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When designing an embedded system, special care must be taken when you select the user interface. For simpler devices, simple text, buttons, and LEDs are adequate. For more complex systems, full graphical user interfaces and touch panels are more the norm. In this document, we will examine some of the options that you have when designing a user interface using National Instruments LabVIEW.
Touch Panel Displays
The LabVIEW Touch Panel Module
With the National Instruments LabVIEW Touch Panel Module, you can create and deploy human-machine interface (HMI) applications to communicate with NI embedded real-time platforms such as Compact FieldPoint, CompactRIO, and Compact Vision System. The LabVIEW Touch Panel Module is optimized for developing HMIs to Windows CE touch panel devices such as the NI TPC-2006 and other NEMA4 and IP65 certified touch panels. The NI LabVIEW Touch Panel Module includes tools for user interface development, as well as functions for communication, data analysis, and data storage.
Webcast: Create Distributed HMI Systems with the LabVIEW Touch Panel Module
Get LabVIEW Touch Panel Module pricing and ordering information »
The LabVIEW Embedded Module for ADI Blackfin Processors
The NI LabVIEW Embedded Module for ADI Blackfin Processors provides a comprehensive graphical development environment for complex embedded systems. This module, jointly developed by ADI and National Instruments, integrates LabVIEW and ADI VisualDSP++ to provide out-of-the-box embedded programming.
With LabVIEW 8.6, you can use this module to drag-and-drop an embedded user interface using supported touch panels in conjunction with the ADSP-BF548 processor. This solution is ideal for customers requiring an embedded display as part of a fully custom board level design.
Get LabVIEW Embedded Module for Blackfin Processors pricing and ordering information »
Serial Touch Panel Displays
There are a large number of serial touch panel displays on the market that provide color touch panels for custom embedded systems. Reach Technology is one such provider who has worked to develop custom interfaces to LabVIEW Real-Time. When used in conjunction with NI CompactRIO or NI Single-Board RIO, Reach displays can provide ideal solutions from flexible system prototypes to high-volume system deployments.
LabVIEW Example Program: Reach Technology Color Touch Serial LCD
External Link: Reach Technology Inc. Serial Display Modules
Learn more about NI Single-Board RIO»
Simple Displays
OLED Displays
Organic LED (light-emitting diode) is a display technology based on the use of an organic substance, typically a polymer, as the semiconductor material in light-emitting diodes. OLED technology is used in commercial applications such as small screens for mobile phones and portable digital audio players, car radios, and digital cameras. Such portable applications favor the high light output of OLEDs for readability in sunlight, and their low power drain.
The LabVIEW Embedded Module for ARM Microcontrollers provides display drivers for Ritek OLED display that is included in the Luminary Micro LM3S8962 evaluation kit. This one color display provides 128 x 96 pixel resolution and 16 levels of contrast.
White Paper: Learn about the LM3S98962 support in LabVIEW
Order the LabVIEW Embedded Module for ARM Microcontrollers evaluation kit »
LED/LCD Displays
Simple character displays are relatively easy to program and serve as an adequate interface in many applications. This technology is relatively mature and several companies such as Matrix Orbital and Crystalfontz provide a broad array of solutions. These displays connect over a variety of communications buses including serial, I2C, and SPI.
Test-drive: Write to an LCD Display Using I2C and a Blackfin Processor
Test-drive: Write to an LCD Display Using an ARM Microcontroller
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