During term time I spend one day a week teaching in the second year Microprocessors laboratory, details of which are available here.

The experimental script, as well as an introduction to labVIEW are also available for download.

Given that a lot of issues repeatedly arise during the laboratory sessions, I have created a small FAQ section. It is laid out below, in the hope of me being able to sit and read rather than having to get up, walk across the lab and hit you over the head with the text book which was right in front of you but which you couldn't be bothered to pick up.

Frequently Asked Questions

• My resistor ladder isn't giving me sensible values. Why?

You need to plug a battery into that battery shaped hole...the one with 'Battery' written on it.

• None of the external devices will respond to my inputs. Why do I keep failing?

You see that control box? It needs to be turned on, both at the plug and on the front panel.

• How do I turn off autoscale on the waveform chart?

This is quite complicated. Open the waveform chart properties, go to the autoscale check box and deselect it (for both axes.)

• When I try and save my data, the file contains lots of words. Why?

These header looking things are called 'Headers.' To remove them, open up the properties menu of your 'Write meas file' VI and under 'Segment Headers,' select 'No Headers.'

• I'm trying to control the 'Nodding Donkey' but the motor will not move. What is up with that?

Check your DAQ assistant. It needs to be set up as a digital output. The Donkey is on port(0) (for most of you) so you need to select port output and not line output. This is actually a pretty fair question.

• I can't find the 'Convert to Dynamic Data' control, will you help me?

Click on the search bar and type 'Convert to Dynamic Data.' Disco.

If following these simple steps does not solve your problem(s) then you are officially allowed to try and get my attention. Though I may be busy updating my blog and/or thinking about Batman.