More books in category: Labview
by: John Essick
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Book Description
Advanced LabVIEW Labs provides a structured introduction to LabVIEW-based laboratory skills. The book can be used as a stand-alone tutorial or as a college-level instructional lab text. The reader learns the LabVIEW programming language while writing meaningful programs that explore useful data analysis techniques (numerical integration and differentiation, least-squares curve-fitting, Fast Fourier Transform) and the mechanics of computer-based experimentation using National Instruments DAQ and GPIB boards. During the course of the book, the reader constructs and investigates the proper usage of several computer-based instruments including a digitizing oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer and PID temperature control system as well as learns to control an instrument through the General Purpose Interface Bus.
Book Info
Teaches computer-based experimental research skills using the graphical programming language, LabVIEW. Provides systematic instruction on learning the language and using it to perform a wide variety of laboratory tasks. Paper. DLC: LabVIEW.
Table of Contents
1) The While Loop and Waveform Chart
2) The For Loop and Waveform Graph
3) The Formula Node and XY Graph
4) Data Files and Character Strings
5) Shift Registers
6) The Case Structure
7) The Sequence Structure
8) Built-in Analysis VIs-Curve Fitting
9) Built-in Analysis VIs-Fast Fourier Transform
10) Analog-to-Digital Conversion
11) Digital-to-Analog Conversion and PID Temperature Control
12) GPIB-Control of Instruments
Appendix: Construction of Temperature Control System
Index
Reviews:
Physics Today, December 1999
excellent text...any programmer trying to learn how to interface computers to instruments and to understand programming language concepts should read this book.
LabVIEW Technical Resource, Volume 7-3, Winter 2000
excellent self-paced book..readers learn the LabVIEW programming language then use it to perform interesting and challenging labs..I highly recommend this book.
National Instruments Instrumentation Newsletter, Fourth Quarter 1999
Written by Reed College Professor John Essick, this book systematically teaches LabVIEW-based research skills in a hands-on, user-friendly manner throughout
As all the other reviewers have noted, this is an excellent book. I used it for a class I taught on LabVIEW and both the students and I liked the book. The problem is that it was written for LabVIEW 5. There is a 32 page online update available for the many changes between version 5 and 6.1 but that was a pain and even that is now two years out of date. (To get it, do a Google search for "John Essick" then go to his home page and follow the obvious link.) You had to keep remembering to refer to the update list or you had to go through the book and make notes that would remind you to see the updates.
This is a wonderful book. But as of this review LabVIEW 7 is now the standard version and this book is now two versions out of date. I would be thrilled if Essick would write an updated version.
When I learned LabVIEW I used 3 or 4 different books (along with the poor quality manual that came with the original software) and Advanced LabVIEW Labs was a godsend. It taught me the software in language ment for scientists and I immediately connected with it. I'm sorry that I can no longer use it for my class and am now looking for a newer book.
OUTSTANDING book to learn LabView basics
This book is a fantastic hands-on introduction to LabView, probably the best book on this topic a beginner can find. It is extremely clearly written, very well edited (i.e., there are practically no mistakes), and it has excellent illustrations for each step in the process of building VIs.
The book was developed by the author as a student manual for the class he taught. However, it is written so well that I do not understand why a student who has such a book needs an instructor at all. It consists of 12 chapters, all very practical. The first chapter gives a brief introduction to the LabView interface and its editing tools and introduces very simple VIs illustrating the while loop and the waveform chart. Chapters 2 through 8 teach increasingly complicated VIs which utilize the waveforem graph, XY graph, For loop, Formula node, operations with data files and character strings, shift registers, and case and sequence structures. The reader learns how to create arrays of data, perform mathematical operations on them, save them in files and read from files, and how to plot them. There are many practical tips how to navigate the LabView interface quickly and efficiently. Chapters 8 and 9 introduce the advance analysis VIs (included only in the "full" but not in the "base" labview package) and demonstrate how to program nonlinear least squares fitting and Fast Fourier Transform. Finally, the last 3 chapters teach programming of data acquisition boards - analog to digital conversion (digitizing oscilloscope), digital to analog conversion (PID temperature control), and GPIB control of instruments. While the book covers only the essentials of labview, the topics covered and the examples presented are extremely useful, and they all a must to know to program in LabView.
The book comes without a CD, but it is not necessary as the book describes the process of building of each VI so accurately and in so detailed way that it is very easy to follow the guidelines.
The book came out in 1999 and most likely was written using LabView 4. Three more versions of LabView came out since that time. It turned out that using it with newer versions of LabView is quite straightforward. The small changes that were introduced after the version 4 sometimes make it necessary to change the VIs slightly, but it is easy to figure out what changes are required using the error messages and LabView help. For instance, newer versions of LabView require that the conditional terminal in the While loop be wired; Replace Array Element is now called Replace Array Subset; there is no need to construct Global Variables using a while loops' shift registers (although it is interesting to learn how this can be done), etc. I counted only 10 small changes which had to be done to the programs on the first 220 pages of the book - and no errors or typos whatsoever!
To run the programs in Chapters 1-7 any LabView version will do; to run the programs in Ch. 8 and 9 one needs "Full" package (the "base" one does not contain the advanced analysis VIs); and finally, for the last 3 chapters one needs a computer with DAQ and GPIB boards. However, the book is so well written that you can read the text,look through the VI diagrams, and learn from this even if you do not have the proper software or hardware.
The book is very detailed, but at the same time everything that is in there is necessary; there are no off-topic discussions or jokes - almost 400 pages of straight-to-the-topic presentation.
The bottom line is that it is a fantastic introduction to LabView for beginners, which I can highly recommend. Well deserved five stars - and an example for the other authors how such books should be written!
I needed a new software platform for data acquisition following the demise of an older platform. All of my friends at various national laboratories were using LabVIEW so it was a natural choice. I then started looking for a "directed tutorial" that would get me up to speed for data acquisition without first mastering the vast multitude of LabVIEW features (until I really needed them). I found Essick's book to be head and shoulders above the other novice-level books I tried (which were helpful but were taking too long). My undergraduate research students now first encounter LabVIEW with the guidance of this clear, concise, and well-written book. It would also be my first choice as a textbook for a class on LabVIEW (or on data acquisition techniques in general). I recommend this book very highly.
I bought the book last week and since then I can't stop reading it and going through the well presented Labs. I find the book very interesting, well written ,to the point and clear. It will get you up to speed with Labview quickly. I own other Labview books but this is the only one that I didn't find boring or confusing. This is definitely a book I would recommend to all the students who want to learn Labview in a short period of time and also to the instructors; it can be a great teaching tool ! Finally, the price is ...very affordable. Great book !