Want to learn Raspberry Pi?

Also, I want to make this distinction to better answer a concern posed by @wandrson. LabVIEWmakerhub is intended to do only one thing: get your embedded device connected so you can use LabVIEW for development.

To find existing codebases for other tasks gets broken down per device and per function. Much of it can be accessed by utilizing VI Package Manager or NI Package Manager (the first one, created and populated by the works of engineers outside of NI has MUCH more available code). The second one is where NI got jealous and tried to copycat.

Additional code, for doing things that might otherwise be difficult to figure out how to do in LabVIEW, can be found by google searches including the word labview then a concise description of what you want to make happen.

This is probably my most knowledge laden post by me ever on DMS forums. Most things that I do in electronics that require software support are either coded personally, and wherever possible, derived by the sentences above.

So it does not surprise me that a search on labviewmakerhub returned little. A better name would be labviewconnecttoembeddedhub.

@wandrson

Here is more information for you:

I can understand the mindset that LabVIEW is for exclusive use in instrumentation settings only because that is where you are aware that you have seen it. But being a LabVIEW programmer, let me tell you about some other places I have seen it:

Security systems with cameras for facilities
Biometrics collections and analysis such as DNA and fingerprinting
Satellite systems
Movie sets and props
Product test systems use the heck out of LabVIEW
Electronics fab systems
CNC/wood/3d print machines
Systems for testing websites
Systems for testing games
Database manipulation for days (i have done no small number of SQL calls personally in my programs)
I have a browser I wrote in LabVIEW
I donā€™t have anything simple for grandma, and have found her completely disinterested anyhow
The email programs are out there and are especially good for automation of email items, look it up
I utilized labview to learn linux/unix commands by having my environment automatically generate them with GUI interface.
It wasnā€™t a kiosk, but i had to create database driven ATM machine in 4 hours for LabVIEW certification
Creating a cheap computer requires HW and SW, Labview is merely software so impossible. But you could just use RPi 3 for $30 from microcenter.
This list is endless so Iā€™ll quit typing on itā€¦

1 in 200 programs on earth are LabVIEW programs. There are over 1 million labview programmers on 3rd rock from sun.

All of the items except making things easy for grandma are arguments FOR LabVIEW, not against. And I wish I could help granny, but seriously Iā€™ve tried and she just wonā€™t listen. I do, however, wonder what the agenda is here.

As for the hammer argument, I have been programming for 35 years. I have not once elected to use something other than LabVIEW except in cases where size and efficiency of result, or ease of deployment mattered. I program in a host of languages including hardware description languages and simulation languages on top of high level and low level languages. So this notion that I elect the hammer everytime is true, but its because the hammer is more effective usually, and more things are in fact nails than you realize. Meanwhile, i would be very interested to hear the basis you have for any assertion about my lacking in programming knowledge. Spoken in all honesty, I think you are aware that there is no shortage of PC and electronics skill on my end, and although I probably could, am not attacking yours. So lets stick to the business of determining path forward, and avoid any frustrated attempts at belittling anyone.

Apparently not. <!qeworfg>

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As you can see, not found.

James,

You are intentionally not addressing the issues where I responded to your off topic post about ā€˜LEARNING RASPBERRY PIā€™. You have yet to provide a single actual example of LABVIEW implementations of just three of the multitude of possibilities that the Raspberry Pi is capable of. The Pi is an actual computer, and a fairly powerful one, not a data acquisition board. Just like you use non lab view software on your laptop, the PI uses many pieces of software. Email Applications, Web Browsers, Web Servers, Database Management Systems, etc. The above tutorials are a good place to start to learn how to use these powerful little computers.

As far as learning to program, there is a reason that there isnā€™t a single learn to program, programming 101 type class in the US University System that uses Labview as the introductory language. It is a niche language for a specific class of problems. In this little debate I have learned why you can ā€˜access a databaseā€™ with your labview and I canā€™t. It isnā€™t available in the home or student editions. It is either an add on ($1000) or part of the ā€˜PROā€™ package which costs most people thousands of dollars annually.

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Python!

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Python with the NI Visa layer.

I was using the PyVISA-py backend which uses only open source Python and no NI code.

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Really? Wasnā€™t aware that was possible. Thanks for the heads up.

Sadly the Virtual Bench only uses a DLL (Windows) for communication. Virtual Bench does not use the old SCPI commands commonly sent via the VISA / GPIB layers. Thus going the all open source route on a linux machine will not work for Virtual Bench. (Unless something has changed).

One should be able to, however, use Python on a Windows machine in conjunction with the DLL and have the Virtual Bench perform cartwheels in the lab (https://www.google.com/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=python+and+virtual+bench&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8).

And even though threads seemingly rarely get back on topic, I found the the link in the very first post of this thread to be VERY timely and useful.

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@wandrson

Iā€™d love to tell you I know all of everything NI, but the reality is that it is a huge company and there are a million LV programmers on earth, each with their own special niches.

All I am trying to point out here is that DMS should not overlook this powerful software choice which personally leads my list of development environments when available.

You guys are finding out stuff that is new to me, and I recommend proceeding down that path. I am in no way putting down any other environment, only trying to advise that I have been everything but disappointed in the options LabVIEW programming has made available to me. Its good to be a part of the LabVIEW crew.

@wanderson

I also wanted to speak to your concern about accessing databases. You absolutely can access databases without the database connectivity toolkit. And while database access is easier with the toolkit, it can still be done otherwise, and done quite well, depending on how much time you care to dedicate to the task.

Its a lot like the report generation toolkit. The report generation toolkit contains a lot of useful templates already created for reporting in various formats, docx, xml, xlsx, etc. However, you can do reporting creating your own template without the toolkit.

These toolkits have come into existence based on the idea that usually LabVIEW programming is done by a hired hand or consultant, such as myself. These consultants are expensive in terms of hourly rate, and so the cost of toolkit vs many hours of consulting rate to format your own is really the question.

Another great example is TestStand, which I personally recommend anyone doing test sequencing to purchase. Yes, I can and have written my own sequencers for testing, but the package is a grand or two and makes your sequences such that they jive with all of the other test sequencing in the test industry. Nevermind that all of the debugging and headaches I have to sort through to employ a custom sequencer will run up a billing rate far exceeding the cost of TestStand, but keeping your development on the ā€˜beaten pathā€™ is highly advisable since a developer can leverage most if not all of the parts and pieces needed. Venture out on your own, yes you can think you are saving somethinig, but in all honesty, you will pay a lot more in development being out there all on your own.

And I would also like to speak to the concept of LabVIEW being only for a niche market. Sure, I can go for that. That niche market is computerized measurement and automation, which is not such a small niche. In fact, all tech businesses do this to varying degrees, and NI has become THE name in this area. As stated before 1 in 200 programs written on planet earth are LabVIEW programs, with LabVIEW programmers numbering over 1 million worldwide. I have noticed acceptance of this programming style to be well accepted in the product test and development world, computerized instrumentation markets, and prototyping world (my interest at DMS). Since I can do rapid development/rapid deployment in this language, its a great choice to start out most designs. Once volumes begin to ramp and cost savings becomes important, it makes sense to perahps look at converting the tried an tested code into firmware that can run on smaller, cheaper architectures. But no point in paying this engineering cost until it becomes clear it is warranted.

Anyhow, I hope this helps makes it clear why I keep hammering LabVIEW at all these possible nails. Its quick, its easy, its cheap in terms of up front development time. But this in no way discounts the use of other languages, each of which have their respective places in our growing tech capabilities palette.