Engineering news
Test and measurement equipment supplier National Instruments has revealed the latest version of its software platform and several new pieces of hardware during its annual user conference in Austin, Texas.
LabVIEW 2016, the graphical programming language used in its test and measurement equipment, has received the “channel wire” feature, which National Instruments (NI) said will further simplify programming its equipment and save time.
The company also used the event to launch updated versions of its Vector Signal Transceiver, used in wireless and RF testing; turnkey Hardware in the Loop simulators, which are used to recreate real world testing in the laboratory within the automotive and aerospace sectors, as well as several PXI modules, the firm’s PC-based hardware for its measurement and automation systems.
The channel wire feature for its LabVIEW software was described by NI as a “huge milestone” that will substantially reduce development time. Ajit Gokhale, senior vice president of global marketing for NI, said: “Channel wires make the passing of data between loops very easy. The level of abstraction also benefits new users – its easier to put your thoughts down in code.”
Eric Starkloff, executive vice president of global sales and marketing for NI said that the latest version of LabView is also more stable and reliable than previous versions, a requirement because the tasks engineers are performing with it are more complex. “This is the best version you’ve ever seen,” he said.
The latest version of the software is able to take advantage of more RAM and memory in computers, has 64-bit processor support for more modules and toolkits and can now be integrated with the Python programming language.
NI’s Hardware In the Loop (HIL) simulators are built using the company’s off-the-shelf PXI and CompactRIO hardware platforms. The company said it enables engineers to simulate costly and time-consuming physical tests for embedded systems that use sensors, in real-time, inside laboratories.
Lead HIL customer Saab Aeronautics is using the the HIL test system in the development of its latest Gripen jet fighter in areas such as flight control, engine control, landing gear control, climate control and avionics.
Anders Tunströmer of Saab Aeronautics, said HIL was helping Saab reduce development costs by 20%, despite the latest aircraft being more complex. He said: “The NI HIL test system allowed us to customise the system to our exact needs, increasing the speed at which we could find and fix embedded software defects with our Gripen fighter.”