You can generate single sample DC signals or time-varying multiple sample signals.
Use single samples if the signal level is more important than the generation rate. For instance, generate one sample at a time if you need to generate a constant, or DC, signal. You can use software or hardware timing if the device supports hardware timing to control when the device generates a signal.
Use multiple samples if the generation rate is just as important as the signal level, as in an AC sine wave. Function generators are a common type of device that you can program to produce certain types of waveforms, such as sine, triangle, and square waves. You also can use a DAQ device as a function generator. You do this by generating one cycle of a sine wave, such as with the Sine Generation VI in LabVIEW, storing one cycle of sine wave data in a waveform, and programming the device to generate the values continuously from the waveform one point at a time at a specified rate.
Also called buffered analog output, generating multiple samples involves the following steps:
Creating a Program
Generating Voltage General Programming Flow
Generating Multiple Samples Programming Flow
See Also