Job Aid

If a VI is not broken, but you get unexpected data, you can use the following checklist to identify
and correct problems with the VI or the block diagram data flow:

 Wire the error in and error out parameters at the bottom of most built-in VIs and functions.

 Select View»Error List and place a checkmark in the Show Warnings checkbox to see all warnings for the
VI.

 Triple-click a wire to highlight its entire path and to ensure that the wires connect to the proper terminals.

 Use the Context Help window to check the default values for each function and subVI on the block
diagram.

 Use the Find dialog box to search for subVIs, text, and other objects to correct throughout the VI.

 Select View»VI Hierarchy to find unwired subVIs.

 Use execution highlighting to watch the data move through the block diagram.

 Single-step through the VI to view each action of the VI on the block diagram.

 Use the Probe tool to observe intermediate data values and to check the error output of VIs and functions,
especially those performing I/O.

 Click the Retain Wire Values button on the block diagram toolbar to retain wire values for use with probes.

 Use breakpoints to pause execution, so you can single-step or insert probes.

 Suspend the execution of a subVI to edit values of controls and indicators, to control the number of times
it runs, or to go back to the beginning of the execution of the subVI.

 Determine if the data that one function or subVI passes is undefined.

 If the VI runs more slowly than expected, confirm that you turned off execution highlighting in subVIs.

 Check the representation of controls and indicators to see if you are receiving overflow because you
converted a floating-point number to an integer or an integer to a smaller integer.

 Determine if any For Loops inadvertently execute zero iterations and produce empty arrays.

 Verify you initialized shift registers properly unless you intend them to save data from one execution of the
loop to another.