Bronkhorst FLOW-BUS LabVIEW Driver User Manual

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Instruction Manual

FLOW-BUS LabVIEW™ Driver

Doc. no.: 9.17.078B Date: 13-05-2014

ATTENTION

Please read this Instruction Manual carefully before installing and operating the instrument.

Not following the guidelines could result in personal injury and/or damage to the equipment.

Important information. Discarding this information could cause injuries to people or damage to the instrument or installation.

Helpful information. This information will facilitate the use of this instrument.

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Additional info available on the internet or from your local sales representative.

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Disclaimer

The information in this manual has been reviewed and is believed to be wholly reliable. No responsibility, however, is assumed for inaccuracies. The material in this manual is for information purposes only.

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May 2014

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Receipt of equipment

Check the outside packing box for damage incurred during shipment. Should the packing box be damaged, then the local carrier must be notified at once regarding his liability, if so required. At the same time a report should be submitted to your distributor.

Carefully remove the equipment from the packing box. Verify that the equipment was not damaged during shipment. Should the equipment be damaged, then the local carrier must be notified at once regarding his liability, if so required. At the same time a report should be submitted to your distributor.

Refer to "Removal and return instructions" about return shipment procedures.

Equipment storage

The equipment should be stored in its original packing in a cupboard warehouse or similar. Care should be taken not to subject the equipment to excessive temperatures or humidity.

© 2014 Bronkhorst® All rights reserved. This documentation is protected by copyright. Subject to technical and optical changes as well as printing errors. The information contained in this document is subject to change at any time without prior notification. Bronkhorst® reserves the right to modify or improve its products and modify the contents without being obliged to inform any particular persons or organizations. The device specifications and the contents of the package may deviate from what is stated in this document.

9.17.0782 FLOW-BUS LabVIEW™ Driver Manual

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Warranty

Bronkhorst products are warranted against defects in material and workmanship for a period of three years from the date of shipment provided they are used in accordance with the ordering specifications and not subjected to abuse or physical damage. Products that do not operate properly during this period may be repaired or replaced at no charge. Repairs are normally warranted for one year or the balance of the original warranty, whichever is the longer.

The warranty includes all initial and latent defects, random failures, and undeterminable internal causes.

It excludes failures and damage caused by the customer, such as contamination, improper electrical hook-up, physical shock etc.

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Bronkhorst® or affiliated company prepays outgoing freight charges when any part of the service is performed under warranty, unless otherwise agreed upon beforehand, however, if the product has been returned collect to our factory or service center, these costs are added to the repair invoice. Import and/or export charges, foreign shipping methods/carriers are paid for by the customer.

FLOW-BUS LabVIEW™ Driver Manual

...................................................................................................................................................................... 5

General Product Information 1

...................................................................................................................................................................... 51.1 Introduction

...................................................................................................................................................................... 51.2 References to Other Applicable Documents

...................................................................................................................................................................... 5Manuals and user guides 1.2.1

...................................................................................................................................................................... 5Technical drawings 1.2.2

...................................................................................................................................................................... 51.3 Supported Instruments

...................................................................................................................................................................... 51.4 System Requirements

...................................................................................................................................................................... 6Manual Installation 1.5.2

...................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Interfaces 2

...................................................................................................................................................................... 82.2 RS232/FLOW-BUS Interface

...................................................................................................................................................................... 8D-connector for RS232 2.2.1

...................................................................................................................................................................... 9

Operation 3

...................................................................................................................................................................... 93.1 Accessing the Driver VI’s

...................................................................................................................................................................... 93.2 Driver Structure

...................................................................................................................................................................... 12

Adding a Driver VI 4

...................................................................................................................................................................... 124.1 Sending a Parameter

...................................................................................................................................................................... 124.2 Requesting a Parameter

...................................................................................................................................................................... 134.3 Example

...................................................................................................................................................................... 15

Service 5

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9.17.0784 FLOW-BUS LabVIEW™ Driver Manual

Bronkhorst®

The Bronkhorst® FLOW-BUS driver is a set of LabVIEW™ VIs (Virtual Instruments) that implement the serial ASCII commands used on the FLOW-BUS. The VIs also handle the conversion of data that is sent to or received from an instrument. For more information about the commands and the data sent, please refer to the RS232 interface with FLOW-BUS protocol manual (document nr. 9.17.027) or to the operation instructions digital instruments manual (document nr. 9.17.023).

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Manuals and Software tooling can be found at: http://www.bronkhorst.com/en/downloads

Operation instructions digital instruments

(document nr. 9.17.023)

FLOW-BUS interface

(document nr. 9.17.024)

RS232 interface with FLOW-BUS protocol

(document nr. 9.17.027)

Hook-up diagram laboratory-style MBC RS232 + analog

(document nr. 9.16.062)

Hook-up diagram industrial style MBC RS232 + analog

(document nr. 9.16.051)

Hook-up diagram CORI-FLOW RS232 + analog

(document nr. 9.16.044)

Hook-up diagram LIQUI-FLOW L30 digital RS232 + analog

(document nr. 9.16.073)

LabVIEW™ Version

LabVIEW™ 8.5 or higher

NI-VISA Version

NI-VISA 5.4 or higher

Connections

RS232 port with FIFO buffers

Computer

The computer must meet the minimum requirements needed for LabVIEW™

To avoid communication errors, it is advised to use a serial (RS232) port with hardware buffer overrun detection. Few USB-RS232 converters have this feature, but e.g. the Digitus part no. DA-70156 has.

1 General Product Information

1.1 Introduction

Along with the driver some example VIs are included to demonstrate the structure of an application that utilizes the driver VIs. The examples can also be used to test communication with an instrument, as the examples are all tested and functional.

The driver documentation is aimed at individuals with a reasonable working understanding of LabVIEW™, and is not intended as a tutorial to developing applications written in the LabVIEW™ environment.

1.2 References to Other Applicable Documents

Manuals and guides for digital instruments are modular. General instructions give information about the functioning and installation of instruments. Operational instructions explain the use of the digital instruments features and parameters. Fieldbus specific information explains the installation and use of the fieldbus installed on the instrument.

1.2.1 Manuals and user guides

1.2.2 Technical drawings

1.3 Supported Instruments

All FLOW-BUS instruments and instruments with RS232 communication are supported, with the following limitations:

• RS232/FLOW-BUS interface, firmware >= 4.09

• Digital mass flow meters/controllers without RS232 communication: firmware >= V5.xx

• Digital readout control modules (E-7000): firmware >= V3.xx

1.4 System Requirements

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1) Open the NI Instrument Driver Finder from the Tools»Instrumentation»Find Instrument Drivers or the Help»Find Instrument Drivers menu.

2) Select Bronkhorst High-Tech from the manufacturer drop-down list. If Bronkhorst High-Tech is not listed, enter 'FLOW-BUS' in the search field.

3) Click the Search button. If the search button is disabled hit the enter key.

4) Select the 'brflowbus Instrument Driver' entry from the search results list.

5) Select the driver for the installed (or compatible) version of LabVIEW™.

6) Click the Install button*.

7) The NI Instrument Driver Finder will now download and install the driver.

8) When the driver installation is finished you can close the NI Instrument Driver Finder, and start using the Bronkhorst FLOW-BUS Driver.

Figure 1: NI Instrument Driver Finder

* If a login screen appears, enter your e-mail address and password to login with your NI account. If you do not have a NI account, create a new account and then login.

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The most recent version of the driver will always be available on NI’s Instrument Driver Network (IDNet):

http://sine.ni.com/apps/utf8/niid_web_display.model_page?p_model_id=22575 or http://www.ni.com/downloads/instrument-drivers/

1) Close LabVIEW™.

2) Extract the downloaded bronkhorst_flow_bus.zip file to the instrument library folder, located at

C:\Program Files\National Instruments\LabVIEW xx \instr.lib*

Where 'xx' indicates the installed LabVIEW™ version.

3) Start LabVIEW™, during the start-up process an entry will be created in the instrument driver menu to access the driver VIs.

4) Before you start using the driver it is advised to mass compile the driver VIs. The option Mass Compile can be found under Tools » Advanced » Mass Compile, click on this option and perform the following steps to mass compile the driver VIs: a. Navigate to the instr.lib\Bronkhorst FLOW-BUS folder. b. Click the Current Folder button. c. Click the Mass Compile button. d. Wait for the process to finish and click on the Done button.

5) The driver is now ready to be used.

Figure 2: Library folder location

* C:\Program Files is a system folder and is followed by (x86) on 64-bit Windows versions and may differ on nonEnglish Windows versions.

1.5 Installation of the driver package

1.5.1 NI Instrument Driver Finder Installation

The driver can be downloaded and installed from LabVIEW™ by using the NI Instrument Driver Finder. To install the driver with this tool please follow the next steps:

1.5.2 Manual Installation

If the Installation with the Instrument Driver Finder fails you can try a manual installation. For the manual installation you will also need to manually download the driver package.

Please make sure you download the driver that is compatible with your installed version of LabVIEW™. After downloading please follow these steps to install the driver:

FLOW-BUS LabVIEW™ Driver Manual 9.17.078

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By default, the interface offers communication at a baud rate of 38400 baud. On instruments that offer the possibility to change the RS232 baud rate, the baud rate may be configured differently. See the technical documentation of your instrument for which baud rates are supported.

2 Interfaces

2.1 RS232 on Multibus Instrument

The RS232 interface on a multibus instrument can be connected to any RS232 V24 serial (computer) port. Make sure to respect the hook-up diagram. Bronkhorst offers special cables for communication, separating the RS232 lines from the power and analog inand output. On the 9-pin male D-sub connector of the instrument RX and TX are available on pin 6 and pin 1.

Serial RS232 communication on a multibus instrument with RS232 can be treated as a FLOW-BUS system with one instrument and a FLOW-BUS/RS232 interface. In case a FLOW-BUS fieldbus connection is present, other instruments connected to the FLOW-BUS can be communicated with as well.

RS232 communication is possible by:

• 9-pin Sub D-connector (non-IP65 instruments, e.g. EL-FLOW)

• 8-pin DIN connector (IP65 instruments, e.g. CORI-FLOW) For the exact connections please advise your hook-up diagram.

2.1.1 Applications, e.g. EL-FLOW

FLOW-BUS LabVIEW™ Driver Manual

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Pin number

Description

not connected

TXD

RXD

not connected

0 Vd

DTR

CTS

RTS

Shield

2.2

The RS232/FLOW-BUS interface is an interface between the FLOW-BUS and the RS232 V24 serial (computer) port. It will either be supplied as a separate enclosed unit with a FLOW-BUS connector and a RS232 connector or as an integral 14TE module of your E7000 readout and control system. The converter offers communication with a baud rate up to 38400 baud. Communication software support is available. Communication settings are: 38400, n, 8, 1.

RS232/FLOW-BUS Interface

Figure 3: RS232/FLOWBUS Interfaces

2.2.1 D-connector for RS232

The female RS232 (x) (sub miniature 9-pin) D-connector has the following pin configuration:

FLOW-BUS LabVIEW™ Driver Manual 9.17.078

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The driver VIs can be accessed via the functions palette on the block diagram of a VI. To access the functions palette, open a (new) VI, open its the block diagram, and finally open the functions palette from the View » Functions Palette menu. The driver VIs are located in the functions palette under Instrument I/O » Instrument

Drivers » Bronkhorst FLOW-BUS.

Figure 4: Functions Palette

The Configure folder contains VIs that can configure values in an instrument. An example of a Configure VI is the Configure Setpoint VI, which is used to write a value for the setpoint parameter to the instrument. The Data folder contains VIs that can be used to read data from an instrument. In order to read data a request command needs to be sent first. An example of a Data VI is the Read Measure VI, which can read the measure value from an instrument. The Utility folder contains VIs that can read and write to the instruments or do neither. The VIs mostly perform actions that don’t affect the measuring and controlling in the instrument, like the Error Query VI that uses a response already received.

The VIs Close, Initialize, and VI Tree are located in the root of the Public folder. The VIs Initialize and Close are needed to initialize (open) and close the connection with the COM port on which the instrument or FLOW-BUS to RS232 Converter is connected. The VI Tree gives you an overview of all VIs in the driver project on its block diagram.

The Private folder contains VIs that are used in other driver VIs. These VIs are not meant to be used on their own, and can only be used inside driver VIs.

Figure 5: Driver Structure folder

3 Operation

3.1 Accessing the Driver VI’s

3.2 Driver Structure

The driver project consists of a collection of folders with VIs that perform specific tasks. The Example folder contains examples that will get you started with using the driver and building your own applications. They can also be used to test the communication with an instrument. The Public folder contains almost all VIs needed to communicate with an instrument. The VIs are grouped in three sub-folders called Configure, Data, and Utility.

On all VIs that can communicate with an instrument, the VISA resource name in, the VISA resource name out, the Error in, the Error out, and the Node Address connections need to be connected. The Node Address connector is used to address the correct instrument when multiple instruments are connected on a bus. The VISA resource name-in and -out connections are used to pass the connection with the COM port, that gets initialized by the Initialize VI, between VIs. The Error in/out connections are used to pass errors between VIs and need to be connected in order for the driver VIs to report errors properly.

For more information about the various tasks the specific VIs perform, or for the process and parameter values of the parameter accessed in the VI, utilize the context help in LabVIEW™. To enable the context help, click on the Help » Show Context Help option in the menu or use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+H. Information about a VI or front panel control will show up when you hover over a VI or control for a few moments.

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3.2.1 Basic Application Structure

The block diagram below shows an example from the example folder in the driver project. It concerns the Setpoint Configure and Read VI. This example initializes the connection, writes the setpoint (percentage) and reads back the setpoint (direct) and capacity

unit from the selected instrument. After all values are read and written, the connection is closed and the program stops.

Figure 6: Setpoint Configure and Read VI

This is just an example of a very basic application using only a few of the VIs available. Bigger and more advanced applications can incorporate loops, case structures and events to create interactive front panels. These more advanced applications can be used to configure instrument settings and display the data read back from the instrument. An example of such an application is the Bronkhorst FLOW-BUS Instrument Control Application VI in the Examples folder.

The Initialize- and Close-VI need to be present in every application. Those two VIs are used to open the connection to the COM port with the correct settings, and to close that connection when the application is finished. Without proper initialization communication to the instrument is not possible, and not closing the connection can result in errors when using the COM port in other applications.

LabVIEW™ applications can be made as complex as you need them to be. Just make sure that all VISA and Error connections are connected, initialized, and closed properly to insure correct operation.

To add functionality to the driver some knowledge of the driver VI structure is needed. This information is available in the next chapters. Parameter properties can be found in the parameter properties table in document 9.17.027.

3.2.2 Standard Driver VI Structure

The image below shows the block diagram of the Configure Counter Limit VI, which can be found in the Configure » Counter folder. This VI configures the counter limit/batch in units selected with the Configure Counter Unit VI. The value is a float in IEEE754 32-bits single precision notation of which the default setting is 0 ln.

Figure 7: Configure Counter Limit VI

All driver VIs that communicate to an instrument use a FLOW-BUS RW VI. This VI is located in the Private folder that corresponds to the VIs function. The FLOW-BUS RW VI takes the values from the input cluster and uses these values to create a command string that complies with the FLOW-BUS protocol. The values needed to read from, or write to, a specific parameter can be found in the parameter properties table in document 9.17.027. In the cluster in the image above you can see all the settings to configure the counter limit. These inputs are:

FLOW-BUS LabVIEW™ Driver Manual 9.17.078

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Node Address

The address of the instrument (node) the message is meant for.

Communication Command

The type of command to send (Send parameter or Request parameter).

Process

The process number of the parameter.

Parameter

The parameter number of the parameter.

Data Type

The data type of the parameter.

Data for [data type]

The data that will be sent to the selected parameter in the selected instrument.

Constants that are not used will keep their default values.

In the image above the controls for the Node Address and the Data for Float or Long are wired into the cluster. Wiring controls into the cluster makes the VI interactive, as the values can now be changed from the front panel. The controls are wired into the cluster by means of the Bundle by Name function that only changes the selected values. The other values are copied from the input cluster constants.

Most driver VIs closely resemble the pictured above. The output of the Configure Counter Limit VI does not need to be converted before passing it into the FLOW-BUS RW VI, but there are other Configure VIs outputs which need to be converted.

The block diagram of a Read VI looks similar to the block diagram of a Write VI. Because there is no data to be send, the parameters Data for [data type] are missing.

FLOW-BUS LabVIEW™ Driver Manual

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Node Address

The address of the instrument (node) the message is meant for.

Communication Command

The type of command to send (send parameter with destination address and 00 response).

Process

The process number of the parameter.

Parameter

The parameter number of the parameter.

Data Type

The data type of the parameter.

Data for [data type]

The data that will be sent to the instrument, different data types require to be input in different inputs.

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All of these values can be found in the parameter properties table in document 9.17.027, 'Instruction manual RS232 interface'. http://www.bronkhorst.com/files/downloads/manuals_english/917027manual_rs232_interface.pdf

Node Address

The address of the instrument (node) the message is meant for.

Communication Command

The type of command to send (request parameter).

Process

The process number of the parameter.

Parameter

The parameter number of the parameter.

Data Type

The data type of the parameter.

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It is important to know that not all parameters are available on all FLOW-BUS instruments. Therefore not all VIs will work on all FLOW-BUS instruments. For more details about parameters and their use see the technical documentation of your instrument. The Bronkhorst software application FlowDDE also gives an overview of which parameters are available on which devices.

4 Adding a Driver VI

The most important part of the driver is the building of command strings and the extraction of information from the instruments response. These functions are performed by the FLOW-BUS RW VI that can be found in the Private folder. This chapter offers a quick overview of the inputs required to start sending and receiving data with the FLOW-BUS RW VI. More information about the FLOW-BUS RW VI can be found in the block diagram and in the context help of the VI.

4.1 Sending a Parameter

The following values have to be present in the cluster that feeds the FLOW-BUS RW VI in order to send a parameter to an instrument.

4.2 Requesting a Parameter

The following values have to be present in the cluster that feeds the FLOW-BUS RW VI in order to request a parameter from an instrument.

The output data depends on the Data Type. There are three data outputs, one for Character or Integer values, one for Float or Long values, and one for Strings. If the requested Character or Integer value is a negative or signed value, the output value needs to be converted to a signed integer.

To make these functions interactive, wire a front panel control to one of the cluster values by using the Bundle by Name function (see the image in chapter 3.2.2).

FLOW-BUS LabVIEW™ Driver Manual 9.17.078

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Parameter number (DDE)

Parameter name

Group 0

Group 1

Group 2

Process number

FB nr (par)

Var Type

Var Length

...

115

User tag

1136c-2...

4.3 Example

This example shows how to create a VI that can configure the user tag of an instrument. First we need the values of the folloing parameters:

Node Address Communication Command Process number Parameter number Data Type Data

These parameters can be found in the the parameter properties table:

The next step is to enter the values in the corresponding fields of the FLOW-BUS Command Cluster. Note:

The Communication Command will be set to “send parameter with destination address and 00 response” which corresponds to a write command with a status reply. The combination of Var Type c and Var Length -2 indicates the data type is a string, so the Data Type will be set to String.

When all settings are entered the cluster should look like this:

Figure 8: FLOW-BUS Command Cluster

If this cluster is wired to the FLOW-BUS RW VI, every time the VI is executed, the same values will be sent. To make the VI interactive, the controls of the node address and the string data can be wired into the cluster. To do this, wire the cluster to the Bundle by Name function and select the Node Address and the Data for String as the inputs. Then create controls for these two values and connect the output cluster to the FLOW BUS RW VI.

Figure 9: Interactive Parameter Bundle

FLOW-BUS LabVIEW™ Driver Manual

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When everything is connected the VI can be used just like any other driver VI. The block diagram of the completed VI is shown below.

Figure 10: Example VI

If you compare the image above to the image in chapter 3.2.2 or any other driver VI, you will see a lot of similarities. The only differences are the entered values, and possibly the conversion of the data to write to the instrument. Therefore the easiest way to make a new driver VI is to copy an existing one and change the necessary controls, indicators and values.

FLOW-BUS LabVIEW™ Driver Manual 9.17.078

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5 Service

For current information on Bronkhorst High-Tech B.V. and service addresses please visit our website:

http://www.bronkhorst.com

Do you have any questions about our products? Our Sales Department will gladly assist you selecting the right product for your application. Contact sales by e-mail:

sales@bronkhorst.com

For after-sales questions, our Customer Service Department is available with help and guidance. To contact CSD by e-mail:

support@bronkhorst.com

No matter the time zone, our experts within the Support Group are available to answer your request immediately or ensure appropriate further action. Our experts can be reached at:

+31 573 45 88 39

FLOW-BUS LabVIEW™ Driver Manual

Bronkhorst FLOW-BUS LabVIEW Driver User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Table of contents

1 General Product Information

1.1 Introduction

1.2 References to Other Applicable Documents

1.2.1 Manuals and user guides

1.2.2 Technical drawings

1.3 Supported Instruments

1.4 System Requirements

1.5 Installation of the driver package

1.5.1 NI Instrument Driver Finder Installation

1.5.2 Manual Installation

2 Interfaces

2.1 RS232 on Multibus Instrument

2.1.1 Applications, e.g. EL-FLOW

RS232/FLOW-BUS Interface

2.2.1 D-connector for RS232

3 Operation

3.1 Accessing the Driver VI’s

3.2 Driver Structure

3.2.1 Basic Application Structure

3.2.2 Standard Driver VI Structure

4 Adding a Driver VI

4.1 Sending a Parameter

4.2 Requesting a Parameter

4.3 Example

5 Service