Getting Started

with LabVIEW
Evaluation Version 6.0
Getting Started with LabVIEW

November 2000 Edition

Part Number 350777A-01
Worldwide Technical Support and Product Information
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Conventions

The following conventions are used in this manual:

» The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options
to a final action. The sequence File»Page Setup»Options directs you to
pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item, and select Options
from the last dialog box.

This icon denotes a tip, which alerts you to advisory information.

This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.

bold Bold text denotes items that you must select or click on in the software,
such as menu items and dialog box options. Bold text also denotes palette
and parameter names.

italic Italic text denotes variables, emphasis, a cross reference, or an introduction

to a key concept. This font also denotes text that is a placeholder for a word
or value that you must supply.

monospace Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter from the
keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and syntax examples.
This font is also used for the proper names of disk drives, paths, directories,
programs, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions, operations,
variables, filenames and extensions, and code excerpts.

Platform Text in this font denotes a specific platform and indicates that the text
following it applies only to that platform.

right-click (Macintosh) Press <Command>-click to perform the same action as a

right-click.
Contents

Chapter 1
Introduction to LabVIEW
What Is LabVIEW? .......................................................................................................1-1
Why Should I Use LabVIEW? ......................................................................................1-2
How Does LabVIEW Work? .........................................................................................1-2
Front Panel.......................................................................................................1-3
Block Diagram.................................................................................................1-3
Palettes.............................................................................................................1-3
Tools Palette......................................................................................1-3
Controls Palette .................................................................................1-4
Functions Palette ...............................................................................1-5
Navigating the Controls and Functions Palettes ...............................1-6
Data Flow ........................................................................................................1-6
Where Do I Start? ..........................................................................................................1-7
LabVIEW Tutorial...........................................................................................1-7

Chapter 2
Virtual Instruments
Search for Examples ......................................................................................................2-1
Build a Virtual Instrument .............................................................................................2-2
Create a User Interface ....................................................................................2-2
Build the Block Diagram.................................................................................2-4
Wire and Run the VI........................................................................................2-5
Add Timing to the VI ......................................................................................2-8
Add Analysis and File I/O to the VI................................................................2-9

Chapter 3
Measurement
Instrument I/O................................................................................................................3-1
Run the Demo Scope VI..................................................................................3-2
Data Acquisition ............................................................................................................3-2
Using the DAQ Solution Wizard.....................................................................3-3
Configuring Analog Input Channels .................................................3-3
Generating a Solution from the Solutions Gallery............................3-5
Adding Analog Input to the VI........................................................................3-6

© National Instruments Corporation v Getting Started with LabVIEW

Contents

Chapter 4
Debugging
Use Execution Highlighting .......................................................................................... 4-1
Single-Step with Probes ................................................................................................ 4-1

Chapter 5
Where to Go from Here
Online Help ................................................................................................................... 5-1
National Instruments’ Commitment to You .................................................................. 5-2
Customer Education........................................................................................ 5-2
Alliance Program ............................................................................................ 5-2

Appendix A
System Requirements

Appendix B
Technical Support Resources

Glossary

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Introduction to LabVIEW
1
Refer to Appendix A, System Requirements for more information about
system configuration requirements. Refer to the LabVIEW Release Notes
for installation instructions.

What Is LabVIEW?
LabVIEW is a graphical programming language that uses icons instead of
lines of text to create applications. In contrast to text-based programming
languages, where instructions determine program execution, LabVIEW
uses dataflow programming, where data determine execution.

In LabVIEW, you build a user interface by using a set of tools and objects.
The user interface is known as the front panel. You then add code using
graphical representations of functions to control the front panel objects.
The block diagram contains this code. If organized properly, the block
diagram resembles a flowchart.

You can purchase several add-on software toolsets for developing

specialized applications. All the toolsets integrate seamlessly in LabVIEW.
Refer to the National Instruments Web site at ni.com/labview for more
information about these toolsets.

LabVIEW is integrated fully for communication with hardware such as

GPIB, VXI, PXI, RS-232, RS-485, and plug-in data acquisition devices.
LabVIEW also has built-in features for connecting your application to the
Internet using the LabVIEW web server and software standards such as
TCP/IP networking and ActiveX.

Using LabVIEW, you can create 32-bit compiled applications that give
you the fast execution speeds needed for custom data acquisition, test,
measurement, and control solutions. You also can create stand-alone
executables and shared libraries, like DLLs, because LabVIEW is a true
32-bit compiler.

LabVIEW contains comprehensive libraries for data collection, analysis,

presentation, and storage. LabVIEW also includes traditional program
development tools. You can set breakpoints, animate program execution,

© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Chapter 1 Introduction to LabVIEW

and single-step through the program to make debugging and development

easier.

LabVIEW also provides numerous mechanisms for connecting to

external code or software through DLLs, shared libraries, ActiveX, and
more. In addition, numerous add-on tools are available for a variety of
application needs.

Why Should I Use LabVIEW?

LabVIEW empowers you to build your own solutions for scientific and
engineering systems. LabVIEW gives you the flexibility and performance
of a powerful programming language without the associated difficulty and
complexity.

LabVIEW gives thousands of successful users a faster way to program

instrumentation, data acquisition, and control systems. By using LabVIEW
to prototype, design, test, and implement your instrument systems, you can
reduce system development time and increase productivity by a factor
of 4 to 10.

LabVIEW also gives you the benefits of a large installed user base, years
of product feedback, and powerful add-on tools. Finally, National
Instruments technical support and Developer Zone ensure successful
development of your solutions.

How Does LabVIEW Work?

LabVIEW programs are called virtual instruments, or VIs, because
their appearance and operation imitate physical instruments, such as
oscilloscopes and multimeters. Every VI uses functions that manipulate
input from the user interface or other sources and display that information
or move it to other files or other computers.

A VI contains the following three components:

• Front panel—Serves as the user interface.
• Block diagram—Contains the graphical source code of the VI that
defines its functionality.
• 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 subVI. A subVI
corresponds to a subroutine in text-based programming languages.

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 Chapter 1 Introduction to LabVIEW

Front Panel
The front panel is the user interface of the VI. You build the front panel
with controls and indicators, which are the interactive input and output
terminals of the VI, respectively. Controls are knobs, push buttons, dials,
and other input devices. Indicators are graphs, LEDs, and other displays.
Controls simulate instrument input devices and supply data to the block
diagram of the VI. Indicators simulate instrument output devices and
display data the block diagram acquires or generates.

Block Diagram
After you build the front panel, you add code using graphical
representations of functions to control the front panel objects. The block
diagram contains this graphical source code. Front panel objects appear as
terminals on the block diagram. You cannot delete a terminal from the
block diagram. The terminal disappears only after you delete its
corresponding object on the front panel.

Every control or indicator on the front panel has a corresponding terminal

on the block diagram. Additionally, the block diagram contains functions
and structures from built-in LabVIEW VI libraries. Wires connect each of
the nodes on the block diagram, including control and indicator terminals,
functions, and structures.

Palettes
LabVIEW palettes give you the options you need to create and edit the front
panel and block diagram.

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. When you select a
tool, the cursor icon changes to the tool icon. Use the tools to operate and
modify front panel and block diagram objects.

© National Instruments Corporation 1-3 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Chapter 1 Introduction to LabVIEW

Select Window»Show Tools Palette to display the Tools palette. You can
place the Tools palette anywhere on the screen.

Controls Palette
The Controls palette is available only on the front panel. The Controls
palette contains the front panel controls and indicators you use to create the
user interface. Select Window»Show Controls Palette or right-click the
front panel workspace to display the Controls palette. You can place the
Controls palette anywhere on the screen.

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 Chapter 1 Introduction to LabVIEW

Functions Palette
The Functions palette is available only on the block diagram. The
Functions palette contains the objects you use to program your VI, such as
arithmetic, instrument I/O, file I/O, and data acquisition operations. Select
Window»Show Functions Palette or right-click the block diagram
workspace to display the Functions palette. You can place the Functions
palette anywhere on the screen.

© National Instruments Corporation 1-5 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Chapter 1 Introduction to LabVIEW

Navigating the Controls and Functions Palettes

Use the navigation buttons on the Controls and Functions palettes to
navigate and search for controls, VIs, and functions. When you click a
subpalette icon, the entire palette changes to the subpalette you selected.
You also can right-click a VI icon on the palette and select Open VI from
the shortcut menu to open the VI.

The Controls and Functions palettes contain the following navigation

buttons:
• Up—Takes you up one level in the palette hierarchy.

• Search—Changes the palette to search mode. In search mode, you can

perform text-based searches to locate controls, VIs, or functions in the
palettes.
• Options—Opens the Function Browser Options dialog box, from
which you can configure the appearance of the palettes.

Data Flow
LabVIEW follows a dataflow model for running VIs. A block diagram
node executes when all its inputs are available. When a node completes
execution, it supplies data to its output terminals and passes the output data
to the next node in the dataflow path.

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 Chapter 1 Introduction to LabVIEW

Where Do I Start?
If you are new to LabVIEW, use this Getting Started with LabVIEW
manual and the LabVIEW Tutorial to help you get started quickly. The
LabVIEW Tutorial introduces you to the LabVIEW environment. Getting
Started with LabVIEW teaches you how to build VIs for data acquisition
and instrument control and how to debug them. It also teaches you how to
use the Search Examples feature and the DAQ Solution Wizard.

You can complete the activities in this book in approximately 90 minutes.

LabVIEW Tutorial
Use this tutorial to learn basic LabVIEW concepts. The tutorial guides you
through several activities to familiarize you with graphical programming.
Access the LabVIEW Tutorial by selecting Help»Contents and Index or
by clicking the LabVIEW Tutorial button in the LabVIEW dialog box,
shown in the following illustration.

You can complete the LabVIEW Tutorial in approximately 15 minutes.

© National Instruments Corporation 1-7 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Chapter 1 Introduction to LabVIEW

If you are already running LabVIEW, either launch LabVIEW or close all
open VIs including the Demo VI to access the LabVIEW dialog box.

After you finish the LabVIEW Tutorial, continue with the activities in
this manual to learn how to build LabVIEW programs for instrument I/O,
data acquisition, and control.

You should complete the activities in this book in the order in which they
appear because subsequent activities build on the sample programs you
create. Approximate completion times are given for each activity and each
section within an activity.

Getting Started with LabVIEW 1-8 ni.com

Virtual Instruments
2
This chapter teaches you step by step how to create an application in
LabVIEW. It also guides you through the Search Examples feature to help
you find examples in LabVIEW.

You will learn to do the following:

• Create a new program in LabVIEW. The VI you build generates data,
analyzes it, then writes it to a file.
• Use the Search Examples feature to find and run an example.

Search for Examples

After completing the LabVIEW Tutorial, you are ready to run some
examples in LabVIEW.

You can complete this activity in approximately 5 minutes.

1. In the LabVIEW dialog box, click the Search Examples button to

open the Search Examples online help, which lists LabVIEW
examples.
If you are already running LabVIEW, either launch LabVIEW or close
all open VIs including the Demo VI to access the LabVIEW
dialog box.
2. Select Analysis in the Demonstrations category.
3. Click Temperature System Demo to open this demonstration VI.
4. Click the Run button on the front panel toolbar to see how the VI runs.
5. Click the sliders, knobs, and other controls to see how they affect
the data.
6. Stop the program by clicking the Acquisition switch to the off
position.

© National Instruments Corporation 2-1 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Chapter 2 Virtual Instruments

Build a Virtual Instrument

This activity demonstrates how you can plot, analyze, and save data in
LabVIEW.

You can complete this activity in approximately 30 minutes.

Create a User Interface

You can create a graphical user interface on the front panel using controls
and indicators on the Controls palette.

You can complete this section in approximately 5 minutes.

1. Create a new VI by selecting New VI in the LabVIEW dialog box.

If you are already running LabVIEW, either launch LabVIEW or close
all open VIs including the Demo VI to access the LabVIEW
dialog box.
2. Create a stop button by selecting Controls»Boolean»Stop Button on
the Controls palette, as shown in the following illustration.
3. Right-click the object and select Visible Items»Label from the
shortcut menu to show or hide the text label for an object.
4. Use the Positioning tool on the Tools palette to rearrange or
resize objects. Select Window»Show Tools Palette to show the
Tools palette.

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 Chapter 2 Virtual Instruments

5. Use the Up navigation button on the Controls palette to navigate back

to the main Controls palette. Create a waveform chart by selecting
Controls»Graph»Waveform Chart. This chart plots data one point
at a time. Use the Labeling tool on the Tools palette to label the
waveform chart Random Plot.
6. Select Window»Show Tools Palette to show the Tools palette. Use
the Operating tool on the Tools palette to change the scale of the
waveform chart. Double-click -10.0 on the Y axis of the Random Plot
indicator and type 0.0 to change the scale. Double-click 10.0 on the
Y axis of the Random Plot indicator and type 1.0 to change the scale.
The front panel should now match the following illustration.

© National Instruments Corporation 2-3 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Chapter 2 Virtual Instruments

Build the Block Diagram

So far, you have defined how the user interface will look. Now you can
create the source code on the block diagram. For this VI, you generate
random numbers ranging from zero to one and plot them on a chart.

You can complete this section in approximately 5 minutes.

1. View the block diagram by selecting Window»Show Diagram or

clicking the block diagram window.

Tip Use the keyboard shortcut <Ctrl-E> to switch between the front panel and block
diagram.

2. The two terminals on the block diagram correspond to the Stop button
and the Random Plot waveform chart on the front panel. Select
Window»Show Functions Palette to show the Functions palette.
3. Select Functions»Numeric»Random Number (0–1). As you drag
the Random Number (0–1) function close to the Random Plot
terminal, LabVIEW automatically draws a wire. When you release the
mouse button to place the function, LabVIEW automatically connects
the function to the terminal with a wire.

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 Chapter 2 Virtual Instruments

4. Use the Up navigation button on the Functions palette to navigate

back to the main Functions palette. Create a While Loop by selecting
Functions»Structures»While Loop. The While Loop runs all code
within its boundaries until the conditional terminal receives a TRUE or
FALSE value. The default behavior is Continue if True.
5. Place the mouse cursor in the position on the block diagram where you
want to anchor the top-left corner of the While Loop. Drag the dotted
rectangle diagonally to enclose the Random Number function, the
Random Plot chart, and the Stop button terminal. The block diagram
should now match the following illustration.

Wire and Run the VI

You transfer data between block diagram objects through wires. Wires are
different colors, styles, and thicknesses, depending on their data types.
A broken wire appears as a dashed black line. When you finish wiring
this VI, you can run it from the front panel to see it plot data to the chart.

You can complete this section in approximately 5 minutes.

1. Select Window»Show Tools Palette to show the Tools palette. Select

the Wiring tool on the Tools palette.

© National Instruments Corporation 2-5 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Chapter 2 Virtual Instruments

2. Wire the Stop button terminal to the While Loop conditional terminal.
To do this, click the Stop button terminal, move the mouse cursor to
the conditional terminal to create a wire and click again to connect the
wire.

Tip When you position the Wiring tool over a terminal, the terminal blinks, and a tip strip
with the name of the terminal appears.

3. Because this VI uses a Stop button, you must change the behavior of
the While Loop conditional terminal to Stop if True. Right-click the
conditional terminal or the border of the While Loop and select Stop
if True. The appearance of the conditional terminal changes as shown
at left. The block diagram should now match the following illustration.

4. View the front panel by pressing <Ctrl-E>. Select Window»Show

Tools Palette to show the Tools palette. Select the Operating tool on
the Tools palette.

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 Chapter 2 Virtual Instruments

5. Click the Run button on the toolbar to run the VI. The front panel
should now resemble the following illustration.

6. Click the Stop button to stop the VI.

© National Instruments Corporation 2-7 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Chapter 2 Virtual Instruments

Add Timing to the VI

You can add a timing delay to the VI to plot the points more slowly on the
waveform chart.

You can complete this section in approximately 5 minutes.

1. View the block diagram by pressing <Ctrl-E>. On the block diagram,

select Functions»Time & Dialog»Wait Until Next ms Multiple and
place the function inside the While Loop.
2. Use the Wiring tool to right-click the millisecond multiple terminal on
the left side of the Wait Until Next ms Multiple function and select
Create»Constant from the shortcut menu.
3. Type 250 in the millisecond multiple constant to create a 250 ms
delay between the generation of points to plot for the chart. The block
diagram should now match the following illustration.

4. On the front panel, use the Operating tool to click the Run button
to run the VI and observe the delay effect. Select File»Save As
and save this VI as Random Number Example.vi in
labview\vi.lib\tutorial.llb.

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 Chapter 2 Virtual Instruments

Add Analysis and File I/O to the VI

You can average the random data points you have collected and save the
data to a spreadsheet file.

You can complete this section in approximately 10 minutes.

1. View the block diagram window of the Random Number Example VI

you created. If the VI is not already open, select File»Open and
browse to the Random Number Example VI in
labview\vi.lib\tutorial.llb. Select Window»Show
Functions Palette to show the Functions palette.
2. Select Functions»Mathematics»Probability and Statistics»
Mean.vi and place the VI on the block diagram outside the While
Loop.

Note It is important to place the Mean VI outside the While Loop because you want to
compute the data mean only after the While Loop completes collecting the data.

3. Use the Wiring tool to right-click the mean terminal on the upper right
side of the Mean VI and select Create»Indicator from the shortcut
menu to create a numeric indicator on the front panel to display the
mean of the random data.
4. Select Functions»File I/O»Write To Spreadsheet File.vi and place
the VI on the block diagram outside the While Loop.
5. Use the Wiring tool to create a wire branch connecting the Random
Number function and the X input terminal of the Mean VI. Click the
existing wire segment between the Random Number function and the
Random Plot terminal. Connect this wire to the X input terminal of
the Mean VI. The broken wire segment indicates that you are trying to
wire terminals of different data types. You will correct the broken
wires in Step 7.

Tip The wire segment blinks when the Wiring tool is positioned over it.

6. Create another wire branch from the branch you created in the
previous step. Wire this new branch from the segment outside the loop
to the 1D data input of the Write to Spreadsheet File VI. You use the
1D data input because the While Loop creates a one-dimensional row
of data from the generated random numbers. The wires will be broken,
but you will correct that in Step 7.

© National Instruments Corporation 2-9 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Chapter 2 Virtual Instruments

7. The orange square on the While Loop is a data exit terminal called a
tunnel. Right-click the tunnel and select Enable Indexing from the
shortcut menu to allow the While Loop to collect the data and pass it
to the Mean VI as a cumulative data set when the loop terminates. The
broken wires change to solid orange wires because the terminals are
now of the same data type. The block diagram should now match the
following illustration.

8. Return to the front panel and click the Run button to run the VI. When
you click the Stop button, you see the mean of the data and the Choose
file to write dialog box prompts you for the name of the file for saving
the random number data points. Type data.txt and click the Save
button.
Because the Mean VI is outside the While Loop, the VI does not
display the mean until you click the Stop button.
9. Use any text editor to open data.txt and view the data.

Note You can find the solution to this activity in LabVIEW\vi.lib\tutorial.llb\

Random Number Example Solution.vi.

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Measurement
3
This chapter teaches you some basics on how to use LabVIEW to
configure, communicate with, and acquire data from special purpose
instruments and general purpose data acquisition (DAQ) hardware.

Refer to the National Instruments Developer Zone, at ni.com/zone,

which offers measurement and automation resources including examples,
technical presentations, instrument drivers, and tutorial information. Also,
refer to the LabVIEW Measurements Manual for more information about
how to take and analyze measurements in LabVIEW.

Instrument I/O
This section introduces you to the basic concepts on how to use LabVIEW
to acquire data from instruments controlled by GPIB, VXI, RS-232, and
other hardware standards. This section also shows you how to run the
Demo Scope VI if you do not have instrument I/O hardware installed.

LabVIEW communicates with most instruments through instrument

drivers, which are libraries of VIs that control programmable instruments.
LabVIEW instrument drivers simplify instrument control and reduce test
development time by eliminating the need to learn the low-level
programming protocol for each instrument.

Instruments obey a set of commands to respond to remote control and

requests for data. When you use LabVIEW instrument drivers, you run
intuitive, high-level command VIs, such as the Read DC Voltage VI for a
digital multimeter or the Configure Time Axis VI for a digital oscilloscope.
The driver VI you call automatically sends the appropriate
instrument-specific command strings to the instrument.

The foundation for LabVIEW drivers is the VISA (Virtual Instrument

Software Architecture) VI library, a single interface library for controlling
GPIB, VXI, RS-232, and other types of instruments. Drivers using VISA
are scalable across instrument I/O interfaces.

© National Instruments Corporation 3-1 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Chapter 3 Measurement

Refer to Part IV, Instrument Control in LabVIEW, of the LabVIEW

Measurements Manual for more information about instrument control,
instrument drivers, and using VISA to communicate with instruments.

Run the Demo Scope VI

If you do not have instrument I/O hardware installed, run the
Demo Scope VI. The Demo Scope VI is the demonstration equivalent of
a Getting Started VI for an actual instrument driver.

You can complete this activity in approximately 5 minutes.

1. Open the Demo Scope VI instrument driver in LabVIEW\vi.lib\

tutorial.llb.
2. Run the program to acquire simulated data on one or two channels on
the oscilloscope. Change the Time Base and Volts/Division settings
to see the effects.
3. Click the STOP [F4] button to stop the VI.
4. View the block diagram. Notice that Initialize is called first, followed
by the commands to send to the instrument in the Application
Example VI. The Close VI then closes communication with the
instrument. When you program with LabVIEW drivers, follow this
model to initialize the instrument, then call the functions to control the
instrument, and finally close the instrument for communication.

Data Acquisition
This section teaches you how to use LabVIEW with general purpose data
acquisition (DAQ) hardware. If you use only stand-alone instruments and
control them with GPIB, VXI, or serial standards, refer to the
Instrument I/O section of this chapter.

Refer to Part II, DAQ Basics, of the LabVIEW Measurements Manual for
more information about data acquisition in LabVIEW.

Note Data acquisition and the DAQ wizards are available on Windows and
Macintosh only.

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 Chapter 3 Measurement

You will learn to do the following:

• Use the DAQ Solution Wizard to generate solutions for data
acquisition applications.
– Use the DAQ Channel Wizard to configure an analog input
channel.
– Generate a solution from the Solutions Gallery.
• Add analog input to the VI you created in Chapter 2, Virtual
Instruments.

Note Refer to your hardware manual or the NI-DAQ Help file for data acquisition
hardware installation and configuration instructions.

Using the DAQ Solution Wizard

If you are using DAQ hardware, you must configure analog input, analog
output, digital input, or digital output channels. You can launch the DAQ
Channel Wizard from the DAQ Solution Wizard to configure the channels.
Then you can generate a DAQ solution from the Solutions Gallery.

On Windows, you access the DAQ Channel Wizard through the Data
Neighborhood in Measurement & Automation Explorer. On Macintosh
you can access the DAQ Channel Wizard by selecting Tools»Data
Acquisition»DAQ Channel Wizard. The DAQ Channel Wizard also
can be accessed from the DAQ Solution Wizard.

You can complete this activity in approximately 15 minutes.

Configuring Analog Input Channels

The DAQ Solution Wizard guides you through naming and configuring
analog and digital channels using the DAQ Channel Wizard. The DAQ
Channel Wizard helps you define the physical quantities you are measuring
or generating on each DAQ hardware channel. It queries for information
about the physical quantity being measured, the sensor or actuator being
used, and the associated DAQ hardware.

You can complete this section in approximately 5 minutes.

1. Click the DAQ Solutions button in the LabVIEW dialog box to

launch the DAQ Solution Wizard and get started with analog input
quickly and easily.

© National Instruments Corporation 3-3 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Chapter 3 Measurement

If you are already running LabVIEW, either launch LabVIEW or close

all open VIs including the Demo VI to access the LabVIEW
dialog box.
2. When the Welcome to the DAQ Solution Wizard! dialog box opens,
click the Go to DAQ Channel Wizard button.
If a dialog box appears that indicates the Channel Wizard is
unavailable while using simulated DAQ, skip to the Generating a
Solution from the Solutions Gallery section to complete this activity.
3. (Windows) Select the Data Neighborhood view in Measurement &
Automation Explorer. Right-click Data Neighborhood and select
Create New from the shortcut menu to configure a new channel. In the
Create New dialog box select Virtual Channel and click the Finish
button.
(Macintosh) Select New Channel to configure a new channel.
The DAQ Channel Wizard helps you configure analog and digital
channels by name so you can use those names in your program.
The DAQ Channel Wizard also conditions those channels so signal
conditioning—such as scaling factors and cold-junction
compensation—are performed transparently.
4. Select Analog Input as the channel type to configure and click the
Next button. You also can configure analog output and digital
input/output in the DAQ Channel Wizard.
5. Type a channel name and channel description in the appropriate text
boxes. Click the Next button to continue.
6. Select the type of sensor. If the channel is a temperature measurement,
click the check box. Click the Next button to continue.
7. Define the physical quantity that you are measuring. Select the units
for your measurement and enter the range for the signal in the
appropriate boxes. Click the Next button to continue.
8. Define how the sensor scales the signal from the physical units to the
hardware units. Click the Next button to continue.
9. Select the data acquisition device and channel settings. If you have
multiple DAQ hardware devices installed, choose the device that will
read this signal. Click the Finish button to configure the analog input
channel.
10. Notice that the new configuration is listed under Data Neighborhood
(Windows), as shown below, or in the main DAQ Channel Wizard view
(Macintosh). You have finished configuring an analog input channel for
your DAQ hardware. Select File»Close to close the Measurement &

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 Chapter 3 Measurement

Automation Explorer (Windows). Select Quit to exit the DAQ Channel

Wizard (Macintosh).

Generating a Solution from the Solutions Gallery

Once you have configured the channel, you can generate a solution from
the Solutions Gallery.

You can complete this section in approximately 10 minutes.

1. When you return to the DAQ Solution Wizard, select Use channel
names specified in DAQ Channel Wizard and click the Next button.
2. Select Solutions Gallery and click the Next button to open the
Solutions Gallery.
3. Choose a solution to generate for the analog input channel. For this
example, in the Gallery Categories list, select Data Logging.
4. In the Common Solutions list, select Simple Data Logger.
5. Click the Next button to continue.

© National Instruments Corporation 3-5 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Chapter 3 Measurement

6. Select a channel name as the input channel to use for the solution.
7. Click the Open Solution button to generate the solution.
8. Click the Run button to take data from the configured analog input
channel and log the data to a file. A file dialog box prompts you for a
file name. Type data.txt and click the Save button.
9. Click the STOP button in the lower-right corner of the front panel to
stop the VI. Use any text editor to view data.txt.

Tip You can customize the front panel and block diagram of the VI solution and save your
customized solutions.

10. Save any changes you want to keep and close this VI.
11. View the DAQ Solution Wizard window and click theBack button
to browse other gallery categories and common solution VIs.
12. Click the Cancel button to exit the DAQ Solution Wizard.

Adding Analog Input to the VI

The Random Number Example VI you created in Chapter 2, Virtual
Instruments generates random numbers and plots them to a chart. Now you
will replace the random number generator with an analog input VI to
acquire data from your DAQ device, plot it on a chart, analyze it, and write
it to a file.

You can complete this activity in approximately 5 minutes.

Note If you have not built the Random Number Example VI, you can find the solution VI
in LabVIEW\vi.lib\tutorial.llb\Random Number Example Solution.vi.

1. Open the Random Number Example VI from

labview\vi.lib\tutorial.llb.
2. View the block diagram. Right-click the Random Number function,
and select Replace»Data Acquisition»Analog Input»
AI Sample Channel to replace the Random Number function with the
AI Sample Channel VI. Be sure to select the AI Sample Channel VI
and not the AI Sample Channels VI. Note that the output has changed
from a double-precision number to a waveform. This allows timing
information to flow to the chart for display.

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 Chapter 3 Measurement

3. Use the Wiring tool to right-click the channel (0) input of the AI
Sample Channel VI and select Create Constant from the shortcut
menu to specify the name of the channel from which you will acquire
data.
4. Select the name of a channel from the pull-down menu on the constant.
5. View the front panel. Right-click the graph and select
Y Scale»AutoScale Y from the shortcut menu.
6. Click the Run button to acquire and display data on the chart.
7. Click the Stop button to stop the VI.
8. In the file dialog box, enter a name such as data.txt and click the
Save button to save the data to a spreadsheet file.
9. Save this VI as Acquire Data.vi in
labview\vi.lib\tutorial.llb.

Refer to the LabVIEW Measurements Manual for information about

multiple-point acquisition, waveform generation, digital I/O, and
counter/timer applications.

© National Instruments Corporation 3-7 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Debugging
4
This chapter teaches you how to use some of the debugging techniques
available in LabVIEW.

Use Execution Highlighting

Execution highlighting traces the data flow of a VI during execution.

You can complete this activity in approximately 5 minutes.

1. Open the Random Number Example VI you created earlier from

LabVIEW\vi.lib\tutorial.llb.
2. View the block diagram and click the Highlight Execution button on
the toolbar.
3. Run the VI from the block diagram window. The program executes in
slow motion with moving bubbles to highlight the flow of execution.
It also displays data as it becomes available in the VI.
4. Click the Abort button to stop the VI.

5. Click the Highlight Execution button again to turn off execution

highlighting.

Single-Step with Probes

You can set breakpoints in a VI and single-step into, out of, and over
sections of the block diagram. You also can insert probes to examine data
values in detail during program execution. This example shows how to
insert probes and single-step through a VI to monitor data while the VI
runs.

You can complete this activity in approximately 5 minutes.

1. Open the Random Number Example VI you created earlier from

LabVIEW\vi.lib\tutorial.llb.

© National Instruments Corporation 4-1 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Chapter 4 Debugging

2. Right-click the output wire of the Random Number function and select
Probe from the shortcut menu. A small number: window displays the
value of the data at that point.
3. Click the Step Into button on the toolbar. The While Loop now flashes
to indicate that the VI is running in single-step mode.
4. Click the Step Into button again. The Random Number function now
flashes.
5. Click the Step Over button to step over the Random Number function.
The Random Number function executes, so the output now appears in
the probe.
6. Using Step Into and Step Over buttons, single-step a few more times
through the loop to view each random number as the VI generates
them.
7. Click the Pause button to run the VI in normal mode.
8. View the front panel and click the Stop button to stop the VI. Save the
collected data to data.txt.

Getting Started with LabVIEW 4-2 ni.com

Where to Go from Here
5
This chapter describes how to use the LabVIEW Help and the additional
resources available to you.

Refer to the LabVIEW User Manual, the LabVIEW Measurements Manual,

or the LabVIEW Help for more information about LabVIEW programming.

Note The LabVIEW documentation set is available in Portable Document Format (PDF)
on the LabVIEW CD in the manuals directory. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0
or later installed to view these files.

Online Help
All built-in LabVIEW VIs and functions include a complete description of
the VI functionality and parameters. Access context-sensitive VI and
function help by selecting Help»Show Context Help or pressing
<Ctrl-H>.

When you place a VI on the block diagram and pass the mouse cursor over
it, the VI description displays in the Context Help window. Click the lock
button at the bottom of the Context Help window to lock the current
contents of the window.

Access the LabVIEW Help file to search for particular topics by selecting
Help»Contents and Index. You also can right-click any built-in VI or
function on the block diagram and select Help from the shortcut menu.

© National Instruments Corporation 5-1 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Chapter 5 Where to Go from Here

National Instruments’ Commitment to You

LabVIEW represents a long-standing commitment by
National Instruments to provide tools that simplify the development of
instrumentation, data acquisition, and control systems. When you choose
LabVIEW as your development environment, you join thousands of
scientists and engineers who are taking advantage of the power of graphical
programming.

Customer Education
For additional training, National Instruments offers interactive CDs,
videos, books, and hands-on LabVIEW courses to help you master
LabVIEW quickly and develop successful applications.

Alliance Program
The Alliance Program is a network of third-party developers and
consultants who are experts in LabVIEW and other National Instruments
products. The National Instruments Alliance Solutions directory lists
additional libraries and utilities developed by our Alliance members to help
you use LabVIEW. In addition, the Alliance Solutions directory lists expert
LabVIEW consultants who can help you develop custom applications.

Getting Started with LabVIEW 5-2 ni.com

System Requirements
A
The following table describes the required system configurations for
running LabVIEW on Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX platforms.

Media and System

Platform Requirements Important Notes
All Platforms Distributed on CD-ROM. LabVIEW and the LabVIEW Help contain
16-bit color graphics.
LabVIEW requires a minimum color palette
setting of 256 colors. 16-bit color is
recommended.
The LabVIEW Help requires a minimum
color palette setting of 256 colors with a
screen resolution of 1024 × 768 pixels.
16-bit color is recommended.
All Windows Refer to the installation To use the Measurement & Automation
Versions instruction that appear on Explorer you must have Microsoft Internet
your screen for information Explorer 5.0 or later installed.
on the size of the LabVIEW
The LabVIEW Tutorial requires a sound
system you are installing.
card, a video card capable of playing .avi
LabVIEW runs on any files, and a minimum color palette setting of
system that supports 256 colors with a screen resolution of
Windows. 1024 × 768 pixels. 16-bit color is
recommended.
Windows NT LabVIEW runs on To take advantage of ActiveX functionality
Windows NT 4.0 Service in LabVIEW 6.0, you must have
Pack 3 or later. Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3 or later and
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or later
installed.
Windows ME — For information on using LabVIEW
in Windows ME, refer to
ni.com/windowsme.

© National Instruments Corporation A-1 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Appendix A System Requirements

Media and System

Platform Requirements Important Notes
Power Macintosh LabVIEW requires National Instruments recommends that you
System 7.6.1 or later. have at least 32 MB of RAM. You might
need more memory, depending on the size of
You need a minimum of
the application you design in LabVIEW and
32 MB of RAM and at least
the amount of data that your application
100 MB of disk storage
manipulates.
space for the minimal
installation of LabVIEW For more accurate timing, install the Apple
or 250 MB for the full QuickTime extension. When you use
installation. QuickTime, timing accuracy should increase
from 16.6 ms resolution to approximately
1 ms resolution. System response varies
depending on background applications,
other extensions, networking activity, and
disk caching.
The LabVIEW Tutorial requires a sound
card, a video card capable of playing .avi
files, and a minimum color palette setting of
256 colors with a screen resolution of
1024 × 768 pixels. 16-bit color is
recommended.
All UNIX LabVIEW requires an LabVIEW uses a directory for storing
Versions X Window System server, temporary files. Some of the temporary files
such as OpenWindows, are large, so keep several megabytes of disk
HP-VUE, CDE, or X11R6. space available for this temporary directory.
The default for the temporary directory is
You need a minimum of
/tmp. You can change the temporary
32 MB of RAM with 32 MB
directory by selecting Tools»Options.
of swap space storage.
If LabVIEW aborts unexpectedly, it might
You need between 65 MB
leave files behind in the temporary directory.
to 150 MB of disk storage
Remove old files occasionally to avoid
space depending on the
depleting your disk space.
components you install.
To save space, install only the VIs you plan
to use.
LabVIEW does not require a specific
graphical user interface (GUI) such as Motif
or OpenLook, because LabVIEW uses Xlib
to create its own GUI.

Getting Started with LabVIEW A-2 ni.com

 Appendix A System Requirements

Media and System

Platform Requirements Important Notes
Sun LabVIEW runs on —
SPARCstations with
Solaris 2.5.1 or later.
HP-UX LabVIEW runs on HP workstations limit the size of a process
Hewlett-Packard such as LabVIEW to 64 MB. You may need
Model 9000 Series 700 to increase this setting to accommodate your
computers with HP-UX LabVIEW application. Refer to the HP-UX
10.20 or later. section of the LabVIEW Release Notes under
the Installation section for more information
about changing this setting.
Linux LabVIEW runs on Linux for Requires GNU C Library Version 2
Intel x86 processors with (glibc2, also known as libc.so.6).
kernel version 2.0.x or later.
RedHat Linux 5.0 or later includes the
LabVIEW runs on most
glibc2 run-time library.
major Linux distributions,
such as RedHat, Calderra,
SuSE, and Debian.

© National Instruments Corporation A-3 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Technical Support Resources
B
Web Support
National Instruments Web support is your first stop for help in solving
installation, configuration, and application problems and questions. Online
problem-solving and diagnostic resources include frequently asked
questions, knowledge bases, product-specific troubleshooting wizards,
manuals, drivers, software updates, and more. Web support is available
through the Technical Support section of ni.com

NI Developer Zone
The NI Developer Zone at ni.com/zone is the essential resource for
building measurement and automation systems. At the NI Developer Zone,
you can easily access the latest example programs, system configurators,
tutorials, technical news, as well as a community of developers ready to
share their own techniques.

Customer Education
National Instruments provides a number of alternatives to satisfy your
training needs, from self-paced tutorials, videos, and interactive CDs to
instructor-led hands-on courses at locations around the world. Visit the
Customer Education section of ni.com for online course schedules,
syllabi, training centers, and class registration.

System Integration
If you have time constraints, limited in-house technical resources, or other
dilemmas, you may prefer to employ consulting or system integration
services. You can rely on the expertise available through our worldwide
network of Alliance Program members. To find out more about our
Alliance system integration solutions, visit the System Integration section
of ni.com

© National Instruments Corporation B-1 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Appendix B Technical Support Resources

Worldwide Support
National Instruments has offices located around the world to help address
your support needs. You can access our branch office Web sites from the
Worldwide Offices section of ni.com. Branch office Web sites provide
up-to-date contact information, support phone numbers, e-mail addresses,
and current events.

If you have searched the technical support resources on our Web site and
still cannot find the answers you need, contact your local office or National
Instruments corporate. Phone numbers for our worldwide offices are listed
at the front of this manual.

Getting Started with LabVIEW B-2 ni.com

Glossary

B
block diagram Pictorial description or representation of a program or algorithm. The block
diagram, consists of executable icons called nodes and wires that carry data
between the nodes. The block diagram is the source code for the VI. The
block diagram resides in the block diagram window of the VI.

C
conditional terminal Terminal of a While Loop that contains a Boolean value that determines if
the VI performs another iteration.

control Front panel object for entering data to a VI interactively or to a subVI

programmatically, such as a knob, push button, or dial.

Controls palette Palette that contains front panel controls, indicators, and decorative objects.

D
DAQ Channel Wizard Utility that guides you through naming and configuring DAQ analog and
digital channels. Available in the Data Neighborhood of Measurement &
Automation Explorer (Windows) or DAQ Channel Wizard (Macintosh).

DAQ Solution Wizard Utility that guides you through specifying your DAQ application, and it
provides a custom DAQ solution.

data flow Programming system that consists of executable nodes that execute only
when they receive all required input data and produce output automatically
when they execute. LabVIEW is a dataflow system.

E
Enable Indexing Option that allows you to build a set of data to be released at the termination
of a While Loop. With indexing disabled, a While Loop releases only the
final data point generated within the loop.

© National Instruments Corporation G-1 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Glossary

execution highlighting Debugging technique that animates VI execution to illustrate the data flow
in the VI.

F
front panel Interactive user interface of a VI. Front panel appearance imitates physical
instruments, such as oscilloscopes and multimeters.

function Built-in execution element, comparable to an operator, function, or

statement in a text-based programming language.

Functions palette Palette that contains VIs, functions, block diagram structures, and
constants.

G
General Purpose GPIB—synonymous with HP-IB. The standard bus used for controlling
Interface Bus electronic instruments with a computer. Also called IEEE 488 bus because
it is defined by ANSI/IEEE Standards 488-1978, 488.1-1987, and
488.2-1992.

I
IEEE 488.2 Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Standard 488.2-1987,
which defines the GPIB.

indicator Front panel object that displays output, such as a graph or LED.

L
Labeling tool Tool to create labels and enter text into text windows.

LabVIEW Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench. LabVIEW is a

graphical programming language that uses icons instead of lines of text to
create programs.

M
MB Megabytes of memory. 1 MB is equal to 1,024 KB.

Getting Started with LabVIEW G-2 ni.com

 Glossary

N
node Program execution element. Nodes are analogous to statements, operators,
functions, and subroutines in text-based programming languages.
On a block diagram, nodes include functions, structures, and subVIs.

O
Operating tool Tool to enter data into controls and operate them.

P
palette Display of icons that represent possible options.

Positioning tool Tool to move and resize objects.

probe Debugging feature for checking intermediate values in a VI.

PXI PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation. A modular, computer-based

instrumentation platform.

R
RS-232 Recommended Standard 232, a serial interface bus standard.

RS-485 Recommended Standard 485, a serial interface bus standard.

S
Solutions Gallery Option within the DAQ Solution Wizard in which you can select from
numerous categories of common DAQ applications.

structure Program control element, such as a Sequence Structure, Case structure,

For Loop, or While Loop.

subpalette A palette contained in an icon of another palette.

subVI VI used in the block diagram of another VI. Comparable to a subroutine.

© National Instruments Corporation G-3 Getting Started with LabVIEW

Glossary

T
terminal Object or region on a node through which data pass.

tip strip Small yellow text banners that identify the terminal name and make it easier
to identify terminals for wiring.

Tools palette Palette that contains tools you can use to edit and debug front panel and
block diagram objects.

tunnel Data entry or exit terminal on a structure.

V
VI See virtual instrument.

virtual instrument Program in LabVIEW that models the appearance and function of a
physical instrument.

VISA Single interface library for controlling GPIB, VXI, RS-232, and other types
of instruments.

VXI VME eXtensions for Instrumentation (bus).

W
waveform chart Indicator that plots data points at a certain rate.

While Loop Loop structure that repeats a section of code until a condition is met.

wire Data path between nodes.

wire branch Section of wire that contains all the wire segments from junction to
junction, terminal to junction, or terminal to terminal if there are no
junctions between.

wire junction Point where three or more wire segments join.

wire segment Single horizontal or vertical piece of wire.

Wiring tool Tool to define data paths between terminals.

Getting Started with LabVIEW G-4 ni.com