National Instruments Corporation

Timothy J Hayles

Jeffrey N Correll

David W Fuller, Iii

Jacob Kornerup

John Robert Breyer

Jeffrey L Kodosky

Darshan K Shah

Aljosa Vrancic

Adam K Gabbert

Jenifer M Loy

Mohammed Kamran Shah

Christopher G Cifra

Matthew C Curtis

Charles E Crain, Ii

Christopher J Squibb

Scott D Postma

Richard M Ashby

Jayson P Ryckman

Jacob Komerup

David W Iii Fuller

John R Bryer

Configuring wires/icons in a diagram. The diagram may be an executable diagram such as a graphical program or a system diagram. The diagram may include a plurality of icons that are connected by wires, and the icons may visually represent functionality of the diagram. The diagram may be executable to perform the functionality. Displaying the diagram may include displaying a first wire in the diagram, where the first wire connects a first icon and a second icon. Data transfer functionality may be specified for the first wire and/or the first or second icon in the diagram. The data transfer functionality may be visually indicated in the diagram, e.g., by appearances of the first icon, the second icon, the first wire, and/or icons displayed proximate to these components of the diagram.

Automatically determining data transfer functionality for wires in a graphical diagram

Providing zooming within a system diagram. Initially, a diagram of a system may be displayed. The diagram may include a plurality of icons representing physical components of the system. These plurality of icons may be initially displayed at a first level of magnification. User input to zoom on a first physical component in the diagram may be received. Accordingly, the first physical component may be displayed at a second level of magnification and other ones of the physical components may be displayed at a third level of magnification. The second level of magnification may be greater than the first level of magnification and the third level of magnification may be less than the first level of magnification. Alternatively, or additionally, different representations for various components of the system may be displayed in the diagram during or after the zoom.

Semantic zoom within a diagram of a system

A method and system configured to: (a) display a first diagram including a first icon in response to input selecting the first icon; (b) associate the first icon with a first hardware device in response to input selecting the first hardware device from a set of hardware devices; (c) associate the first icon with a set of physical channels of the first hardware device in response to user input selecting the physical channels; and (d) perform the following operations one or more times: receive user input selecting a resource from a set of available resources including resources on the first hardware device; update the first diagram to include a graphical representation of the selected resource; receive user input to the first diagram specifying configuration information for the selected resource; and store the configuration information; (e) display a dataflow node indicating a transfer operation to be performed.

Automatically generating a graphical data flow program based on a circuit diagram

Displaying physical signal routing of a system. A diagram of the system may be displayed. The system may include physical components connected via physical connections and logical components implemented on various ones of the physical components. The diagram may include a plurality of icons connected by wires. At least a first subset of the icons may represent logical elements of the system and wires between the first subset of icons may represent logical connections between corresponding logical elements. User input requesting signal routing information of the system may be received. In response, a signal route corresponding to a first logical connection between a first logical element and a second logical element may be visually indicated.

Displaying physical signal routing in a diagram of a system

Graphical diagram which automatically determines a data transport mechanism for wires based on configured policies

System and method for distributed execution of a graphical program. A graphical program is displayed on a display of a computer system. Targeted execution of a first graphical program portion of the graphical program on an execution target is graphically specified. The graphical specification includes displaying a visual indication of the specified targeted execution on the display of the graphical program. During execution of the graphical program, the first graphical program portion executes on the specified execution target and a remainder of the graphical program executes on a default execution target.

Graphically specifying and indicating targeted execution in a graphical program

Configuring icons to represent data transfer functionality

Diagram with configurable wires

Graphical diagram wires whose appearance represents configured semantics

Data transfer indicator icon in a diagram

System and method for distributed execution of a graphical program. First and second icons associated with respective execution targets are displayed on a display. Each icon has an interior and specifies execution of a respective graphical program portion positioned in the interior of the icon on the respective execution target. First and second graphical program portions are respectively displayed in the interiors of the first and second icons, where each graphical program portion comprises a respective one or more interconnected nodes that visually indicate functionality of the graphical program portion. One or more wires connecting the first graphical program portion and the second graphical program portion are display. During execution of the graphical program, the first and second graphical program portions execute respectively on the first and second execution targets, and the first graphical program portion and the second graphical program portion communicate as specified by the one or more wires.

Diagram that visually indicates targeted execution

A system and method for configuring a target hardware device. The system receives user input selecting instances of circuit-like primitives and instances of dataflow primitives. The user may wire the instances together using wires of various kinds to specify a graphical program. The wires are distinguished into types depending on whether or not they impose dataflow ordering dependencies and depending on the kind of data they are intended to carry. The circuit-like primitives may receive and/or generate digital signals to control the timing of processes or events such as A/D conversion, D/A conversion, digital input, digital output, pulse generation, etc. The circuit-like primitives and the dataflow primitives may communicate with each other through cast primitives and satellite nodes. Program code corresponding to the graphical program may be compiled to a format suitable for configuring a programmable hardware element or some other target device.

Graphical programming methods for generation, control and routing of digital pulses

System and method for automatically synchronizing multiple I/O devices with homogeneous and/or heterogeneous timing and I/O channel types. A graphical program specifying configuration and operation of a plurality of timed circuits, e.g., input circuits and/or output circuits, comprised on one or more I/O devices, may be created in response to user input, and executed to perform an I/O operation using the devices, where executing the program includes invoking software to: analyze the timed circuits to determine timing and triggering information for operation of the circuits, configure the circuits in accordance with the timing and triggering information, and operate the configured circuits to perform the operation. The analyzing may include determining the timed circuits, and one or more of: number, types, sharing, sources, exporting, and routing, of timing signals for each circuit, and starting/stopping orders for the circuits. User input may be received specifying setting and querying properties of the circuits.

Automatically synchronizing timed circuits on I/O Devices

System and method for graphically specifying hardware timing and triggering. A diagram is displayed graphically representing user-configurable timing and triggering components of a device, e.g., icons and signal paths representing operational relationships between the components, where timing and triggering for the device is determined by timing and triggering attributes. The diagram receives user input specifying one or more of the timing and triggering attributes, e.g., parameters, signal routes, etc., and the diagram modified, e.g., graphically configured, in accordance with the specified attributes, where the diagram represents configuration of the user-configurable timing and triggering components. Dependent attributes are programmatically computed based on the specified attributes. The specified attributes are stored and are usable to configure timing and triggering for the device. Program code for configuring the device may be generated based on the diagram. A state diagram may be displayed indicating effects of modifying the diagram on operation of the device.

Parameter oriented graphical representation of hardware timing and triggering capabilities with contextual information

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Timothy J Hayles