LabWindows/CVI User Group Blog

The NIWeek 2012 conference and exhibition hosts the engineering, academic, and industrial communities for three full days of interactive technical sessions, exhibitions, hands-on workshops, case study presentations, and panel discussions on the latest technologies for control design, measurement, automation, manufacturing, and test. Join key decision makers, developers, and visionaries to learn about trends and advancements in the measurement and automation world at this conference. The event also is and the perfect opportunity for attendees to network with leading engineers and scientists, share best practices and example code with fellow developers, and exchange information with NI product managers. 

At NIWeek 2012 you can:

• Network with more than 3,000 engineers, scientists, educators, industry leaders, and NI developers
• Choose from 250 advanced technical presentations, hands-on workshops, case studies, and panel discussions
• Learn about creating advanced test, control, and design solutions in daily keynotes
• Discover the latest technologies, see product demonstrations and solutions in more than 200 exhibitor booths including product pavilions and partner presentations
• Improve your LabWindows/CVI knowledge by attending the sessions and workshops described below.
  

Hands-On Lab: Introduction To LabWindows/CVI

Date: Wednesday Aug 8, 4:45pm

Speakers: Darren Bieal, Product Support Engineer

Abstract: Discover how C programmers performing instrument control, data acquisition, and control design are using LabWindows/CVI to create their applications. Also learn how you can use built-in LabWindows/CVI engineering and scientific tools to be a more productive C programmer.

Comments: This 1 hour introductory session is recommended for developers with ANSI C programming experience who are not familiar with LabWindows/CVI development environment and tools.

Technical Session: Latest Features of LabWindows/CVI 2012 for Future-Proof ANSI C Development

Date: Wednesday Aug 8, 3:30pm

Speakers: Anna Kozminski, Product Manager and Jonathan Newton, LabWindows/CVI Software Engineer

Abstract: LabWindows/CVI provides ANSI C programmers with a powerful yet streamlined and flexible IDE that lends itself as an efficient tool for writing test and measurement applications. LabWindows/CVI continues to evolve as we strive to advance usability, performance and platform support. We invite you to learn about the latest feature improvements of LabWindows/CVI 2012 and share with you our vision for the future of LabWindows/CVI.

Comments: In this session we will walk through the latest features releasing with LabWindows/CVI 2012 and provide examples of how each of these will benefit you as developers. If you work in a highly-regulated industry, you will find the side-by-side run-time feature particularly interesting. My favorite new features this release are the fifteen Idea Exchange features because these suggestions came directly from LabWindows/CVI developers all around the world. If you cannot attend this session, we will post new feature documentation on ni.com/lwcvi/whats_new. However we will not post information presented by Jonathan regarding the LabWindows/CVI roadmap for version 2013 and beyond so please attend the session if possible.

Intermediate Technical Session: Developing ANSI C Applications to Communicate with FPGAs in Secure Environments

Date: Thursday Aug 9, 10:30 am

Speakers: Anna Kozminski, Product Manager and Special Guest James Kneale, Fellow Engineer at Northrop Grumman Corporation

Abstract: Application development in highly regulated industries often requires integration of software within classified environments where only carefully-checked text source code is allowed to cross into the unclassified world. This presentation demonstrates how to use the C Interface to LabVIEW FPGA to program real-time processors on NI FPGA-based hardware using C tools such as LabWindows/CVI while also considering techniques that maintain configuration control when you need to work in both secure and unrestricted environments. The C Interface to FPGA gives engineers and scientists with C expertise the ability to take advantage of FPGAs within their designs to create high performance solutions and reuse existing embedded C code.

Comments: I am delighted to co-present this session with James Kneale. Jim Kneale is a Fellow Engineer at Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, focusing on hardware and software development for radar test.  Interesting fact about Jim: he holds a patent for a method of simulating radar antennas.   He also has a unique perspective on mixing LabWindows/CVI and LabVIEW FPGA becuase most of the software he works on must pass between classified areas which lead him to find effecitve ways to consistently maintain security of code that includes LabVIEW FPGA and LabWindows/CVI C components.

LabWindows/CVI Developer Certification

Validate your skills or renew your  LabWindows/CVI certification at NIWeek at discounted rates. Simply register for these exams when you register for NIWeek. Learn more are ni.com/niweek/training

All NIWeek attendees: 35% off of list price

Alliance Partners: 50% off of list price

About the LabWindows/CVI Certification

NI Certified LabWindows/CVI Developers have demonstrated a solid understanding of the environment and its capabilities and the ability to develop functional applications while minimizing development time. You can use this certification to assess and validate an individual’s LabWindows/CVI development skills for the purpose of project staffing or career advancement.  For example, having Certified Developers on staff to provide technical leadership and guidance ensures that less-experienced developers are following best practices that will make them more competent and efficient developers. All National Instruments Alliance Partners at the Certified Partner level and above maintain at least one Certified Developer or Architect on staff, so that clients can be sure they are getting the best possible results.

• Requires a broad and complete understanding of LabWindows/CVI core features and functionality
• Valid for 2 years from date taken, recertification required to maintain credentials
• Benefits include use of certification logo and listing on ni.com

Recommended Experience Level

• 12 to 18 months of experience developing and deploying medium to large LabWindows/CVI applications

OR

• LabWindows/CVI Basics I and II with 6 months of LabWindows/CVI development experience

Exam Details

• Format: Application development
• Duration: 4 hours

Thank you to all the attendees of today's LabWindows/CVI sessions and events!

It was wonderful to meet so many of you today at the LabWindows/CVI sessions and on the show the floor. I can now associate a face and a real person to your community personas and overall feel very welcome to the LabWindows/CVI user community. Thank you!

Highlights from Today's Events

LabWindows/CVI Sessions: "What's New in LabWindows/CVI 2010 and Beyond" and "Developing ANSI C Applications to Communicate with FPGAs"

"Look how far we have come" - today we took a look at the past and future of LabWindows/CVI. Next year will mark the 25th anniversary of the product and we could not reach this milestone without the continued feedback and idea suggestions from our user base to help us keep improving and innovating. Luis Gomes, LabWindows/CVI R&D Group Manager spoke today about the LabWindows/CVI Idea Exchange as the first place our developers look to in deciding what features we will be implementing next. All ideas on the idea exchange get considered and you can expect the top rated proposals to appear in upcoming versions of LabWindows/CVI. We also reiterated the benefits of LabWindow/CVI 2010 after whcih Luis gave us insight into the future technology investments for CVI. We want to thank you for all the great comments we received, our goal in providing you with the best tools possible means that your requests and opinions will help shape the future of the product. Thank you again for participating.

"I love the FPGA Interface C API so much, I could cry" - today's session literally brought me to tears today, though this is due in part to my allergies! In the "Developing ANSI C Applications to Communicate with FPGAs" session we discussed FPGA technology and its benefits, the NI RIO Platform and then broke down the entire development process from creating FPGA code to creating and deploying the ANSI C application that controls and pulls data back from the FPGA hardware. Kent Johnson, Senior Software Engineer for CompactRIO walked us through a live demo showing us how to use the LabVIEW FPGA module to program a PXI R Series RIO board and how to program the C Host application in LabWindows/CVI by using the FPGA Interface C API Generator built into CVI (Tools >> Launch FPGA Interface C API Generator). Again we had a lot of excellent questions that spawned some great discussions, we thank you for your attention and interest in this session!

-> Install the latest FPGA Interface C API 1.3

LabWindows/CVI Developers Lunch

Thanks to everyone that came out to the LabWindows/CVI developers lunch today. We sat down with CVI users (and some lost LabVIEW users) to chat and dine at the Peer2Peer tables in the NIWeek cafeteria. Table 1 was hosted by Nick Beer, CVI developer and Luis Gomes, CVI R&D Group Manager. Table 2 was hosted by Jeff Pautler, CVI RealTime Group Manager and Michael Harrison, Senior Software Engineer for CVI.

Best Regards,

Anna Kozminski

LabWindows/CVI Product Manager

If you are an NI Alliance Partner, I would like to invite you to join us for Alliance Day 2011 on behalf of the National Instruments Alliance Partner Network. This year’s Alliance Day will take place at the Austin Convention Center Monday, August 1 and is collocated with NIWeek2011.

Never heard of NI Alliance Partners? These are companies and individuals who leverage their NI product knowledge to provide complementary services and solutions. Go to www.ni.com/alliance to learn about opportunities to sell your LabWindows/CVI prowess!

National Instruments Alliance Day brings together hundreds of NI partners from around the globe to network with National Instruments sales and learn valuable business and technical information to encourage growth and success with their individual companies. There are several that sound very interesting:

• Keynote by Entrepreneur in Residence at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, Louise Epstein- Attend this keynote to learn what's holding your company back and the things you can do to future-proof your business.
• Personalized Workshops- Sit down with a PR or Web expert for a personalized consultation on your public relations strategy or website experience. Space is limited for these workshops, so sign up soon.
• Design Advantages of NI PXI Products - Come learn about some of the distinguishing features of the National Instruments PXI platform.
• Core Products Roadmap - Listen to a National Instruments engineers discuss major investment areas for NI’s core products over the next several years.
• Industry and Applications - Learn from National Instruments business owners about market opportunities in various industries. Also, hear from featured Alliance Partners as they share an overview of their vertical expertise and turn-key solutions that address specific application needs.

In closing, we would be honored to have you join us in celebrating the 20^th Anniversary of National Instruments Alliance Partner Network by attending our Alliance Day event. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions.

Regards,

Anna Kozminski

LabWindows/CVI Product Manager

The schedule for LabWindows™/CVI Events at NI Week 2011 has been leaked! We welcome you to join us for a variety of LabWindows/CVI activities lined up on Tuesday, August 2nd. Check back here for updated information regarding LabWindows/CVI events.

What’s New in NI LabWindows™/CVI 2010 and Beyond

Tuesday August 2, 2011, 10:30-11:30

Presented by:

Anna Kozminski - Product Marketing Manager for LabWindows™/CVI

Luis Gomes - LabWindows/CVI Software Group Manager

At a time when the pace of innovation is more rapid than ever before, shortening the time to market of your products has never been more important. Our mission is to provide C programmers with a powerful and flexible IDE that lends itself as an efficient tool for writing test and measurement applications. LabWindows/CVI continues to evolve as we strive to advance usability, performance and platform support. We invite you to learn about the latest feature improvements and share with you our vision for the future of LabWindows/CVI.

LabWindows™/CVI Developers Lunch

Tuesday August 2, 2011 12:00-1:00

Come meet the CVI team! We are hosting an informal discussion forum over lunch on Tuesday August 2^nd. We welcome you to pull up a chair to dine and chat with other C developers. In attendance will be myself - Anna Kozminski, a handful of CVI R&D developers and many other CVI users. Just look for the designated tables in the NI Week dining area. We look forward to seeing you there!

Developing ANSI C Applications to Communicate With FPGAs

Tuesday August 2, 2011 1:00-2:00

Presented by:

Anna Kozminski - Product Marketing Manager for LabWindows™/CVI

Kent Johnson - CompactRIO Senior Software Engineer

The C Interface to FPGA gives engineers and scientists with C expertise the ability to take advantage of FPGAs within their designs without the burden of learning hardware design while also giving them the option to reuse their existing embedded C code. With the C Interface to LabVIEW FPGA, engineers and scientists can program the real-time processor on NI FPGA-based hardware using C tools such as NI LabWindows^™/CVI, Microsoft Visual Studio, or Wind River Workbench and interface to the LabVIEW FPGA code running on the FPGA.