Instrument control and data manipulation

[Miscreed]

Hi,

I have been hired as an engineering intern at a company where I have the role of LabVIEW programming. Mainly, I will be working with 3rd party instruments to log data, control instruments, and process the data. Most of these devices are fiberoptics and imaging. I have no prior experience with LabVIEW and I want to complete my role as thoroughly as possible. I completed the "self-paced learning for students" but I still feel extremely adept in the scope of the applications I must complete.

If you have any resource suggestions I would greatly appreciate them.

My company does not have an SSP contract and many of the tutorials I found I was unable to complete due to my company using the 2012 version of LabVIEW.

Thank you for your consideration.

[Gregory]

Hi Miscreed,

While it is a shame that you can't go through NIs online training, you can teach yourself a lot by reading up on the forums and other sites. Make sure to look into state machines as early as possible, they will handle a lot of your top-level application needs, and keep your block diagram relatively tidy even if you are new to LabVIEW. 

Here are some pointers that I wish I knew when I was starting out:

• If your code is getting larger than a single computer monitor, you are not making good use of SubVIs
• Don't use sequence structures to determine order of execution, use the error wire
• Master the shift register
• Try not to use local variables
• If you find you need more SubVI inputs/outputs than the standard pattern, try putting related pieces of information into a cluster, which only takes up one input.
• Always change the default icon to at least some text
• Always use error terminals, and make sure to include them in your own SubVIs
• Stay away from express VIs and dynamic data, they will make your debugging much harder and your program is less flexible when you want to make changes.

[RTSLVU]

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@Gregory wrote:

Hi Miscreed,

While it is a shame that you can't go through NIs online training, you can teach yourself a lot by reading up on the forums and other sites. Make sure to look into state machines as early as possible, they will handle a lot of your top-level application needs, and keep your block diagram relatively tidy even if you are new to LabVIEW. 

Here are some pointers that I wish I knew when I was starting out:

• If your code is getting larger than a single computer monitor, you are not making good use of SubVIs
• Don't use sequence structures to determine order of execution, use the error wire
• Master the shift register
• Try not to use local variables
• If you find you need more SubVI inputs/outputs than the standard pattern, try putting related pieces of information into a cluster, which only takes up one input.
• Always change the default icon to at least some text
• Always use error terminals, and make sure to include them in your own SubVIs
• Stay away from express VIs and dynamic data, they will make your debugging much harder and your program is less flexible when you want to make changes.

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I must also stress this non-use of sequence structures. As soon as you find yourself reaching for a Stacked or Flat Sequence, STOP and think about it for a bit because there is usually always a better way than a sequence structure stacked or flat.

Also: TypeDef's

Learn them

Live them

Love them!

As far as instrument control, your best bet is to find someone who knows how to operate the instruments to work with or teach you how to operate it. Because it's next to impossible to program an instrument that you do not know how to operate manually.

[Kyle97330]

There's a good amount of LabVIEW videos on Youtube.  

These in particular are pretty good, but there's plenty of others as well.

[Miscreed]

I've watched a few videos and he is hilarious and makes learning super easy! Thank you very much for this resource!