LabVIEW for Everyone: Graphical Programming Made Easy and Fun (3rd Edition)

In 1983, National Instruments began to search for a way to minimize the time needed to program instrumentation systems. Through this effort, the LabVIEW virtual instrument concept evolvedintuitive front panel user interfaces combined with an innovative block diagram programming methodology to produce an efficient, software-based graphical instrumentation system.

LabVIEW version 1 was released in 1986 on the Macintosh only. Although the Mac was not widely used for measurement and instrumentation applications, its graphical nature best accommodated the LabVIEW technology until the more common operating systems could support it.

By 1990, National Instruments had completely rewritten LabVIEW, combining new software technology with years of customer feedback. More importantly, LabVIEW 2 featured a compiler that made execution speeds of VIs comparable with programs created in the C programming language. The United States Patent Office issued several patents recognizing the innovative LabVIEW technology.

As other graphical operating systems appeared, National Instruments ported the now mature LabVIEW technology to the other platforms: PCs and workstations. In 1992, they introduced LabVIEW for Windows and LabVIEW for Sun based on the new portable architecture.

LabVIEW 3 arrived in 1993 for Macintosh, Windows, and Sun operating systems. LabVIEW 3 programs written on one platform could run on another. This multiplatform compatibility gave users the opportunity to choose the development platform while ensuring that they could run their VIs on other platforms (consider that this was a couple of years before Java was introduced). In 1994, the list of LabVIEW-supported platforms grew to include Windows NT, Power Macs, and HP workstations. 1995 brought about an adaptation to Windows 95.

LabVIEW 4, released in 1996, featured a more customizable development environment so users could create their own workspace to match their industry, experience level, and development habits. In addition, LabVIEW 4 added high-powered editing and debugging tools for advanced instrumentation systems, as well as OLE-based connectivity and distributed execution tools.

LabVIEW 5 and 5.1 (in 1999) continued to improve on the development tool by introducing a built-in web server, a dynamic programming and control framework (VI Server), integration with ActiveX, and easy sharing of data over the Internet with a protocol called DataSocket.^[1] The undo feature taken for granted in most programs finally was implemented.

^[1] The DataSocket protocol has been succeeded by the NI Publish and Subscribe Protocol (NI-PSP). See Chapter 16 for more information about NI-PSP and the DataSocket VIs.

In 2000, LabVIEW 6 (sometimes called 6i) introduced support for the Linux open source operating system. It also introduced a new suite of 3-D controls; appropriately at a time when the computing industry was discovering that style did matter (spearheaded by the introduction of Apple's iMac and G4 cubes). LabVIEW 6 does a very impressive job of providing both an easy and intuitive programming interface (especially for non-programmers), as well as supporting a slew of advanced programming techniques, such as object-oriented development, multithreading, distributed computing, and much more. Don't let the graphical nature of LabVIEW fool you: LabVIEW is a tool that can easily rival C++ or Visual Basic as a development toolwith the benefit, as thousands have discovered, that it's much more fun!

In 2001, LabVIEW 6.1 introduced event-oriented programming, remote web control of LabVIEW, Remote Front Panels, VISA support for communication with infrared devices (IrDA), and other improvements.

Also in 2001, LabVIEW Real-Time (LabVIEW RT) was introduced, allowing VIs developed in LabVIEW to be downloaded to the RT Engine of National Instruments RT Series devices and run in real time. (We will discuss LabVIEW RT more, later in this chapter.)

In 2003, LabVIEW 7.0 (sometimes called 7 Express) introduced several new features for both beginning and advanced users. Most notable are the Express Technologies: a framework of tools designed to get beginning LabVIEW users up and running quickly by providing easily configurable, ready-to-use subVIs and functions. For the advanced user, LabVIEW 7.0 extended the functionality of the event structure to include user-defined events as well as a dynamic event registration frameworkno longer was the event structure bound only to the events on the Front Panel of its containing VI. Other new additions included the Tree Control and the SubPanel, for creating more flexible and powerful user interfaces. And, several editor enhancements like the snap-to-grid, resizing tool, grab-handles, as well as many others made using LabVIEW all the more enjoyable.

Also in 2003, the LabVIEW PDA and LabVIEW FPGA modules were introduced. LabVIEW PDA module allowed creating LabVIEW programs that could run on PalmOS and PocketPC. LabVIEW FPGA allowed creating LabVIEW programs that could run on Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FGPA) of National Instrument's FGPA devices. (We will discuss LabVIEW PDA and LabVIEW FPGA more, later in this chapter.)

In 2004, LabVIEW 7.1 added VISA support for communication with Bluetooth devices, native Radio Buttons control, a Navigation Window, and many other useful features, including the evolution of Express Technologies, such as the Timed Loop that provides precision timing on real-time and FPGA targets as well as synchronization capabilities.

In 2005, LabVIEW 8 introduced the Project Explorer, an IDE-style workspace that allows developers to manage the development of a Virtual Instrumentation system. A LabVIEW project can contain VIs, hardware resources, and configurations, as well as build and deployment rules. LabVIEW 8 also added support for Project Library components, niceties such as right-click menus and drag-and-drop, and custom controls with edit-time behavior.