Considering the 4 hour CLD/CLA exam achievement and fulltime job.
Considering that during the CLD exam a programmer programs a small/medium application in 4 hours.
And a CLA architects a large application in the same time.
I understand that the pressure at one of these exams is about 250%.
During your job you would take more time to develop the same application,
because you cannot be at 250% all the time and you want to minimize errors.
I also know that a lot of time is used to get the specifications, talk to the client and make
a document that would be the equivalent to the exam paper.
What does a LabVIEW programmer do in a 40 hour work week, considering the exam is only 4?
I'm a CLD. Looking to get my CLA, but I have no colleagues who use LabVIEW and no peer-review.
I need information.
Thank you and kudos will be given.
The Enrichment Center is required to remind you that you will be baked, and then there will be cake.
Rodéric wrote:
This is a difficult question to answer since most CLAs are project managers so they don't code most of the time. I'm pretty sure if a CLA could code 40 hours that would be way more complete than a CLA test
I have to disagree there. Most of the CLAs I met are coding a large majority of their time. I'm a full-time LabVIEW programmer. I also have to manage some programs, but coding is the large majority of my time.
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Hi,
I wanted to bring up this topic for those who are preparing for taking the CLD.
As you know there is a four hour limit for taking the exam. While preparing for the exam, using all the materials, webcast, and the certification discussion board, it is important ... , no critical, to clear your schedule and time yourself for a four hour exam. Twice.
Many developers get caught in the time crunch, both in their daily activities and in the test. Putting yourself in the position of having to face a hard deadline for completing the exam is a great wake up call. You don't want that call to be during the actual exam.
Timing your practice exams is a great way to experience the psychological pressures you will face during the four hours.
There is a wide spectrum of programmers that take the CLD, experienced pros, those who use it once or twice a week at work, advanced beginners, and all other experience levels. Preparing with a strict time limit gives all the broad spectrum of candidates the opportunity to see where their personal methods support or hinder the effort to complete in four hours.
In general, take no more than thirty minutes to read the specification, understand the specification, and plan your design.
Again, generally speaking, the last thirty minutes should not be used as a "last ditch" effort to start a new piece of functionality or race to a last minute addition. If a bug is introduced in this last half hour, the damage done to overall functionality could be much worse than the potential gain. One good use of the last thirty minutes is to continue testing integrated modules/SubVI's, to fix small discrepancies , to make one more verification that what you have already programmed is working correctly. One of my clients used to tell me "test, test, Test !"
Of course, it is impossible to give directions that will meet all individual methods. This is why taking a practice exam under strict time limits is a HUGE suggested best practice. You get to see first hand how your strategies and test taking methods fit the four hour time limit. You can plan and prepare your solution and methods, but until you time it firsthand, you are only measuring your knowledge of the methods. In most cases, nothing teaches faster than timing your sample exam and learning from your own mistakes.
If you are struggling with both implementation and timing, complete one practice exam without time, then take it again , timed, with just three and a half hours limit as you already know the specification.
One time saver is to document and label as you program. While you are in a section of code, document what that case, SubVI, or algorithm is doing. Right at the point of conception it is easy to jot down a one line description. Waiting until the end and then documenting all the work you have done is not as efficient as documenting "in the moment". You might be testing in the last thirty minutes and run out of time to document the complete application. Also, when you are working with already documented code, you are giving yourself a road map as you integrate modules or add functionality to the application. Try this while you are taking the practice exam.
I hope you find this advice helpful and something to think about, but more importantly I hope I have convinced you to take some practice exams with strict time limits. Although I have touched on a few topics, the focus here is to promote the timing your CLD practice exams in preparing for the CLD.
Mark Ramsdale
Project Manager and CLD
Customer Certification and Training at National InstrumentsJeff·Þ·Bohrer wrote:
RDarn the mobile interface.
Tim, I hear you. What do you consider to be a "normal project"?
PS My CLD-R is at 8:00am tomorrow.
"Normal" = project for actual work
Good luck starting in about 13 minutes!
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How do I copy my video files from iPhoto to iMovie? The two + hour wait for thumb nails and hour long wait looking for the right videos kills the time I have to edit.
You need to convert the VOB files in the TS-Folder of the DVD back to DV which iMovie is designed to handle. For that you need mpegStreamclip:
http://www.squared5.com/svideo/mpeg-streamclip-mac.html
which is free, but you must also have the Apple mpeg2 plugin :
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/mpeg2/
(unless you are running Lion in which case see below))
which is a mere $20.
Another possibility is to use DVDxDV:
http://www.dvdxdv.com/NewFolderLookSite/Products/DVDxDV.overview.htm
which costs $25.
For the benefit of others who may read this thread:
Obviously the foregoing only applies to DVDs you have made yourself, or other home-made DVDs that have been given to you. It will NOT work on copy-protected commercial DVDs, which in any case would be illegal.
If you are running Lion:
From the MPEG Streamclip homepage
The installer of the MPEG-2 Playback Component may refuse to install the component in Lion. Apple states the component is unnecessary in Lion, however MPEG Streamclip still needs it.
To install the component in Lion, please download MPEG Streamclip 1.9.3b7 beta above; inside the disk image you will find the Utility MPEG2 Component Lion: use it to install the MPEG-2 Playback Component in Lion. The original installer's disk image (QuickTimeMPEG2.dmg) is required.
The current versions of MPEG Streamclip cannot take advantage of the built-in MPEG-2 functionality of Lion. For MPEG-2 files you still need to install the QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component, which is not preinstalled in Lion. You don't have to install QuickTime 7. -
Finished taking Sprinkler CLD Practice Exam
I am planning on taking my CLD this coming week, and just finished taking this practice exam. Since I studied the car wash and ATM solutions I decided to go for the Sprinkler practie exam. The "Sprinkler CLD.zip" file is the results of 4 dedicated hours of my Saturday.
I ran the VI analyzer on all VIs and CTLs and I'm not impressed with myself. Could somebody tell me how they think I would score?
I looked at the solution for the Sprinkler.vi and it's clear that my approach is nothing like the solution from NI. This could be a good or a very bad thing.
It appears quick comments could mean alot if the graders depend heavily on the VI Analyzer. It appears that I should have at least two comments in each VI, and not only have the documentation section filled in the VI but the same for controls.
It's clear that I missed some wires when I resized my case select boxes.
After finishing the exam and then looking back i see there is a possible lock out condition on initialization that would prevent the VI from reading the CSV file. I shouldn't have created a "READ CSV" State. If i would have placed the "READ CSV FILE" inside the "Power Up Configuration" state there would be no issues. I should have restarted labview in my last hour. If the VI starts up with the Water Pressure above 50% and No Rain then the CSV file is read and there is no problem. This would have been an obvious mistake had I restarted labview.
I realize that I missed some of the specifications. For example if it starts raining during a sequence it is suppose to restart the sequence, not pause it.
There are few comments in the code. I usually add many comments to my code, but this is my first time using a simple state engine.
At work I have a large infrastructure already in place complete with error handling and task management. I am also use to working on multiple monitors. During the test I only used one. Even if I didn’t pass this practice exam at least having a dry run outside my normal work condition was very good practice.
I spent time practicing earlier and can build the Timer.VI in about 8 minutes. A functional global timer seems to be a common theme in the practice exams.
Does anybody have any ideas or suggestions?
Do you think I would have passed the CLD exam with this test?
Comments?
Regards,
Attachments:
VI Analyzer Results.zip 4 KB
Sprinkler CLD.zip 377 KBThere are a lot of good things in your code, you are nearly there. I haven't run your code, so this is more style and documentation comments.
If I were you, I would concentrate on the following:
Wire Error through all your subVI's put your subvi code in an error/no error case structure. If you had done that, you didn't need the flat sequence structure in your code.
You haven't even wired error to the subvi's with error terminals, this will cost you points.
Label any constants on the block diagram.
Brief description of Algorithm on each VI block diagram.
You could have avoided using local variables, for example Run Selector as this control is available in the cluster. So just a unbundle by name would have given you the value of that control. If you do use them, then make sure you state why (for example efficiency etc.) in a block diagram comment.
Some subVis are missing VI documentation, this wont be taken lightly.
Using default value when unwired (for your while loop stop) is not recommended. This was specifically discussed during a CLD preparation class I attended not so long ago.
While icons are pretty, I wouldn't waste time trying to find glyphs for your subvi's just consistent text based icon scheme is perfectly acceptable. You can do this if you do have extra time, it wont fetch your extra points though.
LabVIEW 2012 has sub diagram labels, you can enable this by default in Tools>>Options, adding comments in each of the cases is recommended.
The main thing is time management and make sure you read other posts/blogs on CLD. I would also recommend quick drop, if you haven't started using this it may not be a good idea to do so now for your exam next week. But in general it is very useful and saves time.
Hope this helps.
Beginner? Try LabVIEW Basics
Sharing bits of code? Try Snippets or LAVA Code Capture Tool
Have you tried Quick Drop?, Visit QD Community. -
CLD Preparation Example Exams ATM and Boiler
Hello all,
I am preparing for the CLD exam and would appreciate somebody's feedback regarding my CLD test readyness. Before I move on to the other two examples, I would like to know where I stand and required areas of improvement.
I would greatly appreciate your time and help reviewing the two attached sample exams (ATM and Boiler) and providing feedback. Thank very much.
Best regards,
Peter
Solved!
Go to Solution.
Attachments:
Boiler Example Test.zip 103 KB
ATM Sample Exam.zip 83 KBThank you, Allen, for your feedback. I appreciate it.
Sorry about the missing main vi in the ATM zip file. I attach it again to this message.
I see your point regarding the Boiler Simulation Controls being outside the loop and event structure. This was an oversight on my part and clearly this would not work as intended.
I have a question regarding your comment on the lock up, and considering the fact that one may not be able to complete the application in the allotted time. Would you consider it more important spending time on debugging and documenting the existing fragment and ensuring that what is there works as intended and is properly documented, or try to finish the application as much as possible knowing that it will require debugging. I was given other advice that I should not loose myself in debugging at the expense of not finishing the application.
Thank you again for taking a quick look at my boiler solution earlier despite your limited availability. I appreciate it.
Peter
Attachments:
ATM Sample Exam.zip 131 KB -
Practice CLD-R Exam 1, Question 24 symbol?
I am cramming for the CLD-R. What is the little peace-sign looking symbol? It is from the sample CLD-R Exam 1, question 24.
Thank you!
Certified LabVIEW Developer
NI-VLM Administrator
Solved!
Go to Solution.JulieC wrote:
I am the World's Most Interesting LabVIEW Programmer, after all.
Whoa...are you coming to NI Week? If so, you gotta come see my Tips and Tricks to Speed LabVIEW Development presentation...if nothing else, just to see the pop culture reference on my opening slide. Seriously, you quoted my as-yet-unreleased-to-the-public intro slide almost verbatim.
Darren Nattinger, CLA
LabVIEW Artisan and Nugget Penman -
Does NI post solutions to CLD sample exams?
Does NI post solutions to CLD sample exams?
Thanks in advance.There's solutions in the CLD sample exams zip file found here and there's a sample solution for the CLA exam.
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Hello,
I am trying a somehow different architecture from what I am used to with the CLD ATM practice exam and I would appreciate any feedback. I am still hesitant about the "double queued message".
I'll appreciate your comments.
Regards.
Attachments:
ATM Simulator.zip 259 KBChristian_M wrote:
I got the ATM in CLD Exam.
I think the code you posted is very good, but it is simply too much for CLD.
Don't try to create super-special-awesome architectures, instead use simple ones, e.g. I just used a statemachine which fullfills all the needs of the ATM. Keep in mind you only have four hours and with some exams you have lots of text to implement. More complex architectures are more difficulte do debug and there is not really time to debug.
So keep it simple!
Christian
Thank you Christian. Just yesterday I reworked this example using a simple state machine. Unlike with the architecture I posted here, with the simple state machine I had plenty of time to debug and test. So, you are probably right about keeping it simple. I guess I need to remember that the the CLD is a test and not a product to deliver to a client. -
Could anyone offer up suggestions to better the code? I probably spent too much time getting it to work because when I stopped at four hours I realized I hadn't done half the commenting I wanted too.
Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.
-Ian
Attachments:
CLD Exam - Car Wash.zip 97 KB-Put a description of your top-level VI under VI Properties/Documentation. An over-all description of what the program does.
-Use wire labels where appropriate (such as your shift registers).
-I would use some sort of error handling and make sure all your property nodes are wired through with the error clusters. This will also help with flow control since most of your property nodes are not wired to anything.
-Mark is correct in using the Use Default if Unwired on the tunnels. Although this is programmatically correct, I avoid using this just for the sake of clarity on what the default value is. Wire a default constant to these. The reason you may get dinged is it's not self-documenting.
-Your shift registers are uninitialized in your main loop. Was this your intention?
-In SetAllIndicatorsOff.VI there is no need for the Array Size function. You can use auto-indexing on your For loop. Or you can input your cluster and cycle through your cluster elements inside the For loop which will eliminate the need for the cluster to array function.
-In StationStepper.VI, your inner case structure does nothing.
-In DefaultWash.VI, the operation does not seem to agree with the documentation. The High Pressure Wash is enabled regardless of which wash setting is selected.
-In NeedStationOne.VI, like the unwired default for tunnels, wire constants to the index array function. Necessary? No, but it's easier to see what the default settings are for the function, in this case 0 and 1; although your description of the VI mentions nothing about these selections (Under Body Wash and Bug Remover).
-In TimeElapsed.VI, position your controls and indicators on the FP in the order they appear on the connector pane. This makes it easier to follow with the context help. Unless you're opening this VI during run, you don't have to worry about the look and feel of the FP. You could make this VI simpler by using an FGV.
-Editne last thought, make sure you create a project from the start.
All together your programming style is clean and well documented. I would definetly concentrate more on getting the documentation down right than proper operation, and as Mark stated, check your spelling. It makes it harder to understand what your intentions are.
Reese, (former CLAD, future CLD)
Some people call me the Space Cowboy!
Some call me the gangster of love.
Some people call me MoReese!
...I'm right here baby, right here, right here, right here at home -
My Solution for CLD Sample Exam (Traffic Light)
Hi there folks,
I was just preparing for my CLD exam and was going through the sample exam provided on ni.com.
I wanted to get any feedback for my solution. I looked at the solution and it seemed way to complex
to achieve a simple task! Then again, I am still learning.
ThanX in advance.
Attachments:
Traffic Light1.zip 81 KB
Traffic Light2.zip 81 KBAbout queues vs shift registers. Queues allow you the ability to insert elements into either end of the queue. You can also write code to insert several elements at one time. With shift registers, only one new element can be carried over to the next loop at one time.
Lets say you have a state machine that always executes in the same order, no matter what the outcome, like State1 then State 2 then State 3. A shift register works fine for this simple example. However with queues, you can use a loop to insert the 3 states before the main state machine loop, then dequeue in the state machine. This is really a matter of preference.
Next example. Lets say you had a situation where you want to run 3 states, but if the second one fails, you want to run 2 other states before going to the third one. You could use a shift register, and you would have to look at each state to see which is next. A queue would allow you to insert the 2 extra states in between states 2 and 3. Of if you want to exit on some failure during a state. You can use the queue to insert the exit state at the opposite end so that it is the next to be dequeued.
Another situation is if you allow the user to call certain actions that require running several states. When the user presses button A, you enqueue states 1,2,3. If the user presses button C you enqueue states 7,8,9. So now you have a state machine in which states are defined by some user action. This would be more difficult to do with a shift register.
There are many other situations where a queued state machine is better than just a simple shift register. For the simplest of situations, I might use a shift register only. But I like to make it a habit to always use queues because of their versatility, and for the fact that I can go back and upgrade a simple state machine to a more complex one easily if it is done with queues. Be sure to use shift registers on the queue error in and error out so that errors can be propogated from one state to the next. On each state, check the error status. If one occures, enqueue a state at the other end to jump to your error handling state (or exit).
- tbob
Inventor of the WORM Global -
Within the last hour, I noticed that my older MacBook Pro, while I was using iTunes, lost contrast on the screen. I am sorry, but I did not take exact notes on this event. Around the same time, I did do a back up, uploaded Apple software, etc.
I'm using two MacPros simultaniously, the old one for iTunes, and the new one for the other things. My new one has no problems, so am wondering if there is an easy way to correct the older MacPro's contrast problems. The computer is over three years old, and I'm wondering also if this failure is an aging sign. (I also have other problems, such as a noisy DVD drive, which is part of the reason I bought a new MacBook Pro.)Is the older MBP a pre-Unibody model from early 2008? If so, it could be having this problem:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2377
If so, you would be entitled to a free repair.
The lost contrast could be considered distorted video.
Do you have an external monitor? If the external shows the same lost contrast, the graphics chip is likely the culprit. If the external is OK, then you probably have an issue with the built in display or possibly with its connections.
You may also want to check in Universal Access to see if the contrast bar is set in its normal position (all the way to the left).
Apple has a special test they can run to diagnose the NVIDIA issue, so if you have access to an Apple Store, make an appointment at the genius bar to have it run.
Good luck! -
For those considering the new MBA, a short review.
I've had my new MBA (1.86GHz, 128 GB SSD) for two days, and I'm delighted with it. I thought, therefore, that it might be useful to post my experience with the machine for anyone considering buying one.
The first thing I noticed was how incredibly fast the MBA is. I've got a first gen Intel MBP and a Santa Rosa MB, but the MBA simply destroys them in boot time/app loading time/web page load time, you name it. I'm sure the CPU accounts for some of this, but most of the credit has to go to the solid state disk. It's definitely worth the extra money for such a noticeable speed boost. Nothing lags and nothing drags; the whole system is impressively responsive.
It's also eerily silent. There's no disk whirring, of course, but also very little sound from the fan. I know overheating and all manner of CPU-throttling, video-stuttering nastiness affected the old MBA, but none of that has manifested itself on my machine. I spent a couple of hours testing it out with flash movies, YouTube videos, a DVD (via SuperDrive), and a bit of gaming (Spore runs fine, by the way), but nothing got hotter than 60 degrees C. I'd say Apple have definitely fixed the heating problems.
The result is a fast, quiet, stylish machine that gives many full-sized laptops a run for their money. The first generation MBA was labeled a "secondary laptop" by some reviewers, a machine intended for those who already had an MBP or Mac Pro at home, but who wanted something a bit more portable. Version 2 is, on the other hand, an excellent primary lapop for those users who don't have the need for high-end, discrete graphics.
Of course, everything has its downside, and the MBA is no exception. It could use another USB port (to save me having to carry a port replicator), the mini-DisplayPort video output required the purchase of yet another set of converter dongles (grumble grumble), and the trackpad button seems to require a bit too much force to operate (other threads have highlighted this issue so it may be a fault in some machines). When I first booted the MBA, the iSight camera didn't work, but a quick SMU reset fixed that. The glossy screen is fine for me, although I understand the point of view of those on the other side of the debate, so I can see how it could be a negative.
And that's pretty much it. I bought the MBA to be a "travel companion," very much secondary to my other Macs. After a couple of days, however, I have relegated my MacBook to secondary status, and made the MBA my main Mac. It's a delight to own and use. I highly recommend it.Hi,
I have a problem with lines on mine. They are in the form of faint horizontal lines running across the whole screen. They are very noticeable on a white background, i.e. when typing on a word processor. I have a MacBook and two iMacs in the house, and these don't exhibit the same problems.
I find that my eyes get fairly tired after an hour or so use with the Air. The text is not as clear as my MacBook. It was quite disappointing as I expected the display to be better than the MacBook.
It does seem that quite a few people are having the same problem. There are a lot of postings on forums even at this early stage, for example:
+“I have the new MacBook Air 1.86/128GB SSD, and I too see very faint lines on my display. They are not completely horizontal - rather, they are pitched at about a -5 degree angle from left to right, and appear to be about 1 pixel in width, and 1 pixel apart.”+
However, I have a case ID with Apple and will try and reset the Air’s System Management Controller when I get home tonight. If that doesn’t work I’m going to send the Air back for replacement. Considering the cost of the Air I do want to get one that is clear of any defects. Apple support has been very good thus far. I’m also wondering is a driver fix for the Nvidia chip set might solve the problem?
This issue aside it is a fabulous computer. I think Apple have got the spec spot on with the rev2 Air. It’s responsive, runs cool and is a total joy to use.
Graham. -
Need to Get only the Child ID? how to achieve it?
Hi
Lets consider the following situation,
Task_ID TASK_NO Parent_ID TOP_TASK_ID
10 00112
11 00113 10 10
12 00114 10 10
13 00115 10 10
14 00116 13 10
I need to get only child task_id ( 11,12,14)
Task ID = 10 is the Top Level Task
Task ID (11,12,13) are child of Task ID 10
Task ID (14) is a child of Task ID 13
I need to get only child task_id (11,12,14) not 13 because it is a parent of some other task_id..
how to achieve this...
Can some one guide me!maybe this will help.
SQL> Select Lpad(' ', Level*3) || ename name, lpad(' ', Level*3) || job position
2 from emp
3 Start With mgr is null
4 Connect By Prior empno = mgr;
NAME POSITION
KING PRESIDENT
JONES MANAGER
FORD ANALYST
SMITH CLERK
SCOTT ANALYST
ADAMS CLERK
BLAKE MANAGER
ALLEN SALESMAN
WARD SALESMAN
MARTIN SALESMAN
TURNER SALESMAN
JAMES CLERK
CINDY SALESMAN
TINA SALESMAN
CLARK MANAGER
MILLER CLERK
16 rows selected
SQL> select e.name,
2 e.position
3 from (Select Lpad(' ', Level*3) || ename name, lpad(' ', Level*3) || job position, level lv
4 from emp
5 Start With mgr is null
6 Connect By Prior empno = mgr) e
7 where e.lv > 1;
NAME POSITION
JONES MANAGER
FORD ANALYST
SMITH CLERK
SCOTT ANALYST
ADAMS CLERK
BLAKE MANAGER
ALLEN SALESMAN
WARD SALESMAN
MARTIN SALESMAN
TURNER SALESMAN
JAMES CLERK
CINDY SALESMAN
TINA SALESMAN
CLARK MANAGER
MILLER CLERK
15 rows selected
SQL>
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