Virtual instruments collection

LabVIEW 5.1 is a product of National Instruments which is based on a graphical programming language called G. The programs, called Virtual Instruments (vi), are not compatible to earlier version except to LabVIEW 5.0 (you need to save the vi's in LabVIEW 5.1 for version 5.0). Some of the programs have been written for Macintosh computers, others for PC, but the data format is not platform-specific. Usually programs wil need adjustments for the selection of the serial interface, GPIB adress and so on.
A very good documentation on how to interface lab equipment to a Mac is available by Dr. Jim Connor which had helped me a lot.

There is some additional documentation (, 14 pages, German, 440 kB) covering the below-mentioned vis.

Gilson Minipuls 3 peristaltic pump

The Gilson Minipuls 3 peristaltic pump can be controlled by the Gilson Serial Input/Output Channel (GSIOC), a bidirectional bus that connects a master device ("controller") with as many as ten slave devices with RS422A specifications.

You have to use a GSIOC RS232 Adapter (approx. 4kFr.) provided by Gilson .

Download GilsonMinipuls3.llb (LabVIEW 5.1, 77 kB as .zip file).

MinipulsSet can be used as a standalone vi which implements all the hardware panel functions or as a SubVI which can set the flow rate (sign gives direction, 0 means stop).

Perkin Elmer LS-50B luminescence spectrophotometer

The PE LS-50B is an all purpose luminescence spectrophotometer which comes with a commercial software called FLWinlab.

Download PE LS-50B.llb (LabVIEW 5.1, 400 kB as .zip file).

PE LS-50BInit.vi

The library contains a vi called PE LS-50BInit which sets user-friendly all relevant parameter for scans and timedrives as well as filters and data processing. PE LS-50BError returns understandable error messages. PE LS-50BExit cancels all running processes and if desired, shuts off the Xenon lamp. Most VI's use PE LS-50BBinRead to retrieve data transmitted via the serial interface.

PE LS-50BSingleScan performs a single wavelength scan (emission or excitation) using PE LS-50BStartScan and outputs a spreadsheet string. PE LS-50BStartTD starts a timedrive.

Attention: PE LS-50BMeasure has not been updated to binary transfer.

Remarks for the serial interfacing: First thing you have to do is set the instrument to free-running mode with "$RE 0", otherwise it will not answer anymore. The PC uses a standard cable, but for the Mac you have to construct a custom cable (HSKo to 4, HSKi to 20, TxD- to 2, Gnd to 7, RxD- to 3, TxD+ n.c, GPi to 8, RxD+ to 7, shield to 1; remember that there are internal shortcuts in the PE LS-50B 4-5-8-20).
ASCII transfer is 64 byte long (not 128 bytes as specified in the manual). Binary transfer is fixed at 10 times 4 bytes at once, most significant bit first. Otherwise the manual is very useful and the whole RS-232 command set is well documented.

Uvikon 942 absorbance spectrophotometer

The Uvikon 942 absorbance spectrophotometer is a good dual beam absorbance spectrophotometer which is interface via RS-232.
The Uvikon_942_SendSingleCommand.vi implements all the instrument's commands. Programming emulates macro-like all the manual steps, the Uvikon_942_SingleScan.vi e.g. a wavelength scan. The latter is a full stand-alone solution which allows single/sequence spectra recording.

Download Uvikon_942.llb (LabVIEW 5.1, 212 kB as .zip file).

Spekol 1100 absorbance spectrophotometer

The Spekol 1100 from Analytik Jena GmbH is a single-beam absorbance spectrophotometer with a photodiode array detector; the instrument is interfaced via RS-232.

The vi is a full stand-alone solution which allows single/sequence spectra recording. It is definitely less prone to software freezes than the original Aspect software...

Download Spekol_1100.llb (LabVIEW 5.1, 204 kB as .zip file).

HP 4274A Multi-Frequency LCR Meter

The HP 4274A Multi-Frequency LCR Meter is an older impedance spectrometer which is interfaced with GPIB.

The vi is a complete stand-alone solution which allows recording of any pair of quantities (e.g. Z and theta) for any selection of possible frequencies.

Download HP_4274A.llb (LabVIEW 5.0, 134 kB as .zip file).

HP 34420A Nanovoltmeter

The HP 34420A Nanovoltmeter is an all-purpose digital multimeter for which there seems to be no LabVIEW driver. It is interfaced via GPIB. Timedrive allows to measure continously from one instrument. The VI is a complete standalone solution which also does data saving, allowing comments etc. Only voltage measurements have been extensivly tested. Not my best because my first work...

Download HP_34420A.llb (LabVIEW 4.0, 148 kB as .zip file).

PREMA 5000 Digital Multimeter with Scanner

The PREMA 5000 is an all-purpose digital multimeter with an optional 10-channel scanner. It is interfaced via GPIB. The MultiPREMAMessung allows to measure from 1 to several multimeters using the first 1 to 10 channels on each instrument. The VI is a complete standalone solution which also does data saving, allowing comments etc. Only voltage measurements have been extensivly tested.

Download MultiPREMA5000Messung.llb (LabVIEW 5.0, 226 kB as .zip file).

Mass flow controllers control

The vi-collection implements all the commands for communication with the DDE-Server (Bronkhorst High-Tech mass flow controllers) or via RS-485 (MKS mass flow controllers). For the elegant RS-485 solution you need a RS-232/485 converter.

Download GasflussregelungDDE.llb (LabVIEW 5.0, 192 kB as .zip file), FlowDDEClient.vi (LabVIEW 5.0, 13 kB as .zip file) and DDETest.vi (LabVIEW 5.0, 18 kB as .zip file) for Bronkhorst High-Tech mass flow controllers and MKSMassFloViaRS-485.llb (LabVIEW 5.1, 82 kB as .zip file) for MKS mass flow controllers.

Non-commercial use only. Use "Save as source text" function. VIs are provided as is, no support guaranteed. If you happen to improve them please send me a copy. © by Thomas Roth 1998-2000

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