2/9/22, 10:59 AM Data Communication Methods in LabVIEW - LabVIEW 2018 Help - National Instruments

NI is migrating this content to the new NI Product Documentation Center.

Newer versions of this content may be available. We invite you to take a look (https://www.ni.com/docs) and let us know what you think
(https://forums.ni.com/t5/Feedback-on-the-NI-Product/bd-p/feedback-niprod-doccenter).

HOME (//WWW.NI.COM/) / SUPPORT (//WWW.NI.COM/SUPPORT/) / MANUALS (//WWW.NI.COM/MANUALS) / LABVIEW 2018 HELP (/REFERENCE/EN-XX/HELP/371361R-01)

Data Communication Methods in LabVIEW

LabVIEW contains many data communication methods, each suited for a certain use case. To ensure you implement the Table of Contents (/reference/en-
correct data communication method for your application, refer to the overview presented in this topic. For detailed XX/help/371361R-01)
information about a particular data communication method, click the title of the data communication method you want to
learn more about. LabVIEW 2018 Help
Data
Dataflow Edition Date: March 2018
Communication Buffer Interfaces Variable Interfaces
Elements Part Number: 371361R-01
Type: View Product Info
Use Case: Sending data Sending data between Storing a readily-accessible value in memory where (http://www.ni.com/en-
between most locations when it is important the latest value is of primary interest. Use carefully to us/shop/select/labview)

block diagram to avoid overwriting or losing avoid race conditions (../using_local_and_global/).

objects. any value. DOWNLOAD (Windows Only)

Examples: Passing data Acquiring a waveform; sending Monitoring the current temperature; monitoring the
from a VI output a message or command; system state.
LabVIEW 2016 Help
to a VI input. streaming an image. (http://www.ni.com/pdf/manuals/371361n.zip)
Categories: LabVIEW 2017 Help
(http://www.ni.com/pdf/manuals/371361p.zip)
— Wire Intra-Target or PC Intra-Target or PC LabVIEW 2018 Help
— Queue — Local variable (http://www.ni.com/pdf/manuals/371361r.zip)
— Shift register
LabVIEW 2019 Help
— Feedback — RT FIFO — Global variable (http://www.ni.com/pdf/manuals/371361t.zip)
Node LabVIEW 2020 Help
— User events — Functional global variable (FGV)
(http://www.ni.com/pdf/manuals/371361u.zip)
— Channel Wire
— Asynchronous Message — Single-process shared variable
Communication (AMC)
Reference Library
— Data value reference

— Current Value Table (CVT)

Networked
— Network streams
Networked
— TCP — Network-published shared variable

— Simple TCP Messaging — Programmatic Shared Variable API

(STM) Reference Library

— Web services

— UDP

Intra-FPGA
— Target-scoped FIFO

Intra-FPGA
— VI-defined FIFO
— Global variable
— DRAM

— Memory item

— Register item

FPGA to/from Host

— DMA FIFO

FPGA to/from Host

— Read/Write Control
FPGA to FPGA
— NI Scan Engine and Variables
— Peer-to-Peer (P2P) FIFO
— User-defined I/O variable
This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. Learn more about our privacy statement
Yes, I accept
(https://www.ni.com/en-us/about-ni/legal/privacy-statement.html) and cookie policy. (https://www.ni.com/en-us/about-
ni/legal/cookies.html)

https://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/371361R-01/lvconcepts/data_comm/ 1/5
2/9/22, 10:59 AM Data Communication Methods in LabVIEW - LabVIEW 2018 Help - National Instruments

Dataflow Elements
To take advantage of the dataflow programming environment (../block_diagram_data_flow/) in LabVIEW, you should use
wires, shift registers, feedback nodes, and channel wires as the primary data communication methods in your application.

Method Attributes
Wire (../using_wires/) Primary data transfer between block diagram objects

Shift register (../shift_registers_concepts/) Primary data transfer between loop iterations

Feedback Node Primary data transfer between iterations of code (does not require a
(../feedback_node_concepts/) loop)

Channel Wire (../channel_wires_intro/) Primary data transfer for asynchronous communication between parallel
sections of code

Buffer Interfaces
Use buffer interfaces when you must send data from one location to another and you do not want to overwrite or lose any
value. A buffer interface is often represented as a FIFO (first-in, first-out) single or multi-element buffer where one or more
writers add data onto one end of the buffer and a reader retrieves data from the other end.
Intra-Target or PC

Method Attributes
Queue (../../glang/queue_vis/) Flexible sizing and access options
Non-deterministic

RT FIFO (/reference/en-XX/help/370715P- Deterministic

01/lvrtvihelp/rtfifovipal/) (Real-Time Polling mode (default) handles read/write wait times deterministically,
Module) but creates high CPU overhead
Blocking mode optimizes CPU utilization during read/write wait times,
but does not handle the operations deterministically
Less flexible than queues because of fixed size and limited access
options

User events Event-driven communication (../event_driven_programming/) between

(../../lvhowto/creating_user_events/) different parts of an application
Respond to programmatic changes on objects

Asynchronous Messaging Communication Message communication within a process and between processes
(AMC) Library Greater ease of use compared to queues when designing a messaging
(Available at ni.com) framework
Includes the Queued Message Handler (QMH) template

Note: This is community content subject to the Sample Code License

Terms available at ni.com/samplecodelicense

Networked

Method Attributes
Network streams (../networkstreams/) 1:1 communication
Simpler to implement than TCP
Automatically handle disconnections and reconnections
Unidirectional
Available only for Windows and Real-Time systems

TCP Broad functionality for applications that require network

(../using_labview_with_tcp_ip_and_udp/) communication to devices without network streams support
Low-level protocol introduces implementation complexity

Simple TCP Messaging (STM) Reference Message wrapper around low-level TCP functions
Library
Used to implement 1:N, single server to multiple client
(Available at ni.com) communication

Note: This is community content subject to the Sample Code

License Terms available at ni.com/samplecodelicense

This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. Learn more about our privacy statement
Yes, I accept
(https://www.ni.com/en-us/about-ni/legal/privacy-statement.html) and cookie policy. (https://www.ni.com/en-us/about-
Intra-FPGA
ni/legal/cookies.html)

https://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/371361R-01/lvconcepts/data_comm/ 2/5
2/9/22, 10:59 AM Data Communication Methods in LabVIEW - LabVIEW 2018 Help - National Instruments

Method Attributes
Target-scoped FIFO (/reference/en- Implementation options specify the type of storage the FIFO uses: Flip-
XX/help/371599P- flops, Look-Up Table, or Block Memory (/reference/en-
01/lvfpgahelp/fpga_creating_fifos/) (FPGA XX/help/371599P-01/lvfpgadialog/fifo_general_page/)
Module)
VI-defined FIFO (/reference/en- Implementation options specify the type of storage the FIFO uses: Flip-
XX/help/371599P- flops, Look-Up Table, or Block Memory (/reference/en-
01/lvfpgahelp/fpga_creating_fifos/) (FPGA XX/help/371599P-01/lvfpgadialog/fifo_general_page/)
Module)
Avoids resource conflicts in reentrant subVIs by replicating the
resource for each instance
Facilitates reusing code for VIs in multiple projects
Not viewable or customizable from the Project Explorer window

DRAM (/reference/en-XX/help/371599P-
01/lvfpgaconcepts/fpga_dram_intro/)
(FPGA Module)
Interface with dynamic random access memory (DRAM) using a
memory item or CLIP interface
Provides a large amount of buffered memory space compared to
Target-scoped and VI-defined FIFOs
Nondeterministic access latency
Not available on all targets

FPGA to/from Host

Method Attributes
DMA FIFO (/reference/en- Transfers large amounts of data (/reference/en-XX/help/371599P-
XX/help/371599P- 01/lvfpgaconcepts/fpga_dma_communication/) to/from host using Direct
01/lvfpgahelp/fpga_creating_fifos/) Memory Access (DMA)
(FPGA Module)

FPGA to FPGA

Method Attributes
Peer-to-Peer (P2P) FIFO (/reference/en- 1:1 communication between targets (/reference/en-XX/help/371599P-
XX/help/371599P- 01/lvfpgahelp/fpga_p2p_intro/)
01/lvfpgahelp/fpga_creating_fifos/) (FPGA
Module)

Variable Interfaces
Use variable interfaces when you must store a value in memory that readers and writers can access with minimal or no
flow control. Note that you should use variables in cases where the latest value is of primary interest and it is acceptable to
overwrite previous values. Use carefully to avoid race conditions (../using_local_and_global/).
Intra-Target or PC

Method Attributes
Local variable (../../lvhowto/creating_local_variables/) Stores data accessible from a single VI

Global variable (../../lvhowto/creating_global_variables/) Stores data accessible from multiple VIs in the same
LabVIEW application instance

Functional global variable (FGV)
(../suggestions_for_exec/#Functional_Global_Variables)
VI that uses uninitialized shift registers to store global data
Capable of implementing simple global variables, as well
as more complex data structures, such as stacks or queue
buffers
Helps prevent race conditions by defining specific
operations that calling code can perform on the variable

Single-process shared variable Deterministic option available (/reference/en-

(../sv_publishing_latest_values/) XX/help/370715P-01/lvrthowto/rt_createprojvariable/)
Scalable to network-published use case

Data value reference (../external_data_val_ref/) Stores large data sets

Helps manage memory and avoid data copies

This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. Learn more about our privacy statement
Yes, I accept
(https://www.ni.com/en-us/about-ni/legal/privacy-statement.html) and cookie policy. (https://www.ni.com/en-us/about-
ni/legal/cookies.html)

https://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/371361R-01/lvconcepts/data_comm/ 3/5
2/9/22, 10:59 AM Data Communication Methods in LabVIEW - LabVIEW 2018 Help - National Instruments

Current Value Table (CVT) Common data repository for variables in applications with
(Available at ni.com) separate components
Uses less computing resources than shared variables by
centralizing I/O operations

Note: This is community content subject to the Sample

Code License Terms available at
ni.com/samplecodelicense

Networked

Method
Network-published shared variable
(../sv_publishing_latest_values/)
Attributes
Deterministic option available (/reference/en-XX/help/370715P-
01/lvrthowto/rt_createprojvariable/)
Ideal for monitoring values
Stores values in a network data server (Shared Variable Engine)
Built-in connection manager for 1:N and N:1 network configurations

Programmatic Shared Variable API Improves design scalability by providing dynamic access to variables
(../sv_usingdynvarapi/) instead of static node-based binding
Access multiple variables with a single variable API function
Access network-published I/O variables

Web services (../webservices/) Network data communication using standard HTTP protocols
Stream standard MIME data types, such as text, images, and videos
Build and deploy web services using LabVIEW VIs

UDP Supports single-cast (1:1) and multicast (1:N) for low-level

(../using_labview_with_tcp_ip_and_udp/)
communication among processes on devices
Higher performance than TCP in applications that do not require
lossless data transfer
Low-level protocol introduces implementation complexity
Does not guarantee clients receive data

Intra-FPGA

Method Attributes
Global variable (../../glang/global_variable/) Stores data accessible from multiple VIs in the same LabVIEW
application instance

Memory item (/reference/en- Capable of storing values as multiple data points

XX/help/371599P-
Implementation options specify the type of storage the memory item
01/lvfpgaconcepts/fpga_storing_data/)
uses: Block Memory, Look-Up Table, or DRAM (/reference/en-
(FPGA Module)
XX/help/371599P-01/lvfpgaconcepts/fpga_memory_items/)
Target-scoped (configured in the project) and VI-defined (configured
in a VI for reentrant use) options

Register item (/reference/en- Capable of posting a status every clock cycle

XX/help/371599P-
Target-scoped (configured in the project) and VI-defined (configured
01/lvfpgaconcepts/fpga_storing_reentrant/) in a VI for reentrant use) options
(FPGA Module)
Consume fewer FPGA resources than FIFOs

FPGA to/from Host

Method Attributes
Read/Write Control (/reference/en-XX/help/371599P- Reads or writes to a control or indicator in the top-level
01/lvfpgahost/readwrite_control/) (FPGA Module) FPGA VI on the FPGA target.

NI Scan Engine and Variables (/reference/en-
XX/help/371599P-
01/lvfpgaconcepts/fpga_data_transfer_scan_engine/)
(FPGA Module + NI Scan Engine support on your
target)
Simple, periodic communication of FPGA I/O data to/from an
RT host
Reduces code required to transfer I/O data between an
FPGA target and RT host

User-defined I/O variable Send user-defined data when using the Scan Engine in
(../../lvioscanhelp/io_vars/#user_IOV) (FPGA Module) Hybrid mode
This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. Learn more about our privacy statement
Data transfer between an FPGA VI and LabVIEW RT host VI Yes, I accept
(https://www.ni.com/en-us/about-ni/legal/privacy-statement.html) and cookie policy. (https://www.ni.com/en-us/about-
ni/legal/cookies.html) Transfer custom FPGA-processed I/O data

https://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/371361R-01/lvconcepts/data_comm/ 4/5
2/9/22, 10:59 AM Data Communication Methods in LabVIEW - LabVIEW 2018 Help - National Instruments

WAS THIS ARTICLE HELPFUL?

Helpful Not Helpful

 

Solutions Orders Company Support

Engineer
Ambitiously.™ Semiconductor
(//www.ni.com/en-
us/solutions/semiconductor.html)
us/shop/resources/finding-
Transportation
(//www.ni.com/en-
us/solutions/transportation.html)(//www.ni.com/status/)
Aerospace, Defense, &
Government
(//www.ni.com/en-
us/solutions/aerospace-
defense.html)
Academic & Research
(//www.ni.com/en-
us/innovations/academic-
research.html)
Wireless
(//www.ni.com/en-
us/innovations/wireless.html)
Electronics
(//www.ni.com/en-
us/innovations/electronics.html)
Energy (//www.ni.com/en-
us/innovations/energy.html)
Industrial Machinery
(//www.ni.com/en-
us/innovations/industrial-
machinery.html)
Find a Distributor
(//www.ni.com/en-
distributor.html)
Order Status and History
Retrieve a Quote
(//sine.ni.com/apps/utf8/niwq.retrieve_quote)
Terms of Service
(//www.ni.com/en-
us/about-ni/legal/service-
terms.html)
Order by Part Number or
Request a Quote
(//www.ni.com/en-
us/shop/cart)
Leadership
(//www.ni.com/en-
Downloads
(//www.ni.com/en-
us/about- us/support/downloads.html)
ni/leadership.html)
Product Documentation
Careers (//www.ni.com/manuals/)
(//www.ni.com/en-
Discussion Forums
us/about-ni/careers.html)
(//forums.ni.com/t5/Discussion-
Investor Relations Forums/ct-p/discussion-
(//investor.ni.com/) forums)
Newsroom Activate a Product
(//www.ni.com/en- (//sine.ni.com/myproducts/app/main.xhtml)
us/about-
Submit a Service Request
ni/newsroom.html)
(//sine.ni.com/srm/app/getassistance)
Corporate Impact
Site Feedback
(//www.ni.com/en-
us/about-ni/corporate-
impact.html)

Supply Chain & Quality (//twitter.com/NI_India_)
(//www.ni.com/en- 
us/about-ni/corporate- (//www.youtube.com/user/NatInstIndia)
quality.html) 
(//www.facebook.com/NationalInstruments/)
Events (//www.ni.com/en- 
us/events.html) (//www.instagram.com/niglobal/?
hl=en )

Partners
(//www.ni.com/en-
us/partners.html)

India (https://www.ni.com/global-gateway? LEGAL (//www.ni.com/en-us/about- © 2022 NATIONAL

rtrn=https%3A%2F%2Fzone.ni.com%2Freference%2Fen- ni/legal.html) | 
PRIVACY (//www.ni.com/en- INSTRUMENTS CORP.
XX%2Fhelp%2F371361R-01%2Flvconcepts%2Fdata_comm%2F) us/about-ni/legal/privacy- ALL RIGHTS
statement.html) RESERVED.

This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. Learn more about our privacy statement
Yes, I accept
(https://www.ni.com/en-us/about-ni/legal/privacy-statement.html) and cookie policy. (https://www.ni.com/en-us/about-
ni/legal/cookies.html)

https://zone.ni.com/reference/en-XX/help/371361R-01/lvconcepts/data_comm/ 5/5