LabVIEW for FRC

NYC / NJ Software WorkshopJanuary 7, 2012

jeff.steele@ni.com

Agenda

• What you will need to be successful• What is LabVIEW? • What else LabVIEW might be able to do for

you• Resources• Hands On Instruction

What you will need to be successful

• Feel comfortable navigating the LabVIEW development environment (Today’s Goal)

• A good understanding of the FRC control system– cRIO Inputs and Outputs– Driver Station– Mode of operations

• Lastly digest the LabVIEW Projects for:– cRIO– Dashboard

Which version of LabVIEW

FRC Software FTC Software• FTC this Year

– FTC 2011-12 = LVLM2010• FRC Prior Years

– FTC 2010-11 = LVEE2009– FTC 2009-10 = LVEE2009

• FRC this Year– FRC 2012 = LV2011

• FRC Prior Years– FRC 2011 = LV8.6.1– FRC 2010 = LV8.6.1– FRC 2009 = LV8.5.1

Do NOT:•Use Last Year Version•Don’t download LabVIEW from ni.com… Find the FIRST DVD

FRC and FTC versions can coexist on the same PC

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

Examples of where LabVIEW is used

• Large Hadron Collider– Over 100 Processors controlling over 600 motors

are used to help steer the particles around the 27 km ring at over 1,000 times per second

• Test your Xbox Controller• Control a Power Generating Buoy– Ocean Power Tech – Pennington, NJ

• Arresting Jet Aircraft• MythBusters

Other LabVIEW uses for you

• Students– Students Projects with LEGO NXT– You’ll see it in many collegiate

engineering & science programs– http://labviewhacker.com/

• Teachers– The Infinity Project– myDAQ personal electronics lab eqmt– Works with your Vernier Sensors

Other LabVIEW uses for you

• Mentors from Industry– Instrument Control – GPIB, Etc– Industrial Automation – PLCs, HMI, SCADA– Machine Vision– Motion Control– Program FPGAs– 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/

Virtual Instruments (VI)

• LabVIEW = Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Engineering Workbench

• Programs are called VIs (vee-eyes), they have:

• A .vi file is analogous to .doc, .xls or .ppt

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

Resources

• Websites– ni.com/first– http://frcmastery.com/

• Books– LabVIEW for Everyone – Travis & Kring– Learning with LabVIEW – Robert Bishop– LabVIEW for LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT - Michael

Gasperi

Hands On Instructions

• At first, please do what I do… don’t stray• Listen Carefully… – “left-click” vs. “right-click”– “click & release” vs. “click & hold”

• Raise your hand … shout “Help!”