LabVIEW Equipment List

SUNY-Geneseo/Physics & Astronomy
Spring 2021
LabVIEW
(Instrumentation & Interfacing)
(Phys 363)
TR 2:30 pm, ISC 226

This is an out-of-date (see the first line above!) list of the minimum set of equipment needed to complete the LabVIEW course at home, assuming that there is no separate final project.

I've tried to find items that were as low-cost as possible, but certainly other options will exist!

Shipping time might also be a factor. Please let me know if you find "better" choices for any item!

When you see a question mark under "Assign/Quiz" it means that there exists a work-around that doesn't require this item.

Prices were last updated on January 6, 2021.

Item	Quantity	Assign/Quiz?	Comments	Possible Source	Total Price
Variable DC Power Supply	2	A4, A6, A7?, A10 Q4	Although two variable sources are needed, we can make a sufficient second source using this one and a potentiometer. Or this or this or this or this. This second one doesn't have an adjustment knob, but it is easy (and required for some of the assignments anyway!) to add your own adjustment knob using the potentiometers listed below. The price is actually 35 cents + shipping! Modification instructions for use with breadboards:		2 × $20.99 2 ×$7.34
Wire Kit	1	multiple	This one is fancier than is strictly needed. However, these "Dupont" wires are easily connected to serial devices, and also are easily chainable into longer wires.		$5.79
Breadboard	1	multiple	Price is actually $1.99 + shipping.		$4.48
Multimeter	1	multiple	You need this to debug pretty much everything!		$10.23
USB Wecam	1	A5, A8	You need a camera that is separate from your laptop.		$5.98
USB Servo Controller	1	A7	There are zillions of USB servo controllers available. This RhydoLabz one is easy to use, and I already have a few. If you use a different product, you'll need to make sure there is a way for me to test and grade your system! Also, shipping costs are almost $60! If all 12 students in the class submit an order together, this will be only about $5 shipping per student. This Pololu item is cheap, and works, but students in the past have been frustrated with getting it set up. You REALLY have to read ALL the directions before you even plug it in, and then you have to run their home-made software and switch some internal settings before it will work with LabVIEW. You can equivalent items from Amazon: You also need a USB to UART adapter like the one listed here. Other brands of UART adapters will work, but you'll have to double check the wire order yourself! This version is four for $8, or $2 each!		$15.61 $16.98 $7.33 or $18.90 $7.99
Servo Motors (Analog)	2	A7	You only need two motors, but this kit contains five! So you can share some with your classmates.		$8.99
Small screwdriver	1	A4, A6, A7	This is to use with the DAQ. It has a 2.5 mm head. Even many "jeweller's screwdrivers" are too big to work!		$4.99
Small DC Gear motor	1	Q3	There are many acceptable varieties. This one is 100 rpm when the input voltage is 6V. It runs faster when the input voltage is higher. But, the specs don't matter that much. This price includes shipping.		$4.58
Total Cost of all items above:					$84.15
Various Small Electronics	There are a lot of little items here. If you buy them all separately, the shipping costs might become enormous. Also, many products (like LEDs and photodiodes) become "obsolete" pretty fast; the items listed here are not identical to the ones I bought for myself, just because those items no longer exist. Also, students who treat their components carelessly have burned out many of these items in the past, and then needed replacements (especially diodes, photodiodes, relays, op-amps, transistors, and NAND gates). It's up to you whether to buy extras. If you are sent home from Geneseo in the middle of the semester, I might be able to loan you some or all of the following items, to be returned at the end of the semester.
npn-222A Transistor	1	A10 Q3			$0.42
Potentiometer	2	A4?, A6, A7 Q4	This one is 10 kW, but the value isn't that critical. Try not to go much smaller than this.		2 × $0.54
7400 Quad TTL NAND	1	Q3			$1.60
Red LED	1	A10 Q3	This is an unusually bright version.		$0.36
Photodiode	1	A10 Q3	This is not the exact model that I've tested. If you use a different model, be sure it includes some sensitivity to red.		$0.75
100 Ω Resistor	2	A10 Q3			2 × $0.36
10k Ω Resistor	2	A10 Q3			2 × $0.36
110k Ω Resistor	3	A4?, A6, A7, A10 Q4			$0.63
15 Ω Resistor	1	A10			$0.68
Reed Relays	4	Q3			4 × $1.10
TLV-272 Op Amp	1	A10			$1.34
L272AM Op Amp	1	A10	Discontinued in 2020!		$0.75
LM-675 Op Amp	1	A10	Replaces the discontinued L272AM op amp, but is more expensive. But (sadly), requires that you have two "real" power supplies (see first item, at top of this table). This is because your Vmin input must be at least one volt lower than "ground".		$5.71
Total Cost of "Small Electronics Section" (not including shipping):					$18.41
Small Weight Set	1	A10	It turns out that US nickels have a mass of 5.000 g each. So, a set of 25 nickels in a small ziploc bag works great! Plus, you can exchange them for an ice cream cone at the end of the semester, because it's real money!		$1.25
Department Provided Items My current expectation is that if you are sent home in the middle of the semester, you'll be provided with the following items as a "loan". You'll need to return them at the end of the semester, possibly by mail (pack them up nicely!). This info is provided for the cases where you aren't able to get one of my items for yourself, so you need to buy your own.
Multifunction USB DAQ	1	A4, A6, A7, A10 Q3	If you need to buy one yourself, you might try this one from LabJack, because it's relatively inexpensive. You'll need the U3-HV model so that you can process 5V signals. I've never used it personally. This NI product is the version we use in class (USB-6001), and will be the kind that I might loan to you.		$135.00 $220.00
Homemade Digital Prototype	1	A6	This is used to test your ability to control digital devices (assignment #6). I've made dozens, but careless students have destroyed or damaged many of them. This link will take you to the pdf describing both their use and their manufacture, if you need to make one on your own.		--------
3D Printed Lego Motor Tester	1	A10	This will be used for assignment #10. The parts I would loan to you would consist of four 3D-printed plastic parts, one Lego motor (model 43362), and one set of Lego control wires. This Lego model is no longer made, but you might be able to get a used one at "BrickLink". I intend to (someday) redesign the 3D printed plastic parts to be compatible with the other DC gear motor listed above.		-------- $1.37