Building Run LabVIEW VI Steps from a Template

LabVIEW SignalExpress includes a template VI you can use when you create a LabVIEW VI to run in a Run LabVIEW VI step.

Note You must use LabVIEW 8.2 or later to create a VI for the Run LabVIEW VI step. You cannot run a VI that was saved for a previous version of LabVIEW. You must save the VI in the actual version of LabVIEW you want to run. The Run LabVIEW VI steps do not support VIs developed in 64-bit versions of LabVIEW.

Complete the following steps to use the template to build a VI for the Run LabVIEW VI step:

1. In LabVIEW, open the UserDefinedStepTemplate.vi in the SignalExpress\User Step Templates directory.
2. Select File»Save As, insure that Copy is selected in the Save As dialog box, and click the Continue button.
3. Specify a name and location to save the VI.
4. Switch to the block diagram and follow the instructions in the VI to create a VI that can run in LabVIEW SignalExpress. LabVIEW SignalExpress steps have four execution states, and the four Case structures on the block diagram mirror those execution states:
   • Configure—Executes once as the first case each time you click the Run button in LabVIEW SignalExpress.
   • Reconfigure—Executes when you change parameter values on a Run LabVIEW VI step while the project runs.
   • Run—Executes repeatedly or once after the Configure case executes, depending on the run mode you use to run the project. Place indicators for data you acquire in this case.
   • Stop—Executes once after you click the Stop button or select the Abort option in LabVIEW SignalExpress.
5. (Optional) If you need to share data between execution cases, use a shift register on the While Loop that surrounds the Configure and Reconfigure Case structures. Note that the Boolean constant wired to the condition node of the While Loop is set to TRUE. This forces code in the loop to execute once every time LabVIEW SignalExpress calls the Run LabVIEW VI step. You need to use this While Loop only if you use shift registers to share data between execution cases.

Note  The _Event enumerated type control on the front panel of the template VI is connected to the connector pane and wired to the selector terminal of the Case structure on the block diagram. Removing or renaming this control breaks the template VI.

6. Save the VI.

After you build a VI for a Run LabVIEW VI step, you can access the VI from LabVIEW SignalExpress by adding the Run LabVIEW VI step to the Project View and entering the path to the VI in the Select VI field of the step.