Abstract: An improved method and system for detecting differences between first and second test executive sequence files in a computer system. Each of the test executive sequence files may comprise a plurality of interrelated objects. The objects may be compared and differences between the objects may be displayed. The objects may comprise one or more of: a sequence; a global variable; and/or a data type. A sequence may comprise: a step, a parameter, and/or a local variable. A step of a sequence may comprise a tree structure of step properties. Each step property may comprise one or more of: a property value, property flags, and/or a property comment. An object may comprise a hierarchy of objects (e.g., a parent object and a child sub-object). Differences between the hierarchy of objects may be detected. Differences may be navigated. Each displayed difference may be characterized as an insertion or a deletion.

Abstract: A motion control system and method are disclosed which provide improved pulse placement for smoother operation of a motion device such as a stepper motor. A placement of pulses may be determined for each of a plurality of time intervals such that the pulses are placed evenly across the plurality of time intervals, wherein the quantity of pulses in each of the time intervals is variable. The pulses may be generated and sent to the motion device to move the object to the desired position. A delay may be used to place each pulse at an arbitrary location within one of the time intervals. Where the desired step rate is fractional, time may be “borrowed” for one loop iteration from other loop iterations. In one embodiment, the step rate may be changed from one loop period to the next.

Abstract: System and method for measurement, DAQ, and control operations. A measurement module includes measurement circuitry for performing signal conditioning and/or signal conversion, and interface circuitry which provides an interface for the measurement circuitry. A carrier unit couples to the interface circuitry of the module. A computer system couples to the carrier unit and stores one or more hardware configuration programs. The interface circuitry communicates an interface protocol describing the interface, e.g., to the carrier unit or the computer system. The computer system provides a hardware configuration program in response to the communicated interface protocol, and programs one or more programmable hardware elements on the carrier unit with the hardware configuration program. After being configured, the programmable hardware elements interface with the measurement module in accordance with the communicated interface protocol.

Abstract: A system and method for scanning for an object within a region using a conformal scanning scheme. The system may comprise a computer which includes a CPU and a memory medium which is operable to store one or more programs executable by the CPU to perform the method. The method may: 1) determine the characteristic geometry of the region; 2) generate a conformal scanning curve based on the characteristic geometry of the region by performing a conformal mapping between the characteristic geometry and a first scanning curve to generate the conformal scanning curve, i.e., mapping points of the first scanning curve to the characteristic geometry of the region; and 3) scan the region using the conformal scanning curve. These measurements of the region produce data indicative of one or more characteristics of the object. The method may also generate output indicating the one or more characteristics of the object.

Abstract: System and method for performing Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) on a Device Under Test (DUT) using Gaussian pulses. A signal is received comprising an initial Gaussian pulse and one or more reflected pulses from the DUT. Each pulse is characterized by determining a set of estimated parameters, permuting the estimated parameter set to generate one or more permuted parameter sets, generating linear equations from the parameter sets, including parameter variables for the corresponding Gaussian pulse, and determining values for the parameter variables by solving the linear equations. The determined parameters characterize the Gaussian pulse. If there are N parameters to determine and M permutations generated, where M is greater than or equal to N, M+1 linear equations are solved to overdetermine the N parameters. The determined parameters of the initial pulse and the one or more reflected pulses are useable to perform TDR analysis on the DUT.

Abstract: A system and method for analyzing order components present in a physical signal X acquired from a physical system. Measurement information for the physical signal X may be received, where the measurement information includes information indicating a plurality of order components of the physical signal X. Time frequency plot information visually indicating order components of the physical signal X may be displayed. User input selecting one or more of the visually indicated order components may be received. A time domain signal may be created based on the one or more selected order components and may then be presented to a user on a presentation device. Presenting the time domain signal on the presentation device may enable the user to analyze the physical signal X or the physical system. Where the physical system includes one or more rotating elements, the method may enable order components of the signal to be analyzed even when no rotation speed information (e.g.

Abstract: A system and method for deploying a hardware configuration with a computer program. The program may perform an instrumentation, measurement/control, industrial automation, or machine vision function, or other type of function utilizing hardware devices, and the behavior of the program may depend on various aspects of the hardware configuration of the computer system. An installation bundle that includes configuration information related to the hardware devices with which the program interacts may be automatically created and used to deploy the program on a new computer system. The installation bundle may include program instructions operable to install the program on the new computer system and automatically modify the hardware configuration of the new computer system so that the program will execute correctly.

Abstract: A system and method for performing pattern matching to locate an instance of one or more of a plurality of template images in a target image. In a preprocessing phase a unified signal transform (UST) is determined from the template images. The UST converts each template image to a generalized frequency domain. The UST is applied at a generalized frequency to each template image to calculate corresponding generalized frequency component values (GFCVs) for each template image. At runtime, the target image is received, and the UST is applied at the generalized frequency to the target image to calculate a corresponding GFCV. The UST may be applied to pixel subsets of the template and target images. A best match is determined between the GFCV of the target image and the GFCVs of each template image. Finally, information indicating the best match template image from the set of template images is output.

Abstract: A system and method for multiplexing synchronous parallel digital data streams with different clock frequencies into a single data stream while preserving each data stream's timing integrity. A plurality of digital data inputs and corresponding clock inputs are coupled to corresponding FIFOs (First In First Out buffers), which are coupled to a data multiplexer (MUX). Each clock input is coupled to a clock MUX which couples to each FIFO and the data MUX. Finally, a transition state machine is coupled to the clock MUX, the data MUX, and the FIFOs. Each digital data input receives a data stream from a source, such as a digital video camera, while the corresponding clock input concurrently receives a corresponding clock signal. The transition state machine controls the selection of a data stream from the MUXed data streams and the selection of the corresponding clock signal from the MUXed clock signals.

Abstract: System and method enabling client computer(s) to connect to a server computer and receive a graphical program user interface panel(s) for providing input to and/or displaying output from the graphical program, thereby comprising a distributed virtual instrumentation system, wherein a block diagram executes on a server computer to perform a measurement or automation function, and the panel(s) is/are displayed on the client computer(s), enabling users to remotely view and/or control the function. The user may specify the server, i.e., by entering a URL into a web browser and may also specify the graphical program desired. The user interface panel may be dynamically updated during execution of the program. The user may interact with the panel on the client computer to provide input to the graphical program executing on the server, and may also request and receive a block diagram for the remote graphical program, e.g., to view and/or remotely edit the program.

Abstract: System and method for analyzing an input signal acquired from a physical system with a rotating element. A tachometer signal is received comprising rotation speed information for the rotating element. A time sequence is determined using the tachometer signal, comprising time values for the rotating element at substantially equal angle increments, e.g., by edge detection software or timer/counter. A software-based first digital interpolation filter, e.g., a Cascade-Integrator-Comb filter, is applied to the time sequence, generating a modified time sequence. A digitized data signal is received comprising data for the rotating element at substantially equal time increments.

Abstract: A graphical program development system for developing a graphical program, wherein the development system utilizes a configuration matrix for representing the graphical program. The matrix may graphically illustrate or specify the operation of the computer program. The matrix may comprise columns (or rows) displayed on the display device, including one or more columns which comprise symbols for functional elements and one or more interconnection columns that include interconnections between two or more of the symbols for functional elements. Once the matrix (the computer program) has been created, the computer program may be executed, wherein the computer program executes according to the interconnected symbols for functional elements displayed in the matrix.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for generating a hardware implementation of graphical code. The method may operate to configure an instrument to perform measurement functions, wherein the instrument includes a programmable hardware element. The method comprises first creating a graphical program, wherein the graphical program may implement a measurement function. A portion of the graphical program may be converted into a hardware implementation on a programmable hardware element, and a portion may optionally be compiled into machine code for execution by a CPU. The programmable hardware element is thus configured utilizing a hardware description and implements a hardware implementation of at least a portion of the graphical program.

Abstract: System and method for executing a graphical program on a first computer and providing a user interface of the graphical program on a second computer, where the graphical program includes a plurality of interconnected function icons representing graphical data flow of a function. Information indicating a plurality of graphical programs on the first computer, e.g., a list, may be displayed on the second computer, and user input specifying the graphical program on the first computer received to the second computer, e.g., selecting the graphical program from the list of graphical programs. The graphical program is executed on the first computer, and information describing the user interface of the graphical program is provided to the second computer during said executing. The user interface of the graphical program is displayed on the second computer, facilitating interaction between a user of the second computer and the graphical program executing on the first computer.

Abstract: System and method for estimating signal parameters (e.g., frequency, amplitude and/or phase) of one or more tones present in an input signal. Samples of the input signal are received, and a frequency transform of the samples generated. An amplitude peak in the frequency transform corresponding to the tone is identified. Two or more frequency bins are selected proximate to the identified frequency in the transform. A tone frequency value is determined that minimizes a difference between two or more expressions, each including respective numerator and denominator terms corresponding to respective frequency bins and whose ratios each represent a complex amplitude of the tone at a respective bin. Each expressions includes a tone frequency variable that represents a correct tone frequency value of the tone.

Abstract: A system and method for estimating parameters of multiple tones in an input signal. The method includes receiving samples of the input signal, generating a frequency transform (FT) of the samples, identifying multiple amplitude peaks in the FT corresponding to the tones, and determining parameter estimates characterizing each of the multiple tones based on the peaks. For each tone, the effects of the other tones are removed from the FT of the peak of the tone using the parameter estimates of the other tones to generate modified FT data for the tone. Single tone estimation is applied to the modified FT data to generating refined parameter estimates of the tone, which is used to update the parameter estimates of the tone. After refining the estimates for each tone, the entire process may be repeated one or more times using successive refined estimates to generate final estimates for the parameters.

Abstract: A system and method for viewing live data, such as measurement data from an instrumentation system, using a standard user agent or client, such as a web browser. A uniform resource locator (URL) identifying a data source is provided to the user agent. The URL includes a protocol scheme identifying the protocol to use for connecting to the data source. A protocol plug-in may be installed to enable the user agent to display a default view of a live data source. The protocol plug-in may handle the URL by returning standard HTML code to the user agent, wherein the HTML code refers to a data viewer component. The data viewer component may then connect to the data source identified by the URL and receive and display data. In one embodiment, the plug-in or the data viewer may configure the data source to begin generating the live data. The data source may be idle until the plug-in or the data viewer connects to the data source and optionally configures the data source to start providing data.

Abstract: System and method for automatically generating a graphical program to perform an image processing algorithm. A user may develop an image processing algorithm in an image prototyping environment. The image prototyping environment enables the user to easily apply various image processing functions to an image and immediately see the results, in order to develop the desired algorithm. As the user applies each image processing function to an image, the function may be recorded as a step in a script. Once the user has developed an algorithm, the user may request the image prototyping environment to automatically generate a program implementing the image processing algorithm. In various embodiments, the prototyping environment may be operable to generate different types of programs, including text-based and graphical programs.

Abstract: A color characterization method operates to analyze each respective pixel of at least a subset of the pixels of an image object. The image is obtained in HSI format, or alternatively converted from another format to HSI. For each respective pixel, the method determines a color category or bin for the respective pixel based on values of the respective pixel. The color category is one a plurality of possible color categories or bins in the HSI color space. As the pixels are analyzed and assigned to color categories, the method stores information in tho computer regarding the number or percentage or pixels in each of the color categories. A color matching method uses the color characterization method. The color matching method determines similarity of colors between a template image object and a region of interest (ROI).

Abstract: A system and method for performing trajectory generation, interpolation, and control for a motion control application, where the trajectory generation, interpolation, and control are performed in parallel with each other. In one embodiment, an FPGA in a motion control device may be configured to perform the trajectory generation, interpolation, and control in parallel. Performing trajectory generation, interpolation, and control in parallel on an FPGA may increase the efficiency of the motion control application.