Overview

In this chapter, you will investigate the LabVIEW VI and learn how its three partsthe front panel, block diagram, and icon/connectorwork together. When all three main components are properly developed, you have a VI that can stand alone or be used as a subVI in another program. You will also learn about the LabVIEW environment: the LabVIEW Project Explorer, pull-down and pop-up menus, floating palettes and subpalettes, the Toolbar, and how to get help. To finish up, we will discuss the power of subVIs and why you should use them.

Goals

• Understand and practice using the front panel, block diagram, and icon/connector

• Learn the difference between controls and indicators

• Be able to recognize the difference between the block diagram terminals of controls and indicators

• Understand the principle of dataflow programming

• Learn about the LabVIEW Project Explorer and how to manage your project files

• Become familiar with LabVIEW menus, both pop-up and pull-down

• Learn about the capabilities and uses of the Toolbar, Tools palette, Controls palette, Functions palette, and subpalettes

• Learn why the Help windows can be your most valuable ally

• Understand what a subVI is and why it's useful

• Work through the activities to get a feel for how LabVIEW works