How does Data acquisition work in Labview

[nc61]

I have a diffusion furnace with type K thermocouples. I am running the thermocouples to an NI-9214 device connected through USB to the lab computer. I have to make a program that keeps track of temperatures in real time, and makes a file that keeps a log of the temperature at all times. This has to be done for multiple furnaces. I have played with the basics of labview and the block diagrams, but my main obstacle seems to be the data acquisition

What is the difference between Signal Express and Labview? Because when I plug the USB in, it prompts me to open SignalExpress and I can see the measurements for all ports in the device. Do I have to get the measurements from Signal Express and somehow send them to labview to create the program? I tried getting measurements directly through labview, but there doesn't seem to be much that could point me in the right direction. How would you go about doing this?

Any help is appreciated, thanks.

[RavensFan · Accepted solution]

Signal Express is a National Instruments software project (evolved from earlier software such as NI logger) that gives some basic data acquisition functionality:  acquire signals, output signals, filter, log to file, display.  LabVIEW is a programming language that will let you do all of those things, but much, much, much more.

If you are using LabVIEW then you have no need for Signal Express.  You use the DAQmx functions in LabVIEW to acquire the data from your DAQ device.  Begin by reading http://www.ni.com/white-paper/5438/en.  There is actually a lot of information on DAQmx.  Look in LabVIEW in the Example Finder.  Search ni.com for DAQmx and filter on tutorials.