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ECET- 462
Application of Computers in Process Control



Purdue University, Calumet



[LABORATORY 3]
Lab VIEW Basic programming Structures (Part b)
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Lab VIEW Basic programming Structures (Part b)
LAB 3

Objectives:
To learn how to work with Lab Views essential programming structures such as for-loops, while
loops and formula nodes.

Software required: Lab VIEW
Programming:

a) Formula Node:

Step 1: Create a formula node in the block diagram.


Step 2: Create a program like below. To create input and output channels click on the left
boundaries and rename them. Create control to both of them. Create output channels similarly
and rename them. Write down the equations in the formula node. Run the program and change
the values of input. Observe the output.



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Step 3: Complete the following steps to build a VI that uses the Formula Node to perform a
complex mathematical operation and graphs the results.

Step 4: Build the following block diagram.



Step 5: Place the Formula Node located on the FunctionsStructures palette.

Step 6: Create the x input terminal by right-clicking the left border and selecting Add Input from
the shortcut menu.

Step 7: Create the y and output terminals by right-clicking the right border and selecting Add
Output from the shortcut menu. You must create output terminals for temporary variables like a.
When you create an input or output terminal, you must use a variable name that exactly matches
the one in the equation. Variable names are case sensitive.

Step 8: Type the following equations in the Formula Node, where ** is the exponentiation
operator. Refer to the LabVIEW Help for more information about syntax for the Formula Node.
a = tanh(x) + cos(x);
y = a**3 + a;
Step 9: Display the front panel and run the VI. The graph displays the plot of the equation
During each iteration, theVI divides the iteration terminal value by 15.0. The quotient is wired to
the Formula Node, which calculates the function value. The VI plots the array as a graph.

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Step 10: Write a small LabVIEW code that will calculate the roots of a quadratic functions. You
must consider all cases; real and imaginary.

Formulas:

p =

x
1,2
=

if p 0

x
1,2
=

if p < 0

Use the VI you created to solve the following quadratic equation:

x
2
+ 4x + 3 = 0

x
2
+2x + 2 = 0

Include screenshots for both the front panel and the block diagram and show the answer.


Sequence Structure:

Two types of Sequence structures are discussed here:
a) Flat Sequence
b) Stack Sequence


a) Flat sequence:

The Flat Sequence structure, shown as follows, displays all the frames at once and executes the
frames from left to right and when all data values wired to a frame are available, until the last
frame executes. The data values leave each frame as the frame finishes executing.




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Step1: Go to Function paletteProgrammingStructuresFlat Sequence.
Drag and drop it in the Block Diagram, make a box like below:

Step 2: Now right click on the border and click on Add Frame After

Step 3: Create 3 more stack frame like below

Step 4: Now create a connection diagram as follows
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The Front Panel should look like this


Step 5: In the Block diagram click on the symbol below



Step 6: Hit the run button

Step 7: Take a look at the flow of the data in the block diagram.
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Step 8: Observe the output result in the front panel. Which output was supposed to come first?
Which output display gives you the result at first? Explain why?





b) Stacked Sequence:

The Stacked Sequence structure, shown as follows, stacks each frame so you see only one frame
at a time and executes frame 0, then frame 1, and so on until the last frame executes.




Step1: Go to Function paletteProgrammingStructuresStacked Sequence.
Drag and drop it in the Block Diagram, make a box like below:

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Step2: Right click on the boarder and click on Add frame after. Add two frames in this way.




Step3: The Stacked sequence frame looks like as below:

Step 4: Now Select 0 from selector label and make an addition program like below:
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Step 4: Now Select 1 from selector label and make another program like below:







Step 5: Select 2 from selector label and make a multiplication program like below:
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Step 6: Now go to the toolbar and click on Highlight Execution

Step 7: Select the selector label back to 0:

Step 8: Prepare the Front Panel like below:










Step 9: Run the program and observe the Data flow in the panels as well as the selector label.
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Step 10: What change do you see in the selector label during the execution of the program. Make
a comment on that.













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Function/Syntax
Corresponding LabVIEW
Function
Description
abs(x) Absolute Value Returns the absolute value of x.
acos(x) Inverse Cosine Computes the inverse cosine of x in radians.
acosh(x) Inverse Hyperbolic Cosine Computes the inverse hyperbolic cosine of x.
asin(x) Inverse Sine Computes the inverse sine of x in radians.
asinh(x) Inverse Hyperbolic Sine Computes the inverse hyperbolic sine of x.
atan(x) Inverse Tangent Computes the inverse tangent of x in radians.
atan2(y,x) Inverse Tangent (2 Input) Computes the arctangent of y/x in radians.
atanh(x) Inverse Hyperbolic Tangent Computes the inverse hyperbolic tangent of x.
ceil(x) Round Toward +Infinity Rounds x to the next higher integer (smallest integer x).
ci(x) Cosine Integral Evaluates the cosine integral for any real nonnegative number
x.
cos(x) Cosine Computes the cosine of x, where x is in radians.
cosh(x) Hyperbolic Cosine Computes the hyperbolic cosine of x.
cot(x) Cotangent Computes the cotangent of x (1/tan(x)), where x is in radians.
csc(x) Cosecant Computes the cosecant of x (1/sin(x)), where x is in radians.
exp(x) Exponential Computes the value of e raised to the x power.
expm1(x) Exponential (Arg) 1 Computes one less than the value of e raised to the x power
((e^x) 1).
floor(x) Round To Infinity Truncates x to the next lower integer (largest integer x).
getexp(x) Mantissa & Exponent Returns the exponent of x.
gamma(x) Gamma Evaluates the gamma function or incomplete gamma function
for x.
getman(x) Mantissa & Exponent Returns the mantissa of x.
int(x) Round To Nearest Rounds x to the nearest integer.
intrz(x) Rounds x to the nearest integer between x and zero.
ln(x) Natural Logarithm Computes the natural logarithm of x (to the base of e).
lnp1(x) Natural Logarithm (Arg +1) Computes the natural logarithm of (x + 1).
log(x) Logarithm Base 10 Computes the logarithm of x (to the base of 10).
log2(x) Logarithm Base 2 Computes the logarithm of x (to the base of 2).
max(x,y) Max & Min Compares x and y and returns the larger value.
min(x,y) Max & Min Compares x and y and returns the smaller value.
mod(x,y) Quotient & Remainder Computes the remainder of x/y, when the quotient is rounded
toward Infinity.
pow(x,y) Power of X Computes x raised to the y power.
rand( ) Random Number (0 1) Produces a floating-point number between 0 and 1 exclusively.
rem(x,y) Quotient & Remainder Computes the remainder of x/y, when the quotient is rounded
to the nearest integer.
si(x) Sine Integral Evaluates the sine integral for any real number x.
sec(x) Secant Computes the secant of x, where x is in radians (1/cos(x)).
sign(x) Sign Returns 1 if x is greater than 0, returns 0 if x is equal to 0,
and returns 1 if x is less than 0.
sin(x) Sine Computes the sine of x, where x is in radians.
sinc(x) Sinc Computes the sine of x divided by x (sin(x)/x), where x is in
radians.
sinh(x) Hyperbolic Sine Computes the hyperbolic sine of x.
sizeOfDim(ary,di) Returns the size of the dimension di specified for the array
ary.
spike(x) Spike Generates the spike function for any real number x.
sqrt(x) Square Root Computes the square root of x.
step(x) Step Generates the step function for any real number x.
tan(x) Tangent Computes the tangent of x, where x is in radians.
tanh(x) Hyperbolic Tangent Computes the hyperbolic tangent of x.