Getting Started
with
™
VirtualBench
Getting Started with VirtualBench
March 1997 Edition
Part Number 321518A-01
© Copyright 1997 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.
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About This Manual
Conventions Used in This Manual...................................................................................vii
Customer Communication...............................................................................................viii
Chapter 1
Welcome to VirtualBench
VirtualBench Installation for Windows...........................................................................1-1
Minimum System Requirements .....................................................................................1-1
Installing VirtualBench under Windows 3.1x .................................................................1-2
Installing VirtualBench under Windows 95/NT 4.0........................................................1-3
What Is Installed by the Setup Program ..........................................................................1-4
Connecting Signals to Your Data Acquisition Device ....................................................1-4
Chapter 2
VirtualBench-Scope
Front Panel Features ........................................................................................................2-1
Acquiring Data.................................................................................................................2-3
Contents
Chapter 3
VirtualBench-Logger
Front Panel Features ........................................................................................................3-1
Acquiring Data.................................................................................................................3-3
Chapter 4
VirtualBench-DSA
Front Panel Features ........................................................................................................4-1
Acquiring and Measuring Signals....................................................................................4-3
Chapter 5
VirtualBench-FG
Front Panel Features ........................................................................................................5-1
Generating a Waveform...................................................................................................5-2
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National Instruments Corporation v Getting Started with VirtualBench
Contents
Chapter 6
VirtualBench-DMM
Front Panel Features........................................................................................................ 6-1
Measuring a Signal.......................................................................................................... 6-3
Chapter 7
VirtualBench-Arb
Waveform Generator Front Panel Features..................................................................... 7-1
Waveform Editor Front Panel Features........................................................................... 7-2
Generating a Waveform ..................................................................................................7-4
Chapter 8
VirtualBench-AODC
Front Panel Features........................................................................................................ 8-1
Controlling Analog Output.............................................................................................. 8-2
Chapter 9
VirtualBench-DIO
Front Panel Features........................................................................................................ 9-1
Reading from and Writing to Digital Ports ..................................................................... 9-2
Chapter 10
VirtualBench-Device Calibrator
Front Panel Features........................................................................................................ 10-1
Calibrating a DAQ Device .............................................................................................. 10-2
Appendix
Customer Communication
Getting Started with VirtualBench vi
©
National Instruments Corporation
The VirtualBench suite of tools is a high-performance, easy-to-use
virtual instruments application program for Microsoft Windows 3.1x,
Windows 95, or Windows NT. Getting Started with VirtualBench gives
you step-by-step instructions on how to use each instrument. It also
includes a description of the front panel of each instrument.
Conventions Used in This Manual
The following conventions are used in this manual:
bold Bold text denotes a parameter, menu name, palette name, menu item,
return value, function panel item, or dialog box button or option.
italic Italic text denotes mathematical variables, emphasis, a cross reference,
or an introduction to a key concept.
bold italic
monospace Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should literally enter
Bold italic text denotes an activity objective, note, caution, or warning.
from the keyboard. Sections of code, programming examples, and
syntax examples also appear in this font. This font also is used for the
proper names of disk drives, paths, directories, programs, subprograms,
subroutines, device names, variables, filenames, and extensions, and for
statements and comments taken from program code.
About
This
Manual
<> Angle brackets enclose the name of a key on the keyboard, for example,
<PageDown>.
» The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box
options to a final action. The sequence
File»Page Setup»Options»Substitute Fonts directs you to pull down
the File menu, select the Page Setup item, select Options, and finally
select the Substitute Fonts option from the last dialog box.
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National Instruments Corporation vii Getting Started with VirtualBench
About This Manual
paths Paths in this manual are denoted using backslashes (\) to separate drive
names, directories, and files, as in
C:\dir1name\dir2name\filename
This icon to the left of bold, italicized text denotes a note, which alerts
you to important information.
Customer Communication
National Instruments wants to receive your comments on our products
and manuals. We are interested in the applications you develop with our
products, and we want to help if you have problems with them. To make
it easy for you to contact us, this manual contains comment and
configuration forms for you to complete. These forms are in the
appendix, Customer Communication, at the end of this manual.
.
Getting Started with VirtualBench viii
©
National Instruments Corporation
Chapter
Welcome to VirtualBench
Welcome to VirtualBench, a suite of high-performance, easy-to-use
virtual instruments for Microsoft Windows 3.1x, Windows 95, and
Windows NT. This document contains installation instructions, lists of
system requirements and new features, and updated information to help
you get started with VirtualBench.
VirtualBench Installation for Windows
You must install VirtualBench along with two other items:
• A National Instruments data acquisition (DAQ) device
• NI-DAQ driver software
Minimum System Requirements
To run VirtualBench you must have the following:
• MS-DOS, version 5.0 or later
• Microsoft Windows 3.1 or later; Microsoft Windows 95 or
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 or later
• Personal computer using at least a 33 MHz 80486 or higher
microprocessor (National Instruments recommends a 66 MHz
80486 or higher microprocessor.)
• VGA resolution (or higher) video adapter
• Math coprocessor or one of the following coprocessor emulation
programs:
– WEMM387.386 from WATCOM
– Q387 from Quickware
• Minimum of 16 MB of RAM
• 30 MB free hard disk space
• Microsoft-compatible mouse
1
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National Instruments Corporation 1-1 Getting Started with VirtualBench
Chapter 1 Welcome to VirtualBench
• NI-DAQ 4.9.0 if you plan to use an AT-DSP2200, AT-A2150, or
EISA-A2000 DAQ device
• NI-DAQ 5.0 or later if you plan to use Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
or later, or if you plan to use any of the following new DAQ
devices:
– PCI-MIO-16E-1 – AT-DIO-32HS
– PCI-MIO-16E-4 – AT-5102
– PCI-MIO-16XE-10 – AT-5411
– PCI-MIO-16XE-50 – DAQCard-5102
– PCI-1200 – DAQCard-4050
– PCI-DIO-96 – PC-DIO-96PNP
– PCI-DIO-32HS – PC-DIO-24PNP
– PCI-5411 – SCXI-1120D
– VXI-AO-48XDC – VXI-MIO
– VXI-SC-1000 – PCI-5102
Installing VirtualBench under Windows 3.1x
To install VirtualBench from CD, perform the following steps:
1. Open the Windows Program Manager by double-clicking on the
Program Manager icon.
Note: It is recommended that you not run other applications while you install
VirtualBench.
2. Insert your VirtualBench CD into your CD-ROM drive.
3. Select Run from the File menu in the Program Manager.
4. Enter
X:\WIN31\DISK1\SETUP (where X is your CD drive) in the
input box and click on OK.
5. Follow the instructions that appear in the dialog boxes.
To install VirtualBench from diskettes, perform the following steps:
1. Make backup copies of your VirtualBench diskettes and store the
originals in a safe place.
2. Open the Windows Program Manager by double-clicking on the
Program Manager icon.
Getting Started with VirtualBench 1-2
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National Instruments Corporation
Chapter 1 Welcome to VirtualBench
Note: It is recommended that you not run other applications while you install
VirtualBench.
3. Insert Disk 1 into your 3.5-inch floppy disk drive.
4. Select Run from the File menu in the Program Manager.
5. Enter
A:setup or B:setup (depending on the pathname of your
floppy disk drive) in the input box and click on OK.
6. Follow the instructions that appear in the dialog boxes.
Installing VirtualBench under Windows 95/NT 4.0
To install VirtualBench from CD, perform the following steps:
1. Insert your VirtualBench CD into your CD-ROM drive.
Note: At this point your operating system may prompt you to run
SETUP.EXE. You
should ignore this prompt. Select Close and continue to the next step.
2. Select Run from the Windows 95/NT Start menu.
3. Enter
X:\WIN95-NT\DISK1\SETUP
(where X is your CD drive) in
the input box and click on OK.
4. Follow the instructions that appear in the dialog boxes.
To install VirtualBench from diskettes, perform the following steps:
1. Make backup copies of your VirtualBench diskettes and store the
originals in a safe place.
2. Insert Disk 1 into your 3.5-inch floppy disk drive.
Note: It is recommended that you not run other applications while you install
VirtualBench.
3. Select Run from the Start menu.
4. Enter
A:setup or B:setup (depending on the pathname of your
floppy disk drive) in the input box and click on OK.
5. Follow the instructions that appear in the dialog boxes.
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National Instruments Corporation 1-3 Getting Started with VirtualBench
Chapter 1 Welcome to VirtualBench
What Is Installed by the Setup Program
If you purchased the full VirtualBench suite, the setup program installs
the VirtualBench engine and nine virtual instruments: the oscilloscope
(Scope), dynamic signal analyzer (DSA), digital multimeter (DMM),
function generator (FG), logger, arbitrary waveform generator (Arb),
DC analog output controller (AODC), digital input/output controller
(DIO), and device calibrator. Each instrument comes with online help.
If you did not purchase the full VirtualBench suite, the setup program
for VirtualBench installs the VirtualBench engine and the instruments
you purchased. The VirtualBench toolbar enables only the buttons for
the instruments you purchased. However, you can access online help for
all the VirtualBench instruments.
Note: Do not rename the VirtualBench folders:
arb, aodc, dio, and cal. VirtualBench must have this folder hierarchy to
work correctly.
Note: Be sure to view the VirtualBench
VirtualBench installation disk for the latest infor mation concerning t he
installation and use of VirtualBench.
readme.txt
scope, logger, dmm, fg, dsa,
file in
Disk 1
of the
Connecting Signals to Your Data Acquisition Device
Refer to the user manual for your National Instruments DAQ device for
instructions on connecting signals to your device.
Getting Started with VirtualBench 1-4
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National Instruments Corporation
Chapter
VirtualBench-Scope
In Windows 3.1x, you launch VirtualBench-Scope by double-clicking
on the Scope icon in the VirtualBench window within the Program
Manager. In Windows 95/NT 4.0, you launch VirtualBench-Scope by
selecting Start»Programs»VirtualBench»VirtualBench-Scope.
Front Panel Features
Vertical
Slider
2
Channel
Selector
Channel
Settings
Time
Base
Trigger
Settings
Group
Main Control Bar
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National Instruments Corporation 2-1 Getting Started with VirtualBench
Graphics
Display
Chapter 2 VirtualBench-Scope
The front panel of VirtualBench-Scope has the following features:
• Channel Selector—selects a waveform for display on the Graphics
display.
• Channel Settings—adjusts the vertical sensitivity of the selected
channel. Turning the knob clockwise increases the sensitivity (each
vertical division represents a smaller voltage value).
• Timebase—allows you to change the timebase setting. Turning the
knob clockwise results in a shorter time period displayed in the
Graphics display (each horizontal division represents a shorter time
period).
• Graphics Display—displays waveforms.
• Vertical Slider—adjusts voltage offset for each channel. This slider
is useful when you want to view multiple waveforms in the
Graphics display.
• Trigger Settings Group—controls the conditions required for a
signal to be acquired; for example, whether to wait for a digital
trigger before acquiring data, or whether to acquire data in free-run
mode (no triggering).
• Main Control Bar Buttons
– Run—acquires data continuously. When clicked off, the
VirtualBench-Scope is placed in idle mode.
– Single —instructs VirtualBench-Scope to perform a
single-sweep acquisition.
– Auto Setup—starts configuration of the scope for the best
timebase, volts per division, and trigger setting for each
channel currently selected with the channel selector.
– Mode—sets the mode of the scope to either Volts versus Time
or X versus Y mode.
– X Scroll—scrolls along the X-axis or time axis.
Note: Please refer to the VirtualBench-Scope Online Help for additional help on
the front panel items.
Getting Started with VirtualBench 2-2
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National Instruments Corporation
Acquiring Data
Chapter 2 VirtualBench-Scope
You can start acquiring signals with VirtualBench-Scope by completing
the following steps:
1. Connect a signal to the Channel 0 input of your National
Instruments DAQ device. See the user manual of your DAQ device
for details. For example, on a 68-pin MIO E-series device, connect
a signal to pins 68 (ACH0) and 67 (AIGND) for a Referenced
Single Ended input.
2. Configure VirtualBench-Scope.
a. Select Settings from the Edit menu on the front panel.
b. Select the National Instruments device you want to use from
the General tab of the Settings dialog box. If a device does not
appear in the Device menu ring, make sure you have properly
configured the device using the NI-DAQ Configuration Utility.
c. Specify which channels on the data acquisition device
correspond to the VirtualBench-Scope channels, using the
Channels tab. For an MIO E-series device, you would select
VirtualBench-Scope Ch 1 to be representative of DAQ
Channel 0.
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National Instruments Corporation 2-3 Getting Started with VirtualBench
Chapter 2 VirtualBench-Scope
d. Click on OK to use these settings.
3. Save your settings by selecting Edit»Save Settings from the
pull-down menu on the front panel. Enter the name of the file you
want to save, for example
MyScope.set
.
Note: When you launch VirtualBench-Scope, it automatically uses the settings
from when you last used VirtualBench-Scope.
4. Enable the CH 1 button in the Channel Selector (Acquire) group.
Make sure all other channels are disabled.
5. Click on AutoSetup on the Main Control bar.
6. Click on Run to stop the acquisition.
Note: Please refer to the VirtualBench-Scope Online Help for additional help on
configuring VirtualBench-Scope for your specific application.
Getting Started with VirtualBench 2-4
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National Instruments Corporation
Chapter
VirtualBench-Logger
In Windows 3.1x, you launch VirtualBench-Logger by double-clicking
on the Logger icon in the VirtualBench program group. In
Windows 95/NT 4.0, you launch VirtualBench-Logger by selecting
Start»Programs»VirtualBench»VirtualBench-Logger.
Front Panel Features
Status
Display
Y Axis
Select
Control
Strip Chart
Display
3
Legend
Control
Channel
Select
Acquire
Data
Controls
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National Instruments Corporation 3-1 Getting Started with VirtualBench
Performance
Indicator
Chapter 3 VirtualBench-Logger
The front panel of VirtualBench-Logger has the following features:
• Strip Chart Display—displays the logged data.
• Y-Axis Select Controls—selects which channel Y scale to display
on either the left or right Y axis of the Strip Chart Display.
• Status Display—shows the Current Time, Start Time, and Stop
Time of the current data acquisition.
• Channel Select Control—selects which channels to display on the
Strip Chart Display. You can use the Labels/Values radio buttons
below the Channel Select control to switch between the Channel
Labels and the Channel Values.
• Legend Control—changes the trace attributes of each Display
Channel. Clicking on a trace in the Legend Control brings up a
menu that allows you to make changes to the Point Style, Line
Style, Interpolation method, and Color of the trace.
• Acquire Data Controls
– Logging On/Off—starts or stops logging of data to disk when
you run the instruments.
– Clear Chart—clears the Strip Chart Display. Clicking on this
button does not affect the acquisition of data.
– Start—starts the acquisition of data using the current logger
configuration.
– Stop—stops the acquisition of data and data logging when
enabled.
– Pause—temporarily stops the flow of data to the Strip Chart
and Log file when enabled.
• Performance Indicator—shows how efficiently
VirtualBench-Logger is running in data acquisition mode. You
should strive to keep VirtualBench-Logger running as efficiently as
possible. As the performance decreases, the indicator turns red to
indicate poor performance. When the performance reaches 0, an
error message pops up and the Logger stops collecting data.
Note: Please refer to the VirtualBench-Logger Online Help for additional help on
the front panel items.
Getting Started with VirtualBench 3-2
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National Instruments Corporation
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