1. Introduction to LabVIEW 8.5
Original slides prepared by Prof. Xiaobin Le of Mechanical Engineering program
Adapted for Electrical Mechanical Engineering program by Cap’n Tim Johnson, PE

2. GRAPHICAL PROGRAMMING FOR ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS
Introduction to LabVIEW
GRAPHICAL PROGRAMMING
FOR ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS
© National Instruments Corporation 1 Introduction to LabVIEW Hands-On

3. Introduction to LabVIEW (1)
What is LabVIEW?
LabVIEW
The Virtual Instrumentation (VI) Approach for measurement systems
LabVIEW environment
Three parts of a VI
Three palettes
Show context help
Status bar

4. What is LabVIEW?
LabVIEW - Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench
LabVIEW is a software, which uses graphical programming language for data acquisition, data analysis, presentation of result and instrument control.

5. LabVIEW program is called virtual instrument (VI), because their appearance and operation imitate physical instruments, such as oscilloscopes and multimeters

6. The VI approach for measurement systems
High-Speed
Digitizers
High-Resolution
Digitizers and DMMs
Multifunction
Data Acquisition
Dynamic
Signal Acquisition
Digital I/O
Instrument
Control
Counter/
Timers
Machine
Vision
Motion
Distributed I/O and
Embedded Control
Laptop PC
PDA
Desktop PC
PXI Modular Instrumentation
Signal Conditioning
and Switching
Unit Under Test
LabVIEW +
Computer
Hardware + sensor
Object being tested
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7. LabVIEW environment
LabVIEW provides an easy-to-use graphical programming environment, including all of the tools necessary for data acquisition (DAQ), data analysis and presentation of results.
LabVIEW tries to make your life as hassle-free as possible. It has extensive libraries of functions and subroutines to help you with most programming tasks.
Three parts of a VI
Front panel
Block diagram
Icon and connector pane
Three palettes
Tools palette
The Controls palette
The Functions palette
Show context Help
Status bar

8. Three parts of a VI A VI contains the following three components:
Front panel—Serves as the user interface for input and show results for output and presentation.
Block diagram—Contains the graphical source code that defines the functionality of the VI. (It is a executable program.). It is similar to circuits
Icon and connector pane—Identifies the VI so that you can use the VI in another VI. Actually every graphic icon is a kind of sub-VI. It can execute a simple or complicated task and with input and output terminals.

9. Front Panel The front panel is the user interface of the VI.
A front panel contains controls for input and indicators for output or data presentation
Controls are knobs, pushbuttons, dials, and other input devices.
Controls simulate instrument input devices and supply data to the block diagram of the VI.
Indicators are graphs, LEDs, and other displays.
Indicators simulate instrument output devices and display data the block diagram acquires or generates.

10. A VI’s Front Panel Front Panel Controls = Inputs Indicators = Outputs
Toolbar
Graph
Legend
Boolean
Control
Waveform
Icon
Plot
Scale

11. Block diagram
A virtual circuit in which virtual components are wired together
A executable graphical program
Accompanying “program” for front panel

12. A VI’s Block Diagram Wire Data Graph Terminal SubVI While Loop
Structure
Block Diagram Toolbar
Divide
Function
Numeric
Constant
Timing
Boolean Control Terminal

13. Icon and connector pane
Icon and connector pane—Identifies the VI so that you can use the VI in another VI. A VI within another VI is called a sub-VI.
Provide the connectors for wiring

14. Three LabVIEW Palettes
The Tools palette is available on the front panel and the block diagram.
A tool is a special operating mode of the mouse cursor.
The Controls palette is available only on the front panel.
The Controls palette contains the controls and indicators you use to create the front panel.
The Functions palette is available only on the block diagram.
The Functions palette contains the VIs and functions you use to build the block diagram.

15. Automatic Selection Tool
Tools Palette
The Tools palette is available on the front panel and the block diagram.
A tool is a special operating mode of the mouse cursor.
Select View»Show Tools Palette to display the Tools palette.
Floating Palette
Used to operate and modify front panel and block diagram objects.
Automatic Selection Tool
Operating Tool
Positioning/Resizing Tool
Labeling Tool
Wiring Tool
Shortcut Menu Tool
Scrolling Tool
Breakpoint Tool
Probe Tool
Color Copy Tool
Coloring Tool

16. The Controls palette
Select View»Show Controls Palette or right-click the front panel workspace to display the Controls palette
In the front panel mode, right click any empty place, the “control palette” will be shown. After you choose proper screen, you can pin that screen.

17. Functions Palette
Select View»Show Functions Palette or right-click the block diagram workspace to display the Functions palette.
In the Block diagram mode, right click any empty place, the “function palette” will be shown. After you choose proper screen, you can pin that screen.

18. Show context Help
When you point at any icon (graphical code), the description of the icon will be shown if the “show context help” is checked.

19. Status Toolbar Additional Buttons on the Diagram Toolbar Run Button
Continuous Run Button
Abort Execution
Additional Buttons on the Diagram Toolbar
Click the Run button to run the VI. While the VI runs, the Run button appears with a black arrow if the VI is a top-level VI, meaning it has no callers and therefore is not a subVI.
Click the Continuous Run button to run the VI until you abort or pause it. You also can click the button again to disable continuous running.
While the VI runs, the Abort Execution button appears. Click this button to stop the VI immediately.
Note: Avoid using the Abort Execution button to stop a VI. Either let the VI complete its data flow or design a method to stop the VI programmatically. By doing so, the VI is at a known state. For example, place a button on the front panel that stops the VI when you click it.
Click the Pause button to pause a running VI. When you click the Pause button, LabVIEW highlights on the block diagram the location where you paused execution. Click the Pause button again to continue running the VI.
Select the Text Settings pull-down menu to change the font settings for the VI, including size, style, and color.
Select the Align Objects pull-down menu to align objects along axes, including vertical, top edge, left, and so on.
Select the Distribute Objects pull-down menu to space objects evenly, including gaps, compression, and so on.
Select the Resize Objects pull-down menu to change the width and height of front panel objects.
Execution Highlighting Button
Retain Wire Values Button
Step Function Buttons
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20. End of Overview
The next few slides will help you get started making your own virtual instrument.

21. Open LabVIEW

22. Lab #1 instructions Read Ch1 in “Getting Started with LabVIEW.
If your instructor hands out the pages for this chapter you won’t need to open up the manual (instructions follow)
This manual is found (on my machine) at C:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW 8.2\manuals or 2 selections down from where you clicked to start LabView.
Click on LV_Getting_Started.pdf to open the manual.
Do NOT print out the manual!!!!
If you are working as a team have one of your team mates open up the PDF and use that as your copy.
You can also as a supplement use two video tutorials found in the Start menu called: to to enhance your understanding.

23. Tutorial
As you read through the chapter make the VI and modifications suggested.
Design a cover page for this lab that includes your name, course, Lab # and name, date, and a brief abstract.
Turn in a screen print of the design’s front panel and block diagram.
Answer the questions on the following page.

24. Begin designing You are on your way.
This lab is part of the design process steps Gathering Information and Conceptualizing Alternate Solutions.
The questions you are answering are:
What role will this software fulfill in a system?
What does using this software add to a system?

25. Homework Assignment #1 Before the class meets again for lab…
Read Ch2 in “Getting Started with LabVIEW”. Follow along in their tutorial and make the design suggested in the chapter.
Submit a copy of the design including the Front Panel and the Block Diagram.
Include a write up about how the design works and what problems it can solve.