Alright,
I have a PowerLab 4/25 EMG device designed to take electromyography signals from human muscles for data acquisition. The device has an advanced filter and amplifier. The program supplied with the hardware is called "Chart 5", also by AD instruments. My goal is to be able to not only view the signals (which is currently possible in chart 5) but to activate a second device when the signals being read dip below a certain threshold. This is where I feel Labview can be helpful; in comparing the signals with the threshold values and taking the appropriate action at the desired time.
So I have 2 options. The first is to have Chart 5 export the data in real time to Excel, and from excel have it read into labview. The only problem here is that there are now 3 programs running where there could be 1, and more importantly, there will be a delay in signal transfer...so its not fully real-time.
The other option, which is more difficult but if accomplished will yield better results, is to simply have labview read the measurements. I am not sure how to do this, because the only experience I have with data acquisition in labview is with NI-DAQs. This hardware I am supplied with has a built in DAQ and I cannot access anything but the outputs; which are connected to the computer via USB.
So, what would you do? As stated earlier, the second option is likely to be better, but more difficult for me; do I have to install drivers for Labview to work with the specific DAQ in powerlab? Does Labview have USB reader VIS which work with any USB data transfer?
Thanks for your help so far,
David