The Get Date/Time In Seconds VI can be used to acquire a timestamp using the current time and date of the system running LabVIEW. The implementation of this VI depends on whether a Waveform Chart, Waveform Graph, or XY Graph is used to display the data and timestamp.
The VI Snippet below illustrates the different ways of implementing the Get Date/Time In Seconds VI depending on your desired output.
Note: This image is a LabVIEW snippet, which includes LabVIEW code that you can reuse in your project. To use a snippet, right-click the image, save it to your computer, and drag the file onto your LabVIEW diagram.
The timestamp created by the Get Date/Time In Seconds VI is represented as the number of seconds elapsed since 12:00 a.m., Friday, January 1st, 1904, Universal Time. The X-axis displaying these timestamp values must also be configured to use the same convention. Perform the following steps to configure this setting:
- Right-click the x-axis and select Formatting from the shortcut menu.
- In the dialog box that appears, set the format to Absolute time, then click the OK button.
Timestamps created using the Get Date/Time In Seconds VI should now be properly displayed on the x-axis. Date can now be displayed on the graph or chart along with corresponding timestamps.
Note: Make sure that the Ignore waveform time stamp on x-axes box is unchecked or LabVIEW will choose the system clock time over the time stamp you created in your waveform.
Additional Information
To edit the Waveform Chart, right-click on the chart to open the Properties Menu. In the Display Format tab you can set up how the time is being displayed on the X-axis. To show date and time use Absolute time and select the time format of your preference. Also you can use the Advanced editing mode to define the format using a Format String.