You build the front panel with controls and indicators, which are the interactive input and output terminals of the VI, respectively. Controls are knobs, push buttons, dials, and other input devices. Indicators are graphs, LEDs, and other displays. Controls simulate instrument input devices and supply data to the block diagram of the VI. Indicators simulate instrument output devices and display data the block diagram acquires or generates.
Controls Palette
The Controls palette is available only on the
front panel. The Controls palette contains the
controls and indicators you use to create the front
panel. Select Window>>Show Controls Palette or
right-click the front panel workspace to display the
Controls palette. Tack down the
Controls palette by clicking the thumbtack on
the top left corner of the palette. By default, the
Controls palette starts in the Express view.
The Express palette view includes subpalettes on the top
level of the Controls and
Functions palettes that contain Express VIs and
other objects you need to build common measurement
applications. The All Controls and All
Functions subpalettes contain the complete set of
built-in controls, indicators, VIs, and functions.
The Advanced palette view includes subpalettes
on the top level of the Controls and
Functions palettes that contain the complete
set of built-in controls, indicators, VIs, and
functions. The Express subpalettes contain
Express VIs and other objects you need to build common
measurement applications.
note:
Express palette view, toolsets and
modules do not install subpalettes on the top level of the
Controls and Functions
palettes. Instead, toolsets and modules install on the
All Controls and All Functions
subpalettes. In the Advanced palette view,
toolsets and modules install subpalettes on the top level.
Click the Options button on the
Controls or Functions palette to
change to another palette view or format.
Numeric Controls and Indicators
The two most commonly used numeric objects are the numeric control and the numeric indicator, as shown in Figure 2.
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To enter or change values in a numeric control, click the
increment and decrement buttons
with the Operating tool or double-click the
number with either the Labeling tool or the
Operating tool, type a new number, and press
the Enter key.
Boolean Controls and Indicators
Use Boolean controls and indicators to enter and display
Boolean (True or False)
values. Boolean objects simulate switches, push buttons,
and LEDs. The most common Boolean objects are the vertical
toggle switch and the round LED, as shown in Figure 3.
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