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Document Type: Example Program
NI Supported: Yes
Publish Date: May 19, 2008

LED Array Intensity Grid

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Overview

This example program which include NI Multisim and NI LabVIEW is one in a series which showcases the power of using advanced LabVIEW instruments within the simulation environment.

All instruments are based upon a virtual instrument template found in the Multisim sample folder. Any LabVIEW user can easily take this template and define an instrument which can input complex signals, or visualize simulation data within Multisim.

This level of advanced design flexibility is only available to the professional design engineer with the National Instruments platform of Multisim and LabVIEW.

Table of Contents

  1. Purpose Of This Instrument
  2. Installation Instruction
  3. Using the Instrument and Example Circuit

Downloads

Filename: 5928_led_array.zip
Requirements: View

Please Note

SPICE simulation, the language by which Multisim emulates circuit design behavior, does not run in real-time. This means that if a real-world signal is acquired by a LabVIEW instrument it cannot be directly injected into simulation, since the measurements will be running at different rates (real time vs. simulated time).

 

Purpose Of This Instrument

When validating both simulated designs and prototypes, it is important to evaluate the behavior of the circuit with a non-traditional analysis. For example when trying to visualize the behavior of a circuit, it may be the way in which the design interacts with a mechanical system that is of note, rather than just the output signal.

The LED Array instrument allows you to view the output of a LEDs and evaluate the relative intensity, rather than just the raw electrical signal at a node. With this instrument you will be able to view the relative luminosity of an LED in an array of 16 (4x4) arrays.


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Installation Instruction

Download the archived file to the desktop. You simply need to:

  1. Close NI Multisim if open.
  2. Open the attached 5928_led_array.zip file.
  3. Select My Computer.
  4. Browse to C:\Program Files\National Instruments\Circuit Design Suite 10.1\lvinstruments.
  5. Save the LEDArray.llb file from the zip file to this folder.

 

Using the Instrument and Example Circuit

This instrument will use the example circuit that is in the attached XXXX_led_array.zip file folder.

  1. Open Multisim by selecting Start > All Programs > National Instruments > Circuit Design Suite 10.1 > Multisim 10.1.
  2. Go to File > Open.
  3. Browse to the LED 4x4 Grid.ms10 file from the 5928_led_array.zip file.
  4. In Multisim select the LabVIEW icon in the instrument toolbar (as seen below).
  5. Select LED Intensity Grid. This is the name of the Waveform Generator instrument (as seen below).


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  1. Place the instrument onto the schematic as seen below, and connect it to the pins ranging from LED_A to LED_P.


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  1. The circuit is now complete.


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  1. Double-click on the XLV1 instrument (the LED array instrument)
  2. Locate the LED circuit element in the 3rd row, and 3rd column.
  3. You will notice that connected to the VCC on this element is a potentiometer (with reference designator R5). This potentiometer will be used to change the intensity of the LED with respects to the rest of the circuit.

 

 

  1. You are now ready to begin simulating the circuit.
  2. Click on the run button on the simulation toolbar.

  1. You will notice that the grid region of the LED array becomes populated by various shades of black and grey, to indicate the intensity of the LED with respect to each other LED in the 4x4 array.
  2. Locate resistor R5. Move the mouse near this potentiometer and notice that a slider appears.
  3. Click on the slider and move left and right.


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  1. You will notice that the intensity on the LED Intensity Grid instrument varies, as the intensity of this particular LED changes. This is completely interactive, and allows you to easily visualize and analyze the behavior of this circuit.

 

With the use of this instrument you are able to very easily verify the behavior of an application such as that of a LED array, and with a great deal of certainty validate the performance of the circuit.

This is what the unique Multisim and LabVIEW integration affords the engineer, with the ability to completely customize how a design is verified.

The same interface as used in this instrument can be re-used when doing physical prototype testing - thereby completely bridging the gap between design and prototype.

 

Requirements


Filename: 5928_led_array.zip

Software Requirements


Language(s): LabVIEW

 
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Legal
This example program (this "program") was developed by a National Instruments ("NI") Applications Engineer. Although technical support of this program may be made available by National Instruments, this program may not be completely tested and verified, and NI does not guarantee its quality in any way or that NI will continue to support this program with each new revision of related products and drivers. THIS EXAMPLE PROGRAM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND AND SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS AS MORE SPECIFICALLY SET FORTH IN NI.COM'S TERMS OF USE (http://ni.com/legal/termsofuse/unitedstates/us/).