LabVIEW Hands-on Training

Lecture 1
Navigating LabVIEW
By Dr. Rehan Zahid

[email protected] +92-323-4439474 Office 210-G

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Lecture 1 – Navigating LabVIEW
Evaluation

Class Activity 1 – Objective Type Question –

Understanding Level

Please keep yourself in Affective

Domain while attempting Class
Activities
Learning Aids
 Contents
1. LabVIEW Courses Pricing
2. NI Certifications
3. What is LabVIEW
4. DAQ Hardware
5. Virtual Instruments (VIs)
6. Parts of a VI
7. Starting a VI
8. Front Panel
9. Block Diagram
10. Searching for Controls, VIs and Functions
11. Selecting a Tool
12. Dataflow
13. Building a Simple VI
LabVIEW Courses Pricing - LabVIEW Core 1
Course Kit
LabVIEW Courses Pricing - LabVIEW Core 2
Course Kit
LabVIEW Courses Pricing - LabVIEW Core 3
Course Kit
LabVIEW Courses Pricing - Data Acquisition
and Signal Conditioning Course Kit
NI Certifications
 NI Certifications - Certified LabVIEW
Associate Developer (CLAD)
• Entry-level LabVIEW certification
• Demonstrates a broad understanding of LabVIEW core features and functionality
• Shows ability to read and interpret existing LabVIEW code
• Valid for 2 years from date taken; recertification required to maintain credentials

• Recommended Experience Level

• Six or more months of LabVIEW development experience
OR
• LabVIEW Core 1 and 2 training with three or more months of LabVIEW development experience
 NI Certifications - Certified LabVIEW
Associate Developer (CLAD)
• Certification Exam Details
• Prerequisite: None
• Format: Multiple choice
• Duration: 1 hour

• Recertification Exam Details

• Recertification Interval: 2 years
• Format: Multiple choice
• Duration: 1 hour
 NI Certifications - Certified LabVIEW
Developer (CLD)
• Demonstrates an ability to create functional, well-documented LabVIEW code with
minimal development
• Valid for 3 years from date taken; recertification required to maintain credentials

• Recommended Experience Level

• 12 to 18 months of experience in developing medium to large applications in LabVIEW
OR
• LabVIEW Core 1, 2, and 3 training with nine or more months of LabVIEW development experience

• Certification Exam Details

• Prerequisite: None
• Format: Application development
• Duration: 4 hours
 NI Certifications - Certified LabVIEW
Associate Developer (CLD)
• Recertification Process
• Certified Professionals can recertify by two methods
• Recertification by exam
• Recertification by points.
• Recertification interval
• 3 years
• Recertification by Exam
• Format: Multiple choice
• Duration: 1 hour
• Recertification by Points
• By participating and completing approved activities
• Certified Professionals can earn and accumulate points redeemable toward recertification
 NI Certifications - Certified LabVIEW
Architect (CLA)
• Highest level of LabVIEW certification
• Demonstrates mastery in architecting and project managing LabVIEW applications
• Valid for 4 years from date taken; recertification required to maintain credentials

• Recommended Experience Level

• 24 months or more developing medium to large applications in LabVIEW
OR
• Managing Software Engineering in LabVIEW and Advanced Architectures for LabVIEW training
courses with 12 or more months of LabVIEW development experience
 NI Certifications - Certified LabVIEW
Architect (CLA)
• Certification Exam Details
• Prerequisite: Certified LabVIEW Developer status
• Format: VI and application architecture development
• Duration: 4 hours

• Recertification Process
• Certified Professionals can recertify by two methods
• Recertification by exam
• Recertification by points.

• Recertification interval: 4 years

 NI Certifications - Certified LabVIEW
Architect (CLA)
• Recertification by Exam
• Format: Multiple choice
• -Duration: 1 hour

• Recertification by Points
• By participating and completing approved activities, Certified Professionals can earn and
accumulate points redeemable toward recertification.
 1. What is LabVIEW
• LABoratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench

• Graphical programming environment for engineers and

scientists to develop sophisticated measurement, test, and
control systems.

• LabVIEW can integrate with a wide variety of hardware device

 2. DAQ Hardware
• Data acquisition (DAQ) system - uses data acquisition
device/hardware - transfer conditioned electrical signal to a
computer software - for analysis and data logging
• Data acquisition device/hardware connectivity with software -
PCI bus, PCI Express bus, PXI bus, computer USB or IEEE 1394
port
• Typical DAQ system has three basic types of hardware
• Terminal block
• Cable
• DAQ device
 3. Virtual Instruments (VIs)
• LabVIEW programs are called virtual instruments or VIs
• Appearance and operation imitate physical instruments
(oscilloscopes and multimeters)
• Comprehensive set of tools for data
• Acquisition
• Analysis
• Display
• Storing
• Troubleshoot code
 4. Parts of a VI
• LabVIEW VIs contain three main components
• Front panel window
• Block diagram
• Icon/connector pane
 4. Parts of a VI – Front Panel Window
• User interface for the VI
• Front panel window contains controls and indicators
• Interactive input and output terminals of VI
 4. Parts of a VI – Block Diagram Window
• Block diagram window contains graphical source code
• Front panel objects appear as terminals on block diagram
 4. Parts of a VI – Icon and Connector Pane
• Icon and Connector pane allows to use and view VI in another VI
(sub VI or sub program or function)
• Use a VI as a sub VI - icon and a connector pane - mandatory
• Icon
• Upper right corner of front panel window and block diagram window
• Graphical representation of a VI
• Contain both text and image
 4. Parts of a VI – Icon and Connector Pane
• Connector Pane
• To use VI as a subVI, building a connector pane is mandatory
• Set of terminals on the icon - corresponds to controls and indicators
• Similar to parameter list of function call in text-based programming
languages
• Access the connector pane – right click icon in upper right corner of
front panel window
• Cannot access the connector pane from the icon in the block diagram
• window
 5. Starting a VI
• Launch LabVIEW
• Create new VIs and projects
 Class Activity 1
• Open LabVIEW
• Create blank VI with your name
• Create blank project with your name
• Create zipped folder with your name
• Upload the zipped folder
 6. Front Panel
• Open new or existing VI
• Front panel window and block diagram window of VI appears
• Front panel window - user interface for the VI
 6. Front Panel - Controls and Indicators
• Create front panel with controls and indicators - interactive
input and output terminals of the VI

• Controls
• Simulate instrument input devices and supply data to the block
diagram of the VI
• Knobs
• Push buttons
• Dials
 6. Front Panel - Controls and Indicators
• Indicators
• Output devices and display data the block diagram acquires or
generates
• LEDs
• Graphs
 6. Front Panel - Controls and Indicators
• Every control or indicator – associated data type
• Example
• Delay (sec) horizontal slide - numeric data type
• Most commonly used data types
• Numeric
• Boolean
• String
6. Front Panel – Numeric Controls and
Indicators

Increment/Decrement Buttons

Numeric Control

Numeric Indicator
6. Front Panel – Bolean Controls and
Indicators
6. Front Panel – String Controls and Indicators
 6. Front Panel - Controls Palette
• Controls palette contains the controls and indicators
• Access
• Front panel window – View -> Controls Palette
• Front panel window – right click
• Controls palette - various categories
• Generally used category - Modern
• View or hide categories (subpalettes)- customize button - select
or deselect in the Change Visible Palettes option
 6. Front Panel – Shortcut Menus
• All LabVIEW objects - associated shortcut menus (context
menus, pop-up menus, and right-click menus)
• Use shortcut menu - change the appearance or behavior of
front panel and block diagram objects
• Access - right-click the object
6. Front Panel – Window Toolbar
6. Front Panel – Window Toolbar

Run Button Additional Buttons on

the Diagram Toolbar
Continuous Run Button

Abort Execution Execution Highlighting

Button
Pause/Continue Button
Step Into Button
Text Settings
Step Over Button
Align Objects
Step Out Button
Distribute Objects

Reorder

Resize front panel

objects Debugging tools
 7. Block Diagram
• Block diagram objects include
• Terminals
• Sub VIs
• Functions
• Constants
• Structures
• Wires
Indicator Terminals

Wires

Nodes

Control Terminals
 7. Block Diagram - Terminals
• Terminals represent inputs and outputs of VI, sub VIs and
functions
• Objects on the front panel window - appear as terminals on the
block diagram
• Terminals - entry and exit points of data
• Terminals - analogous to parameters and constants in text-
based programming languages
• Types of terminals
• Control or indicator terminals
• Node terminals
 7. Block Diagram - Terminals
• Control and indicator terminals
• Belong to front panel controls and indicators
• Data enter into front panel controls enter block diagram through
control terminals
• Data enter Add and Subtract functions and produce new data values
• New data values flow to indicator terminals and update front panel
indicators
 7. Block Diagram - Terminals
• Connector panes of Add and Subtract functions - three node
terminals
• Display terminals of function - right-click - Visible Items ->
Terminals
7. Block Diagram - Controls, Indicators, and
Constants
7. Block Diagram - Controls, Indicators, and
Constants
7. Block Diagram - Controls, Indicators, and
Constants
 7. Block Diagram - Controls, Indicators, and
Constants
• Nodes
• Objects on block diagram – have inputs and/or outputs - perform
operations when VI runs
• Analogous to statements, operators, functions, and subroutines in
text-based programming languages
• Nodes can be functions, subVIs, or structures
• Structures - process control elements, such as Case structures, For
Loops, or While Loops
• Add and Subtract functions - function nodes
 7. Block Diagram - Functions
• Functions
• Fundamental operating elements of LabVIEW
• Do not have front panel windows or block diagram windows but
do have connector panes
• Double-clicking function only selects function
• Function - pale yellow background on its icon
 7. Block Diagram – Sub VIs
• Sub VIs
• VIs use inside of another VI
• Double-click a sub VI on block diagram - its front panel window
appears
• Sub VIs also can be Express Vis
• Express VIs - nodes require minimal wiring - configure them with
dialog boxes
• Use Express VIs for common measurement tasks
• Save the configuration of an Express VI as a sub VI
• Express VIs icons - surrounded by a blue field
• Sub VI icons – surrounded by a yellow field
7. Block Diagram - Controls, Indicators, and
Constants

Basic Function
Generator VI in
Different Display
Modes
7. Block Diagram - Controls, Indicators, and
Constants

DBL Numeric Integer Numeric String

Scalar
1D Array
2D Array
 7. Block Diagram – Wires
• Wires transfer data among block diagram objects
• Wires connect the control and indicator terminals to the Add
and Subtract function
• Each wire has a single data source but you can wire it to many
VIs and functions that read the data
• Wires are different colors, styles, and thicknesses, depending
on their data types
• Broken wire - dashed black line with a red X - variety of reasons
- wire two objects with incompatible data types
 7. Block Diagram – Function Palette
• Functions palette
• Contains VIs, functions and constants
• Access - block diagram – View -> Functions Palette
• Broken into various categories
• Show and hide categories to suit your needs
• Mostly used category - Programming
7. Block Diagram – Functions Palette
 7. Block Diagram – Tools Palette
• Tools Palette
• Create, modify and debug VIs using the tools provided by LabVIEW
• Tool - special operating mode of the mouse cursor
• Operating mode of the cursor corresponds to the icon of the tool
selected
• LabVIEW chooses which tool to select based on the current location of
the mouse
• Manually choose the tool needed using Tools palette – View -> Tools
Palette
7. Block Diagram – Functions Palette
 7. Block Diagram – Tools Palette
• Tools Palette
• Create, modify and debug VIs using the tools provided by LabVIEW
• Tool - special operating mode of the mouse cursor
• Operating mode of the cursor corresponds to the icon of the tool
selected
• LabVIEW chooses which tool to select based on the current location of
the mouse
• Manually choose the tool needed using Tools palette – View -> Tools
Palette
 Class Activity 2

Design a virtual instrument (VI) which

takes the data from the user in
seconds and converts it into hours,
minutes and seconds using LabVIEW