Where to download LabView 8.0?

[wisc]

We are using LabView 8.0, but we couldn't find the install CD. Is there any place that I can download LabView 8.0? Thank you.

[JÞB]

Call your local NI rep. ( old versions of LabVIEW media really are available that way,  and in no other manner)

Why must you use a 10 year old IDE?  ( Do you use  Windows 3.1?)  The latest NI Drivers will not support that version of LabVIEW.  So, you willl need to work hard to integrate "Legacy" hardware with "modern" methods...

This is a common problem.   Can you explain more?

[wisc]

Jeff, thanks much for the reply.

The reason that we have to stick with LabView 8.0 is because we are using an old cFP 2020, which is not supported by LabView later than 8.5. If we upgrade the LabView to the latest one, then we have to buy a new cFP which is not cheap I think 😞 

[RavensFan]

Rather than acquiring a version as old as 8.0, why don't you get the most recent version that works with that controller which is LV 8.5.1 according to

Recommended LabVIEW Real-Time Versions for Real-Time [c]FieldPoint Controllers,

At least you will be that much more up-to-date for whenever that point of time comes where you will need to replace the controller with a new version.

[wisc]

Thanks, Ravens.

Yes, that will be an option too, probably better idea. But I think I still have to contact loacal NI rep. to get the LV 8.5.1. 

[JÞB]

Ok, I'll say it again. do not do this! The cost of modern hardware is puny next to the cost of developing a system that is obsolete. Any system will become obsolete someday. Buy your boss another 7 years of utility for the effort.

[JÞB]

Ok, I'll say it again. do not do this! The cost of modern hardware is puny next to the cost of developing a system that is obsolete. Any system will become obsolete someday. Buy your boss another 7 years of utility for the effort.

[ErnieH]

I can understand the parts not being made and becoming obsolete, but NI not supporting their own components is ridiculous (you can still buy these!). If they want to play in the industrial market, then they need long life software and hardware support.  What if you have 20 of these systems scattered all over the world? Replace them all just because NI did not create a legacy driver for this part? What is the cost of flying to these locations to update these? Then your manager asks (and rightly so) why you used these parts instead of PLC's? Fortunately for that controller it connects over Ethernet. I have some older setups on a windows 7 XP virtual machine and can modify and reload components like this. You can load old versions of labview with corrupting your current version.

[billko]

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@Jeff Bohrer wrote:
Ok, I'll say it again. do not do this! The cost of modern hardware is puny next to the cost of developing a system that is obsolete. Any system will become obsolete someday. Buy your boss another 7 years of utility for the effort.

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Jeff, I agree with you in principle, however:

Sometimes you are not in control of the resources you have to work with.  If I could sit in with every contract bid, updating to the latest greatest would be the top priority, but ultimately the beancounters make some "curious" decisions, and you get stuck with what they give you.  I have, however warned on several occasions the foolishness of not doing so, and after months spinning our wheels trying to make things compatible, finding legacy drivers and such, they relented and did what we should've done in the first place, and just told the customer this is how it's going to be...

Sometimes, especially if you're a small company, you can't afford new stuff so you have to suffer with outdated equipment.  Maybe your company can't afford to shell out $300k for a new analyzer.  Maybe they can't even afford $1.5k for a new LabVIEW license.  I've worked at companies so small that they get their equipment by going to "going out of business" sales!  😄