how to use an instrument driver

[varghese]

i am fresh labview user and still learning the ropes. i had a doubt about
using instrument drivers softwares.

i am making a system where a single oscilloscope is connected to a pc. i
have the driver for the oscilloscope. i have the vis for configuring the
oscilloscope, like "set channels", "set trigger" etc all of which has its
own front panels. i do not want my system front panel to be a sum of all
these frontpanels as that will make it too big but rather a situation where
i can click at various places in the system front panel to open these individual
frontpanels. how do i do this? what do i have to do in the system block diagram
and front panel to acheive this. this might be too easy for all of you but
spare some time

[Dennis_Knutson]

Well, you could put several booleans on the front panel. Label them things
like "trigger setup", "vertical setup", etc. When a button is true, it calls
a vi. The called vi would be set to display its front panel when called.
Another way is to use the tab control (version 6) and put the controls on
different tabs. Either way you want to make sure that you only send the GPIB
commands when a control's value changes.

"varghese" wrote:
>>>i am fresh labview user and still learning the ropes. i had a doubt about>using
instrument drivers softwares. >>i am making a system where a single oscilloscope
is connected to a pc. i>have the driver for the oscilloscope. i have the
vis for configuring the>oscilloscope, like "set channels", "set trigger"
etc all o
f which has its>own front panels. i do not want my system front
panel to be a sum of all>these frontpanels as that will make it too big but
rather a situation where>i can click at various places in the system front
panel to open these individual>frontpanels. how do i do this? what do i have
to do in the system block diagram>and front panel to acheive this. this might
be too easy for all of you but>spare some time

[varghese]

how do u set the called vi to display its front panel. what do u have to
do in the system block diagram for that?

The called vi would be set to display its front panel when called.>Another
way is to use the tab control (version 6) and put the controls on>different
tabs. Either way you want to make sure that you only send the GPIB>commands
when a control's value changes.

[Dennis_Knutson]

Right click on the vi and select SubVI Node Setup. Select Show Front Panel
when called and Close afterward if originally closed. The same options are
available from the Execution Options of VI Setup. If you choose to go this
route, the subVI should have it's diagram (all but the VISA write) inside
of a while loop so that the operator can make his selections and then it
will write to the instrument when a front panel "OK" button is clicked.

"varghese" wrote:
>>>how do u set the called vi to display its front panel. what do u have
to>do in the system block diagram for that?>> The called vi would be set
to display its front panel when called.>Another>way is to use the tab control
(version 6) and put the controls on>different>tabs.
Either way you want to
make sure that you only send the GPIB>commands>when a control's value changes.

[Kevin_work]

What you are asking can become rather involved.
If you got the driver from another source there SHOULD be an
application example vi in there. Have a look at that.

varghese wrote:

> i am fresh labview user and still learning the ropes. i had a doubt about
> using instrument drivers softwares.
>
> i am making a system where a single oscilloscope is connected to a pc. i
> have the driver for the oscilloscope. i have the vis for configuring the
> oscilloscope, like "set channels", "set trigger" etc all of which has its
> own front panels. i do not want my system front panel to be a sum of all
> these frontpanels as that will make it too big but rather a situation where
> i can click at various places in the system front panel to open these individual
> frontpanels.
how do i do this? what do i have to do in the system block diagram
> and front panel to acheive this. this might be too easy for all of you but
> spare some time