BreakPoint

cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Your Input Needed: Advanced LabVIEW Sessions at NIWeek 2009

All,

 

 

Even though NIWeek 2009 is months away, we here at NI are already organizing the technical sessions that you'll attend. We are putting a special emphasis on advanced content this year and I want to be sure that we go deep and cover all of your questions on these topics. To do so, I want your input on the following seven advanced technical sessions.

 

 

For the past month I have analyzed previous session attendance, worked with LabVIEW R&D and conferred with the LabVIEW Champions to create the following list of advanced LabVIEW sessions for the "Software Development Techniques" track (This list does not include advanced LabVIEW sessions that may appear in the other tracks). 

- New Advanced Features in LabVIEW Object Oriented Programming


- Advanced Error Handling Techniques


- Enhanced Data Visualization in LabVIEW


- Multicore Design Patterns in LabVIEW


- New Software Engineering Tools for Large LabVIEW Applications


- LabVIEW Team Oriented Development - From Requirements to Deployment


- Best Practices for Memory Management and Optimization of LabVIEW Code

These are the topics that I'm going to make sure are truly advanced (there are 20+ more sessions and I can post that list later on for similar discussion). These advanced topics are fixed, so I want to focus the conversation on these particular sessions, and not what other sessions we should consider for this year (of course we'll take those kinds of suggestions for next year's planning)

 

LabVIEW Nation: what questions do you want answered in these sessions? What concepts would you like to see taken to new technical depths by senior LabVIEW R&D and LabVIEW Champion presenters? What things have you already heard too much about that we should skip over?

 

 

Let the open source session planning begin! Here's to the best advanced sessions ever presented at NIWeek!

 

 

Regards,

Todd

 

ps.  There are a couple other sessions that I can't talk about yet, but they're going to be awesome so you'll just have to wait and see...Smiley Wink

Todd S.
LabVIEW Community Manager
National Instruments
Message 1 of 21
(12,417 Views)

error handling and finding error codes has been long ignored, so I hope somebody has a nice story to tell with a number of tips.

How to add up errors

How to log errors

how to have a non blocking error dialog/message popup

greetings from the Netherlands
0 Kudos
Message 2 of 21
(12,613 Views)

HI Todd,

 

If you want feedback on the session please provide a link to a page that list the sessions and their desciptions.

 

I hit your link and tried to find a list but came up empty.

 

Don't make it so hard.

 

Curious what sessions you are talking about,

 

Ben

Retired Senior Automation Systems Architect with Data Science Automation LabVIEW Champion Knight of NI and Prepper LinkedIn Profile YouTube Channel
0 Kudos
Message 3 of 21
(12,608 Views)

Without looking....

 

In a documnetary on Stephen Hawkin he talk about his book "A History of Space and Time" when his publisher told him that "you will loose half of you readers for every formula you use." If I were able to attend, VI's with express VIs in them would have a similar effect on me.

 

Still wondering what is in those sessions....

 

Ben

Retired Senior Automation Systems Architect with Data Science Automation LabVIEW Champion Knight of NI and Prepper LinkedIn Profile YouTube Channel
Message 4 of 21
(12,607 Views)

For Multicore design, get past the standard 3 ways to parallelize code (inlining, parallel loops, etc.) in the first 5 minutes or less.  We hear those every time there is a presentation on multicore design.  They may be worth mentioning, but don't spend any time discussing them.

 

Bruce

Bruce Ammons
Ammons Engineering
Message 5 of 21
(12,496 Views)

Ben wrote:

 

If you want feedback on the session please provide a link to a page that list the sessions and their desciptions.

 

I hit your link and tried to find a list but came up empty.

 

Don't make it so hard.

 

Curious what sessions you are talking about,

 


The session topics/titles are listed in my original post on this thread.  There is no description yet, I'm hoping that the LabVIEW Nation can define the outline for each session. In case that isn't obvious above, here are the advanced sessions where I want your input.

 

- New Advanced Features in LabVIEW Object Oriented Programming


- Advanced Error Handling Techniques


- Enhanced Data Visualization in LabVIEW


- Multicore Design Patterns in LabVIEW


- New Software Engineering Tools for Large LabVIEW Applications


- LabVIEW Team Oriented Development - From Requirements to Deployment


- Best Practices for Memory Management and Optimization of LabVIEW Code

 

Let me know if that's hard Smiley Wink and how you'd prefer to give feedback.

 


Todd

Todd S.
LabVIEW Community Manager
National Instruments
0 Kudos
Message 6 of 21
(12,408 Views)

So it had nothing to do with the link after all. No woner I could not find them.

 

1)- New Advanced Features in LabVIEW Object Oriented Programming


2)- Advanced Error Handling Techniques


3)- Enhanced Data Visualization in LabVIEW


4)- Multicore Design Patterns in LabVIEW


5)- New Software Engineering Tools for Large LabVIEW Applications


6)- LabVIEW Team Oriented Development - From Requirements to Deployment


7)- Best Practices for Memory Management and Optimization of LabVIEW Code

1)

Covers the implementation and use (both simple and advanced) of the stanard design patterns identified by "the gang of four".

Deploying new objects to an executable with regenerating the exe.

Implentation of Active Objects including minimizing memory foot print as well as invoking methods.

 

2)

Background Error Logger

Stacking errors

Defining User Error codes 

 

3)

This topic would be too simple if the Picture control was not invloved.

Picture format and high-speed updates (Norm can help you with that one).

 

4)

Emhesize design conciderations that apply to single core machines but are extendable to cross network machines

 

5)

This sounds like a sale pitch for Req Gateway and that new tester widget.

What I'd like to attend (but is only a dream) is a demo of the software that implements all of the diagrams and model in UML right down through the contract and SSD (Sytem Sequence Diagrams) that are capable of interacting directly with LVOOP. That would be a tool that would help use the work done rather than managing what got writ and what was left to do. Yes I know its a dream but it would fit that title rather nicely.

 

6)

How to design and break up an app so multiple developers can play together nicely.

Identifying components, defing their requirements.

Integration testing.

 

7)

"Have you ever wondered 'Should I copy one value at a time to avoid crating a buffer...' then this is the seminar for YOU! It teaches you to spot when and where LV creates, uses, and copies buffers as well as "lift the hood" on many other performance related questions. On successful completion of this seminar you will be able to chosse the right data structures at design time that will perform well in your final application.

 

So that my cents worth.

 

What do the rest of your think?

 

Ben

Retired Senior Automation Systems Architect with Data Science Automation LabVIEW Champion Knight of NI and Prepper LinkedIn Profile YouTube Channel
Message 7 of 21
(12,291 Views)

They all sound good. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll be making NIWeek this year.

 


Ben wrote:

What I'd like to attend (but is only a dream) is a demo of the software that implements all of the diagrams and model in UML right down through the contract and SSD (Sytem Sequence Diagrams) that are capable of interacting directly with LVOOP.


Did you look at Endevo's tools (UML modeller and GDS)? They have the ability to translate UML diagrams to LVOOP classes and vice versa and you might find out that they already do almost everything you want.


___________________
Try to take over the world!
0 Kudos
Message 8 of 21
(12,211 Views)

Has anybody at NI ever tried to activate Lab View Professional Developer Suite on a network isolated system over the phone?

 

Has anybody at NI ever had to try to activate all the sub products of the LabView Developer Suite without a network connection?

Does anybody at NI know how long and frustrating this can be?  How many numeric buttons do you have to push on the phone to get all the modules, tool kits, and all the subcompontents of Dev Suite activated.  Then the phone computer responds with even more numbers to write down and then enter into the Licence Mangaler.

 

If one suffers through the process, then imagine how one feels when you happy activation goes away when "Something" changes your computer hardware ID.  Think of the fun one can have when your activation get taken away because you simply add or remove National Instruments product to or from your computer system.

 

How come you loose activation when you switch from AC power to battary power on a LapTop.  Thanks a lot National Instruments. 

 

How come when you take National Instruments PXI Cards out or you Chassis, this breaks your LabView Activation?  Thanks a lot National Instruments.  How come when you add NI PCI or PXI cards, this also breaks your LabView Activation?

 

How come when you add some of the PCI or PXI GPIB cards to your system do you loose your LabView Activation?  Thanks a lot National Instruments.

 

How come when your system goes in to sleep mode or hybernation mode, you loose your LabView Activation?

 

Every upgrade to LabVIEW makes it more painful to activate.

Why not spend some time on making activation reasonable.

Why not send us activation codes for our hardware when you ship our upgrades?

 

I currently have 7 copies of LabView Developer Suite on active support.  More and more often I keep asking myself why.

 

Why not just skip LabVIEW 9.0 or 2009 or whatever it is going to be called, and make some fixes to 8.6.

Why not just spend some time fixing bugs in the current version for the rest of 2009 and all of 2010.

Why not spend some time making sure all the modules and tool kits and LV and CVI and MeasStudio work and play well together?

Were still waiting for a Version of NI-SYNC that will install onto LV8.6.1

 

Anyway, to summarize, NI should itself skip NI week and work on Quality Testing and Customer Apprieciation.

 

Kind of like Apple skipping mac world, but for an entirely different reason.

  

 

Kevin's Disclaimer:  The variation in case usage, while referring to LabVIEW, should not be construed as disrespect, nor should it be interpreted as an indication of Kevin's LabVIEW programming skill or experience or knowlege.

 

0 Kudos
Message 9 of 21
(12,240 Views)

Kevin,

 

Are you aware that you posted in (= hijacked) a thread about "Advanced LabVIEW sessions at NI week 2009", which seems completely unrelated to your post. Please start a new thread instead to keep things logically organized.

 

Since your gripe is about LabVIEW, the LabVIEW forum might be more suitable. The breakpoint is our social forum. 

 

Thanks! 🙂

Message Edited by altenbach on 03-24-2009 05:10 PM
Message 10 of 21
(12,144 Views)

altenbach wrote:

Kevin,

 

Are you aware that you posted in (= hijacked) a thread about "Advanced LabVIEW sessions at NI week 2009", which seems completely unrelated to your post. Please start a new thread instead to keep things logically organized.

 

Since your gripe is about LabVIEW, the LabVIEW forum might be more suitable. The breakpoint is our social forum. 

 

Thanks! 🙂


 
Knight of NI,
Sorry, I did ramble on a wee bit.
However, my post here to the NI week 2009 advanced LabVIEW sessions, I believe, is in fact, highly relevant.  What I have proposed is that National Instruments spend more time on the Quality of LabVIEW with special attention to the offline network isolated activation process.  Whats the point in all this supposed happy times at NI Week if when you get home, you have to spend all your time keeping your LabVIEW activated.  Why should all your projects using LabVIEW suddenly come to a screetching halt simply because you have added a National Instrument card to your PXI system.  You would think that NI would be pleased that we have bought and used one of their hardware products.  But adding NI hardware to an existing computer should not blow away your LabVIEW activation.
So what I am suggesting is that National Instruments should skip NI Week 2009 and work out a better reasonable way to perform offline network isolated activations.  Adding or subtracting NI hardware should not break your LabVIEW activation.  It is especially the National Instruments software developers that should keep focused on Quality of the current 8.6 version.  Lets have them fix the bugs current version.  Lets have them fix the installation compatibility problems between LabVIEW and other NI products before we move on.  We don't need 8.7 or 9.0 until we have a usable 8.6.
Yes, lets all skip NI Week 2009 and focus on LabVIEW quality and a reasonable offline network isolated activation process.  Lets not all pretend that all is well with NI and LV.  I am sure there are others that have had experienced LV incompatibility and activation problems.
Oh my goodness, I have rambled on again.......
Sorry, again from Kevin.
Note:  I currently have 7 copies of LV Dev Suite with tons of toolkits and modules all on current software support and all on isolated networks.  So I have been suffering quite a bit. 
 

 

0 Kudos
Message 11 of 21
(7,940 Views)

Ben wrote:

So it had nothing to do with the link after all. No woner I could not find them.

 

...

 

So that my cents worth.

 

What do the rest of your think?

 

Ben


Ben, as usual, you rock.  Thanks for the input.

 

Todd

Todd S.
LabVIEW Community Manager
National Instruments
0 Kudos
Message 12 of 21
(7,737 Views)

If I hear good feedback on those new sessions then YOU are the rocker.

 

Summarizing my desires for all of those seesions.

 

No sales pitch.

Feed us so full of info we are dizzy at the end of the day (without going on the beer crawl).

 

 

Ben

Retired Senior Automation Systems Architect with Data Science Automation LabVIEW Champion Knight of NI and Prepper LinkedIn Profile YouTube Channel
Message 13 of 21
(7,730 Views)

Ben wrote:

If I hear good feedback on those new sessions then YOU are the rocker.

 

Summarizing my desires for all of those seesions.

 

No sales pitch.

Feed us so full of info we are dizzy at the end of the day (without going on the beer crawl).

 

 

Ben


 
Yes Ben,
Lets hope NI will skip the marketing and sales pitches in the advanced sessions.
If you make it to the advanced sessions, then you don't require any time
spent on sales pitches or marketing or NI Company history lessons.
Kevin.
 
subliminal: I could save the world if I could put a tab inside a cluster. 
 
  

 

0 Kudos
Message 14 of 21
(7,726 Views)

Ben,

 

You might want to skip session 5.  It looks like a marketing session for some of the new toolkits.  I am sure they will show everybody how to use the tools, but that will probably be about it.

 

Bruce

Bruce Ammons
Ammons Engineering
0 Kudos
Message 15 of 21
(7,695 Views)

Bruce Ammons wrote:

Ben,

 

You might want to skip session 5.  It looks like a marketing session for some of the new toolkits.  I am sure they will show everybody how to use the tools, but that will probably be about it.

 

Bruce


I am going to miss this NI Week this year but my feedback is for the benefit of those that do attend.

 

Here is another way of thinking about the session content.

 

I have not had experience with local user groups for LV but I have read about and heard about them. NI will sponsor user group meeting and if nobody local wnat to do a presentation the local NI rep will do one. These are usually pre-wrritein presentations that came down from corporate and have some knowledge content but in the end are sales presentations. Sometimes they even go as far as talking about the pricing!

 

If the local group is active they may have individuals that will provide the entertainment and do their own presentations. Although these can vary in quality I have heard about good ones that where highly praised.

 

So what attendees of NI Week should experience in these advanced seminars is to come out of the sesion asking themselves "Was that an NI Seminar?!"

 

With sesions like those to call apon the local NI reps would be able to do presentations that are high value non-sales pitches so.... these presentations may also help with LabVIEW user groups.

 

And of course people that will be out there slinging wires durring NI week will be able to down load the presentations and share in the fun!

 

Ben

Retired Senior Automation Systems Architect with Data Science Automation LabVIEW Champion Knight of NI and Prepper LinkedIn Profile YouTube Channel
Message 16 of 21
(7,700 Views)

How about Best Practices for Large Scale Distributed Systems.  There are a ton of subtle concepts regarding the use and deployment of shared variables

for distributed systems.  Is it better to use NSV's or the Systems Group concept of the Current Value Table.  Large distributed systems need to be

managed from external databases or spreadsheets that define channel attributes, system constants, etc.  what are some best practices to manage this information

and tools to deploy to RT targets.  What about interprocess communications RT<->RT or RT<->PC.  What is the future roadmap for the scan engine technology?

 

Message 17 of 21
(7,492 Views)

- New Advanced Features in LabVIEW Object Oriented Programming

 As neat as this always sounds, I still haven't had to time to wrap my head around OOP for the types of LabVIEW software projects that I am always working on. This may not be advanced for this area, but I'd like to see examples that actually use LabVIEW the way I do, i.e., acquiring and processing dynamic signals, and presenting results. 

 

- Enhanced Data Visualization in LabVIEW

 Excellent topic. I'd like to see some time spent on usage of non-NI controls and indicators that are open source (ZedGraph, GraphVIZ) in addition to the relatively new work with 3D models.


- Multicore Design Patterns in LabVIEW

 Some focus an efficient methods of scaling the processing for the number of available cores. It's one thing to design for 4 processors, it's another to detect them, and spread out the load on the fly. 

 

- LabVIEW Team Oriented Development - From Requirements to Deployment

 Use of a source code control system (like SVN) and best practices for when to commit (especially when the code is just recompiled without other changes..).


- Best Practices for Memory Management and Optimization of LabVIEW Code

 Point by point processing for minimum memory foot print and scalability; efficient use of disks for storage  and access. Single element queues?

 

Chris

0 Kudos
Message 18 of 21
(7,274 Views)

C. Minnella wrote:

...


- Multicore Design Patterns in LabVIEW

 Some focus an efficient methods of scaling the processing for the number of available cores. It's one thing to design for 4 processors, it's another to detect them, and spread out the load on the fly. 

 

...

Chris


Smiley Wink

 

Ben

Retired Senior Automation Systems Architect with Data Science Automation LabVIEW Champion Knight of NI and Prepper LinkedIn Profile YouTube Channel
Message 19 of 21
(7,231 Views)

The Advanced error handling session is pre-discussed here on LAVA.

 

Felix 

Message 20 of 21
(6,875 Views)

I've also started a thread on LAVA to discuss the "Software Engineering with LabVIEW from Requirements to Deployment" presentation here.

Message 21 of 21
(3,531 Views)