3.

2 Edit and Debug

• Creating a VI
• Editing Techniques
• Debugging Techniques

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 Creating a VI
• create front panel
• edit control and indicator
• block diagram
• control and indicator terminal
• nodes
• connect wires
• wires types
• data flow programming

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 Creating a VI
Front Panel Window

Block Diagram Window

Control Indicator
Terminals Terminals

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 Creating a VI – Block Diagram
• After creating front panel controls and
indicators, switch to Block Diagram <Ctrl-E>
[LabVIEW help → Search → Keyboard Shortcuts]
• Move Front Panel objects to desired locations
• Place functions on diagram
• Wire appropriate terminals together to
complete the diagram

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control and indicator terminal

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nodes

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connect wires

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 wiring tips
Wiring “Hot Spot” Click To Select Wires

Spacebar Flips Wire Orientation Click While Wiring To Tack Wires Down

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 wires types
Scalar 1D Array 2D Array

Numeric Orange (floating point)

Blue ( integer)

Boolean Green

String Purple

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 data flow programming
• Block diagram does NOT execute left to right
• Node executes when data is available to ALL
input terminals
• Nodes supply data to all output terminals when
done

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 Tut 3.2.1 - Convert °C to °F
Students build Convert C to F.vi
This exercise is to create a VI that takes a
number representing Celsius (C) degrees and
converts it to a number representing
Fahrenheit (F) degrees.
N.B. F = C x (9 / 5) + 32
* * This VI will be used in a later exercise * *
Time to complete: 30 min.

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Tut 3.2.1 - Convert °C to °F

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Tut 3.2.1 - Convert °C to °F

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 Editing Techniques
• Wiring Tool
• Auto Create I/O
• Delete Objects
• Undo Edit
• Duplicate Objects
• Label Objects
• Remove Broken Wire
• Change Font
• Align Objects
• Distribute Objects
• Copy Objects
• Color Objects
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Wiring Tool

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Auto Create I/O

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Delete Objects

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Undo Edit

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Duplicate Objects

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Label Objects

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Remove Broken Wire

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Change Font

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Align Objects

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Distribute Objects

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Copy Objects

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Color Objects

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 Tut 3.2.2: Editing Techniques
Students modify Editing Exercise.vi
Time to complete: 30 min.

In this exercise, we’ll modify the sample VI named

Editing Exercise.vi using the editing techniques from
this lesson.

Let’s begin by editing objects on the front panel using

the positioning, coloring, and labeling tools.

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Tut 3.2.2: Editing Techniques

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Tut 3.2.2: Editing Techniques

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 Debugging Techniques
• Broken Run Button
• Execution Highlighting
• Single Step
• Probes
• Breakpoints

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 Debugging Techniques
• Finding Errors
Click on broken Run button
Window showing error appears
• Execution Highlighting
Click on Execution Highlighting button; data
flow is animated using bubbles. Values are
displayed on wires.
• Probe
Right-click on wire to display probe and it
shows data as it flows through wire segment

You can also select Probe tool from Tools

palette and click on wire

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 Debugging Techniques
• Breakpoints
Select Breakpoint tool from Tools palette and click
on wire or node where you want execution to pause

• Step Into, Over, and Out buttons for Single

Stepping
Click on Step Into button to enable single stepping
Once Single Stepping has begun, the button steps
into nodes

Click on Step Over button to enable single stepping

or to step over nodes

Click on Step Out button to step out of nodes

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Broken Run Button

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Execution Highlighting

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Single Step

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Probes

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Breakpoints

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 Tut 3.2.3 : Debug Exercise
• This exercise uses debugging tools to correct a
broken VI and to view data as it passes through
the VI.
• Students modify and run Debug Exercise
(Main).vi
• Uses Debug Exercise (Sub).vi
• Time to complete: 30 min.

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Tut 3.2.3 : block diagram

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Tut 3.2.3 : error list

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Tut 3.2.3 : single step

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Tut 3.2.3 : probe

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Tut 3.2.3 : break point

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Lab 2 - LabVIEW Revision Exercise 1

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