Patent ID: 7213207

Claim:
A method for creating a graphical program which performs hardware register accesses in a hardware device, wherein the method operates in a computer including a display screen and a user input device, the method comprising: storing a description of the hardware device in the computer, wherein the description includes mnemonic names of hardware registers; displaying on the screen a register access node in the graphical program in response to user input; and configuring the register access node to access one or more hardware registers of the hardware device, wherein said configuring includes accessing the description of the hardware device for information regarding the one or more hardware registers of the hardware device; wherein said configuring the register access node includes: displaying a list of the mnemonic names of hardware registers on the displace; and receiving user input selecting one or more of the mnemonic names of hardware registers for access; wherein, during execution of the graphical program, the register access node is operable to access the one or more hardware registers of the hardware device based on the information accessed from the description of the hardware device.