Labview

Quick Reference

Welcome to LabVIEW — graphical programming for data acquisition, instrument I/O, measurement analysis, and visualization. This card provides information about getting started with LabVIEW quickly.

Installing LabVIEW
Complete the following steps to install LabVIEW. 1. Run the setup program on the CD. 2. Be sure to register online on www.ni.com/register. You also can fill outthe LabVIEW Product Registration Card and return it to National Instruments. Registering qualifies you for support, upgrades, and other important product information. 3. If you are new to LabVIEW, complete the LabVIEW Tutorial by starting LabVIEW and clicking the LabVIEW Tutorial button.

Read and complete the exercises in the Getting Started with LabVIEW manual. For data acquisition orinstrument I/O examples, click the DAQ Solutions button. The DAQ Solutions button is available on Windows and Macintosh only. For other examples, click the Search Examples button.

W h e r e t o G o N ex t
While you are in LabVIEW, select Help»Show Context Help to display the Context Help window. Select Help»Contents and Index to display the LabVIEW Help. Refer to the following manuals for additionalLabVIEW information: Data Acquisition Instrument Control LabVIEW programming

LabVIEW Measurements Manual LabVIEW Measurements Manual LabVIEW Help or LabVIEW User Manual

Refer to www.ni.com/library for LabVIEW books and other resources.

© Copyright 1997, 2000 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved. Product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of theirrespective companies.

LabVIEW Environment

The block diagram is the source code for the VI. You build the block diagram by wiring together objects that send or receive data, perform specific tasks, and control the flow of execution. The front panel contains controls that supply data to the block diagram of the VI. Indicators display data the block diagram acquires or generates.

The VIHierarchy window displays a graphical representation of the calling hierarchy for all VIs in memory. Select Browse»Show VI Hierarchy to display the VI hierarchy.

Wiring Techniques
1 Click to tack down a wire
tack down wire tack down a temporary wire

2 Double-click to tack down a temporary wire

3 Use space bar to change direction of wire
press space bar

4 Remove last
tack point
last tackpoint

Windows: Macintosh: UNIX:

Ctrl-left-click Option-click Middle-click

5 Highlight wire segments

single-click

double-click

triple-click

F u n c t i o n s , C o n t ro l s , & To o l s Pa l e t t e s

Numeric

Boolean Boolean Numeric List & Table Cluster Graph I/O

Structures Array

String & Path

String Time & Dialog

Array & Cluster

Comparison WaveformFile I/O

Ring & Enum Classic Controls Dialog Controls

Refnum

Active X Select a Control

Data Acquisition Motion & Vision

Analyze

Decorations Instrument I/O Application Control Mathematics

User Controls

Operating Tool—Changes the value of a control or selects the text within a control. Communication Graphics & Sound Positioning Tool—Positions, resizes, and selects objects.Report Generation Labeling Tool—Edits text and creates free labels. Tutorial Advanced Wiring Tool—Wires objects together on the block diagram and connects control to connector pane. Select a VI... User Libraries Object Shortcut Menu Tool—Opens the shortcut menu of an object. Scroll Tool—Scrolls the window without using the scroll bars. Breakpoint Tool—Sets breakpoints on VIs, functions, wires, loops,sequences, and cases. Probe Tool—Creates probes on wires.

Color Copy Tool—Copies colors for pasting with the Color Tool. Color Tool—Sets the foreground and background colors.

VI Navigation
Description
1. Find terminals, local variables, references, invoke nodes, and property nodes on the block diagram associated with a front panel control 2. Find text and objects in memory

Technique...