LabVIEW Programming Structures

Sarah Fenney
Arizona State University

Introduction
In this homework, you will write simple VIs to incorporate basic
programming structures in LabVIEW. The structures featured include
For Loops, While Loops, Case Structures, Sequence Structures, and
Formula Nodes.

Objectives

Learn the differences between a For Loop and a While Loop.

Learn how shift registers access values from previous iterations.

Learn how the Case Structure executes.

Learn how the Sequence Structure executes.

Learn how the Formula Node is used.

Theory
LabVIEW Programming Structures
Introduction
Structures are graphical representations of the loops and case
statements of text-based programming languages. Use structures on the
block diagram to repeat blocks of code and to execute code
conditionally or in a specific order.
Like other nodes, structures have terminals that connect them to other
block diagram nodes, execute automatically when input data are
available, and supply data to output wires when execution completes.
Each structure has a distinctive, resizable border to enclose the section
of the block diagram that executes according to the rules of the
structure. The section of the block diagram inside the structure border
is called a subdiagram. The terminals that feed data into and out of
structures are called tunnels. A tunnel is a connection point on a
structure border.

Use the following structures located on the FunctionsStructures

palette to control how a block diagram executes processes:
For LoopExecutes a subdiagram a set number of times.
While LoopExecutes a subdiagram until a condition is met.
Case structureContains multiple subdiagrams, only one of which
executes depending on the input value passed to the structure.
Sequence structureContains one or more subdiagrams, which
execute in sequential order.
Formula NodePerforms mathematical operations based on numeric
input.

For Loops

A For Loop executes a subdiagram a set number of times.

The value in the count terminal (an input terminal) indicates how many
times to repeat the subdiagram. Set the count explicitly by wiring a
value from outside the loop to the left or top side of the count terminal,
or set the count implicitly with auto-indexing. Is possible from LV
version 8.2 to stop the iterations at any time (Bedingungsanschlu).
The iteration terminal (an output terminal) contains the number of
completed iterations. The iteration count always starts at zero.
During the first iteration, the iteration terminal returns 0.
Both the count and iteration terminals are signed long integers. If you
wire a floating-point number to the count terminal, LabVIEW rounds it
and coerces it to within range. If you wire 0 or a negative number to
the count terminal, the loop does not execute.
Add shift registers to the For Loop to pass data from the current
iteration to the next iteration. We will discuss shift registers in detail
later.

While Loops

Similar to a Do Loop or a Repeat-Until Loop in text-based

programming languages, a While Loop executes a subdiagram until a
condition is met.
The While Loop executes the subdiagram until the conditional
terminal, an input terminal, receives a specific Boolean value. The
default behavior and appearance of the conditional terminal is
Continue If True. When a conditional terminal is Continue If True,
the While Loop executes its subdiagram until the conditional terminal
receives a FALSE value. You can change the behavior and appearance
of the conditional terminal by right-clicking the terminal or the border
of the While Loop and selecting
Stop If True. You also can use the Operating tool to click the
conditional terminal to change the condition. When a conditional
terminal is Stop If True, the While Loop executes its subdiagram until
the conditional terminal receives a TRUE value. Because the VI
checks the conditional terminal at the end of each iteration, the While
Loop always executes at least one time. The VI is broken if you do not
wire the conditional terminal.
You also can perform basic error handling using the conditional
terminal of a While Loop. When you wire an error cluster to the
conditional terminal, only the TRUE or FALSE value of the status
parameter of the error cluster passes to the terminal. Also, the Stop If
True and Continue If True shortcut menu items change to Stop If
Error and Continue while Error.
The iteration terminal (an output terminal) contains the number of
completed iterations. The iteration count always starts at zero.
During the first iteration, the iteration terminal returns 0.
Add shift registers to the While Loop to pass data from the current
iteration to the next iteration.

Shift Registers in Loops

Use shift registers with For Loops and While Loops to transfer values
from one loop iteration to the next. Shift registers are similar to static
variables in text-based programming languages.
A shift register appears as a pair of terminals directly opposite each
other on the vertical sides of the loop border. The right terminal
contains an up arrow and stores data on the completion of an iteration.
LabVIEW transfers the data connected to the right side of the register
to the next iteration. Create a shift register by right-clicking the left or
right border of a loop and selecting Add Shift Register from the
shortcut menu.
A shift register transfers any data type and automatically changes to
the data type of the first object wired to the shift register. The data you
wire to the terminals of each shift register must be the same type. You
can create multiple shift registers on a structure, and you can have
more than one left terminal to retain more than one previous value.
After the loop executes, the last value stored in the shift register
remains at the right terminal. If you wire the right terminal outside the
loop, the wire transfers the last value stored in the shift register.
If you do not initialize the register, the loop uses the value written to
the register when the loop last executed or the default value for the
data type if the loop has never executed.
Use a loop with an uninitialized shift register to run a VI repeatedly so
that each time the VI runs, the initial output of the shift register is the
last value from the previous execution. Use an uninitialized shift
register to preserve state information between subsequent executions of
a VI.

Case Structures

A Case structure has two or more subdiagrams, or cases. Only one

subdiagram is visible at a time, and the structure executes only one
case at a time. An input value determines which subdiagram executes.
The Case structure is similar to case statements or if...then...else
statements in text-based programming languages.
The case selector label at the top of the Case structure contains the
name of the selector value that corresponds to the case in the center
and decrement and increment arrows on each side. Click the decrement
and increment arrows to scroll through the available cases. You also
can click the down arrow next to the case name and select a case from
the pull-down menu.
Wire an input value, or selector, to the selector terminal to determine
which case executes. You must wire an integer, Boolean value, string,
or enumerated type value to the selector terminal. You can position the
selector terminal anywhere on the left border of the Case structure. If
the type of selector terminal is Boolean, the structure has a TRUE case
and a FALSE case. If the selector terminal is an integer, string, or
enumerated type value, the structure can have arbitrarily many cases.
Specify a default case for the Case structure to handle out-of-range
values.
Otherwise, you must explicitly list every possible input value. For
example, if the selector is an integer and you specify cases for 1, 2, and
3, you must specify a default case to execute if the input value is 4 or
any other valid integer value.
You can create multiple input and output tunnels for a Case structure.
Inputs are available to all cases, but cases do not need to use each
input.
However, you must define each output tunnel for each case. When you
create an output tunnel in one case, tunnels appear at the same position
on the border in all the other cases. If at least one output tunnel is not
wired, all output tunnels on the structure appear as white squares. You

can define a different data source for the same output tunnel in each
case, but the data types must be compatible for each case. You also can
right-click the output tunnel and select Use Default If Unwired from
the shortcut menu to use the default value for the tunnel data type for
all unwired tunnels.

Sequence Structures

A Sequence structure contains one or more subdiagrams, or frames,

which execute in sequential order. The frame label at the top of the
Sequence structure is similar to the case selector label of the Case
structure. The frame label contains the frame number in the center and
decrement and increment arrows on each side. Click the decrement and
increment arrows to scroll through the available frames. You also can
click the down arrow next to the frame number and select a frame from
the pull-down menu. Unlike the case selector label, you cannot enter
values in the frame label. When you add, delete, or rearrange frames in
a Sequence structure, LabVIEW automatically adjusts the numbers in
the frame labels.
A Sequence structure executes frame 0, then frame 1, then frame 2,
until the last frame executes. The Sequence structure does not
complete execution or return any data until the last frame finishes.
The sequence selector identifier at the top of the Sequence structure
contains the current frame number and range of frames in the center
and decrement and increment arrow buttons on each side. For example,
in the sequence selector, 0 is the current frame number and [0..2] is the
range of frames. Click the decrement and increment arrow buttons to
scroll through the available frames.
Use the Sequence structure to control the execution order when natural
data dependency does not exist. A node that receives data from another
node depends on the other node for data and always executes after the
other node completes execution.

Within each frame of a Sequence structure, as in the rest of the block

diagram, data dependency determines the execution order of nodes.
The tunnels of Sequence structures can have only one data source,
unlike Case structures. The output can emit from any frame, but data
leaves the
Sequence structure only when all frames complete execution, not when
the individual frames complete execution. As with Case structures,
data at input tunnels are available to all frames.
To pass data from one frame to any subsequent frame, use a sequence
local terminal. An outward-pointing arrow appears in the sequence
local terminal of the frame that contains the data source. The terminal
in subsequent frames contains an inward-pointing arrow, indicating
that the terminal is a data source for that frame. You cannot use the
sequence local terminal in frames that precede the first frame where
you wired the sequence local.

Formula Node

The Formula Node is a convenient text-based node you can use to

perform mathematical operations on the block diagram. You do not
have to access any external code or applications, and you do not have
to wire low-level arithmetic functions to create equations. In addition
to text-based equation expressions, the Formula Node can accept textbased versions of if statements, while loops, for loops, and do loops,
which are familiar to C programmers. These programming elements
are similar to what you find in C programming but are not identical.
Formula Nodes are useful for equations that have many variables or
are otherwise complicated and for using existing text-based code. You
can copy and paste the existing text-based code into a Formula Node
rather than recreating it graphically.
Formula Nodes use type checking to make sure that array indexes are
numeric data and that operands to the bit operations are integer data.
Formula Nodes also check to make sure array indexes are in range.
For arrays, an out-of-range value defaults to zero, and an out-of-range
assignment defaults to nop to indicate no operation occurs.
Formula Nodes also perform automatic type conversion.
The Formula Node located on the FunctionsStructures and
Functions

MathematicsFormula palettes is a resizable box similar to the For

Loop, While Loop, Case structure, and Sequence structure. However,
instead of containing a subdiagram, the Formula Node contains one or
more C-like statements delimited by semicolons, as in the following
example. As with C, add comments by enclosing them inside a
slash/asterisk pair (/*comment*/).
When you work with variables, remember the following points:
There is no limit to the number of variables or equations in a
Formula Node.
No two inputs and no two outputs can have the same name, but an
output can have the same name as an input.
Declare an input variable by right-clicking the Formula Node
border and selecting Add Input from the shortcut menu. You
cannot declare input variables inside the Formula Node.
Declare an output variable by right-clicking the Formula Node
border and selecting Add Output from the shortcut menu. The
output variable name must match either an input variable name or
the name of a variable you declare inside the Formula Node.
You can change whether a variable is an input or an output by
right-clicking it and selecting Change to Input or Change to
Output from the shortcut menu.
You can declare and use a variable inside the Formula Node
without relating it to an input or output wire.
You must wire all input terminals.
Variables can be floating-point numeric scalars, whose precision
depends on the configuration of your computer. You also can use
integers and arrays of numerics for variables.
Variables cannot have units.

Homework Procedure
Part 1. Auto Match
Complete the following steps to build a VI that generates random
numbers until the number generated matches a number you specify.
The loop count terminal records the number of iterations before a
match occurs.
1. Open a new front panel.
2. Build the following front panel and modify the controls and
indicators as shown and described in this exercise.

The Number to Match control specifies the number you want to

match. The Current Number indicator displays the current random
number. The # of iterations indicator displays the number of iterations
before a match.
Use the Data Range option to prevent the user from selecting a value
that is not compatible with a range or increment. You can ignore the
error or coerce it to within range. Complete the following steps to set
the range between 0 and 10,000 with an increment of 1 and a default
value of 50.
3. Right-click the Number to Match control and select Data Range
from the shortcut menu. The Data Range dialog box appears.
4. Remove the checkmark from the Use Defaults checkbox.
5. Select the options as shown in the following dialog box.

6. Click the OK button.

By default, LabVIEW displays numeric controls and indicators in
decimal notation with two decimal places, such as 3.14. Use the
Format & Precision option to change the precision or to display the
numeric controls and indicators in scientific, engineering, or
hour/minute/second notation. Complete the following steps to change
the precision to 0.
7. Right-click the Current Number indicator and select Format &
Precision from the shortcut menu. The Format & Precision dialog
box appears.

8. Type 0 in the Digits of Precision text box and click the OK button.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 for the # of iterations indicator.
10. Build the following block diagram.

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a. Place the Random Number (0-1) function located on the

FunctionsNumeric palette. This function produces a random
number between 0 and 1.
b. Place the Multiply function located on the
FunctionsNumeric palette. This function multiplies the
random number by 10,000.
c. Right-click the y terminal of the Multiply function, select
CreateConstant from the shortcut menu, type 10000, and
press the <Enter> key to create a numeric constant.
d. Place the Round To Nearest function located on the
FunctionsNumeric palette. This function rounds the random
number between 0 and 10,000 to the nearest integer.
e. Place the Not Equal? function located on the
FunctionsComparison palette. This function compares the
random number with Number to Match and returns TRUE if
the numbers are not equal; otherwise, it returns FALSE.
f. Place a While Loop located on the FunctionsStructures
palette.
The blue square that appears on the While Loop border is
called a tunnel. Tunnels feed data into and out of structures.
Data pass out of a loop after the loop terminates. When a tunnel
passes data into a loop, the loop executes only after data arrive
at the tunnel.
The loop executes while no match exists. That is, the Not
Equal? function returns TRUE if the two numbers do not
match. Each time the loop executes, the iteration terminal
increments by one. The iteration count passes out of the loop
upon completion. This value increments by one outside the
loop because the count starts at 0.

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g. Place the Increment function located on the

FunctionsNumeric palette. This function adds 1 to the While
Loop count. A gray coercion dot appears on the output terminal
to indicate that LabVIEW coerced the numeric representation
of the iteration terminal to match the numeric representation of
the output terminal.
11. Save the VI as Auto Match.vi.
12. Display the front panel and change the number in Number to
Match.
13. Run the VI. Change Number to Match and run the VI again.
Current Number updates at every iteration of the loop because it is
inside the loop. # of iterations updates upon completion because it is
outside the loop.
14. To see how the VI updates the indicators, enable execution
highlighting. On the block diagram, click the Highlight Execution
button to enable execution highlighting. Execution highlighting
animates the flow of data through the block diagram so you can see
each number as it is generated.
15. Change Number to Match to a number that is out of the data
range, which is 0 and 10,000 with an increment of 1.
16. Run the VI. LabVIEW coerces the out-of-range value to the nearest
value in the specified data range.
17. Close the VI.

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Part 2. Shift Register Example VI

In Part 2 you will use shift registers and a For Loop to access values
from previous iterations.
1. Build the following front panel.

The X(i) indicator displays the current value, which shifts to the left
terminal at the beginning of the next iteration. The X(i-1) indicator
displays the value one iteration ago, the X(i-2) indicator displays the
value two iterations ago, and so on.
2. Build the following block diagram and make sure both the front
panel and block diagram are visible. If necessary, close or move the
Tools and Functions palettes.

The 0 wired to the left terminals initializes the elements of the shift
register to 0.
3. Save the VI as Shift Register.vi.
4. Click the Highlight Execution button to enable execution
highlighting.

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5. Run the VI and watch the bubbles that move along the wires. If the
bubbles are moving too fast, click the Pause and Step Over buttons to
slow the execution.
In each iteration of the For Loop, the VI funnels the previous values
through the left terminals of the shift register. Each iteration of the
loop adds 5 to the current data, X(i). This value shifts to the left
terminal, X(i-1), at the beginning of the next iteration. The values at
the left terminal funnel downward through the terminals. This VI
retains the last three values. To retain more values, add more elements
to the left terminal of the shift register by right-clicking the left
terminal and selecting Add Element from the shortcut menu.
6. Close the VI.

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Part 3. Square Root VI

Complete the following steps to build a VI that checks whether a
number is positive. If it is, the VI calculates the square root of the
number. Otherwise, the VI returns an error message.
1. Open a new VI and build the following front panel.

2. Build the following block diagram.

a. Place a Case structure located on the FunctionsStructures

palette.
b. Click the decrement or increment arrow button to select the
FALSE case.
c. Place the Greater or Equal to 0? function located on the
FunctionsComparison palette. This function returns TRUE if
Number is greater than or equal to 0.
d. Right-click the numeric constant and select Format &
Precision from the shortcut menu. Set Digits of Precision to 1,
select Floating Point Notation, and click the OK button. This
ensures there is no data conversion between the constant and
the numeric indicator outside the Case structure.
e. Place the One Button Dialog function located on the
FunctionsTime & Dialog palette. This function displays a
dialog box that will contain the message
Error...Negative Number.

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f. Right-click the message terminal of the One Button Dialog

function, select CreateConstant from the shortcut menu, type
Error...Negative Number, and press the <Enter> key.
g. Select the TRUE case and place the Square Root function
located on the FunctionsNumeric palette, as shown in the
following block diagram. This function returns the square root
of Number.

3. Save the VI as Square Root.vi.

4. Display the front panel and run the VI.
If Number is positive, the VI executes the TRUE case and returns the
square root of Number. If Number is negative, the VI executes the
FALSE case, returns 99999.0, and displays a dialog box with the
message Error...Negative Number.
5. Close the VI.

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Part 4. Time to Match VI

Complete the following steps to build a VI that computes the time it
takes to generate a random number that matches a number you specify.
1. Open the Auto Match VI, which you built in Part 1.
2. Modify the front panel as follows.

a. Change Number to Match, Current Number, and # of

iterations to I32 representation.
b. Change Time to Match to DBL representation and 3 digits
of precision.
3. Save the VI as Time to Match.vi.

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4. Modify the block diagram as follows.

a. Place a Sequence structure located on the

FunctionsStructures palette.
b. Right-click the structure border and select Add Frame After
from the shortcut menu to add a frame.
c. Place the Tick Count (ms) function located on the
FunctionsTime&Dialog palette. This function reads the
current value of the operating system clock and returns the
value in milliseconds.
5. Save the VI.
6. Display the front panel, enter a number in Number to Match, and
run the VI.

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In frame 0, the VI executes the While Loop while Current Number

does not match Number to Match. In frame 1, the Tick Count (ms)
function reads the operating system clock. The VI subtracts the new
value from the initial time read and returns the elapsed time in seconds.
7. Close the VI.

Homework Report
For your homework report, email the VIs and the answers to the
questions below to the instructor no later than <date>.

Data Sheet
Questions
1. What are the differences between a For Loop and a While Loop?

2. How is data transferred between iterations of a loop?

3. How does a Case Structure execute?

4. How does a sequence structure execute?

5. When using a formula node, what happens if your input name is the
same as your output name?

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