About LabVIEW -

This article is going to write an introduction of the LabVIEW.

1. About LabVIEW?

LabVIEW is the graphic programming language which is designed by National Instruments(NI). Users can use this language to make a program which can control NI's hardware or not. LabVIEW is consisted of VIs(Virtual Instrument). The extension of these files is *.vi.

First of all, Let's take a look at the description from National Instruments.

LabVIEW software is ideal for any measurement or control system, and the heart of the NI design platform. Integrating all the tools that engineers and scientists need to build a wide range of applications in dramatically less time, LabVIEW is a development environment for problem solving, accelerated productivity, and continual innovation.

<From National Instruments >

2. What is the VI?

VI stands for Virtual Instruments. As VI is the most extension in LabVIEW,  it is consisted of Front Panel(User Interface) and Block Diagram(Algorithm). We can use vi files easily to manage some programs which adopt the project in LabVIEW.

3. What is the difference between a front panel and block diagram?

3.1 Front Panel

 You can make a User Interface in a front panel like a below picture. User also can add a variety of controls and indicators using pushed the right button of a mouse.

• Control: The object to enter some value from a user.
• Indicator: The object to show some result from an operation

In a front panel, the LabVIEW provides control and indictor for a various types(e.g Ineger, Double, String). As you can see below a picture, the LabVIEW support each controls and indicator for the type.

3.2 Block Diagram 

User can make a algorithm for user's application in a block diagram. You can use same method to add some nodes using a right button of a mouse.  

The LabVIEW provides various nodes for loop (For, While) and conditional process(IF, NOT, and so on) as well as supporting the operation for an array or a signal processing. You can use a special functions which user have to implement in the Text-Language(C, C++, and C#).

This article tell you about the introduction for the LabVIEW. I will add article for the usage or theory for the LabVIEW. Thanks.