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QUICK REFERENCE LabWindows/CVI Using Function Panels
Use interactive function
™ ™
panels to generate library

LabWindows /CVI LabWindows/CVI meets the changing needs of test engineers with an
interactive development environment designed for virtual instrumentation.
calls, test the calls, and
insert them into the program.
A function panel is a
graphical representation of
a LabWindows/CVI function
LabWindows/CVI is a proven test and measurement ANSI C development environment that With easy-to-use development tools, you can quickly create, configure, and its parameters.
increases the productivity of engineers and scientists. LabWindows/CVI streamlines
and display measurements during program design and verification.
application development with hardware configuration assistants, comprehensive debugging
tools, and interactive execution utilities you can use to run functions at design time. LabWindows/CVI automates much of the manual coding and compiling.
Use the built-in measurement libraries to rapidly develop complex applications such as
multithreaded programs and ActiveX server/client programs. The flexibility of LabWindows/CVI
1 Designing User Interfaces 5 Editing Source Code
optimizes data acquisition, analysis, and presentation in test and measurement applications.
Design graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in the intuitive User Interface Editor. Complete your program using the built-in source editor. Use the
Select from controls designed specifically for instrumentation. source code completion options to view functions, variables,
prototypes, and help within the Source window. You also can
access input selection dialog boxes for parameters and declare
System Requirements Installation parameter variables from within the Source window.

• Personal computer using a Pentium 600 1. Insert the CD into the CD drive.
or higher microprocessor If the CD does not run automatically,
open Windows Explorer, right-click the
• Microsoft Windows CD drive icon, and select AutoPlay.
2000/NT SP6/XP
2. Click Install LabWindows/CVI
• 800 x 600 resolution (or higher) video on the National Instruments
adapter LabWindows/CVI screen.
• Minimum of 128 MB of RAM, 256 MB 3. Continue to follow the instructions
recommended on the screen.
• 150 MB free hard disk space

• Microsoft-compatible mouse

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or later

2 Customizing Controls
Customize each GUI control with easy-to-use dialog boxes.

Product Resources
6 Debugging
National Instruments provides extensive Documentation Resources Use LabWindows/CVI debugging tools to catch common programming mistakes.
product resources for new and experienced The patented User Protection feature automatically checks for invalid program
LabWindows/CVI users. • LabWindows/CVI Help—Use the behavior. Set breakpoints and use tooltips to pause program execution and view
LabWindows Help to access or modify variable values.
Online Resources comprehensive information about
For complete technical information, developer LabWindows/CVI windows, functions,
exchange opportunities, and the latest news tools, and menus. To launch the
about LabWindows/CVI, visit ni.com/cvi: LabWindows/CVI Help from
LabWindows/CVI, select Help»Contents.
• Technical support
• LabWindows/CVI Bookshelf—Use the
• Online community LabWindows/CVI Bookshelf to search PDF
versions of the following LabWindows/CVI
• Sample programs documents:
– LabWindows/CVI Release Notes
• Application notes and white papers
– Getting Started with LabWindows/CVI
• Add-on products – LabWindows/CVI Instrument Driver
Developers Guide
• Training information
– Application notes
• Product tutorials – White papers

Sample Programs To launch the LabWindows/CVI Bookshelf

from LabWindows/CVI, select
Use the National Instruments Example Finder
Help»LabWindows/CVI Bookshelf.
to browse and search installed examples and 3 Generating Code
examples on NI Developer Zone. To launch the Automatically generate an ANSI C 7 Creating Installers
NI Example Finder from LabWindows/CVI, program based on the GUI with
select Help»Find Examples. Use the Create
LabWindows/CVI CodeBuilder. Distribution Kit
CodeBuilder creates code that command to make
responds automatically to user an installer for your
events such as mouse clicks, application.
key presses, and menu selections.

CVI™, DIAdem™, IVI™, National Instruments™, NI™, ni.com™, NI Developer Zone™, and NI-DAQ™ are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation.
Product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. For patents covering National Instruments
products, refer to the appropriate location: Help»Patents in your software, the patents.txt file on your CD, or ni.com/patents. For a listing of the
copyrights, conditions, and disclaimers regarding components used in USI (Xerces C++, ICU, and HDF5), refer to the USICopyrights.chm.
© 2003–2004 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed in Ireland.

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LabWindows/CVI Library Reference LabWindows/CVI

Use built-in instrumentation libraries to interface test applications to the outside world.
LabWindows/CVI includes a large set of run-time libraries for instrument control, data
Advanced Analysis Library
The Advanced Analysis Library contains functions that simulate
and analyze large sets of numerical data quickly and efficiently.

Signal Generation
Utility Library
The Utility Library contains functions that perform various
operations, including using the system timer, managing disk
files, launching another executable, and using multiple threads.

Timer/Wait
NI-DAQmx Library
The NI-DAQmx Library contains functions that communicate
with and control data acquisition devices.

Task Configuration/Control
ActiveX Library
The ActiveX Library contains functions that create and control
ActiveX servers. Use these functions in conjunction with the
ActiveX Controller Instrument Drivers, which you can generate
using the Create ActiveX Controller Wizard. Also use the
ActiveX Library functions with ActiveX server code, which you
acquisition, analysis, and user interface creation. This chart illustrates classes in each Array Operations Advanced can generate using the Create ActiveX Server Wizard.
Date/Time
library. To find specific functions, use <Ctrl-Shift-P> in the Source window. You also 1D Operations Channel Creation/Configuration Variant Related Functions
Keyboard
can use the Library Tree to browse to and search for functions. 2D Operations Create Analog Input Channels Passing Values as Variants
File Utilities
Complex Operations Position Assigning Values to Variants
Directory Utilities
Complex Numbers Create TEDS Analog Input Channels Querying the Type of a Variant
Multithreading

User Interface Library 1D Complex Operations Thread Pool Position Retrieving Values from Variants
The User Interface Library contains functions that programmatically control the user interface. Signal Processing Create Analog Output Channels
Call Scheduling Functions Array Functions

Panels Timers Frequency Domain Advanced Functions Create Digital Input Channels C Array to SafeArray Conversion

Menu Structures Tables Time Domain Callbacks Create Digital Output Channels SafeArray to C Array Conversion

Menu Bars Splitters IIR Digital Filters Thread Safe Queue Create Counter Input Channels Querying SafeArrays

Menus and Submenus ActiveX Controls Cascade Filter Functions General Functions Position BSTR Functions

Menu Items Data Binding Functions Filter Information Utilities Reading/Writing Create Counter Output Channels Resource Management

Control Menus Pop-up Panels One-Step Filter Functions Callbacks Timing Error Processing

Controls/Graphs/Strip Charts Message/Prompt Popups Old-Style Filter Functions Thread Safe Variable Triggering Configuration

FIR Digital Filters Thread Lock Start Trigger

General Functions File/Directory Popups Locales
Thread Local Variable Reference Trigger
List/Tree (Label/Value) Controls Graph Popups Windows Multithreading
External Modules
Trees Font Popups Measurement Advance Trigger Low-level Functions
Port IO
Text Boxes KeyPress Event Functions Statistics Read Functions Creating ActiveX Objects
Standard Input/Output Window
Graphs and Strip Charts Callback Functions Basics Advanced Calling Methods and Properties
Runtime Error Reporting
Graph Plotting and Deleting Windows Interrupt Support Probability Distributions Write Functions Events
Old-Style Functions
Graph Cursors User Interface Management Analysis of Variance Advanced Server Creation Functions
Interrupts
Graph Legend Printing Nonparametric Statistics Export HW Signals Object Functions
Physical Memory Access
Strip Chart Traces Mouse and Cursor Curve Fitting Scale Configuration Advanced Functions
Task Switching
Digital Waveform Graph Plotting Rectangles and Points Old-Style Functions Internal Buffer Configuration Object Helper Functions
Launching Executables
Axis Scaling Creating and Modifying Interpolation Advanced IUnknown Functions
Extended Functions
Axis Label Strings Retrieving and Comparing Values Vector & Matrix Algebra Switch Functions IDispatch Functions
Miscellaneous

Pictures Bitmaps Real Matrices Signal Routing DLL Server Entry Points

Canvas Clipboard Complex Matrices Device Control

Drawing Miscellaneous Additional Numerical Methods

GPIB/GPIB 488.2 Library Watchdog Timer

The GPIB/GPIB 488.2 Library contains functions that Calibration

Batch Drawing LW DOS Compatibility Functions
Note The Advanced Analysis Library is part communicate with GPIB instruments, control GPIB boards, and Formatting and I/O Library
Pens Monitors of the LabWindows/CVI Full Development acquire GPIB status information. External Calibration The Formatting and I/O Library contains functions that read
System. The LabWindows/CVI Base Package from and write to disk files and manipulate the format of
Clipping Open/Close DSA Calibration data in a program.
includes the standard LabWindows/CVI
Analysis Library. If you have the Base TEDS
Accessing Pixel Values Configuration File I/O
Package installed, refer to the Library Tree for
Miscellaneous a list of the standard Analysis Library classes. I/O System Configuration String Manipulation

Device Control Error Handling Data Formatting

Bus Control Formatting Functions

Note Refer to the Library Tree for a list of the
IVI Library VISA Library Board Control Traditional NI-DAQ Library classes. Scanning Functions

The IVI Library contains functions that program and control IVI drivers. IVI-compliant drivers have a standard The VISA Library provides a single interface library for Status Functions
Callbacks
interface, so you can interchange similar instruments without changing your code. controlling VXI, GPIB, USB, and serial instruments.
Locking
Instrument Driver Session Range Tables Resource Template
Thread-Specific Status VXI Library
Locking Range Table Entries Resource Management The VXI Library contains functions that communicate with and
GPIB 488.2 Functions control VXI devices. RS-232 Library
Channels Get Range Table Num Entries Resource-Specific Operations
The RS-232 Library contains functions that control multiple
Device I/O
Basic Message-Based I/O System Configuration RS-232 ports using interrupt-driven I/O.
Repeated Capabilities Get ViInt32 Entry
Trigger and Clear
Attribute Creation Get ViReal64 Entry Formatted I/O Commander Word Serial Open/Close
SRQ and Serial Polls
Add Attribute Range Table Ptr Memory-Based I/O (High Level) Servant Word Serial Input/Output
Parallel Polls
Add Repeated Attribute Dynamic Range Tables Memory-Based I/O (Low Level) Low-Level VXIbus Access XModem
Remote/Local
Invalidation Lists Error Information Shared Memory High-Level VXIbus Access Control
System Control
Comparison Precision Instrument Specific Error Queue Interface-Specific Operations Local Resource Access Status
Low-level I/O
Callbacks Memory Allocation VXI Signals Callbacks

Set Read Callback VXI Interrupts Extension

Helper Functions

Set Write Callback VXI Triggers

Inherent Attribute Accessors
ANSI C Library DIAdem Connectivity Library
Set Check Callback System Interrupts
String Callbacks The ANSI C Library contains standard ANSI C functions, The DIAdem Connectivity Library contains functions that
which you can use in LabWindows/CVI. directly transfer data between LabWindows/CVI and DIAdem.
Set Coerce Callback Direct Instrument I/O
VXIbus Extenders Internet Library
Character Handling Object Management Backward Compatibility The Internet Library contains functions that communicate
Set Compare Callback String/Value Tables with and receive files and commands from remote servers.
Date and Time Advanced Commander Word Serial
Set/Get/Check Attribute Value Manipulation
FTP (Client)
Localization Data Storage Servant Word Serial
Set Attribute Default Callbacks
Low Level FTP
Mathematics Data Retrieval
Get Attribute Attribute Information
Telnet (Client)
Nonlocal Jumping Enumeration
Check Attribute Interchangeability Warnings
POP3 (Client)
Caching/Status-Checking Control Logical Names
Signal Handling Properties
TCP Support Library
Input/Output File The TCP Support Library contains functions that provide support Note The LabWindows/CVI Base Package does not
Configuration
for a platform-independent interface to the reliable, byte-stream include the Internet Library.
General Utilities Channel Group oriented, network connection capabilities of TCP/IP.

String Handling Channel Server Functions

Miscellaneous
DDE Support Library Server Functions
Low-Level IO Client Functions
ni.com/cvi
The DDE Support Library contains functions that create an interface Multibyte Characters
Client Functions Support Functions
between other Windows applications using the DDE standard.