The Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench (LabVIEW) is a graphics-based programming language developed by National Instruments in 1986, and still under active development.
LabVIEW is also a system-design platform and integrated development environment. Sometimes the IDE platform is referred to as being separate from the visual programming language behind it, named G, but most often it is considered to be one system, LabVIEW.
Originally released for the Apple Macintosh, LabVIEW is now available for a variety of operating systems, including Apple macOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, and most versions of Unix.
Its graphical nature makes LabVIEW ideal for tasks such as automation, data acquisition, data analysis, instrument control, and test and measurement applications. National Instruments focuses on its test and measurement capabilities.
The programming paradigm behind LabVIEW, sometimes called G, is based on data availability. In LabVIEW, a virtual instrument (VI) is a programming element that consists of a front panel, block diagram, and an icon that represents the program. The icon is a visual representation of the VI, with connectors for program inputs and outputs. Where programming languages like C and BASIC use functions and subroutines as programming elements, LabVIEW uses the VI. Multiple VIs can be used to create larger applications, and large-scale applications may have several hundred VIs.
The graphical nature of LabVIEW allows non-programmers to build programs by dragging and dropping virtual representations of lab equipment with which they are familiar. Examples and documentation in its programming environment facilitate the creation of small applications. However, complex algorithms and large-scale projects require programmers who have extensive knowledge of LabVIEW syntax, as well as its memory management. LabVIEW is capable of producing stand-alone applications as well as distributed applications, which communicate via a client-server model, which are easier to implement.
LabVIEW applications are most often designed through the use of design patterns, which are well-known architectures. National Instruments has included extensive support for interfacing to various devices, like cameras and other instruments, as well as hardware platforms like CompactDAQ and CompactRIO. The company also makes thousands of device drivers available for download.
LabVIEW is proprietary software. However, National Instruments offers a low-cost Student Edition, as well as a Home Bundle edition. NI also offers a product called Measurement Studio, which includes many of the test, measurement, and control capabilities of LabVIEW, as a set of classes for use with Microsoft Visual Studio.
LabVIEW, as well as tools that were designed for use with the system, are the focus of this category. Tutorials, guides, user groups, and forums focused on LabVIEW are also appropriate for this category.
Recommended Resources
Offered by the University of California at Berkeley, LabVIEW is available for download, through a UCB Site License. The software is funded by the College of Engineering, Letters & Sciences (Physics and the Space Sciences Lab), with no direct cost for individuals. Requirements for accessing the software and activation keys and guides are stated, along with the system requirements for using the software. LabVIEW training courses and video training are available.
https://software.berkeley.edu/labview/
The company was established as a software design and development consulting firm focused on creating solutions written in LabVIEW, helping clients get to market without delay, and has been fulfilling this goal for more than fifteen years. Its expertise, products, and services are highlighted, including RAFL, its Rapid Application Framework for LabVIEW, and the JKI Remote Systems Manager, both of which are discussed here, along with case studies and contacts.
https://jki.net/
A product of Bergmans Mechatronics LLC, the LabSocket system extends the functionality of LabVIEW applications to the web browser, without the use of browser plugins or requiring developers to write HTML or JavaScript code. LabSocket automatically creates and synchronizes a webpage with a LabVIEW VI front panel, which may be used over the web or entirely within a customer LAN, supporting a wide range of front panel elements. Videos and screenshots are displayed.
http://www.labsocket.com/
LabVIEW Advancted Virtual Architects
LAVA is a user forum for the LabVIEW graphical programming language. Although anyone may view posts in the forum, participation in discussions requires registration and login. Topics include general discussion of the language and IDE, topical discussions related to LabVIEW, and hardware-specific discussions. Other topics cover various resources, such as the Code Repository, the GCentral non-profit initiative, OpenG, and LAVA code published on the LabVIEW Tools Network.
https://lavag.org/
Maintained by LabVIEW users, the LabVIEW MakerHub is a community designed to serve users of LabVIEW. A 45-day evaluation version of the software can be downloaded from the site, which may be upgraded to the LabVIEW Home Edition with purchase of a license. Also available are hardware bundles for BeagleBone Black, Raspberry Pi, and Digilent Physical Computing, with LabVIEW Home preinstalled. A Student Edition is also available, as well as documentation.
https://www.labviewmakerhub.com/
The open-content, collaborative resource is provided by a voluntary association of people and groups working to assemble a common resource of LabVIEW knowledge. While the main focus of the wiki is on LabVIEW, expertise in machine vision, motion control, and embedded system may also be shared here. Featured content is highlighted on one page, while other content may be found through topical categories, alphabetical indices, or keyword search. A glossary is also included.
https://labviewwiki.org/
First created in 2003, Lua for LabVIEW is a toolkit for scripting LabVIEW and for creating scriptable LabVIEW applications. The toolkit embeds the Lua scripting language into LabVIEW, allowing Lua scripts to be run inside the LabVIEW runtime. Custom functions can be called from Lua so that there are no limits to what can be scripted. Highlights and a visual overview are offered, along with a user manual, support data, a client-server manual, and a data logger manual.
http://www.luaforlabview.com/
Offering online, video, and audio training courses in various tech fields, the company’s courses are designed for people seeking further professional recognition and independent certification. Its LabVIEW course allows students to acquire skills and proficiency in LabVIEW, and to earn the certification that documents this. Modes of training include self-paced learning, instructor-led training, or corporate training, each of which is highlighted here, along with its curriculum.
https://mindmajix.com/labview-training
Headquartered in Texas, NI is a multinational company producing automated test equipment and software for virtual instrumentation. The company developed and is responsible for the continued development of LabVIEW, the graphical programming language behind many of its products. Software is at the heart of its business, and LabVIEW is at the center of its software, which includes programming environments, application software, add-ons, and software suites.
http://www.ni.com/
LabVIEW is a development environment for a graphical programming language created by National Instruments. Phidgets with LabVIEW offers full access to the complete Phidget22 API. Downloads of the Phidget LabVIEW library and Windows drivers installers (32-bit or 64-bit) are available, along with installation instructions and example code, with documentation included in the LabVIEW examples in the form of VI trees. Phidgets is also available for other languages.
https://phidgets.com/docs/Language_-_LabVIEW
The Hierarchical Data Format (HDF5) is an open-source, cross-platform, data-storage solution developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications for the storage of scientific data and descriptive meta-data. This project extends the power of HDF5 to LabVIEW, which is useful in several applications. Hosted on SourceForge, it is available as a self-installing package, installable through the VI Package Manager, or directly from the repository.
http://h5labview.sourceforge.net/
