Introducing LabVIEW 2009

[Neil.Pate]

Thanks Thomas, I have joined it.

[Magma]

Any comments on this (from page 10 of the LabVIEW upgrade notes shipped with 2009)?

LabVIEW MathScript Changes

LabVIEW MathScript  is no longer a part of the Full and Professional Development Systems. In LabVIEW 2009, LabVIEW MathScript becomes the LabVIEW MathScript RT Module. You cannot run VIs from previous versions of LabVIEW that contain MathScript Nodes until you install and activate the MathScript RT Module or remove the MathScript Nodes from the VIs.

[tst]

My understanding was that NI wanted to extend what you can do with MathScript and decided to make it into a separate product in order to justify the investment.

I don't use it myself, so I can't give any more details. You should probably call your local office for details.

[Magma]

tst, I'll look into your suggestion. If NI wanted to charge for a newly added subset of real time applications & deterministic functions within MathScript, that would be one thing. But I think deliberately removing backwards compatibility and charging for a module that was formerly included with the developer suite is NOT the way to keep customers happy.

[Ben]

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Magma wrote:
...If NI wanted to charge for a newly added subset of real time applications & deterministic functions within MathScript, that would be one thing. But...

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i believe it is "one thing".

Ben

[AndrewMc]

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@Ben wrote:

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  TDMS ...  "...tested up to 1.2 GB/Seconds." (00:29 / 00:32)

Please tell me that is aggregate otherwise ...

 I assume that you are asking whether this 1.2 GB/s was achieved as total throughput for a large system as opposed to a single channel/device/RAID system(?)  If that is the case, yes; this was achieved using several devices and multiple RAIDs.  

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@Ben wrote:

Note to self: Update File >>> TDMS class afer updating to LV 2009.

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 Note that the LabVIEW 2009 feature here is integration with DAQmx, but DAQmx 9.0 will actually install the Configure Logging VI.

[Jeffrey_P]

Magma,

I'm one of the LabVIEW Product Managers, and am specifically responsible for the new MathScript RT Module.  We invested significant engineering resources into the development of the MathScript technology.  The 2009 release of the MathScript RT Module delivers huge functionality differentiation to the marketplace by allowing users to deploy their custom .m files to all real-time hardware platforms. Previously, this has been a significant challenge for developers working with the .m file format, as deployment to embedded hardware required mutliple steps, code rewrites, and additional compiler/debuggers for the specific hardware platforms. 

Productizing the MathScript technology provided several benefits:

• Separating the MathScript technology from the LabVIEW core platform raises the visibility of MathScript, and the new functionality being delivered with the 2009 release
• Productizing MathScript allows us to recoup a small portion of our investment, allowing us to focus on new opportunities for the technology
• With MathScript as part of LabVIEW, we really had no idea who was using MathScript, or how.  Productizing MathScript gives us an immediate list of users that we can engage for feedback, feature discussions, and roadmap prioritizations.

We realized that many of our existing customers would be put off by this decision, so we implemented a "grandfather" clause of sorts.  Any existing LabVIEW user current on their SSP contract (including single-seat, Developer Suite, or VLA) can "purchase" the new LabVIEW MathScript RT Module for $0.  This purchase will include one year of service, and at the conclusion of that year, you will only be expected to pay the renewal price to stay current with the Module.  As a Developer Suite customer, that renewal price is even lower than with a single-seat contact.  You can contact your local Sales Engineer or call into NI, as the systems are in place to handle this order.

I would also like to emphasize that this is not a trend that is forming with the LabVIEW product.  We are not going to be productizing and removing other features of the LabVIEW Core environment.  This was a one-off decision made with special circumstances.  

Respectfully,

[Magma]

Hi Jeffrey. That is excellent news and reflects a much more customer-centered approach. I have been using LabVIEW together with MATLAB for postprocessing, and had plans to try to implement everything within LabVIEW at a future point. Having VIs using MathScript that would work in 8.6 but not 9.0 was a concern to me and was leading to some second thoughts on my part.

In my initial post I should perhaps have written "If NI wanted to charge SEPARATELY for a newly added subset of real time applications & deterministic functions within MathScript, that would be one thing...".

Mark

[hecmar.arreola]

Thanks to National Instruments and the LabVIEW team for the 2009 release.  It has been the best release since v8.2.  All of the new features I have tried so far work well, and the program run very well.  I'm also happy to see that a lot of bugs have been addressed in this release.

I am a little dissapointed in the direction NI has taken with MathScript.  I understand that the feature has received an "overhaul" of sorts, but from my judgement so have a lot of other features.  What is next on the chopping block to nickel-and-dime loyal NI Suite subscribers?  Are we going to have to buy a module for the event structure next?

I appreciate the $0 cost of the module, today... but my understanding is that the module will only be good for upgrades for a year and then after that there is a risk that a future version of LabVIEW that I get through my NI Suite subscription will force me to purchase a MathScript module.

I'm here to beg NI to consider offering loyal NI Suite subscribers prior to the change in MathScript free upgrades to the module as long as their subscription stays up-to-date and does not expire OR look into making a MathScript LITE feature that is part of the professional developers package.

I rely on MathScript in almost all of my code.  The basic MathScript features are still all that I am using.  I have looked at the "advanced" features that have been added and they are of little value to me because I do not deploy RT systems.

My company is already sensitive to these kinds of subscription based software plans, and I'm already going to have a hard time going up to bat for National Instruments (and myself :P) to keep my company on the subscription service.  It is going to be hard for my company execs to choke down that a feature we have had in the past as part of the subscription service is now going to cost us extra.

[Coq_Rouge]

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Jeffrey P wrote:

We really had no idea who was using MathScript, or how. 

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Perhaps the best thing is not to know sometimes;). I guess this one makes you proud .... And yes it is reported as Rube G code :). From here http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?board.id=170&thread.id=411133