Block diagram out of... block diagram

Hi, I need your help. Im the wrong person to this job, but I have to do this, so I'm dependent on your help. I need to explain how the LabView program (pasted below) works, but I don't understand it by myself I would like to ask if someone can create a simplified block diagram of the LV block diagram I paste in here. I would appreciate any help, and please take into considaration that I'm running out of time
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/yd10z7yorxvbzux/LVdiagram.jpg
It's a counter. Photon counter to be exact.
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Hi Waise,
I will try to explain you briefly what does this application do:
Following materials might help you in understanding the concepts behind:
http://www.ni.com/pdf/manuals/371022k.pdf
This is the M series manual - the chapter 6.7 and 8 explains how the digital lines work, the counter and what is a PFI.
When you open the block diagram of your application you can see multiple branches going from left to write.
The first one, on top is creating a path to a file. That path will be used to write data to a binary file. The data represents the number of pulses that are being counted as rising edges of a signal connected to counter 1. This information ca be read if you follow the logic on the second branch from left to right where the first VI is CI INT Edges (Counter edges), and it will count up, on rising edge of the signal connected to CTR1.
Later, there is another task created for counter 3, that generates pulses. The pulses seems to have 10uS length and 50% duty cycle. The signal generated by that counter will be used as sample clock for the measurement and counter 1. Also, the same signal from counter 3 will be used by counter 4 to count the digital edge and create a clock that will clock the timed loop. Basically the frequency of the timed loop is given by the task on Counter 4 that counts the pulses generated with counter 3.
The 3rd branch from left to right, creates three tasks on three digital output: Line 0, 1 and 2 where it is being controlled by three buttons F0, F1 and F2. Basically, your timed loop will have a specific iteration time, and with every iteration the buttons will be read and will update the digital output specified above.
Whenver there is an error or the Stop button is being pressed, your application will stop and will close the binary file and dealocate the used resources.
I invite you to look also in the manual specified above.
Best regards,
Ion R.
Attachments:
printscreen 1.png ‏178 KB
printscreen 2.png ‏183 KB

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Zoom in/out of block diagram

Hi,
at the moment I am working with a huge
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I could find one in the internet.
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Hi Hannes,
>I understood to load the VI first and then to open the BEV.
Actually, you can open the BEV first, and if you have nothing else in memory, you can browse to a VI using the VI path control (next to the VIs in Mem text ring). You can also load VIs after having opened the BEV. It will refresh the VIs list in memory (text ring) every two seconds. Click the help button (upper right corner a button that look like this -> [?]) for more description about the BEV functionality.
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I am trying to create an executable vi that will call out another vi and show its front panel in the executable. When I try this I recieve this error message "top level vi (my main vi) was stopped at unknown on the block diagram of (my sub vi)

I am trying to create an executable vi that will call out another vi and show its front panel in the executable. When I try this I recieve this error message "top level vi (my main vi) was stopped at unknown on the block diagram of (my sub vi)

Well the most common way is to enclude the vi's in the build spec either directly in the dependancies that the App builder automatically generates OR by declaring them in the build spec as "additional enclusions" (like you must do for dynamic vi calls in your app.
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I created boolean references in my main vi block diagram and copied them to my sub vi front panel. when wire my reference in my main vi to one the input node of the sub vi the wire is broken. the error says its a class conflict why?

i created boolean references in my main vi block diagram and copied them to my sub vi front panel. when wire my reference in my main vi to one the input node of the sub vi the wire is broken. the error says its a class conflict why?

Expanding and clarifying what BJD said;
After you create the temporary sub-VI that BJD mentioned, open its front panel and copy the reference control that LV created when it created the sub-VI.
This reference control will be correct class etc that you need. Use the control to replace the original control that you were attempting to wire up.
The technique of "create sub-VI...copy" always works for me.
There is one more thing that you should watch out for.
The mechanical action of the boolean can not be set for latch action when attempting to read the value using a value property node.
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Block diagram wont open properly

I have written a big labview program for my application. I have been workig on it for 6 months. I keep adding the peice of code every day and save it with a new name every week.
At one point when I added some code into my program, the block diagram started acting weird and wont let me work on the program easily. For If I add an add function, it would take time and insert this function a couple of inches away where I pionted my cursor. Another issue was that; if I add a while loop or for loop or any other structure it would take time and one added it would add a couple of inches away and expand the main program window (Block Diagram) too.
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But now when I tranfer this program back to my desk top. It wont open the Block Diagram and wont let me edit it. When I try to open the block diagram. the window appear black out and the LabView stops working.
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There is a maximum size that a VI can be. What that exact size is I don't know. It does sound like you have one HUGE VI. If that is the case you really need to think more about using subVIs. It will make your program much easier to maintain and extend.
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Error cluster constant appears different in two locations on a block diagram

I am a newbie to LabVIEW. I have taken Core 1 & 2 and Machine Vision and I have not com across this before.
The image on the right is obviously an Error cluster constant used in the block diagram to create an Error cluster and wire it to an error out terminal. As far as I can tell the image on the left is about the same thing, but why does it look different? The different appearance causes raises a concern that there is a difference in behavior that I do not understand. LabVIEW help suggets that both are Error constants. When I create a new error constant, it always ends up appearing like the right image above. I have not been able to create someting looking like the image on the left.
Could someone please confirm what the image on the left is on a blck diagram?
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Solved!
Go to Solution.

The image on the left is an error cluster control. It has a front panel presence and can be set either via the front panel or through a property node or local variable. The image on the right is an error cluster constant. It is a static value.
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How to find icon position of currently executed VI on caller's block diagram

Dear forum,
I currently try to use a LabVIEV VI as a simple sequencer: Several (very slow) actions have to execute one after another. Each action is represented by a Sub-VI, some actions are executed several times. My task is to visualize the currently executed Sub-VI somehow.
My first intention (simply manipulate the icon of the currently running VI with "VI Icon.Get as Image Data" / "VI Icon.Set from Image Data" invoke nodes) failed, because this changes the icon of ALL instances of this VI; if you use the same VI several times, the icons of all these VI are changed (see here: http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/How-to-change-animate-icon-of-currently-running-VI/m-p/3120754/highl...
My current approach is to use an image of the block diagram (with "VI: Block Diagram: Get Image Scaled" invoke method) within a picture control of the front panel and to work within this control. But for this I need to know the position of the icon of the currently executed VI. I know that I can evaluate Bounds and Position via the GObj properties, but how do I find the currently running VI (note that a VI may reside several times on the block diagram, so the name of the VI is not unique)? IMHO the simpliest way would be if a VI could find its icon on the caller's block diagram itself when executed...
It's clear that this position is not the position on the picture yet, but this conversion is a small piece of work...
Regards,
cpschnuffel
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Yamaeda wrote:
Run it in highlight mode, done.
Sure if you don't mind having functional checks taking hours instead of minutes...okay maybe that is exagerating for a simple VI like this, but it would increase cycle time. Honestly I think the best solution would be to use the helper VI that was mentiond before, which keeps track of what VI is running. You can of course use scripting to get the block diagram image, but there isn't a good way to know what exact VI is running using VI server. Here are a few discussions.
https://lavag.org/topic/16660-how-to-get-actual-vi-execution-state/
https://decibel.ni.com/content/thread/18687
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The Block diagram that cannot be edited...

The customer wanted to launch the application ( done in LV7 ) with a shortcut from the desktop and when done with it wanted to close all including the LV environment.
So I made the following changes :
1. Made the application to "Run on Open "
2. Connected the while loop Stop button to the "EXIT" function.
3. Saved and started the application.
Presto!! All worked as expected. Except that I no longer was be able to Edit the block diagram !!
Good - I had a copy of the code before the change and survived the nightmare ....
So the moral : Be very clear of what you are doing before you use the EXIT function.
Just though will share the experience, before somebody makes the fatal mistake as above.
( I have now ordered out my copy of the Application Builder, so that I can have my editable code well away from the customer's PC.)
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Here's another way to do it.
Create a directory in your LabVIEW x.x directory named 'wizard', and save the attached VI there. If LabVIEW is running, you'll need to restart it, but then in the 'File' menu, you'll have a new selection named "Supress Run on Open...". Select this and you'll get a browse dialog to select the VI to open. It opens it by reference so it will not run.
This is saved in LabVIEW 6.1, but works fine on 7.0 and 7.1.
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Attachments:
Supress Run on Open.vi ‏18 KB

Cannot open block diagram

I opened a VI I recently created and when I try to open the block diagram its greyed out. doing Ctrl I and selecting Protection shows file as Locked(no password) and all options to unlock are greyed out. Any ideas how I can sort this out?

You appear to have done everything right. I doubt that being on the network would be a culprit.
You've probably mapped the drive, right?
Did you even save it with the Locked property?
I am wondering if someone else had access to one of your PC's and played a trick on you.
I tried a test VI and I can open the block diagram. See image below (composite of 2 images)
Message Edited by Ray.R on 11-20-2009 10:31 AM
Attachments:
locked.PNG ‏37 KB

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Charts and graph shown as --array and cluster datatype in block diagram

Hi friends,
I new user...
I have a basic doubt...
In many examples the graph and charts are shown as "array data type and cluster data type "------in the block diagram panel...
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These are very basic issues and it should be clear once you study the online help and examples for a while.
Waveform Graphs
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etc.
The express xy-graph can be configured as xy chart, etc.
Sure, it is a bit complicated at the beginning, but the complexity also gives you flexibility to do exactly what you want. Just play around with various scenarios and look at the outcome. The best way to learn!
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Generating a report w/ block diagram & programatically specified case structure?

Hi,
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Probably.
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Visible Frame.vi ‏10 KB

Why Is the Block Diagram Disabled?

What did I do now? Please look at the attached image. A VI that I am using as a subVI in various different programs suddenly started looking like I had used application builder to create an exe file out of it (But I didn't!!). The only options are Start and Run Continuously, and the block diagram is disabled. What did I do to get myself in this mess? How do I undo whatever I did, so I can edit the block diagram again? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Solved!
Go to Solution.
Attachments:
Disabled Block Diagram.png ‏259 KB

Did you ever built a source distribution with the option set to remove the diagrams? In this case, the original must still be around somewhere.
Since LabVIEW 8 you can no longer simply save without block diagram and you would not be able to upgrade such a VI to LabVIEW 2011, which it is now. (details)
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NoBlockDiagram.png ‏38 KB

Zoom in on Block Diagram

How do I zoom in on a small area of the block diagram?

canyonbreeze wrote:
2 years later I'll just add that this is a deal breaker for me. The block diagram symbols are too small for my old eyes. Changing the screen resolution isn't an option. I'm only using evaluation version right now to analyze Labview code we inherited from a closed down branch of the company. I'm leaning to rescripting the program in C# and dumping Labview, less headaches from eye strain.If
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How do I get the Label for a Front Panel Control to appear in the Block Diagram but not on the Front Panel?

How do I get the Label for a Front Panel Control to appear in the Block Diagram but not on the Front Panel? On the Front Panel I am making a complex control that consists of a Slider and a Numerical Input box. Both Controls display the same information and either can be used for Input. When one changs, the other is made to display the same value.
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No. The Label Visible property is separate for the front panel control label and the block diagram terminal label.
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That being said, I have seen a lot of VI's posted where the label for the terminal on the BD is not shown (against good programming practice.) I've gone to the BD and right clicked to show the label. Sometimes, the people have an empty label (which will turn off the visibility for both the FP and BD) and I'm forced to add some text of my own into the label so I can figure out what their code is doing. When I add some text to the label, at that time, I find both the BD and FP labels become visible.
Are you dealing with controls that have empty labels to start?
Good programming practices:
1. Always have a name for all of your controls, never use and empty label by deleting the text in the label.
2. Make the labels unique. For example, don't have two controls both called Stop. How do you know quickly know which terminal relates to which control?
3. Always show the labels on the block diagram, so you know the function of a control's terminal. If you want to hide the label on the FP, that's okay.
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Block diagram out of... block diagram

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