A computer-implemented system and method for generating a hardware
implementation of graphical code. The method may operate to configure an
instrument to perform measurement functions, wherein the instrument
includes a programmable hardware element. The method comprises first
creating a graphical program, wherein the graphical program may implement
a measurement function. A portion of the graphical program may optionally
be compiled into machine code for execution by a CPU, and another portion
of the graphical program may be converted into a hardware implementation
on a programmable hardware element. The programmable hardware element is
configured utilizing a hardware description to produce a configured
hardware element. The configured hardware element thus implements a
hardware implementation of the second portion of the graphical program.
During generation of the hardware implementation, the computer system may
operate to estimate and/or display one or more of size and cost of a
hardware implementation of the graphical program. In one embodiment, the
graphical program manipulates one or more hardware resources of an
instrument, and an indication of usage of the one or more hardware
resources are displayed during creation of the graphical program. Probes
may also be inserted into the graphical program, wherein corresponding
probe elements are placed in the hardware implementation to implement the
probe function.