System and method for configuring a programmable hardware instrument to perform measurement functions utilizing estimation of the hardware implentation and management of hardware resources

A computer-implemented method for configuring an instrument to perform measurement functions, wherein the instrument includes a programmable hardware element, the method comprising:

• creating a graphical program, wherein the graphical program implements a measurement function, wherein the graphical program manipulates one or more hardware resources of the instrument, wherein said creating includes displaying an indication of usage of said one or more hardware resources during creation of the graphical program;
• generating a hardware description based on at least a portion of the graphical program, wherein the hardware description describes a hardware implementation of the at least a portion of the graphical program;
• configuring the programmable hardware element in the instrument utilizing the hardware description to produce a configured hardware element, wherein the configured hardware element implements a hardware implementation of the at least a portion of the graphical program;
• the instrument acquiring a signal from an external source after said configuring;
• the programmable hardware element in the instrument executing to perform the measurement function on the signal, wherein said executing includes manipulating one or more of the hardware resources of the instrument.

A computer-implemented method for configuring an instrument to perform measurement functions, wherein the instrument includes a programmable hardware element, the method comprising:

• creating a graphical program, wherein the graphical program implements a measurement function, wherein the graphical program manipulates a non-reusable hardware resource of the instrument a plurality of times, wherein said creating the graphical program includes:
• constructing sequencing in the graphical program, wherein said sequencing prevents the non-reusable hardware resource from being used simultaneously within the graphical program;
• generating a hardware description based on at least a portion of the graphical program, wherein the hardware description describes a hardware implementation of the at least a portion of the graphical program;
• configuring the programmable hardware element in the instrument utilizing the hardware description to produce a configured hardware element, wherein the configured hardware element implements a hardware implementation of the at least a portion of the graphical program;
• the instrument acquiring a signal from an external source after said configuring;
• the programmable hardware element in the instrument executing to perform the measurement function on the signal, wherein said executing includes manipulating the non-reusable resource of the instrument a plurality of times according to said sequencing.

A computer-implemented method for configuring a programmable hardware element to perform a function, the method comprising:

• creating a graphical program, wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes which visually indicate functionality of the program, wherein the graphical program specifies a function;
• the computer system estimating one or more of size and cost of a hardware implementation of the graphical program;
• the computer system displaying one or more of the size and cost of the hardware implementation of the graphical program to a user;
• generating a hardware description based on at least a portion of the graphical program, wherein the hardware description describes a hardware implementation of the at least a portion of the graphical program;
• and
• configuring the programmable hardware element utilizing the hardware description to produce a configured programmable hardware element, wherein the configured programmable hardware element implements a hardware implementation of the at least a portion of the graphical program.

A computer-implemented method for configuring a device to perform a function, wherein the device includes a programmable hardware element, wherein the device also includes one or more hardware resources, the method comprising:

• creating a graphical program, wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes which visually indicate functionality of the program, wherein the graphical program implements a function, wherein the graphical program manipulates one or more hardware resources of the device, wherein said creating includes displaying an indication of usage of said one or more hardware resources during creation of the graphical program;
• generating a hardware description based on at least a portion of the graphical program, wherein the hardware, description describes a hardware implementation of the at least a portion of the graphical program;
• configuring the programmable hardware element in the device utilizing the hardware description to produce a configured programmable hardware element, wherein the configured programmable hardware element implements a hardware implementation of the at least a portion of the graphical program;
• the device executing, wherein the device executing includes the configured programmable hardware element in the device executing to perform the function, wherein said executing includes manipulating one or more of the hardware resources of the device.

A computer-implemented method for configuring a device, wherein the device includes a programmable hardware element, wherein the device also includes at least one hardware resource, the method comprising:

• creating a graphical program, wherein the graphical program implements a function, wherein the graphical program manipulates a first hardware resource of the device a plurality of times, wherein said creating the graphical program includes:
• constructing sequencing in the graphical program, wherein said sequencing prevents the first hardware resource from being used two or more times simultaneously within the graphical program;
• generating a hardware description based on at least a portion of the graphical program, wherein the hardware description describes a hardware implementation of the at least a portion of the graphical program;
• configuring the programmable hardware element in the device utilizing the hardware description to produce a configured programmable hardware element, wherein the configured programmable hardware element implements a hardware implementation of the at least a portion of the graphical program.

A memory medium comprising program instructions for configuring a programmable hardware element to perform a function,

• wherein the memory medium stores a graphical program, wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes which visually indicate functionality of the program, wherein the graphical program specifies a function;
• wherein the program instructions are executable to implement:
• estimating one or more of size and cost of a hardware implementation of the graphical program;
• displaying one or more of the size and cost of the hardware implementation of the graphical program to a user;
• generating a hardware description based on at least a portion of the graphical program, wherein the hardware description describes a hardware implementation of the at least a portion of the graphical program;
• and
• configuring the programmable hardware element utilizing the hardware description to produce a configured programmable hardware element, wherein the configured programmable hardware element implements a hardware implementation of the at least a portion of the graphical program.

A memory medium comprising program instructions for configuring a device, wherein the device includes a programmable hardware element, wherein the device also includes at least one hardware resource, the memory medium comprising:

• creating a graphical program, wherein the graphical program implements a function, wherein the graphical program manipulates a first hardware resource of the device a plurality of times, wherein said creating the graphical program includes:
• constructing sequencing in the graphical program, wherein said sequencing prevents the first hardware resource from being used two or more times simultaneously within the graphical program;
• generating a hardware description based on at least a portion of the graphical program, wherein the hardware description describes a hardware implementation of the at least a portion of the graphical program;
• and
• configuring the programmable hardware element in the device utilizing the hardware description to produce a configured programmable hardware element, wherein the configured programmable hardware element implements a hardware implementation of the at least a portion of the graphical program.