Category: NI

Register-Level Programming

The final option for programming any National Instruments DAQ

hardware is to write register-level software. Writing register-level

programming software can be very time-consuming and inefficient and

is not recommended for most users.

Even if you are an experienced register-level programmer, consider

using NI-DAQ, LabVIEW, or LabWindows/CVI to program your

National Instruments DAQ hardware. Using the NI-DAQ, LabVIEW, or

LabWindows/CVI software is as easy and as flexible as register-level

programming and can save weeks of development time.

Optional Equipment

National Instruments offers a variety of products to use with your

PC-LPM-16/PnP board, including cables, connector blocks, and other

accessories, as follows:

• Cables and cable assemblies, shielded and ribbon

• Connector blocks, shielded and unshielded with 50-pin screw terminals

• SCXI modules and accessories for isolating, amplifying, exciting,

and multiplexing signals for relays and analog output. With SCXI

you can condition and acquire up to 3,072 channels.

• Low channel-count signal conditioning modules, boards, and

accessories, including conditioning for strain gauges and RTDs,

simultaneous sample-and-hold circuitry, and relays

For more specific information about these products, refer to your

National Instruments catalogue or call the office nearest you.

NI-DAQ Driver Software

The NI-DAQ driver software is included at no charge with all National

Instruments DAQ hardware. NI-DAQ is not packaged with signal

conditioning or accessory products. NI-DAQ has an extensive library of

functions that you can call from your application programming

environment. These functions include routines for analog input (A/D

conversion), buffered data acquisition (high-speed A/D conversion),

analog output (D/A conversion), waveform generation (timed D/A

conversion), digital I/O, counter/timer operations, SCXI, RTSI,

calibration, messaging, and acquiring data to extended memory.

NI-DAQ has both high-level DAQ I/O functions for maximum ease of

use and low-level DAQ I/O functions for maximum flexibility and

performance. Examples of high-level functions are streaming data to

disk or acquiring a certain number of data points. An example of a

low-level function is writing directly to registers on the DAQ device.

NI-DAQ does not sacrifice the performance of National Instruments

DAQ devices because it lets multiple devices operate at their peak performance.

NI-DAQ also internally addresses many of the complex issues between

the computer and the DAQ hardware such as programming interrupts

and DMA controllers. NI-DAQ maintains a consistent software

interface among its different versions so that you can change platforms

with minimal modifications to your code. 

What You Need to Get Started

To set up and use your PC-LPM-16/PnP board, you will need the

following:

o PC-LPM-16/PnP board

o PC-LPM-16/PnP User Manual

o One of the following software packages and documentation:

NI-DAQ for PC Compatibles

LabVIEW for Windows

LabWindows/CVI for Windows

o Your computer

Software Programming Choices

There are several options to choose from when programming your

National Instruments DAQ and SCXI hardware. You can use

LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, NI-DAQ, or register-level programming.

LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI Application Software

LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI are innovative program development

software packages for data acquisition and control applications.

LabVIEW uses graphical programming, whereas LabWindows/CVI

enhances traditional programming languages. Both packages include

extensive libraries for data acquisition, instrument control, data

analysis, and graphical data presentation.

LabVIEW features interactive graphics, a state-of-the-art user

interface, and a powerful graphical programming language. The

LabVIEW Data Acquisition VI Library, a series of VIs for using

LabVIEW with National Instruments DAQ hardware, is included with

LabVIEW. The LabVIEW Data Acquisition VI Library is functionally

equivalent to the NI-DAQ software.

LabWindows/CVI features interactive graphics, a state-of-the-art user

interface, and uses the ANSI standard C programming language. The

LabWindows/CVI Data Acquisition Library, a series of functions for

using LabWindows/CVI with National Instruments DAQ hardware, is

included with the NI-DAQ software kit. The LabWindows/CVI Data

Acquisition Library is functionally equivalent to the NI-DAQ software.

Using LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI software will greatly reduce the

development time for your data acquisition and control application.

About the PC-LPM-16/PnP

The PC-LPM-16/PnP is a low-cost, low-power analog input, digital,

and timing I/O board for the PC. The board contains a 12-bit,

successive-approximation, self-calibrating ADC with 16 analog inputs,

8 lines of TTL-compatible digital input, and 8 lines of digital output.

The PC-LPM-16/PnP also contains two 16-bit counter/timer channels

for timing I/O.

The low cost of a PC-LPM-16/PnP-based system makes it ideal for

laboratory work in industrial and academic environments. The board’s

low power consumption and small size make the PC-LPM-16/PnP

especially suitable for laptop computers. The multichannel analog input

is useful in signal analysis and data logging. The 12-bit ADC is useful

in high-resolution applications such as chromatography, temperature

measurement, and DC voltage measurement. You can use the 16 TTLcompatible

digital I/O lines for switching external devices such as

transistors and solid-state relays, for reading the status of external

digital logic, and for generating interrupts. You can use the

counter/timers to synchronize events, generate pulses, and measure

frequency and time. The PC-LPM-16/PnP, used in conjunction with

your computer, is a versatile, cost-effective platform for laboratory test,

measurement, and control.