1 class day
First Day: Introduction to LabVIEW
LabVIEW is a platform and development environment for a visual programming
language from National Instruments. We use LabVIEW in this course for the two
digital components labs at the end of the semester.
The entire first class is devoted to working through a LabVIEW tutorial. If you are
unable to make it to the first class you must make this tutorial up on your own
time. However, please keep in mind that there is the two-body rule for the lab
outside of class hours – no one is allowed to work in the lab alone.
1. Turn on the computer
2. Connect your headphones to the jack on the front of the computer. The
program offers an audio output. The drawback is that you are forced to work at
the speed that the narrator speaks. When the program starts you can choose to
turn off the audio output and work at your own pace if you wish.
3. Open the PHY4802L folder on the desktop. This is where we keep all relevant
material for this course.
3. Open the LabVIEW Basics I shortcut
4. Click the START button
You should go through the following components (listed on the far left side) at
your own pace. You have to click the right arrow on the lower right part of the
screen to advance the program.
The Do It Yourself parts of this tutorial, in general, require the use of lab
equipment external to the computer. Please skip those parts of the tutorial. In
most cases, the tutorial offers solutions to the Do It Yourself problems. You are
free to read/study these solutions if they interest you. The purpose of this lab is
to give you a brief introduction to how to use LabVIEW, not to provide expertlevel training.
A. LabVIEW Environment
1. Introduction to Virtual Instruments
2. SKIP Working with Projects
3. Front Panel and Block Diagram. Please do all three Do It Yourself at the end
of the lesson.
B. Using LabVIEW
1. SKIP Dataflow
2. Building a Simple VI. You do not need to do the Do It Yourself at the end of
the lesson.
3. Help Utilities
Your previous programming experience will determine how quickly or slowly you
move through parts C and D.
C. Creating VIs
1. SKIP Implementing and Documenting Code
2. Using Loops
3. Plotting Data
4. Making Decisions
D. Relating Data
1. Arrays
2. Clusters
3. SKIP Type Definitions
This portion of the lab will be of great use in Labs 11 and 12, when we will be
using LabVIEW. You may not have time to get to it today. Please make sure
you do this part of the tutorial at some point before Lab 11 starts.
E. Acquiring Measurement Data
all parts
If you have additional time, please flip through the section Correcting VIs. This
component shows you all of the ways to debug a circuit design using LabVIEW.