LabVIEW in focus

Alun Williams

Wednesday 01 August 2007 12:00

LabVIEW is graphical system design software created by National Instruments. It is intended to help engineers and scientists work with real-world signals and visually analyse the resultant data. In that sense, it is a rapid application development (RAD) tool.

LabVIEW - a programming language?

Although the LabVIEW system is aimed at non-programmers, National Instruments claims it possesses "full-featured" programming capabilities. By this, it means support for data structures, looping structures, event handling, and object-oriented programming.

LabVIEW uses a built-in compiler that compiles all code at edit time, but it also has other "built-in tools" aimed at its specialist users. For example, LabVIEW uses a patented "dataflow" programming model, which National Instruments claims is intuitive for engineers and scientists familiar with block diagrams and flowcharts.

Specifically, the execution order in LabVIEW is determined by the flow of data between nodes, rather the traditional programing model of sequential lines of code. National Instruments claims that this makes it easy to create block diagrams that execute multiple operations in parallel, which makes it suitable for multitasking and multithreading implementations.

LabVIEW debugging

Finally, LabVIEW supports debugging through a a process known as execution highlighting - you can watch data moves through a program, seeing what values are passed from one function to another.

In terms of system options, there are three LabVIEW packages - the Professional Development System, the Full Development System, and the Base Package. A feature matrix outlines the differences.

In the following, we bring together resources from Electronics Weekly and UK and EU governmental bodies to provide detailed reference information about LabVIEW.

ELECTRONICS WEEKLY NEWS ON LABVIEW

Latest News

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Previous news stories to note

National Instruments expands LabVIEW design platform
National Instruments extends its LabVIEW 8.5 graphical system design platform to new embedded targets with the release of a module for ADI Blackfin processors 2.5 and the LabVIEW microprocessor software development kit 2.5.

National Instruments maps LabVIEW to multi-core systems
National Instruments targets the design of embedded systems based on multi-core processors with its latest design and analysis software tool.

Interactive LabVIEW tool supports 270 data devices
National Instruments has added an interactive measurement capability to its LabVIEW graphical system design software.

Multi-core processor design needs graphical approach
Multi-core processors are now a reality which embedded system developers must face. Many embedded developers are beginning to realise the shortcomings of traditional development approaches when faced with multi-core architectures.

Toolkit simplifies digital filter design
National Instruments has announced the latest version of the NI LabVIEW Digital Filter Design Toolkit, for designing and implementing digital filters.

LabVIEW optimised for Blackfin designs
Analog Devices and National Instruments are offering a beta version of the LabVIEW Embedded Module for Blackfin processors as part of a collaboration on embedded system development.

LabVIEW module for 32-bit MCU work
An embedded development module for 32-bit microprocessors has been added to the LabVIEW development environment by National Instruments.

PCI-digitiser for LabVIEW test suite
National Instruments has announced a PCI version of its 12-bit, 200Msample/s PXI-based digitiser.

National Instruments broadens test with LabVIEW 7
National Instruments is bidding to widen the market for PC-based virtual test with systems that will run on embedded FPGAs and handheld computers.

ELECTRONICS WEEKLY ANALYSIS OF LABVIEW

Multi-core processor design needs graphical approach
Multi-core processors are now a reality which embedded system developers must face. Many embedded developers are beginning to realise the shortcomings of traditional development approaches when faced with multi-core architectures.

Multicore processor design is key challenge
From meetings and conversations on the floor at the Embedded Systems Conference, it is becoming clear that the engineering issue of the year for embedded designers - or at least for the engineering press and the marketing community - is going to be multicore architectures. And the best candidate for the centre of this discussion is going to be the problem of programming multicore devices.

Fast route to RF prototype design
The techniques of using simulation and connect-and-go applications boards can provide rapid RF prototyping with minimum risk.