Post on 26-Dec-2015
Agenda
• Intro to the New Control System• LabVIEW Basics– little LabVIEW History– What else LabVIEW might be able to do for you– Resources– Hands On Instruction
• LabVIEW Project Window• WPI Robotics Libraries for LabVIEW
What is LabVIEW?
• It is a tool used by scientists and engineers to measure and automate the universe around us
• It is a graphical programming environment– programming – it is a programming language and
you won’t be an expert in a day or two– graphical – you draw your code– environment – it is more than measurement and
automation, it has analysis and user interface capabilities created for scientists and engineers
Virtual Instruments (VI)
• LabVIEW = Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Engineering Workbench
• Programs are called VIs (vee-eyes), they have:
Front Panel Block Diagram
VI / Car Analogy – Front Panel
• The Front Panel is like the driver’s cockpit– Controls or Inputs to the car• Ignition Key, Shifter, Gas Pedal,
Brake, etc.
– Indicators or Outputs• Speedometer, Tachometer,
Fuel Gauge, etc.
– Connects to the engine compartment
VI / Car Analogy – Block Diagram
• The Block Diagram is like the engine compartment– Functional Blocks• Engine, alternator, battery,
sensors, control modules, etc.
– Wires, Tubes and Hoses• Connects everything
together– Connects to driver’s cockpit
LabVIEW History• 1986 - Premiered on a Macintosh– It mainly automated electronic instruments –
oscilloscopes, multimeters, etc• 1992 - Ported to MS Windows• 1997 - Ported to a Real Time OS– Used by several Universities and Companies in various
robotics competitions• VA Tech started using it in 2003 – They finished in 3rd place at the
Urban Grand Challenge – late 2007• 1999 - Robolab was introduced by LEGO & Tufts Univ• 2006 - Ported to run on a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT• 2008/9 – LabVIEW FTC and FRC
Other LabVIEW uses
• Students– Students Projects with LEGO NXT– You’ll see it in many collegiate engineering & science
programs– Create NXT-G blocks for your favorite FLL or FTC
team*• Teachers– Project Lead the Way– The Infinity Project– Works with your Vernier Sensors
* You’ll need LabVIEW Version 7.1
Other LabVIEW uses
• Mentors from Industry– Instrument Control – GPIB, Etc– Industrial Automation – PLCs, HMI, SCADA– Machine Vision– Motion Control– Program FPGAs– Embedded Targets – ADI Blackfin, ARM 7– Algorithm Engineering
Early Virginia Tech (TORC) successes using LabVIEW in Autonomous System Projects
Results of IGVC Competition1996 –- Did not place 1997 –- 5th place 1998 –- Did not place1999 –- 7th place 2000 –- 1st place2001 –- 2nd place2002 –- Did not place
2003 -– 1st Place2004 –- 1st Place 2005 –- 1st Place2006 –- 1st Place2007 –- 1st Place
Introduction of LabVIEW
http://www.igvc.org/
Resources
• Books– LabVIEW for Everyone – Travis & Kring– Learning with LabVIEW – Robert Bishop– LabVIEW for LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT - Michael
Gasperi
• Websites– ni.com/first
Logistics• LabVIEW for FRC – 2 DVDs ship with the Kit
• You don’t need to load both• Disk 1 = LabVIEW• Disk 2 = Windriver C++• Version 8.5.1 which is not the latest version
– http://www.usfirst.org/frccontrolsystem• LabVIEW FRC software update - VERY IMPORTANT• Control System Manual• H/W and S/W Documentation
• If you don’t have your kit – use LabVIEW Evaluation Copy