LabVIEW Physical Computing Kit

Overview

LabVIEW is a graphical programming platform used for data acquisition & analysis, instrument control, prototyping and more. LabVIEW Home Bundle has made this powerful software affordable for makers and students. But what if you want to connect your LabVIEW projects to the physical world? Thats why weve created the Physical Computing Kit.

We selected the WF32 because of its extensive onboard capabilities. It has a WiFi module that lets you communicate with a world of wireless devices, a Micro SD card slot for reading & storing large amounts of data, and a USB 2.0 controller for power, configuration, and your own USB applications. But thats just the beginning, because youll also have access to the WF32s 43 available I/O pins. Connect whatever sensors, displays, controls, peripherals, etc. you like and LabVIEW Home will be able to use them.

Experiment without breadboarding

Suppose you wanted to measure ambient light with a photocell, then turn another light on when the sensor reading drops below a certain threshold. (Commonly known as a dusk-to-dawn circuit.) With LabVIEW Home, theres no need to wire up sensors, potentiometers, resistors, etc. on a breadboard. LabVIEW Home becomes the breadboard, allowing you to create a block diagram graphically.

In other words, you dont need to learn physical circuits in order to create useful experiments & projects.

Youll also be able to quickly create your own graphical user interfaces. Does your project need switches, buttons, dials, numeric displays, or more? Youll be able to choose from hundreds of controls, graphs, and 3D visualization tools, then simply drag-and-drop them into place.

Now, imagine you want to expand your design. For instance, maybe you want to add a high / low temperature range or a digital temperature display. On a breadboard, it would mean adding parts, rewiring, testing, etc. In LabVIEW, experimentation like this is much, much more efficient.

Need help getting started?

Youll find a growing collection of tutorials and examples at LabVIEW MakerHub, including:

• A tutorial series for users new to LabVIEW and its interface
• A tutorial series specifically for the Physical Computing Kit

These tutorials can walk you through an introduction to the LabVIEW interface, programming examples, setting up your WF32 for connection, connecting to I/O, datalogging, and WiFi connectivity.

Package contents

The Physical Computing Kit comes with:

• 1x LabVIEW Home Bundle
• chiKIT WF32 microcontroller board
• Handy project box with sticker sheet
• USB cable

Note: This software is licensed for personal, non-commercial, non-industrial, non-academic purposes. Applications may be distributed only for non-commercial, non-industrial, non-academic purposes.

Manufacturers part code(s): PHYSICALKIT-LV / PHYSICALKIT-SOLO