Building Run LabVIEW VI Steps from Existing VIs

You can call most VIs from LabVIEW SignalExpress.

Complete the following steps to build a VI you can use in a Run LabVIEW VI step.

Note You must use LabVIEW 7.1 or later to create a VI you can run from the Run LabVIEW VI step. You cannot run a VI that was saved for a previous version of LabVIEW using the Run LabVIEW VI step. You must save the VI in the actual version of LabVIEW you want to run.

1. Open an existing VI to use as a Run LabVIEW VI step. You also can use a template to build a Run LabVIEW VI step.
2. Connect all inputs and outputs necessary for the operation of the VI to the connector pane of the VI. When you call a VI from LabVIEW SignalExpress, it reads the connector pane of the VI to determine the inputs and outputs. If you do not wire the inputs and outputs to the connector pane, LabVIEW SignalExpress cannot pass data into or out of the VI. Connecting the inputs and outputs to the connector pane also enables LabVIEW SignalExpress to properly convert a LabVIEW SignalExpress project to a LabVIEW block diagram. Make sure LabVIEW SignalExpress supports the data types of the controls and indicators.
3. Select File»VI Properties, select Execution from the Category pull-down menu, and place a checkmark in the Reentrant execution checkbox. Reentrant VIs create a unique dataspace for each instance of a VI when it is called. Because you can use a single VI multiple times in a LabVIEW SignalExpress project, you must save the VI as reentrant to avoid dataspace clashing.
4. LabVIEW 7.1: Save the VI as an LLB with all of its subVIs included by selecting File»Save with Options and clicking the Application Distribution option in LabVIEW. When you combine all subVIs into an LLB, you ensure that all of the components necessary to execute the VI are present on the system. Refer to the LabVIEW Help for more information about creating linked libraries in LabVIEW.
   
   LabVIEW 8.0: Save the VI as an source distribution with all of its subVIs included by creating a new project library which includes the VIs. Right-click the Build Specifications option in the Project Explorer window and select New»Source Distribution. In the Source Distribution Properties dialog box, remove the checkmarks from the Exclude vi.lib, Exclude instr.lib, and Exclude user.lib options. Click the Build button to build the source distribution. Refer to the LabVIEW Help for more information about creating project libraries and source distributions in LabVIEW.
   
   LabVIEW 8.2 and later: Save the VI as an source distribution with all of its subVIs included by creating a new project library which includes the VIs. Right-click the Build Specifications option in the Project Explorer window and select New»Source Distribution. On the Additional Exclusions page of the Source Distribution Properties dialog box, remove the checkmarks from the Exclude files from vi.lib, Exclude files from instr.lib, and Exclude files from user.lib options. Click the Build button to build the source distribution. Refer to the LabVIEW Help for more information about creating project libraries and source distributions in LabVIEW.
5. Before you use the newly created linked library, close the library and LabVIEW to ensure the VI does not remain in the system memory.

Note Any time a Run LabVIEW VI step uses a dynamic link library (DLL), you must maintain the path to the DLL. If you move the DLL or put the files on a different computer, you must open the Run LabVIEW VI step in LabVIEW and relink the VI to the DLL.