Bryan

QUOTE(LV Punk @ May 9 2007, 06:30 AM) Welcome to the club. They haven't banned YouTube where I work yet, but I'm sure it's on the way. It's funny though, most (respectable) employees are responsible with their non work-related internet surfing. I don't think the "powers that be" understand that by closing a sometimes much needed avenue for distraction, or stress relief only coerces employees to find other ways to seek the occasional much needed escape. That, or they just become stressed out. One of my favorite "demotivational poster" quotes: "Pressure - It can turn a lump of coal into a flawless diamond, or a good employee into a perfect basketcase."

What if one wanted to use the parallel port on a computer anyway to save money, or for a home project or something of the like? I've thought of doing something like that just to do it. It would be cool (or IS cool if it already has been done) for someone to write a LabVIEW driver for the parallel port. I know I'm risking someone saying "Cool! How 'bout you do that?" (it happens a LOT here at work), but it would be something neat for people interested in creating something for a home project or in case someone just is set on using a parallel port anyway.

I'm not familiar with using BootROM or any type of network image booting, so I'll have to read up on it. All of my linux stuff I'm pretty much learning as I go. Would this require me to permanently change things in the BIOS? I'm assuming it would as I would have to somehow tell the computer not to use the image on it's local drive at boot, which would require me to go into each computer's BIOS and force it to look for a network image instead of using the installed local image. My intent is to disturb the hardware/firmware the least amount possible. This would be done on equipment for a military contract and thier configuration control is very strict. If I change anything it may have to go through a documentation and possibly an approval process. The software engineering group boots from a USB device on these units frequently, I'm essentially going in through the same method as they do, but with different software and a different USB device.

Okay, here's our setup. I'm working with a VME-based system. It has a single board computer with no OS on it. It's essentially a dumb VME setup with a computer and some I/O and communication cards. My task is to have an automated test that exercises the cards to verify their functionality, signals, etc. I can't install anything to the computers since they will later have a home-grown and condensed Linux OS on them (all text, no GUI which runs headless) that loads from the 512MB flash HDD and runs in the 512MB to 1GB RAM memory. Sometimes the linux software is already installed and I don't want to touch, change or otherwise affect what's on the on board hard drive. Right now I have a USB HDD running Mandrake 10.1, LabVIEW 7.1 for Linux along with some other softawre to give me accessibility to the VME cards. The only problem is that I can only run it on one setup at a time and I can have anywhere from 1 to 62+ to check at a time, but I only have one drive and the drive needs to be mounted while the computer is running. The program that I'm running on it acts as a server, allowing me to manipulate and read the signals from another computer on the same network. If I can get multiple computers up and going with the same software, I can verify more than one at a time from a central location. When I'm done, I want to be able to restart the computers and allow them to run off of their own hard drives again. Essentially, my sofware is not intended to be permanently installed on the computers. The use of a text-only OS prevents that anyway. I only want to load/use my LabVIEW stuff when I need to test the system. I wrote this quickly, let me know if it doesn't make sense.

I'd definitely be interested in a "How To" if you want to post one. I'm still looking for a Load into/run from RAM solution, but it's for a future project. My current project is just running off of a USB HDD and doesn't run completely in RAM and I'm not pressed right now for the RAM solution.

A Software Engineering Approach to LabVIEW I personally liked this one and still reference it. Although I don't believe it covers LV8.0+, it has some good techniques and info that I've made standard in my programming.

I don't know about creating a database in TestStand, but it's not too difficult to access one and read/write from/to it. If you have TestStand installed (in the default location) you can see database examples in C:\Program files\National Instruments\TestStand[version]\Examples (I'm using 3.1). Unfortunately, I dont have any examples of my own to post for you. I've been using TS on and off for about 2 years. My original sequences accessing a database were created by building my on DB access routines in LabVIEW and then calling them from TestStand. At that time, I didn't know there were DB-specific step types already built into TS. :headbang:

QUOTE(Jim Kring @ Mar 22 2007, 12:00 PM) Very true! Dammit, why can't any of you guys be located in Central VA? There's no decent LabVIEW jobs around here. *GRRR*

I see all points valid here. If you work at a company and a coworker knows you're on this site, and even who you are (maybe you recommended it to him) or they're even a member, they could use that information against you if you have a falling out or if they have a hidden agenda. But, being LabVIEW programmers, we're all interested in metrics and statistics. I think each member has their own responsibility to make themselves as anonymous as they deem comfortable (posting company names, using real names, posting personal info). Just like you would on any other site on the internet. I think it would be a good idea to have some sort of feature that allows you to be more anonymous, but if that's not implemented, perhaps another nickname (as Tomi suggested) would be a better avenue.

Checked them out. Right now, my time issue is in coming up with something to submit to the repository. I was working on something for a while, but then things got busy at work and at home; wife, son and house take priority. I want to get around to submitting something someday.

I'd apply if I was sure I had enough time to devote to it. I don't know if I meet all of the qualifications anyway.

http://www.ratemyeverything.net/post.aspx?post=760 Link to phone call on YouTube (if you have 22 minutes to spare): http://youtube.com/watch?v=Gp0HyxQv97Q (Math > The Verizon Rep in this sound clip)

^ That's where I got my quote from Ben, if you're interested in that stuff, you should read the book "Angels & Demons" (Dan Brown). I just finished it, pretty good fiction novel. For those who have read it, shall we sway the discussion to matter and antimatter and how they could possibly be involved in the creation of the universe?

I mentioned the salary info and location in one of crelf's job postings to my wife last night just joking around and later caught her online looking up housing costs in the area! I actually looked for an NI job at one point, but found nothing for which I felt was really a good fit. When I lived out in California 2 years ago, I didn't even know JKI existed, or I would have sent in my resume. Only problem is that the SanFrancisco area is much more expensive than in Orange County where I lived and wifey wants to be able to have a house in lieu of a condo. Anyway, I think I took this thread off topic. Welcome rconde!

Great, Aristos Queue has gone plaid.

Hmmm. A doughnut-shaped universe within the confines of a Hawkins pressure cooker? Intriguing.

What about Homer Simpson's theory of the doughnut-shaped universe? Stephen Hawking seemed intrigued by it.

Would definitely seriously consider it if it wasn't so derned cold up there. I don't think I could convince my wife to move to MI. We've lived in upstate PA, but since she's been spoiled by southern Cali and Virginia weather. Plus, your link says your positions are filled and I'm not quite sure if I have what one might consider a "superstar resum

Damn, who here doesn't work indirectly or directly with crelf... besides me?

Most non-NI I/O cards I've had to deal with come with (or you can find on the web) DLLs and documentation on the functions and how to use them. If you're able to find the same for your card, you may be able to use the "Call Library Function" VI, which is much easier to use than the CIN (which I have personally never attempted except in trying to learn how... without success).

So, you mean creating a dialog or something that will run only the first time the application is run that prompts the user for the password (software key) provided by moephunk or his company?

I didn't mean to insult anybody or anything by saying what I said (my brother actually had problems with spelling in school). I was talking about people who do it out of general laziness and/or don't even try, not out of their own abilities or limitations. It just irritates me, just like someone writing in all caps when it's not necessary. I apologize if I offended anyone, it wasn't my intent

I believe that I communicate better in written form than orally. I don't know if my mind is going faster than I have the ability to move my mouth and get them out or what. Occasionally I'll be in a hurry and let written mistakes slip, but I try not to. I also think that how someone communicates in written form (especially on the internet) is a good indication of their credibility, thoroughness and respect for their audience. The way some kids communicate on the web nowadays irks the living hell out of me. One of my friends has a point though. He said that written and oral communication has evolved to what it is today and is still evolving. My only qualm is that it seems like we went from primitive pictographs to written text and are now going to 'internet shorthand' and on the road back to pictographs. Back to my LabVIEW stuff though. I've had times where I've generated an application or program that is neat and tidy as well as (what I perceive to be) well laid out and efficient... to the best of my knowledge/ability. Only thing is that nobody else gets to see it. I've wanted to create my own LabVIEW programming samples to provide with a resume, but never have time to develop my own, and the ones I've created are proprietary intellectual property of the companies for which I've worked. Someday hopefully, I'll get around to creating some that's MINE. Gary, it's funny that we have so much in common. I've ordered my state flags in order of residency. I'm a PA native, but moved from PA > CA > VA. If yours are ordered similarly, it looks like you went from VA to CA.

I actually have something I created as a quick tool that I could submit. I need to clean it up a bit and add some functionality I've been thinking about as well as documentation before I submit it (I'm sure someone has already created something like it though). My problem is just getting time to spend on it right now. My son and work pretty much dominate my day.

There ya go! Someone should do a VI that will generate all of the possible letter and capitalization combinations for the word "LabVIEW" and post it in this thread. I'd do it, but unfortunately, after my morning slack time is over, I'll be spending all day with my head in a machinery control system.