Lesson 5

Clusters

TOPICS
Introduction to Clusters
Cluster Functions
Error Clusters

1
Clusters
Data structure that groups data together
Data may be of different types
Analogous to struct in C or a record in Pascal
Elements must be either all controls or all indicators
Thought of as wires bundled into a cable

2
Cluster Controls and Indicators
1. Select a Cluster shell 2. Place objects inside the shell
from the Array &
Cluster subpalette

3
Creating Cluster Constants
1. Select Cluster
Constant shell from
the Cluster
subpalette

2. Place objects in the Cluster shell

4
Cluster Order
Elements have a logical order (start with 0)
To change order, right-click the border and select Reorder Controls
in Cluster...

5
Using Clusters to Pass Data to SubVIs
Use clusters to pass several
values to one terminal
Overcomes 28-terminal limit

Simplifies wiring

6
Cluster Functions - Bundle
Create new cluster Modify existing cluster
Bundle
By Name
Bundle

Must have an existing

cluster to use this function.

7
Cluster Functions - Unbundle

Unbundle Unbundle By Name

8
Error Cluster
Use the error in and error out clusters in each VI you use or build
to handle errors in the VI.
The error clusters located on the ControlsArray & Cluster
palette include the components of information shown

9
Error Cluster Details
Status is a Boolean value that reports TRUE
if an error occurred. Most VIs, functions, and
structures that accept Boolean data also
recognize this parameter.
Code is a signed 32-bit integer that
identifies the error numerically. A non-zero
error code coupled with a status of FALSE
signals a warning rather than a fatal error.
Source is a string that identifies where the
error occurred.

10
Error Handling with Clusters
LabVIEW does not handle errors automatically. In LabVIEW, you
can make these error handling decisions on the block diagram of
the VI.
Error handling in LabVIEW follows the dataflow model. Just as data
flow through a VI, so can error information.
Wire the error information from the beginning of the VI to the end.

Error Cluster

11
Simple Error Handler
Use the Simple Error Handler to handle the error at the end of the
execution flow.

The Simple Error Handler is located on the FunctionsAll

FunctionsTime and Dialog palette. Wire the error cluster to the
Error In (no error) input.

12
Using While Loops for Error Handling
You can wire an error cluster to the conditional terminal of a While
Loop to stop the iteration of the While Loop.
Only the TRUE or FALSE value of the status parameter of the error
cluster is passed to the terminal.
When an error occurs, the
While Loop stops.

13
Summary
Clusters group data elements of mixed types. A cluster cannot contain
a mixture of controls and indicators.
To create a cluster control or indicator, select a cluster on the
ControlsArray & Cluster palette, place it on the front panel, and drag
controls or indicators into the cluster shell.
Use the Cluster functions located on the FunctionsAll
FunctionsCluster palette to create and manipulate clusters.
Error checking tells you why and where errors occur.
The error cluster reports the status, code and source of the error.
Use the error cluster controls and indicators to create error inputs and
outputs in subVIs.

14
Lesson 6
Plotting Data

TOPICS
Waveform Charts
Waveform and XY Graphs
Intensity Graphs

15
Waveform Charts
Selected from the ControlsGraphs and Charts palette

16
Wiring to Charts
Single-Plot Chart

Multiple-Plot Chart

17
Modifying Chart Properties
Change the
appearance
Set the format and
precision of the axis
Choose the plot type
Edit the scales
Document the chart

18
Customizing Charts and Graphs
Right-click and select Visible Items to view the following items:
Plot Legend
Digital Display Graph Palette

Scrollbar
X and Y Scale Zoom Subpalette

Graph Palette
Scale Legend
Scale Legend

19
Graphs
Selected from the Graph subpalette
Waveform Graph Plot an array of numbers against their indices
XY Graph Plot one array against another

Plot Legend
(point and line
styles)

Graph Palette
Scale Legend

20
Single-Plot Waveform Graphs
Uniform X axis
Initial X = 0.0
Delta X = 1.0

Uniform X axis
you specify point
spacing

21
Multiple-Plot Waveform Graphs
Each row is a
separate plot:
Initial X = 0
Delta X = 1

Each row is a
separate plot:
Bundle specifies
point spacing of
the X axis

22
XY Graphs
Non-uniform X axis
Separate X and Y arrays
define data points

23
Chart and Graph Use Summary
Use the Context Help window with charts and graphs

24
Intensity Plots and Graphs

Useful in displaying terrain, temperature patterns, spectrum analysis, and

image processing
Data type is a 2D array of numbers; each number represents a color
Use these options to set and display color mapping scheme
Cursor also adds a third dimension

25
Summary
The waveform chart is a special numeric indicator that displays one
or more plots. The waveform chart has the following three update
modes:
A strip chart shows running data continuously scrolling from left to
right across the chart.
A scope chart shows one item of data, such as a pulse or wave,
scrolling partway across the chart from left to the right.
A sweep works similarly to a scope except it shows the old data on
the right and the new data on the left separated by a vertical line.
Waveform graphs and XY graphs display data from arrays.
Right-click a waveform chart or graph or its components to set
attributes of the chart and its plots.

26
Summary, cont.
You can display more than one plot on a graph using the Build
Array function and the Bundle function for charts and XY graphs.
The graph becomes a multiplot graph when you wire the array of
outputs to the terminal.
When you wire data to charts and graphs, use the Context Help
window to determine how to wire them.
You can use intensity charts and graphs to plot three-dimensional
data. The third dimension is represented by different colors
corresponding to a color mapping that you define. Intensity charts
and graphs are commonly used in conjunction with spectrum
analysis, temperature display, and image processing.

27
Lesson 7
Making Decisions in a VI

TOPICS
Decision making with the Select function
Case Structures
Formula Nodes

28
Simple Decision: Select Function
If Temp Scale is TRUE, pass top input;
if temp scale is FALSE, pass bottom input.

If the decision to be made is more complex than a Select function

can execute, a Case Structure may be what is required.

29
Case Structures
Boolean Case Structure Example:
If Temp Scale is TRUE, execute True case;
if temp scale is FALSE, execute False case.

30
Case Structures
In the Structures
subpalette of
Functions palette

Enclose nodes or drag

them inside the
structure

Stacked like a deck of

cards, only one case
visible at a time

31
Boolean and Numeric Cases

Wire all possible outputs of the case structure

32
String, Enum, and Error Cases
String Case Enum Case Error Case

33
Formula Node Note semicolon

In the Structures subpalette

Implement complicated equations
Variables created at border
Variable names are case sensitive
Each statement must terminate with a semicolon (;)
Context Help Window shows available functions

34
Decision Making with Formula Nodes

Two different ways of using an if-then statement in a Formula Node

Both structures produce the same result

35
Summary
The Select function is used to choose between two inputs dependant
on a boolean input.
A Case structure has two or more cases. Only one case is visible at a
time, and the structure executes only one case at a time.
If the case selector terminal is Boolean, the structure has a TRUE
case and a FALSE case. If the selector terminal is an integer, string,
or enumerated type value, the structure can have up to 2311 cases.
Inputs are available to all cases, but cases do not need to use each
input. If at least one output tunnel is not defined, all output tunnels on
the structure appear as white squares.
Formula Nodes are useful for complicated equations and for using
existing text-based code. A semicolon (;) must terminate each statement.

36
Lesson 8
Strings and File I/O

TOPICS
How to create string controls and indicators
How to use several String functions
About file I/O operations
How to use the high-level File I/O VIs
How to use the low-level File I/O VIs
How to format text files for use in spreadsheets

37
Strings
A string is a sequence of displayable or - characters (ASCII)
Many uses displaying messages, instrument control, file I/O
String control/indicator is in the ControlsString subpalette

38
String Display Modes
Normal display \ code display

Password display Hex display

39
String Functions

String Length

Concatenate Strings
(spaces here)

40
String Functions
String Subset

Match Pattern

41
Converting Numerics to Strings: Build String

42
Converting Strings to Numerics:
Scan From String

43
Edit Format String
Scan From String Function

44
File Input and Output

Four Hierarchy Levels:

High-level File VIs
Intermediate File VIs and Functions
Advanced File Functions subpalette
Express VIs

45
High-level File I/O VIs
Write to Spreadsheet File
Read from Spreadsheet File
Write Characters to File
Read Characters from File
Read Lines from File

46
File I/O Programming Model - Intermediate
Open/ Read
Close Check for
Create/ and/or
File Errors
Replace File Write to File

47
Write to File Example
Open/Create/Replace opens the existing file TEST1.DAT and
generates refnum and error cluster
Write File writes the data
Close File closes the file
Simple Error Handler checks for errors

48
Reading Data from a File
Open/Create/Replace opens the file
Read File reads the specified number of bytes from the file
Close File closes the file
Simple Error Handler checks for errors

49
Formatting a Spreadsheet String
Spreadsheets are popular tools for data handling and analysis
There are many formats for spreadsheet data. One of the most
popular is tab-delimited:
Columns are separated by a tab character
Rows are separated by an end-of-line
character

A spreadsheet yields:

Tab End of Line

50
Creating a Spreadsheet File

Can replace Format Into String and

Write File with Format Into File
in above example

51
Write LabVIEW Measurement File
Includes the open, write, close and error handling functions
Handles formatting the string with either a tab or comma
delimiter
Merge Signals function is used to combine data into the
dynamic data type

52
Summary
Strings group sequences of ASCII characters. Use the string control
and indicator located on the ControlsString & Path palette to
simulate text entry boxes and labels.
Use the String functions located on the FunctionsString palette to
edit and manipulate strings on the block diagram.
Use the Format Into String function and the Build String Express VI to
convert a numeric to a string.
Use the Scan From String function to convert a string to a numeric.
Right-click the Format Into String or Scan From String function and
select Edit Format String or Edit Scan String from the shortcut menu
to create or edit a format string.

53
Summary, cont.
Use the File I/O VIs and functions located on the FunctionsFile I/O
palette to handle all aspects of file I/O.
When writing to a file, you open, create, or replace a file, write the
data, and close the file. Similarly, when you read from a file, you open
an existing file, read the data, and close the file.
To access a file through a dialog box, do not wire file path in the
Open/Create/Replace File VI.
To write data to a spreadsheet file, you must format the string as a
spreadsheet string, which is a string that includes delimiters, such as
tabs. Use the Format Into File function to format string, numeric, path,
and Boolean data as text and write the text to a file

54