National Instruments Corporation

Kevin Hogan

Jeffrey L Kodosky

Gregory O Morrow

Hugo A Andrade

Steven W Rogers

John C Limroth

Toga Hartadinata

Nicholas G Neumann

Christina M Dellas

Jason King

A system and method for configuring a state diagram with graphical source code is described. The state diagram may be created in response to user input. The state diagram may include a plurality of state icons and a plurality of connector elements interconnecting the state icons, where the state icons represent a plurality of states and wherein the connector elements represent transitions between the states. Graphical source code may be associated with one or more of the state icons.

Configuring a state diagram with graphical source code

One embodiment of the invention comprises a system and method enabling a guard condition for a statechart to be defined using graphical data flow code. Another embodiment of the invention comprises a system and method enabling an action for a statechart to be defined using graphical data flow code. The statechart may be created in response to user input, e.g., user input to a statechart development environment that includes a graphical statechart editor. The graphical data flow code that defines the guard condition or the action may be created in response to user input to a graphical data flow code editor. In some embodiments the graphical data flow code editor may be integrated with or embedded in the graphical statechart editor.

Statechart development environment with embedded graphical data flow code editor

Various embodiments of a system and method enabling a user to create a statechart and select an event mode for the statechart are disclosed. The statechart may be created in a graphical manner in response to user input and displayed on a display. A graphical user interface enabling a user to select from a plurality of event modes for the statechart may be displayed. The plurality of event modes may include both a synchronous mode and an asynchronous mode. The statechart may be configured to receive events from an external program either synchronously or asynchronously, depending on which event mode the user selects.

Statechart development environment with a plurality of user-selectable event modes

A system and method for creating a graphical program operable to asynchronously pass one or more trigger events to a statechart. The graphical program may include a first node which is operable to asynchronously send one or more trigger events to a statechart. For example, in some embodiments the first node may be operable to place the one or more trigger events in an event queue associated with the statechart. The statechart may receive and process events from the event queue asynchronously with respect to when the events are placed in the event queue.

Event firing node for asynchronously passing events from a graphical data flow program to a statechart

System and method for generating a data flow diagram. A first case structure may be specified. Each case of the first case structure that includes a respective plurality of input bound data flow nodes may be partitioned into one or more data flow diagram portions. The first case structure may be replaced with a first conditional structure and one or more second conditional structures. The first conditional structure may be operable to select one or more of the plurality of input bound data flow diagram portions in accordance with the conditions of the first case structure. The one or more second conditional structures may be operable to select at least one output from the plurality of input bound data flow diagram portions in accordance with the conditions of the first case structure. The partitioning and replacing may be performed automatically in response to specification of the first case.

Case structure replacement in a data flow diagram

System and method for creating a graphical program that uses multiple models of computation (MoC). A first plurality of graphical program elements is assembled in a graphical program in response to first input, where the assembled first plurality of graphical program elements have a first MoC. A structure is displayed in the graphical program indicating use of a second MoC for graphical program elements comprised within the interior of the structure. A second plurality of graphical program elements is assembled within the structure in response to second input, where the assembled second plurality of graphical program elements have the second MoC. The graphical program is executable to perform a function, for example, by executing the assembled first plurality of graphical program elements in accordance with the first model of computation, and executing the assembled second plurality of graphical program elements in accordance with the second model of computation.

Graphical programming environment with first model of computation that includes a structure supporting second model of computation

A system and method for automatically generating a graphical data flow program from a statechart are disclosed. The statechart may be created in a graphical manner in response to user input, e.g., in response to the user arranging state icons on a display and creating interconnections representing transitions among the respective states. The statechart may include at least one hierarchical state, where each hierarchical state includes one or more sub-states. A graphical data flow program may be automatically generated from the statechart. The graphical data flow program may include a plurality of interconnected nodes that visually indicate functionality of the graphical data flow program, where connections among the nodes visually indicate data flow among the nodes. The graphical data flow program may be executable to implement the functionality of the statechart.

Automatically generating a graphical data flow program from a statechart

A system and method for automatically generating a data flow diagram in response to a first diagram. The first diagram may specify one or more states and one or more state transitions, wherein each state transition specifies a transition from a first state to a second state. A data flow diagram may be automatically generated from the first diagram. A hardware description may be generated from the data flow diagram. The hardware description may be usable to configure a programmable hardware element such as, for example, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The configured programmable hardware element may implement a hardware implementation of the data flow diagram.

Generating a hardware description based on a diagram with states and state transitions

A system and method for programmatically generating a graphical program in response to state diagram information. The state diagram information may specify a plurality of states and state transitions, wherein each state transition specifies a transition from a first state to a second state. A graphical program generation program (GPG program), may receive the state diagram information and automatically, i.e., programmatically, generate a graphical program (or graphical program portion) based on the state diagram information.

Conversion of a first diagram having states and transitions to a graphical data flow program using an intermediate XML representation

Conversion of a first executable diagram having interconnected nodes to a second executable diagram using an intermediate XML representation

A system and method for automatically generating a data flow diagram in response to a first diagram. The first diagram may specify one or more states and one or more state transitions, wherein each state transition specifies a transition from a first state to a second state. A data flow diagram may be automatically generated from the first diagram.

Automatic generation of a data flow diagram from a diagram with states and transitions

Automatic generation of a graphical program with a structure node in response to receiving a diagram with states and state transitions

Generating a hardware description from a graphical program in response to receiving a diagram with states and state transitions

Priorities of transitions of a diagram with states

System and method for generating a data flow diagram. A data flow diagram is provided that includes one or more non-input bound data flow (NIBDF) nodes, each with a respective functionality, and at least one of which is a subsystem node representing a non-input bound data flow sub-diagram comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes. All non-input bound data flow nodes in the data flow diagram are converted into input bound data flow (IBDF) nodes to produce an IBDF diagram, including: for each NIBDF subsystem node in the data flow diagram: partitioning the NIBDF sub-diagram into a plurality of IBDF sub-diagrams that operate according to input bound data flow semantics without changing data dependencies of the NIBDF sub-diagram, and including a plurality of IBDF nodes respectively representing the plurality of IBDF sub-diagrams in the IBDF diagram in lieu of the NIBDF subsystem node. The IBDF diagram is then stored.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Kevin Hogan