LabVIEW software, created by National Instruments in the 80’s, can be used with Windows, Mac, Unix, Linux, and other operating systems in many types of applications. This feature makes LabVIEW a versatile software, ideal for users with a variety of requirements. With the use of LabVIEW, users can create industrial equipment and intelligent machines more quickly. National Instrument’s embedded design platform is a combination of a software stack, integrated and easily customized hardware, and an ecosystem of users and IP. NI LabVIEW can also be used to help teach engineering students in the classroom or lab. When students use LabVIEW, they can improve their discovery rates, find answers more quickly, and become more successful.
LabVIEW has numerous modules and different variations available. These include: LabVIEW NXG, SignalExpress, the LabVIEW Real-Time Module, LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control Module, LabVIEW FPGA Module, LabVIEW MathScript RT Module, LabVIEW Control Design and Simulation Module, Vision Development Module, LabVIEW Statechart Module, LabVIEW SoftMotion Module, and the LabVIEW Robotics Module. For example, LabVIEW NXG is well-suited for applications, such as creating production test systems, designing wireless communications systems, confirming or verifying electronic designs, and more.
Additionally, LabVIEW has three editions: LabVIEW Base, LabVIEW Full, and LabVIEW Professional. The LabVIEW Base edition is suggested for desktop measurement applications and comes with device drivers for NI hardware and third-party devices, as well as simple math and signal processing features. The LabVIEW Full Edition is suggested for inline advanced math and signal processing. This edition is necessary for signal processing add-ons and real-time and FPGA hardware. LabVIEW Professional is ideal for applications needing code confirmation. The LabVIEW Professional Edition comes with code and application deployment features, as well as numerous software engineering add-ons. Both the LabVIEW Full and LabVIEW Professional editions support Windows, Max, and Linux. The LabVIEW Base Edition, however, only supports Windows. Every edition of LabVIEW is available in several languages: English, Simplified Chinese, French, Korean, German, and Japanese.
There is also a NI LabVIEW Student Edition, which has the same functionality as the LabVIEW Full Development System. This version, however, comes with LabVIEW MathScript RT and LabVIEW Control Design and Simulation modules. The graphical setup ensures that creating working code will be accomplished swiftly. This software additionally has the capability to link to hardware and other types of applications, such as Microsoft Excel. The LabVIEW Student Edition offers a free trial for six months if students would like to try it out first.
