Ohio USA Freelance Labview and other controls

Hi,
I am Brad and I am looking to help with some small to medium sized lab view programming and controls solutions. I graduated from the University of Dayton with an Mechanical Engineering Technology degree and currently work with HVAC controls and some light Lab view research. I have two controls classes from the University and 2 years experience working with large scale construction projects and using lab view to audit the HVAC controls are working correctly. I am looking to broaden my experience through project and real world applications and experience.
My rates are low because I like working with controls and my day job pays the insurance. I can provide some sample programs and a resume at your request.
RPC has been building custom computing options since 2003 and has a Sr. Engineer with is P.E. to assist in complex solutions. Our goal is your satisfaction and since I own the company it is my number one goal. Each member is given on project so their full attention is given fully to you and your needs.

See this www.labviewautomation.com
Our company is seeking someone who can grow with our company. We have a great situation with lots of room to grow.

Similar Messages

Large applications - Labview and other programming languages

Hello Labview Users,
as the forum saw this very interesting thread about large applications programmed in Labview
(see: http://sine.ni.com/niforum/niforum?requireLogin=False&forumDU=http://forums.ni.com/ni/board/message?... ) I would like to ask the community about their experiences with Labview applications in combination with other programming languages.
In advance: I have several years of experience in programming Labview applications starting from quick-and-dirty solutions which had to run within few hours and complex test solutions. I saw Labview growing and becoming better with the released versions and lot of things I missed in former times got implemented in the meantime. Actually I have to develop a complexe ATE solution with numerous equipment to control and numerous data to be captured and archived. Despite the Verison 8 I still feel still some drawbacks of the LV concept which let me hestitate to setup the solution completly in Labview:
1) It is alway hard to re-use code of complex applications since it is not possible to do some kind of global search an replace of functions
variables etc. It nearly impossible to re-use approved code structures (e.g a state machine) if the "inner part" is changing more the a little bit.
2) If the application requires a certain flexibility (e.g. exchangeable test equipment of varying vendors) this is hard to implement since you have to define a lot of parameters through your hierarchy if you dont want use global variables which slow down your application and hide
the code functionality.
3) Despite modern PCs the look and feel of LV applications appears somewhat slow compared to other applications. For complex user interfaces the polling methode generates a lot of complex code. (I dont have expierence with the event-structure).
Now my questions:
Do you have experience of implemention of complex solutions dividingthe code modules using Labview and other languages? Which other
languages did you use? Why did you use these languages (speed, flexibility of text based code, available library functions)? Did you found out this to improve your development time and code maintainibility?
(I concider a solution where I do the single tests with Labview-VIs but delegate all the test sequencing and data collection stuff written in PERL which allows really very compact code)
I'm curious what your experiences are.
rainercats

Given that you're asking these questions in a forum for LabVIEW users the opinions given are going to be somewhat slanted towards the general like of LabVIEW. I've been working with LabVIEW for a long time, ever since 2.something on a Mac. I've written numerous large-scale applications as well as "mundane" instrument drivers. As you've noted you're experienced with LabVIEW, so you know some of its strengths and weaknesses.
To address your specific questions:
(1) Yes, that has always been a limitation in LabVIEW, but I don't believe it is an overriding one to choose C over LabVIEW. Putnam provided one workaround for the search and replace of VIs. Once you've programmed in LabVIEW long enough you get used to doing it this way. Is it clumsy? Yes. As for the re-use of code structures, that's not entirely true. You can create a "template" VI (a regular VI, not a .vit) that contains the code you want to re-use and place in your palette with the "Merge VI" option set. That way you can select it from your functions palette, plop it down on your diagram, and you get the "template" VI's diagram placed right into your new VI.
(2) This is not something that is specific to LabVIEW, as this exists with any programming language. It's not the language that limits you here, it's how you've designed your code. In a language like C++ you would go with classes. You can do the same thing in LabVIEW. IVI is another option (though not preferred by me).
(3) As Putnam mentioned, you should be using the event structure.
Other thoughts:
The biggest strength I see with LabVIEW is that each VI is a miniature program, which allows development and debugging of functions a snap. With a language like C you have to write another program to call that function in order to debug it. The biggest weakness? I would say user interface. Yes, even with the event structure. Don't get me wrong, the event structure has vastly improved the way user interfaces and event handling in general are done with LabVIEW, but it simply doesn't hold muster to a program written in C or VB. ActiveX anyone? LabVIEW still doesn't do ActiveX properly in terms of actually getting the controls to work. Programming ActiveX controls is just plain aggravating what with all the property nodes taking up so much diagram space.
It certainly makes sense to use the best tools available to you to get the job done. In my recent projects I had to write software to run automated tests on some products my company made. The test modules were written in LabVIEW. The tests executive was a proprietary engine driven by a SQL Server database. I had to write a "wrapper" DLL that interfaced between the LabVIEW code and the executive since the executive hadn't been designed to call LabVIEW DLLs directly. This allowed us to use LabVIEW as the preferred language for developing the test modules and let the guys who were fiddling with the test executive do their bit. Of course, TestStand's premise is basically that.

LabVIEW and custom controls

Hi all,
I'm an italian PhD student working with Polytechnic of Bari.
I'd like to submit to this forum a question about LabVIEW and custom controls in form of ActiveX components.
Some introductory word about my problem will be helpful: in the past few months here at Polytechnic of Bari my colleagues and I developed some useful ActiveX controls with custom functionalities to use in LabVIEW.
For example we developed a "contraves", an
"endless knob" and a useful counter with a scale very similar to that of standard gazometers or energy counters.
However we are experimenting some difficulties with the integration of these controls in LabVIEW; the controls are correctly imported in our VIs with using the ActiveX Container but...
in the block diagram they appear as ActiveX references and we must use property nodes to access even their most useful property (value).
Please, do someone of you know if (and eventually how) is it possible to integrate more deeply the controls in the LabVIEW environment?
Do someone of you know if it exist an hypothetical "Custom Controls SDK" for LabVIEW more advanced of that integrated in LabVIEW 6.0?
Any hint would be appreciated.

> Please can you specify in more detail how I can obtain the ActiveX
> refnum input automatically wired to a constant (I have observed this
> behaviour with the 3D-Graph control as you suggested). I haven't found
> any reference in the LabVIEW on-line help about the topic "merge-VI".
>
The first step is to build a VI that contains the panel and diagram
elements that you want to drop all at once. In your case, drop the
ActiveX control at a good size, and on the diagram, you can wire it to
helper VIs, property nodes, etc. The VI's icon and name are important
as that is what will show up in the palette menu representing your
control. The connector pane isn't used.
With the VI constructed, you want to add it to the palette menu. In the
Tools menu, Advanced, there is an item about half way down for
Customizing the Palette menu. You will need to build a New Palette Set
using the ring and name it whatever you like. You can now add your VI
wherever you like. Most likely you will want to right click to add a
new subMenu in the Controls palette and place it in a new .mnu file. In
the subMenu, right click to add Control. The file dialog will open
allowing you to select a control file to add to the palette. By
changing the filter from .ctl to all, you can insert VIs into the
controls palette.
All VIs inserted into the Control palette will act as merge VIs, meaning
that when dragged to a panel, the panel elements will be merged into the
destination panel, and the diagram elements will be merged into the
destination diagram.
For others that want to have these on the Functions palette rather than
the Controls, you add the VI to the Functions palette, then popup on the
palette item and check the menu item to make it a Merge VI.
When it comes time to distribute, you will want to give out your .mnu
file and the VI of course. Easiest is to place both of them in
user.lib. If you want the items to go at the top level of the palettes,
then you can add them to add-ons inside of vi.lib, but this causes more
upgrade challenges.
Hope that helps.
Greg McKaskle

Seeking freelance job: LabVIEW and/or Controls, or other electrical engineering jobs

Hi all,
I am starting my consulting business and look for projects that need skills like LabVIEW, real-time controls, embedded system, etc. I am located on the east coast and able to travel occasionally, especially during the summer time. Please contact me (jianchu at gmail dot com) if you or your associates need help.
Thank you!
--Jason

Ineterested people can contact me at [email protected]
If anybody is also looking for outsourcing the LabVIEW development works, or planning to start a new LabVIEW development branch in India, I am interested in taking up these responsibilities.
Thank you.

Toolbar's and other controls

Hi everyone. I am having a slight problem with the JToolbar. I want to add a JCheckBox to the toolbar, but whenever I do I can't resize the checkbox. It always expands to fill the entire toolbar. This is not true for some other controls like buttons and labels.
Just wondering why this is the case. If anyone can explain this and/or provide a solution that would be great. :)
Thanks in advance. :)
Ben Deany

you can force it to not fill the whole JMenuBar by adding an empty JPanel afterwards

I´m from Brazil and I would like to know if I can use the Labview and other National technologies to create a building/home automation (energy, water, lightning,...)? Which would be a ideal project? Which equipments should I use?

I would like to know all about National technology regarding building/home automation?

I could help you better if you had an idea of the equipment you will be controlling or reading to/from. Are you planning to totally customize a system or are you looking to use instruments/controllers already available for Home Automation? Im not sure I understand what you really need. Here's an Idea. Computer is the controller of the system.
System consist of Light Control Only (to keep it simple). Program written in LabVIEW. Here you can create schedules to turn lights on/off/dim. Then LV could communicate, (for example using X10 or other protocol), commands to the device actually controlling the lights. Lighting device could be controlled using some sort of communications like, X10, Serial, IR, RF, Ethernet, etc... So this system can turn lights
on/off/dim% either at the click of a button on your screen or a timer. Adding any other system in the house will more than likely require a different communication protocol and complicates things even further. You could much of this with regular automation hardware from NI but this requires integrating different components like relays, dimmers, etc.. Much more work and more expensive, (I would think), than buying a device made specifically for the system.
I hope this helps.

How to Communicate data between two application (One in labview and other in C)

Dear all i have two independent application running on same PC. One a C program & a Labview application.
C program will pass some parameters to Labview application and waits for responce back from Labview.
Labview should wait for data from C Program and when it gets that, it should process it and should return it back to C program....
How a program can be made in labview to receive a data form Other appliaction
I am using Labview 7.1.
Abhimaniu

This kind of communication works the best when the LabVIEW code is compiled into a DLL.
In C you could call the DLL and the DLL would return the calculated values.
Ton
Free Code Capture Tool! Version 2.1.3 with comments, web-upload, back-save and snippets!
Nederlandse LabVIEW user groep www.lvug.nl
My LabVIEW Ideas
LabVIEW, programming like it should be!

Vi with 'show diagram' and other controls grayed out

Two of my vi's are acting differently - many features are grayed out. The Vi Properties Security tab shows the Locked (no password) option is selected. All the Vi Properties are grayed out, so I can't change that. How is modified?
Thanks. This is LabVIEW 6.1.

That did not work. I am getting new errors (after editing some of the subvis)
VI Error:
There is not enough memory to compile this VI.
Details.
You need to make more memory available for LabVIEW to generate the code for this VI.
VI Error:
There is a problem with a subVI but this VI has no block diagram.
Details.
This VI has a bad connection to or cannot find a subVI or external routine, but it has no block diagram to show or fix the error. You must find or correct the subVI or external routine. Check for more information in the Explain... dialog in Get Info.

Is there any crush between LabView and other program ?

my system is win98 with LV 6.1. After installing this software (ACDSee 5), my program got error -10800, trigger timeout (my program is developped DSA.vi example) everytime i ran the program, it never happens before. Then after i uninstall the software, my program work just like before, no problemo.
Can Labview crush with other program ? How ?

I don't think it's actually LabVIEW that's causing this problem but a hardware driver issue. Error -10800 is an NI-DAQ error. If you installed ACDSee (I like that name) it appears that they supply drivers also, so you're probably getting some problems with these two drivers being installed. Make sure that any other LabVIEW programs still run or if they generate this same error. If they do, then it's certainly the driver. Otherwise, it's a particular operation that's interfering with the ACDSee software.
J.R. Allen

Link labview with other software which can do hydraulic simulation such as Nanas Fluent.

   Hi all:
          I currently want to exchange data between labview with Ansys fluent. That is: sending flow boundary condition and initial condition from labview to hydraulic simulation software (ansys fluent), and get simulation result back to labview from that software.
         I didn't find any modules online to link labview and fluent together. (There are others such as Labview Solidworks module)
         Is any one know how to link labview to any software which can do hydraulic simulation?
         Thank you very much. :-)
-Bowen

Do you know of any other programs that exchange data with Ansys? If so how do they do it? ActiveX is a common way for communicating between LabVIEW and other programs, is this an option?
Justin Parker
National Instruments
Product Support Engineer

HOWTO Get the text of "combo box" and "labe" controls with JavaAccessBridge

HOWTO Get the text of "combo box" and "labe" controls with JavaAccessBridge.
Please help,
I'm trying to use the Java Access Bridge (JAB) 2.1 to get the text in Java Applet controls. I've been able to use the sample code in AccessInfo.cpp sample that comes with JAB to get text from "text" controls in a Java Applet. To clarify, I am referring to the "role" in the AccessibleContextInfo struct being set to "text" or "combo box" or "label".
The problem is, when I use the AccessInfo.cpp sample to get text from a "combo box", the accessibleText data member comes back as FALSE, and thus any of the JAB text functions like GetAccessibleTextInfo fail to get any text information from "combo box" or "label" controls.
I've also tried GetCurrentAccessibleValueFromContext on the "combo box" and "label" controls, but the text returned is empty.
Can anyone help?

I have new information in regards to this issue. A contact from Sun did get to me in email and relayed that that "label" objects store their text in the "name" data member of the AccessibleContext structure. This was a big help.
But I'm still stuck trying to get information from "combo box" and other controls, like "push button". The contact said, the Java Access Bridge does not provide all the information because it is already implemented by other interfaces like AccessibleComponent, AccessibleAction, or AccessibleSelection. The contact did not allude to whether these opther interfaces can be used along side the Java Access Bridge or not. So, I'm left a step closer to the goal, but still stuck without the full solution.
Can one take the Java Access Bridge functions, like say those used in the Ferret sample, and close the gap to get text back from "combo box", "push button", and other controls by using some other API in conjunction?

How to distribute the serial core only with my exe and DLL application using the Labview application builder 8.21. I'm not interested having MAX and other components installed on the customer PC and in the program menu

Since Labview ver 8.0 and later, I am not very happy with the new way the project installer is managing the additional drivers such as Serial.
With LV 7.11 the serial components was included in the cab file and was installed on the target computer in a specific directory. The size of the distribution was pretty small and well suited for compact distribution.
My LV application use only the serial object and with LV 8.21, if I include the serial 3.2 component, I get an enormus file including max, visa ... and a lot of fucky component I do not need.
To distribute my application, I just need, the runtime engine and the serial driver as it was with the version 7.XX
Looking for clever advises from you gentlemen!

Thanks Dennis for you input
My problem is in fact very simple. 3 years ago, I developped a software suite for X ray generator; My company is selling such generator all over the world and our control panel software and DLL (for OEM integrator) is based on Labview professionnal development plateform.
To drive our generator, we just need to transfer ascii data using the strandard RS232 port still present on most of equipments used in the industrial area.
Until LV version 7.11, there was no problem to include serial component in my distribution with a very reasonable size and transparency for the end user.
with LV 8.xx (preparing a new release), I'm very disapointed to see, my distribution is increased of about for 10 Mo to 180 Mo just because I increase the serial component.
May I mix a previous version of the serial component with LV 8.21?
Should I change my source to Visa instruction only and merge visa runtime only to my distribution?
is there any simple serial example based on visa and distributed with th application builder?
I will appreciate your help in order to optimize my distribution
Pascal

Storing carriage return and other special characters in a TestStand variable and passing to LabVIEW

I am using TestStand step to call a LabVIEW VI that writes commands to a serial device. The device expects a carriage return at the end of the command. I can create a constant string in TestStand with the carriage return, e.g., "ATA\x0D" and pass that to a LabVIEW string control which shows ATA\r and the VI works properly.
To provide consistency and flexibility in my code, I want to store the terminator character(s) in a TestStand variable. However, when I try to use an expression to create the command string, i.e. "ATA" + "Locals.Terminator", where Locals.Terminator is set to "\x0D", my LabVIEW VI string control shows "ATA\\x0D" which doesn't work. And when I try Locals.Terminator set to "\r", the LabVIEW string control shows "ATA\\r" which doesn't work either.
Is there a way to store special characters in a TestStand variable and pass them to LabVIEW as special characters? I saw in another post that if you edit the TestStand variable by pressing Cntl-Enter, it will store the newline \n properly and it can be sent to LabVIEW - that works for me as well for \n. But I need to send a carriage return.
I've attached my test sequence and the corresponding LabVIEW VI with a string control.
Hans
Attachments:
Special Chars.seq ‏27 KB
String Passing.vi ‏13 KB

Hi Hans,
Thanks for your detailed explanation and examples. In TestStand, change the String parameter's String Type to Binary String instead of ASCII. Then it will pass the desired value.
Cheers,
David Goldberg
National Instruments
Software R&D

How to use RM-1500 with a SB Live! USB to control winamp and other ap

I've been trying several apps (intelliremote, RMX and others) to do this, but no one seems to work properly. Does anyone knows if this is possible? Apparently those apps only work with non-usb sound cards.
The remote works, but I only can control the volume, mute and CMSS function.
Any help or comment will be very appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

Hi,
It can be quite frustrating to program using the DAQmxBase driver. Beaware, that this is just a temporary driver. The next release of the DAQmx driver will include the usb-600x series.
When this is said, you should be able to use the driver. To make sure that the device is working use one of the examples found by pressing the windows start button > Programs > National Instruments > DAQmxBase > Examples > LabVIEW.
The examples will give you a good starting point.
Also I would make sure that I had the newest version of the driver installed. Following link will provide that for you:
http://digital.ni.com/softlib.nsf/webcategories/85256410006C055586256BBB002C128D?opendocument&node=132060_US
Let me know if this doesnt solve your problem.
Regards
Anders M
NI DK

Please help me with my electrical engineering homework : temperature control and watering system for greenhouse using labview and arduino

temperature control and watering system for greenhouse using labview and arduino
spesification :
1. max temp : 28 celcius (when temperature is more than 28 celcius, fan ON)
2. min temp : 20 celcius (when temperature is under 20 celcius, heater ON)
3. watering system : aquaponic (grow plant and fish in separate tank but connect each other). Plant roots help filter water for fish. Fish poop for plants fertilizer. So I need a pump to distribute water.
Please help me create VI file simulation.. I'm sorry I'm not fluent in English. May God bless you all
Attachments:
YOOOSHH.vi ‏88 KB

Duplicate thread. Please keep the discussion in that thread where you already have a response. It is also the more appropriate thread for your question.
Lynn

Ohio USA Freelance Labview and other controls

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