Pick of the Week: LabVIEW 2013 Released

National Instruments (NI; Austin, TX) says that the most recent release of its NI LabVIEW system design software for engineers and scientists integrates the latest and most innovative technologies and reduces design complexity from basic measurements to full test platforms. The company adds that NI LabVIEW 2013 also provides access to an ecosystem of training and partner tools.

NI says that LabVIEW 2013 system design software provides engineers and scientists with access to new technologies as well as to an ecosystem of training and partner tools. Image courtesy of National Instruments.

Key enhancements in NI LabVIEW 2013 reported by the company include native support for the newest hardware from vendors like ARM and Xilinx; enhanced application reliability and quality for complex applications; streamlined deployment technologies; and mobile platform support. The company says “these new capabilities are delivered through the familiar LabVIEW programming paradigm, eliminating developer need for expensive new tool chains or the acquisition of operating system- or hardware-specific training or talent.”

NI LabVIEW 2013’s new native support for ARM and Xilinx hardware provides support for the Xilinx Zynq All Programmable SoC (system on a chip) as well as the dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor used in such high-performance systems as NI’s new CompactRIO cRIO-9068 controller. The controller features the Xilinx Zynq-7020 All Programmable SoC, which combines with the ARM Cortex-A9 processor and Xilinx 7 Series FPGA (field programmable gate array) fabric on a single chip. NI LabVIEW Real-Time graphical system design software uses the NI Linux Real-Time OS on the dual-core ARM Cortex-A9, and provides users with an improved network stack, an improved process scheduler, and an advanced file system with automatic data compression, according to NI.

NI LabVIEW 2013, says National Instruments, integrates the latest and most innovative technologies while reducing design complexity from basic measurements to full test platforms. Image courtesy of National Instruments.

NI reports that LabVIEW 2013’s enhanced application reliability and quality for complex applications comes in the form of a suite of code management, documentation, and review tools. New tools to integrate with a software engineering process, including a new Subversion plugin from Viewpoint Systems, are also available.

New streamlined applications deployment technologies for NI LabVIEW 2013 include Deploy, a setup authoring and application distribution tool from Wirebird Labs. Deploy is described as being designed to showcase users’ LabVIEW applications by creating professional software releases. It offers such capabilities as one-click build and deployment automation; customizable deployment sequences; and the ability to equip applications with automatic updates using a palette API (applications programming interface).

NI also says that it has simplified and expanded access to resources that ensure LabVIEW program developers can take full advantage of a product’s toolset. For example, users with an active service contract can access an expanded library of online training resources that range from the use of real-time targets to programming for FPGAs and object-oriented programming. NI adds that it has combined this training with redesigned application examples and new sample projects to provide programmers a variety of resources to accommodate different learning styles.

LabVIEW 2013 supports the latest version of Android and iOS mobile devices, enabling users to monitor and control LabVIEW applications remotely. Image courtesy of National Instruments.

Mobile platform support in NI LabVIEW 2013 extends to the latest versions of iOS and Android mobile platforms. LabVIEW mobile dashboards let you monitor and control LabVIEW applications from Android tablets as well as iOS tablets. Additionally, users with a subscription to the NI Technical Data Cloud will be able to access data directly from the cloud through their iPad.

NI LabVIEW 2013 also includes more than 100 new features and improvements in the LabVIEW editor. Additionally, NI has introduced an in-product storefront for the LabVIEW Tools Network, a community of LabVIEW software add-ons that the company says recently surpassed 2 million product downloads.

“LabVIEW 2013 exemplifies our commitment to ensuring that engineers and scientists are equipped with the latest technologies while simplifying the complexity of designing a system that uses these advancements,” said Ray Almgren, vice president of marketing at National Instruments in a press statement.

NI LabVIEW runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Pricing for NI LabVIEW 2013 begins at $999 for the base version (Windows only). For more information on NI LabVIEW, go here.

See what’s new in the 2013 release of NI LabVIEW.

Go to the LabVIEW 2013 release details.

See why DE’s editors selected NI LabVIEW 2013 as their Pick of the Week.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.