National Instruments Corporation

Scott A Rust

James A Grey

Jon Bellin

Omid Sojoodi

Jason White

Srdan Zirojevic

Jucao Liang

A system and method for defining a route through one or more switch devices based on signal requirements and/or resource dependencies. The user may interact with a graphical user interface to specify required signal characteristics for the route, such as signal bandwidth, voltage, carry current, etc. The required signal characteristics may then be used when selecting or determining channels to include the route. The required signal characteristics may affect both automatically selected channels and user-selected channels. For example, if the user specifies a portion of a route and the switch executive core automatically completes the route for the user, the switch executive core may choose a route including only valid channels, according to the required signal characteristics.

Defining a switch device route based on required signal characteristics and resource dependencies

A system and method for dynamically determining a route through one or more switch devices at program execution time. A program operable to perform a programmatic request to dynamically determine a route may be created. For example, the request may specify a first endpoint (e.g., channel) of a first switch device and a second endpoint (e.g., channel) of a second switch device. In response to the request, the system may dynamically determine a route from the first endpoint to the second endpoint during execution of the program. Information indicating the determined route may be returned to the program.

Dynamically determining a route through one or more switch devices at program execution time

A system and method for controlling an instrumentation system, wherein the present invention includes an improved instrument driver software architecture. The instrument driver software architecture of the present invention provides a number of features, including improved simulation features. The system may comprise a computer system comprising a CPU and memory. The memory of the computer system may store a user application, a class driver, and a class simulation driver. The user application is operable to perform an application using an instrument, wherein the instrument is of a first class. The class driver is operable to receive calls from the user application, wherein the class driver is common to a plurality of instruments of the first class. The class driver may then call a class simulation driver, wherein the class simulation driver is operable to simulate operation of the instrument. For example, the class simulation driver may be operable to simulate output values and return values of function calls. The class simulation driver is preferably operable to simulate operation of the plurality of instruments of the first class. The memory may also store a specific driver which is specific to the respective instrument. The class simulation driver may be operable to simulate operation of at least a portion of the specific driver. The class simulation driver may also be operable to simulate operation of at least a portion of the specific driver for each of the plurality of instruments of the first class.

System and method for simulating operations of an instrument

A system and method for controlling an instrumentation system, wherein the present invention includes an improved instrument driver software architecture. The instrument driver software architecture of the present invention provides a number of features, including instrument interchangeability, i.e., the use of interchangeable virtual instruments or interchangeable instrument drivers, improved performance, an improved attribute model, improved range checking, and improved simulation features, among others.

Instrumentation system and method which performs instrument interchangeability checking

Instrumentation system and method including an improved driver software architecture

Instrumentation system and method having instrument interchangeability

Instrumentation system and method including an improved driver software

A system and method for creating a program for controlling an instrument independent of the interface type of the instrument, in a graphical programming environment. The system comprises a computer system including a display screen and input device, an instrument coupled to the computer system, and a graphical programming environment for creating and executing programs to control the instrument. The programming environment comprises a session control, function nodes and attribute nodes, an object manager and block diagram and front panel editors used to create a virtual instrument. The method for controlling the instrument comprises displaying on the screen session icons, function nodes, and attributes nodes and wiring them together to create the virtual instrument. Virtual instruments, or graphical programs, may be created which are portable across different possible I/O interface types, such as GPIB, VXI, and asynchronous serial interfaces, for coupling the instrument to the computer system. The object manager parses a class definition file to determine possible classes associated with the instrument and the attributes and functions which are valid for a each class. The environment performs type propagation checking to insure that program elements are not wired together in an invalid manner by the user in order to avoid program errors. In particular, the environment checks to see that attributes to be set on and functions to be performed with the instrument are valid for the class of the session associated with the instrument. The environment further performs class propagation between objects in the program to avoid programming errors.

System and method for performing interface independent virtual

A system and method for creating a program for controlling an instrument independent of the interface type of the instrument, in a graphical programming environment. The system comprises a computer system including a display screen and input device, an instrument coupled to the computer system, and a graphical programming environment for creating and executing programs to control the instrument. The programming environment comprises a VISA session control, VISA function nodes and VISA attribute nodes, an object manager and block diagram and front panel editors used to create a VISA virtual instrument. The method for controlling the instrument comprises displaying on the screen VISA session icons, VISA function nodes, and VISA attributes nodes and wiring them together to create the VISA virtual instrument. Virtual instruments, or graphical programs, may be created which are portable across different possible VISA I/O interface types, such as GPIB, VXI, and asynchronous serial interfaces, for coupling the instrument to the computer system. The object manager parses a class definition file to determine possible VISA classes associated with the instrument and the attributes and functions which are valid for a each class. The environment performs type propagation checking to insure that program elements are not wired together in an invalid manner by the user in order to avoid program errors. In particular, the environment checks to see that attributes to be set on and functions to be performed with the instrument are valid for the class of the VISA session associated with the instrument. The environment further performs class propagation between objects in the program to avoid programming errors.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Scott A Rust