Using Email to Warn Test Engineers of Process Limits

[jncovsky]

Hi all,

Entry level Labview user here (had a class in college, now learning on the fly) with two questions. Please excuse the hectic .VI that uses dynamic data wire and sloppy subvi's (I know I should change it, and THANK you to whoever can help and put up with sloppy .VI's).

First some background-  Our test loop has the potential to over heat if we do not check it periodically, and i figured this would be a perfect time to incorporate LabVIEW's email feature. So the idea is that when the temperature gets over the designated amount, an email will be sent out to notify the engineers that the loop can be shut off. Now to my questions:

Question 1: Where is the send email function located and how can I connect the expression comparison (from the Data Synthesis module) to it? And if i connect to the send email function will this automate the send email vi?

Question 2: If all is corrected in the code, will it send one email every time the limit is reached? Or will this be continuous?

Question 3 (separate): I am trying to have the data be recorded to the excel sheet automatically every 15 minutes for (5 seconds or so? trying to get 500 data points roughly). Is the setup I used for the timing module correct? If so how would I correct it so the module will record data points every fifteen minutes over a 5 hour span per say?

[JÞB]

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@jncovsky wrote:

Hi all,

).

First some background-  Our test loop has the potential to over heat if we do not check it periodically, and i figured this would be a perfect time to incorporate LabVIEW's email feature. So the idea is that when the temperature gets over the designated amount, an email will be sent out to notify the engineers that the loop can be shut off. Now to my questions:

?

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I'm going to straight-out tell it like it is.

You Figured Wrong!

Your test set-up is not SAFE!  any experiment (Test) MUST account for personal and equipment safety.  PERIOD!  Get a shut-off mechanism in place.   Then, E-mail the engineer that a shut-down occurred due to unsafe conditions. 

Either of these methods would work

Data Communications>>Protocols>>STMP E-Mail

As for the rest, The highest version I have is 2017 so I can't open the vi

[billko]

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@jncovsky wrote:

Hi all,

Entry level Labview user here (had a class in college, now learning on the fly) with two questions. Please excuse the hectic .VI that uses dynamic data wire and sloppy subvi's (I know I should change it, and THANK you to whoever can help and put up with sloppy .VI's).

First some background-  Our test loop has the potential to over heat if we do not check it periodically, and i figured this would be a perfect time to incorporate LabVIEW's email feature. So the idea is that when the temperature gets over the designated amount, an email will be sent out to notify the engineers that the loop can be shut off. Now to my questions:

Question 1: Where is the send email function located and how can I connect the expression comparison (from the Data Synthesis module) to it? And if i connect to the send email function will this automate the send email vi?

Question 2: If all is corrected in the code, will it send one email every time the limit is reached? Or will this be continuous?

Question 3 (separate): I am trying to have the data be recorded to the excel sheet automatically every 15 minutes for (5 seconds or so? trying to get 500 data points roughly). Is the setup I used for the timing module correct? If so how would I correct it so the module will record data points every fifteen minutes over a 5 hour span per say?

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Are you sure it's a good idea just to email the engineers?  I mean, if my car was overheating, I sure wouldn't want my car to email me.  😉

Now, why sloppy coding is a bad habit to get into.  Sloppy coding means hard to read.  Hard to read means hard to follow.  Hard to follow means hard to troubleshoot.  Hard to follow also means easy to make mistakes, especially of the miswiring kind because it's hard to follow wires from the output of one node to the input of another.  Also, if you happen to have wires running behind a subVI, you could easily mistake it for being wired to the subVI.  Sloppy LabVIEW code is analogous to C source code with random indents.  The compiler doesn't care about the indents, but your fellow developers sure do!

This last part is just my opinion, but sloppy coding indicates lack of discipline and lack of paying attention to detail.  These traits are not going to help you in a software development environment.  But it does keep disciplined developers gainfully employed by fixing mistakes made as the reult of sloppy coding.  😉

The secret to not writing sloppy code is to not do it in the first place.  It's all to easy to say, "I'll clean it up later" - but "later" never comes.

[jncovsky]

Here is some photos of the .VI for anyone who can help with my initial questions. Again, I am trying to connect the expression comparison with the email send function, along with trying to figure out the timming issue. I appreciate the concern of some of you, but I am not looking for a lecture on safety or software development (not even my field) I just need some clarification on the LabVIEW stuff. Thanks for your time and patience!

[billko]

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@jncovsky wrote:

Here is some photos of the .VI for anyone who can help with my initial questions. Again, I am trying to connect the expression comparison with the email send function, along with trying to figure out the timming issue. I appreciate the concern of some of you, but I am not looking for a lecture on safety or software development (not even my field) I just need some clarification on the LabVIEW stuff. Thanks for your time and patience!

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[natasftw]

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@jncovsky wrote:

Here is some photos of the .VI for anyone who can help with my initial questions.

Again, I am trying to connect the expression comparison with the email send function, along with trying to figure out the timming issue.

I appreciate the concern of some of you, but I am not looking for a lecture on safety or software development (not even my field) I just need some clarification on the LabVIEW stuff.

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While you don't seem to enjoy unsolicited advice, I'll try again looking at these three things individually.

You don't understand your situation well enough for your initial questions to have meaning.  This is why you're getting the advice you don't like.  If you asked someone what the best way to push your car across the street is, would you want them to answer that explicit question or would you prefer they point out you can start it up and get it across easier?  The question you're asking is a bad question and it leads to more bad questions (does this happen once or continuously).  This isn't meant to be insulting or lecturing.  It's pointing out you need to take a step back.  One of the most important things you can learn in engineering is when it's alright to step back, re-evaluate a solution, and look at alternative options.  This is one of those times.

No, you're not.  You're trying to find a solution to deal with the problem you have when the test loop overheats.  You've decided the best way to go about this is to send an email.  You're not specifically trying to send the email.  You're trying to address the overheating.  Do not confuse the two.  The answers you're getting are in relation to the problem, not your posed solution.  They're directly addressing the problem you've posed and answer the question you're trying to answer.  They do not address the poorly designed solution because it's better to help you find an actual solution rather than a flimsy bandaid falling off the moment it's applied.

Again, you're mistaken.  If you're working on this, it is quite literally your field.  It may not be what you ideally wanted as a profession.  It may not be what you studied.  But, you're making software design decisions in the interest of the safety of employees, equipment, or both.  You ARE in the software design field.  You ARE in the safety field.  You DO need a lecture if you're oblivious to both of these.  You DO need to make better decisions as a software engineer as that is the exact role you're currently working in.  While you may have other components of your job, this is one of them.  You can't hide from it by saying "I didn't study this!"  Simply put, you need to find a better solution than the one you've posed.  You've been given ideas here.  Your best bet is to have the test safely shut down in the event of an overheat, not email someone hoping they'll see it in a timely fashion, quickly respond, and quickly shut down the system.  That ignores common sense at every stop.  If you're going to use that as a solution, you're honestly better off just leaving it be.  It works.  Users can see the test overheating.  That's one less step, at least, than seeing the email and getting to the test.  Here, they only need to see the test.

Take that time.  Step back.  Re-evaluate.  Apply some common sense to your solution.  You, and your company, will appreciate the results.

[JÞB]

Natasflw

I cannot give enough kuoos.

Consider double or triple posting that excellant reply