How do I control the opening and closing of a Uniblitz shutter using LabView

[kelasate]

I am completely new to LabView and I was given the assignment to write a program that keeps a Uniblitz shutter open for a set amount of time and then closed for a set amount of time and then open again etc. 

I do not even know where to begin so I would appreciate any help.

[nyc_(is_out_of_here)]

Begin by reading the instrument's manual.

It must be doable if you are being asked to do this.

[kelasate]

The Manual does not tell you how to write a program in LabView.

[nyc_(is_out_of_here)]

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@kelasate wrote:

The Manual does not tell you how to write a program in LabView.

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If you don't understand what means are available for controlling the instrument then having LabVIEW or not isn't going to help you.

[Lars_L]

Hey kelasate,

You'll first want to check either the users manual or a programmers manual (if available) to find the command set that the device will respond to. You'll then need to see what types of ports the unit has that you can use to control it. Instruments today usually have USB, GPIB, Serial (RS232), Ethernet as well as others. If you don't have a matching port on your computer that you can use to control the instrument then you might need to purchase a controller (such as a USB-GPIB cable) in order to control the device.

Finally, once you have figured out how to physically connect your computer to the instrument, you can start with some of the shipping examples for instrument communication that come with LabVIEW such as Basic Serial Write and Read.vi and GPIB-VISA.vi. You will need to make sure that you are writing the exact valid commands that the user manual or programmers manual for the instrument provides. Try these steps and report back.

Lars L

NI R&D

[kelasate]

The controller connects via rs232. It has a converter on it though so it connects to the computer via USB. The language used for the test program is microsoft quick basic, which I am not familiar with either. The driver will read a text file on a DOS program but I have a mac and we want to be able to control it using LabVIew interface. 

[Dennis_Knutson]

All of that is irrelevant. Find the command that controls the shutter. Send it with a VISA Write. Use the serial examples as a starting point.

[kelasate]

What kind of "command" am I looking for? I know in DOS is opens using ASCII commands A and @. 

[Dennis_Knutson]

You are looking for a command that opens and closes the shutter or is the subject of this thread completely bogus? What exactly is so confusing about reading the manual to understand how the device works? If the information is missing, you need to go to the vendor and stop asking here.

[kelasate]

What exactly is so confusing about "completely new to LabView?" Honestly, I would rather have help from the previous responder, LabView R&D engineer, so please refrain from "helping" me any further.