Exercise 1-1

Objective:

Frequency Response VI
1. Select StartProgramsNational InstrumentsLabVIEW 6 LabVIEW to launch LabVIEW. The LabVIEW dialog box appears. 2. Click the Search Examples button. The help file that appears lists and links to all available LabVIEW example VIs. 3. Click Demonstrations, Instrument I/O, and then Frequency Response. The Frequency Response VI front panel appears.

To open and run a VI.

Note You also can open the VI by clicking the Open VI button and navigating to labview\examples\apps\freqresp.llb\Frequency Response.vi.

Front Panel
4. Click the Run button on the toolbar, shown at left, to run this VI. This VI simulates sending a stimulus signal to a Unit Under Test (UUT) and then reading back the response. The resulting frequency response curve is displayed in the graph on the front panel, as shown in the following illustration.

5. Use the Operating tool, shown at left, to change the Amplitude knob value. Click the mark on the knob and drag it to the desired location, use the increment or decrement arrows on the digital control, or place the cursor in the digital display and enter a number. If you enter a number in the digital display, the Enter button, shown at left, appears on the toolbar. The number is not passed to the VI until you click this button or press the <Enter> key.
(Macintosh and Sun) Press the <Return> key.

6. Click the Run button to run the VI again. Try adjusting the other controls on the panel and running the VI to see what changes occur.

Block Diagram
7. Select WindowShow Diagram or press the <Ctrl-E> keys to display the following block diagram for the Frequency Response VI.
(Macintosh) Press the <Command-E> keys. (Sun) Press the <Meta-E> keys. (HP-UX and Linux) Press the <Alt-E> keys.

This block diagram contains several of the basic block diagram elements, including subVIs, functions, and structures, which you will learn about later in this course. 8. Use the Operating tool to double-click the following DMM icon.

This icon is a subVI called Demo Fluke 8840A VI. After you double-click it, the following front panel of that subVI opens.

This front panel is designed to look like a multimeter user interface. This is why LabVIEW programs are called virtual instruments. By making LabVIEW applications modular, you can modify only parts

of the application or reuse those parts in the same or other applications. For example, this subVI simulates the action of a Fluke multimeter, but you can modify this VI to control an instrument. 9. Select FileClose to close the front panel for the Demo Fluke 8840AVI. 10. Do not close the Frequency Response VI, because you will use it in Exercise 1-2.

End of Exercise 1-1

Exercise 1-2
Objective:

Use the LabVIEW Help and Manuals

To use LabVIEW help utilities for information about front panel and block diagram objects and features.

Part A. Context Help Window

1. The Frequency Response VI should still be open from Exercise 1-1. If not, open it as described in Exercise 1-1. 2. Select WindowShow Diagram to display the block diagram. 3. Select HelpShow Context Help or press the <Ctrl-H> keys to display the Context Help window.
(Macintosh) Press the <Command-H> keys. (Sun) Press the <Meta-H> keys. (HP-UX and Linux) Press the <Alt-H> keys.

4. Display information about objects in the Context Help window as you move your cursor over them. a. Move the Positioning tool, shown at left, over the Logarithm Base 10 function, located under the Bode Plot label. A description of the function appears in the Context Help window. b. Click the More Help button, shown at left, in the Context Help window to open the corresponding topic in the LabVIEW Help. You also can click the Click here for more help link at the bottom of the Context Help window to open the corresponding topic in the LabVIEW Help. The LabVIEW Help contains detailed descriptions of most palettes, menus, tools, VIs, and functions. Try displaying the help for other functions. c. Move the Wiring tool, shown at left, over the terminals of the Logarithm Base 10 function. The corresponding terminals blink in the Context Help window as the tool moves over them. d. Move the Wiring tool over a wire. The Context Help window displays the data type of the wire.

Part B. LabVIEW Help

5. Select HelpContents and Index to open the LabVIEW Help. The LabVIEW Help includes step-by-step instructions for using LabVIEW features and links to the LabVIEW Tutorial, example VIs, PDF versions of all the LabVIEW manuals and Application Notes, and technical support resources on the National Instruments Web site.

6. Use the LabVIEW Help index. a. Click the Index tab to display the LabVIEW Help index. b. Type Frequency Response in the textbox. The index displays the two near matches. c. Click each entry. The LabVIEW Help displays the topic. d. Click the Contents tab to display the LabVIEW Help table of contents, which shows you where the topic exists in the help file. e. Click the Index tab again. f. Type GPIB examples in the textbox, because the Frequency Response VI is a simulation of a GPIB application. g. Click the index entry to display a topic that contains a link to the Frequency Response VI. 7. Perform a full-text search of the LabVIEW Help. a. Click the Search tab. b. Type Frequency Response in the textbox. In the bottom textbox, click the GPIB Examples search result.
Tip

While the Search tab is visible, select SearchOptions to customize the full-text search. 8. If your computer has Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, click the Contents tab and open the PDF version of the LabVIEW User Manual in the LabVIEW Help. a. Click the Related Documentation page at the top of the Contents tab. The Related Documentation topic appears. b. Click the LabVIEW User Manual link to open the PDF version of the manual in the LabVIEW Help window. c. Click the Help Topics button on the toolbar to hide the Contents tab of the LabVIEW Help window. d. Click the Help Topics button again to display the Contents tab. e. Click the Back button to return to the Related Documentation topic. 9. If your computer is connected to the Internet, access the technical support resources on the National Instruments Web site. a. Locate the Technical Support Resources book at the bottom of the Contents tab. b. Click the book to expand it and click the Technical Support Resources page. The Technical Support Resources topic appears. c. Click the Technical Support link to open the Technical Support section of ni.com in the LabVIEW Help window.

Tip

Click the Open this page in your browser link at the top of the Technical Support Resources topic to open a Web site in your own browser. d. Click the Back button on the toolbar to return to the Technical Support Resources topic. e. Click the NI Developer Zone link to open the National Instruments Developer Zone. f. Type Frequency Response in the textbox and click GO. The different topics that appear provide solutions for use with several different National Instruments products. g. Click the Back button on the toolbar to return to the Technical Support Resources topic.

Part C. LabVIEW Library PDF

10. If your computer has Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, select HelpView Printed Manuals to display the LabVIEW Library PDF. You can use this PDF to search PDF versions of all the LabVIEW manuals and Application Notes. 11. Click the Search link in the LabVIEW Library PDF. The Adobe Acrobat Search dialog box appears. 12. Type Frequency Response in the textbox and click the Search button. The LabVIEW Library PDF searches all the LabVIEW manuals and Application Notes and returns a list of results. 13. Double-click the first search result. The LabVIEW Library PDF displays the exact location of Frequency Response in that document. 14. Select EditSearchResults to display the search results again. 15. View the other search results and exit Acrobat Reader when you are finished. 16. On the front panel, select FileClose to close the Frequency Response VI. Do not save any changes.

End of Exercise 1-2