arduino serial monitor via LabView

[seed-e-one]

I am looking for a direct LabView replacement for the Arduino serial monitor since my Arduino sketch is fully formed and expects control via the serial monitor. Having LabView buttons, numbers, and displays would enhance the user control. I have the Arduino interface package which probably has the capability to do only low level control (as with the serial monitor) but looks like it is designed to take over the Arduinos "tight timing" role. Has anyone constructed a vi to look like the serial monitor?

I know LabWindows/CVI but LabView is foreign to me. At this point it looks like programming with a library of subroutines for which one has no documentation. That might change with experience but for now I'd like to get on with builing a GUI to inititiate Arduino actions already in Arduino code. All my Arduino commands are nnnX where nnn represents a number and X the command character. This should be simple to implement via the USB to the Arduino.

[smercurio_fc]

This appears to be more of a question than an idea. If it's an idea, what is your idea?

I've asked the moderator to take a look at this, and if it's more of a question, to have it moved to the LabVIEW forum so that it gets more visibility.

[seed-e-one]

Not sure what the cryptic comments mean but I will stab at an answer. What I would like to see is a LabView vi that mimics the standard Arduino serial monitor but offers very flexible GUI development. I think the Arduino library that is available would permit such a vi to be constructed. I am looking into doing it but I will not be fast or efficient since LabView is not natural to my experience. I am also considering LabWindows/CVI since it is more natural for me and there is already C code available on the Arduino site for a serial I/O program. I have used LabWindow/CVI in research work.

My goal is to prepare reasonably straight-forward means for generating GUIs that control the functions of the Arduino in conjunction with an Arduino sketch. It seems most reasonable to exchange information with LabView or Labwindows/CVI one character at a time. I think that such a general project, independent vi and sketch details, is best done by allowing the programmer to define their own protocol/packets/communication scheme.

The first project I have in mind is to control a projector/camera system that permits film transfer (a film printer) in completely flexible frame ratio and exposure control. The Arduino part is running with the serial monitor. A nice GUI will make its use easier and provide better monitoring of total frames, etc. This is an experimental movie activity done by a retired physics professor and his film archivist son.

[ChrissyC]

Hi,

I can see where Smercurio is coming from here - you don't seem to be asking a direct question! It's usually better to sum up a post with a single question that people can answer concisely. 

If you already have an Arduino sketch written (and don't wish to re-write this in LabVIEW) then you don't have the option to use the LabView Interface for Arduino. This is beacuse you are required to upload a pre-made sketch (called lab_base or something similar) that comes with the interface kit. This sketch allows LabVIEW to communicate with the arduino as usual, but obviously overwrites any sketch you might already have on the arduino.

As you already have your sketch and are communicating with it directly via serial, it will be very easy to talk to the arduino using LabVIEW's standard serial VI's. There are plenty of tutorials/examples around (forums, google, example finder...). These should allow you to send specific commands to the arduino and read back any data that the arduino sends.

-CC

[smercurio_fc]

The post initially appeared in the LabVIEW Idea Exchange, but it was not clear what the proposed idea was. Reading it seemed to be more of a question, but I couldn't figure out what the question was. Since there was no clear idea, I asked the moderator to determine if it should be moved to the LabVIEW forum so that it gets more visibility. In some respect it seemed to simply be some open-ended thinking. I'm still not sure what's being asked/proposed.

[CarlosOtiniano]

There is a group in which topics of arduino arduino

https://decibel.ni.com/content/groups/labview-interface-for-arduino

You can ask your questions