National Instruments LabWindows/CVI 9.0 is the latest version of the Ansi C development environment for building reliable test and measurement systems. It includes an improved compiler and debugger, which speed test development and throughput, and introduces features for real-time systems to deliver application reliability.

LabWindows/CVI provides automatic array bounds to identify memory errors that can cause unexpected behaviour. Building on the history of delivering advanced user protection features not standard in C, LabWindows/CVI now includes an integrated tool, the Resource Tracking Window, to locate potential resource leaks that can decrease system performance over time.

Engineers can expect to see between 20% and 50% improvement in large application compile times and could see more than an 80% improvement based on project characteristics with new support for pre-compiled headers in LabWindows/CVI 9.0.

After debugging, engineers can further speed the execution and increase their test application throughput by using the latest Intel, Microsoft and Borland optimised compilers to compile code within the LabWindows/CVI environment.

Engineers can use configuration templates for the Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 optimised compiler to produce faster running code, significantly increasing the throughput of automated test applications.

With the LabWindows/CVI Real-Time Module, support for watchdog timers and the Datalight Reliance file system, engineers can also add value to applications requiring deterministic and reliable operation by designing applications that deterministically respond to failures and preserve valuable test data.

In addition, LabWindows/CVI 9.0 makes it possible for developers to stay up-to-date with the latest C technologies with more comprehensive support for the ANSI C99 language standard, including support for variable length arrays.

More information: www.ni.com/cvi