Integrating LabVIEW subsystems in a large non-LabVIEW project

[PipT]

I am investigating what methods are being used to integrate LabVIEW
systems as subsystems of large systems. Whenever I talk to NI
engineers they can tell me all about how you can use this or that non-
LabVIEW software from LabVIEW but never the other way round. Obviously
it is in NI's interest to present a LabVIEW-centric viewpoint.

So I'm looking for options that allow integration of existing VIs to
be used as subsystems
of an open standards based distributed object system. Sorry, at these
stage I can't be specific
about what these open-standards might be - it could be CORBA, but may
well not be. It will
not be .NET (not open enough).

The obvious solution is "TCP/IP sockets". Which is a good start, at
the protocol level, but doesn't give you much more than a data
transport mechanism between subsystems.

I am aware of a Lockheed product that implements CORBA interfaces in
LabVIEW, which
may be useful, but looks proprietary.

For example: can one invoke a VI directly from a non-LabVIEW system? I
assume
the VI Server protocol implemented by NI is closed and proprietary?

I have looked at the LabVIEW DSC Module, which is sort of interesting
as a SCADA type solution and provides a disributed database, but again
doesn't look easy to integrate
alongside other systems.

Any thoughts gratefully received,

Philip

[LabViewGuruWannabe]

Howdy,

Are you asking if there is a way to run LabVIEW code (the actual graphical code) from another programming language? Would that be similar to running Visual Basic code from within a C++ program? If that's what you mean, then I don't think there is a direct method, but someone else may correct me. While LabVIEW is capable of handling direct code (using a MathScript or Formula Node) that is similar to Matlab or C, I don't know of a way to import graphical code directly into some other language.

LabVIEW is a programming language, just like C/C++, Visual Basic, Java, Fortran, Cobol, QBasic, etc. As far as I know, with a few execptions, one cannot copy and paste LabVIEW into another language's programming environment.

That being said, one can cartainly create stand-alone executables, library files or even .dll's with LabVIEW that could be called by another language. Do a search on "shared libraries" for more information on that.

Sorry if that doesn't help.

B-)