FunctionsTime & Dialog. You can use these
VIs only with Intermediate and Advanced VIs. Easy I/O VIs already
include error handling capabilities within each VI. Each Intermediate and
Advanced VI has an error input and output cluster (named error in and
error out, respectively). The error clusters contain a Boolean that indicates
whether an error occurred, the error code for the error, and the name of the
VI that returned the error. If error in indicates an error, the VI returns the
same error information in error out, and does not perform any DAQ
operations.
When you use any of the Intermediate or Advanced VIs in a While Loop,
you should stop the loop if the status in the error out cluster reads TRUE.
If you wire the error cluster to the General Error Handler VI or the Simple
Error Handler VI, the VI interprets the error information and describes the
error to you. Figures 30-1 and 30-2 show how to wire a typical DAQ VI to
an error handler.
Figure 30-1. Error Checking Using the General Error Handler VI
Chapter 30 Debugging Techniques
National Instruments Corporation 30-3 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
Figure 30-2. Error Checking Using the Simple Error Handler VI
The following figure shows an example of the dialog box the Error Handler
VIs display if an error occurs.
Refer to the LabVIEW Function and VI Reference Manual or the LabVIEW
Online Reference, available by selecting HelpOnline Reference, for
more information on the error handler VIs.
Single-Stepping through a VI
Single-stepping through a VI allows you to execute one node at a time in
the block diagram. A node can be subVIs, functions, structures, formula
nodes, and attribute nodes. Refer to Chapter 2, Creating VIs, in the
LabVIEW User Manual, and Chapter 4, Executing and Debugging VIs and
SubVIs, in the G Programming Reference Manual for more information
about single-stepping.
Execution Highlighting
Execution highlighting (the light bulb button on the block diagram) shows
you how data passes from one node to another in your program. When you
activate execution highlighting, data movement is marked by bubbles
moving along the wires. Refer to Chapter 2, Creating VIs, in the LabVIEW
User Manual, and Chapter 4, Executing and Debugging VIs and SubVIs,
in the G Programming Reference Manual for more information about
execution highlighting.
Chapter 30 Debugging Techniques
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual 30-4 www.ni.com
Using the Probe Tool
If your VI is producing questionable results, you may want to use the Probe
tool to check intermediate values in a VI. The Probe tool helps you find
where the incorrect results are occurring. Refer to Chapter 2, Creating VIs,
in the LabVIEW User Manual and Chapter 4, Executing and Debugging VIs
and SubVIs, in the G Programming Reference Manual for more
information on using the probe.
Setting Breakpoints and Showing Advanced DAQ VIs
Once you have narrowed down the location of an error to a subVI,
you can set a breakpoint on that subVI to cause VI execution to pause
before executing the subVI. You can now see what values get passed
in or are generated by the Advanced VIs, single-step through the subVIs
execution, probe wires to see data, or change values of front panel
controls. Refer to Chapter 2, Creating VIs, in the LabVIEW User Manual
and Chapter 4, Executing and Debugging VIs and SubVIs, in the
G Programming Reference Manual for more information on how to set
a breakpoint.
National Instruments Corporation A-1 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
A
LabVIEW Data Acquisition
Common Questions
This appendix lists answers to questions frequently asked by
LabVIEWusers.
Where is the best place to get up to speed quickly with data acquisition
and LabVIEW?
Read this manual and look at the run_me.llb examples, in
labview\examples\daq\run_me.llb, included with LabVIEW.
In Windows, run Measurement & Automation Explorer or the DAQ
Channel Wizard and the DAQ Solution Wizard from LabVIEW.
What is the easiest way to address my AMUX-64T device with my
MIO device?
Set the number of AMUX devices used in Measurement & Automation
Explorer (Windows) or NI-DAQ control panel (Macintosh). Then in the
channel string inputs, specify the onboard channel. For example, with one
AMUX-64T device, the channel string 0:1 will acquire data from AMUX
channels 0 through 7, and so on.
What are the advantages/disadvantages of reading AI Reads backlog
rather than a fixed amount of data?
Reading the backlog is guaranteed not to cause a synchronous wait for the
data to arrive. However, it adds more delay until the data is processed
(because the data was available on the last call) and it can require constant
reallocation or size adjustments of the data acquisition read buffer in
LabVIEW.
What is the easiest way to verify that my device works and is acquiring
data from my signals?
Run one of the examples in the labview\examples\daq folder or run the
test panel for your device in Measurement & Automation Explorer.
Appendix A LabVIEW Data Acquisition Common Questions
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual A-2 www.ni.com
How can I tell when a continuous data acquisition operation does not
have enough buffer capacity?
The scan backlog rises with time, either steadily or in jumps, or takes a long
time to drop to normal after an interrupting activity like mouse movement.
If you can open another VI during the operation without receiving an
overrun error you should have adequate buffer capacity.
I want to group two or more ports using my DIO32, DIO24, or
DIO-96 device, but I do not want to use handshaking. I just want to
read one group of ports just once. How can I set it up in software?
Use Easy I/O VIs (Write to Digital Port or Read from Digital Port) or
Advanced Digital VIs (DIO Port Config, DIO Port Write or DIO Port
Read), and set multiple ports in the port list. For Easy I/O VIs, you can
specify up to four ports in the port list. Whatever data you try to output to
each port of your group will correspond to each element of the data array.
This also applies for input.
I want to use the OUT1, OUT2, OUT3 and IN1, IN2, IN3 pins on my
DIO-32F device. How do I address those pins using the Easy I/O
Digital VIs in LabVIEW?
These output and inputs pins are addressed together as port 4. OUT1 and
IN1 are referred to as bit 0, OUT2 and IN2 are referred to as bit 1, and
OUT3 and IN3 are referred to as bit 2. Only the NB-DIO-32F has three pins
for each direction. If you use the Write To Digital Port VI, you will output
on the OUT pins. If you use the Read From Digital Port VI, you will input
from the IN pins.
I want to be able to write up to four lines on the digital port on my
jumpered MIO (non E Series) device while also reading in four lines of
digital data on the remaining free digital lines. How do I do this?
Use the DIO Port Config VI twiceonce to configure four lines for output
and once more to configure four lines for input. Now call the DIO Port
Write VI or the DIO Port Read VI for the appropriate lines. Avoid calling
the Easy I/O VIs for digital I/O, as they reconfigure the port direction each
time the VI is called.
Appendix A LabVIEW Data Acquisition Common Questions
National Instruments Corporation A-3 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
I want to use a TTL digital trigger pulse to start data acquisition on
my DAQ device. I noticed there are two types of triggers: Digital
Trigger A and Digital Trigger A&B. Which digital trigger setting
should I use and where should I connect the signal?
You should use Digital Trigger A, which stands for first trigger, to start a
data acquisition. Digital Trigger B, which stands for second trigger,
should be used only if you are doing both a start and a stop trigger for your
data acquisition. Connect your trigger signal to either STARTTRIG* (pin
38) if you are using an AT-MIO-16, AT-MIO-16D, NB-MIO-16X, or
EXTTRIG* or DTRIG for any other device that has that pin. If you are
using an E-series device, you can select which PFI pin to connect to. If you
do not specify the PFI pin, it uses the defaults as the PFI pin names suggest,
for example, PFI0/TRIG1. The only analog input devices on which you
cannot do a digital trigger are the LPM devices, DAQCard-700,
DAQCard-500, and the 516 devices. Refer to the AI Trigger Config
description in Chapter 18, Advanced Analog Input VIs, in the LabVIEW
Function and VI Reference Manual, or the LabVIEW Online Reference,
available by selecting HelpOnline Reference, for more information on
the use of digital triggers on your DAQ device.
Note The NB-MIO-16 has an EXTTRIG* pin but cannot support start and stop triggering.
When are the data acquisition devices initialized?
All data acquisition devices are initialized automatically when the first
DAQ VI is loaded in on a diagram when you start LabVIEW. You also can
initialize a particular device by calling the Device Reset VI.
National Instruments Corporation B-1 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
B
Technical Support Resources
This appendix describes the comprehensive resources available to you in
the Technical Support section of the National Instruments Web site and
provides technical support telephone numbers for you to use if you have
trouble connecting to our Web site or if you do not have internet access.
NI Web Support
To provide you with immediate answers and solutions 24 hours a day,
365 days a year, National Instruments maintains extensive online technical
support resources. They are available to you at no cost, are updated daily,
and can be found in the Technical Support section of our Web site at
www.ni.com/support
Online Problem-Solving and Diagnostic Resources
KnowledgeBaseA searchable database containing thousands of
frequently asked questions (FAQs) and their corresponding answers or
solutions, including special sections devoted to our newest products.
The database is updated daily in response to new customer experiences
and feedback.
Troubleshooting WizardsStep-by-step guides lead you through
common problems and answer questions about our entire product line.
Wizards include screen shots that illustrate the steps being described
and provide detailed information ranging from simple getting started
instructions to advanced topics.
Product ManualsA comprehensive, searchable library of the latest
editions of National Instruments hardware and software product
manuals.
Hardware Reference DatabaseA searchable database containing
brief hardware descriptions, mechanical drawings, and helpful images
of jumper settings and connector pinouts.
Application NotesA library with more than 100 short papers
addressing specific topics such as creating and calling DLLs,
developing your own instrument driver software, and porting
applications between platforms and operating systems.
Appendix B Technical Support Resources
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual B-2 www.ni.com
Software-Related Resources
Instrument Driver NetworkA library with hundreds of instrument
drivers for control of standalone instruments via GPIB, VXI, or serial
interfaces. You also can submit a request for a particular instrument
driver if it does not already appear in the library.
Example Programs DatabaseA database with numerous,
non-shipping example programs for National Instruments
programming environments. You can use them to complement the
example programs that are already included with National Instruments
products.
Software LibraryA library with updates and patches to application
software, links to the latest versions of driver software for National
Instruments hardware products, and utility routines.
Worldwide Support
National Instruments has offices located around the globe. Many branch
offices maintain a Web site to provide information on local services. You
can access these Web sites from www.ni.com/worldwide
If you have trouble connecting to our Web site, please contact your local
National Instruments office or the source from which you purchased your
National Instruments product(s) to obtain support.
For telephone support in the United States, dial 512 795 8248. For
telephone support outside the United States, contact your local branch
office:
Australia 03 9879 5166, Austria 0662 45 79 90 0, Belgium 02 757 00 20,
Brazil 011 284 5011, Canada (Calgary) 403 274 9391,
Canada (Ontario) 905 785 0085, Canada (Qubec) 514 694 8521,
China 0755 3904939, Denmark 45 76 26 00, Finland 09 725 725 11,
France 01 48 14 24 24, Germany 089 741 31 30, Greece 30 1 42 96 427,
Hong Kong 2645 3186, India 91805275406, Israel 03 6120092,
Italy 02 413091, Japan 03 5472 2970, Korea 02 596 7456,
Mexico (D.F.) 5 280 7625, Mexico (Monterrey) 8 357 7695,
Netherlands 0348 433466, Norway 32 27 73 00, Poland 48 22 528 94 06,
Portugal 351 1 726 9011, Singapore 2265886, Spain 91 640 0085,
Sweden 08 587 895 00, Switzerland 056 200 51 51,
Taiwan 02 2377 1200, United Kingdom 01635 523545
National Instruments Corporation G-1 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
Glossary
Prefix Meaning Value
k- kilo- 10
3
M- mega- 10
6
m- milli- 10
3
- micro- 10
6
n- nano- 10
9
Numbers/Symbols
1D One-dimensional.
2D Two-dimensional.
A
A Amperes.
AC Alternating current.
A/D Analog-to-digital.
ADC Analog-to-digital converter. An electronic device, often an integrated
circuit, that converts an analog voltage to a digital number.
ADC resolution The resolution of the ADC, which is measured in bits. An ADC with
16 bits has a higher resolution, and thus a higher degree of accuracy than
a 12-bit ADC.
AI Analog input.
AI device An analog input device that has AI in its name, such as the NEC-AI-16E-4.
AIGND The analog input ground pin on a DAQ device.
Glossary
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual G-2 www.ni.com
amplification A type of signal conditioning that improves accuracy in the resulting
digitized signal and reduces noise.
Am9513-based devices Devices with an Am9513 counter/timer chip. These devices include the
NB-MIO-16, NB-MIO-16X, NB-A2000, NB-TIO-10, and NB-DMA2800
on the Macintosh; and the AT-MIO-16, AT-MIO-16F-5, AT-MIO-16X,
AT-MIO-16D, and AT-MIO-64F-5, and PC-TIO-10 in Windows.
AMUX devices See analog multiplexer
analog input group A collection of analog input channels. You can associate each group with
its own clock rates, trigger and buffer configurations, and so on. A channel
cannot belong to more than one group.
Because each device has one ADC, only one group can be active at any
given time. That is, once a control VI starts a timed acquisition with
group n, subsequent control and read calls must also refer to group n.
You use the task ID to refer to the group.
analog multiplexer Devices that increase the number of measurement channels while still using
a single instrumentation amplifier. Also called AMUX devices.
analog output group A collection of analog output channels. You can associate each group with
its own clock rates, buffer configurations, and so on. A channel cannot
belong to more than one group.
analog trigger A trigger that occurs at a user-selected level and slope on an incoming
analog signal. Triggering can be set to occur at a specified voltage on either
an increasing or a decreasing signal (positive or negative slope).
AO Analog output.
array Ordered, indexed set of data elements of the same type.
B
BCD Binary-coded decimal.
bipolar A signal range that includes both positive and negative values (for example,
5 to 5 V).
buffer Temporary storage for acquired or generated data.
Glossary
National Instruments Corporation G-3 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
C
cascading Process of extending the counting range of a counter chip by connecting to
the next higher counter.
channel Pin or wire lead to which you apply or from which you read the analog or
digital signal. Analog signals can be single-ended or differential. For digital
signals, you group channels to form ports. Ports usually consist of either
four or eight digital channels.
channel clock The clock controlling the time interval between individual channel
sampling within a scan. Boards with simultaneous sampling do not have
this clock.
channel name A unique name given to a channel configuration in the Data Neighborhood
in Measurement & Automation Explorer
circular-buffered I/O Input/output operation that reads or writes more data points than can fit in
the buffer. When LabVIEW reaches the end of the buffer, LabVIEW returns
to the beginning of the buffer and continues to transfer data.
clock Hardware component that controls timing for reading from or writing to
groups.
cluster A set of ordered, unindexed data elements of any data type including
numeric, Boolean, string, array, or cluster. The elements must be all
controls or all indicators.
code width The smallest detectable change in an input voltage of a DAQ device.
column-major order A way to organize the data in a 2D array by columns.
common-mode voltage Any voltage present at the instrumentation amplifier inputs with respect to
amplifier ground.
conditional retrieval A method of triggering in which you to simulate an analog trigger using
software. Also called software triggering.
configuration utility Refers to a utility that allows you to configure your hardware. This utility
is either Measurement & Automation Explorer (Windows) or the NI-DAQ
Control Panel (Macintosh).
Glossary
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual G-4 www.ni.com
conversion device Device that transforms a signal from one form to another. For example,
analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) for analog input, digital-to-analog
converters (DACs) for analog output, digital input or output ports, and
counter/timers are conversion devices.
counter/timer group A collection of counter/timer channels. You can use this type of group for
simultaneous operation of multiple counter/timers.
coupling The manner in which a signal is connected from one location to another.
D
D/A Digital-to-analog.
DAC Digital-to-analog converter. An electronic device, often an integrated
circuit, that converts a digital number into a corresponding analog voltage
or current.
DAQ Channel Wizard Utility that guides you through naming and configuring your DAQ analog
and digital channels.
DAQ Solution Wizard Utility that guides you through specifying your DAQ application, from
which it provides a custom DAQ solution.
DAQ-STC Data Acquisition System Timing Controller.
data acquisition Process of acquiring data, typically from A/D or digital input plug-in
boards.
data flow Programming system consisting of executable nodes in which nodes
execute only when they have received all required input data and produce
output automatically when they have executed. LabVIEW is a dataflow
system.
default input The default value of a front panel control.
default load area One of three parts of the SCXI EEPROM. The default load area is where
LabVIEW automatically looks to load calibration constants the first time
you access an SCXI module. When the module is shipped, this area
contains a copy of the factory calibration constants. The other EEPROM
areas are the factory area and the user area.
Glossary
National Instruments Corporation G-5 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
default setting A default parameter value recorded in the driver. In many cases, the
default input of a control is a certain value (often 0) that means use the
current default setting. For example, the default input for a parameter
may be do not change current setting, and the default setting may be
no AMUX-64T boards. If you do change the value of such a parameter,
the new value becomes the new setting. You can set default settings for
some parameters in the configuration utility.
device A DAQ device inside your computer or attached directly to your computer
through a parallel port. Plug-in boards, PC cards, and devices such as the
DAQPad-1200, which connects to your computers parallel port, are all
examples of DAQ devices. SCXI modules are distinct from devices, with
the exception of the SCXI-1200, which is a hybrid.
device number The slot number or device ID number assigned to the device when you
configured it.
DIFF Differential. A differential input is an analog input consisting of two
terminals, both of which are isolated from computer ground and whose
difference you measure.
differential
measurement system
A way you can configure your device to read signals, in which you do not
need to connect either input to a fixed reference, such as earth or a building
ground.
digital input group A collection of digital input ports. You can associate each group with its
own clock rates, handshaking modes, buffer configurations, and so on.
A port cannot belong to more than one group.
digital output group A collection of digital output ports. You can associate each group with its
own clock rates, handshaking modes, buffer configurations, and so forth.
A port cannot belong to more than one group.
digital trigger A TTL signal that you can use to start or stop a buffered data acquisition
operation, such as buffered analog input or buffered analog output.
DIO devices Refers to all devices capable of performing immediate and/or latched
digital input/output, unless otherwise noted.
DIP Dual Inline Package.
dithering The addition of Gaussian noise to an analog input signal. By applying
dithering and then averaging the input data, you can effectively increase the
resolution by another one-half bit.
Glossary
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual G-6 www.ni.com
DLL Dynamic Link Library.
DMA Direct Memory Access. A method by which you can transfer data to
computer memory from a device or memory on the bus (or from computer
memory to a device) while the processor does something else. DMA is the
fastest method of transferring data to or from computer memory.
down counter Performing frequency division on an internal signal.
driver Software that controls a specific hardware device, such as a DAQ device.
E
E Series MIO device Boards, such as the PCI-MIO-16E-1 and the AT-MIO-16E-2 that use
the MITE chip (on PCI boards for bus mastering), the DAQ-PnP chip for
Plug and Play configuration, the DAQ-STC chip for instrumentation class
counting and timing, and the NI-PGIA for high accuracy analog input
measurements.
EEPROM Electrically erasable programmable read-only memory. Read-only memory
that you can erase with an electrical signal and reprogram.
EISA Extended Industry Standard Architecture.
event The condition or state of an analog or digital signal.
external trigger A voltage pulse from an external source that triggers an event such as
A/D conversion.
F
factory area One of three parts of the SCXI EEPROM. The factory area contains
factory-set calibration constants. This area is read-only. The other
EEPROM areas are the default load area and the user area.
FIFO A first-in-first-out memory buffer. In a FIFO, the first data stored is the
first data sent to the acceptor.
filtering A type of signal conditioning that allows you to filter unwanted signals
from the signal you are trying to measure.
Glossary
National Instruments Corporation G-7 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
floating signal
sources
Signal sources with voltage signals that are not connected to an absolute
reference or system ground. Some common example of floating signal
sources are batteries, transformers, or thermocouples. Also called
nonreferenced signal sources.
G
gain The amplification or attenuation of a signal.
GATE input pin A counter input pin that controls when counting in your application occurs.
grounded measurement
system
See referenced single-ended (RSE) measurement system.
grounded signal
sources
Signal sources with voltage signals that are referenced to a system
ground, such as earth or a building ground. Also called referenced signal
sources.
group A collection of input or output channels or ports that you define. Groups
can contain analog input, analog output, digital input, digital output, or
counter/timer channels. A group can contain only one type of channel,
however. You use a task ID number to refer to a group after you create it.
You can define up to 16 groups at one time.
H
handshaked
digital I/O
A type of digital acquisition/generation where a device or module accepts
or transfers data after a digital pulse has been received. Also called latched
digital I/O.
hardware triggering A form of triggering where you set the start time of an acquisition and
gather data at a known position in time relative to a trigger signal.
hex Hexadecimal.
Hz Hertz. The number of scans read or updates written per second.
I
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.
Glossary
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual G-8 www.ni.com
immediate digital I/O A type of digital acquisition/generation where LabVIEW updates the
digital lines or port states immediately or returns the digital value of an
input line. Also called nonlatched digital I/O.
input limits The upper and lower voltage inputs for a channel. You must use a pair of
numbers to express the input limits. The VIs can infer the input limits from
the input range, input polarity, and input gain(s). Similarly, if you wire the
input limits, range, and polarity, the VIs can infer the onboard gains when
you do not use SCXI.
input range The difference between the maximum and minimum voltages an analog
input channel can measure at a gain of 1. The input range is a scalar value,
not a pair of numbers. By itself the input range does not uniquely determine
the upper and lower voltage limits. An input range of 10 V could mean an
upper limit of +10 V and a lower of 0 V or an upper limit of +5 V and a
lower limit of 5 V.
The combination of input range, polarity, and gain determines the input
limits of an analog input channel. For some boards, jumpers set the input
range and polarity, while you can program them for other boards. Most
boards have programmable gains. When you use SCXI modules, you also
need their gains to determine the input limits.
interrupt A signal indicating that the central processing unit should suspend its
current task to service a designated activity.
interval scanning Scanning method where there is a longer interval between scans than there
is between individual channels comprising a scan.
I/O Input/output. The transfer of data to or from a computer system involving
communications channels, operator interface devices, and/or data
acquisition and control interfaces.
ISA Industry Standard Architecture.
isolation A type of signal conditioning in which you isolate the transducer signals
from the computer for safety purposes. This protects you and your
computer from large voltage spikes and makes sure the measurements from
the DAQ device are not affected by differences in ground potentials.
K
Kwords 1,024 words of memory.
Glossary
National Instruments Corporation G-9 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
L
Lab/1200 devices Boards, such as the Lab-PC-1200 and the DAQCard-1200, which use the
8253 type counter/timer chip.
LabVIEW Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench.
latched digital I/O A type of digital acquisition/generation where a device or module accepts
or transfers data after a digital pulse has been received. Also called
handshaked digital I/O.
Legacy MIO device Boards, such as the AT-MIO-16, which typically are configured with
jumpers and switches and are not Plug and Play compatible. They also use
the 9513 type counter/timer chip.
limit settings The maximum and minimum voltages of the analog signals you are
measuring or generating.
linearization A type of signal conditioning in which LabVIEW linearizes the voltage
levels from transducers, so the voltages can be scaled to measure physical
phenomena.
LSB Least Significant Bit.
M
MB Megabytes of memory. 1 MB is equal to 1,024 KB.
memory buffer See buffer.
Measurement &
Automation Explorer
The standard National Instruments hardware configuration and diagnostic
environment for Windows.
multibuffered I/O Input operation for which you allocate more than one memory buffer so you
can read and process data from one buffer while the acquisition fills
another.
multiplexed mode An SCXI operating mode in which analog input channels are multiplexed
into one module output so that your cabled DAQ device has access to the
modules multiplexed output as well as the outputs on all other multiplexed
modules in the chassis through the SCXIbus. Also called serial mode.
Glossary
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual G-10 www.ni.com
multiplexer A set of semiconductor or electromechanical switches with a common
output that can select one of a number of input signals and that you
commonly use to increase the number of signals measured by one ADC.
N
NB NuBus.
NI-DAQ The NI-DAQ software system, which contains a driver, a configuration
utility, a suite of electronic documentation, and a rich set of examples.
nodes Execution elements of a block diagram consisting of functions, structures,
and subVIs.
nonlatched digital I/O A type of digital acquisition/generation where LabVIEW updates the
digital lines or port states immediately or returns the digital value of an
input line. Also called immediate digital I/O.
nonreferenced signal
sources
Signal sources with voltage signals that are not connected to an absolute
reference or system ground. Also called floating signal sources. Some
common examples of nonreferenced signal sources are batteries,
transformers, or thermocouples.
Nonreferenced
single-ended (NRSE)
measurement system
All measurements are made with respect to a common reference, but the
voltage at this reference can vary with respect to the measurement system
ground.
NRSE Nonreferenced single-ended.
O
onboard channels Channels provided by the plug-in data acquisition device.
OUT pin A counter output pin where the counter can generate various TTL pulse
waveforms.
output limits The upper and lower voltage or current outputs for an analog output
channel. The output limits determine the polarity and voltage reference
settings for a device.
Glossary
National Instruments Corporation G-11 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
P
parallel mode A type of SCXI operating mode in which the module sends each of its input
channels directly to a separate analog input channel of the device to the
module.
pattern generation A type of handshaked (latched) digital I/O in which internal counters
generate the handshaked signal, which in turn initiates a digital transfer.
Because counters output digital pulses at a constant rate, this means you
can generate and retrieve patterns at a constant rate because the handshaked
signal is produced at a constant rate.
PCI Peripheral Component Interconnect. An industry-standard, high-speed
databus.
PGIA Programmable Gain Instrumentation Amplifier.
Plug and Play devices Devices that do not require DIP switches or jumpers to configure resources
on the devices. Also called switchless devices.
postriggering The technique you use on a DAQ device to acquire a programmed number
of samples after trigger conditions are met.
pretriggering The technique you use on a DAQ device to keep a continuous buffer filled
with data, so that when the trigger conditions are met, the sample includes
the data leading up to the trigger condition.
pulse trains Multiple pulses.
pulsed output A form of counter signal generation by which a pulse is outputted when a
counter reaches a certain value.
PXI PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation. A modular, computer-based
instrumentation platform.
Glossary
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual G-12 www.ni.com
R
read mark Points to the scan at which a read operation begins. Analogous to a file
I/O pointer, the read mark moves every time you read data from an input
buffer. After the read is finished, the read mark points to the next unread
scan. Because multiple buffers are possible, you need both the buffer
number and the scan number to express the position of the read mark.
read mode Indicates one of the four reference marks within an input buffer that
provides the reference point for the read. This reference can be the read
mark, the beginning of the buffer, the most recently acquired data, or the
trigger position.
referenced signal
sources
Signal sources with voltage signals that are referenced to a system ground,
such as earth or a building ground. Also called grounded signal sources.
referenced single-ended
(RSE) measurement
system
All measurements are made with respect to a common reference or a
ground. Also called a grounded measurement system.
RMS Root Mean Square.
row-major order A way to organize the data in a 2D array by rows.
RSE Referenced Single-Ended.
RTD Resistance Temperature Detector. A temperature-sensing device whose
resistance increases with increases in temperature.
RTSI Real-Time System Integration bus. The National Instruments timing bus
that interconnects data acquisition boards directly, by means of connectors
on top of the boards, for precise synchronization of functions.
S
s Seconds.
sample A single analog or digital input or output data point.
sample-and-hold A circuit that acquires and stores an analog voltage on a capacitor for a
short period of time.
Glossary
National Instruments Corporation G-13 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
sample counter The clock that counts the output of the channel clock, in other words, the
number of samples taken. On boards with simultaneous sampling, this
counter counts the output of the scan clock and hence the number of scans.
scan One or more analog or digital input samples. Typically, the number of input
samples in a scan is equal to the number of channels in the input group. For
example, one pulse from the scan clock produces one scan that acquires one
new sample from every analog input channel in the group.
scan clock The clock controlling the time interval between scans. On boards with
interval scanning support (for example, the AT-MIO-16F-5), this clock
gates the channel clock on and off. On boards with simultaneous sampling
(for example, the EISA-A2000), this clock clocks the track-and-hold
circuitry.
scan rate The number of times (or scans) per second that LabVIEW acquires data
from channels. For example, at a scan rate of 10 Hz, LabVIEW samples
each channel in a group 10 times per second.
scan width The number of channels in the channel list or number of ports in the port
list you use to configure an analog or digital input group.
SCXI Signal Conditioning eXtensions for Instrumentation. The National
Instruments product line for conditioning low-level signals within an
external chassis near sensors, so only high-level signals in a noisy
environment are sent to data acquisition boards.
settling time The amount of time required for a voltage to reach its final value within
specified limits.
signal conditioning The manipulation of signals to prepare them for digitizing.
signal divider Performing frequency division on an external signal.
simple-buffered I/O Input/output operation that uses a single memory buffer big enough for all
of your data. LabVIEW transfers data into or out of this buffer at the
specified rate, beginning at the start of the buffer and stopping at the end of
the buffer. You use simple buffered I/O when you acquire small amounts of
data relative to memory constraints.
single-ended inputs Analog inputs that you measure with respect to a common ground.
software trigger A programmed event that triggers an event such as data acquisition.
Glossary
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual G-14 www.ni.com
.
software triggering A method of triggering in which you to simulate an analog trigger using
software. Also called conditional retrieval.
SOURCE input pin An counter input pin where the counter counts the signal transitions.
STC System Timing Controller.
strain gauge A thin conductor, which is attached to a material, that detects stress or
vibrations in that material.
subVI VI used in the block diagram of another VI; comparable to a subroutine.
switchless device Devices that do not require DIP switches or jumpers to configure resources
on the devices. Also called Plug and Play devices.
syntax The set of rules to which statements must conform in a particular
programming language.
T
task A timed I/O operation using a particular group. See task ID.
task ID A number generated by LabVIEW, which identifies to the NI-DAQ drive
the task at hand.
The following table gives the function code definitions.
Function Code I/O Operation
1 analog input
2 analog output
3 digital port I/O
4 digital group I/O
5 counter/timer I/O
TC Terminal count. The highest value of a counter.
Glossary
National Instruments Corporation G-15 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
timed digital I/O A type of digital acquisition/generation where LabVIEW updates the
digital lines or port states at a fixed rate. The timing is controlled either by
a clock or by detection of a change in the pattern. Timed digital I/O can be
either finite or continuous. Also called pattern generation or pattern
digital I/O.
TIO-ASIC Timing I/O Application Specific Integrated Circuit. Found on 660x devices.
toggled output A form of counter signal generation by which the output changes the state
of the output signal from high to low, or low to high when the counter
reaches a certain value.
top-level VI VI at the top of the VI hierarchy. This term is used to distinguish the VI
from its subVIs.
track-and-hold A circuit that tracks an analog voltage and holds the value on command.
transducer excitation A type of signal conditioning that uses external voltages and currents to
excite the circuitry of a signal conditioning system into measuring physical
phenomena.
trigger Any event that causes or starts some form of data capture.
TTL Transistor-Transistor Logic
U
unipolar A signal range that is either always positive or negative, but never both
(for example 0 to 10 V, not 10 to 10 V).
update One or more analog or digital output samples. Typically, the number of
output samples in an update is equal to the number of channels in the output
group. For example, one pulse from the update clock produces one update
that sends one new sample to every analog output channel in the group.
update rate The number of output updates per second.
update width The number of channels in the channel list or number of ports in the port
list you use to configure an analog or digital output group.
Glossary
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual G-16 www.ni.com
user area One of three parts of the SCXI EEPROM. The user area is where you store
calibration constants that you calculate using the SCXI Cal Constants VI.
If you want LabVIEW to load your constants automatically, you can put a
copy of your constants in the default load area. The other EEPROM areas
are the factory area and the default load area.
V
V Volts.
VDC Volts, Direct Current.
VI Virtual Instrument. A LabVIEW program; so-called because it models the
appearance and function of a physical instrument.
V
ref
Voltage reference.
W
waveform Multiple voltage readings taken at a specific sampling rate.
wire Data path between nodes.
write mark Points to the update at which a write operation begins. Analogous to a
file I/O pointer, the write mark moves every time you write data into an
output buffer. After the write is finished, the write mark points to the next
update to be written. Because multiple buffers are possible, you need both
the buffer number and the update number to express the position of the
write mark.
National Instruments Corporation I-1 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
Index
Numbers
2D arrays, 3-14 to 3-16
8253/54 counter
accuracy, 25-14
continuous pulse train generation, 25-9
description, 24-5 to 24-6
determining pulse width, 26-4 to 26-5
dividing frequencies, 29-3
elapsed time counting, 28-6 to 28-7
event counting, 28-5
finite pulse train generation, 25-11 to 25-12
frequency and period measurement
high frequency signals, 27-6
how and when to measure, 27-3
low frequency signals, 27-8
internal timebases with maximum pulse
width measurements (table), 26-8
single square pulse generation, 25-6 to 25-7
square pulse generation, 25-4
stopping counter generations, 25-15
A
ACK (Acknowledge Input) line, 17-2
Acquire & Proc N Scans-Trig example VI, 8-5,
8-8
Acquire & Process N Scans VI, 7-8
Acquire 1 Point from 1 Channel VI, 6-1 to 6-2
Acquire and Average VI, 22-6 to 22-7
Acquire N Scans Analog Hardware Trig
example VI, 8-7 to 8-8
Acquire N Scans Analog Software Trig example
VI, 8-11
Acquire N Scans Digital Trig example VI,
8-4 to 8-5
Acquire N Scans example VI, 7-3, 7-5
Acquire N Scans-ExtChanClk example VI, 9-4,
9-6
Acquire N-Multi-Analog Hardware Trig
example VI, 8-8
Acquire N-Multi-Digital Trig example VI, 8-5
Acquire N-Multi-Start example VI, 7-5 to 7-6
acquisition rate. See external control.
ADC
limit settings effects (figure), 5-6
measurement precision for various device
ranges and limit settings (table), 5-8
range effects (figure), 5-5
resolution effects, 5-4
adjacent counters for counter chips (table), 28-2
Adjacent Counters VI, 27-5
Advanced VIs. See also VIs.
Advanced Counter VIs (note), 26-7
analog output SCXI example, 22-17
buffered pulse and period
measurement, 26-7
digital handshaking, 17-5
external control of channel clock, 9-4
finite pulse train generation, 25-11
immediate digital I/O, 16-3 to 16-4
overview, 3-5
AI Acquire Waveform VI, 7-2
AI Acquire Waveforms VI
multiple-waveform acquisition, 7-3
simple-buffered analog input with
graphing, 7-4 to 7-5
AI Clear VI
amplifier offset, 22-5
multiple-waveform acquisition, 7-3
SCXI temperature measurement, 22-8
simultaneous buffered waveform
acquisition and generation, 14-1
Index
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual I-2 www.ni.com
AI Clock Config VI
external control of channel clock, 9-4
external conversions, 9-4
retrieving channel clock setting, 21-5
scan clock control, 9-6 to 9-7
AI Config VI
basic non-buffered application, 6-3
hardware-timed analog I/O control
loops, 6-6 to 6-7
interchannel delay, 9-3
multiple-channel single-point analog
input, 6-4
multiple-waveform acquisition, 7-3
one-point calibration, 23-5
simultaneous buffered waveform
acquisition and generation, 14-1
AI Control VI, 9-6
AI Hardware Config VI, 21-4
AI Read One Scan VI, 6-5 to 6-6
AI Read VI
advantages and disadvantages of reading
backlog, A-1
asynchronous continuous acquisition
using DAQ Occurrences, 7-9
conditional retrieval example, 8-11
conditional retrieval input cluster, 8-10
controlling startup times (note), 7-5 to 7-6
forcing time limit for, 9-4, 9-7
multiple-waveform acquisition, 7-3
one-point calibration, 23-5
SCXI temperature measurement, 22-8
simple-buffered analog input with
multiple starts, 7-5 to 7-6
simultaneous buffered waveform
acquisition and generation, 14-1
software triggering, 8-10
AI Sample Channel VI, 6-1 to 6-2
AI Sample Channels VI, 6-2
AI Single Scan VI
basic non-buffered application, 6-3
hardware-timed analog I/O control
loops, 6-6 to 6-7
improving control loop performance,
6-7 to 6-8
multiple-channel single-point analog
input, 6-3 to 6-4
one-point calibration, 23-5
software-timed analog I/O control
loops, 6-5
AI Start VI
amplifier offset, 22-5
hardware-timed analog I/O control
loops, 6-6 to 6-7
multiple-waveform acquisition, 7-3
one-point calibration, 23-5
scan clock control, 9-6
SCXI temperature measurement, 22-8
simple-buffered analog input with
multiple starts, 7-5
simultaneous buffered waveform
acquisition and generation
hardware triggered, 14-2
software triggered, 14-1
Am9513 counter
continuous pulse train generation,
25-7 to 25-8
controlling pulse width measurement,
26-5 to 26-6
counting operations with no counters
available, 25-12 to 25-13
description, 24-5
determining pulse width, 26-4
dividing frequencies, 29-2 to 29-3
events or elapsed time counting
connecting counters, 28-2 to 28-3
elapsed time, 28-6 to 28-7
events, 28-4
finite pulse train generation,
25-10 to 25-11
Index
National Instruments Corporation I-3 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
frequency and period measurement
connecting counters, 27-3 to 27-4
high frequency signals, 27-4 to 27-5
how and when to measure,
27-2 to 27-3
low frequency signals, 27-7 to 27-8
internal timebases with maximum pulse
width measurements (table), 26-8
single square pulse generation,
25-5 to 25-6
square pulse generation, 25-3
stopping counter generations,
25-14 to 25-15
amplification
increasing signal-to-noise ratio
(figure), 19-4
methods for minimizing noise
(note), 19-4
amplifier offset, reading, 22-5 to 22-6
AMUX-64T devices
addressing with MIO boards, A-1
analog input channel range (table), 5-14
channel addressing, 5-14 to 5-18
scanning order for DAQ devices,
5-15 to 5-18
four AMUX-64Ts (table), 5-17
one or two AMUX-64Ts (table), 5-16
specifying number for AMUX-64T
device (table), 5-18
analog input. See also buffered waveform
acquisition.
AMUX-64T external multiplexer
device, 5-14 to 5-18
analog input/output control loops,
6-5 to 6-8
channel clock control, 9-3 to 9-5, 9-7
circular-buffered analog input examples,
7-10 to 7-11
continuous acquisition from multiple
channels, 7-8 to 7-9
defining signals, 5-1 to 5-2
digital triggering, 8-2 to 8-5
external control of acquisition
rate, 9-1 to 9-3
hardware triggering, 8-1 to 8-8
measurement systems, 5-4 to 5-6
multiple waveform acquisition, 7-3 to 7-4
multiple-channel single point analog
input, 6-2 to 6-4
scan clock control, 9-5 to 9-7, 9-7
SCXI applications for measuring
temperature (example), 22-2 to 22-13
selecting input settings, 5-7 to 5-14
calculating code width, 5-7
considerations for selecting,
5-7 to 5-8
differential measurement system,
5-9 to 5-11
measurement precision for various
device ranges and limit settings
(table), 5-8
nonreferenced single-ended
measurement system, 5-13 to 5-14
referenced single-ended
measurement system, 5-12
signals, 4-3, 5-1 to 5-6
simple-buffered analog input examples,
7-4 to 7-6
simultaneous scan and channel clock
control, 9-7
single waveform acquisition, 7-2 to 7-3
single-channel single point analog
input, 6-1 to 6-2
software triggering, 8-8 to 8-11
terminology, 5-18
triggering, 8-5 to 8-8
Analog Input palette, 6-1
analog input SCXI modules
applications for measuring temperature
(example), 22-2 to 22-13
multiplexed mode, 20-5 to 20-6
parallel mode, 20-6 to 20-7
Index
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual I-4 www.ni.com
analog input signals
choosing a measurement system,
5-4 to 5-6
choosing between analog and digital
signals, 4-3
defining signals, 5-1 to 5-2
device range, 5-5
floating signal sources, 5-3
grounded signal sources, 5-2 to 5-3
referenced and non-referenced, 5-2
resolution of ADC, 5-4
signal limit settings, 5-6
types of analog signals (figure), 5-2
analog input/output control loops, 6-5 to 6-8
hardware-timed control loops, 6-6 to 6-7
improving performance, 6-7 to 6-8
overview, 6-5
software-timed control loops, 6-5 to 6-6
Analog IO Control Loop (HW timed) VI,
6-6 to 6-7
Analog IO Control Loop VI, 6-5 to 6-7
analog multiplexers (AMUX), 5-9. See also
AMUX-64T devices.
analog output
buffered
overview, 10-1 to 10-2
stored in 2D arrays, 3-15 to 3-16
buffered waveform generation,
12-1 to 12-3
examples, 12-1 to 12-3
circular buffered waveform
generation, 12-3 to 12-4
eliminating errors, 12-4
multiple-immediate updates, 11-2
SCXI analog output application
example, 22-17
single-immediate updates, 11-1 to 11-2
single-point output
choosing between single-point or
multiple-point generation, 4-4
overview, 10-1
analog output SCXI modules
application example, 22-17
multiplexed mode, 20-6
analog triggering
description, 8-5 to 8-6
diagram, 8-5
examples, 8-7 to 8-8
timeline for post-triggered data
acquisition (figure), 8-6
analog-to-digital converter (ADC). See ADC.
AO Clear VI
circular-buffered output, 12-4
simultaneous buffered waveform
acquisition and generation, 14-1
waveform generation, 12-3
AO Config VI
analog output SCXI example, 22-17
circular-buffered output, 12-3 to 12-4
simultaneous buffered waveform
acquisition and generation, 14-1
waveform generation, 12-2
AO Continuous Gen VI, 12-3
AO Generate Waveforms VI, 12-1
AO Group Config VI, 22-17
AO Hardware Config VI, 22-17
AO Single Update VI
analog output SCXI example, 22-17
calibrating SCXI modules for signal
generation, 23-7 to 23-8
AO Start VI
circular-buffered output, 12-4
external control of update clock, 13-1
simultaneous buffered waveform
acquisition and generation, 14-1
waveform generation, 12-2 to 12-3
AO Trigger and Gate Config VI, 14-2
AO Update Channel VI, 11-1
AO Update Channels VI, 11-1
AO Wait VI, 12-3
AO Waveform Gen VI, 12-1
Index
National Instruments Corporation I-5 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
AO Write One Update VI
analog I/O control loops, 6-5 to 6-6
multiple-immediate updates, 11-2
single-immediate updates, 11-1
AO Write VI
circular-buffered output, 12-4
simultaneous buffered waveform
acquisition and generation, 14-1
waveform generation, 12-2
Array & Cluster option, 3-15
arrays
transposing, 3-15, 7-5
two-dimensional (2D) arrays,
3-14 to 3-16
B
bipolar range, 3-13, 5-7
breakpoints, setting, 30-4
Buff Handshake Input VI, 17-6
Buff Handshake Output VI, 17-6
buffered handshaking, 17-6 to 17-8
circular buffered examples, 17-7 to 17-8
iterative-buffered examples, 17-7
simple-buffered examples, 17-6
Buffered Pattern Input VI, 18-1
Buffered Pattern Input-Trig VI, 18-2
Buffered Pattern Output VI, 18-1
Buffered Pattern Output-Trig VI, 18-2
buffered pulse and period measurement,
26-6 to 26-7
buffered waveform acquisition, 7-1 to 7-11
circular-buffered analog input,
7-6 to 7-11
asynchronous continuous acquisition
using DAQ occurrences, 7-9
continuous acquisition from multiple
channels, 7-8 to 7-9
determining adequate buffer
capacity, A-2
examples, 7-10 to 7-11
how circular buffers work, 7-7 to 7-8
overview, 7-6 to 7-7
simple-buffered analog input
displaying waveforms on graphs
(example), 7-4 to 7-5
how buffers work, 7-2
multiple-waveform acquisition,
7-3 to 7-4
overview, 7-1
sampling with multiple starts
(example), 7-5 to 7-6
single-waveform acquisition,
7-2 to 7-3
waiting to analyze data, 7-1 to 7-2
simultaneous acquisition and
generation, 14-1 to 14-4
E-series MIO boards, 14-1 to 14-2
Lab/1200 boards, 14-4
legacy MIO boards, 14-3
buffered waveform generation
buffered analog output, 12-1 to 12-3
examples, 12-4 to 12-5
choosing between single-point or
multiple-point generation, 4-4
circular-buffered output, 12-3 to 12-4
eliminating errors, 12-4
overview, 10-1 to 10-2
Burst Mode Input VI, 17-6
Burst Mode Output VI, 17-6
C
calibration. See SCXI calibration.
cascading counters
defined, 28-2
external connections (figures),
28-2 to 28-3
Change Detection Input VI, 18-2
Index
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual I-6 www.ni.com
channel addressing, 3-8 to 3-11
AMUX-64T devices, 5-14 to 5-18
analog input channel range
(table), 5-14
scanning order, 5-15 to 5-18
channel name addressing, 3-9
channel number addressing, 3-10 to 3-11
SCXI modules, 21-1 to 21-2
channel clock, 9-3 to 9-5
channel and scan intervals using channel
clock (figure), 9-1
considerations for specific devices
(notes), 9-4
controlling externally, 9-3 to 9-5
rate parameter, 5-18
setting channel clock rate, 9-3
simultaneous control of scan and channel
clocks, 9-7
TTL signal (example), 9-3
channel configuration, in NI-DAQ 5.x or 6.x,
2-11
Channel to Index VI (note), 8-10
circular-buffered analog input
asynchronous continuous acquisition
using DAQ occurrences, 7-9
continuous acquisition from multiple
channels, 7-8 to 7-9
examples
basic circular-buffered analog
input, 7-10
Cont Acq & Chart (buffered) VI,
7-11
Cont Acq & Graph (buffered) VI,
7-11
Cont Acq to File (binary) VI, 7-11
Cont Acq to File (scaled) VI, 7-11
Cont Acq to Spreadsheet File VI,
7-11
how circular buffers work
(figure), 7-7 to 7-8
overview, 7-6 to 7-7
circular-buffered analog output
changing waveform during generation,
12-3 to 12-4
eliminating errors, 12-4
circular-buffered digital I/O examples,
17-7 to 17-8
clocks. See channel clock; scan clock; update
clock.
code width, calculating, 5-7
cold junction compensation, 22-3 to 22-5
column major order, 3-14 to 3-15
common questions about LabVIEW data
acquisition, A-1 to A-3
common-mode voltage
defined, 5-11
illustration, 5-11
conditional retrieval, 8-8. See also software
triggering.
configuration. See installation and
configuration.
Cont Acq & Chart (buffered) VI, 7-11
Cont Acq & Graph (buffered) VI, 7-11
Cont Acq to File (binary) VI, 7-11
Cont Acq to File (scaled) VI, 7-11, 12-4
Cont Acq to Spreadsheet File VI, 7-11
Cont Acq&Chart (Async Occurrence) VI, 7-9
Cont Acquire&Chart (immediate) VI, 6-4
Cont Change Detection Input VI, 18-3
Cont Handshake Input VI, 17-8
Cont Handshake Output VI, 17-8
Cont Pattern Input VI, 18-3
Cont Pattern Output VI, 18-3
Cont Pulse Train (8253) VI, 25-9, 29-3
Cont Pulse Train-Easy (9513) VI, 25-8
Cont Pulse Train-Easy (DAQ-STC) VI, 25-8
Cont Pulse Train-Int (9513) VI, 25-8
Cont Pulse Train-Int (DAQ-STC) VI, 25-8
continuous acquisition from multiple
channels, 7-8 to 7-9
Continuous Generation example VI, 12-3
Index
National Instruments Corporation I-7 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
Continuous Pulse Generator Config VI
continuous pulse train generation, 25-8
finite pulse train generation,
25-10 to 25-11
continuous pulse train generation,
25-7 to 25-9
8253/54, 25-9
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC, and Am9513,
25-7 to 25-8
continuous timed digital I/O, 18-2 to 18-3
Continuous Transducer VI, 22-6
control loops. See analog input/output control
loops.
Convert RTD Reading VI, 22-12
Convert Strain Gauge Reading VI,
22-15 to 22-16
Convert Thermocouple Reading VI, 22-8
Count Events (8253) VI, 28-5
Count Events or Time Easy VI
events, 28-3
time
Am9513, 28-6
TIO-ASIC and DAQ-STC,
28-5 to 28-6
Count Events-Easy (9513) VI, 28-4
Count Events-Easy (DAQ-STC) VI, 28-3
Count Events-Int (9513) VI, 28-4
Count Events-Int (DAQ-STC) VI, 28-3
Count Time (8253) VI, 28-6 to 28-7
Count Time-Easy (9513) VI, 28-6
Count Time-Easy (DAQ-STC) VI, 28-5
Count Time-Int (9513) VI, 28-6 to 28-7
Count Time-Int (DAQ-STC) VI, 28-6
counter addressing for VIs, 3-8 to 3-11
counter chips used in National Instruments
devices, 24-4 to 24-6. See also 8253/54
counter; AM9513 counter; DAQ-STC
counter; TIO-ASIC counter.
Counter Read VI
controlling pulse width measurement,
26-5 to 26-6
counting events
Am9513, 28-4
DAQ-STC, 28-3
counting time
Am9513, 28-7
DAQ-STC, 28-6
measuring frequency and period
high frequency signals, 27-5
low frequency signals, 27-8
Counter Start VI
continuous pulse train generation, 25-8
controlling pulse width
measurement, 26-5
counting events
Am9513, 28-4
DAQ-STC, 28-3
counting time
Am9513, 28-7
DAQ-STC, 28-6
dividing frequencies, 29-2
finite pulse train generation,
25-10 to 25-11
measuring frequency and period
high frequency signals, 27-5
low frequency signals, 27-8
single square pulse generation, 25-6
Counter Stop VI
controlling pulse width
measurement, 26-6
counting events
Am9513, 28-4
DAQ-STC, 28-3
counting time
Am9513, 28-7
DAQ-STC, 28-6
dividing frequencies, 29-2
finite pulse train generation, 25-10
measuring frequency and period
high frequency signals, 27-5
low frequency signals, 27-8
stopping counter generations, 25-14
Index
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual I-8 www.ni.com
counters
accuracy of counters, 25-13 to 25-14
basic functions, 24-1 to 24-6
capabilities, 24-1
choosing between counting methods, 4-5
counting events or elapsed time,
28-1 to 28-7
connecting counters, 28-1 to 28-3
elapsed time, 28-5 to 28-7
events, 28-3 to 28-5
counting operations with no counters
available, 25-12 to 25-13
digital vs. counter interfacing, 4-4
dividing frequencies, 29-1 to 29-3
frequency and period measurement,
27-1 to 27-8
connecting counters for measuring,
27-3 to 27-4
high frequency signals, 27-4 to 27-6
how and when to measure,
27-1 to 27-2
low frequency signals, 27-7 to 27-8
gating modes (figure), 24-4
pulse train generation, 25-7 to 25-12
continuous pulse train, 25-7 to 25-9
finite pulse train, 25-9 to 25-12
pulse width measurement, 26-1 to 26-8
controlling pulse width
measurement, 26-5 to 26-6
determining pulse width,
26-2 to 26-5
increasing measurable width range,
26-7 to 26-8
square pulse generation, 25-1 to 25-7
8253/54, 25-4
single square pulse generation,
25-4 to 25-7
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC, and
Am9513, 25-3
stopping counter generations,
25-14 to 25-15
timebase uncertainty, 25-13
CTR Buffer Config VI, 26-7
CTR Buffer Read VI, 26-7
CTR Control VI
buffered pulse and period measurement,
26-7
enabling and disabling FOUT
signal, 25-12
measuring frequency and period, 27-5
CTR Group Config VI, 26-7
CTR Mode Config VI
buffered pulse and period measurement,
26-7
finite pulse train generation, 25-11
current setting for VIs, 3-6
current value conventions for VIs, 3-6
D
daisy chaining SCXI chassis, 22-20 to 22-21
DAQ Channel Wizard
channel name addressing, 3-9
limit settings, 3-11
SCXI programming considerations
(note), 21-1
DAQ devices vs. SCXI devices, 4-3
DAQ examples
location of example files, 3-2
locations, 3-1 to 3-2
DAQ hardware. See hardware; installation and
configuration.
DAQ Occurrence Config VI, 7-9
DAQ Solution Wizard, 3-1
DAQ VIs. See VIs.
DAQ-STC counter
buffered pulse and period
measurement, 26-6
continuous pulse train generation,
25-7 to 25-8
Index
National Instruments Corporation I-9 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
controlling pulse width measurement,
26-5 to 26-6
counting operations with no counters
available, 25-12 to 25-13
description, 24-5
determining pulse width, 26-2 to 26-3
dividing frequencies, 29-2 to 29-3
events or elapsed time counting
events, 28-3 to 28-4
time, 28-5 to 28-6
finite pulse train generation
using Advanced VIs, 25-11
using Easy and Intermediate VIs,
25-10 to 25-11
frequency and period measurement
connecting counters, 27-3 to 27-4
high frequency signals, 27-4 to 27-5
how and when to measure,
27-2 to 27-3
low frequency signals, 27-7 to 27-8
internal timebases with maximum pulse
width measurements (table), 26-8
single square pulse generation,
25-5 to 25-6
square pulse generation, 25-3
stopping counter generations,
25-14 to 25-15
data acquisition. See also analog input; VIs.
analog input/output control loops,
6-5 to 6-8
basic LabVIEW data acquisition
concepts, 3-1 to 3-16
data organization for analog
applications, 3-14 to 3-16
limit settings, 3-11 to 3-13
location of common DAQ
examples, 3-1 to 3-2
buffered. See buffered waveform
acquisition.
common questions about LabVIEW data
acquisition, A-1 to A-3
important terms, 5-18
multiple-channel single-point, 6-2 to 6-4
single-channel single-point, 6-1 to 6-2
triggered. See triggered data acquisition.
data acquisition hardware. See hardware.
Data Acquisition palette, 3-3
data organization for analog applications,
3-14 to 3-16
column major order, 3-14 to 3-15
row major order, 3-14
two-dimensional (2D) arrays,
3-14 to 3-16
data types for LabVIEW, xxi
debugging VIs, 30-1 to 30-4
error handling, 30-2 to 30-3
execution highlighting, 30-3
hardware connection errors, 30-1
setting breakpoints and showing
advanced DAQ VIs, 30-4
single-stepping through VIs, 30-3
software configuration errors,
30-1 to 30-2
using Probe tool, 30-4
VI construction errors, 30-2 to 30-4
default input for VIs, 3-6
default setting for VIs, 3-6
Delayed Pulse (8253) VI, 25-6
Delayed Pulse Generator Config VI
finite pulse train generation,
25-10 to 25-11
measuring frequency and period, 27-5
single square pulse generation, 25-6
Delayed Pulse-Easy (9513) VI, 25-5
Delayed Pulse-Easy (DAQ-STC) VI, 25-5
Delayed Pulse-Int (9513) VI, 25-6
Delayed Pulse-Int (DAQ-STC) VI, 25-6
delays for improving control loop
performance, 6-7 to 6-8
device range
considerations for selecting analog input
settings, 5-7 to 5-8
Index
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual I-10 www.ni.com
description, 5-5
effect on ADC precision (figure), 5-5
measurement precision for various ranges
and limit settings (table), 5-8
setting range and polarity, 3-13
diagnostic resources, online, B-1
differential measurement system, 5-9 to 5-11
8-channel differential system
(figure), 5-10
common mode voltage (figure), 5-11
when to use, 5-11
Dig Buf Hand Iterative(653x) VI, 17-7
Dig Buf Hand Iterative(8255) VI, 17-7
Dig Buf Handshake In(8255) VI, 17-6
Dig Buf Handshake Out(8255) VI, 17-6
Dig Word Handshake In(653x) VI, 17-5
Dig Word Handshake In(8255) VI, 17-5
Dig Word Handshake Out(653x) VI,
14-3 to 14-4
Dig Word Handshake Out(8255) VI, 17-5
digital and relay SCXI modules, 20-6
digital I/O
buffered handshaking, 17-6 to 17-8
circular buffered examples,
17-7 to 17-8
simple buffered examples, 17-6
chip familes, 15-2 to 15-3
6533 family, 15-3
8255 family, 15-3
E Series family, 15-3
choosing between non-latched or latched
digital I/O, 4-5
digital vs. counter interfacing, 4-4
handshaking (latched) digital I/O,
17-1 to 17-8
buffered handshaking, 17-6 to 17-8
digital data on multiple ports,
17-2 to 17-4
handshaking lines, 17-2
nonbuffered handshaking, 17-5
types of handshaking, 17-4 to 17-5
immediate (non-latched) digital I/O,
16-1 to 16-4
non-buffered handshaking, 17-5
overview, 15-1
SCXI application examples
digital input, 22-17 to 22-18
digital output, 22-19 to 22-20
sending out multiple digital values,
17-2 to 17-4
types of digital acquisition/generation,
15-2
digital ports and lines, 15-1
digital SCXI application examples
digital input, 22-17 to 22-18
digital output, 22-19 to 22-20
digital SCXI modules
multiplexed mode for digital and relay
modules, 20-6
parallel mode, 20-7
digital signals vs. analog signals, 4-3
digital triggering
defined, 8-2
description, 8-2 to 8-3
diagram of signal connections, 8-2
examples, 8-4 to 8-5
timeline for post-triggered data
acquisition (figure), 8-3
DIO Port Config VI, 22-18
Disable Indexing option, 3-15
Display and Output Acq'd File (scaled) VI,
12-4 to 12-5
dividing frequencies, 29-1 to 29-3
documentation
about the manual, xix
conventions used in manual, xix-xx
data types for LabVIEW, xxi
flowchart for finding information, 4-2
how to use this book, 1-1 to 1-4
related documentation, xxii
Index
National Instruments Corporation I-11 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
down counter, 29-1
Down Counter or Divide Config VI,
29-2 to 29-3
E
E-series MIO boards
hardware triggered, 14-2
simultaneous buffered waveform
acquisition and generation,
14-1 to 14-2
software triggered, 14-1 to 14-2
Easy Counter VI
continuous pulse train generation, 25-8
finite pulse train generation,
25-9 to 25-10
single square pulse generation, 25-6
Easy VIs. See also VIs.
addressing OUT and IN pins on DIO-32F
board, A-2
continuous pulse train generation, 25-8
counting elapsed time
Am9513, 28-6
TIO-ASIC and DAQ-STC,
28-5 to 28-6
counting events, 28-3 to 28-5
digital input application, 22-17
digital output application, 22-19
finite pulse train generation,
25-9 to 25-10
grouping two or more ports, A-2
immediate digital I/O, 16-2 to 16-3
limitations, 6-3
measuring frequency and period
high frequency signals, 27-4 to 27-5
low frequency signals, 27-7
multiple-channel single-point analog
input, 6-3
multiple-immediate updates, 11-2
multiple-waveform acquisition, 7-3
overview, 3-4
single square pulse generation, 25-6
single-channel single-point analog
input, 6-1
single-immediate updates, 11-1 to 11-2
single-waveform acquisition, 7-2 to 7-3
strain gauge application, 22-15
waveform generation, 12-1 to 12-2
edges of signals, 24-2
EEPROM, for storing calibration constants,
23-1 to 23-2
default load area, 23-2
factory area, 23-2
user area, 23-2
elapsed time counting. See events or elapsed
time counting.
Error Handler VIs, 30-2
error handling
debugging VIs, 30-2 to 30-3
error in and error out error clusters, 3-8
Event or Time Counter Config VI
counting events
Am9513, 28-4
DAQ-STC, 28-3
counting time
Am9513, 28-7
DAQ-STC, 28-6
measuring frequency and period, 27-5
events or elapsed time counting, 28-1 to 28-7
adjacent counters for counter chips
(table), 28-2
connecting counters, 28-1 to 28-3
Am9513, 28-2 to 28-3
cascading counters (figures),
28-2 to 28-3
external connections (figures), 28-1
elapsed time, 28-5 to 28-7
8253/54, 28-6 to 28-7
Am9513, 28-6 to 28-7
TIO-ASIC and DAQ-STC,
28-5 to 28-6
Index
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual I-12 www.ni.com
events, 28-3 to 28-5
8253/54, 28-5
Am9513, 28-4
TIO-ASIC and DAQ-STC,
28-3 to 28-4
execution highlighting, 30-3
external control
acquisition rate, 9-1 to 9-7
channel and scan intervals using
channel clock (figure), 9-1
channel clock control, 9-3 to 9-5
choosing between triggering and
external clock control, 4-4
description, 9-1 to 9-3
multi-point acquisition with internal
or external clock, 4-5
round-robin scanning (figure), 9-2
scan clock control, 9-5 to 9-7
simultaneous control of scan and
channel clocks, 9-7
update clock, 13-1 to 13-2
Generate N Updates-ExtUpdateClk
VI, 13-1 to 13-2
input pins (table), 13-2
supplying test clock from DAQ
device, 13-2
external conversions, 9-4
EXTUPDATE* signal (table), 13-2
F
Finite Pulse Train (8253) VI, 25-12
finite pulse train generation, 25-9 to 25-12
8253/54, 25-11 to 25-12
DAQ-STC, 25-11
physical connections (figure), 25-10
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC, and Am9513,
25-10 to 25-11
Finite Pulse Train-Adv (DAQ-STC) VI, 25-11
Finite Pulse Train-Easy (9513) VI, 25-10
Finite Pulse Train-Easy (DAQ-STC) VI,
25-10
Finite Pulse Train-Int (9513) VI, 25-10
Finite Pulse Train-Int (DAQ-STC) VI, 25-10
finite timed digital I/O, 18-1 to 18-2
with triggering, 18-2
without triggering, 18-1 to 18-2
floating signal sources, 5-3
FOUT pin, 13-2, 25-12
FREQ_OUT pin, 13-2, 25-12
frequency and period measurement,
27-1 to 27-8
connecting counters for measuring,
27-3 to 27-4
equation for obtaining measurements,
27-3
high frequency signals, 27-4 to 27-6
how and when to measure, 27-1 to 27-2
low frequency signals, 27-7 to 27-8
square wave frequency measurement
(figure), 27-2
square wave period measurement
(figure), 27-2
frequency division, 29-1 to 29-3
8253/54, 29-3
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC, and Am9513,
29-2 to 29-3
wiring (figure), 29-1
Function Generator VI, 12-4
Functions palette
Array & Cluster, 3-15
DAQ, 6-1
locating VIs, 3-3
G
gain, defined, 3-13
gains (SCXI)
default gain, 21-3
description, 21-3 to 21-4
Index
National Instruments Corporation I-13 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
SCXI-1100 channel arrays, input limits
array, and gains (table), 21-4
GATE input, for counters, 24-2
General Error Handler VI
debugging VIs, 30-2
pulse width measurement, 26-6
Generate Continuous Sinewave VI, 12-3
Generate Delayed Pulse VI
single square pulse generation, 25-5
stopping counter generations, 25-14
Generate N Updates example VI, 12-2
Generate N Updates-ExtUpdateClk VI,
13-1 to 13-2
Generate Pulse Train on FOUT VI, 13-2,
25-13
Generate Pulse Train on FREQ_OUT VI,
13-2, 25-13
Generate Pulse Train VI
continuous pulse train generation
8253/54, 25-9
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC, and
Am9513, 25-8
finite pulse train generation, DAQ-STC
and Am9513, 25-10
stopping counter generations, 25-14
supplying external test clock, 13-2
Get DAQ Device Information VI, 2-1
Get Timebase (8253) VI, 26-5, 27-6
Getting Started Analog Input example VI
reading amplifier offset, 22-5
temperature sensor, 22-4
grounded signal sources, 5-2 to 5-3
H
handshaking (latched) digital I/O, 17-1 to 17-8
buffered handshaking, 17-6 to 17-8
circular buffered examples,
17-7 to 17-8
iterative-buffered examples, 17-7
simple buffered examples, 17-6
choosing between non-latched or latched
digital I/O, 4-5
connecting signal lines
digital input (figure), 17-3
digital output (figure), 17-4
DAQ devices supporting digital
handshaking, 17-1
defined, 15-2
multiple ports, 17-2 to 17-4
non-buffered handshaking, 17-5
overview, 17-1 to 17-2
hardware. See also installation and
configuration; SCXI modules.
debugging connection errors, 30-1
relationship between LabVIEW,
NI-DAQ, and DAQ hardware
(figure), 2-3
hardware triggering, 8-1 to 8-8
analog
description, 8-5 to 8-6
examples, 8-7 to 8-8
digital
description, 8-2 to 8-3
examples, 8-4 to 8-5
overview, 8-1
hardware-timed analog input/output control
loops, 6-6 to 6-7
I
IBF (Input Buffer Full) line, 17-2
ICTR Control VI
counting events, 28-5
determining pulse width, 26-5
measuring frequency and period, 27-6
stopping counter generations, 25-15
ICTR Control-Int VI, 28-6 to 28-7
ICTR Timebase Generator VI, 25-12
immediate digital I/O. See nonlatched
digital I/O.
Index
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual I-14 www.ni.com
immediate updates
multiple, 11-2
single, 11-1
Index Array function, 3-15
initialization of data acquisition devices, A-3
Input Buffer Full (IBF) line, 17-2
input range, and input setting selection,
5-7 to 5-8
installation and configuration
channel configuration in NI-DAQ 5.x or
6.x, 2-11
DAQ devices
installing and configuring (figure),
2-2
using NI-DAQ 4.8.x on Macintosh,
2-4 to 2-6
using NI-DAQ 5.x or 6.x, 2-4
debugging software configuration errors,
30-1 to 30-2
relationship between LabVIEW,
NI-DAQ, and DAQ hardware
(figure), 2-3
SCXI chassis
hardware configuration, 2-6 to 2-7
software configuration, 2-8 to 2-10
NI-DAQ 4.8.x for Macintosh,
2-8 to 2-10
NI-DAQ 5.x or 6.x, 2-9
Intermediate VIs. See also VIs.
advantages, 6-4
asynchronous continuous acquisition
using DAQ occurrences, 7-9
circular-buffered output, 12-3 to 12-4
continuous acquisition from multiple
channels, 7-8 to 7-9
continuous pulse train generation, 25-8
controlling pulse width measurement,
26-5 to 26-6
counting elapsed time
8253/54, 28-6 to 28-7
Am9513, 28-6 to 28-7
TIO-ASIC or DAQ-STC, 28-6
counting events
8253/54, 28-5
Am9513, 28-4
TIO-ASIC and DAQ-STC, 28-3
digital handshaking, 17-5
dividing frequencies, 29-2 to 29-3
finite pulse train generation,
25-9 to 25-11
measuring frequency and period
high frequency signals, 27-5
low frequency signals, 27-8
multiple-channel single-point analog
input, 6-3 to 6-4
multiple-waveform acquisition,
7-3 to 7-4
overview, 3-5
SCXI temperature measurement
examples, 22-6 to 22-8
simultaneous buffered waveform
acquisition and generation, 14-1
single square pulse generation, 25-6
single-immediate updates, 11-1
stopping counter generations, 25-14
strain gauge application, 22-15
waveform generation, 12-3 to 12-4
interval scanning, 5-18
isolation of transducer signals, 19-5
iterative-buffered digital I/O examples, 17-7
L
Lab/1200 boards, simultaneous buffered
waveform acquisition and generation, 14-4
LabVIEW software
basic LabVIEW data acquisition
concepts, 3-1 to 3-16. See also VIs.
data organization for analog
applications, 3-14 to 3-16
location of common DAQ examples,
3-1 to 3-2
Index
National Instruments Corporation I-15 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
common questions about LabVIEW,
A-1 to A-3
data types, xxi
relationship between LabVIEW,
NI-DAQ, and DAQ hardware (figure),
2-3
latched digital I/O. See handshaking (latched)
digital I/O.
legacy MIO boards
hardware triggered, 14-3
simultaneous buffered waveform
acquisition and generation, 14-3
software triggered, 14-3
limit settings
considerations for selecting analog input
settings, 5-7 to 5-8
description, 5-6
effect on ADC precision (figure), 5-6
measurement precision for various device
ranges and limit settings (table), 5-8
SCXI gains, 21-3 to 21-4
VI limit settings, 3-11 to 3-13
linearizing voltage levels, 19-6
M
Macintosh systems
configuring DAQ devices, 2-4 to 2-6
NI-DAQ driver files, 2-3
SCXI software configuration, 2-8 to 2-10
manual. See documentation.
maximum sampling rate per channel, 7-4
Meas Buffered Pulse-Period (DAQ-STC) VI,
26-6 to 26-7
Measure Frequency < 1kHz (8253) VI, 27-8
Measure Frequency > 1kHz (8253) VI, 27-6
Measure Frequency-Dig Start > 1kHz (8253)
VI, 27-6
Measure Frequency-Easy (9513) VI, 27-4
Measure Frequency-Easy (DAQ-STC) VI,
27-4
Measure Period-Easy (9513) VI, 27-7
Measure Period-Easy (DAQ-STC) VI, 27-7
Measure Pulse-Easy (9513) VI, 26-4
Measure Pulse-Easy (DAQ-STC) VI, 26-2
Measure Pulse Width or Period VI
determining pulse width
Am9513, 26-4
DAQ-STC, 26-2 to 26-3
measuring low frequency signals, 27-7
Measure Short Pulse Width (8253) VI,
26-4 to 26-5
measurement system
choosing, 5-4 to 5-6
differential measurement system,
5-9 to 5-11
nonreferenced single-ended measurement
system, 5-13 to 5-14
referenced single-ended measurement
system, 5-12
Microsoft Windows. See Windows
environment.
MIO boards
E-series MIO boards, 14-1 to 14-2
legacy MIO boards, 14-3
Multi Board Synchronization VI, 18-2
multiple-channel single-point analog input,
6-2 to 6-4
multiple-immediate updates, 11-2
multiple-waveform acquisition
choosing between single-point and
multi-point acquisition, 4-4
procedure for acquiring, 7-3 to 7-4
multiplexed mode (SCXI)
analog input modules, 20-5
analog output modules, 20-6
channel addressing, 21-1 to 21-2
digital and relay modules, 20-6
SCXI-1200 (Windows), 20-6
My Single Scan Processing VI, 6-4
Index
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual I-16 www.ni.com
N
National Instruments Web support, B-1 to B-2
NI-DAQ software
channel configuration in NI-DAQ 5.x, 6.x,
2-11
configuring for SCXI modules
NI-DAQ 4.8.x for Macintosh,
2-8 to 2-10
NI-DAQ 5.x, 6.x for Windows, 2-9
driver files
Macintosh versions, 2-3
versions of NI-DAQ drivers
(note), 2-1
Windows versions, 2-3
installing
NI-DAQ 4.8.x on Macintosh,
2-4 to 2-6
NI-DAQ 5.x or 6.x, 2-4
relationship between LabVIEW,
NI-DAQ, and DAQ hardware
(figure), 2-3
NIDAQ32.DLL file, 2-3
non-buffered handshaking, 17-5
nonlatched digital I/O
Advanced Digital VIs, 16-3 to 16-4
channel names, 16-1 to 16-2
choosing between non-latched or latched
digital I/O, 4-5
defined, 15-2
Easy Digital VIs, 16-2 to 16-3
overview, 16-1
non-referenced signal sources, 5-2
nonreferenced single-ended (NRSE)
measurement system, 5-13 to 5-14
16-channel NRSE system (figure), 5-13
when to use, 5-14
Nyquist frequency, 5-2
Nyquist Theorem, 5-2
O
OBF (Output Buffer Full) line, 17-2
one-point calibration, 23-5 to 23-6
online problem-solving and diagnostic
resources, B-1
OUT output pin, 24-2
OUT2 signal (table), 13-2
Output Buffer Full (OBF) line, 17-2
P
parallel mode (SCXI)
analog input modules, 20-6 to 20-7
channel addressing, 21-1 to 21-2
digital modules, 20-7
SCXI-1200 (Windows), 20-7
parameters for VIs
common DAQ VI parameters, 3-7
conventions, 3-5 to 3-6
pattern generation I/O. See timed digital I/O.
Period Meas Config VI, 26-5
period measurement. See frequency and period
measurement.
PFI5/UPDATE* signal (table), 13-2
polling for analog input, 6-7 to 6-8
ports
digital ports and lines, 15-1
grouping ports
with handshaking, 17-2 to 17-4
without handshaking, A-2
port addressing, 3-8 to 3-11
writing to digital port while reading
digital data, A-2
pressure measurement with strain gauges
(example), 22-13 to 22-16
Probe tool, 30-4
problem-solving and diagnostic resources,
online, B-1
pulse generation, square. See square pulse
generation.
Index
National Instruments Corporation I-17 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
pulse train generation, 25-7 to 25-12
8253/54, 25-4
continuous pulse train, 25-7 to 25-9
8253/54, 25-9
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC, and
Am9513, 25-7 to 25-8
duty cycles (figure), 25-2
finite pulse train, 25-9 to 25-12
8253/54, 25-11 to 25-12
DAQ-STC, 25-11
physical connections (figure), 25-10
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC, and
Am9513, 25-10 to 25-11
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC, and Am9513,
25-3
pulse width measurement, 26-1 to 26-8
buffered pulse and period measurement,
26-6 to 26-7
controlling pulse width measurement,
26-5 to 26-6
counting input signals (figure), 26-1
determining pulse width, 26-2 to 26-5
increasing measurable width range,
26-7 to 26-8
measuring pulse width, 26-1 to 26-2
overview, 26-1
physical connections for determining
pulse width (figure), 26-2
Pulse Width or Period Meas Config VI, 27-8
pulsed counter signal generation, 25-1
Q
questions
about using DAQ devices, 4-3 to 4-5
LabVIEW data acquisition questions,
A-1 to A-3
R
range. See device range.
Read 1 Pt from from Dig Line(E) VI, 16-3
Read from 1 Dig Port(653x) VI, 16-3
Read from 1 Dig Port(8255) VI, 16-3
Read from 1 Dig Port(E) VI, 16-4
Read from 1Dig Line(653x) VI, 16-2
Read from 1Dig Line(8255x) VI, 16-2
Read from 2 Dig Port(653x) VI, 16-3
Read from 2 Dig Port(8255) VI, 16-3
Read from Digital Port VI, 22-17
Read from Digital Port(653x) VI, 16-3
Read from Digital Port(8255) VI, 16-3
referenced signal sources, 5-2
referenced single-ended (RSE) measurement
system, 5-12
relay SCXI modules, 20-6
Remote SCXI, sampling rate limits
(note), 20-4
REQ (Request) line, 17-2
Resistance-Temperature Detectors (RTDs),
22-10 to 22-13
resolution of ADC, 5-4
round-robin scanning (figure), 9-2
row major order, 3-14
RSE (referenced single-ended) measurement
system, 5-12
RTD Conversion VI, 22-12
RTDs for measuring temperature,
22-10 to 22-13
S
SC-2042 RTD device, 22-11
Scale Constant Tuner VIs, 23-7
Scaling Constant Tuner VI, 22-6, 22-8
scan clock, 9-5 to 9-7
block diagram of VI acquiring data
(figure), 9-5
channel and scan intervals using channel
clock (figure), 9-1
Index
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual I-18 www.ni.com
devices without scan clocks (note), 9-6
input pins (table), 9-6
MIO devices without scan clocks
(note), 9-5
scan-clock orientation of LabVIEW, 9-2
simultaneous control of scan and channel
clocks, 9-7
scans
channel clock rate parameter, 5-18
defined, 5-18
interval scanning, 5-18
maximum scan rate, calculating, 7-4
number of samples parameter, 5-18
number of scans to acquire
parameter, 5-18
round-robin scanning (figure), 9-2
scan rate parameter, 5-18
SCXI 1124 Update Channels VI, 22-17
SCXI application examples, 22-1 to 22-21
analog input application for measuring
temperature, 22-2 to 22-13
analog output application, 22-17
DAQ example files, 3-2
digital input application, 22-17 to 22-18
digital output application, 22-19 to 22-20
multi-chassis applications,
22-20 to 22-22-17
overview, 22-1
pressure measurement with strain gauges,
22-13 to 22-16
temperature measurement applications
amplifier offset, 22-5 to 22-6
sensors for cold-junction
compensation, 22-3 to 22-5
using RTDs, 22-10 to 22-13
using thermocouples, 22-2 to 22-3
VI examples, 22-6 to 22-10
SCXI Cal Constants VI
calculation of calibration constants, 23-3
calibrating SCXI modules for signal
generation, 23-8
loading saved calibration constants, 23-7,
23-8
one-point calibration, 23-6
overwriting default constants in
EEPROM (note), 23-2
two-point calibration, 23-6 to 23-7
SCXI calibration, 23-1 to 23-8
EEPROM for storing calibration
constants, 23-1 to 23-2
default load area, 23-2
factory area, 23-2
user area, 23-2
one-point calibration, 23-5 to 23-6
overview, 23-3
signal acquisition, 23-4 to 23-7
signal generation, 23-7 to 23-8
two-point calibration, 23-6 to 23-7
SCXI modules. See also signal conditioning.
components
chassis (figure), 20-4
illustration, 20-3
overview, 20-2 to 20-3
hardware configurations
illustration, 20-2
overview, 20-1
procedure, 2-6 to 2-7
installation and configuration, 20-8
sampling rate limits for Remote SCXI
(note), 20-4
software configuration
Macintosh systems, 2-8 to 2-10
Windows environment, 2-8
when to use, 4-3
SCXI operating modes, 20-5 to 20-7
multiplexed mode
analog input modules, 20-5 to 20-6
analog output modules, 20-6
channel addressing, 21-1 to 21-2
digital and relay modules, 20-6
SCXI-1200 (Windows), 20-6
Index
National Instruments Corporation I-19 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
parallel mode
analog input modules, 20-6 to 20-7
channel addressing, 21-1 to 21-2
digital modules, 20-7
SCXI-1200 (Windows), 20-7
SCXI programming considerations,
21-1 to 21-5
channel addressing, 21-1 to 21-2
gains, 21-3 to 21-5
SCXI-1100 channel arrays, input limits
array, and gains (table), 21-4
settling time, 21-5
SCXI Temperature Monitor VI, 22-9
SCXI thermocouple example VIs, 22-5
SCXI-100 thermocouple VI, 22-6
SCXI-1100 Voltage example, 22-6
SCXI-1120/1121 Thermocouple example VI,
22-10
SCXI-116x Digital Output VI, 22-20
SCXI-1162/1162HV Digital Input VI, 22-18
SCXI-1200 module
multiplexed mode (Windows), 20-6
parallel mode (Windows), 20-7
settling time (SCXI), 21-5
Show Help option, 3-2
Show VI Info option, 3-2
signal conditioning
amplification, 19-4
common transducers (table), 19-1 to 19-2
common types of signal conditioning,
19-2
conditioning for common types of
transducers/signals (figure), 19-3
defined, 19-2
filtering, 19-5
isolation, 19-5
linearization, 19-6
transducer excitation, 19-5
signal divider, 29-1
signal edges, 24-2
signal voltage range. See limit settings.
signals. See also analog input signals.
choosing between analog and digital
signals, 4-3
simple-buffered analog input
examples
displaying waveforms on
graphs, 7-4 to 7-5
sampling with multiple starts,
7-5 to 7-6
multiple-waveform acquisition,
7-3 to 7-4
overview, 7-1
single-waveform acquisition, 7-2 to 7-3
waiting to analyze data, 7-1 to 7-2
Simple Error Handler VI
analog output SCXI example, 22-17
debugging VIs, 30-2 to 30-3
multiple-channel single-point analog
input, 6-4
single-immediate updates, 11-1
Simul AI/AO Buffered (E-series MIO) VI,
14-2
Simul AI/AO Buffered (Lab/1200) VI, 14-4
Simul AI/AO Buffered (legacy MIO) VI, 14-3
Simul AI/AO Buffered Trigger (E-series
MIO) VI, 14-2
Simul AI/AO Buffered Trigger (Lab/1200)
VI, 14-4
simultaneous buffered waveform acquisition
and generation. See buffered waveform
acquisition.
single-channel single-point analog input
choosing between single-point and
multi-point acquisition, 4-4
description, 6-1 to 6-2
single-ended measurement system
nonreferenced, 5-13 to 5-14
referenced, 5-12
single-immediate updates, 11-1
Index
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual I-20 www.ni.com
single-point analog output
choosing between single-point or
multiple-point generation, 4-4
overview, 10-1
single-stepping through VIs, 30-3
single-waveform acquisition, 7-2 to 7-3
software configuration errors, debugging,
30-1 to 30-2
software-related resources, B-2
software-timed analog input/output control
loops, 6-5 to 6-6
software timing, 10-1
software triggering
conditional retrieval examples, 8-11
description, 8-8 to 8-11
timeline of conditional retrieval
(figure), 8-9
SOURCE input, for counters, 24-2
spreadsheet files
Cont Acq to Spreadsheet File VI, 7-11
simple buffered-analog input example,
7-6
square pulse generation, 25-1 to 25-7
8253/54, 25-4
duty cycle (figure), 25-2
overview, 25-1 to 25-2
single square pulse generation,
25-4 to 25-7
8253/54, 25-6 to 25-7
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC, and
Am9513, 25-5 to 25-6
terminology related to, 25-1
TIO-ASIC, DAQ-STC, and Am9513,
25-3
square wave frequency, measuring
(figure), 27-2
Start & Stop Trig VI, 18-2
STB (Strobe Input) line, 17-2
Strain Gauge Conversion VI, 22-15
strain gauges for measuring pressure
(example), 22-13 to 22-16
Strobe Input (STB) line, 17-2
T
technical support resources, B-1 to B-2
temperature measurement applications (SCXI)
amplifier offset, 22-5 to 22-6
sensors for cold-junction compensation,
22-3 to 22-5
using RTDs, 22-10 to 22-13
using thermocouples, 22-2 to 22-3
VI examples, 22-6 to 22-10
terminal count (TC), 24-3
Thermistor Conversion VI, 22-4
thermocouples
measuring temperature (example),
22-2 to 22-3
SCXI Thermocouple example VIs, 22-5
SCXI-1100 Thermocouple VI, 22-6
SCXI-1120/1121 Thermocouple example
VI, 22-10
timebase period uncertainty, 25-13
timed digital I/O, 18-1 to 18-3
continuous timed digital I/O, 18-2 to 18-3
finite timed digital I/O, 18-1 to 18-2
with triggering, 18-2
without triggering, 18-1 to 18-2
overview, 18-1
pattern digital I/O, defined, 15-2
TIO-ASIC counter
buffered pulse and period measurement,
26-6
continuous pulse train generation,
25-7 to 25-8
controlling pulse width measurement,
26-5 to 26-6
counting operations with no counters
available, 25-12 to 25-13
description, 24-5
Index
National Instruments Corporation I-21 LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual
determining pulse width, 26-2 to 26-3
dividing frequencies, 29-2 to 29-3
event counting, 28-3 to 28-4
finite pulse train generation,
25-10 to 25-11
frequency and period measurement
connecting counters, 27-3 to 27-4
high frequency signals, 27-4 to 27-5
how and when to measure,
27-2 to 27-3
low frequency signals, 27-7 to 27-8
internal timebases with maximum pulse
width measurements (table), 26-8
single square pulse generation,
25-5 to 25-6
square pulse generation, 25-3
toggled counter signal generation, 25-1
transducers
common transducers (table), 19-1 to 19-2
excitation, 19-5
linearization, 19-6
signal conditioning for common types of
transducers/signals (figure), 19-3
Transpose 2D Array option (note), 3-15
transposing arrays, 3-15, 7-5
triggered data acquisition, 8-1 to 8-11
analog hardware triggering
description, 8-5 to 8-6
examples, 8-7 to 8-8
deciding which digital trigger
setting to use, A-3
digital hardware triggering
description, 8-2 to 8-3
examples, 8-4 to 8-6
hardware triggering, 8-1 to 8-8
overview, 8-1
software triggering
conditional retrieval examples, 8-11
description, 8-8 to 8-11
triggering vs. external clock control, 4-4
triggering, defined, 8-1
triggers, defined, 8-1
two dimensional (2D) arrays, 3-14 to 3-16
analog output buffers, 3-15 to 3-16
column major order, 3-14 to 3-15
extracting single channel, 3-15
illustration, 3-14
row major order, 3-14
two-point calibration, 23-6 to 23-7
U
unipolar range, 3-13, 5-7
update clock, controlling externally,
13-1 to 13-2
Generate N Updates-ExtUpdateClk VI,
13-1 to 13-2
input pins (table), 13-2
overview, 13-1
supplying test clock from DAQ
device, 13-2
Utility VIs, 3-5
V
VIs. See also Advanced VIs; Easy VIs;
Intermediate VIs.
channel, port, and counter addressing,
3-8 to 3-11
common DAQ VI parameters, 3-7
data organization for analog applications,
3-14 to 3-16
debugging, 30-1 to 30-4
default and current value conventions, 3-6
error handling, 3-8
finding VIs in LabVIEW, 3-3 to 3-4
limit settings, 3-11 to 3-13
organization, 3-3 to 3-4
parameter conventions, 3-5 to 3-6
SCXI examples, 22-6 to 22-10
Utility VIs, 3-5
Index
LabVIEW Data Acquisition Basics Manual I-22 www.ni.com
W
Wait (ms) VI, 6-7, 6-8
Wait+(ms) VI
finite pulse train generation, 25-10
stopping counter generations, 25-14
Wait on Occurrence function, 7-9
Wait Until Next ms Multiple VI
improving control loop performance, 6-8
multiple-channel single-point analog
input, 6-4
software-timed analog I/O control
loops, 6-5
waveform acquisition. See buffered waveform
acquisition.
waveform generation. See buffered waveform
generation.
Web support from National Instruments,
B-1 to B-2
online problem-solving and diagnostic
resources, B-1
software-related resources, B-2
Wheatstone bridge, 22-14
Windows environment
installation and configuration
DAQ devices, 2-4
SCXI software, 2-8
NI-DAQ driver, 2-3
Worldwide technical support, B-2
Write 1 Pt to Dig Line(E) VI, 16-3
Write N Updates example VI, 11-2
Write to 1 Dig Line(653x) VI, 16-2
Write to 1 Dig Line(8255) VI, 16-2
Write to 1 Dig Port(653x) VI, 16-3
Write to 1 Dig Port(8255) VI, 16-3
Write to 1 Dig Port(E) VI, 16-4
Write to 2 Dig Port(653x) VI, 16-3
Write to 2 Dig Port(8255) VI, 16-3
Write to Digital Port VI, 22-19
Write to Digital Port(653x) VI, 16-3
Write to Digital Port(8255) VI, 16-3
Write to Spreadsheet File VI, 7-6