Hands-On:

Introduction to LabVIEW and

Data Acquisition
with NI CompactDAQ

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 Agenda
What is Data Acquisition?
Components of a Data Acquisition System
Introduction to LabVIEW and DAQ Hardware
Bridging the Hardware/Software gap with DAQmx
Practicing concepts with hands-on measurement exercises

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 What is Data Acquisition?

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 Why Measure?
Engineers need to determine system behavior to optimize
performance
Signals from sensors indicate how the system is
operating
Engineers can use that information to modify
performance

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 What Is Data Acquisition (DAQ)?

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 What Is Data Acquisition (DAQ)?

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 Components of a DAQ System

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 Components of a DAQ System

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 Components of a DAQ System

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 Sensor Overview
Converts physical phenomena into a measurable electrical signal

Transducer
or
Sensor

Physical Signal
Phenomena

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 Sensor Examples
Phenomena Transducers/Sensors Electrical Characteristics
Temperature Thermocouples, resistive Low voltage output, nonlinear
temperature devices (RTDs), Low resistance, nonlinear
thermistors

Light Vacuum tube, photo sensors Current loop output if current

type (typical 4 to 20 mA)

Sound Microphone Charge output, powered

converter
Force and pressure Strain gages, piezoelectric Low resistance, low
transducers sensitivity, nonlinear
Position and Potentiometers, linear voltage LVDTs: Inductive, requires
displacement differential transformer (LVDT), demodulation
optical encoder

Vibration Accelerometer Charge output, powered

converter
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 Components of DAQ System

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 Signal Conditioning
Improves a signal that is difficult for your DAQ device to
measure
Not always required

Signal
Conditioning

Noisy, Low-Level Signal Filtered, Amplified Signal

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 Signal Conditioning Examples

Transducers/Signals Signal Conditioning

Thermocouple Amplification, linearization, cold-
junction compensation
RTD (resistance Current excitation, linearization
temperature detector)
Strain gage Voltage excitation, bridge
configuration, linearization
Common mode or high Isolation amplifier
voltage
Loads requiring AC Electromechanical relays or solid-
switching state relays
or large current flow
High frequency noise Lowpass filters

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 Signal Classification

Analog Digital

Shape
State Rate

Level Frequency

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 The Three Rs of Data Acquisition

Resolution Range Rate

Original Waveform

6-Bit Resolution

3-Bit Resolution

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 The Three Rs of Data Acquisition

Resolution Range Rate

Original Waveform
Range
of
102 V to -10
-2 VV
3-Bit Resolution

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 The Three Rs of Data Acquisition

Resolution Range Rate

Sampling Rate = 11 Hz
Original Waveform (10 Hz)
Sampling Rate = 25 Hz
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Sampling Rate
18
= 100 Hz
 Components of DAQ System

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 LabVIEW and DAQ Hardware

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 Architecture of an Integrated Measurement System
LabVIEW is system design software that provides
engineers and scientists with the tools needed to
create and deploy measurement and control systems
through unprecedented hardware integration.

Sensor Measurement Device Software

Signal Analog-to-Digital Driver Software Application

Conditioning Converter Software

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 LabVIEW Building Blocks Are Called Virtual Instruments (*.VI)

Icon / Connector Pane

Maps inputs and outputs

LabVIEW Front Panel

The user interface of a VI

LabVIEW Block Diagram

The source code of a VI

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three elements
Front Panel
Decorations
Decorative elements and imagery
• Text
• Arrows
• Callouts
• Lines
• Images
• …and more

Customizable Indicators
Used to convey outputs to a user
• Graphs and Charts
• Progress Bars
• Gauges and Meters
• LEDs
• Numerics
• Strings and Paths
• …and more

Customizable Controls
Used to receive input from a user
• Knobs and Dials
• Sliders
• Buttons
• Numerics
• Strings and Paths
• …and more

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 Exploring a LabVIEW Block Diagram

User Event Handling

Parallelism and
Multithreading

Signal Analysis

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 With LabVIEW, You Can Program the Way You Think

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 With LabVIEW, You Can Program the Way You Think

The graphical, dataflow-based G programming

language
is ideal for programming parallel data acquisition
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hardware.
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 Data Flow
Each block diagram node executes only when it receives all inputs
Each node produces output data after execution
Data flows along a path defined by wires
The movement of data determines execution order

Formula: Result = (A+B*C) / (D-E)

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 NI Data Acquisition Hardware Families
PXI
System NI CompactDAQ
Optimised for high channel counts and Customize with a variety of chassis
tight synchronization and module types

Desktop DAQ Portable DAQ

Install in a desktop PC slot for maximum Easily connect to any laptop or
data throughput desktop with simple setup
Single
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 Bridging the Hardware/Software Gap

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 Bridging the Hardware and Software Gap with NI-DAQmx

NI-DAQmx is a single, free hardware driver that supports

various development languages and hundreds of NI data
acquisition hardware platforms.

The mark LabWindows is used under a license from Microsoft Corporation.

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.

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 Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX)
Free, unified configuration management utility for NI hardware

Task and
Channel Creation
Configuration and
Connection
Management
Simulated Devices

Built-In Signal
Connection
Diagrams

Test Panel Windows

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 NI-DAQmx API: Configuration-Based DAQ Assistant
Enables quick, configuration-
based measurements

Usable across multiple channels,

multiple devices

Maximum ease of use with some

sacrificed flexibility

Supported across multiple

programming languages

Automatically generates lower-

level code

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 Hands-On Exercises
Select one of the following exercises:

•Temperature Measurement and Logging

• Difficulty Rating: 2 out of 5
•Combining Measurements from Light and Temperature
• Difficulty Rating: 3 out of 5
•Strain Gauge Measurement with User LED Feedback
• Difficulty Rating: 4 out of 5
•Audio Equaliser
• Difficulty Rating: 5 out of 5
•Measuring Vibration from an Accelerometer
• Difficulty Rating: 5 out of 5

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