LV or Excel? which one is better?

[michenglaoxu]

I am recently working on a data acquisition and control project.

The problem is that we are now at the design stage, my boss prefer to use Excel to implement it.  but the base level still use LV function.

Then, Excel call LV Dll.  Thus, looks excel only works as GUI.

I know LV is definitely better than Excel either on GUI design or data control. However, I try to convince him to use LV, seems not successful. any suggestions?

[Dennis_Knutson]

You could try telling him that LabVIEW is a programming language for engineers and scientists but Excel is a tool for accountants.

If your manager isn't an engineer or scientist, then that probably won't work. So, tell him Excel is just adding additional overhead to the whole process by having Excel call and external dll written in LabVIEW. Mention that Excel has some pretty severe limitations on how much data it can display (I think it's still something like 64,000 rows). Mention that LabVIEW has a much better selection of analysis tools (i.e. the filters, windows, mathscript). Mention that creating a GUI in Excel is more time consuming than in LabVIEW.

[michenglaoxu]

Thanks.  

The point is that I already developped some LV data acquisition dlls and also excel VBA functions which call these dlls.  These make boss believe it is easy to do GUI in excel.  However, as engineer, we know the complexity from GUI to real control.  There are many issues hidden behind the curtain. anyway, either he changes his mind or I change my mind. 🙂   Life is not easy!

If I am boss, someone tell me to use C++ instead of LV for DAQ system,  guess what I do, either let him learn LV or let him go.

[GuenterMueller]

Yes, Dennis, you are right.
I am frequently suffering from Excel rejecting more than x rows (with x being close to 65000). 
And best of all: I got in touch with Excel 4.0 in 93 - and the exact same limitation is still state of the art. I really cannot understand this.

For an enginnering task like this you are better off using LabVIEW.
Regards, Guenter

[Joe_H]

I would change his mind for him and just do it in LV and save myself over half of the time. Not only that but I recall some severe limitations using VBA to call LV functions. Also tell him that the code will be easier for your replacement to learn, because you are leaving because he is an idiot and you do not work for people that are not as smart as you are.

Message Edited by Jhoskins on 03-12-2007 06:30 PM

[Ben]

I have a customer that originally tried to implement his application in Excel. It would run for a while and then just hang up.

He contracted with me to develop his application in LV. Many copies of it have been running for years now 24 X 7.

I also believe the new version of Excel that is targeted for Vista is supposed to handle more rows and columns.

Ben