Are bundle and unbundle expensive operations

[sharmaa]

Are bundle, unbundle, bundle by name, unbundle by name expensive operations if used in a loop. I am using a bundle to pass/obtain data to a subvi. So I need to unbundle the wire pass them to a subvi and then bundle the wires that come out of the subvi and feed that into a shift register. I cannot do the bundling and unbundling outside because of the shift register which I need.

Thanks.

[Ben · Accepted solution]

---

sharmaa wrote:

Are bundle, unbundle, bundle by name, unbundle by name expensive operations if used in a loop. I am using a bundle to pass/obtain data to a subvi. So I need to unbundle the wire pass them to a subvi and then bundle the wires that come out of the subvi and feed that into a shift register. I cannot do the bundling and unbundling outside because of the shift register which I need.

Thanks.

---

Not necessarily. It depends on what you do with what you are bundling and unbundling.

I think the best resource I can offer is this thread where Dr. ONeill and I investigate that very question over a series of days.

Warning:

That thread is NOT lite reading. Take it bit by bit and take frequent breaks to avoid cerebral overload.

Ben

[Broken_Arrow]

Well, it is more expensive than NOT doing it. But let me say this: using clusters to pass ALL of the data around in state machines and two/from VI's is extremely common and often recommended. I carry around arrays or references in clusters, channel setups, tasks, error texts, and so on, in loops that run at 5mS for 24/7 and have never experienced a problem associated with my use of clusters.

My thought is, compared to the alternative of having two dozen shift registers with single items in them or one S/R with a cluster - you might have to be on a real Time target to see a performance hit.

Super-Clusters might be another story.