Various controls can be customized using property (attribute) nodes in order to make the VI easy to use and idiot proof. A simple example is to turn off controls/ indicators during VI execution to prohibit the user from changing instrument settings during an experiment. In this lab, you will design a VI to record data from a digitizing oscilloscope and manipulate the property nodes of various controls and indicators. For this lab, you SHOULD USE prewritten subVIs to control the Oscilloscope. Please see the course web page to download the LabVIEW Library of VIs for the Oscilloscope.

Create a VI to record a waveform from the Digitizing oscilloscope. For testing your VI, use the output from a function generator.

1. The VI should control/ indicate the scope sensitivity Range and timebase Range. These controls/indicators should be placed on the VI front panel. Use the PREWRITTEN subVIs to change the scope's sensitivity Range and timebase Range.
2. The VI should include a "GET DATA" button. Place this button on the RUN TIME MENU. When this menu option is selected, the VI should

- Trigger the scope - use PREWRITTEN subVI

- Acquire the data - Use PREWRITTEN subVI

- Download the data to the VI

- Plot the data to an XY Graph on the VI front panel

See the example given in class for a sample VI.

3. When the "GET DATA" button is pressed, the user controllable scope sensitivity Range and timebase Range buttons should be greyed out (Not controllable by the user). Once the data if plotted, the controls should be activated again.
4. The VI should include a "SAVE DATA" in the RUN TIME MENU. When this menu item is selected, the VI should save the data to an ASCII spreadsheet file which is readable by EXCEL.
5. One common problem with Non-LabView students using Labview programs is that they think the SAVE AS… menu option under the FILE menu saves their data. As you know, this saves the VI. One option is to design the VI so that it runs with DIFFERENT menu options than when the VI is stopped. In your RUN TIME MENU, modify the FILE option so that Save and SAVE AS… are NOT available or listed to the use. Define a run-time menu for which the SAVE and SAVE AS menu options are not available to the user. For this design to work properly, you will also need to design the VI so that when it is opened, it automatically executes. Otherwise, the standard menu options are available when the VI is stopped. Execution of your VI should be Terminated with a "EXIT VI" button on the front panel.
6. Use the attribute node of the graph to install a CLEAR button for the graph. When the user presses the CLEAR button, the data on the VI's front panel graph should be erased.
7. Include an option for the user to save/recall the front panel settings (scope sensitivity and timebase). An application might be a fixed experiment that you need to repeat on several different days. Rather than having to adjust the panel settings each time, you can recall a "standardized set" of front panel settings which quickly configures the oscilloscope to the desired settings. This feature is most easily implemented by saving important front panel settings to a file and reading the file to restore the settings.

For assistance, you can refer to the instruction manual for the oscilloscope, which is available on the course web page.

Additional information and a copy of this lab is located at:

http://web.njit.edu/~gnita/VI/OPSE310/OPSE310Lab8.htm

Submit the created VI and subVIs by attaching them to an e-mail document. (Note that you can either attach the VIs or zip the VIs by using WinZIP). E-mail the files to: gnita@njit.edu . NO DISCUSSION QUESTIONS.