Laboratory Exercise No.

8
LabVIEW Exploration and the Design of Systems Through Virtual Instruments (VIs)

1. Objective:
The activity aims to explore the use of Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Engineering Workbench and
design Virtual instruments,Vis.
2. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs):
2.1 The students shall be able to:
2.2 Learn the different controls, functions and indicators available for the Input, Process and Output of
a LabVIEW graphical program called virtual instruments (Vis).
2.3 Build a simple .vi file for the sum and average of three numerical values using numeric controls
(Input), add and divide functions (Process), and numeric indicator (Output).
Create sub-VIs and use this concept in the development of a more complicated system.

3. Discussion:
LabVIEW, short for Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench, is a programming environment
in which you create programs using a graphical notation (connecting functional nodes via wires through
which data flows); in this regard, it differs from traditional programming languages like C, C++, or Java, in
which you program with text. However, LabVIEW is much more than a programming language. It is an
interactive program development and execution system designed for people, like scientists and engineers,
who need to program as part of their jobs. The LabVIEW development environment works on computers
running Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux. LabVIEW can create programs that run on those platforms, as well
as Microsoft Pocket PC, Microsoft Windows CE, Palm OS, and a variety of embedded platforms, including
Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), and microprocessors.

Using the very powerful graphical programming language that many LabVIEW users affectionately call "G"
(for graphical), LabVIEW can increase your productivity by orders of magnitude. Programs that take weeks
or months to write using conventional programming languages can be completed in hours using LabVIEW
because it is specifically designed to take measurements, analyze data, and present results to the user.
And because LabVIEW has such a versatile graphical user interface and is so easy to program with, it is
also ideal for simulations, presentation of ideas, general programming, or even teaching basic programming
concepts.

LabVIEW offers more flexibility than standard laboratory instruments because it is software-based. You, not
the instrument manufacturer, define instrument functionality. Your computer, plug-in hardware, and
LabVIEW comprise a completely configurable virtual instrument to accomplish your tasks. Using LabVIEW,
you can create exactly the type of virtual instrument you need, when you need it, at a fraction of the cost of
traditional instruments. When your needs change, you can modify your virtual instrument in moments.

LabVIEW tries to make your life as hassle-free as possible. It has extensive libraries of functions and
subroutines to help you with most programming tasks, without the fuss of pointers, memory allocation, and
other arcane programming problems found in conventional programming languages. LabVIEW also
contains application-specific libraries of code for data acquisition (DAQ), General Purpose Interface Bus
(GPIB), and serial instrument control, data analysis, data presentation, data storage, and communication
over the Internet. The Analysis Library contains a multitude of useful functions, including signal generation,
signal processing, filters, windows, statistics, regression, linear algebra, and array arithmetic.

4. Resources:
LabVIEW
5. Procedure:
A. Input, process and output of a simple graphical program involving the sum and average of
three numerical values
1. Create a folder with a name Maranan_yourSurnameLabExer09 and place it on the desktop. All
your files must be saved here. Before the end of the period, the contents of this folder must be
sent to your email address and also to your instructors email address.
2. Open LabVIEW 15 and the Getting Started appears. Click the Blank VI option. The Block
Diagram and Front Panel windows should appear.
3. Click View of the Front Panel window and choose Controls Palette, Express, Numeric Control.
Click Num Control and drop into the Front Panel window. Observe what happens in the Block
Diagram window. Change its label from numeric to x. Add two (2) more Num Ctrl and label
them as y and z (place them below one another). These x, y and z numeric controls form part
of the Input (these controls have arrow pointing outward indicating that the data they hold serve
as an input to another). Add two numeric indicators ( place them on the right side , one on top
of another) and label them as SUM and AVERAGE. The SUM and AVERAGE numeric
indicators form part of the output (these controls have arrow pointing inward indicating that they
accept data from an input).
4. Click View of the Block Diagram window and choose Function Pallete, each of which performs
a certain function and has input and output connectors. Place an ADD function in between the
input and output controls. Place also a DIVIDE function below the ADD function. Right click
each of these functions and select Visible Items, then checking the Label option. Establish the
flow of data by wiring the x, y and z to the ADD function and then wire the output of the ADD
function to the SUM indicator. Wire the output of the ADD function to the DIVIDE function.
Right click the other input of the Divide function and choose Create < Constant. Type the
number 3 when the constant node appears. Wire the output of the Divide function to the
AVERAGE indicator. Click Clean Up Diagram icon and observe what happens. Note: While the
FP window is within your view, you may use CTRL E to view BD window.
5. Save the file as yourSurnameProcedureA and place it inside the
Maranan_yourSurnameLabExer09 folder . Provide the values of the x, y and z numeric
controls through Front Panel window and click Run. Show the output of Procedure A in Table
A.
B. Different Controls, Functions and Indicators for the Input, Process, and Output of a
LabVIEW program.
1. Determine the different controls available for the Input of a VI. Show the output of Procedure
B.1 in Table B1. Hint: Place a control in FP window, press CTL H and Hover the control for the
description.
2. Determine the different functions available for the Process of a VI. Show the output of
Procedure B.2 in Table B2. Hint: Place a function in BD window, press CTL H and Hover the
function for the description.
3. Determine the different indicators available for the Output of a VI. Show the output of
 Procedure B.3 in Table B3. Hint: Place an indicator in FP window, press CTL H and Hover the
indicator for the description.
C. Creating yourSurnameProcedureA.vi as a VI that is used in higher-level VI ( called subVI)
1. Right click the icon at the top-right corner of the Front Panel window and select Show
connector to display the connector pane. Right click this connector pane and choose Patterns.
Choose the connector pane pattern having three inputs (3 blank rows in the first column) and
two outputs ( 2 blank rows in the second column).
2. To assign the first row first column slot of the connector plane to the numeric control x, click the
slot on the first row first column of the connector pane and click the numeric control with a label
x. To assign the second row first column slot of the connector plane to the numeric control y,
click the slot on the second row first column of the connector pane and click the numeric
control with a label y. To assign the third row first column slot of the connector plane to the
numeric control z, click the slot on the third row first column of the connector pane and click the
numeric control with a label z.
3. To assign the first row second column slot of the connector plane to the numeric indicator
SUM, click the slot on the first row second column of the connector pane and click the numeric
indicator with a label SUM. To assign the second row second column slot of the connector
pane to the numeric indicator AVERAGE, click the slot on the second row second column of
the connector pane and click the numeric indicator with a label AVERAGE.
4. To explicitly identify the subVI icon, double click this icon and Icon Editor window appears. In
Line 1 text, type SUM. In Line 2 text, type & . In Line 3 text, type AVERAGE. Then, click OK.
5. Save the changes you made. Show the Front Panel and Block Diagram windows using Table
C.
D. Creating Vis for Plane and Solid Figures
1. Create a virtual instrument for the computation of area and perimeter of each of the following
plane figures:
a. Square
b. Rectangle
c. Circle
d. Right Triangle
e. Regular Pentagon
Show the output in Procedure D1
2. Create a virtual instrument for the computation of volume and surface area of each of the
following:
a. Cube
b. Rectangular Parallelipiped
c. Sphere
d. Cone
e. Right Circular Cylinder
Course: Laboratory Exercise No.:
Group No.: Section: CH51FC1
Group Members: Date Performed: August 16, 2017
Cuesta, Alwyn Wren C. Date Submitted: August 23, 2017
Instructor:
Engr. Crispulo Maranan
6. Data and Results:
Table A. Front Panel and Block Diagram windows of the Simple LabVIEW graphical program (VI)
involving sum and average of three numerical values

CuestaProcedureA.vi

Table B1. Different Controls Available for the Input of VIs

Name and Icon of the Control Description of the Control
Use to enter or display numeric data

Use to display numeric data in a vertical or horizontal

slide with a customizable scale

Use to display numeric data in a vertical or horizontal

slide with a customizable scale and a pointer that
helps you see the exact value

Use to enter or display numeric data in a rotary

action

Use to display a color that corresponds to a specified

value such as indicating out-of-range values by color
 Table B2. Different Functions Available for the Process of VIs
Name and Icon of the Function Description of the Function
A process to add two numeric data

A process to subtract two numeric data

A process to multiply two numeric data

A process to find the square root of a numeric data

A process to find the squared of a numeric data

Table B3. Different Indicators Available for the Output of VIs

Name and Icon of the Indicator Description of the Indicator
Use to display a numeric data as output

Use to display a numeric data in a horizontal slide of

the progress of a process by percentage

Use to display a numeric data in a form of a gauge

Use to display numeric data in a vertical slide that

resembles a real tank

Use to display numeric data in a vertical slide that

resembles a thermometer instrument
A. Procedure C
Table C. Front Panel and Block Diagram windows SubVI
for the sum and average of three numerical values

CuestaProcedureA.vi

B. Procedure D
Table D1.a Front Panel and Block Diagram windows
for the area and perimeter of a Square
Table D1.b Front Panel and Block Diagram windows
for the area and perimeter of a Rectangle

<Inser

<Insert

Table D1.c Front Panel and Block Diagram windows

for the area and circumference of a Circle

<Inser

<Insert
Table D1.d Front Panel and Block Diagram windows
for the area and perimeter of a Right Triangle
<Inser

<Insert

Table D1.e Front Panel and Block Diagram windows

for the area and perimeter of a Pentagon

<Inser

<Insert
 Table D2.a Front Panel and Block Diagram windows
for the volume and surface area of a Cube

<Inser

<Insert

Table D2.b Front Panel and Block Diagram windows

for the area and perimeter of a Rectangular Parallelipiped

<Inser

<Insert
Table D2.c Front Panel and Block Diagram windows
for the area and perimeter of a Sphere

<Inser

<Insert

Table D2.d Front Panel and Block Diagram windows

for the area and perimeter of a Cone

<Inser

<Insert
 Table D2.e Front Panel and Block Diagram windows
for the area and perimeter of a Right Circular Cylinder

<Inser

<Insert

7.Conclusion:

In this experiment, I was able to learn the basic features and applications of the computer application
LawVIEW. I learned that LabVIEW means Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Engineering Workbench and
just like from the previous application that we were using, MATLAB, the works that I make ends in .vi (.m
before). It reminded me of the Simulink function of MATLAB because there are block diagrams where you
can put an input, process and an output but LabVIEW is better in my opinion because you can now actually
put values of the blocks!

8. Further Readings:
Seborg Dale E., Edgar, Thomas F., and Mellichamp Duncan A. (2004). Process Dynamics and
Control. Singapore: Wiley.
Knopf, F. C. (2012). Modeling, analysis and optimization of process and energy systems.Hoboken,
New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.
Velten, K. (2009). Mathematical modeling and simulation: introduction for scientists and engineers.
Singapore: Wiley-VCH.

Seborg Dale E., Edgar, Thomas F., and Mellichamp Duncan A. (2004). Process Dynamics and
Control. Singapore: Wiley.
Knopf, F. C. (2012). Modeling, analysis and optimization of process and energy systems.Hoboken,
New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.
9. Assessment (Rubric for Laboratory Performance):