Terminology » What is LabVIEW : Graphical Programming by NI

What is LabVIEW : Graphical Programming by NI

labview graphical programming data acquisition test automation programming

LabVIEW (Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench) is a graphical programming platform developed by National Instruments for data acquisition, test automation, measurement and control applications. Its visual programming environment enables engineers to develop complex systems efficiently for industrial, scientific and research applications. Instead of lines of text, Labview uses icons and visual representations to create programs. LabVIEW has gained popularity in industry due to its relatively simple and efficient architecture, along with its ability to integrate with C language in the backend.

Here are some key features of LabVIEW:

Support for communication protocols like RS232, RS485, GPIB, VXI, PXI, and plug-in DAQ (Data Acquisition) devices.
TCP/IP networking and ActiveX support.
Ability to create executable applications and shared libraries (e.g., DLLs).
Easy interfacing with RF (Radio Frequency) and other hardware using drivers provided by NI.
Integration with .NET and C languages.
User-friendly GUI (Graphical User Interface) based drag-and-drop programming.

Building Blocks of LabVIEW

LabVIEW programs are built around two main components:

Front Panel: This is the user interface. It provides controls for inputting data, indicators for displaying output, and other visual elements that allow the user to interact with the program and see intermediate results. Think of it as the “face” of your program.
Block Diagram: This is where the actual code resides. It contains icons representing various functions and operations, connected by wires that define the flow of data. It functions like a flowchart that dictates how the program executes.

LabVIEW Resources

Following resources on Labview programming are very useful for beginners.

LabVIEW User Manual

You can download the official LabVIEW user manual from the National Instruments website: https://www.ni.com/pdf/manuals/320999e.pdf

LabVIEW Tutorial

Learn the basics of LabVIEW programming, including data types and example implementations with this tutorial: LabVIEW Programming Basics Tutorial. (Provide link to the tutorial here when available).