instrumentation - national instruments

Recent advances in computer technologymake imaging tremendously cost effectiveand easy to implement. Imaging enhancestraditional test and production measure-ment devices such as data acquisition(DAQ) boards, VXI modules, and stand-alone instruments to provide valuable new information.

For instance, you can combine dataacquisition and imaging (IMAQ) to test,manufacture, and assemble electroniccomponents and printed circuit boards(PCBs). A leading manufacturer of pagersuses DAQ I/O and imaging to test PCBfunctionality. They use imaging to checkfor missing components and data acquisition to test component func-

INSTRUMENTATION

NEWSLETTER™

Imaging Brings New Solutions to Production and Test

Our new IMAQ Vision software, NI-IMAQ driver software, and IMAQ PCI-1408 board offer a com-plete imaging solution that broadens your test and production options.

IN THIS ISSUE...5

The Secrets of Success with LabVIEW

8 Virtual Instrumentation Hits the Internet

10 National Instruments and Apple Computer – A New Era in Partnership

tionality. Such integrated machine vision systems provide a breakthrough in quality control for semiconductor andelectronics manufacturers under pressureto produce higher quantities at higherquality. Vision systems combined withdata acquisition perform a wide range of inspection tasks, including lead co-planarity, board warpage, and other critical test measurements.

Our new IMAQ PCI-1408 imageacquisition board synchronizes imagingwith data acquisition using its unique real-time system integration (RTSI®) bus connection. Along with the hardware, ournew imaging driver and application soft-ware easily integrate with other I/O in

LabVIEW® and LabWindows®/CVI aswell as BridgeVIEWTM for industrial automa-tion applications. This ease of integrationmeans that you can use imaging with thesame ease and frequency as thermocouplesand strain gauges, deriving valuable newinformation from test applications.

A Complete Imaging SolutionIMAQ Vision software, NI-IMAQ driversoftware, and the IMAQ PCI-1408 boardprovide the components you need to createpowerful imaging solutions. Our applica-tion software, IMAQ Vision (formerlyConcept V.i and Vinci from Graftek),brings complete image display and processing functionality to LabVIEW,LabWindows/CVI, and for industrialautomation applications, BridgeVIEW.IMAQ Vision software contains a full set of functions for image display,manipulation, and processing.

Our NI-IMAQ driver software for imageacquisition is designed to give complete,easy-to-use access to the IMAQ PCI-1408hardware. High-level functions give in-tuitive and quick implementation of

continued on page 3

VOLUME 8, NUMBER 4WINTER 1996/1997

TECHNICAL NEWS FROM NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS

NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS®

The Software is the Instrument ®

ur new suite of imaging products brings vision capa-bilities to virtual instrumentation. Our new IMAQTM

Vision software, NI-IMAQTM driver software, and IMAQ PCI-1408 board provide the components necessary

to create powerful imaging solutions.O

2 Winter 1996/1997 National Instruments • Tel: (512) 794-0100 • Fax: (512) 794-8411 • [email protected] • www.natinst.com

VOLUME 8 NUMBER 4 WINTER 1996/1997

INSTRUMENTATIONomputer technology continues itsrapid pace of innovation. Along

with processors continuing to get fasterand operating systems adding more fea-tures, new technologies like the Internet,ActiveX, and OpenGL have emerged onthe scene. Because technologies in ourproducts leverage off these computer technologies, we have quite a challenge not only keeping our products current

and up-to-date but also taking full ad-vantage of new technologies. Internally,we refer to this as continuous improve-ment and breakthrough innovation.

Do It RightAs a leading supplier of GPIB inter-faces and plug-in DAQ boards, we are intimately familiar with all the popularbus architectures of computers and work-stations. With GPIB, our goal is to deliverthe same functionality on each platform so that you can easily port systems fromone architecture to another. As higherspeed buses emerge, we have developedcustom ASICs to take advantage of thesehigher speed architectures and deliverimproved performance.

With our DAQ products, our goal is also to maintain portability across platforms, which you have told us is veryimportant to you. Because of the nature of DAQ products, their performance is frequently limited by the bandwidth of thebus architecture. High-speed buses, likePCI and VXI, overcome these bottlenecks.

Although we could have easily ported our current DAQ technologies to PCI and VXI, we decided to developsome new technologies that fully harnessthe capabilities of PCI and VXI. For PCs,this decision was made easier by the factthat nearly all PCs with PCI slots also contain ISA slots. We developed theMITETM custom ASIC to use our bus-master PCI board for top performance.Our first PCI boards, including a newimage acquisition board, are just being

New and ImprovedNEWSLETTER

Instrumentation Newsletter is publishedquarterly by National Instruments,6504 Bridge Point Parkway, Austin, TX78730-5039 USA. Subscription is free uponqualification. Please send distributionchanges and requests for subscription to Distribution, Mail Stop 26-10. Pleasesend inquiries, submissions, and requestsfor permission to Managing Editor, MailStop 54-13. Send e-mail messages to:[email protected]. NationalInstruments reserves the right to publish or edit submissions.

STAFFExecutive Editor, John GraffManaging Editor, Gail FolkinsConsulting Editor, Roxanne GreenCreative Director, Diana KipferDesigners, Wendy Brundage,Steve Goodwin, Steve Lasher,Trevoris Morgan, and Robert LopezProduction Manager, Gracie AmadorImage Coordination, Lara Farwell,Michael Hewitt, Bruce Metherd

TOOLBOXElectronic publishing tools used to produce this issue:Software: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Type Manager, Aldus FreeHand,Quark Xpress, Apple File Exchange,Application Techniques Pizazz Plus,Claris CAD, Mainstay Capture, MicrosoftWord, and Adobe Illustrator.Hardware: An Apple FDHD Drive,Power Macintosh 8500, Quadra 650, and950 computers with Power Macintoshupgrade cards, SuperMac 19 in. RGB display monitors and video boards,LeCie Silverscan III scanner, and PLIInfinity removable optical drives.Color separation film was output on aLinotronic 550 imagesetter. All photosand graphics were electronically output to film.© Copyright 1996 National Instruments Corporation.All rights reserved. Product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.

Telephone: (512) 794-0100

Fax: (512) 794-8411

[email protected]

www.natinst.com

Fully taking advantage of new technologies plays a key role in oursuccess and your success.

PERSPECTIVE

C introduced. You will see many new introductions in future issues.

We believe this focus on fully takingadvantage of new technologies, both fromthe external computer industry and fromour own internal R&D, plays a key role inour success and in your success in yourmany varied applications.

Virtual Instrumentation on the NetThe Internet, which has exploded on tothe scene, is one of the most revolutionarytechnologies in the computer industry.The Internet is proving a very interestingplace for companies trying to determinehow to take advantage of it. Although weread about companies that are starting up every day to take advantage of theInternet, many do not survive to meettheir dreams. Other companies must alsodetermine the risks of standing back andwatching the technology and waiting forthe right time. The risk? Technology passesthem by before they know it.

Because of the open architecture ofour LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI software, we already have users who havedeveloped programs and systems that usethe Internet and the World Wide Web in their applications. In this issue ofInstrumentation Newsletter, you will readabout new toolkits for LabVIEW andLabWindows/CVI that make it much easier for anyone to integrate e-mail,FTP, or the World Wide Web into their applications.

AutomationViewTM LaunchLast issue, we premiered our newAutomationView newsletter, which focuseson products, technologies, and applica-tions for industrial automation. The earlyresponse has been outstanding. This issueof Instrumentation Newsletter contains thesecond issue of AutomationView. Whetheryou are a regular subscriber to Instrumen-tation Newsletter or you picked up a copyat a trade show or seminar, we encourageyou to subscribe to AutomationView if youare interested in staying abreast of activi-ties in industrial automation.

1

– John Graff, Corporate Marketing Manager

Winter 1996/1997 3National Instruments • Tel: (512) 794-0100 • Fax: (512) 794-8411 • [email protected] • www.natinst.com

continued from page 1image acquisition and timing while low-level functions give register-level accessand control for custom applications. TheNI-IMAQ driver is a 32-bit dynamic linklibrary (DLL) for use with Windows 95and Windows NT.

Our hardware component for imageacquisition is the IMAQ PCI-1408 boardfor the PCI bus. This new, high-qualitymonochrome image acquisition board hasfull 8-bit grayscale resolution, digitizationrates up to 20 MHz, and the ability to continuously transfer up to 30 frames per second to RAM.

Today’s Technology Gives Imaging Solutions

PCI Performance – With recent advancesin computer technologies, you can developpowerful image acquisition solutions. PCIfeatures high-performance throughput ofdata at rates of up to 132 Mbytes/s. Thistranslates to image transfer directly to RAMat rates up to 30 frames per second. High-performance throughput is important toimage acquisition because of the largeamounts of data contained in images. Tobuild successful imaging solutions, youneed to achieve high-speed data transfersand process them as quickly as possible.

To accomplish this, you must performdata transfers independently of the micro-processor, so that the microprocessor canconcurrently process the data at its fullspeed. The IMAQ PCI-1408 board usesour powerful custom MITE chip to pro-vide high-speed, bus-mastered data trans-fers even to noncontiguous RAM at fullPCI bandwidth.

Today’s higher performance micropro-cessors combined with MITE-based datatransfers results in the power necessary toperform host-based image processing inreal time. The IMAQ PCI-1408 board can


transfer full 8-bit resolution images to PCRAM at rates up to 30 frames per second.At these rates, general-purpose microproces-sors, such as the Pentium and Pentium Pro,can perform many of the tasks that previous-ly required onboard DSP. The major bene-fits of host-based processing are reduced costand ease of programming. Removing theneed for a dedicated DSP chip lowers costs;however, eliminating the need to learn DSPlow-level coding is where the real savingscome into play. Programming techniques,such as LabVIEW graphical programming,give you additional simplicity and efficien-cy in developing your applications.

Image and Data Acquisition – Synchro-nizing image acquisition and DAQ hard-ware yields the tremendous advantage of

correlating images and transducer readings.Built into the IMAQ PCI-1408 board is thesame RTSI bus used in National Instru-ments DAQ products. This RTSI/IMAQcombination is unique in image acquisi-tion by providing direct hardware routingof trigger and timing signals betweenboards. A DAQ board can start, clock, andstop IMAQ PCI-1408 image acquisitionvia the RTSI bus. This built-in hardwaretiming integration provides a reliablemeans for combining IMAQ and DAQ to create complete test systems.

Ease of Use with NI-IMAQ, IMAQ VisionThe same programming methods used

continued on page 4

Our new IMAQ PCI-1408 imagingboard synchronizes imaging withdata acquisition using its uniquereal-time system integration(RTSI) bus connection.

IMAQ

You can use imaging in applications that range from industrial, to test, to research and development.Some example images shown include product quality inspection, crash test sequencing, and cell count-ing and analysis.


continued from page 3for data acquisition and other I/O are now available for imaging solutions. Task-oriented functions, such as threshold, edgedetection, count particles, and measure dis-tance simplify imaging applications. In thepast, a relatively few highly trained individ-uals carried out image acquisition and pro-cessing. Now, with IMAQ Vision softwareand NI-IMAQ driver software, you do notneed to be an expert in image processing to get the job done. IMAQ Vision softwareand NI-IMAQ driver software consist ofhighly intuitive and easy-to-implementfunctions, making collecting imagesstraightforward and removing the need to code at low levels.

One example of this ease of use is thetask-oriented functions that take the mys-tery out of image processing. Functions that simply accept image data input andyield specific results greatly empower youto develop successful image solutions. Ournew IMAQ Vision application softwareprovides intuitive and result-specific functions for LabVIEW, BridgeVIEW,and LabWindows/CVI.

Imaging ApplicationsIn test and measurement applications,easily integrating and correlating imag-ing with transducer-based data delivers anew dimension to acquired information.Applications in this new test area includemovement measurements, event record-ing, and result verification.

An example application involvingIMAQ and data acquisition is wear testing.A servo-hydraulic actuator moves a part.The actuator follows a waveform output by an analog output channel from a DAQboard. A strain gauge on the part measuresincreases in response to motion. Signal conditioning products, such as SCXITM


or 5B modules, condition the strain gauge.A DAQ board reads the conditioned valueand sends out timing information over the RTSI bus.

The IMAQ PCI-1408 board uses thistiming signal to sequence images. Theresulting images correlate precisely to thestrain data. The IMAQ Vision softwareanalysis routines test the incoming imagesfor part shape consistency and travel dis-tance. Any large variance in the shape ofthe part or significant decrease in travelindicates a part failure and ends the test.After the test, the requesting engineerreviews the strain data and images anddetermines modifications to the part.

Imaging in Research and DevelopmentIMAQ Vision also responds to diverse applications by delivering flexibility in creating customized research and labautomation applications. You can useequalization, background subtraction,correction, and field flattening methods to enhance brightness and contrast.Filtering functions sharpen, soften, blur,or enhance edges. You can also automatethe separation of touching or overlappingobjects and perform morphometric pro-cessing. In addition, you can performcomplex image manipulation that is possible only in the frequency domain

with high-speed 2D Fast FourierTransform (FFT) operations.

Imaging SolutionsNational Instruments imaging productsare designed to make image acquisition as accessible as data acquisition. Synchron-izing IMAQ and DAQ data via the RTSIbus provides new levels of imaging valueand integration in systems.

In addition, our three-componentmodel for imaging is consistent with other successful virtual instrumentationmodels, such as DAQ, VXI, and GPIB.You can now integrate our imaging suiteinto your virtual instrument-based solu-tions with the same level of flexibility, effi-ciency, and completeness as you have withother I/O solutions. National Instrumentsand its users are now applying vision tovirtual instrumentation.1

– Dave Wilson, DAQ Marketing Manager and

John Hanks, Analysis Marketing Manager

For more imaging-related stories, see pages11 and 22.

For more information on imaging, circleIMAQ kit on the reply card.

IMAQ Vision software and NI-IMAQ driver software consist ofhighly intuitive and easy-to-imple-ment functions, making collectingimages straightforward and remov-ing the need to code at low levels.

IMAQ

Imaging provides inspection for high-speed, repetitive, and precise measurements in research, test,and automation.

strict syntax rules. LabVIEW automaticallymanages memory as users program, sav-ing countless hours of development anddebugging time.

In text-based languages, multitaskingbetween several processes proves extreme-ly difficult. Yet in many applications, usersneed to perform multiple processes at

once. LabVIEW makes this complicatedprogramming task easy. James Straub, anengineer at Second Source, Inc. developedan automated process monitoring andcontrol system for thin-film depositiontools used in the semiconductor industry.Straub explains, “LabVIEW supplied uswith the means to meet one of our mostcritical requirements – the ability to easilymultitask. With the fast, intuitive graph-ical programming environment ofLabVIEW, I developed a working proto-

continued on page 6


The Secrets of Success with LabVIEW

This year marks the 10th birthday ofLabVIEW. Ten years ago, Byte magazineeditors were excited about LabVIEW, a newprogram that combined a data flow pro-gramming model with an iconic languagefor scientists.1 Today, LabVIEW has becomea leading virtual instrumentation softwareproduct. Why has LabVIEW become sopopular worldwide? To answer this ques-tion, we talked to numerous engineers,scientists, and technicians worldwide. Weasked them why they chose LabVIEW andwhy they were successful.

LabVIEW Increases Productivity Four to Ten-FoldClearly, one of the biggest advantages of LabVIEW is the productivity gains it offers users. We asked numerous userswhy LabVIEW has made them so pro-ductive. Gary Johnson of LawrenceLivermore National Laboratories says that “as an instrumentation engineer, Ifind LabVIEW indispensable – a flexible,time-saving package without all the frus-

trating aspects of ordinary program-ming languages.”2

Software developers often spend a sub-stantial amount of time prototyp-ing systems for the end-users ofa product. To sell theseprototypes to users,developers often spendfrustrating hours devel-oping user interfaces toexplain how a systemworks. With LabVIEW,designing a user interfaceor virtual instrument (VI) frontpanel is as simple as clicking amouse and selecting objects.

“The ability to rapidly developa user interface and prototype a system right in front of our customers is incredible. They can start to visualize what we cando for them without my having to spend hours writing a propos-al,”3 remarks Brad Hedstrom of AdvancedMeasurements, a National InstrumentsAlliance Program member who often prototypes systems for his poten-tial customers.

Text-based programmers also face thetedious work of variable declaration andmemory allocation. Patented technologyin LabVIEW makes these tasks trivial. Oneof the best features in LabVIEW is memo-ry management. In traditional languages,developers have to carefully allocate anddeallocate blocks of memory, adhering to

LABVIEW

”As an instrumentation engineer,I find LabVIEW indispensible – a flexible, time-saving package without all the frustrating aspects ofordinary programming languages.”– Gary Johnson,

Lawrence Livermore Laboratory

Numerous surveys indicate that National Instruments and its software products have a leading position in the industry, as shown in a 1995 CahnersResearch/Test & Measurement World PC-Based Test Equipment Market Insight study. The table shows the percentage of readers who rated companies for excellence in each attribute.

egardless of their background, users agree that LabVIEWmakes them more productive, protects their capital invest-ments, and empowers them to develop simple and sophis-ticated applications. R

Percent of Readers Rating Companies for ExcellenceNational Keithley Data

Instruments Metrabyte Translation IOTech ComputerBoards

Advanced Technology 68% 41% 19% 21% 4%

Integrated Hardware/Software Test Solutions 78% 39% 15% 14% 2%

Quality Software Reliability 68% 33% 10% 10% 8%

Quality Hardware Reliability 66% 44% 11% 13% 6%

Ease of Programming 73% 28% 10% 12% 7%

LabVIEW even helps Hollywood make stunts – shown is TomDeWier using a LabVIEW-based system to monitor stuntaction for a commercial.

continued from page 5type of this system in six months. It typically takes a few engineers a couple of years to get this far with a traditionalprogramming language.”4

LabVIEW Preserves Capital Investment With or without training in computer programming, LabVIEW gives a large class of users the ability to perform theirjobs effectively. Dr. Robert Wise, at theUniversity of Maryland School ofMedicine, remarks,“Today, usingLabVIEW, we can get closer to our data.Residents not only perform complex dataanalysis on their own, they can also rapidlyalter the experiments as needed.”5

Because LabVIEW is so intuitive, manyscientists benefit from the ability to rapidlyprototype systems and then use those pro-totypes to create their actual applications.This not only saves valuable time andmoney, but helps ensure that the actualsystem meets the needs of the researcher.6

Virtual instrumentation withLabVIEW proves economical, not only in terms of reduced development costs but also in preservation of capital invest-ment over a long period of time. Personalcomputers combined with applicationsoftware and plug-in boards provide a very cost-effective and versatile solutionfor instrumentation systems. In addition,as application needs change, users can eas-ily modify systems without buying newequipment. Chuck Karam of EG&GAutomotive used LabVIEW to develop a PC-based controller for mechanicalautomotive testing. Karam reports,“Typical of PC-based systems, the con-troller was much less expensive than the equipment it replaced because ofthe economies of scale associated with


The Secrets of Success with LabVIEWboth the PC and off-the-shelf LabVIEWsoftware.”7 Because LabVIEW VIs are easily modified, users report significantcost savings by reusing existing applica-tions rather than by purchasing expensive,customized equipment. Ken Hughes fromthe Georgia Institute of Technologyremarks,“In the LabVIEW programmingenvironment, we can quickly modify theprogram, and therefore the instrument,incorporating other types of experimentsinto our investigations.”8

Because a single computer equippedwith LabVIEW can serve many purposes,LabVIEW-based instrumentation systemsare not only versatile but also extremelycost-effective. Using a LabVIEW system,each user has access to a complete instru-mentation laboratory at less than the costof a single commercial instrument; plus,unlike dedicated instruments, computerscan be used for many other functions.9

In addition to creating flexible instru-ments capable of performing a number oftests, many users report that they can usethe same hardware and software for manydifferent purposes.

While all other graphical programminglanguages require the use of costly run-time systems on every station, LabVIEWoffers a simple way to create stand-aloneexecutables for distribution on systemsthroughout your organization. For widely used systems, this cost savings can prove dramatic.

LabVIEW Empowers a Much Larger Class of UsersOne of the greatest benefits of LabVIEW is that in comparison to other program-ming options, it empowers a wider rangeof engineers, scientists, and technicians todesign and implement their own systems.Users can rapidly prototype, implement,and modify a system with a single softwarepackage. Because the LabVIEW program-ming paradigm is very similar to standardflow chart notation, users report that theyfind LabVIEW extremely intuitive andeasy to learn.

Ramesh Balakrishna from Measurexsays,“Previously, our physicists had to rely on software engineers. Now, they can prototype their systems. And, unlike

standard prototyping tools that have to be reimplemented in an application lan-guage, those LabVIEW prototype VIs thenbecome part of the finished application.”10

LabVIEW Delivers Solutions in a Single EnvironmentBecause every application has its ownunique requirements, application soft-ware tools must provide flexibility for awide range of solutions. Turnkey solutionsand software packages with limited func-tionality and versatility do not solve mostusers’ unique problems. They may provideeasy solutions at first but fail to meet user needs as application requirementsincrease. Many users choose LabVIEW for the completeness of its I/O, analysis,connectivity, and user interface capabili-ties, giving developers the ability to complete their jobs as specified and without compromise.

The success of LabVIEW can be largely attributed to its flexibility.Extensive acquisition, analysis, and pre-sentation capabilities are available within a single package, so that users can seam-lessly create a complete solution. Rande

LABVIEW

“The ability [LabVIEW gives me] to rapidly develop a user interface and prototype a system right in frontof our customers is incredible.”– Brad Hedstrom,

Advanced Measurements

October 1992

LabVIEW 2

LabVIEW for Macintosh

LabVIEW for Windows

LabVIEW for Windows NT

order

LPFX

f c

fs t

October 1986

January 1990

April 1990

LabVIEW for Sun

February 1990

U.S. Patent

U.S. Patent

Number4,914,568

April 1994

April 1994

U.S. Patent Number5,301,366

Number4,901,221

U.S. Patent Number5,301,301

LabVIEW ProjectApril 1983

LabVIEW (Version 3.0)

September 1992

October 1993

April 1994

LabVIEW for Windows 95

LabVIEW (Version 4.0)

LabVIEW for Power Macintosh October 1994

LabVIEW for HP-UX October 1994

October 1995

February 1996

The LabVIEW timeline shows continuing inno-vation in graphical programming.

tation system developers has increased significantly. Although LabVIEW usersattribute their success to a number ofdifferent features, the increased produc-tivity gained by developing with LabVIEWis clearly the number one reason for success. Both advanced C programmersand nonprogrammers alike successfullyuse LabVIEW to develop automated measurement systems – LabVIEW is a tool that makes their companies more competitive.1

– Tamra Pringle, LabVIEW Marketing

Manager

To learn more, circle LabVIEW Successeson the reply card or send the attachedLabVIEW reply card today.

References1 “Blasts from the Past,” Byte, September 1996,

page 40.2 Johnson, Gary W., LabVIEW Graphical Pro-

gramming – Practical Applications in Instru-

ment Control, McGraw-Hill 1994, p. xiii.3 Hedstrom, Brad.4 Straub, James A.,“LabVIEW Accelerates

Development of Industrial Control System,”

User Solutions article.5 Wise, Robert M.,“LabVIEW – Our Choice

for Cardiothoracic Research,” User Solutions

article.6 Regan, A.H., Ziomek, C.D., and Brooks, T.R.,

“Using LabVIEW to Make S-Parameter

Measurements,” User Solutions article.7 Karam, Chuck,“PC-Based Block Cycle

Controller for Mechanical Automotive

Component Testing,” User Solutions article.8 Hughes, Ken, and Moore, Jeff,“Monitoring

Interactions Between Molecules in Thin

Films,” User Solutions article.9 Karselis, Terence C.,“Teaching Instrumenta-

tion in the 21st Century with LabVIEW,” User

Solutions article.10 Balakrishna, Ramesh, LabVIEW video, 1996.11 Johnson, Rande, LabVIEW video, 1996.12 McFarland, Stuart, 1996.13 Karam, Chuck (see footnote 6).14 Drain, Barrie, LabVIEW video, 1996.15 Aldin, Munir, LabVIEW video, 1996.

gramming language – a graphical compiler.With this compiler,users do not have to sacrifice execution speed for the ease of use of graphical programming.LabVIEW programsexecute at speeds com-parable to that of stan-dard C programs.Chuck Karam fromEG&G Automotivefinds that the com-piled execution speed of LabVIEW is morethan fast enough to consolidate both themonitoring and controlof their automotive

component tester into a single PC.13

Powerful Add-On Tools and a HugeInstalled Base – The worldwide populari-ty of LabVIEW offers numerous advan-tages to its many users. With an extensiveuser group community, several onlineforums, and numerous consultants andsystems integrators in the NationalInstruments Alliance Program, help is readily available. In addition, more than 300 third-party companies developLabVIEW tools for specialized needs andindustries. Thus, users leverage many ofthese products in their applications with-out the need to rewrite them.

Technical Support – “If I have a prob-lem, I know that National Instruments willresolve it. With some manufacturers, I’mlucky to talk to anyone, let alone anyonewho can help me find an answer,”14 saysBarrie Drain of Revolve Technologies,Inc. Numerous others share this opinion.Munir Aldin from Shell Oil says, “One of the things that I like about NationalInstruments is the great customer supportand great customer service. They reallysupport their products and go out of theirway to maintain customer satisfaction.”15

Benefits Draw Users to LabVIEWIn the 10 years since we introducedLabVIEW, the productivity of instrumen-


Johnson of Stress Engineering reports,“Some systems make you take data withone package, analyze it with another, pro-cess and report with another. LabVIEWlets us do that easily with one shot.”11

An Open Environment – AlthoughLabVIEW users have all the tools they needfor most applications, users find it extreme-ly important to have an open developmentenvironment, giving them the capability touse external or existing code when needed.LabVIEW users can integrate numerousapplications into their complete solution.The CodeLinkTM feature in LabVIEW auto-matically converts DLLs written inLabWindows/CVI into VIs. Other con-nectivity features, such as OLE automa-tion, Internet capability, dynamic dataexchange (DDE),Apple Events, TCP/IP,and SQL database connectivity, ensure that users can easily integrate their applica-tion into their organization’s informationmanagement systems. Stuart McFarlandfrom Viewpoint Software Solutions says,“LabVIEW enables us to solve most appli-cations not only with the built-in featureset but also with the use of external Cfunctions, DLLs, and VxDs. We have not had an application yet that we could not solve using these tools.”12

Compiled Performance – LabVIEWoffers one other very important featurenot available in any other graphical pro-

LABVIEW

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory created an Internet-accessible, LabVIEW-based data acquisition and control system withreal-time video conferencing for a harsh environment.Using theLabVIEW GUI, clients can easily control different facility functionswhile viewing data in real time.

Intranets Open New PossibilitiesFor research, the Internet and a variety of World Wide Web search engines areobvious tools for gathering information.Likewise, scientists are publishing theirfindings from experiments on theInternet. However, the emergence ofintranets, a series of networked com-puters accessible only within a particularorganization, has opened new opportuni-ties for development teams. The key ofan intranet network is that it leverages all of the power, flexibility, and ease ofuse of tools designed for the Internet and World Wide Web behind the safety of your company’s information firewall.

Many companies are using an intra-net network to publish internal companyinformation, such as company policies,holiday schedules, travel schedules, and so on. Intranets are becoming successfulbecause they are very easy to use, just

like the Internet.Many test engi-

neering groups areusing intranets asimportant internaltracking and archiv-ing tools for testprogram sets.Teams are using web pages withinteractive links totest program filesarchived on an FTPserver as a primarymechanism for dis-tributing the latestsource code versionsto team members.Because many orga-nizations are sharingtest code betweenseveral development

The Internet is the most talked-about and written-about development in the PC industry since the release ofWindows 95. The recent explosion ofInternet technology has created entire new industries, product segments, and services thought inconceivable only a few months ago. In the future, the Inter-net promises to radically change the waythat we research, advertise, buy, and sellproducts and services.

National Instruments has developedtwo new toolkits to help LabVIEW,BridgeVIEW, and LabWindows/CVI users take advantage of the Internet toextend the capabilities of virtual instru-mentation and to include remote applica-tions. With the Internet DevelopersToolkits, you can quickly and easily con-vert any of your existing applications intoan Internet-aware virtual instrument thatyou can view from any web browser on a computer connected to the Internet.

he ever-changing technology and incredible hype surrounding the Internet and World Wide Web can overwhelm even the most dedicated followers of the PC industry. However, you can filter much of the noise

about the Internet to find real advantages for scientists and engi-neers. Indeed, many engineering organizations are using theInternet and intranets to boost their development productivity.


Virtual Instrumentation Hits the Internetgroups and product teams, using anintranet as the front end to a centralrepository is key. In addition, the highlyinteractive and graphical possibilities of HTML make an ideal medium for displaying complicated procedures, test-ing instructions, design specifications,and so on. What better place to learn how to use test software or utilities downloaded from a web page then a user manual you can view on the web?

Lucent Technologies is using anintranet site as a key resource for their distributed development team of test en-gineers.“Our intranet site has meant hugeproductivity gains for our developers,”

says Kevin Rea, Software DevelopmentEngineer. “We developed a web page interface to our internal source code control system to make it easy to down-load the latest version of our LabVIEW-based Test Executive, as well as any patches or documentation. We have alsoprovided mechanisms for users to inputbug reports, requests, and commentsabout the test software. We have users on multiple platforms, in different prod-uct groups, and in different physical loca-tions around the world. Through ourintranet site, any user on any platform can immediately get the latest test revi-sions and the accompanying documen-tation with a simple mouse click. We see more and more possibilities with the Internet technology – we have noteven scratched the surface yet.”

Remote Monitoring and Control through the InternetDocumentation and file sharing are not the only applications of the Inter-net for scientists and engineers. Combin-ing the Internet and World Wide Web with the latest tools for LabVIEW,

T

Many test development teams are using an intranet server as a file sharingand documentation tool.

Combining the Internet and WorldWide Web with the latest tools forLabVIEW, BridgeVIEW, andLabWindows/CVI is making remote monitoring applications quick and easy to build.

INTERNET SOLUTIONS

Test Developers Home Page

Intranet Server

• Design docs• Validation data

• Development schedule

• Test code source

• Fixture instructions

• Test methods

Production testgroups

Field support engineers

Design engineers

• Common questions

• Bug tracking• Installation guide

▲

▲ ▲ ▲

▲ ▲

e-mail messages from your applications,and send and receive files to and from FTP servers. Although the toolkits forLabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI are different, they follow a similar approach.Both toolkits provide mechanisms toautomatically convert the front panel ofan actively running virtual instrumentinto an image and serve it to any clientconnected to the PC. Using the built-inTCP libraries, the LabVIEW, BridgeVIEW,and LabWindows/CVI applications act asthe web server, monitoring the web porton the computer waiting for clientmachines to connect. Therefore, you do not need any special software installed to make your virtual instruments visibleover the Internet.

When you connect to the computerrunning your virtual instrument, you can pass parameters to specify if you want a snapshot of the front panel or ifyou would like an animated view of thefront panel with continuous updates. You


BridgeVIEW, and LabWindows/CVI ismaking remote monitoring applicationsquick and easy to build. From viewing thestatus of factory test systems from youroffice to monitoring a control systemlocated in a remote location halfway aroundthe world, the Internet makes it easy.

The Internet Developers ToolkitWhy are engineers using the Internet?Because it is already there and they arefamiliar with using it. By taking advantageof Internet-aware virtual instrument tools,engineers are not required to set up cus-tom networking hardware or software –they can use standard TCP/IP andEthernet adapters. In addition, they can easily access these remote virtualinstruments simply by launching Netscapeor Internet Explorer and entering theappropriate URL.

With the Internet Developers Toolkits,you can display the front panels of virtualinstruments across the Internet, send

can append parameters to specify howoften the updates should occur. Once youmake the connection, the server functionsautomatically convert the front panels ofthe requested VIs into images and sendthem back to the connected clients. Withboth toolkits, you can control how manyusers are connected. In addition, bothtoolkits provide security mechanisms thatrequire appropriate user name/passwordinformation to make a connection.

Both toolkits provide mechanisms for handling input from remote users.With LabVIEW and BridgeVIEW, you canbuild your own common gateway interfaces(CGIs) in the G graphical programminglanguage for responding to user input fromweb pages. The G web server is designed to receive a request from a user, pass therequest to CGI VI to process the request,and then respond appropriately. Includedwith the toolkit is a collection of CGI VIsfor handling common requests as well as atemplate source file to help you get startedwriting your own CGIs in G.

The LabWindows/CVI toolkit offers a slightly different approach for handlinguser input. With image maps, you can view

a virtual instrument front panel in yourweb browser and actually click on controls.These mouse-clicks are then passed over theInternet directly to the LabWindows/CVIprogram running on the server, where theyare processed just as if a local user wasoperating the front panel. This provides a limited level of remote control of yourvirtual instruments over the Internet.1– John Pasquarette, Instrumentation Software

Marketing Manager

Turn to page 13 to learn more about theLabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI InternetDevelopers Toolkits.

For more information on Internet solu-tions, circle Internet kit.

National Instruments has developed two new toolkits to help LabVIEW, BridgeVIEW,and LabWindows/CVI users.

With the new Internet Developers Toolkits, you can view the operation of any virtual instrument overthe Internet/intranet.

INTERNET SOLUTIONS

National Instruments and Apple Computer – A New Era in Partnership


APPLE COMMITMENT

When the LabVIEW development projectbegan in 1983, the only computer capableof helping us realize our dream for virtualinstrumentation was the Macintosh. Wellahead of its time, Apple offered the bestoperating system and user interface tech-nology for use with graphical program-ming. In 1986, we introduced LabVIEW on the Macintosh. This was the start ofthe virtual instrumentation revolution.

We introduced our first DAQ and GPIBboards products along with the debut of theMacintosh II in March 1987. Since then, wehave remained committed to providingDAQ solutions for Macintosh-based appli-cations. In fact, our first PCI-based DAQ

boards were released with Mac OS softwareso that users of the new Power Macintoshcomputers would have an upgrade pathfrom their old NuBus machines to the morepowerful PowerPC machines with PCI.

1996 – Apple’s Renewed Cooperation Early in 1996, we were visited in Austin by Mike Dionne, Senior Vice President for Business Markets, and Brian Mellea,Manager for Science, Engineering, andDesign Markets. We discussed the recentchanges at Apple, their future direction,issues we have had with Apple, and waysthat we can both work to make sure that the Macintosh improves as a tool for dataacquisition and instrument control.

An immediate outcome of the visit wasthe resolution of a long-standing PCMCIAinterface problem. This made it possible for us to complete our PCMCIA softwaredevelopment for the Mac OS and for you to realize the benefits of portable virtual

instruments. Apple has publicly stated thatthe technical markets of science, engineer-ing, and design constitute one of their keymarket areas. Apple even has a specific web page dedicated to technical markets(www.technical.apple.com).

Plans for joint marketing and develop-ment efforts are underway. All indicationsare that as the major Apple developer in ourmarket, we will receive the attention andassistance we need to keep pace with newtechnology Apple will pioneer, such as the IEEE 1394 high-speed serial bus (also known as FireWire).

Future PlansAt the moment, we have six PCI and seven PC Card products for the latestMacintosh and Mac OS compatible com-puters (see table). In the future, we willextend the capabilities of PCI data ac-quisition and instrument control by offer-ing a family of bus-master boards. Then,we can discover the real power of PCI for creating DAQ solutions.

We are rewriting NI-DAQ® software witha new architecture to make it efficient andfast for us to port NI-DAQ internal codefrom one operating system to another. Ourlong-term goal is to simultaneously releasenew PCI and PC Card products with bothMac OS and Windows drivers.1

– Ed McConnell, DAQ Product Marketing

Manager

– Dudley Baker, Corporate Marketing Specialist

For more information, circle AppleProducts Flyer on the reply card.

PowerPC

PCI PCMCIAOur long-term goal is to simultane-ously release new PCI and PC Cardproducts with both Mac OS andWindows drivers.

An overview of PCI and PC Card products that work with the Mac OS.

long and valued heritage exists between NationalInstruments and Apple. In fact, we owe much of our initial success and the start of virtual instrumentation to the early acceptance of the Macintosh as a tool for

instrument control, data acquisition, data analysis, and visual-ization. Since early this year, Apple Computer and NationalInstruments have experienced a renewed level of cooperation and communication that benefits you.

A

The combination of the Macintosh PowerPCwith PCI and PCMCIA products from NationalInstruments gives a solid foundation for build-ing virtual instruments.

Macintosh PCI BoardsPCI-MIO-16XE-50 16 analog inputs, 16-bit, 20 kS/s sampling rate, 2 analog outputs,

8 DIO, 2 counter/timersPCI-1200 8 analog inputs, 12-bit, 100 kS/s sampling rate, 2 analog outputs,

24 DIO, 3 counter/timersPCI- DIO-96 96 lines of TTL digital I/OPCI-GPIB Maximum transfer rate: 1.5 Mbytes/s (IEEE 488.1), 3.7 Mbytes/s (HS488)VXI-PCI8040 Computer interface from PCI to VXI bus using MXI technologyVME-PCI8040 Computer interface from PCI to VME bus using MXI technology

Macintosh PCMCIA CardsDAQCard-1200 8 analog inputs, 12-bit, 100 kS/s sampling rate, 2 analog outputs,

24 DIO, 3 counter/timersDAQCard-700 16 analog inputs, 12-bit, 100 kS/s sampling rate, 8 DIO, 3 counter/timersDAQCard-500 8 analog inputs, 12-bit, 50 kS/s sampling rate, 8 DIO, 3 counter/timersDAQCard-AO-2DC 2 voltage outputs and 4-20 mA current outputs DAQCard-DIO-24 24 lines of TTL digital I/ODAQCard-ER-8 8 electromechanical relay kit for switching 3A at 30 VDC or 250 VrmsPCMCIA-GPIB Maximum transfer rate: 1.5 Mbytes/s (IEEE 488.1), 2.3 Mbytes/s (HS488)

A Strong Foundation for Virtual Instrumentation

IMAQ Vision and LabVIEW Automate Seedling Analysis


USER SOLUTIONS

uate and choose the best imaging sequenceto restore the full leaf area of the seedlings andremove all unwanted objects in the entireimage. From a set-up menu, operators canedit this sequence by combining functionspresented in a list box along with their appro-priate input parameters and apply it to sam-ple images for testing. Operators can also val-idate leaf color choice and then easily studyan associated image processing sequence.

ConclusionWe have used the CASA program atGoldsmith Seeds (Gilroy, CA) since May1995 and have already made several modi-fications to address new demands of theresearchers. The LabVIEW-based programmade it easy to implement these changes.Another important benefit of usingLabVIEW for such an application is its ability to integrate with other dataacquisition and instrument control sys-tems; controlling a motorized conveyorbelt or soil analyzers, for instance.1For more information,contact AnneMenendez at GTFS Inc.,2455 Bennett ValleyRoad,Suite 100C, Santa Rosa,CA 95404,tel(707) 579-1733,e-mail [email protected],webwww.gtfs.com.

leaves identified by the program are high-lighted in red. The program accumulatestheir count, sizes, and statistical data in areport that can display, save, and print atany time. Statistics include the average leafarea and standard deviation as well as stan-dard and weighted uniformity factors.

Setting an Experiment The application settings are critical to runningan experiment. These include (1) configur-ing the image acquisition board, (2) delim-iting the portion of the tray to analyze, (3)defining the color of the leaves to analyzeand, if necessary, (4) defining an image pro-cessing sequence to filter unwanted objectsand prepare the leaves for measurement.

With IMAQ Vision software, functionscan detect and measure objects in an imageafter they have been converted into binaryobjects. The image functions used for thisprocess include threshold operations andbinary morphology functions. Operatorscan combine them to define an image pro-cessing sequence automatically applied tothe image prior to its analysis. Typical cor-rections include opening and dilatingbinary objects, filling holes, and separatingtouching objects. The operator has to eval-

by Anne Menendez, President,GTFS Inc.

The Challenge: Developing a flexible, software-based image pro-cessing system for monitoring thequality of seedlings and predictingcounts of good seedlings at final day of germination.The Solution: Creating the CASAprogram, developed with IMAQVision and LabVIEW software, tocount seedlings, measure their leafarea, and generate reports.

GTFS, a National Instruments AllianceProgram member, developed a softwareprogram for Goldsmith Seeds that countstest seedlings placed on a tray, measures leafarea, and calculates a quality or uniformityfactor for the tray. To achieve the flexibilityrequired, we chose IMAQ Vision andLabVIEW software for designing andimplementing the program, called Com-puter Automated Seed Analysis (CASA).

Using the LabVIEW graphical userinterface (GUI), we created an easy-to-useoperator interface for setting the parame-ters of the application, developing a data-base of configuration files per variety ofseedling, and presenting results. IMAQVision added the vision functions neces-sary for video capture, image display,image processing, and analysis.

The Image Processing SystemThe system is composed of a Pentiumcomputer equipped with a frame-grabberboard and camera. The camera is mount-ed to look down on the bench. Operatorsmove the trays of seedlings, one at a time,onto the bench and place them at a loca-tion defined by metal brackets. The benchis covered with a black tarp to attenuatefluctuations of luminosity in the green-house. From the CASA main menu, theoperator initiates the capture of an imageand enters the serial number of the tray.The image appears on the screen and the

The analysis of test germination seedling is automated at Goldsmith Seeds Inc. using the CASA pro-gram developed with IMAQ Vision and LabVIEW.

The choice of IMAQ Vision andLabVIEW proved ideal for designingand implementing the program.

G Math Toolkit Offers Math and Data Visualization for G Programmers

Math Toolkit also includes more than 100 high-level math VIs for ordinary dif-ferential equations (ODEs), root solving,optimization, integration, differentiation,transforms, and function evaluation.1For a G Math Toolkit data sheet, circlethis option on the reply card.


opment and then interact with the frontpanel to gain further insight.

In addition, you can solve equationsfrom your LabVIEW and BridgeVIEWfront panels. The G Math Toolkit includesparser VIs for parsing equations entered asstrings on the front panel. The LabVIEW

he new G Math Toolkit for LabVIEWand BridgeVIEW, a multipurpose

add-on package for math, data analysis,and data visualization, can help you solveadvanced math problems. With the new G Math Toolkit, you can input equationsor systems of equations on a front paneland then mathematically solve problemsby graphically assembling your block dia-gram. This toolkit can dramatically affectthe way engineers and scientists solve andsimulate problems.

Mathematically, the G Math Toolkitdelivers numerical recipes in G sourcecode, so now developers can solve ad-vanced mathematics problems using thepower and speed of graphical program-ming. The toolkit is based on the industry-standard Numerical Recipes in C bookwritten by Press, Flannery, Teukolsky,and Vetterling. With numerical recipes in G source code, you can immediatelymodify the diagram and front panel forcustom applications and algorithm devel-

T

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENTS

With the G Math Toolkit, you can solve for-mulas from your front panel and simulate and model with more than 100 VIs in Gsource code.

WYG). LabVIEW users will find the WYSI-WYG printing feature of HiQ helps in dataacquisition and test and measurement ap-plications that need quality printing andtechnical report generation capabilities.

The HiQ open beta program hashelped users solve many technical prob-lems. Users are taking advantage of HiQBeta 1 to visualize engine temperatures,pollutants in stack pipes, salinity 3D sur-face plots, pH, ocean temperature, and a host of other applications. In the HiQUser Forum, one user writes:

“Kudos to HiQ. I managed to plot a 7 MB file as a 3D surface. Next, I’ll try a data file that’s 35 MB in size. HiQ is aPROPER Win32 application where data set size is not an issue.”

We are developing HiQ to deliverinteractive analysis to technical docu-ments with ActiveX capabilities such asWord, PowerPoint, and Excel. Our visionof HiQ is to deliver interactivity to analy-sis and technical documents in the sameway LabVIEW delivered interactivity to virtual instrumentation.

he latest beta version of HiQ,HiQ Beta 2, (download at

www.natinst.com/hiq) adds more userinterface, navigation, file I/O connectionsto LabVIEW, and ease-of-use functionali-ty along with the ability to print. Othernew capabilities include faster computing,easier navigation between notebook pageswith notebook section tabs, and faster 3D graphics speed.

Plus, the look and feel of HiQ haschanged. Now, each notebook page has apage layout format. You can print HiQ ob-jects, such as 2D and 3D graphs and embed-ded Word documents within page borders– and, what you see is what you get (WYSI-

Overall, HiQ Beta 1 has excited usersbecause of its powerful math and datavisualization capabilities and its ActiveXnotebook interface for organizing anddocumenting technical calculations.ActiveX technology gives you the ability toleverage other applications inside of HiQ.You can embed Excel worksheets, Worddocuments, Microsoft Equation, and anyother ActiveX-compatible product.

You can post your own technical ques-tions and review what other users havesaid about HiQ by checking out the HiQUser Forum at (www.natinst.com/hiq).1Download HiQ Beta 2 fromwww.natinst.com/hiq.

HiQ Beta 2 Adds Printing and New Capabilities for Creating Reports

T

“Kudos to HiQ. I managed to plot a 7 MB file as a 3D surface. Next, I’ll trya data file that’s 35 MB in size. HiQ is a PROPER Win 32 applicationwhere data set size is not an issue.”– HiQ User Forum

The request above returns a snapshotof the front panel. You can also request ananimated view of the front panel with thefollowing connection:

http://123.456.

78.9/.monitor?myprogram.vi&refre

sh=1.0&lifespan=60.0

The refresh parameter specifies howoften the image is updated (once everysecond) while the lifespan parameter specifies how long the animation lasts (60 seconds). You can enter these linksdirectly into a web browser or you canembed them within HTML pages to allow for comments, images, or titles surrounding the active front panel.It’s that easy!

The LabWindows/CVI HTTP Server ToolsThe LabWindows/CVI InternetDevelopers Toolkit includes a library formaking your LabWindows/CVI applica-tions act as HTTP servers. By adding a fewsimple functions to any C program devel-oped with LabWindows/CVI, you canautomatically serve animated front panelsacross the Internet. The basic architectureis built around the concept of “pushing”image files over the Internet to any clients connected to the server. TheLabWindows/CVI library contains a

series of high-level functions for setting up and configuring the server operation as well as low-level functions for savingindividual user interface controls or entirefront panels to an image file. By combin-ing these operations, you have a high levelof control over how the server operatesand when it updates clients.

Working with Standard Web Servers and SecurityConsiderationsBy using LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVIas web servers, you can quickly and easilyenable virtual instruments for the Internetwithout any additional software on yoursystem. However, users who are alreadyrunning a web server can incorporate their LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI virtual instruments into these standardweb servers. Because the tools provide amechanism for converting any virtualinstrument front panel into a JPEG,you can easily integrate your VIs into any standard web server.

Security is an important considera-tion for server operators. The InternetDeveloper Toolkits use standard accessfiles to control who can view documentson the server and which documents areopen for view.

E-Mail and FTP Client CapabilitiesThe LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVIInternet Developers Toolkits have very similar libraries for sending e-mail mes-sages and sending/receiving files to an FTP server. Using the e-mail functions,you can programmatically send a mes-sage to an e-mail address with severalattached files.

With the Internet Developers Toolkits,you can easily view the front panel of a VI running on another computer. Lookfor future product developments fromNational Instruments in the areas of high-speed data passing and dynamic frontpanel control over the Internet.1

For an Internet kit, circle this option on the reply card or visit www.natinst.com to download a beta copy of the InternetDevelopers Toolkit.


Get Connected with New Internet Developers Toolkitshe new Internet Developers Toolkits provide new capabili-

ties for LabVIEW, BridgeVIEW, andLabWindows/CVI users to build remotemonitoring applications through theInternet. With these new tools, you canview virtual instruments running on anycomputer and incorporate e-mail or FTPcommunications into your applications.

The G HTTP ServerBecause LabVIEW is a multitasking pro-gramming language where you can runseveral VIs simultaneously, we developedthe G HTTP Server as a completely sepa-rate utility VI. You can therefore serveimages of any existing VI without chang-ing the source code of that VI – the serveris completely noninvasive to your applica-tion. To view any VI over the Internet, yousimply launch the G HTTP server. Theserver “listens” for connections on the webport of the local computer. Users on othercomputers send requests to the server toview the front panels of active VIs. Forexample, if you are running a monitor-ing application on a computer with an IPaddress of 123.456.78.9, you can useNetscape from any other computer to viewthe front panel of the application by enter-ing the following URL:http://123.456.

With the Internet Developers Toolkits, you can view your virtual instruments over the Internet andalso programmatically send e-mail and FTP files.

T

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENTS

Image of Virtual

InstrumentLabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI

and Internet Developers Toolkit

SMTP E-Mail Server

Web Browser

E-Mail Message

FTP Data Files

FTP Servers

Virtual Instrument

instrumentation - national instruments

Documents