NI Forum - Recent Threads

Avnet Accelerometer (4030-002-120)

jimmy_almac — Fri, 10 May 2024 20:19:38 GMT

Is this avnet accelerometer (part number: 4030-002-120) compatible with labview? Also, how do I determine the minimum reading it is capable of?

Labview Community Edition 2024-Q1 released

Jan Cumps — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 19:03:07 GMT

Downloadable from https://www.ni.com/en/support/downloads/software-products/download.labview.html#521715

You need an NI account. And use the same account to download and activate.

If you have an existing community license, and activation fails, you may need to extend it here: https://www.ni.com/myni/products/en/

LabVIEW Course - We are in the process of judging

rscasny — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 14:30:19 GMT

I wanted to let everyone know that your final blogs are with the judges. We should have them scored and judged by early next week.

I have scored all the quizzes and the scores have been inputted on the status table.

Sincererely,

Randall

--element14 Community Team

Getting error when running with custom firmware on pico with labview

cbohra00627 — Sun, 29 Oct 2023 14:25:33 GMT

I am trying to create a labview driver for controlling the pi pico led. I went through the Digital Out Control.vi VI in pico_scpi_usbtmc_labtool and tried to replicate it for the led control. I took the blink example from pico-sdk examples directory and added the function to control led (i.e. gpio_put(LED_PIN, 1)) to the SCPI_DigitalOutput() function of gpio_utils.c file in pico_scpi_usbtmc_labtool. I created a new firmware with this change and loaded on pi pico. Now, whenever I do digital write HIGH, the led is turning on.

But when I tried to create a separate driver for led control with a separate SCPI command, I am getting some error while running the VI. The build was successful with my change and I loaded the firmware on the pico, but when I am trying to run my VI (snip attached below), I am getting the below error.

Code for led control:

led_utils.c:

led_utils.h

I have added the led executable and dir path to Cmakelists.txt and also added the INSTRUMENT_LED_OUTP_COMMANDS macro to scpi commands list in scpi-def.c

Am I missing something? Has anyone seen this error before?

LabVIEW Challenge - Score Quizzes and Final Project Due Date Oct 27th

rscasny — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 16:46:57 GMT

I wanted to tell you we are pulling all the quiz data and will be grading all the quizzes in the next few days.

The LabVIEW final project is due at the end of October. So, if you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment so I can get them answered.

Good luck to all 19 participants.

Randall

--element14 Community Team

(solved) help request: capture VISA communication of a SRQ (service request) scenario (LabVIEW or PyVISA)

Jan Cumps — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 11:20:37 GMT

I'm looking for support from someone that owns an instrument that supports SCPI Service Requests, to run a trace on the VISA traffic.

This is to support my attempt to add this functionality to PST.. Experimental event / trigger support for Pico SCPI labTool - 1: investigate .

My project has this functionality:

it knows when it has to send the notification to the host system
it does not know how to send it over usbtmc, mostly:
I have a hard time understanding
- what data I should send back (I think the STATUS BYTE),
- in what format (I could not find it in the specifications),
- and if it should send it over the USB common endpoint or trigger endpoint

My ask

If you have a SCPI instrument with these options:

SCPI / VISA
USBTMC (prefered, if not, then GPIB or VXII also have a comparable service request mechanism)
service requests functionality available

To run an example that uses service requests, and to capture traffic with NI I/O Trace (or the variant of the VISA version you use).

If you have LabVIEW, there is an example VI that uses this:

Help -> Find examples -> Search

Keyword: service -> Search

Open SQR Event Handling

Before running, select your instrument.
In the SCPI string, enter a SCPI command that would use the SRQ mechanism of your instrument.
If you don't know a command, I will try to work with you, using the program guide of your instrument.

this post says it should be 0x81 + the STB.

(ggabe , Gough Lui , baldengineer maybe you have experience?)

LabView and Git

Andrew J — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 14:38:57 GMT

Hi Jan Cumps ,

amongst your many useful Git postings, have you ever created one about using LabVIEW with Git? I can't find anything but I thought I'd ask before wandering off to the Interweb.

PST.. A little project for the Pico SCPI labTool: resistor pass / fail test bed

Jan Cumps — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 16:20:17 GMT

Let's imagine that you have to build a test jig for resistors. The task is to check if they are within tolerance. If the resistor is good, you have to put it in the "good" bin. The others ones need to be rejected.
You can build a LabVIEW process with the Pico SCPI labTool (PST) to run this process. It has the necessary ADC inputs that can be used to test the resistor, and outputs that can control status LEDS*.

Requirements:

check tolerance of a resistor. Is its value within range?
indicate yes or no
indicate if the test jig does not detect a resistor.

To test the resistor, you can use a divider, with a high precision known resistor and the "resistor under test" in series. You can sample the connection node with a LabVIEW driver ADC block.
Based on the sampled value, you can make the decision if it's within tolerance, and is allowed to be put in the "good" bin.

The GUI could look like this. The 3 cases are shown:

Connect LEDs with a series resistor to the PST digital outputs.
Connect the sample node to a PST analogue input.
Connect the high precision resistor to ground.
Mount your "resistor under test" between 3.3V and the other side of the high precision one.

Flow suggestion:

Blocks that look like this are PST LabVIEW driver components:

Blocks used:

Everything else is out-of-box LabVIEW.

* in a industrial setup, this could be automated. Instead of LEDS, we'd use solenoids to push out-of-spec resistors in the rejected bin. Or sound a horn.
The on-screen button could be replaced by a footswitch or an optocoupler, that would spot if a new resitor is test ready (that is: when we finally implement "digital in" functionality)

link to all posts

LabVIEW and Test Automation Beginner's Course -- Accessing Quiz Lessons 1 Through 10

rscasny — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 16:45:45 GMT

These are the most current links to the quizzes for the LabVIEW course. (updated on Sept 7 2023)

Lesson 1: Intro to LabVIEW Programming Environment
LabVIEW Quiz 1

Lesson 2: Dataflow Programming
LabVIEW Quiz 2

Lesson 3: Dataflow Types
LabVIEW Quiz 3

Lesson 4: Sub VIs
LabVIEW Quiz 4

Lesson 5: Arrays
LabVIEW Quiz 5

Lesson 6: Loops
LabVIEW Quiz 6

Lesson 7: Case Structures
LabVIEW Quiz 7

Lesson 8: Charts and Graphs
LabVIEW Quiz 8

Lesson 9: Debugging and Fixing Errors
LabVIEW Quiz 9

Lesson 10: Raspberry Pi Pico Using the SCPI labTool
LabVIEW Quiz 10

If you are having any problems accessing the lessons, please leave a comment and I'll get them resolved.

Three Ways To Get To Download Page for the LabVIEW Community Edition

rscasny — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 16:35:41 GMT

The element14 Community's Beginner's Course in LabVIEW and Test Automation uses the "free" LabVIEW Community Edition. (The element14 Community team will also be sending out Raspberry Pi Picos, once the participants apply and are selected, as well.)

To download the LabVIEW Community Edition, you need to first be logged into your NI Account. I cover how to create a NI account in this discussion.

Once you are logged into your NI Account, you can get to the LabVIEW Community Edition download page in any of the following three ways:

1. Go to the LabVIEW Community Edition Download page. Select the Community radio button and download.

2. Go to the LabVIEW Community Edition Overview page: Click download now button and select LabVIEW Community Edition

3. Go to the Lesson One -- LabVIEW Tutorial page:
Scroll down to Step 1 and past the big image. Under 1. you will see Download LabVIEW. The first paragraph applies to customers who purchased LabVIEW. So, go to the next paragraph, which says:

If you did not receive or do not have this email, follow these steps:
Go to the LabVIEW Download Page.
Select the version of LabVIEW that you want, and then click Download. If you are not logged in, you will be required to do so. For older versions of LabVIEW, refer to Download Older Versions of NI Software.

Go to the Download page and Select the Community radio button and download.

LabVIEW and Test Automation Beginner's Course - First Create an NI Account

rscasny — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 16:04:00 GMT

To download the LabVIEW Community Edition and/or access the quiz lessons, you will need to first be logged into NI.

If you do not have an NI account, it is easy to create.

Go here: https://www.ni.com/en-us.html

Click the people icon on the top right.

Select create or login.

Resistance Value is Floting in Digital Potentiometer AD5293

umair1998 — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 07:28:16 GMT

Hi Everyone,

I am using digital potentiometer AD5293 and doing i2c communication using Labview.

The only issue I have is that, when I measure the value at wiper and B terminal, for some reason it looks like it is floating at higher resistance, like if I apply 10kohm, it's 9.7kohm, no problem at this point until 40kOhm to 50kohm, I know the tolerances of resistors.

But when I apply 60, 70 or 80kohm or in between them, then by using DMM I check the value it measures like

( 63, 63, 63. 8 etc, or 68, 67, 65 63 etc.) if I applied 65kohm. For all higher values its show like this. Does it optimal or some fault in my circuit or digital potentiometer? I changed the potentiometers, and PCB but it's behavior is the same.

Please help

AD5293 Communication Using LabVIEW

umair1998 — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 17:34:58 GMT

Hello,

I have Analog PID Controller using AD5293 Digital Potentiometers. My senior who made i2c communication using labview, in other words we are using labVIEW to change gains. I connected Device and relevants pins connection but when I try to update/write the value of resistance fiollowing errors appears

-Board Not Connected (When I close it, next error -USB Connectivity Error)

I traced the Vi and found that this error arising from the the Analog Devices Vi 5932, I searched specific Vi for AD5293 but I didn't found. Firstly Do you thing AD5932 software will work for Ad5293 chip? If not then how to communicate this chip?

I will specifically show you from where this error is arising when I open this Vi, first error comes from download firmware "Board Not Connected" and when I clode it second errors appears from case structre.

My senior who made this code in 2016 doesn't remember why this error is appearing, he didn't face this kind of problem at that time. Why Analog Devices are not providing specific software for AD5293 chips? Please help.

Would You Be interested in a LabVIEW Educational Program?

rscasny — Sun, 30 Jul 2023 13:02:29 GMT

element14 in conjunction with National Instruments is sponsoring a LabVIEW educational program on element14.

The program will offers basic educational lessons on LabVIEW and the chance to win a digital oscilloscope or bench multimeter, along with a 1-year subscription to LabView for building the best projects using LabVIEW.

The program will use the LabVIEW Community Edition. I am open to adding to the kit, so if you have suggestions, feel free to post a comment and I'll consider adding them.

I think this is a good opportunity to learn about test automation and get some knowledge on LabVIEW.

[Please visit the site to access the poll]

goal: learn OO LabVIEW

Jan Cumps — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 22:23:07 GMT

I made a LabVIEW driver for a DAQ. The sampling mechanism is always the same:

one flow starts the DAQ, tells it to sample data, retrieves that data and queues it. In a loop. This is called the Producer Loop in LabVIEW lingo
a second flow reads data from that queue and shows / stores / processes it. They call that the consumer loop

The top loop - the producer - is always the same. This is the flow that tells the DQ to send samples, then retrieves the sampling data and enqueues it. I know how to turn that into an object (and have done that - will be released later).

I want to make the Consumer Loop OO

I want to focus on the bottom loop: the consumer. That one is application dependent. What do I do with that data?
In my examples, I have implemented several incarnations of that pattern:

a simple flow that retrieves one channel and shows its data on a virtual scope screen
a flow that samples two channels
a flow that collects x samples and does a FFT
a flow that collects x samples and calculates acceleration data from it
a combination of those.

I'd like to use LabVIEW's OO mechanisms to provide a simple implementation. And allow the user to inherit from that and do what they want. If you are a LabVIEW OO expert, please chime in.

I am able to do Simple object wrapping

I wrapped the upper loop into a block. That's easy because it doesn't need inheritance or polymorphism. This is the original flow:

I wrapped that Producer Loop into a block, and added it to the driver lib. Here's what a flow looks like when using that block:

The whole Producer Loop functionality above is contained in that block. It makes the flow less busy, and takes care that that same logic can easily be reused - and kept consistent - in every process.
It's reuse, but not yet full OO. Here is the logic behind that block:

The keen eye will see that it is the same as the producer loop in the first and second image, with all inputs and outputs turned into connectors. You can see it in use in the 3rd image.
I need to fix one side effect of wrapping this object: It breaks the Stop button functionality, because its status is now retrieved when entering the block. Not at each iteration.