Welcome!

Workshop
6 of 7
Today's Topics
 VI Server
 Variables
 Race Conditions
 Semaphores
VI Server
LabVIEW organizes and operates on its parts (front panel, button,
arrays, etc.) within an architecture called VI Server, which is
object oriented.

Terminology:
A class defines what an object is able to do, what operations it
can perform (methods), and what properties it has.
An object is a member of a class.

Methods perform an operation on an object.

Properties are the attributes of an object.

VI Server: Organization Generic
Object
GObject

Pets Control

Control
Dogs Cats Boolean Array

Labrador Poodle Stop LED

Boolean
Property Nodes
• Access the properties of an object
• Enable you to modify the appearance of front panel
objects programmatically in response to certain inputs.
• For example,
If a user enters an invalid password, you might want a red LED
to start blinking
If a data point is above a certain value, you might want to show a
red trace instead of a green one

• Execute from top to bottom

By default, if an error occurs on 3rd of 5 terminals, last two do not
execute and error is output

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 Invoke Nodes
• Use the Invoke Node to perform actions, or methods, on
referenced items (VI, Control)
• Most methods have parameters
• Examples of VI Methods:
• Front Panel: Center
• Default Values: Reinitialize all to Default
• Print: VI to HTML

Method Name
Parameters
Demonstration:
Creating Property and Invoke Nodes
Implicitly and Explicitly Linking
Invoke/Property Nodes
Explicitly Linked Implicitly Linked
(requires reference) (color/ label for data type/label)
Property
Node

Invoke
Node

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Why Explicitly Link?
Implicitly Linked Property Node Explicitly Linked Property Node

Main VI Main VI

VI VI
SubVI
SubVIs, References and Invoke/Property Nodes

Edit»
Create
SubVI

1. Select the portion of

the block diagram that SubVI Front Panel SubVI Block Diagram
will be in the subVI.

2. Select Edit»Create
SubVI; LabVIEW
automatically creates
the control references
needed for the subVI.

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Demonstration:
Creating References for Property and
Invoke Nodes; Selecting a Class
Variables
• Cannot pass data between parallel loops with a wire
• Variables allow you to circumvent normal dataflow by
passing data from one place to another without
connecting the two places with a wire

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Variables
Variables - Block diagram elements that allow you to
access or store data in another location

Types:
• Local - Stores data in front panel controls and
indicators
• Global - Stores data in special repositories that can be
accessed from multiple VIs
• Shared - Transfers data between various distributed
targets connected together over a network

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 Variables: within a single VI
Use local variables to pass data within a single VI

NOTE: Boolean controls with associated local variables must use switch
mechanical action; boolean latch action is incompatible with local variables

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Variables: between multiple VIs
Use a global variable to share data among VIs on the
same computer, especially if you do not use a project
file

Use a single process shared variable if you may need

to share the variable information among VIs on
multiple computers in the future

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Shared Variables: creating and configuring
• You must have a
project open to create
a shared variable
• Variable configuration
data is stored in
Project Libraries
• LabVIEW will
automatically create a
library if the variable
was not created from
an existing library
Single Process Shared Variables
Demonstration:
Creating Variables
Using Variables: tips
• Use wires if possible
• Variables go against
LabVIEW’s data flow
paradigm, so only use when
necessary
• Variables create opportunity
for race conditions
(discussed later)

Which block diagram is easier

to determine function? This
one or….

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Using Variables: tips
…this one?

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Using Variables: Initialization
• Verify that variables
contain known data
values before the VI runs

• If you do not initialize

the variable before the
VI reads it for the
first time, it contains the
default value of the
associated front
panel object

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 Functional Global Variables
Special subVI with purpose of storing data by using uninitialized shift
register
General form includes
- an uninitialized shift register
- a single iteration For or While Loop

uninitialized shift
register

True constant permits while loop to iterate only on

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Functional Global Variables
• A functional global variable usually has an action
input parameter that specifies which task the VI
performs
• The VI uses an uninitialized shift register in a
While Loop to hold the result of the operation

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Functional Global Variables: Timing
Very useful for performing customized elapsed
time measurements

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Variables: Recap
Variable Type Scope Notes
Local variable A single VI • Tied to a front panel control/indicator
Global variable Multiple VIs on • Tied to a special global VI that has a front
same panel but no block diagram
computer
Functional Multiple VIs on • Implemented using a While Loop with an
global same uninitialized shift register to store global
computer data
Single-process Multiple VIs on • Implemented using a project library in a
shared variable same project
computer • Can easily convert into a network-
published shared variable
Network- Across an • Implemented using a project library in a
published Ethernet project
shared variable network • Often used to communicate with Real-
Time targets
Race Condition
A situation where the timing of events or the scheduling of
tasks may unintentionally affect an output or data value
• Common problem for programs that execute multiple tasks in parallel and
share data between the tasks
• Race conditions are very difficult to identify and debug
• Often, code with a race condition can return the same result thousands of
times in testing, but still be capable of returning a different result
• Avoid race conditions by:
• Controlling and limiting shared resources
• Specifying the execution order
• Identifying and protecting critical sections within your code

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Race Conditions: Shared Resources

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Race Conditions: Sequencing
What is the final value?
Four possible outcomes:
• Value = (Value * 5) +2
• Value = (Value + 2) * 5
• Value = Value * 5
• Value = Value +2

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Race Condition: Critical Code
• A critical section of code is code that may behave
inconsistently if some shared resource is altered
while it is running
• If one loop interrupts another loop while it is
executing critical code, then a race condition can
occur
• Eliminate race conditions by identifying and
protecting critical code with:
Functional Global Variables
Semaphores

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Race Condition: Critical Code

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Race Condition: Critical Code (Protected)
Protecting critical code with Functional Global Inside the Functional Global

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 Semaphores

Semaphores behave like a

talking stick …
only the one with the
semaphore/stick can
talk/operator

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Homework
• Programmatically change front panel objects