How to use LabVIEW with Vernier LabPro

[AdamLe03]

Hello,

I am a MSU (Minnesota State, Mankato) student looking to do a phosphorescence decay experiment that uses a light sensor (PASCO CI-6504A) with the Vernier LabPro that I received from my professor. I do not have the logging software by Vernier, Logger Pro, so I am hoping to use LabVIEW to record my measurements of light intensity through the USB connection of LabPro. I am fairly inexperienced with using both the LabPro device as well as LabVIEW, but I was able to download and install a "LabPro with LabVIEW Downloads" folder that has some VIs to help me get started. I openeded "ex01_Find LabPro" from the "LabPro with LabVIEW Downloads" folder to get started but got error messages regarding "dependency from new path". My concerns/questions are:

1. Is Logger Pro required in order to use my LabPro with LabVIEW? The Vernier webpage that has the "LabPro with LabVIEW Downloads" download file mention that they are driver VIs and examples for LabPro but carry error warnings when opening them on LabVIEW 2015.

2. Also, I could not find any resources (besides using LabPro with Labview for guitar tuning) on basic/simple instructions on "plug-and-play" the LabPro and using it with LabVIEW. Are there any links or resources that would help me set up my experiment from the ground up?

Adam

[Mark_Ramsdale]

1) LabPro is a data acquisition device, and the manufacturer provides a LabVIEW virtual instrument and Drivers. Their website says they provide express IV's and VI's and example VI's.  These are all in LabVIEW and they have their purposes, probably focus on the example VIs for now..  So you do not need to have the Logger Pro software.

2) There is plenty of instrument and Daq articles online, look for the introductory ones..  This instrument probably has VIs that look a lot like DAQmx, which is the driver set for NI devices. .   So you are using the driver set for the LabPro, and they have provided you with example VI's.  Try running the sample VI's.  

a) Pay attention to any "initialization" settings, the settings on the front panel that might tell the drivers where the instrument is.  This instrument is USB, so you will need to figure out what COM port it is most likely.  This should be a setting on the front panel of the example VI's.  Their website says the following "The USB driver on Windows is installed with Vernier’s Logger Pro software. If you don’t have Logger Pro installed, you download the USB driver separately."  this is on their download page for the LabVIEW driver. Download the usb driver from the  link they have provided. There is a serial connection too, but use the USB for now.

b) Pick the easiest example VI, like maybe just an "identification" example.  The warrning you described, loaded from unexpected location, is nothing to worry about.  If you have to look for any files or if the error windows ask you to locate or choose a VI, just point it to the directory you have all the VI's in.  This may not occur, as when you open a copied file in a new directory, it usually looks for it's buddies in the same location.  It's buddies are the other VI's that are called by the example VI.

c) So to summarize, load the USB driver from their link, then run examples, ignoring the warnings (and if you have to point the error dialogs to the location where your files are located.)

Once you are talking to your instrument, run the examples to get comfortable runing the software initerface to the instrument.

[Danl_B]

The Vernier.com site has a lot of information though it is a little obscure to find. Go to http://www.vernier.com/support/lp/ and scroll to the bottom of the page. Enter "labview" into the Search Frequently Asked Questions box and you will likely find answers to many of your questions.