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advanced analysis and data visualization – all for creating virtual instrumentation. The
LabVIEW platform is scalable across multiple targets and functions, and, since its
introduction in 1986, it has become an industry leader [10].
LabVIEW programs are called virtual instruments, or VIs, because their
appearance and operation imitate physical instruments, such as oscilloscopes and
multimeters [10]. LabVIEW departs from the sequential nature of traditional
programming languages and features an easy to use graphical programming
environment, including all of the tools necessary for data acquisition(DAQ), data
analysis, and presentation of results [10].
A LabVIEW VI consists of two major components which is a Block Diagram
and a graphical user interface (GUI), known as Front Panel. Block Diagram is a window
where the graphical source code is developed and the Front Panel is a window that
serves as the user interface which allows user to customize it with objects like graphs,
knobs and buttons (National Ins., 2006).
2.4.2 Arduino
The Arduino Uno as shown in Figure 2.9 is a microcontroller board based on the
ATMEL microcontroller ATmega328. It has 14 digital input or output pins (of which 6
can be used as PWM outputs), 6 analog inputs, a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, a USB
connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button [11]. It contains everything
needed to support the microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer with a USB cable
or power it with a AC-to-DC adapter or battery to get started. The Arduino Uno can be