VIRTUAL

INSTRUMENTATION

SUBMITTED BY,

JITHIN K MOHANDAS
ROLL NO : 29
13030476
EEE S5

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I extend my sincere thanks to Mr.Babu P Head of

Department for providing me with guidance and facilitate for the seminar.I express
sincere gratitude to seminar coordinator Mr.Anilkumar G.S staff in charge, for
their cooperation and guidance preparing and presenting the seminar.I extend my
sincere thanks to all other faculty members of Electrical and Electronics
Department and my friends for their support and encouragement.

ABSTRACT
Every parameter in the industry or laboratory needs measurement. For
measuring those quantities dedicated instruments are more often used. These
instruments provide very accurate measurement and are reliable. But they cannot
be customized. They are very much useful in industries but they cannot meet the
requirements of scientists and research workers. A virtual instrument overcomes
the drawbacks of traditional instruments.
Virtual instruments are fueled by the rapid advancement of the chip
technology and in PC. Virtual instruments represent a fundamental shift from
traditional hardware-centered instrumentation system to software-centered systems
that exploit the computing power, productivity, display and connectivity
capabilities of popular desktop computers and workstations. Virtual instruments are
real instruments, real world data is collected, recorded and displayed, it just uses
the data acquisition capabilities, processing, storage and other capabilities of a
computer.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SL NO
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13.

INTRODUCTION
CONCEPT OF VIRTUAL INSTRUMENT
WHY HAS VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTATION BEEN SO
SUCCESSFUL
VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTATION AND ITS NECESSITY
LAYERS OF VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTATION SOFTWARE
VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTATION FOR TEST
VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTATION FOR INDUSTRIAL I/O
AND CONTROL
VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTATION FOR DESIGN
TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENT V/S VIRTUAL
INSTRUMENT
CAPABILITIES OF VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTATION
HARDWARE
LabVIEW
APPLICATIONS
CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION
In industries we find many parameters to be controlled, and many
electronic instruments are used to control these parameters. All these instruments are
dedicated to measure or control those parameters only. They entirely differ from one

another but they have one thing in common, they all are box shaped and has some
controls and knobs on them. the Stand-alone electronic instruments are very powerful,
expensive and designed to perform one or more specific tasks defined by the vendor.
The user cannot extend or customize them. The knobs and buttons, built-in circuitry and
the functions available to the user, all of these are specific to the nature of the
instrument. In addition, special technology and costly components must be developed to
build these instruments.
Widespread adoption of the PC over the past twenty years has given
rise to a new way for scientists and engineers to measure and automate the world
around them. One major development resulting from the advancement of the PC is the
concept of virtual instrumentation. A virtual instrument consists of an industry-standard
computer or workstation equipped with off-the-shelf application software, cost effective
hardware, which together performs the function of traditional instruments. Today virtual
instrumentation is used by engineers and scientists for faster application development,
higher quality products at lower costs.
Virtual instruments represent a fundamental shift from traditional
hardware-centered instrumentation systems towards software-centered systems that
exploit the computing power, productivity, display and connectivity capabilities of
popular desktop computers and workstations. Even if PC and IC technologies
experienced a good growth, it is the software that makes a reality of building virtual
instruments.

CONCEPT OF VIRTUAL INSTRUMENT

Usually instrumentation manufactures provide specific functions to given architecture

and fixed interfaces for measuring devices, and thus limit the application domain of
these devices. In actual use much time is required for adjusting the measuring range and
for saving and documenting the results. The advent of microprocessors in the
measurement and instrumentation fields produced rapid modifications of measuring
device technology, soon followed by the appearance of computer based measurement
techniques. These techniques consists of three parts as shown in fig-1, acquisition of
measurement data, conditioning and processing of analysis of measurement signals and
presentation of data.

The concept of virtual instrument is frequently used in industrial measurement practice,

but not always with precisely the same meaning. In one view virtual instruments are
based on standard computers and represent systems for storage, processing and
presentation of measurement data. In another view, a virtual instrument is computer
equipped with software for a variety of uses including drivers for various peripherals, as
well as A to D and D to A converters, representing an alternative to extensive
conventional instruments with analog displays and electronics. Acquisition of data by a
computer can be achieved in various ways and for this reason the understanding of
architecture of the measuring instrument becomes important.
A virtual instrument can be defined as an integration of sensors by a PC equipped with
specific DAC hardware and software to permit measurement data acquisition,

processing and display. Virtual instruments are a means of integration of the display,
control and centralization of complex measurement systems. Industrial instrumentation
applications however require high rates, long distances and multi vendor instrument
connectivity based on open industrial network protocols. In order to construct a virtual
instrument it is necessary to combine the hardware and software elements which should
perform data acquisition and control, data processing and data presentation in a
different way to take maximum advantage of the PC, as shown in fig-2. Virtual
instrumentation can use the serial communication based on RS-232 standard or the
parallel communication based on GPIB standard, PC bus or VXI bus.

WHY HAS VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTATION BEEN

SO SUCCESSFUL?
Virtual instrumentation achieved mainstream adoption by providing a
new model for building measurement and automation systems. Keys to its success

include rapid PC advancement; explosive low-cost, high-performance data

converter (semiconductor) development; and system design software emergence.
These factors make virtual instrumentation systems accessible to a very broad base
of
users.
PC performance, in particular, has increased more than 10,000X over
the past 20 years. Virtual instruments takes advantage of this PC performance
increase by analyzing measurements and solving new application challenges with
each new-generation PC processor, hard drive, display, and I/O bus. These rapid
advancements, combined with the general trend that technical and computer
literacy starts early in school, contribute to successful computer-based virtual
instrumentation adoption.
Standard hardware platforms that house the I/O are important to I/O
modularity. Laptop and desktop computers provide an excellent platform where
virtual instrumentation can make the most of existing standards such as the USB,
PCI, Ethernet, and PCMCIA buses. Using these standard buses, National
Instruments can focus on measurement hardware innovation while benefiting from
inevitable PC platform innovation (for example, USB 2.0 and PCI Express).

Figure 2. Modular I/O and scalable platforms such as USB, PCI, and PXI provide
flexibility and scalability.

VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTATION AND ITS

NECESSITY
With virtual instrumentation, software based on user
requirements defines general-purpose measurement and control hardware

functionality. Virtual instrumentation combines mainstream commercial

technologies, such as the PC, with flexible software and a wide variety of
measurement and control hardware, so engineers and scientists can create userdefined systems that meet their exact application needs. With virtual
instrumentation, engineers and scientists reduce development time, design higher
quality products, and lower their design costs.

Figure 1. Virtual instrumentation combines productive software, modular I/O, and

scalable platforms.
Today, virtual instrumentation has reached mainstream acceptance
and is used in thousands of applications around the world in industries from
automotive, to consumer electronics, to oil and gas.

NECESSITY
Virtual instrumentation is necessary because it delivers
instrumentation with the rapid adaptability required for todays concept, product,

and process design, development, and delivery. Only with virtual instrumentation
can engineers and scientists create the user-defined instruments required to keep up
with
the
worlds
demands.
To meet the ever-increasing demand to innovate and deliver ideas
and products faster, scientists and engineers are turning to advanced electronics,
processors, and software. Consider a modern cell phone. Most contain the latest
features of the last generation, including audio, a phone book, and text messaging
capabilities. New versions include a camera, MP3 player, and Bluetooth
networking
and
Internet
browsing.
The increased functionality of advanced electronics increased
functionality is possible because devices have become more software centric.
Engineers and scientists can add new functions to the device without changing the
hardware, resulting in improved concepts and products without costly hardware
redevelopment. This extends product life and usefulness and reduces product
delivery times. Engineers and scientists can improve functionality through
software instead of developing further specific electronics to do a particular job.
However, this increase in functionality comes with a price.
Upgraded functionality introduces the possibility of unforeseen interaction or error.
So, just as device-level software helps rapidly develop and extend functionality,
design and test instrumentation also must adapt to verify the improvements.
The only way to meet these demands is to use test and control
architectures that are also software centric. Because virtual instrumentation uses
highly productive software, modular I/O, and commercial platforms, it is uniquely
positioned to keep pace with the required new idea and product development rate.
National Instruments LabVIEW, a premier virtual instrumentation graphical
development environment, uses symbolic or graphical representations to speed up
development. The software symbolically represents functions. Consolidating
functions within rapidly deployed graphical blocks further speeds development.

Another virtual instrumentation component is modular I/O,

designed to be rapidly combined in any order or quantity to ensure that virtual
instrumentation can both monitor and control any development aspect. Using welldesigned software drivers for modular I/O, engineers and scientists quickly can
access functions during concurrent operation.

The third virtual instrumentation element using commercial

platforms, often enhanced with accurate synchronization ensures that virtual
instrumentation takes advantage of the very latest computer capabilities and data
transfer technologies. This element delivers virtual instrumentation on a long-term
technology base that scales with the high investments made in processors, buses,
and more.In summary, as innovation mandates software use of to accelerate new
concept and product development, it also requires instrumentation to rapidly adapt
to new functionality. Because virtual instrumentation applies software, modular
I/O, and commercial platforms, it delivers instrumentation capabilities uniquely
qualified to keep pace with todays concept and product development

LAYERS OF VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTATION

SOFTWARE
Virtual instrumentation software can be divided into several different layers.

1. Application Software: Most people think immediately of the application

software layer. This is the primary development environment for building an
application. It includes software such as LabVIEW and Measurement Studio
(Visual Studio programming languages)
2. Test and Data Management Software: Above the application software
layer the test executive and data management software layer. This layer of
software incorporates all of the functionality developed by the application
layer and provides system-wide data management.
3. Measurement and Control Services Software: The last layer is often
overlooked, yet critical to maintaining software development productivity.
The measurement and control services layer includes drivers which
communicate with all of the hardware. It must access and preserve the
hardware functions and performance. It also must be interoperable it has to
work with all other drivers and the many modular I/O types that can be a
part of the solution.

Figure 1. Virtual Instrumentation Software

VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTATION FOR TEST

Test has been a long-proven field for virtual instrumentation.

More than 25,000 companies (the majority being test and measurement companies)
use National Instruments virtual instrumentation. Now, companies quickly are
adopting up to 200 MS/s digitization capabilities. The PXI consortium hosts more
than 60 members delivering hundreds of products. And tens of thousands of R&D,
validation, and product test engineers and scientists literally use thousands and
thousands of instrument drivers.
Still, the need for test has never been greater. As the pace of
innovation has increased, so too has the pressure to get new, differentiated products
to market quickly. Consumer expectations continue to increase; in electronics
markets, for example, disparate function integration is required in a small space
and at a low cost. The economic downturn of recent years has not curbed the need
to innovate, but instead has added the restraint of fewer resources. Meeting these
demands is a factor in business success the company that can meet these
demands quickly, consistently, and most reliably has a decided advantage over the
competition.
All of these conditions drive new validation, verification, and
manufacturing test needs. A test platform that can keep pace with this innovation is
not optional, it is essential. The platform must include rapid test development tools
adaptable enough to be used throughout the product development flow. The need to
get products to market quickly and manufacture them efficiently requires highthroughput test. To test the complex multifunction products that consumers
demand requires precise, synchronized measurement capabilities. And as
companies incorporate innovations to differentiate their products, test systems must
quickly adapt to test the new features.
Virtual instrumentation is an innovative solution to these
challenges. It combines rapid development software and modular, flexible
hardware to create user-defined test systems. Virtual instrumentation delivers:
Intuitive software tools for rapid test development;
Fast, precise modular I/O based on innovative commercial technologies
A PC-based platform with integrated synchronization for high accuracy and
throughput

VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTATION FOR

INDUSTRIAL I/O AND CONTROL
PCs and PLCs both play an important role in control and
industrial applications. PCs bring greater software flexibility and capability, while
PLCs deliver outstanding ruggedness and reliability. But as control needs become
more complex, there is a recognized need to accelerate the capabilities while
retaining
the
ruggedness
and
reliabilities.
Independent industry experts have recognized the need for tools
that can meet the increasing need for more complex, dynamic, adaptive, and
algorithm-based control. The PAC is the industrys request and virtual
instrumentations
answer.
An independent research firm defined programmable automation controllers
(PACs) to address the problem. Craig Resnick of ARC Research defines PAC as:
1. Multidomain functionality (logic, motion, drives, and process) the
concept supports multiple I/O types. Logic, motion, and other function
integration is a requirement for increasingly complex control approaches.

2. A single multidiscipline development platform a singular development

environment must be capable of supporting varying I/O and control
schemes.

3. Software tools for designing applications across several machines or

process units the software tools must scale to distributed operation.

4. Open, modular architectures the design and technology specifications

must be open, modular, and combinable in implementation

VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTATION FOR DESIGN

The same design engineers that use a wide variety of software design
tools must use hardware to test prototypes. Commonly, there is no good interface
between the design phase and testing/validation phase, which means that the
design usually must go through a completion phase and enter a testing/validation
phase. Issues discovered in the testing phase require a design-phase reiteration.

Figure 1. Test plays a critical role in the design and manufacture of todays
electronic devices.
In reality, the development process has two very distinct and
separate stages design and test are two individual entities. On the design side,
EDA tool vendors undergo tremendous pressure to interoperate from the increasing
semiconductor design and manufacturing group complexity requirements.
Engineers and scientists are demanding the capability to reuse designs from one
tool in other tools as products go from schematic design to simulation to physical
layout. Similarly, test system development is evolving toward a modular approach.
Traditionally, this is the stage where the product designer uses benchtop
instruments to sanity-check the physical prototypes against their design for
correctness. The designer makes these measurements manually, probing circuits
and looking at the signals on instruments for problems or performance limitations.
As designs iterate through this build-measure-tweak-rebuild process, the designer
needs the same measurements again. In addition, these measurements can be
complex requiring frequency, amplitude, and temperature sweeps with data
collected and analyzed throughout. Because these engineers focus on design tools,
they are reluctant to invest in learning to automate their testing.

TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENT V/S VIRTUAL

INSTRUMENT

Every virtual instrument consists of two parts software and

hardware. A virtual instrument typically has a sticker price comparable to and
many times less than a similar traditional instrument for the current measurement
task.
A traditional instrument provides them with all software and
measurement circuitry packaged into a product with a finite list of fixedfunctionality using the instrument front panel. A virtual instrument provides all the
software and hardware needed to accomplish the measurement or control task. In
addition, with a virtual instrument, engineers and scientists can customize the
acquisition, analysis, storage, sharing, and presentation functionality using
productive, powerful software.

Traditional instruments (left) and software based virtual instruments (right)

largely share the same architectural components, but radically different
philosophies

CAPABILITIES OF VIRTUAL
INSTRUMENTATION HARDWARE
An important concept of virtual instrumentation is the strategy that
powers the actual virtual instrumentation software and hardware device
acceleration. National Instruments focuses on adapting or using high-investment
technologies of companies such as Microsoft, Intel, Analog Devices, Xilinx, and
others. With software, National Instruments uses the tremendous Microsoft
investment in OSs and development tools. For hardware, National Instruments
builds on the Analog Devices investment in A/D converters.
Fundamentally, because virtual instrumentation is software-based, if
you can digitize it, you can measure it. Therefore, measurement hardware can be
viewed on two axes, resolutions (bits) and frequency. Refer to the figure below to
see how measurement capabilities of virtual instrumentation hardware compare to
traditional instrumentation. The goal for National Instruments is to push the curve
out in frequency and resolution and to innovate within the curve.

Figure 1. Compare virtual instrumentation hardware over time to traditional

instrumentation.

LabVIEW

LabVIEW is an integral part of virtual instrumentation because it

provides an easy-to-use application development environment designed
specifically for engineers and scientists. LabVIEW offers powerful features that
make is easy to connect to a wide variety of hardware and other software. This ease
of use and these features deliver the required flexibility for a virtual
instrumentation software development environment. The result is a user-defined
interface
and
user-defined
application
functionality.
One of the most powerful features that LabVIEW offers is its
graphical programming paradigm. With LabVIEW, engineers and scientists can
design custom virtual instruments by creating a graphical user interface on the
computer screen through which they:
Operate the instrumentation program
Control selected hardware
Analyze acquired data
Display results
They can customize the LabVIEW user interface, or front
panel, with knobs, buttons, dials, and graphs to emulate traditional
instrument control panels of, create custom test panels, or visually represent
process control and operation.

Figure 4. LabVIEW is a leader in application software used in PC-based data

acquisition and instrument control.

APPLICATIONS

ADVANCED SENSING
BIOINFORMATICS
GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACES
INTERFACING TECHNOLOGIES
LOCATION-AWARE TECHNOLOGY
MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS
MEMS
NEXT GENERATION COMPUTING
NANOTECHNOLOGY
OPTICS
RFID
ROBOTICS
SMART CAMERAS
WEB SERVICES
WIRELESS COMMS

WIRELESS NETWORK SENSORS & SOFTWARE

CONCLUSION
Virtual instrumentation is fueled by ever advancing computer
technology and it offers the power of creating and defining someones own system
based on an open frame work. The combination of computer performance, graphical
software, and modular instrumentation has led to the emergence of virtual instruments,
which are substantially differ physical ancestors. Virtual instruments are manifested in
different forms ranging from graphical instrument panels to complete instrument
systems. Modular instrumentation building blocks are becoming more prevalent in the
industry and are allowing users to develop capabilities unattainable using traditional
instrument architectures. Despite these changes however, these measurement paradigm
remains unaltered. This might be the proper platform for the new development.