1. A computer-implemented method for configuring an instrument to perform a measurement function, wherein the instrument includes a programmable hardware element, the method comprising: creating a graphical program, wherein the graphical program implements the measurement function, wherein the graphical program comprises a plurality of interconnected nodes which visually indicate functionality of the graphical program; generating a hardware description based on the graphical program, wherein the hardware description describes a hardware implementation of the graphical program; configuring the programmable hardware element in the instrument utilizing the hardware description, wherein after said configuring the programmable hardware element implements a hardware implementation of the graphical program; the instrument acquiring a signal from an external source after said configuring; the programmable hardware element in the instrument executing to perform the measurement function on the signal.