Simulate serial signals in LabVIEW 7.1?

[Christopher M. Balz]

Is there a LabVIEW vi that can be set to simulate a real lab gauge,
such that it feeds an input to a vi such as "Serial Read with
Timeout"?

I'm sure that many others have needed/done this, as often one would
like to develop LabVIEW software without having the actual gauges and
i/o hardware cards in place.

Thank you very much in advance. Also, big thanks to all who posted on
my query about the availability of various OO packages for LabVIEW
7.1.

- Chris

[tbob]

First of all, I don't think there is a Labview 7.1 out (unless it just got released). I think you either mean LV 6.1 or 7.0. Anyway, when I want to simulate input data from anything, I use the Random Number generator (in Functions Numeric palette, looks like a pair of dice). The output is a random number from 0 to 1. You can scale it by multiplying it by some number. If you want to go all the way and simulate the actual serial transmission, use a breakout box to loop back serial port signals (TD to RD, DTR to DSR, etc.). Write a vi to output the random number to the serial port. The vi that you are developing can then read the serial port and get the random number.

[Conseils]

If you have a P.C with two serial ports or an old P.C.

1) Write a Labview application to 'simulate' the external device.

or

2) Use the Terminal Program and load a text file.

1 has the advantage of ensuring that you understand the protocol before implementing.

For a project I worked on I did this and then made the simulation program available for others.

[Christopher M. Balz]

Thanks all for the pointers!
- CB

Conseils wrote in message news:<506500000005000000826C0100-1079395200000@exchange.ni.com>...
> If you have a P.C with two serial ports or an old P.C.
>
> 1) Write a Labview application to 'simulate' the external device.
>
> or
>
> 2) Use the Terminal Program and load a text file.
>
> 1 has the advantage of ensuring that you understand the protocol
> before implementing.
>
> For a project I worked on I did this and then made the simulation
> program available for others.