This file contains important last-minute information about the LabVIEW Simulation Module, installation instructions, and compatibility issues. The file contains the following information:
Software Requirements
Installation Instructions
Accessing the Help
Finding Examples
Known Issues
Documentation Correction
Software Requirements
To use the Simulation Module, you must be a properly licensed user of and have the following software installed on the host computer.
National Instruments LabVIEW 7.1 for Windows, Full or Professional Development Systems
You can use the LabVIEW Simulation Module with the LabVIEW Real-Time Module. However, the LabVIEW Real-Time Module is not required software.
Installation Instructions
Complete the following steps to install the Simulation Module.
Insert the LabVIEW Simulation Module CD.
Run the setup.exe program.
Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
Accessing the Help
Refer to the LabVIEW Help, accessible by selecting Help»VI, Function, & How-To Help from the pull-down menu, for information about the Simulation functions.
Refer to the LabVIEW Simulation Module User Manual for information about using the Simulation Module. The LabVIEW Simulation Module User Manual (lvsim.pdf) is located in the labview\manuals directory.
Finding Examples
Examples for the Simulation Module are located in the labview\examples\simulation folder.
Known IssuesGeneral
The Compare VIs dialog box might not work properly with Simulation functions. The Compare VIs dialog box might not detect changes to the simulation parameters during the comparison.
Large simulation diagrams might take a long time to compile.
Probes will not work correctly on a particular signal if the signal wire data type does not match the indicator or subsystem terminal data type. Use a VI on the Conversion palette to correct this problem.
After adapting to a different polymorphic type, the SimTime Waveform chart reverts to its default formatting. In this case, the SimTime Waveform chart displays the x-axis units using a month/year format rather than seconds. Right-click the waveform chart and select Properties from the shortcut menu to open the Chart Properties: Waveform Chart dialog box. In the Format and Precision tab, change the x-axis format from Absolute time to Relative time or Floating point.
The LabVIEW RT Communication Wizard does not find a Simulation Loop in a stand-alone subsystem. Copy the contents of the subsystem into a Simulation Loop before using the RT Communication Wizard.
Automatic error handling does not work with the Simulation Loop error out terminal. You must explicitly wire a Simple Error Handler VI or a General Error Handler VI to the terminal to make LabVIEW display a dialog box when an error occurs.
If you right-click a continuous mode subVI in the Simulation Loop and select Relink to SubVI from the shortcut menu, the subVI changes to a discrete mode subVI. You can correct this problem by specifying the subVI as continuous. Right-click the subVI icon and select SubVI Node Setup. In the SubVI Node Setup dialog box, remove the checkmark from the Run as Discrete Node checkbox.
The Edit»Undo SubVI Setup and Edit»Redo SubVI Setup options do not affect the Run as Discrete Node option you set in the SubVI Node Setup dialog box for subVIs you place in the Simulation Loop.
If you wire the Simulation Loop parameters terminal, error in terminal, or error out terminal from inside the Simulation Loop, you might receive errors or indeterminate results.
The Run toolbar button might appear broken after you use the Loop Configuration dialog box. This broken Run button occurs only when the Loop Configuration dialog box originally contains a checkmark in the Use terminal checkbox for the Timing Source control. To correct the problem, either 1) click the broken Run button, 2) edit the contents of the Simulation Loop, which tells LabVIEW that the VI needs to be recompiled, or 3) open the Loop Configuration dialog box and click the OK button.
If you set the Integrator function limit type parameter to upper, lower, or both, a variable step-size solver might not evaluate the model and update the model output exactly when the output starts to be limited.
For the Discrete Filter function, the Numerator and Denominator coefficients, which are subparameters of the Filter input, are represented in ascending powers of z^-1.
Performing a mass compile on a VI that contains a missing linked sub-VI inside a Simulation Loop results in the parent VI losing its control and indicator default values.
Performing a Create Sub-VI from the Edit menu on nodes within a Simulation Loop or Subsystem that contains a feedback cycle may cause LabVIEW to crash or report an inaccurate warning. Manually creating a sub-VI from a new VI and subsequently adding it to the Simulation Loop and/or Subsystem avoids this problem.
Real-Time
Do not use a Simulation Module Collector function with the LabVIEW Real-Time Module.
The Simulation Loop depends on many VIs, so the Simulation Loop may take a long time to load on an RT target because LabVIEW must download all the VIs to the RT target.
Refer to the LabVIEW Simulation User Manual for information about running simulation diagrams with LabVIEW Real-Time Module for RTX.
Breakpoints are not supported for standalone subsystem debugging under LabVIEW Real-time. There are two workarounds for this problem. 1) you can use a conditional probe as a breakpoint in the standalone subsystem. 2) You can copy all the code from the subsystem's diagram to a simulation loop, then debug the VI containing the simulation loop. Breakpoints on nodes or wires inside a simulation loop are supported under LabVIEW Real-time.
Simulink Translator
All controls are placed as one dimensional arrays (or vectors) of double-precision real numbers by default. After all blocks and lines have been placed, the Simulink Translator attempts to correct all mismatched types on the diagram but does not always successfully correct mismatched types. Therefore, in some cases you must set data sources to produce a vector output after the conversion is complete.
Boolean constants might be placed as double-precision real numbers, but the Simulink Translator converts these numbers to Boolean signals before feeding them into terminals requiring Boolean inputs.
The Simulink Translator might convert sample rate divisors on discrete blocks incorrectly. If it does, you must set the sample rate divisors manually after the conversion is complete.
The Simulink Translator does not correctly convert a Bus Selector block with the Muxed Output checked.
All Multiport switches use zero-based indexing.
The Simulink Translator converts the Mux and Demux blocks to Bundle and Unbundle nodes, respectively. Because you can use the Mux and Demux blocks for different purposes within Simulink®, you might want to replace the Bundle and Unbundle functions with Build Array and Index Array functions after the conversion is complete.
The Manual Switch and Initial Condition nodes do not always automatically adapt to the proper scalar or vector type. You might have to correct these nodes manually after the conversion is complete.
If any fields within the Simulink model, such as the Tag field in the Block properties dialog box, contain curly braces, the Simulink Translator might fail or hang.
Documentation Correction
The Place on the block diagram and Find on the Functions palette buttons in the help file locate the Express Relay and Collector VIs, not the Simulation Module Relay and Collector functions.
Simulink® is a registered trademark of The MathWorks, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.