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Using OOP in Measurement Systems

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Common Problem: Software becomes difficult to

maintain over time
Initial investment in
software architecture,
training and processes

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Why OOP is an Answer

When you want to build scalable, extensible systems.

Translation: OOP concepts, when used correctly, decrease

the risk and effort required to add functionality to an
existing system. They do this, in part, by:
- Minimizing the scope of changes that have to be
introduced to an existing system to add new functionality
- Restricting access to data to methods that have explicitly
been permitted access
- Making it possible to add and load new behaviors
dynamically that implement existing interfaces
- Enable reuse and extension of pre-existing functionality
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The journey to OOP starts sooner than you think

Configure

Acquire

Measure

Conceptually, many LabVIEW applications start with a simple,

synchronous set of operations (many times all on a single diagram)

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Configure

Measure

Acquire

Start Task

Read Samples

Stop Task

Savvy programmers will often use SubVIs to wrap API calls to things
like device drivers or loading configuration from a file

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Task

Graph

Samples
DAQ Task

Clock

Raw Data

Configure

Acquire

Measure

These SubVIs typically expect certain inputs to do their jobs many

times these inputs are the output of previous operations, or a single
input is shared by multiple VIs in this sequence

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Measurement System

Task

Graph

Samples
DAQ Task

Clock

Raw Data

Configure

Acquire

Measure

As the application becomes more sophisticated, its common to want

to iterate on certain tasks within a loop..

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Measurement System

I/O

Graph

Samples
DAQ Task
Raw Data

Clock
Configure

Acquire

or perhaps the entire system

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Measure

Measurement System
Configure Event Case

Task

Clock
Configure

Eventually, automation requires that we be able to programmatically

control the order of operations and/or restart the system, which
requires a state-machine-like pattern that passes data between states
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Measurement System
Acquire Event Case

Samples

Raw Data

Acquire

The scope of data these operations has access to can be seen by

examining the shift registers in a loop
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Measurement System
Measure Event Case

Graph

Measure

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Measurement System
I/O
Event Case

Cloc
k

Samples
Raw Data
Task

As the functionality grows, so too does the scope of data. Eventually it

becomes helpful to contain all of this data in a cluster, giving us a very
clearly defined data-scope for this process
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Measurement System
I/O
Event Case

Cloc
k

Samples
Raw Data

I/O

Task

Cloc
k

Task

Configure

The methods within this state machine retrieve the information they
need from the cluster and update values as necessary
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Measurement System
I/O
Event Case

Cloc
k

Samples
Raw Data
Task

Configure

Unbundling and bundling data can be encapsulated by the VI, giving

the user a clean, simple top-level interface (the type definition)
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This simple illustration shows how these three operations we started

with now just act upon the data within the cluster
I/O
Cloc
k

Graph

Samples
Raw Data
Task

Configure

Acquire

Measure

These VIs are explicitly coupled to this data

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A class is basically a cluster

I/O
Cloc
k
Samples

Measurement
Class

Raw Data
Task

Measurement
Data

A class contains data, plus

methods (VIs) that are allowed
to act upon and modify the data.
VIs that do not belong to the class
cannot act upon the data

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Measurement

Graph

Configure

Acquire

Measure

The object wire can be passed into any VI that has the class on the
connector pane, but only VIs that belong to the class can directly
bundle and/or unbundle the data

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Class Data Cluster

Class constant

I/O
Cloc
k
Samples
Raw Data
Task

Methods that can act upon

the classs data cluster
Appearance in Project
Configure

Acquire

Measure

These VIs are now owned by the class. They are

transported as a cohesive library of code
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Demonstration
Creating a New Class

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Measurement System
I/O
Event Case

Cloc
k

Samples
Raw Data
Task

Configure

Returning to our basic system, this implementation using a clsuter

effectively becomes

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Measurement System
Case

Measurement

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Configure

Measurement System
Case

Measurement

Configure

What if you want a different definition of how these methods should act?
In this example, consider the different ways in which a measurement might be implemented
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Inheritance Allows Descendant Classes to Modify, Extend and

Add Functionality of a Parent

Measurement

Temp
Finite measurement of a
single channel

Strain
Applies stimuli before
acquiring value

These are children of the measurement class

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Demonstration
Define inheritance and view the class hierarchy diagram

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Measurement System
Case

Measurement

Configure

What if you want a different definition of how these methods should act?
In this example, consider the different ways in which a measurement might be implemented
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Acquire is Dynamically Dispatched

Measurement System
Case

Temp

Acquire

Start Task

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Read Samples

Stop Task

Acquire is Dynamically Dispatched

Measurement System
Case

Strain

Acquire

Start AO Task

Start AI Task
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Stimulate
Output

Sweep Inputs

Understanding Dynamic Dispatch

Strain

Temp

Acquire

610
2
Resistance

Strain.lvclass:
Acquire.vi
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Temp.lvclass:
Acquire.vi

Resistance.lvclass:
Acquire.vi

Demonstration
Illustrate dynamic dispatch

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Graph
Configure

Acquire

Measure

Q: Isnt this the same thing as using case structures inside these VIs ?
I/O

Cloc
k
Samples
Raw Data
Task

Configure
Measurement Type
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Acquire

Measure

Graph

A: Its conceptually similar, but there are extremely

important differences(NO)
To understand the difference, first consider the impact of
introducing a new measurement in the non-OOP example.
3. We probably have to add new elements to
this data cluster

I/O

2. We have to modify all of these VIs

Clo
ck
Samples
Raw
Data
Task

Configure
Measurement Type

1. We have to add a new type to the enum

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Acquire

Measure

Graph

I/O2

As the scope of the data cluster expands, we are

passing data into large segments of code inside
the cases that should not have access to it. Our
data is not protected

DIO
Trigger
I/O
Clock
Samples
Raw
Data
Task

Configure

Acquire

Measure

Measurement Type

Introducing a new measurements requires

changes within the VIs, as well as the calling code
(sometimes referred to as a framework). This
makes code very costly to maintain and brittle

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Graph

Sibling Classes Have Unique Data Scope

Data that every measurement
needs to have

Task

I/O
Samples

Measurement

Thermocouple

Bridge Type
excitation

Strain

Temp

Data unique to these specific measurements, plus

exposed data of parent measurement

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One of the biggest differences: this new

functionality has to be added at edit time.

I/O2
DIO

What if you want to load a new measurement into

your calling system at run-time?

Trigger
I/O
Clock
Samples

Raw
Data
Task

Configure

Acquire

Graph

Measure

Measurement Type

Yes, you can dynamically load the VIs called by these VIs, but you have to
have pre-defined the data they have access to. The data in the cluster wire
cannot be changed at run-time, as the connector pane must match exactly.

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At edit-time, LabVIEW shows us the wire of the

parent class we have said will be passed along
this wire (in this example: Measurement.lvclass)

Graph
Configure

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Acquire

Measure

We may pass any child of this class down this wire

at run-time. Dynamically dispatched methods will
execute the copy belonging to the run-time
instance.

Graph
Configure

Acquire

Measure

LabVIEW can load a new child at run-time. The class will bring its methods and
its data cluster into memory when loaded. This makes it possible to add
functionality without modifying calling code. The code to load a child class is
referred to as a Factory.

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The Basics of an Object Factory

Objects Loaded Into Memory

Generic Measurement

Parent

Location on Disk
Where Measurements
Classes are Stored

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Children

Group Exercise
About that Graph output what if my measurements output different data types?

Strain

Graph
Temp

Configure

Configure

Acquire

Measure

Acquire

Boolean

Measure

Dynamically dispatched VIs must have the same connector pane. You cannot have a
different data type output on Measure. So how do we solve this problem?

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Q: How can an instance of the measure method return

information that is appropriate and specific to the measurement
class it belongs to?
Consider the following requirements:

Measure

We have to pass different data-types at-run

time out of the measure method
We always know a specific measurement will
return a certain type of data
We need to be able to display that data to a
user in an appropriate format
We need to pass the data back to a framework
that implements a pre-defined interface for
operations like dispaly, save, etc

Is a variant a valid solution?

We can pass any data-type on a variant wire
How do we know how to display the data on a variant wire to a user?
If we pass the variant to our calling code, how will it know how to save it to
disk or display it to the user?
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Use a Class Hierarchy

Measurement Result
Defines methods all results
should be able to define, such
as Save, or Display

Strain Result

Temp Result

Resistance Result

Each has a unique private data cluster to store the result of a measurement and
defines how that data is stored or displayed using dynamically dispatched methods
that override the interface defined by the parent Measurement Result

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General Best-Practice: Dont Use Variants

Variants are typically used when different types of data
have to travel down a single wire. Anytime you feel the
need to do this, consider replacing the wire that would be a
variant with a class hierarchy.
Why? Classes still enforce strict data-types at edit-time,
thereby ensuring no run-time errors. Variants do not, and
therefore increase the likelihood of run-time errors.

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All measurements will need to use hardware.

Measurement Class

Configure

Acquire

Measure

But Id like to..

run the same measurement class on different
machines, which have different hardware
continue development on a machine with no access
to hardware
be able to add a new device of a certain type without
modifying the measurement

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A measurement is defined assuming certain

classes of devices are available, but without
knowing exactly which instrument.

Temp

In this example, this measurement strategy uses a DMM. It

assumes an instance of a DMM implements a pre-defined
interface, without knowledge of how that interface is implemented

Configure

Measure

Acquire

DMM
Class
Configure
Current
Source

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Autozero

Read

DMM
Class

Agilent
34401a

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PXI-4070

Simulated
DMM

Other measurements may require different classes of hardware, or perhaps multiple

devices (ie: stimulus/response measurements), but we cant change the connector pane
of methods we want to override (like Acquire.vi).

Measurement
Class
Configure

?
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Acquire

Measure

The objects passed along this wire must all

be children of the same parent class

Measurement
Class

All measurements use an array of hardware

Configure

Acquire

Measure

But different classes of hardware would

definitely not implement the same interface

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Sample Hardware Class Hierarchy

Hardware

Power Supply

PXI-4110

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Simulated

DMM

Simulated

34401a

Generator

Scope

PXI 4070

Simulated

PXIe-5185

Simulated

Measurement
Class

Methods can cast hardware objects to specific children at edittime using the to more specific primitive

Configure

Acquire

Measure

DMM

SCOPE

The dark blue wire can be passed into the

interfaces for the specific device classes

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Demonstration
Use these concepts in a real system

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Summary of Most Important Concepts

Always be thinking about data scope keep it cohesive and

small
Classes create define data scope and a set of functions that
are allowed access to data
Consider using a class hierarchy to replace a massive data
structure
Dynamic dispatch allows child classes to override a parents
method and reuse others
Dynamic dispatch occurs at run-time, whereas polymorphism
occurs at edit-time
Use parent classes to define the interfaces children should
implement
If you find yourself using a lot of variants, consider a class
hierarchy
And finally, classes are not as big of a leap as you might think
we hope you agree after this presentation!

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Want to Learn More?

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spending 43% less time on maintenance

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at ni.com/training

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