Not able to add units in LabVIEW?

[Fro2]

Is there a way to add units to LabVIEW?  I found the available Units in LabVIEW and the one I need is not listed.  I wish to add torque (ft-lb and/or N-m), as well as pressure (inches of H2O).  When I display the unit label under visble items on the front panel and then attempt to type "ft-lb" for foot pound or even "lb-ft" for pounds feet a question mark shows in the label.  I assume this means that the units I attempting to enter is not valid.

[Pattos]

Hi Fro2,

my first guess would be that only SI units are available.

Are you able to choose any non SI units?

Regards,

[Fro2]

A List of units is shown on http://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/371361F-01/lvhowto/available_units_in_labview/.  You can enter non-SI units. But can not find torque.

[RavensFan]

When the ? mark shows up, go to the top and choose your next unit.  The ? mark is just a place holder that is inserted once you click the add unit button.  I was able to do ft lb and Nm.

As for in H20, I'm not sure if you could use that one.  The have a m of Hg listed (why not mmHg ???) and other basic Pressure units, but not inches of water.  There may be a way to do it or fake it with conversion constants.  But I'm not an expert on working with units in LabVIEW.  I have yet to see a situation where they would help me.  I'd rather working out the conversion factors myself in math and just use the caption or a free label to label an indicator or control with units.

[rex1030]

If you are mearly looking for a way to display your data with units, I have found the best looking and most space-effective way is to modify the appearance of the indicator and have the units show up right in the data.

Right Mouse click on the indicator and go to "Display Format..."

Click the "Advanced Editing Mode" 

In the "format string" field where the number pattern is, just type a space and then your units. Hit ok

Check it out

Message Edited by rex1030 on 10-07-2009 10:00 AM

[Fro2]

Thanks everyone for the information you provided thus far.  I should have clarified but I do not wish to trick LabVIEW and merely show the units, I ultimately wish to have the actual units in LabVIEW because once it is there I will use the Unit Convert function to convert the unit to other values, such as once I am able to enter Ft-lb I will then convert it to N-m programmaticlly.

[dan_u]

For combined units use a space. "ft lb" works for me. But you can't convert "ft lb" in "N m" since "ft lb" would be converted to "kg m".

Hope this helps.

[jack47 · Accepted solution]

ft lbf will convert to Nm.

[jack47]

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Ravens Fan wrote:

The have a m of Hg listed (why not mmHg ???) 

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Torr is approximately equal to 1 mmHg.

[Fro2]

Thanks!!!!  I have torque working.  Putting the space in works!   If you have ft-lb enter it as "ft lbf" with spaces, the extra f is for force; "feet pound force".  One can set this up in the units label on the front panel or on the block diagram in the unit convert.  The unit convert does work as well.  

Now just need inches of water.  Still can not find that yet.