CLA Summit 2013: “Connecting LabVIEW to Everything Else” Video & Slides Now Available

Posted on May 20, 2013 by JKI

Back in March, JKI had the distinct pleasure of sending a handful of our people to the annual National Instruments Certified LabVIEW Architect (CLA) Summit in Austin, TX.  It was great seeing so many of the top LabVIEW developers from around the world and learning from them about this year’s theme: Delivering Professional Software.

Our CEO, Jim Kring, gave a talk at the Summit called “Connecting LabVIEW to Everything Else.” Jim discussed the business value of providing application programming interfaces (APIs) to all (or nearly all) components of software systems created using LabVIEW.  Jim demonstrated how API designs allow JKI to develop embedded instruments that can be controlled with a touchscreen, or via SCPI commands, or even from external Python code running on remote network machines (via TCP/IP). Treating APIs as a first-class citizen in the software design process ensures the software remains open and modular, and allows text-based and other external programming environments to control the system remotely – powerful stuff!  For the grand finale, Jim showed how these same APIs made it easy to control the system from an iPad tablet using the LabVIEW Data Dashboard.

If you missed the Summit, you can catch up on what you missed by watching the video of Jim’s talk below. You can also follow along with the slides below that.

Are you spinning your wheels trying to make your applications work with other non-LabVIEW systems? Do you want the Python guys at your company to love you? We can help. Give us a call and tell us the problem you need to solve. 

(The video is an hour long. If you don’t have time to watch it all, scroll down for links to the highlights.)

 

Direct Links to Video Highlights

2:00 – You are an API Designer
6:30 – Business Value of APIs
10:30 – Instrument APIs using SCPI
15:05 – Embedding LabVIEW Becoming More Practical
16:06 – Demo: LabVIEW-powered instrument with SCPI API
23:54 – SCPI API Implementation in LabVIEW (Outline & Demo)
31:20 – API Technologies
36:05 – Language Bindings, External vs. Internal APIs
42:26 – Demo: Calling into LabVIEW from Python
51:00 – APIs and Systems (Discussion)
57:50 – Touch / iPad interfaces to LabVIEW instruments (Overview)
58:50 – Demo: iPad interface to instrument

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VIPM 2013 Now Available

Posted on May 13, 2013 by JKI


VIPM Logo

VI Package Manager 2013 is here! Click here to download it. VIPM 2013 continues the refinement and improvement of VIPM for LabVIEW teams and add-on creators.

This year’s update makes VIPM easier to use and maintain on multiple machines, adds new features suggested by users on the VIPM Idea Exchange, and brings the Mac version of VIPM up to date with the Windows build.

If you’re already a VIPM Pro user, your upgrade is either free or $349. For new purchases, VIPM Pro is still just $499. Of course, VIPM Free is always free for everyone.

Here are a few of the most important changes in VIPM 2013. For full details, read the release notes or just go to the download page to get started.

Package Building Improvements

  • Support for .ctl files in the Functions palette. Now you can add controls/typedef’s to your package’s Functions palette. When you drop them on the block diagram, you’ll get a constant.
  • Better Pre- and Post-build action handling. VIPM 2013 does a better job of handling pre- and post-build actions in error situations, and also prompts the user if they try to execute an action that’s disallowed in VIPM Free.
  • Improvements to license file management for users who do their own custom license binding.

Repository Management Improvements

  • Multiple Repository Management. Switch between multiple VI Package Repositories without leaving the Repository Manager window.
  • Easier Package Publishing. Publish packages by dragging them from the VIPM Main Window into your Repository window.

VIPM Installer Improvements

  • No more separate Run-Time Engine download. The Windows and Mac VIPM installers both contain the necessary components of the LabVIEW RTE, so installation is a breeze.
  • Silent command-line install support. VIPM can now be installed silently from the command line, to enable automated installation.

Mac OS X version in sync with Windows

Until now, the latest version of VIPM for Mac OS X has been VIPM 2010. This release brings the Mac version back up to parity with its Windows cousin. Mac users can take advantage of everything VIPM has to offer:

  • Repository Management
  • Package Building
  • VIPC File Creation
  • …and more.

 

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Do The Harlem Shake – LabVIEW Style!

Posted on April 1, 2013 by JKI

We enjoy a good Harlem Shake as much as anyone else, so we thought, “Let’s do it… LabVIEW Style!”

We’re proud to note that the JKI team hatched this idea at the Americas CLA Summit 2013. The energy and creativity of the Summit really got our juices flowing, and we’ll have more blog posts about our CLA Summit experience coming soon!

How’d we do it? LabVIEW Scripting, of course. Want to know more? Post in the comments!

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CLA Summit 2013: Delivering Professional Software

Posted on March 1, 2013 by JKI

Certified-LabVIEW-Architect_rgb (1)

It’s that time of year again – The Americas CLA Summit in Austin is next week!

In just a few short years, the annual National Instruments Certified LabVIEW Architect Summit has established itself as the premiere LabVIEW technical conference aside from NIWeek itself. This year marks the fourth US CLA Summit, and the second European CLA Summit.

The CLA Summit is unique because the content of the conference is determined entirely by attendees themselves. This year’s topic (in the US) is Delivering Professional Software. From development processes, to user experience, to application distribution, to licensing, to customer support, it’s a topic that touches every Certified LabVIEW Architect.

In addition to connecting with our friends and colleagues in the LabVIEW community, JKI will be leading two talks/discussions at this year’s Americas CLA Summit:

Connecting LabVIEW to Everything Else
Jim Kring, JKI CEO

Our customers want the software we create to be “open,” in the sense that they need to integrate it into other business systems, or they need to use it from their own system development, or they just need to get data out in the way they want. This means providing an external API that users/clients can access – especially from tools other than LabVIEW. Jim will explain why external APIs are a fundamental part of professional software development, and will explore how different types of APIs are useful at different stages of development all the way from proof-of-concept to final shipment. There will be plenty of time, too, for people to share their own experiences.

Software Licenses for Dummies
Justin Goeres, JKI Marketing Manager and Senior Engineer

All professional software developers need to know the basics of software licenses: what “copyright” is, and what common licenses such as GPL, LGPL, BSD, the LabVIEW EULA, and even the and ni.com Terms of Use really mean. Unfortunately, many people are misinformed (or just afraid) about how these basic, common legal agreements affect them. Justin will try to cut through some of the fog with examples and common plain-English definitions to help you deal with software licenses.

If you’re a Certified LabVIEW Architect, we hope to see you at the Summit! If not, or if your boss didn’t buy the reasons you should attend, then watch this space. We’ll post our presentation content afterwards.

 

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Celebrate Cyber Monday with 50% off VIPM Pro.

Posted on November 25, 2012 by JKI

Cyber Monday 50% VIPM Pro

Cyber Monday is here! What better way to kick off your holiday shopping than by getting something for yourself and your team?

TODAY ONLY (26 Nov), JKI is offering 50% off all VIPM license purchases and renewals. Buy VIPM from our website and enter the discount code CYBERMONDAY2012 at checkout, or click this link to add VIPM Pro to your cart and apply the discount automatically.

Have you been thinking of purchasing VIPM Pro for yourself or your colleagues? There’s no time like the present. If you need to run the purchase through your company, contact us today for a quote; we’ll hold the discount for you.

To learn more about VIPM, visit our website.

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VIPM 2012 SP1 is here. Upgrade today!

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Michael Aivaliotis

VIPM Logo

We’re pleased to announce the availability of VI Package Manager 2012 Service Pack 1.

We’ve been hard at work ever since VIPM 2012 began shipping on the LabVIEW Platform DVD a couple months ago. We’ve squashed a bunch of bugs reported in our forums, and we also snuck in a few new features from the VIPM Idea Exchange. For full details, read the release notes here.

VIPM 2012 SP1 is a free upgrade and won’t require to you to reactivate your license, so don’t wait. Click here to upgrade.

Download VIPM 2012 SP1

Cyber Monday is Coming. Save on VIPM!

November 26th (one week from today) is Cyber Monday, the unofficial kickoff of holiday shopping season in the United States. To celebrate, JKI will be offering 50% off all VIPM license purchases and renewals. If you’ve been thinking about purchasing VIPM Pro, Cyber Monday will be a great opportunity to do it. Look for our special deal on the JKI Blog or in your inbox one week from today!

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Secret Sauce tomorrow at the November 13 Bay Area LVUG

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Justin Goeres

Bay Area LabVIEW User Group LogoThe next Bay Area LabVIEW User Group meeting is tomorrow, November 13. If you’re in or around Sunnyvale or the rest of the Bay Area, don’t miss it!

When: Tuesday, November 13th, 2012  5:45 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: Tu Mero Mole at 590 Old San Francisco Road, Sunnyvale, CA, 94086
To Register: Sign up here.

Like usual, this BALUG meeting will feature several different presentation & discussion topics. Jim Kring will reprise JKI’s popular NIWeek 2012 presentation, “Secret Sauce: Tools to Make You a Better LabVIEW Developer,” James Hannah from Solution Sources Programming will dive deep into LabVIEW Data Structures, and NI Field Engineer Thaison Verasiri will explore the latest LabVIEW templates for application development.

Come for the food, drink, and friends, then stay for the knowledge. We’ll see you there!

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Come See JKI at NITS 2012 Santa Clara, October 25th

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Justin Goeres

Calling all Bay Area LabVIEW users! Join JKI at the 2012 National Instruments Technical Symposium this Thursday, October 25th. At this free, full-day conference, you’ll learn all about the latest NI technologies and development techniques for taking your measurement and automation systems to the next level.

You’ll also learn about the great new capabilities of LabVIEW 2012, including the feature we’re most proud of: VI Package Manager 2012 now ships on the LabVIEW Platform DVD. If you do any kind of professional development in LabVIEW, and especially if you work on a team or handle multiple projects, stop by our NITS booth and see how VIPM can help you work smarter.

The Bay Area is home to one of the most thriving corners of the LabVIEW ecosystem, so don’t miss this opportunity to mingle and network with all your LabVIEW and National Instruments friends. We’ll see you there!

Register Now

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NIWeek 2012: “Fire and Forget: Bulletproof Builds Using Continuous Integration With LabVIEW” Video & Slides Now Available

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Omar Mussa

Thanks to everyone who attended my technical session at NIWeek 2012, “Fire and Forget: Bulletproof Builds Using Continuous Integration With LabVIEW.” The session was at the end of the last day of the conference, but the attendance and the energy was still great!

Continuous Integration (CI)–continuously building and integrating your application to reduce risk and improve quality–is an important part of modern professional software development. There are many ways to implement CI for your LabVIEW projects, and in this presentation I describe how JKI has integrated Jenkins into our build process and how you can do the same thing in your organization.

But first, I’d like to present to you ‘the missing slide’ from my presentation. I omitted an overview of what the CI process looks like from high above.

 

Of course, things can get more interesting as you automate more and more of your build and release (i.e. integration) processes – as I show in my presentation and in the sample code below.  In the presentation example, we’re continuously building a VI Package using VIPM’s new API – but you can easily imagine doing the same thing for a LabVIEW built executable or installer.

If you want to get a jump-start on using Jenkins with LabVIEW in your organization, download the sample code from this presentation and get started.

If you’re interested in Continuous Integration support services from JKI, contact us and we can discuss your CI needs and whether JKI services could help!

How do you bulletproof your LabVIEW builds? Join the conversation in the comments.

Video in part courtesy of Tecnova‘s Mark Balla, LabVIEW Champion and friend of JKI. Thanks, Mark!

 

P.S. The original xkcd comic is here. The alt-text is, “I find that when someone’s taking time to do something right in the present, they’re a perfectionist with no ability to prioritize, whereas when someone took time to do something right in the past, they’re a master artisan of great foresight.”
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NIWeek 2012: “Secret Sauce: Tools to Make You a Better LabVIEW Developer” Video & Slides Now Available

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Justin Goeres

This year I decided to do something a little bit different for NIWeek: an explicitly non-LabVIEW technical session! Obviously we all love LabVIEW and it’s why we’re all thrilled to get up and go to our jobs each morning, but how much time do you really spend writing code each week? It’s likely that a lot of your time is spent elsewhere – processing bugs, managing projects, communicating with customers, etc. In this technical session, I focus on all the tools we use at JKI besides LabVIEW, to take the pain out of all that business-critical non-coding time.

Thanks again to everyone who attended. For those of you who were there, your enthusiasm and your questions/comments made it a great experience for me and (hopefully) for the rest of the attendees. If you missed it, don’t worry – see the video and slides below!

What tools do you use to help you work smarter? Add your thoughts in the comments.

Video in part courtesy of Tecnova‘s Mark Balla, LabVIEW Champion and friend of JKI. Thanks, Mark!

 

 

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