LabVIEW
How to access ISA and PCI based DIO boards in labview 4?
At the risk of sounding a bit off topic----
This post raises a important and often overlooked topic so, I'm going to use the opportunity to post some thoughts here.
Lifecycle planning: We often forget all about it but that's a mistake.
At the outset of a project there are some questions we NEED to ask about the scope of the project.
- What is the service life?
- When will the componenets become obsolete?
By asking these two questions we can frame a maintenance plan for the system. Often the system supports a test that will be obsolete before the components. DVT and FVT Testing of implantable Medical devices is a good example to illustrate this since the devices become obsolete quickly in this highly competitive market. But what happens in slower moving technology sectors?
Lets assume were going to automate a billiard ball manufacturing line. We know that very few things are going to change (maybe we get an improved pigment formulation or pollishing compound every decade or so but that's about it.) But, we still need to turn a system upgrade every 2-5 years to stay ahead of component obsolesence. By doing this we can leverage new technologies that are more effecient, reduce complexity, and improve maintainability. Three arguments that reduce overall maintenance costs.
Support for obsolete equipment become more costly with time and eventually impossible to get- Ask your local antique restorer- Any idea how hard it is to find 1940s vintage vaccuum tubes for radios? Or even Cotton jacketed wire?
Zaib has just learned this the hard way. Hard to find equipment that still must be replaced and hard to find software support that eat into profits by increased down-time and repair costs.
<Rant off>
If Labview 4 has the utility named MAX, you can use this to test your hardware. If it works in MAX it should work in Labview also.
