Tektronix LabVIEW User manual

Programming Tektronix OpenChoice Oscilloscopes
with LabVIEW

Introduction

LabVIEW is a graphical development environment for acquiring, analyzing and
presenting data. This makes it a good companion to your TDS OpenChoice
oscilloscope with its own data acquisition and analysis abilities.

You use LabVIEW to create virtual instruments, also known as VIs. A LabVIEW
VI consists of a front panel and a block diagram.

The front panel provides the user interface for your program. Use the front panel
to input data and view outputs. Build the front panel with graphical
representations of controls and indicators. A control could be a knob or a switch.
An indicator could be a graticule on which to display oscilloscope-style
waveforms.

The block diagram contains the VI’s underlying code. Build your block diagram
with functions, other VIs and wires. The wires connect the block diagram objects
to each other. You can draw upon LabVIEW’s libraries for data collection,
analysis, presentation, and storage.

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Programming Tektronix OpenChoice Oscilloscopes with LabVIEW

To help you create and edit your program’s front panel and block diagram,
LabVIEW provides palettes. These are shown in the following table:

Palette Appearance Description

Tools

Controls

Use this palette with both the front
panel and the block diagram. The
tools in this palette let you operate
and modify the front panel and
block diagram objects. To display
this palette, go to the front panel or
block diagram menu bar and click:

Windows -> Show Tools Palette

Use this palette with the front panel.
It provides your front panel’s
controls and indicators. To display
this palette, go to the font panel
menu bar and click:

Windows -> Show Controls
Palette

Functions

Use this palette with the block
diagram. It provides your block
diagram’s functions and VIs. To
display this palette, go to the block
diagram menu bar and click:

Windows -> Show Functions
Palette

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Programming Options

Programming Tektronix OpenChoice Oscilloscopes with LabVIEW

The functions palette includes oscilloscope-specific sub-palettes for each of the
TDS5000, 6000, 7000, and 8000 series open Windows oscilloscopes. You can
use them to manage waveform transfer between your LabVIEW applications and
your TDS open Windows oscilloscope.

You can use either VISA I/O functions or VXIplug&play instrument drivers to
communicate with your oscilloscope.

Advanced users can use VISA to send and receive text-based messages to the
oscilloscope directly. You may want to use this method if you need complete
control of how the instrument is programmed. This method has a higher learning
curve than using an instrument driver. However, there are some opportunities for
optimization if you are familiar with the GPIB command set.

Most users should use VXIplug&play driver to access all the oscilloscope
functionality from LabVIEW. Tektronix has worked with National Instruments to
provide LabVIEW wrappers that are customized for all Tektronix OpenChoice
oscilloscopes. Note that the instrument drivers have to be installed after installing
LabVIEW. These LabVIEW wrappers provide a convenient way of accessing the
different functions in the driver. You can access these wrappers from the
Functions-> Instrument Drivers palette as shown in the following illustration:

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