Lab VIEW

Advantages of LabVIEW
• Graphical user interface: Design professionals use the drag-and-
drop user interface library by interactively customizing the hundreds of
built-in user objects on the controls palette.
• Drag-and-drop built-in functions: Thousands of built-in functions
and IP including analysis and I/O, from the functions palette to create
applications easily.
• Modular design and hierarchical design: Run modular LabVIEW VIs
by themselves or as subVIs and easily scale and modularize programs
depending on the application.
• Multiple high level development tools: Develop faster with
application specific development tools, including LabVIEW Control
Design and Simulation Module.
 Advantages of LabVIEW
• Professional Development Tools: Manage large, professional
applications and tightly integrated project management tools;
integrated graphical debugging tools; and standardized source code
control integration.
• Multi platforms: The majority of computer systems use the Microsoft
Windows operating system. LabVIEW works on other platforms like
Mac OS, Sun Solaris and Linux. LabVIEW applications are portable
across platforms.
• Reduces cost and preserves investment: A single computer
equipped with LabVIEW is used for countless applications and
purposes—it is a versatile product. Complete instrumentation libraries
can be created for less than the cost of a single traditional, commercial
instrument.
 Advantages of LabVIEW
• Flexibility and scalability: Engineers and scientists have
needs and requirements that can change rapidly. They
also need to have maintainable, extensible solutions that
can be used for a long time. Can easily integrate new
technologies in the future.
• Open environment: LabVIEW provides the tools required
for most applications and is also an open development
environment. This open language takes advantage of
existing code; can easily intergrate with third party software
with .NET, ActiveX, DLLs, objects, TCP, Web services and
XML data formats.
• Distributed development: Can easily develop distributed applications with
LabVIEW, even across different platforms. With powerful server technology
you can offload processor-intensive routines to other machines for faster
execution, or create remote monitoring and control applications.
• Visualization capabilities: LabVIEW includes a wide array of built-in
visualization tools to present data on the user interface of the virtual
instrument as chart, graphs, 2D and 3D visualization. Reconfiguring
attributes of the data presentation, such as colours, font size, graph types,
and more can be easily performed.
• Rapid development with express technology: Use configuration-based
Express VIs and I/O assistants to rapidly create common measurement
applications without programming by using LabVIEW signal Express.
• Compiled language for fast execution: LabVIEW is a compiled language that
generates optimized code with execution speeds comparable to compiled C and
develops high-performance code.
• Simple application distribution: Use the LabVIEW application builder to create
executables(exes) and shared libraries (DLLs) for deployment.
• Target management: Easily manage multiple targets, from real-time to
embedded devices including FPGAs, microprocessors, microcontrollers, PDAs
and touch panels.
• Object–oriented design: Use object-oriented programming structures to take
advantage of encapsulation and inheritance to create modular and extensible
code.
• Algorithm design: Develop algorithms using math-oriented textual
programming and interactively debug .m file script syntax with LabVIEW
MathScript.
Instrument Control

TOPICS
Instrument Control Overview
GPIB Communication and Configuration
Instrument I/O Assistant
Virtual Instrument Software Architecture (VISA)
Instrument Drivers
Serial Port Communication
Waveform Transfers

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Instrument Control Overview
Control any instrument if you know the following:
– Type of connector on the instrument − Type of cables needed
– Electrical properties involved − Communication protocols used
– Software drivers available

Instruments Computer

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GPIB Communication
GPIB Interface

GPIB Instruments

GPIB
Cable
General Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB), is a
general purpose digital interface system that
can be used to transfer data between 2 or
more devices. Well suited for interconnecting
computers and instruments.
 Standards Introduction
1965 HP designs HP-IB (Hewlett Packard Interface Bus)
1975 HP-IB becomes IEEE 488

1987 IEEE 488.2 adopted

IEEE 488 becomes IEEE 488.1
1990 SCPI (Standard Commands for Programmable
Instruments) added to IEEE 488.2
1992 IEEE 488.2 revised
1993 HS488 proposed

1999 HS488 approved

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GPIB Hardware Specifications
• Max cable length between
devices = 4 m (2 m average)
• Max cable length = 20 m
DIO1 DIO5 • Max number of devices =
DIO2
DIO3
1 13 DIO6
DIO7 15 (2/3 powered on)
DIO4 DIO8
EOI REN
DAV GND (TW PAIR W/DAV)
NRFD GND (TW PAIR W/NRFD)
NDAC GND (TW PAIR W/NDAC)
IFC GND (TW PAIR W/IFC)
SRQ GND (TW PAIR W/SRQ)
ATN 12 24 GND (TW PAIR W/ATN)
SHIELD SIGNAL GROUND

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GPIB Software Architecture — Windows
Diagnostics Tools:
GPIB Diagnostic Tool
NI-Spy

Driver
Instrument
Software NI-VISA
Interface Board Driver VIs
(*.DLL)
(GPIB, PXI, LabVIEW
VXI, computer
based, etc.)

Configuration Tools:
Measurement &
Automation Explorer
Configuring GPIB Board and Instruments

Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX)

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What is the Instrument I/O Assistant?
• Accessed through a LabVIEW
Express VI
• Sets up device
communication and data
parsing step by step through
a configuration interface

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Virtual Instrument Software Architecture

VISA

Serial GPIB VXI PXI

• Platform independent • Interface independent

• VISA is the backbone of the • Must know SCPI command
IVI and Plug & Play set to program directly with
Instrument Drivers VISA

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VISA Terminology
• Resource—Instrument, Serial Port, or Parallel Port
• Session—Connection to a Resource
• Instrument Descriptor—Resource location
– Format: Interface Type::Address::INSTR
– Examples:

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VISA Resource Name

• Exact name and location of the instrument

• Use the VISA Resource Name control
• You can specify the full resource name of the VISA Alias

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Serial Communication
• Popular means of communication between computer and
peripheral device
• Data sent one bit at a time across the cable
• Used for low transfer rates or long distances
• Only a cable is needed since most computers have at least
one available serial port
PC Serial
Port

RS-232 Cable

RS-232 Instrument

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Serial Hardware Connection
• RS-232
– DCE or DTE
configurations
– 9-pin or 25-pin Pin DTE DCE
• RS-422 1 DCD Input Output
2 RxD I O
– DCE or DTE 3 TxD O I
– 8-pin 4 DTR O I
5 Com - -
• RS-485 6 DSR I O
7 RTS O I
– Multidrop 8 CTS I O
9 RI I O

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 Serial Communication

Terminology
• Baud rate – bits per second
• Data bits – inverted logic and LSB first
• Parity – optional error-checking bit
• Stop bits – 1, 1.5, or 2 inverted bits at data end
• Flow control – hardware and software handshaking options

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Using the Instrument I/O Assistant with Serial

• Select COMX as
the instrument
address
• Use the I/O
Assistant as done
with GPIB

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Summary
• LabVIEW can communicate with any instrument
that connects to your computer if you know the
interface type
• Use the Measurement & Automation Explorer
(MAX) to detect, configure, and test your GPIB
interface and instruments
• Use the Instrument I/O Assistant for easy and
fast GPIB and serial programming.

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