LabVIEW for FRC
NYC / NJ Software WorkshopJanuary 7, 2012
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