Graphical Timing and Triggering Configuration in NI-DAQmx

The National Instruments Getting Started with NI-DAQmx Series is aimed at helping you learn NI-DAQmx programming fundamentals. Through video and text tutorials, this series will take you from verifying your device's operation in Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) to programming data acquisition applications using LabVIEW. It is intended for both the beginner who wants to learn how to use the DAQ Assistant, as well as the experienced user who wishes to take advantage of advanced NI-DAQmx functionality.

Oveview

The document introduces an application which contains a pair of front panels that pictorially illustrate all the analog input timing and triggering capabilities of your M or E Series board. By manipulating the controls on these panels you will discover and configure all the timing and triggering attributes you need. The VIs that launch the panels may be used as subVIs in any LabVIEW 7.x program that will use analog input on an M or E Series board with the NI-DAQmx API. They can be used as an alternative to configuring the inputs and properties of the NI-DAQmx Timing, Triggering and Export Signal VIs and property nodes.

Requirements

You need the National Instruments LabVIEW 7.0 Base package or later, NI-DAQmx 7.0 or later, and an M Series or E Series DAQ device. If you are using NI-DAQmx 7.4 or later, you can create a simulated M Series or E Series DAQ device to use with this software.

Software Overview

This application initializes by creating an analog input task on an M or E Series DAQ device. It uses an event structure inside a while loop to respond to the four task parameters as well as the three active front-panel buttons. Click the Timing button to launch the analog input timing configuration panel. Use the controls on this panel to select clock sources; source active edges, rates, or divide-downs; delay lengths; and clock output destinations. Click the Trigger button to launch the analog input trigger configuration panel. Use the panel controls to enable your triggers and select between digital or analog trigger sources, and choose parameters for each. Digital triggers have a source and active edge. Analog triggers have a source, mode, and, depending on the mode, either level and hysteresis or window top and bottom values. You also can export triggers.

Each time you change a control or numeric value on the timing or triggering configuration panel, the system sets the corresponding NI-DAQmx property. Then, depending on the panel, it queries NI-DAQmx timing or triggering properties and updates the front-panel controls and values to reflect current property settings. Thus, the front-panel state always accurately portrays the application state. Any illegal setting reverts to the previous setting, and any setting that is coerced to a different value displays the coerced value. Errors are not displayed.

Click the Test button at any time to start your task and read and plot any data acquired. Your task executes with the timing and triggering settings reflected on the panels.

Tool Download And Documentation

To download this tool, refer to Graphical Timing and Triggering Configuration Starter Kit.

This kit also includes detailed documentation for this tool.

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