Writing Virtual TEDS Files in LabVIEW 2026 Q1

If your sensor does not include embedded TEDS information, or your sensor vendor does not provide a Virtual TEDS file, you can still use TEDS by creating a Virtual TEDS (.ted) file in LabVIEW. This approach lets you define the required sensor and calibration data and integrate it into your measurement workflow, even when the device is not compatible or a prebuilt file is unavailable.

NI provides a reference example that shows how to create Virtual TEDS files in LabVIEW, and the attached teds.zip file in that example includes VIs and templates that you can use for different sensor and channel types. Please refer to: Reference Example for Reading and Writing Calibration Information to Virtual TEDS Files - NI Community. 

This example shows how to select and update the appropriate IEEE 1451.4 template in the VI to create a Virtual TEDS file for your sensor type, such as an IEPE accelerometer, RTD, bridge-based sensor, voltage-output sensor, among others. Depending on the sensor or channel, you may need to replace the default template or adapt an existing one if an exact match is not available. For additional reference, please review: IEEE 1451.4 TEDS Sensor Templates Overview - NI.

The steps in this article were developed using LabVIEW 2026 Q1.

Create Sensor TEDS File

1. Download the teds.zip attachment from the reference example.
2. Extract the teds.zip and open the Create Sensor TEDS file.vi. If you have calibration information for the sensor, you may open Create Sensor TEDS file and calibration.vi.
3. Open the block diagram. Review this link if needed: LabVIEW Block Diagram Explained - NI.
4. Right click on the id_template ring constant and select the appropriate sensor you want to create the Virtual TEDS file. Make sure to note the template ID number associated with that sensor type. 

5. Go to the front panel, right-click the default IEEE template cluster, and select Replace. In the palette dialog, select Select a Control… option.

7. After the control has been replaced, go back to the block diagram. You will see a broken run arrow from the IEEE standard template cluster to the Edit IEEE template #.vi.
8. Right-click Edit IEEE template #.vi and select Replace>>All Palettes. In the palette dialog, select Select a VI… option.  

9. A file selection window will open. Search again for the LabVIEW LLB: Virtual_TEDS_IEEE_Templates.llb.
10. When the Select the VI To Open dialog box appears, select the IEEE Template #.vi file that matches the template ID you noted in step 3. 

11. Enter the expected information from the sensor's datasheet. If you opened Create Sensor TEDS file and calibration.vi, also enter the available calibration information for the sensor.
12. In Windows Explorer, go to the TEDS example folder and make a copy of the test.ted file. Rename the copied file as needed.
13. Go back to the front panel of Create Sensor TEDS file.vi or Create Sensor TEDS file and calibration.vi and, in the TEDS binary file path input control, select the *.ted file you just created.
14. Run the VI to generate the Virtual TEDS file.

Read Sensor TEDS File

If you want to verify that your Virtual TED was created correctly with the expected information.

1. Open Read TEDS information.vi or Read TEDS information with calibration.vi.
2. Turn on the Read Virtual TEDS File? Boolean input control.
3. In the Virtual TEDS File Name string input control, enter the name of the *.ted file you just created, including the *.ted extension. The example for reading Virtual TEDS files notes that the .ted file must be located in the same directory as the VI for the example to work correctly.
4. Run the VI and verify that the displayed information matches the sensor and calibration information you entered.