Which programming paradigm to choose for college kids?

[nyc_(is_out_of_here)]

---

Sam_Sharp wrote:

The student edition of LabVIEW is free (for students) and there is quite a lot of hardware available that students can interface with (e.g. myDAQ, myRIO and even things like arduinos). This makes it pretty well suited towards group/individual projects.

---

myDAQ, myRIO are not exactly light on the wallet

$179 for myDAQ

$139 for myRIO starter kit

from Studica.com

Before it sold out, Arduino + LabVIEW was $50 from Sparkfun

Clone Arduino Uno $15 on eBay.

I know which one I would choose.

[Hooovahh]

I'm guessing NI is marketing myRIO as a more feature complete embedded device.  Built in WIFI, USB host for storage, and running real time linux, and an FPGA.  I'm not saying an Arduino isn't a bad starting point, it probably is a great start.  But a myRIO is much more apt to say running a robot competition, or flying a drone, than an Arduino.  There were plenty of classes I took that had books over $100.  These books were never used again, and sold back for a fraction of the cost.  If I had a class that made me buy a myRIO I'd be glad to have something useful to take with me.  I most bought the kit for the micros class I took.  Glad I didn't because the kit wasn't that great, and was for an older micro.

[nyc_(is_out_of_here)]

---

@Hooovahh wrote:

I'm guessing NI is marketing myRIO as a more feature complete embedded device.  Built in WIFI, USB host for storage, and running real time linux, and an FPGA.  I'm not saying an Arduino isn't a bad starting point, it probably is a great start.  But a myRIO is much more apt to say running a robot competition, or flying a drone, than an Arduino.  There were plenty of classes I took that had books over $100.  These books were never used again, and sold back for a fraction of the cost.  If I had a class that made me buy a myRIO I'd be glad to have something useful to take with me.  I most bought the kit for the micros class I took.  Glad I didn't because the kit wasn't that great, and was for an older micro.

---

The key to me is affordability.

It isn't necessary to spend $$$ to get someone interested in electronics.

For what its worth, the Arduino inception was for students.

Though I haven't done it myself, many people use it in robotics.

I prefer a less myopic view about all things NI.

Broaden the horizon.

[Hooovahh]

---

@nyc_(is_out_of_here) wrote:

The key to me is affordability.

It isn't necessary to spend $$$ to get someone interested in electronics.

For what its worth, the Arduino inception was for students.

Though I haven't done it myself, many people use it in robotics.

I prefer a less myopic view about all things NI.

Broaden the horizon. 

---

I'd like to think my horizons are broad, using many non-NI hardware in my career and at home.  But for me to answer what should be recommended I need to know, what is the goal?  Is it to get someone interested in electronics while being affordable?  Or is it to prepare students for and industry of embedded devices?  I'm not saying that if you are going into an industry of embedded devices you will be seeing only NI hardware, or only Arduino hardware.  But my question still stands.  If I'm trying to get a nephew into electronics I'm buying him an Arduino.  But in the workforce I see Arduinos used seldomly.

How often do I use them at work?  Once in 11 years, at three different companies.  Depending on where you work Arduinos are not a desirable product.  It has the power to get some jobs done no doubt, but comes with no real warranty, support, or protection.  Your milage may vary but I don't see many system integrators designing test systems around Arduinos.

But then again core concepts can be learned on either platform, so maybe it is more about what the teacher is more able to teach with.

[nyc_(is_out_of_here)]

The key is to teach concepts not the use a specific hardware.

If I was hiring I would not be so hung up about the hardware used in class, but rather the abilities of the individual.

Those abilities can be nurtured with most available hardware now.

The Arduino is the means to the end. It is merely a tool.