Labview Graphical Programming (2nd edition)

Citation

(1998), "Labview Graphical Programming (2nd edition)", Industrial Robot, Vol. 25 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.1998.04925cae.002

Labview Graphical Programming (2nd edition)

Labview Graphical Programming (2nd edition)

Gary W. JohnsonMcGraw Hill1997665 pagesISBN 0-07-0329-15-X£49.99, includes CD-ROMKeywords Johnson, G., Programming, Software

A hands on programmers guide for National Instruments Corporation's LABVIEW graphical instrumentation and control environment, written by a dedicated enthusiast. The author's longstanding association with the product through its use at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and a certain involvement in its development, makes him well qualified to offer advice for the less experienced programmer. The LABVIEW package offers the user a graphical programming environment that enables the rapid development of virtual instruments, data acquisition and control systems, operator interfaces and the like, running on a number of different computing platforms and signal acquisition hardware.

The book is aimed in between a novice's guide and a complete reference text, and as such it makes some assumptions about the reader's knowledge of the software. That said, it is perfectly readable by the LABVIEW novice, the author's informal and enthusiastic style making the programming process look perfectly straightforward. The text's emphasis is on practical approaches to problems, with examples of solutions to awkward problems and ways of sidestepping common pitfalls. The book's chapters can be loosely grouped into the general structure and methodologies within the tool, the processes involved in the building of generic applications, and specific instrumentation techniques. The latter is particularly good for a programming oriented book, with some fundamental instrumentation hardware issues spelled out for the reader less familiar with the electronic hardware elements of an instrumentation system.

A useful independent source of information distinct from manufacturers' data, this is the type of volume that is invaluable when developing a system with relatively unfamiliar software. The examples in the text give a flavour of the correct way to approach problems and specific applications, speeding the learning process for the programmer. Where the direction of the content tends to exceed the remit of the book, the author provides ample references to further suitable texts, organisations and online information, and there is an appendix of contact details for compatible equipment vendors. The book comes complete with a CD-ROM containing documentation, examples and utilities.