Lesson 2 Dataflow, data

types, For and While

loops
Use Express VIs to produce a project and simple VI that
acquires and analyzes data and then displays the results.

A. Dataflow
B. LabVIEW Data Types
C. Tools for Programming, Cleaning and Organizing Your VI
D. For and While Loops

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LESSON 2 Dataflow, data types, For and
While loops

A. Dataflow
Recognize characteristics of dataflow on the block
diagram.

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A. Dataflow

Key Points of Dataflow

Node executes only when all input
data are available.

Node supplies data to the output

terminals only when it is finished
executing.

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LESSON 2 Dataflow, data types,
programming tools

Exploring Dataflow

Identify dataflow execution order in the following block diagrams.

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A. Dataflow

Dataflow: Example A

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A. Dataflow

Dataflow: Example B

?
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A. Dataflow

Dataflow: Example C

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A. Dataflow

Dataflow: Example D

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LESSON 2 Dataflow, data types, For and
While loops

B. LabVIEW Data Types

Recognize the different data types and how they
relate to front panel objects.

• Accessing Object Properties • Strings

• Boolean Data • Enums
• Numeric Data • Other Data Types
Representations

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B. LabVIEW Data Types

Terminals and LabVIEW Data Types

Terminals visually convey information about data
type.

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LESSON 2 Dataflow, data types, programming tools

Demonstration
Accessing Object Properties

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B. LabVIEW Data Types

Boolean Data

See example Mechanical Action.vi to learn about the different mechanical

actions of Boolean controls
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B. LabVIEW Data Types

Strings

See example StringDisplay.vi to

learn about the display styles.
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LESSON 2 Dataflow, data types, programming tools

Demonstration
Enums

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B. LabVIEW Data Types

Other Data Types

Type Terminal Description

Dynamic Stores the information generated or

acquired by an Express VI

Path Stores the location of a file or directory

Waveform Carries the data, start time, and dt of a

waveform

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LESSON 2 Dataflow, data types, For and While
loops

C. Tools for Programming,

Cleaning, and Organizing Your VI
Recognize tools for making clean, readable front
panels and block diagrams, and for documenting VIs.

• Programming Tools
• Wiring Tips
• Making Code Readable

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LESSON 2 Dataflow, data types, programming tools

Demonstration
Programming Tools

Automatic tool selection

Tools Palette

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LESSON 2 Dataflow, data types, programming tools

Demonstration
Wiring Tips

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LESSON 2 Dataflow, data types, programming tools

Demonstration
Making Code Readable

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LESSON 2 Dataflow, data types, programming tools

Questions for the audience

Ready?

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Lesson Review

1. Which function executes first: Add

or Subtract?
a. Add
b. Subtract
c. Unknown

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Lesson Review

1. Which function executes first: Add

or Subtract?
a. Add
b. Subtract
c. Unknown

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Lesson Review

2. Which function executes first: Sine

or Divide?
a. Sine
b. Divide
c. Unknown

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Lesson Review

2. Which function executes first: Sine

or Divide?
a. Sine
b. Divide
c. Unknown

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Lesson Review

3. Which of the following functions executes

first: Random Number, Add or Divide?

a. Random Number
b. Divide
c. Add
d. Unknown

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Lesson Review

3. Which of the following functions executes

first: Random Number, Add or Divide?

a. Random Number
b. Divide
c. Add
d. Unknown

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Lesson Review

4. Which of the following

functions executes last: Random Number,
Subtract or Add?
a. Random Number
b. Subtract
c. Add
d. Unknown

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Lesson Review

4. Which of the following

functions executes last: Random Number,
Subtract or Add?
a. Random Number
b. Subtract
c. Add
d. Unknown

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Lesson Review

5. If an input to a function is marked with a red

dot (known as a coercion dot), what does the
dot indicate?
a. Data was transferred into a structure.
b. That input has not been wired
c. The wire is broken
d. The value passed into a node was converted to a
different representation.

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Lesson Review

5. If an input to a function is marked with a red

dot (known as a coercion dot), what does the
dot indicate?
a. Data was transferred into a structure.
b. That input has not been wired
c. The wire is broken
d. The value passed into a node was converted
to a different representation.

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Lesson Review

6. Which mechanical action causes a Boolean control in

the FALSE state to change to TRUE when you click it and
stay TRUE until LabVIEW has read the value?

a. Switch Until Released

b. Switch When Released
c. Latch When Pressed
d. Latch When Released

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Lesson Review

6. Which mechanical action causes a Boolean control in

the FALSE state to change to TRUE when you click it and
stay TRUE until LabVIEW has read the value?

a. Switch Until Released

b. Switch When Released
c. Latch When Pressed
d. Latch When Released

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LESSON 2 Dataflow, data types, For and While
loops

D. For and While Loops

Recognize loop structures and explain how to use
them.

• While Loops—Review
• For Loops—Review
• For Loop/While Loop Comparison

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 D. Loops Review

While Loops—Review

Continue If TRUE

iteration terminal conditional terminalStop If TRUE 34

D. Loops Review

For Loops—Review
count terminal

iteration terminal
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D. Loops Review

For Loop/While Loop Comparison

Default
Default
tunnel mode
tunnel mode:
last value
indexing

array scalar

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LESSON 2 Dataflow, data types, For and While
loops

D. While Loops
Recognize tunnels and explain their purpose on a
loop structure and demonstrate how to use error
checking and error handling inside a loop.
• Tunnels
• Error Checking and Error Handling

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D. While Loops

Tunnels

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D. While Loops

Error Checking and Error Handling

Stop the While Loop if an

error occurs.

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LESSON 2 Dataflow, data types, For and While
loops

D. For Loops
Demonstrate how to add a conditional terminal to a For
Loop and describe how numeric conversion occurs on the
For Loop count terminal.

• Conditional Terminal
• Count Terminal Numeric Conversion
• Other tunnel modes: concatenating and conditional

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D. For Loops

Conditional Terminal

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D. For Loops

Count Terminal Numeric Conversion

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D. For Loops

Other tunnel modes: concatenating

Build array

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D. For Loops

Other tunnel modes: conditional

Only even numbers are selected

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LESSON 2 Dataflow, data types, For and While
loops

D. Timing a VI
Identify scenarios that require loop timing and apply
the appropriate function.

• Reasons to Use Timing

• Wait Functions and Express VIs

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D. Timing a VI

Why do you need timing in a VI?

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D. Timing a VI

Wait Functions Inside a Loop

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D. Timing a VI

Wait Function Timing

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LESSON 2 Dataflow, data types, For and
While loops

D. Data Feedback in
Loops
Apply shift registers when appropriate and predict
the correct value at different iterations of the loop.

• Introduction to Shift
Registers
• Using Shift Registers
• Creating Shift Registers

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 D. Data Feedback in Loops

Introduction to Shift Registers

At every iteration, the value
is passed back from right to
left providing a feedback
mechanism
Uninitialized shift register: its
initial value is 0 the first time
the VI executes.
In this example, the second
time the VI executes, the The “output” indicator will be
initial value is 6. 6 after the first execution,
Can you explain why? and 12 after the second
execution

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D. Data Feedback in Loops

What is the value of «Output» after

you run the VI a first time?

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D. Data Feedback in Loops

What is the value of «Output» after

you run the VI a second time?

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D. Data Feedback in Loops

Initialized shift registers: the value of

«Output» is the same after every run…

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E. Data Feedback in Loops

Multiple shift registers in a loop

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D. Data Feedback in Loops

Stacked shift registers

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D. Data Feedback in Loops

What are the values in the left shift registers and the Output indicator after
three loop iterations?

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LESSON 2 Dataflow, data types, For and
While loops

Examples
Use data feedback in a loop to calculate mathematical
sequences and to simulate physical problems. Use
waveform charts, waveform graphs and XY graphs to
plot data.
• Fibonacci sequence
• Brownian motion

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 The Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio
0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34…

(see Fibonacci-
Spiral.vi)
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 Fibonacci: C++ vs LabVIEW
The loop executes N times
int N, t1 = 0, t2 = 1, next = 0;
double aurea;

for (int i = 0; i < N; i++)

{
next = t1 + t2;
t1 = t2;
t2 = next;
aurea=t2/t1;
}
The iteration terminal starts from 0

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Fibonacci – LabVIEW program

(see Fibonacci.vi) 60
 Brownian motion

2 k BT
x2  t
6r

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Brownian motion – LabVIEW program

(see BrownianMotion.vi) 62
Milestone 2 – Brownian motion simulator

Build array

XY Graph

Build array

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 Esercizi
• Realizzare autonomamente un programma simile al Milestone 2 per
simulare il moto browniano in 2 dimensioni (soluzione in
BrownianMotion_RealTime.vi)
• CHALLENGE: calcolare e graficare il valore medio in funzione del
tempo per un insieme grande di «random walker» (soluzione in
BrownianMotion_MSD.vi)

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