An Introduction to

NI LabVIEW

a Graphical System Design environment

for engineers and scientists worldwide

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Revised August 2012 for LabVIEW 2012

Hardware APIs

Built-in Libraries

Custom User Interfaces

Deployment Targets

Technology Abstractions

Programming Approaches

A Graphical System Design Environment for Engineers and Scientists Worldwide

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Section I LabVIEW Environment

A.
B.

Set up Your Hardware

Take Your First Measurement

C.
D.
E.

Demonstration: Creating our First VI

LabVIEW Environment
Hands-On Exercise: Acquiring Data

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Open and Explore Final Project: Audio

Equalizer

Write a program that reads in a signal from a

microphone

A. Setting Up Your Hardware

Data Acquisition Device (DAQ)A

NI myDAQ
Configured in Measurement and Automation Explorer
(MAX)

Sound Card

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Available in most PCs

No additional configurations required

NI myDAQ

USB controlled,
bus powered

Analog Input:
2 channels, 200kS/s/ch,
16-bit resolution
Analog Output:
2 channels, 200kS/s/ch,
16-bit resolution
DIO: 8 lines
CTR: 1 counter
Integrated DMM: V, A, Ohm
Power Supply: +5 V, +/15 V
3.5 mm stereo audio jacks

Power
Supply:
+5
V lines,
8 DIO
1 counter
2 AI lines
2 AO lines

Power Supply
+/ 15 V
Audio IN/OUT

Integrated
DMM
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Demonstration: What is MAX?

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Measurement & Automation Explorer

Organizes all your National Instruments hardware
and software
Configure your hardware in MAX
Tests your device in MAX

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Exercise 1 Setting Up Your Hardware Device

Use MAX to configure and setup myDAQ

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What is an Audio Equalizer?

Its a car stereo!
Audio Equalizers adjust the volume of a
certain frequency within a signal.
We are going to build a 3-band Audio
Equalizer using filters that affects these
frequency ranges

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Bass
Midtones
Treble

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Lets Explore the Final Project

Open up the myDAQ Audio Demo.vi and play around with it. Be sure
you have your microphone (or MP3 player) plugged in along with the
speakers!

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Time to Break it Down

Acquir
e

Analyz
e

Prese
nt

Gather data from

your myDAQ or
another data
acquisition
device.

Extract useful
information from your
data with interactive
wizards and more than
600 built-in LabVIEW
measurement analysis
and signal processing
functions.

Visualize results in
graphs and charts.
Create custom user
interfaces and reports
in text files, HTML,
Microsoft Word,
Microsoft Excel, and
more.

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Types of Signals to Acquire

Digital

Analog

Signal that varies

continuously
Most commonly a
voltage or current
In our case, the
microphone converts
sound pressure into
voltage

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Electrical signals that

transfer digital data
Usually represented
by on/off, high/low,
0/1

Demonstration: Creating Our First

D
EM
VI O

Front Panel Window

Graph
Indicator
Block Diagram Window
Output
Terminal
Input
Terminals
Boolean
Control
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LabVIEW Environment

What is the front panel

used for?

What is the block diagram

used for?

What are the inputs and

outputs called?

How does data travel on the

block diagram?

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Function and Controls Palettes

Where can you find the following Palettes?

Bonus: How
many of the tools
can you name?

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Data Types
What are the following data types?

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Toolbar
What do the following buttons do?

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2

Using the Search Functions

Can you name three ways you can search

for a function in LabVIEW?

Where are the following items located?

Feel free to reference LabVIEW to find the answers

DAQ Assistant
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Waveform Chart
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4

Two Button Dialog

Dataflow Programming
Which VI(s) will execute
first?

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Which VI will execute

last?

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5

Debugging Techniques
How do you use the following debugging
tools?
Execution Highlighting

Broken Run Arrow

Error List

Probes

Are there other debugging tools

you can think of?
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Context Help Window

How many ways to

display the context help
window can you list?

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Commenting Your Code

Double-click anywhere on your front panel
or block diagram to insert a comment

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Tips for Working in LabVIEW

Keystroke Shortcuts
<Ctrl-H> Activate/Deactivate Context Help Window
<Ctrl-B> Remove Broken Wires from Block Diagram
<Ctrl-E> Toggle between Front Panel and Block
Diagram
<Ctrl-Z> Undo (also in Edit menu)
<Ctrl-T> Tile Front Panel and Block Diagram
Tools Options Set Preferences in LabVIEW
File VI Properties Configure VI Appearance,
Documentation, etc.
Create Control/Constant/Indicator Right-click on
terminal to create

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Peak Detection
Convert Time-domain
signals to Frequencydomain signals
Analyze all frequency
components to find the
dominant frequency
In this exercise

Time

FF
T

We acquire a sound signal

Perform spectral analysis
to detect peak frequency
Display on graph
Frequenc
y

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Exercise 2 Acquiring a Signal with DAQ

Use the exercise template to:

Acquire a signal from your myDAQ device

Take a Spectral Measurement

Estimated Time:
15 minutes

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Video: Blind Driver Challenge

YouTube Link Part 1

YouTube Link Part 2

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Section II Elements of Typical Programs

A.
B.

Demonstration: While Loops and SubVI

Loops

C.

Functions and SubVIs

D.

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While Loop
For Loop
Types of Functions
Creating Custom Functions (subVI)

Hands-On Exercise: Filtering and

Outputting Sound

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Demonstration: While Loop and

Good Example

Bad Example

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D
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SubVIs O

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While Loop

What do the following terminals do?

What is the minimum number of iterations

that a while loop will run?

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For Loop

What does the iteration terminal start counting

from?

How many times will a For Loop execute?

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Drawing a Loop
1. Select the structure
(Programming
Structures)

2. Enclose code to be repeated

3. Wire up the Stop Condition

and add any additional
code.

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3 Types of Functions
Express VIs: interactive VIs with configurable dialog page (blue
border)

Standard VIs: modularized VIs customized by wiring (customizable)

Primitive Functions: fundamental operating elements of LabVIEW; no

front panel or block diagram (yellow)

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LabVIEW Functions and SubVIs

Function Pseudo Code

Calling Program Pseudo Code

function average (in1, in2, out)

{
out = (in1 + in2)/2.0;
}

main
{
average (in1, in2, pointavg)
}

SubVI Block Diagram

Calling VI Block Diagram

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Create SubVI
What are some ways that you can create subVIs?

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Icon Editor and Connector Pane

Icon Editor

Connector Pane

Why is having a good

icon important?
How can you edit the
icon of your subVI?

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Where do you find the

connector pane?
How do you add inputs or
outputs to the connector
pane?

Analysis: Filters

Allows some frequencies of a

signal to pass more easily than
others
We will be using three types of
filters in our project

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Lowpass (Bass Filter)

Bandpass (Midtone Filter)
Highpass (Treble Filter)

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Outputting a Signal to DAQ

Use analog output to

generate an audio wave
In our situation, we are
filtering the analog input
waveform, then
outputting this
waveform

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Exercise 3 Outputting Sound with myDAQ

Use LabVIEW Express VIs to:

Acquire a signal
Apply a filter
Output sound to your speakers

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Video: myDAQ Piano Staircase

YouTube Video Link

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Section III Analyzing and Presenting Your

Results
A.
B.

Demonstration: Arrays and Auto-Indexing

Arrays
Creating Arrays
Auto-Indexing

C.

Displaying Data on the Front Panel

Graphs and Charts

D.

Demonstration: Case Structures

E.

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Decision Making

Hands-On Exercise: Audio Equalizer

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Demonstration: Arrays
Creating Arrays and Auto-Indexing

Programatically Creating Arrays

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Arrays

An array consists of elements and dimension.

What do those terms mean?

When would you use an array?

In LabVIEW, what is the index of the first element

in an array?

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Creating an Array
From the Controls Modern Array, Matrix, and
Cluster subpalette, select the Array icon
1.
2.

Place an array shell on the front panel

Drag a data object or element into the array shell

Empty array
shell as seen on
the block
diagram.

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Building Arrays with Loops (Auto-Indexing)

Loops can
accumulate arrays
at their boundaries
with auto-indexing
For loops autoindex by default
While Loops
output only the
final value by
default
How can you
enable/disable
auto-indexing?

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Auto-Indexing
Enabled

Wire becomes
thicker

1D Array
0 1 2 3 4 5

Auto-Indexing
Disabled

5
6
5

Wire remains
the same size

Only one value (last

iteration) is passed
out of the loop

Waveform Charts

numeric indicator that can display a history of

values.

add 1 data point at a time with history

updates with each individual point it receives

Controls Express Graph Indicators Chart

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Waveform Graphs

numeric indicator that displays an array of data

displays many data points at once

updates after all points have been collected

may be used in a loop if VI collects buffers of data

Controls Express Graph Indicators Graph

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Control and Indicator Properties

Properties are characteristics or qualities
about an object
Properties can be found
by right-clicking on a
control or indicator

Properties include:

Features include:

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Size
Color
Plot style
Plot color
Cursors
Scaling
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Demonstration: Case Structures

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How Do I Make Decisions in LabVIEW?

Case Structure

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Select Function

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Tab Control

Keep your front panel

organized
Add a new Tabs for new
operations
Use the Tab control to
select operations and
perform different
analyses

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Exercise 4 Building an Audio Equalizer

Complete your 3-band equalizer

Become familiar with Case Structures

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Video: Mind-controlled Wheelchair

YouTube Video Link

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Demonstration: Timing a Loop

Vs.

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How Do I Time a Loop?

1.

2.

Configure the Time Delay Express VI for

seconds to wait each iteration of the loop
(works on For and While Loops).
Configure the Wait and Wait Next ms
Multiple for milliseconds to wait for each
iteration of the loop

Time Delay
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Wait (ms)
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2

Wait Until Next

ms Multiple

File I/O
the function of passing data to and from files
can be binary, text, or spreadsheet
Write/Read LabVIEW Measurements file (*.lvm)
Write to *.lvm file

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Read from *.lvm file

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Karaoke!
Stereo sound has two
channels: left and right
Sound is recorded
using two strategically
placed microphones
Voice is present in both
channels
Subtract left channel
from right channel to
eliminate voice

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Exercise 5 Adding Karaoke Functionality

Expand Audio Equalizer program to include Karaoke
functionality

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Do Not Delete Exercise 5 Instructions

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Video: myDAQ Optical Theremin

YouTube Link

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Section V Advanced Data Flow Topics

(Optional)
A. Additional Data Types

B.

Data flow Constructs

C.

Shift Register
Local Variables

Large Application Development

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Cluster

Navigator Window
LabVIEW Projects

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5

Introduction to Clusters

Data structure that groups data together

Data may be of different types
Analogous to struct in ANSI C
Elements must be either all controls or all
indicators
Thought of as wires bundled into a cable
Order is important

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Creating a Cluster
1.
2.

Select a Cluster shell

Place objects inside the shell

Controls Modern Array, Matrix & Cluster

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Cluster Functions

In the Cluster & Variant subpalette of the

Programming palette
Can also be accessed by right-clicking the
cluster terminal
Bundle

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Bundle By Name

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Using Arrays and Clusters with Graphs

The waveform data type contains 3 pieces of data:
t0 = Start time
dt = Time between samples
Y = Array of Y magnitudes
You can create a waveform cluster in two ways:

Build Waveform (absolute time)

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Cluster (relative time)

Shift Register Access Previous Loop Data

Available at left or right border of loop structures

Right-click the border and select Add Shift
Register
Right terminal stores data on completion of
iteration
Left terminal provides stored data at beginning of
Initia
next
iteration
Value
l
15

Valu
e

Befor
e
Loop
Begin
s
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First
Iteratio
n

Second
Iteratio
n
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Last
Iteratio
n

Local Variables

Local variables allow data to be passed between

parallel loops
You can read or write a single control or indicator
from more than one location in the program

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Local variables break the dataflow paradigm and should

be used sparingly

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LabVIEW Navigation Window

Shows the current region of view compared to

entire front panel or block diagram
Great for large programs

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LabVIEW Project
Group and organize VIs
Manage hardware and I/O
Manage VIs for
multiple targets
Build libraries and
executables
Manage large LabVIEW
applications
Enable version tracking
and management

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NI Multisim and Ultiboard

Worlds most popular software for

learning electronics
180,000 industrial and
academic users
Products include:

Multisim simulation and capture

Ultiboard PCB layout
Multisim MCU Module microcontroller simulation

Low-cost student editions available

ni.com/multisim

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NI Multisim Integrated with NI LabVIEW

1. Create

2. Virtual

Schematic

Breadboard

4. PCB Layout

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3. Simulate

6. Compare

5. Test

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Additional Resources

NI Academic Web and Student Corner

ni.com/students
ni.com/lv101
ni.com/textbooks
Get your own copy of the
LabVIEW Student Edition

ni.com/lv101

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The LabVIEW Certification Program

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Your Next Step

LabVIEW Skills Evaluation Quiz:
https://lumen.ni.com/nicif/us/infolvcoursefinder/content.xhtml
CLAD Exam Practice:
https://lumen.ni.com/nicif/us/ekitcladexmprp/content.xhtml
CLAD Exam Prep Webcast:
http://zone.ni.com/wv/app/doc/p/id/wv-566

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