How to allow a user to select an instrument from a group and use that VI?

Question

Hi All,
In a previous application I wrote using Agilent VEE I created a Configure Equipment and Initialise Panel for the user to select for example a signal generator from a drop down list of different types, and when initialised the functions for that item would loaded into a generic library called Signal Generator into my main program. I could then call these functions in my main program
When I wrote the instrument drivers I named each function the same for each type of signal generator I could offer the user. e.g. Set_Frequency (would be in all instrument drivers)
I would like to do this in LabVIEW and am struggling to find out how to do it.
Does anyone have any suggestions? And I hope what I have said above makes sense.
TIA
Martin

Answer 1

Hi Martin,
With regards to communicating with hardware
from other manufacturers, yes you are able to do this using LabVIEW
provided the drivers are available from National Instruments, or
sometimes the manufacturers themselves provide LabVIEW VIs to use with
their instruments.
To configure the device it may be worth
implementing some form of popup dialog box to input the values for your
particular configuration. This can be done by creating a SubVI where
you are able to input the values and once a button is pressed the
dialog box closes (as in the example I have attached)
Just to
mention also, VI Libraries are mainly for organization purposes, and
grouping VIs together. It also allows you to protect your VIs by
setting them to private, which means they are only able to communicate
with other VIs within that particular library.
Hope this Helps,
Steve
Attachments:
Popup Example.vi ‏16 KB