LabView

If you're going to find yourself working in a research or test lab any time in the future, spend a few days or weeks exploring the LabView program from National Instruments. I have had the pleasure of working with it for over two years now and I think it's a great user friendly programming environment. I have just upgraded to LabView 8.5 and the new utilities are awesome.

Instead of line-by line program entries, you use "G" programming or graphical representations of program instructions. You can control instruments and analyze data from just about any piece of equipment that can be connected to a PC. It runs on a variety of platforms including Windows, PDAs, Mac OS, and Linux. You can custom design your reports and can export data and spreadsheet information to programs such as Excel and Microsoft Access.

Programming can also be done to create virtual instruments to simulate real instrument I/O. For R&D applications it's a must. You also have remote access capabilities so you can operate your test from home over the Internet. This may sound like a sales pitch, but this stuff really works!

Some of the functions of this program include measuring pressure, strain, temperature, displacement, PH, and more. You can design programs using logic levels for digital circuits or design popular control panels with displays for user inputs. In the R&D environment it's useful for conceptual designs, to prove they work or they don't. This can be a great cost saving measure by reducing wasted prototype materials.

At this time, I am in the process of automating several repetitive tests we run on a variety of test measurement equipment. LabView can control each test bed with a minimum of operator intervention and even send me an e-mail when it's complete. This keeps me available for other tasks instead of sitting and waiting for a lengthy test process to run.

Since we are a test lab for gaming jurisdictions in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and other countries, LabView will give us the opportunity to automate tests and produce professional looking reports for each machine. These can then be linked to our Website and viewed by any department withing IGT. This will all but eliminate the tons of paper reports we generate and distribute each year. When we receive certification from Underwriters Laboratory to test to their standards and self-certify our machines, LabView will be an important part of the entire safety testing process.

If this program is something you might want to view, you can download an evaluation copy for a 30 day trial at the National Instruments Website ni.com.