Plotting a graph

[HanKiat]

Does anyone know how do I use labview to plot a graph after getting results from excel(format in the form of .csv)? I am new to labview,would appreciate any form of help. TIA

[Sam_Sharp]

This is one of the most basic and fundamental things to do in LabVIEW. I suggest you try looking at some of the free materials that available on the NI website.

Here are a couple to get you started:

3 hour introduction

6 hour introduction

Once you have learnt the basics, feel free to post a VI once you've tried something and we will help you out.

[HanKiat]

Thanks a lot sam for that info. Just curious,do you happen to know how to make use of arduino mega 2560 and NI myDAQ together? Like what can I get when I make use of these two items. I don't quite understand what they both do,but my school project requires the usage of that two items.

[TheNIDragon]

Hello HanKlat,

Glad your issue got solved. As for the issue with the Arduino Mega 2560 and MyDAQ, youi'll get much better support if you try posting to the Academic board:

http://forums.ni.com/t5/Academic-Hardware-Products-ELVIS/bd-p/10

Regards,

Collin D.

Applications Engineering

[HanKiat]

Alright thanks,will try my luck there. Hope I find something. 🙂

[Sam_Sharp]

The myDAQ is a data acquisition device - you can use it for reading in analogue/digital signals at fast sampling rates. This is good for measuring signals accurately with high sampling rates (e.g. if you're recording data from a fast process). They also usually have some outputs as well - but as it's a USB device, if you wanted to do control this would be done on the PC so you wouldn't get deterministic/accurate timing (because the processing is done by windows).

The Mega is a microcontroller - you can either write an Arduino sketch/program to run on it (e.g. for controlling something), or you can connect it up to LabVIEW using the LINX/LIFA (two toolkits for Arduino with LabVIEW...one of them is outdated) and use it in a similar manner to a DAQ device.

I think you'd need to explain what you're trying to do a bit better to see how each can help you. I see a lot of threads where students are like "I must use X/Y/Z because I was told to"...sometimes the hardware they are given is completely unsuitable!

[HanKiat]

Thanks so much for the explaination,It is so much clearer now. Alright,my project is to actually collect data taken from LEGO MINDSTORMS solar panel and windmill,then get the data into the myDAQ or Arduino since both seems to work about the same and present it out in a graphical format. Although LEGO MINDSTORMS education EV3 program is able to collect the data and present it in terms of Excel(.csv) format but it can only collect a maximum of 60 minutes of data,my project wants me to collect the data continuously and show the results on graph continuously too... So is it right to say that I should cut the wires of the lego solar panel and windmill and connect it directly to the NI myDAQ device,and using labview to plot something out to show a graph?

[Sam_Sharp]

Essentially, yes.

However...

You need to think carefully about your connections - for example you need to check the voltage output range of the solar panel and check that it is within the range of the myDAQ inputs.

I'm also wary of just 'cutting the wires' - perhaps you'd want to make a breakout connector so you're not potentially damaging/destroying the equipment!!

[HanKiat]

Ohh okay thanks alot!! For now,I will practice on how to plot a graph on labview first.

[HanKiat]

Ermm Sam_Sharp,do you think its possible to store the data in NI myDAQ device thru Labview,then process it into graph? This is after and if I manage to cut the wires up and connect the solar panel and windmill directly to the NI myDAQ device. Cause if I were to just use this method and cant store those data,it would kind of defeat the purpose as the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 program is kind of able to do this too.