LabVIEW
refresher training needed
I would have to say. So many changes have been made that you should not even trust fundimentals. Llbs are passe, projects and classes exist. The examples have been completely reworked and even the icon editor changed. Several new datatypes and whole new structures exist!
Core 1&2 would be a good place to start. The forums can be a great resource. Mentoring under a certified LabVIEW Consultant is a great option too
2004 huh? Well event structures are a lot better with more event types for various controls allowing for more flexible UI and UX design, oh and mouse scrolling events. Resizing UI's are still a pain with panes (nothing new to learn there). Dynamic event registration, and custom user events are a thing with an event viewer window that can debug events. Its like combining a queue with an event structure. This can make for great publisher/subscriber designs.
LabVIEW scripting is a thing with code that writes or edits code. There's an official right click framework, QuickDrop is real and awesome for finding functions that you don't feel like digging into the palette for, and QuickDrop functions like insert, replace, remove all make life much easier.
What about how VITs are out and the new hotness is static VI references for doing asynchronous VI running and plugin architectures.
Native recursion is real and works but while loop recursion is still preferred for me.
VIPM is the packager tool that is installed with LabVIEW now. The best and easiest way to get OpenG, MGI, or create your own repository.
Classes and Libraries make for more structured code, especially if you really drink the kool-aid and go all in with levels of inheritance, dynamic dispatch, overrides, etc.
What about the the experimental stuff like XNodes and VIMs?
Report generation, database editing, and VI Analyzer are included with several LabVIEW releases now which is nice.
Not sure if XControls were around in 2004 but they are still there...and shouldn't really be used.
Network shared variables, and network streams work pretty well for cross network communication, among a few other native solutions.
DAQmx is standard now (was TDAQ on the way out in 2004?). It is a pretty well made API that gets a lot done with just a handful of functions.
For the CAN bus the XNet API is fantastic and deprecates the NI-CAN and NI-LIN APIs.
FPGA and RT (among other targets) have much more support and are done through the project. Deploying to Arduinos and Pis are somewhat possible through 3rd party or free for non-commercial use.
VIs that can be interacted through a smart phone using a browser is a popular thing with almost a dozen ways to accomplish it. (none really works perfect yet) These usually use websockets.
64 bit LabVIEW is possible on all 3 major platforms, but most people don't because not all toolkits support it yet.
TestStand was a thing back then but is a million times better (not sure they had undo back then).
VeriStand exists for doing some basic RT and HIL like work but honestly I'm not a fan.
There is the Idea Exchange for suggesting new features or tracking the popularity of other suggestions.
Oh yes the Channel Wires, wires that don't obey data flow. They can do great things but have only been official since 2016.
LAVA is still around for all of your non-NI community needs.
The main designs still used are Queued State Machines (QMH) based on an array of strings or an array of enums, but larger designs use the NI Actor Framework, or another parallel actor like design.
There's probably lots more that has changed but this list is already too long.
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As for training, nothing beats in person so I'd talk to your local NI sales rep to try to figure out if any classes are coming up. In the mean time there is free training links below, the best I've found is the self paced online training which is free with your SSP (1 year of SSP is included with new purchase of LabVIEW)
Learn NI Training Resource Videos
6 Hour LabVIEW Introduction
Self Paced training for students
Self Paced training beginner to advanced, SSP Required
Ready to explode yet? Here's a wafer thin mint (or three).
Conditional tunnels to make building arrays in a loop much easier - as well as more efficient.
Linked input tunnels on your case structures auto-wires all the pass-through wires in all cases in your case structure - where they are needed.
Subdiagram labels make it so easy to document your structures that there's no longer any excuse not to.
@billko wrote:
Conditional tunnels to make building arrays in a loop much easier - as well as more efficient.
Oh and concatenating tunnels, and conditional concatenating tunnels.
For loops that end on a condition.
Conditional disable diagram, and disable diagram (like commenting out code).
Timed loops, great for RT less useful on Windows.
TDMS file format, and the built in DAQmx streaming to TDMS.
Native zip.
To/From JSON.
