SignalExpress

TM

Getting Started with SignalExpress

Getting Started with SignalExpress

August 2004 Edition

Part Number 373873A-01
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Contents

About This Manual

Conventions ...................................................................................................................vii
Related Documentation..................................................................................................vii

Chapter 1
Introduction to SignalExpress
SignalExpress for the Design Lab .................................................................................1-1
Extending SignalExpress Projects with LabVIEW .......................................................1-2
SignalExpress and the Express Workbench...................................................................1-2

Chapter 2
Installing SignalExpress
Limitations of the SignalExpress Evaluation Software .................................................2-1
Minimum System Requirements ...................................................................................2-1
Installing SignalExpress ................................................................................................2-2

Chapter 3
Working with Projects
Loading a Project ...........................................................................................................3-1
Running a Project and Displaying Signals ....................................................................3-2
Configuring a Step .........................................................................................................3-4
Moving and Deleting Steps............................................................................................3-7
Handling Errors and Warnings ......................................................................................3-8

Chapter 4
Working with Signals
Graphing Signals............................................................................................................4-1
Importing a Signal from a File.......................................................................................4-3
Aligning and Comparing Signals...................................................................................4-4
Signal Types in SignalExpress ......................................................................................4-6
Exporting and Printing Signals ......................................................................................4-7
Exporting Signals to Microsoft Excel .............................................................4-7
Printing Signals ...............................................................................................4-7
Saving Signals as Images ................................................................................4-7

© National Instruments Corporation v Getting Started with SignalExpress

Contents

Chapter 5
Performing Sweep Measurements
Defining Sweep Ranges and Outputs ............................................................................ 5-1
Plotting Sweep Results .................................................................................................. 5-4
Running Multi-Dimensional Sweeps ............................................................................ 5-5

Chapter 6
Extending SignalExpress Projects with LabVIEW
Importing LabVIEW VIs into SignalExpress as Steps.................................................. 6-1
Converting SignalExpress Projects to LabVIEW Block Diagrams .............................. 6-4

Chapter 7
Where to Go from Here
SignalExpress Sample Projects ..................................................................................... 7-1
Using Hardware with SignalExpress............................................................................. 7-1
Web Resources .............................................................................................................. 7-1

Appendix A
Technical Support and Professional Services

Getting Started with SignalExpress vi ni.com

About This Manual

Use this manual to familiarize yourself with SignalExpress interactive

measurements and the basic SignalExpress features that you use to acquire
and analyze signals.

This manual contains exercises that help you begin working with
SignalExpress. These exercises teach you how to run projects, configure
steps, work with signals, configure sweep measurements, and extend
SignalExpress with LabVIEW.

Conventions
The following conventions appear in this manual:

» The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options
to a final action. The sequence File»Page Setup»Options directs you to
pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item, and select Options
from the last dialog box.

bold Bold text denotes items that you must select or click in the software, such
as menu items and dialog box options. Bold text also denotes input and
output names, parameter names, dialog boxes, sections of dialog boxes, and
menu names.

italic Italic text denotes variables or cross references.

monospace Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter from the
keyboard. This font is also used for the proper names of disk drives, paths,
directories, programs, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions,
operations, variables, filenames, and extensions.

Related Documentation
Refer to the NI Express Workbench Help, available by selecting Help»
Express Workbench Help, for more information as you read this manual.

© National Instruments Corporation vii Getting Started with SignalExpress

Introduction to SignalExpress
1
National Instruments provides innovative solutions for scientists
and engineers to build automated measurement systems based on
industry-standard computers and platforms. National Instruments develops
robust, industry-leading programming environments for automating
measurement systems, such as LabVIEW for graphical development,
LabWindows™/CVI™ for ANSI C programming, and Measurement Studio
for Microsoft Visual Studio programming. You can use these programming
tools with National Instruments measurement hardware and interfaces to
traditional instruments to build custom advanced virtual instrumentation
systems.

SignalExpress optimizes virtual instrumentation for design engineers by

offering instant interactive measurements that require no programming.
You can use SignalExpress interactively to acquire, generate, analyze,
compare, import, and save signals. You can compare design data with
measurement data in one step. SignalExpress extends the ease of use and
performance of virtual instrumentation to those who must acquire or
analyze signals without programming applications. You also can extend the
functionality of SignalExpress by importing a custom virtual instrument
(VI) created in LabVIEW or by converting a SignalExpress project to a
LabVIEW block diagram so you can continue development in the
LabVIEW environment.

SignalExpress for the Design Lab

SignalExpress is ideal for engineers who use an Electronic Design
Automation (EDA) software tool to design and simulate a developing
product. Although design engineers primarily focus on designing products,
often designers also must perform measurements. For example, the typical
designer must do the following:
• Complete designs and validate them rapidly against prototypes
• Invest time in designing rather than programming
• Perform measurements to verify that prototypes work as expected
• Perform detailed characterization and validation measurements on
designs

© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Chapter 1 Introduction to SignalExpress

You can use SignalExpress to import signals from a SPICE simulator and
compare them with physical measurements on the same graphs. You can
configure sweep measurements to measure the performance of a design
across frequency, amplitude, or supply ranges. You also can export signals
to ASCII files or spreadsheet applications such as Microsoft Excel for
further analysis. You can accomplish all these actions within an interactive
virtual instrumentation environment without needing to program.

Extending SignalExpress Projects with LabVIEW

You can extend the functionality of SignalExpress with LabVIEW in the
following ways:
• You can build VIs with LabVIEW and import them into SignalExpress
to expand the built-in measurement options.
• You can convert SignalExpress projects to LabVIEW block diagrams
to continue developing the application. By doing so, you can use the
interactive tools in SignalExpress to define measurement procedures,
then convert the sequence into a LabVIEW block diagram to build
automated test applications.

Refer to Chapter 6, Extending SignalExpress Projects with LabVIEW, for

more information about these two options.

SignalExpress and the Express Workbench

The Express Workbench is an interactive framework that can host multiple
National Instruments tools and assistants. SignalExpress is the first
interactive software tool hosted within the Express Workbench. Other tools
further extend the capabilities of the Express Workbench. Refer to the
National Instruments Web site at ni.com/info and enter the info code
expwrk for the most up-to-date information on the Express Workbench.

Getting Started with SignalExpress 1-2 ni.com

Installing SignalExpress
2
You can use the SignalExpress Development CD or the SignalExpress
Evaluation CD to install SignalExpress and complete the exercises in this
manual.

Limitations of the SignalExpress Evaluation Software

The SignalExpress Evaluation CD provides full functionality for 30 days.
After 30 days, the SignalExpress evaluation version runs with the
following limitations:
• You can no longer save projects, so you cannot convert projects into
LabVIEW block diagrams.
• You can run projects for only 10 minutes per session.

Refer to the National Instruments Web site at ni.com/signalexpress to

purchase a licensed copy of SignalExpress.

Minimum System Requirements

SignalExpress requires a minimum of 128 MB of RAM and a Pentium III
or later or Celeron 600 MHz or equivalent processor, but National
Instruments recommends 256 MB of RAM and a Pentium 4 or equivalent
processor.

© National Instruments Corporation 2-1 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Chapter 2 Installing SignalExpress

Installing SignalExpress
Complete the following steps to install SignalExpress on
Windows 2000/NT/XP.

Note If you want to import LabVIEW VIs into SignalExpress or convert SignalExpress
projects to LabVIEW block diagrams, you must install LabVIEW 7.1 or later before you
install SignalExpress.

1. Disable any automatic virus detection programs before you install.

Some virus detection programs interfere with the installation program.
2. Log on as an administrator or as a user with administrator privileges.
3. Insert the SignalExpress Development or Evaluation CD and follow
the instructions that appear on the screen.
By default, SignalExpress installs in the Program Files\
National Instruments\SignalExpress directory.
4. After installation, check the hard disk for viruses and enable any virus
detection programs you disabled.

The example projects you use with this manual are located in
SignalExpress\Examples\Tutorial. The solutions for each exercise
are located in SignalExpress\Examples\Tutorial\Solutions.

If you use SignalExpress with National Instruments data acquisition or

modular instrumentation hardware, you must install NI-DAQmx 7.3 or
later, NI-SCOPE 2.7 or later, or NI-FGEN 2.2 or later. SignalExpress
includes a National Instruments Driver CD that includes these drivers.

Getting Started with SignalExpress 2-2 ni.com

Working with Projects
3
You can use SignalExpress to define measurement procedures by adding
and configuring steps in an interactive measurement environment. A step is
a configurable function that acquires, generates, analyzes, loads, or stores
signals. Steps process input signals and produce output signals. You can
configure the operation of a step by specifying values in a configuration
view. A saved sequence of configured steps is a SignalExpress project.

This chapter teaches you about the basic layout of SignalExpress. You learn
how to load and run existing projects and how to configure steps in these
projects.

Loading a Project
Complete the following steps to load a sample project in SignalExpress.
1. Launch SignalExpress.
2. If SignalExpress does not open in the factory-default configuration,
select View»Data View to display the Data View.
3. Select File»Open, navigate to the SignalExpress\Examples\
Tutorial directory, and double-click the First Project.wbp
workbench project. Workbench projects refer to the Express
Workbench framework in which SignalExpress resides.
4. Examine the window that appears, as shown in Figure 3-1, to learn
about different components of SignalExpress.

© National Instruments Corporation 3-1 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Chapter 3 Working with Projects

1 Execution control buttons 3 Input 5 Project View

2 Step 4 Output 6 Data View

Figure 3-1. First Project.wbp

The left pane is the Project View, which presents the order of
operations, or steps, for the project. The right pane is the Data View,
which displays the signal that the project generates and analyzes.

Running a Project and Displaying Signals

SignalExpress has two execution modes—Run and Run Once. When you
click the Run button, SignalExpress executes all steps in the project
continuously until you click the Stop button. The Stop button appears in
place of the Run button as a project runs. While the steps in the project
execute, the Data View updates continuously. While the project runs,
you can change the measurement configurations and view the results

Getting Started with SignalExpress 3-2 ni.com

 Chapter 3 Working with Projects

immediately. If you modify the configuration of steps while a project runs,

SignalExpress gives you direct, immediate feedback on the changes you
make. When you click the Run Once button, SignalExpress executes all
steps in the project one time.

Complete the following steps to run the sample project and display signals.
1. Click the Run button, shown at left, to execute all steps in the project
continuously.
The project loads a signal from a text file and performs two operations
on the signal—an amplitude and levels measurement and a distortion
measurement. The Amplitude and Levels step and the Distortion step
perform these measurements, respectively. When you run a project,
steps analyze input signals and generate new output signals as a result
of the analysis. In this project, the Load from ASCII step loads a
distorted sine wave, the Amplitude and Levels step and the Distortion
step analyze the sine wave, and both steps return new outputs. In the
Project View, SignalExpress indicates inputs with red arrows and
outputs with blue arrows.
The graph in the Data View still contains the loaded signal, which is a
time-domain signal. Graphs display time-domain, frequency-domain,
or x-y signals.
2. Click the exported spectrum output signal of the Distortion step in the
Project View and drag it to the Data View to display the signal.
SignalExpress creates a new graph in the Data View. SignalExpress
does not display the exported spectrum signal on the same graph as
the time-domain signal because the exported spectrum signal is a
frequency-domain signal. SignalExpress automatically recognizes
different types of signals and renders them in the appropriate displays.
3. Select Help»Express Workbench Help, click the Search tab, and
enter "signal types" to refer to the NI Express Workbench Help for
more information about signal types. The help provides information
about using SignalExpress functionality such as projects, steps, and
signals.
4. Click the dc output of the Amplitude and Levels step and drag it to the
Data View to display the measurement.
SignalExpress creates a table to display the scalar measurement from
the dc output.
5. Drag the rms output to the table to display the scalar RMS
measurement.
SignalExpress creates a new row in the table to display the second
measurement. The project should appear as shown in Figure 3-2.

© National Instruments Corporation 3-3 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Chapter 3 Working with Projects

Figure 3-2. Outputs of First Project.wbp

Configuring a Step
A step is a configurable function that acquires, generates, analyzes, loads,
or stores signals. Steps process input signals and produce output signals.
You can configure the operation of a step in SignalExpress by specifying
values in the Step Setup dialog box, or configuration view, for that step.
While a project runs, you can modify the configuration of steps to view
immediate feedback on the changes and adjust the measurements until you
achieve the results you need.

Complete the following steps to configure the Distortion step and the
Amplitude and Levels step.
1. Double-click the Distortion step in the Project View. The Step Setup
dialog box for the Distortion step appears, as shown in Figure 3-3.
If the Step Setup dialog box is docked, click the Dock button, shown
at left, on the toolbar to undock the dialog box.

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 Chapter 3 Working with Projects

Figure 3-3. Distortion Step Setup Dialog Box

On the Configuration tab, the settings indicate that the Distortion step
receives a time-domain waveform signal as an input, performs a power
spectrum on the signal to convert it to the frequency domain, and
computes the total harmonic distortion (THD) and fundamental
frequency of the signal. The step generates three measurements as
outputs—the spectrum, the THD, and the fundamental frequency of
the original time-domain waveform input.
2. If the context help does not appear on the right side of the Step Setup
dialog box, click the Show Help button, shown at left, to display
complete reference information about the step. The upper half of the
context help displays information about the step, and the lower half of
the context help displays information about an object when you move
the cursor over the object.
3. On the Configuration tab, select Fundamental Tone from the
Export signals (THD) pull-down menu.
The operation of the step changes from displaying the
frequency-domain spectrum of the entire input signal to displaying

© National Instruments Corporation 3-5 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Chapter 3 Working with Projects

only the frequency spectrum of the fundamental tone of the input

signal. The signals in the top half of the Step Setup dialog box update
to reflect the change you made.
4. Select Harmonics Only from the Export signals (THD) pull-down
menu.
The step changes to export only the spectrum of the harmonic signals
from the input signal. Both the output signal of the Distortion step and
the graph on the Data View update to reflect the change you made.
5. Click the Amplitude and Levels step in the Project View.
The Step Setup dialog box changes from displaying the configuration
of the Distortion step to displaying the configuration of the Amplitude
and Levels step.
6. Click the Input/Output tab to display the list of possible inputs and
outputs for this step, as shown in Figure 3-4.

Figure 3-4. Amplitude and Levels Step Setup Dialog Box

7. Place checkmarks in the Export +peak value, Export -peak value,

and Export peak-peak value checkboxes to configure the Amplitude
and Levels step to return three additional measurements.
Three additional outputs appear in the Project View.

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 Chapter 3 Working with Projects

8. Click the Close button, shown at left, in the Step Setup dialog box to
close the Amplitude and Levels configuration view.
9. Drag the three new outputs from the Project View to the table to
display the scalar measurements.
10. Click the Stop button, shown at left, to stop the project.
When you click the Stop button, the project stops running after
completing the current cycle of operations, or the current iteration.
Clicking the Abort button completely stops the project without
finishing the current iteration.
11. Select File»Save As and save the project as My First Project.wbp
in the SignalExpress\Examples\Tutorial directory.
12. Select File»Close to close the project.

Moving and Deleting Steps

The steps in SignalExpress projects depend on input data, which means
steps can operate only on signals exported from previous steps in the
Project View. When you click the Input signal pull-down menu in the Step
Setup dialog box of a step, the menu displays only compatible signals
exported from a previous step. When the output of a step becomes the input
of another step, the steps become dependent on each other, and the two
steps execute sequentially at the same rate. The first step generates an
output signal that the second step must receive as an input before the step
can execute.

You can move a step within a project by dragging it up or down in the

Project View. You can delete a step by right-clicking it in the Project View
and selecting Delete from the shortcut menu. However, when you move or
delete a step, the status of signals in the project changes. For example, if
you delete a step that generates output signals, the operation of the project
breaks if any of the deleted output signals are inputs for other steps, and an
error indicator appears in the Project View. If you move a step lower in the
project, the output signals of the step are not available as inputs to any of
the previous steps.

You also can cut, copy, and paste steps within a project by pressing the
<Ctrl-X>, <Ctrl-C>, and <Ctrl-V> keys, respectively, or by right-clicking
a step in the Project View and selecting Cut, Copy, Paste Before, or Paste
After from the shortcut menu.

© National Instruments Corporation 3-7 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Chapter 3 Working with Projects

Handling Errors and Warnings

If an error occurs while a project runs, an error indicator, shown at left,
appears in the Project View on the step that encountered the error.
Double-click the step with the error to display an error description across
the bottom of the Step Setup dialog box. Click the Details button to the
right of the error description to display the full error description.

SignalExpress logs all errors and warnings in the Event Log while a project
runs. To display the Event Log, select View»Show Event Log and click the
Event Log tab in the Data View area. Refer to the NI Express Workbench
Help for more information about errors and warnings by selecting Help»
Express Workbench Help, clicking the Search tab, and entering errors.

Getting Started with SignalExpress 3-8 ni.com

Working with Signals
4
You can use SignalExpress to generate and analyze signals to evaluate
designs without programming. This chapter teaches you how to work with
signals in SignalExpress, including how to plot signals on graphs, import
signals from a file, interactively align and compare two signals, and save
signals to a file.

Graphing Signals
Complete the following steps to plot signals in a sample project and
examine the signals visually using cursors.
1. Select File»Open, navigate to the SignalExpress\Examples\
Tutorial directory, and double-click Signals.wbp. This project
configures the Create Signal step to create a square wave signal and the
Filter step to perform a lowpass Butterworth filter.
2. Drag the step signal output of the Create Signal step to the Data View.
3. Drag the filtered step output of the Filter step to the Data View.
You can plot signals of the same signal type on the same graph. Both
the step signal and the filtered step signals are time-domain signals,
so they appear on the same graph. If you want to plot signals of
different types, drag the signals to the same graph and SignalExpress
creates a new graph.
4. Click the Add Display button, shown at left, on the toolbar to create a
new graph.
5. Drag the filtered step output of the Filter step to the new graph.
6. Right-click the new graph and select Cursors from the shortcut menu
to display two interactive cursors, as shown in Figure 4-1.

© National Instruments Corporation 4-1 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Chapter 4 Working with Signals

Figure 4-1. Signals.wbp

As you drag the cursors, SignalExpress displays the x and y values of

the cursors in the cursor table at the bottom of the Data View.
7. Right-click the graphs to view other operations in the shortcut menu.
If you have multiple signals on a single graph and one signal obscures
another, you can change the order of the signals. If you run a project
continuously but you want to view the data from a particular execution
iteration, you can pause the display by right-clicking the Data View,
selecting Display Update from the shortcut menu, and selecting
Always Update to remove the checkmark next to it. You also can
add or remove displays and add or remove signals.
8. Select File»Save As and save the project as My Signals.wbp in the
SignalExpress\Examples\Tutorial directory.

Getting Started with SignalExpress 4-2 ni.com

 Chapter 4 Working with Signals

Importing a Signal from a File

You can import signals from standard file formats such as ASCII comma-
or tab-delimited files and LabVIEW measurement data files (.lvm). You
also can import signals from simulated results of EDA tools such as SPICE
simulators.

Complete the following steps to import a signal from a file.

1. Right-click the Project View and select Signal Input/Output»
Load/Save Signals»Load from ASCII from the shortcut menu.
2. Click the browse button, shown at left, in the Step Setup dialog box,
navigate to the SignalExpress\Examples\Tutorial directory,
and double-click Step Response.txt. This step parses an ASCII file
and displays the signals in the file.
In the File preview section, column 1 shows the time stamp data, and
column 2 shows the actual voltage values of the signal.
3. Click the Import Signals tab to display the available signals in the file.
4. Place a checkmark in the Column 2 checkbox to import that signal,
and remove the checkmark from the Column 1 checkbox.
The Step Setup dialog box displays a preview of the signal in the
Imported Signal section.
5. Select Column 1 from the Input X values pull-down menu to set the
x-axis data of the waveform to the appropriate values.
6. Click the Close button to close the Step Setup dialog box.
7. Right-click the Column 2 output in the Project View and select
Rename from the shortcut menu.
8. Enter step response and press the <Enter> key to rename the output.
9. Drag the step response output of the Load from ASCII step to the
lower graph.
A dialog box appears because the two signals come from different
sources and run at different rates.
10. Click the Yes button to display both signals on the same graph.
The filtered step signal resembles the rising edge of the step response
output, as shown in Figure 4-2.

© National Instruments Corporation 4-3 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Chapter 4 Working with Signals

Figure 4-2. Signals of Signals.wbp

11. Select File»Save to save the project.

Aligning and Comparing Signals

Although the filtered step signal and the step response output both show
an overshoot in the rising edge, assessing the similarity between the two
is difficult because the signals come from different sources and vary in
amplitude and timing. However, you can use the Interactive Alignment step
to align and compare two signals, so you can choose which type of
information you want to export from the operation to use in the project.

Complete the following steps to align two signals in the My Signals.wbp

project.
1. Right-click the step response output and select Send To»
Processing»Interactive Alignment from the shortcut menu to pass
the step response signal from the Load from ASCII step to the
Interactive Alignment step.

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 Chapter 4 Working with Signals

The step selects the two most recent signals from the project to use as
inputs and displays the signals on the graph of the Step Setup dialog
box, as shown in Figure 4-3.

Figure 4-3. Interactive Alignment Step Setup Dialog Box

When you add a step to a project, SignalExpress selects input signals

based on the signal types the step can accept. For example, the
Interactive Alignment step can operate only on time-domain waveform
signals. Therefore, the step selects as inputs the last two time-domain
signals created in the project. To change the input signals for a step,
select different signals from the pull-down menu of compatible signals
in the Input/Output tab of the Step Setup dialog box.
2. Click the red signal and drag it within the graph.
You can drag, expand, and contract signals on the graph.

© National Instruments Corporation 4-5 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Chapter 4 Working with Signals

3. Try to align the rising edges of the two signals by dragging a signal
within the graph. Click a signal to set an anchor point and press and
hold the <Alt> key to stretch the signal around that anchor point in the
x and y directions.
On the Alignment tab of the Step Setup dialog box, the step computes
and displays the x and y gain and offset values you need to achieve
alignment specifications as you drag the signals.
4. Select Auto - Step from the Mode pull-down menu to align the
signals. SignalExpress bases this alignment mode on built-in
algorithms.
The center graph in the Step Setup dialog box displays the difference
between the two signals.
5. On the Input/Output tab, place a checkmark in the Export aligned
signals checkbox to add the signals to the outputs of the step.
6. Click the Close button to close the Step Setup dialog box.
7. Click the Add Display button, shown at left, to add a third graph.
8. Drag the aligned reference and aligned test outputs of the Interactive
Alignment step to the new graph to view the aligned signals.
9. Select File»Save to save the project.

Signal Types in SignalExpress

Some steps, such as the Arithmetic step, can operate on multiple signal
types. For example, you can use the Arithmetic step to operate on
time-domain or frequency-domain waveforms. The Arithmetic step
changes behavior based on the type of input signals you select for the step.
For example, if you add two time-domain signals, SignalExpress adds only
their amplitudes. However, if you add two frequency-domain phase
signals, SignalExpress adds the appropriate phase shift.

Refer to the NI Express Workbench Help for more information by selecting

Help»Express Workbench Help, clicking the Search tab, and entering
"signal types".

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 Chapter 4 Working with Signals

Exporting and Printing Signals

SignalExpress offers several documentation features so you can continue
analysis in another software application, such as Microsoft Excel or the
report generation tool NI DIAdem. These features can help you document
the data from SignalExpress in reports. You can print graphs of signals and
export or save signal data to view it in spreadsheet applications.

Complete the following steps to save a signal to a file.

1. Click the Add Step button and select the Save to ASCII step from
Signal Input/Output»Load/Save Signals.
2. Click the Signals tab in the Step Setup dialog box and select filtered
step from the Input Data pull-down menu.
3. On the File Settings tab, save the file to SignalExpress\
Examples\Tutorial\filtered signal.txt.
4. Select Overwrite from the If file already exists pull-down menu.
5. Select Generic ASCII from the Export file type pull-down menu.
You can use a Load/Save Signals step to save data to a file every time
the project runs.
6. Click the Close button to close the Step Setup dialog box.
7. Select File»Save to save the project.
8. Select File»Close to close the project.

Exporting Signals to Microsoft Excel

To export signal data to Microsoft Excel, launch Excel and drag the output
signal of a step in SignalExpress to an Excel spreadsheet.

Printing Signals
To print an image of a graph, right-click the Data View and select
Export»Print Display from the shortcut menu.

Saving Signals as Images

To save an image of a graph as a .png file, right-click the Data View and
select Export»Save as Image from the shortcut menu. You can import a
.png file into Microsoft Word or other documentation tools.

© National Instruments Corporation 4-7 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Performing Sweep
5
Measurements
You can use SignalExpress to automate measurements to characterize and
validate designs by creating sweep operations. You can use the sweep
measurements to gather data from designs over a range of conditions to
document the performance of the designs. For example, you can use sweep
operations to vary the frequency of a stimulus signal or vary the level of a
supply voltage while taking measurements to characterize designs.

This chapter teaches you how to set up sweep operations using the Sweep
step in SignalExpress. You learn how to characterize the performance of a
filter by sweeping through a range of frequency values and measuring the
output of the filter. You also learn how to display sweep results and perform
multi-dimensional sweeps for more complex measurements.

Defining Sweep Ranges and Outputs

You can use the Sweep step in SignalExpress to define automated
measurements for complex, repeatable sweep operations.

Complete the following steps to define a frequency range in a sample

project to sweep through a filter.
1. Select File»Open, navigate to the SignalExpress\Examples\
Tutorial directory, and double-click Sweep.wbp.
2. Click the Run button, shown at left, to run the project.
The project generates a sine wave stimulus signal using the Create
Signal step, passes it through a bandpass elliptic filter using the Filter
step, measures the RMS level of the filter output using the Amplitude
and Levels step, and converts the level to decibels (dB) using the
Formula step. The Filter step acts as a simulated unit under test, so the
project uses no hardware. However, you also can sweep physical
signals generated from a National Instruments arbitrary waveform
generator, function generator, or multifunction I/O (MIO) device.

© National Instruments Corporation 5-1 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Chapter 5 Performing Sweep Measurements

3. Click the Add Step button, shown at left, and select

Tests/Operations»Sweep.
4. Click the Add button in the Step Setup dialog box to display the list
of sweep parameters from each step in the project, as shown in
Figure 5-1.

Figure 5-1. Sweep Parameter Selection Dialog Box

5. Select the Frequency parameter under Create Signal and click the
OK button.
6. On the Sweep Configuration tab, select Exponential from the Type
pull-down menu.
7. Enter 1k in the Start Frequency (Hz) field, and enter 40k in the Stop
Frequency (Hz) field.
8. Enter 150 in the # points field.
The Sweep Configuration tab should appear as shown in Figure 5-2.

Getting Started with SignalExpress 5-2 ni.com

 Chapter 5 Performing Sweep Measurements

Figure 5-2. Sweep Step Setup Dialog Box

You used the Sweep step to specify a range of values to iterate through
the Frequency parameter of the Create Signal step. The Create Signal
step uses the defined frequency range to generate a sine wave at each
of these frequencies. However, you can use the Sweep step to sweep
any sweepable parameter value of any sweepable step in a project.
9. Click the Sweep Output tab.
10. Click the Add button to display the list of sweep outputs from each
step in the project.
11. Select the response amplitude in dB output under Formula (Scalar)
and click the OK button to plot this measurement against the swept
Frequency parameter.
12. Click the Close button, shown at left, to close the Step Setup
dialog box.
The Sweep step creates a loop around all the steps in the project to
include all the steps in the sweep operation.

© National Instruments Corporation 5-3 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Chapter 5 Performing Sweep Measurements

Plotting Sweep Results

Complete the following steps to run the sweep measurement.
1. Click the Run Once button, shown at left, to execute the sweep
measurement.
The stimulus signal output on the graph iterates through the specified
range of frequencies.
2. Drag the response amplitude in dB vs. Frequency signal from the
bottom of the Sweep loop to the Data View to display the output of the
sweep.
SignalExpress creates a new graph. The data from a sweep operation
is an x-y array that requires a separate graph, as shown in Figure 5-3.

Figure 5-3. Sweep.wbp

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 Chapter 5 Performing Sweep Measurements

3. Click the Run Once button again to execute the sweep.

The frequency response of the Filter step plots on the new graph while
the project runs. The graph displays the transfer function of the filter,
or the amplitude output expressed in decibels versus the frequency.
4. Double-click the Filter step to display the filter specifications in the
Step Setup dialog box.
The frequency response of the filter in the Filter Magnitude
Response graph matches the graph in the Data View.
5. Click the Close button to close the Step Setup dialog box.
6. Select File»Save As and save the project as My Sweep.wbp in the
SignalExpress\Examples\Tutorial directory.

You can use the Sweep step to sweep multiple parameters simultaneously
by adding additional parameters on the Configuration tab of the Sweep
Step Setup dialog box. Sweeping two or more parameters in unison is a
parallel sweep. For example, if you want to vary the amplitude of a stimulus
signal, you can run a parallel sweep. You can use a parallel sweep to
maximize the precision of the acquisition by varying the input range of a
digitizer or MIO device as you vary the signal level. As the signal level
increases, you can increase the input range of the measurement device to
ensure you use the entire resolution for the measurement.

Running Multi-Dimensional Sweeps

Use multi-dimensional, or nested, sweeps to iterate through one range
while you vary another range. For example, if you want to sweep through
frequencies of a stimulus signal at different amplitudes, run a nested sweep.
You can set the amplitude to level 1 and sweep through frequencies, then
set the amplitude to level 2 and sweep through frequencies, and so on. You
can build a nested sweep by right-clicking a Sweep step in a project and
selecting Add Dimension from the shortcut menu to add another sweep
loop.

Complete the following steps to run a sample nested sweep project.

1. Select File»Open, navigate to the SignalExpress\Examples\
Tutorial directory, and double-click Nested Sweep.wbp.
2. Click the Run button, shown at left, to run the project.
Each iteration of the inner sweep loop sweeps the frequency of the
stimulus signal. The outer sweep loop varies the low and high cutoff
frequencies of the Filter step. Each iteration appears in real time on the

© National Instruments Corporation 5-5 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Chapter 5 Performing Sweep Measurements

upper graph, then appears on the lower graph to display all the sweeps
at each cutoff frequency setting, as shown in Figure 5-4.

Figure 5-4. Nested Sweep.wbp

3. Click the Stop button, shown at left, to stop the project.

Getting Started with SignalExpress 5-6 ni.com

Extending SignalExpress
6
Projects with LabVIEW
You can use SignalExpress to define automated measurements without
programming applications by using built-in steps for acquiring, generating,
or analyzing signals. You can extend the functionality of SignalExpress
projects by using LabVIEW in two ways:
• Build a user-defined step, or VI, in LabVIEW and import this VI
into SignalExpress to expand the number of steps available in
SignalExpress.
• Convert a SignalExpress project to a LabVIEW block diagram to
continue development in LabVIEW.

You must have LabVIEW 7.1 or later to complete the exercises in this
chapter.

Importing LabVIEW VIs into SignalExpress as Steps

Use the User-Defined step in SignalExpress to call custom LabVIEW VIs.
You can call a LabVIEW VI from SignalExpress to do the following:
• Control GPIB instruments
• Control National Instruments hardware that SignalExpress does not
support
• Read or write data to more file formats
• Display operator instructions in a pop-up dialog box
• Define a measurement algorithm

Complete the following steps to import a VI from LabVIEW with the

User-Defined step.
1. Select File»Open, navigate to the SignalExpress\Examples\
Tutorial directory, and double-click User Step.wbp.
This project uses the Create Signal step to generate a signal.
2. Click the Add Step button and select User-Defined Step.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-1 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Chapter 6 Extending SignalExpress Projects with LabVIEW

3. Click the browse button on the Step Setup dialog box and select
Limiter.vi in the SignalExpress\Examples\Tutorial
directory. The Limiter VI accepts a time-domain waveform as an input,
clips the signal above and below values that you specify in the Step
Setup dialog box, and returns the clipped waveform as an output
signal.
When you import a LabVIEW VI, SignalExpress maps the inputs of
the VI as parameters and the outputs of the VI as output signals in
SignalExpress.
You can define whether the inputs for VIs become input signals or
parameters. An input signal appears in the Project View as an input to
a step, which means you can pass signals as inputs to a VI. A parameter
is a value you can configure on the Step Setup dialog box of a step.
You also can sweep parameters dynamically using the Sweep step. In
this project, the VI has an input signal Time waveform in and scalar
parameters Upper limit and Lower limit.
4. Select Time waveform in in the Parameters list and click the Make
Input button to specify Time waveform in as an input signal.
5. Select Clipped waveform out in the Outputs list and select Time
Waveform, Real from the Strict Type of Output Data pull-down
menu to specify Clipped waveform out as a time-domain waveform.
The Step Setup dialog box should appear as shown in Figure 6-1.

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 Chapter 6 Extending SignalExpress Projects with LabVIEW

Figure 6-1. Limiter VI Step Setup Dialog Box

6. Click the Close button, shown at left, to close the Step Setup
dialog box.
7. Click the Run button, shown at left, to run the project.
8. Drag the Clipped waveform out output signal from the Limiter.vi step
to the Data View.
9. Double-click the Limiter.vi step to display the Step Setup dialog box.
10. Click the Open VI Front Panel button to display the VI.
11. Enter new values in the Upper limit and Lower limit fields. For
example, enter 100 in the Upper limit field.
12. Click the Apply button to apply the changes.
13. Click the Close button to close the VI, and click the Close button to
close the Step Setup dialog box.
The Clipped waveform out signal changes on the Data View to reflect
the changes you made.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-3 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Chapter 6 Extending SignalExpress Projects with LabVIEW

Refer to the NI Express Workbench Help for more information about using
LabVIEW VIs in SignalExpress and developing VIs that work well in
SignalExpress.

Converting SignalExpress Projects to LabVIEW Block

Diagrams
SignalExpress adds a dialog box to LabVIEW that can convert
SignalExpress projects.

Complete the following steps to convert a SignalExpress project to a

LabVIEW block diagram.
1. Launch LabVIEW.
2. Select Tools»Express Workbench»Convert Express Workbench
Project to display the Convert Express Workbench Project
dialog box.
3. Click the browse button next to the Project to convert field and select
the My First Project.wbp project in the SignalExpress\
Examples\Tutorial\Solutions directory.
4. Click the browse button next to the Destination VI field to specify the
filename and location for the new LabVIEW VI.
You can convert a SignalExpress project into a LabVIEW block
diagram that runs continuously, similar to the Run button operation in
SignalExpress, or a LabVIEW block diagram that runs once, similar to
the Run Once button operation in SignalExpress.
5. Select the Loop Mode option, as shown in Figure 6-2, and click the
Convert button to start the conversion.

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 Chapter 6 Extending SignalExpress Projects with LabVIEW

Figure 6-2. Convert Express Workbench Project Dialog Box

The resulting LabVIEW block diagram reflects the execution of the

project in SignalExpress. The LabVIEW block diagram consists of
LabVIEW Express VIs wired together. Each Express VI correlates to
a step in the SignalExpress project. You can double-click an Express
VI to display the same Step Setup dialog box as in SignalExpress. You
also can right-click an Express VI and select Open Front Panel from
the shortcut menu to convert the Express VI into a low-level LabVIEW
block diagram to see how the LabVIEW block diagram executes.

© National Instruments Corporation 6-5 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Where to Go from Here
7
Refer to the following resources for more information about SignalExpress.

SignalExpress Sample Projects

SignalExpress provides a variety of sample projects that demonstrate
more capabilities of SignalExpress. These projects are located in the
SignalExpress\Examples directory. Review these examples to learn
more about the features of SignalExpress or to start with a project that
closely resembles your needs.

Using Hardware with SignalExpress

This manual does not describe how to control hardware from
SignalExpress because SignalExpress supports a variety of National
Instruments hardware for acquiring and generating signals. You can
generate or acquire analog signals in SignalExpress using National
Instruments MIO devices, high-speed digitizers, or arbitrary waveform
generator and function generator devices. You also can synchronize
multiple devices in a system by sharing clocks and trigger signals between
devices. Refer to the NI Express Workbench Help for more information
about using hardware with SignalExpress by selecting Help»Express
Workbench Help.

Web Resources
Refer to the National Instruments Web site at ni.com/signalexpress
for resources such as example projects, technical documents, and
LabVIEW VIs written for use in SignalExpress.

© National Instruments Corporation 7-1 Getting Started with SignalExpress

Technical Support and
A
Professional Services
Visit the following sections of the National Instruments Web site at
ni.com for technical support and professional services:
• Support—Online technical support resources at ni.com/support
include the following:
– Self-Help Resources—For immediate answers and solutions,
visit the award-winning National Instruments Web site for
software drivers and updates, a searchable KnowledgeBase,
product manuals, step-by-step troubleshooting wizards, thousands
of example programs, tutorials, application notes, instrument
drivers, and so on.
– Free Technical Support—All registered users receive free Basic
Service, which includes access to hundreds of Application
Engineers worldwide in the NI Developer Exchange at
ni.com/exchange. National Instruments Application Engineers
make sure every question receives an answer.
• Training and Certification—Visit ni.com/training for
self-paced training, eLearning virtual classrooms, interactive CDs,
and Certification program information. You also can register for
instructor-led, hands-on courses at locations around the world.
• System Integration—If you have time constraints, limited in-house
technical resources, or other project challenges, National Instruments
Alliance Partner members can help. To learn more, call your local
NI office or visit ni.com/alliance.

If you searched ni.com and could not find the answers you need, contact
your local office or NI corporate headquarters. Phone numbers for our
worldwide offices are listed at the front of this manual. You also can visit
the Worldwide Offices section of ni.com/niglobal to access the branch
office Web sites, which provide up-to-date contact information, support
phone numbers, email addresses, and current events.

© National Instruments Corporation A-1 Getting Started with SignalExpress