Is LabWindows 2020 the final version that NI will release?

[adcor]

Hi Rolf,

Thanks for pointing this out.  I hadn't appreciated that the blue link implied an NI account.  I guess it is time to think about future mitigation and migration plans.

thanks,

alex

[EricR]

@adcor

Right now, there is no roadmap to make additional changes to LabWindows/CVI.  NI continues to sell it in its current version and customers can continue using it.

If you have additional questions about LabWindows/CVI, please contact Mike Trimborn at NI  (mike.trimborn@ni.com).

[adcor]

Hi Eric,

Thank you for the clarifying reply with NI's current.  We use LabWindows/CVI extensively, as I believe many others here do as well, and I hope there is room to re-evaluate this position.  The ability of LabWindows to have easy integration with the full suite of NI hardware / drivers while also being able to leverage a large range of external hardware (as C api's still seem to be well supported) is in my opinion unmatched.  We use LabWindows both to generate stand-alone test executables, and also to provide glue layers to LabView code.  Without this piece we will likely be forced to move away from the NI hardware / software stack and on to various combinations of Python / C#.

I will be reaching out to Mike Trimborn for further discussion, and would urge others in this forum who share my concerns to do so as well.

Thanks,

alex

[Pims]

Hy @EricH,

If the opportunity presented, has National Instruments considered releasing the code source of LabWindows/CVI (and toolkits, etc...) and / or partnering with a free community, in the near future ?

[DieselPower]

I use CVI for a program that runs on a real time PXI target.  I am now stuck with old drivers.  At some point my company could say that my RTOS, development environment, and drivers are no longer supported and thus a security risk.  I don't have a plan B.

CVI is a really neat tool.  I would enjoy teaching a class on using it and NI hardware to do real world things, but it seems it's a dying thing.

[adcor]

Hi Eric,

I emailed Mike Trimborn a few weeks ago with some questions (pasted below) and haven't yet heard anything back from him.  If you have a chance to check in with him that would be great.

Thanks,

alex

-------------

Hi Mike,

Eric R had provided your email in a thread on the labwindows forum around the future of labwindows 2020, and suggested that you would be able to help with any additional questions.  I make extensive use of labwindows and am alarmed at the possibility of it no longer being updated for future versions.  I have a few questions that you might be able to help me with:

1. Is the decision to no longer develop future versions of labwindows a final decision, or are you guys open to the possibility of continuing to develop this tool?
2. When will support lapse for this current version?
3. On the current path, at what point will future versions of NI drivers no longer support labwindows?
4. How will you guys communicate this information to users?

Labwindows is a critical part of my (and many others) usage of NI products, and in its absence we will start looking at other alternatives (largely multi-process python approaches).  Having the low level power of C along with the great support from NI has been a very powerful tool, and I will be very sad to see it go.

Thanks,

alex

[MarcelK]

I, too, have a few hundred thousand lines of code invested in CVI that I cannot easily port to some other platform. Recently I raised a few issues with NI support to gauge what's going on behind the scenes.

One issue for example were two bugs in the 64-bit compiler, I've written a bit about one here. I was actually promised a fixed compiler, but that has not yet materialized. I've heard there were quite a few layoffs in R&D, which probably didn't improve the situation.

The other one was a well-known problem with menus not appearing where they should when monitors are differently scaled. That was denied a fix because there was already the workaround of just setting all monitors to the same scale 🤦‍ So eventually I investigated and fixed it myself (with only 3 lines of code, even).

Apart from that I was told that CVI is "feature complete" and they will probably fix anything important (like if it would break in Windows 11 or the mentioned compiler bug), but that's it, no new features will be added. My support contact was very helpful and forthcoming, but there was only so much he could do.

Of course this situation is less than ideal. I guess I can easily make it work for another 10 years, even without any help from NI, but I really wish there was enough pressure from other big customers to make them reconsider this decision or at least open the sources to the whole thing.

[mikie]

Is there no official communication yet from NI regarding future support of LabWindows/CVI?

We have many test programs, drivers and other applications developed and more underway. (I am currently working with an Intern to develop another). This is a huge investment to undertake and maintain. If there is to be no more support from NI on this tool, we will have to have a plan to migrate to something else (and it won't be LabView).

[Pims]

For information:

Hi Patrick,

Finally, our R&D replied to our question.

Below is the current statement of the product which we have not yet messaged publicly, but are working with key customers like this to discuss the best path forward for maintaining existing systems and considerations for new projects. 
 
LabWindows/CVI is a mature, feature-complete product where we are not currently planning any major releases. We will continue to support existing test systems built with LabWindows/CVI 2020 version through the Mainstream Support timeframe (9/2025) and beyond that, we are open to long-term service contracts on this version. (see https://www.ni.com/en-us/support/software-product-life-cycle-policies.html)
 
We have tested LabWindows/CVI 2020 f2 (since then, the f3 version has been released) on Windows 11 and we expect no functional execution issues, we only observed minor UI degradation. I can provide more details if needed.

If you need a call to understand better I obtained permission to offer you the opportunity to talk with Deborah B..., the owner of this product in NI.

Would you like to have this call? (we accepted, but we never had contact).

Kind regards, Cordiali Saluti, Cordialement, Freundlichen Grüßen, Se despide cordialmente, Vriendelijke groeten, 親切的問候

"John DOE"
Technical Support Representative
+39 02 413091 | ni.com

DISCLAIMER: ....

[Pims]

For information :

• Since version f3 was released
• We agreed to be put in contact, but we never made contact

---

Hi Patrick,

Finally, our R&D replied to our question.

Below is the current statement of the product which we have not yet messaged publicly, but are working with key customers like this to discuss the best path forward for maintaining existing systems and considerations for new projects. 
 
LabWindows/CVI is a mature, feature-complete product where we are not currently planning any major releases. We will continue to support existing test systems built with LabWindows/CVI 2020 version through the Mainstream Support timeframe (9/2025) and beyond that, we are open to long-term service contracts on this version. (see https://www.ni.com/en-us/support/software-product-life-cycle-policies.html)
 
We have tested LabWindows/CVI 2020 f2 on Windows 11 and we expect no functional execution issues, we only observed minor UI degradation. I can provide more details if needed.

If you need a call to understand better I obtained permission to offer you the opportunity to talk with "...", the owner of this product in NI.

Would you like to have this call?

Kind regards, Cordiali Saluti, Cordialement, Freundlichen Grüßen, Se despide cordialmente, Vriendelijke groeten, 親切的問候

"..."
Technical Support Representative
+39 02 413091 | ni.com

DISCLAIMER: ...