Audience: 

• Those using LabVIEW, GPIB, Serial, or PXI instruments to create measurement applications

After attending this course you will be able to: 

• Understand the principles of instrument control

• Use LabVIEW to control and communicate with GPIB and serial instruments

• Develop applications that control multiple types of instruments

• Incorporate different instrumentation communication methodologies (GPIB, PXI, VXI) in a single application

• Identify instrument control hardware and measurement system components

• Use Measurement and Automation Explorer (MAX) to configure your instrument control hardware

• Use LabVIEW GPIB and VISA VIs to perform measurements using bench top instruments

• Retrieve waveforms from GPIB instruments

• Understand IVI technology and its benefits

• Develop and use LabVIEW instrument drivers

• Improve instrument driver

Prerequisites: 

You will cover:

 Instrument Control Basics

• Virtual Instrumentation

  • The history of instrumentation

  • What is virtual instrumentation?

  • System components

• Desktop Instruments

  • Digital Multimeter

  • Function Generator

  • Oscilloscope

• Hardware Components

  • Serial

  • GPIB

  • VXI

  • PXI

  • Computer-based

  • Other

• Software Components

  • Basic Software Architecture

  • Configuration utilities

  • LabVIEW

VISA and Strings

• Using VISA Functions

  • How instruments communicate

  • History and definition of VISA

  • Configuration software

  • VISA programming terminology

  • Finding VISA resources

  • Flowchart of VISA Operations

  • VISA Properties

  • VISA Events

• String Manipulation Techniques

  • Building strings

  • Removing headers

  • Waveform transfers

Using LabVIEW Instrument Drivers

• What is an Instrument Driver?

  • VI Libraries

  • Installing and accessing instrument drivers

• Controlling an Instrument

• Components of an Instrument Driver

  • Instrument driver architecture

  • Inputs/outputs common to instrument drivers (Error I/O, sessions, device descriptors)

• Controlling Multiple Instruments

  • Decide what steps to perform

  • Execution options

Using IVI Drivers (Windows Only)

• Introduction to IVI

  • History of instrument drivers

  • IVI Foundation and objectives

  • IVI Architecture

• IVI Specific Drivers

  • Attribute Model

  • State-caching

  • Range checking and other SW attributes

  • Other information needed to use IVI drivers with LabVIEW

  • Simulation Mode

• IVI Class Drivers

  • What is a class driver

  • Configuring the IVI driver

  • Soft Front Panels

  • Using Class Drivers in LabVIEW

  • Interchangeability

  • Simulation Driver

Improving Instrument Driver Performance

• Instrument driver does not work

• Need for performance increase

• Need to add features to an instrument driver

• Need driver for an instrument that is not on the list

Managing a Test Application

• Defining the Components of Test System

  • Test System Components

  • Test Sequence

  • Test Executive

• Building a Test Sequencer in LabVIEW

  • State machine architecture

  • Handling test data using LabVIEW user interface issues

This course is available on the following dates in: Remainder of 2008
Pittsburgh	Cleveland	Philadelphia
- December 17-18	- September 30, October 1	Scheduled by request.

Courses are regularly offered throughout the year. Customized courses and alternative training schedules are available either on-site or at our permanent facility. Course descriptions and current course schedules are available upon request.

Click here to Register on line
or call 724-942-6330.
We accept PO, MC, VISA, AMEX.
Weekend/evening courses available.