NI PXI/PCI-5411/5431
Linking and Looping

You can load multiple waveforms in the memory of the NI PXI/PCI-5411/5431. A finite number of samples makes a waveform, also called a waveform segment. To generate these waveforms, prepare a staging list, or a sequence list, which contains a sequence of stages. Each stage specifies the waveform, its number of loops, and its marker offset.

The following figure shows the concepts of waveform samples, buffer/segment, stage, staging list, and linking and looping.

Waveform Sample A shows the concept of waveform samples used to create a waveform, shown in Waveform Buffer/Segment 1. In this example, Waveform Buffer/Segment 1 represents a single cycle of a sine wave, and the waveform samples in Sample A are 16-bit samples. Waveform Stage 1 shows a stage created from Buffer 1. Stage 1 is Buffer 1 with three cycle iterations.

Waveform Sample B shows samples for Waveform Buffer/Segment 2, which represents a triangular waveform. Waveform Stage 2 is created using two iterations of Buffer 2.

Waveform Stage 3 is created using a single iteration of Buffer 1.

These waveforms are linked in a sequence, as shown in the figure. The concept of using a staging list to generate waveforms is referred to as waveform linking and looping or waveform staging.