National Instruments unveils LabView 6.1

Austin, Tex.— To help users instantly enable web-based measurements, National Instruments (NI) launched LabView 6.1 on Jan. 15. This is the latest release of NI’s widely used graphical development environment for test, monitoring and control applications from the research lab to the plant floor.

LabView 6.1 builds on the web capabilities of LabView 6i by simplifying the creation of remote applications, as well as integrating the latest technologies for XML and wireless communications. As a result, LabView 6.1 makes it easier for engineers to control their applications in seconds from any commonly used web browser located anywhere.

In just two mouse clicks, engineers can instantly embed their application’s front panel in a web browser, reducing the time and costs typically associated with developing remote applications. Using this feature, colleagues across an office or worldwide can connect to the same system to view an application in real-time, and engineers can easily control hardware from a separate office or from home.

“My client has an application that takes 12 hours to run. At the conclusion of the test, the operator makes minor changes and starts a new run,” says Allan Pakett, a consultant at AGP Engineering (San Diego, Calif.) and a LabView programmer since 1992. “With the new remote panel feature in LabView 6.1, my client can control the application remotely, and change test parameters via a web browser at his home.”

Besides delivering new tools to maximize web-based advantages, NI reports that LabView 6.1 uses commercial technologies to expand networking capabilities. The newest version works seamlessly with Windows XP, delivering the operating system’s increased networking features and enhanced stability. LabView 6.1 also includes wireless, infrared data communications protocols that allow users to create applications that communicate via wireless devices, such as PDAs. Engineers also can import and export XML-formatted data with LabView to rapidly integrate virtual instruments (VIs) with other web or database applications in their enterprises.

For more information, visit ww.ni.com or www.controleng.com/freeinfo .

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