How's LabVIEW 2015 working out?

[Cat]

NI, in it's generosity, has made two toolkits I suddenly have a need for -- free.  Unfortunately, they are only free in the 2015 version of LabVIEW.  You still have to pay for the old versions (I'm using LV2013).

 

As a result of this, I'm pondering actually...  it's hard to even type it... upgrade to the actual current version.  This flies in the face of many years of (sometimes justified) paranoia regarding not at least waiting for the SP1 version of a new release of LV.  However, if I wait until February (historical SP release time), that puts me smack dab in the middle of a bunch of Big Tests, whereas if I do it now, I actually have a couple months of relative peace and quiet to make sure my 3500+ vis are all still working correctly.

 

So, those of you who have already upgraded to LV2015, how's it going?  Any problems/issues/etc.?

 

Cat

[hooovahh]

So I haven't had any new projects use 2015.  I installed it, and the only real development I've done is updating reuse, confirming functionality, and doing some EXE and installer builds for applications that are pure LabVIEW.  Calling .NET and system DLLs are the most interesting things these EXEs do.

 

So it might be too early for me to say for sure, but I've had no issues with my limited use.  To be honest 2014, and 2013 SP0 has been pretty good.  It probably is obvious but NI has been focusing on stability.  I guess what I'm saying is if you were forced to use 2014 or 2013 SP0 when it first came out I don't think you'd had any real issues.

 

I knew of some toolkits going free in 2013 (maybe it was 2014), I think report generation and PID, what ones were added in 2015?

 

EDIT: okay here is a bit more information on the 2014 release notes:

 

The LabVIEW 2014 Full and Professional Development Systems include all of the functionality of the LabVIEW PID and Fuzzy Logic Toolkit except the PID (FPGA) Express VI, which is part of the LabVIEW 2014 FPGA Module.

 

LabVIEW 2014 Professional Development System now includes the following toolkits:

– LabVIEW Database Connectivity Toolkit

– LabVIEW Desktop Execution Trace Toolkit

– LabVIEW Report Generation Toolkit

– LabVIEW Unit Test Framework Toolkit

– LabVIEW VI Analyzer Toolkit

 

The following toolkit consolidations also provide additional functionality:

• LabVIEW 2014 Digital Filter Design Toolkit includes the LabVIEW Adaptive Filter Toolkit.

• LabVIEW 2014 Control Design and Simulation Module and LabVIEW 2014 Advanced Signal Processing Toolkit include LabVIEW System Identification Toolkit.

• The LabVIEW 2014 FPGA Module includes the FPGA Compile Farm Toolkit, which is now known as the FPGA Compile Farm Server, and the FPGA IP Builder.

• The LabVIEW 2014 Real-Time Module includes the Real-Time Trace Viewer.

 

LabVIEW 2014 Release Notes Page 19

[Cat]

Thanks, hooovahh.

 

The toolkits I need are the LabVIEW GPU Analysis Toolkit and LabVIEW Multicore Analysis and Sparse Matrix Toolkit.  I don't think they've been added to LV as much as the download for the real 2015 version is now free.  Of course, they could be on the shrink-wrapped set of NI Developer Suite 2015 DVDs currently sitting on my desk, and I wouldn't even know...

[hooovahh]

Are you sure these toolkits aren't just free, and support 2014 and 2015?  I downloaded them from these links and installed in 2015 and was never prompted about a trial, and ran examples in the sparse toolkit.  I didn't run any GPU ones because I was missing the CUDA DLLs.  The package that installs them also is used for LabVIEW 2014.

 

http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/210829

http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/210525

 

I then installed the sparse toolkit in 2014 and it worked the same.

[Mads]

I'm doing all new development in 2015. It has been stable and trouble-free so far (since it came out).

 

Every time I go back to a previous version now (LV2009-), I Ctrl+Alt+Drag to tidy things up and expect to see the diagram move...What, arrgh...bring me back to 2015!

Edited September 18, 2015 by Mads

[Cat]

Are you sure these toolkits aren't just free, and support 2014 and 2015?  I downloaded them from these links and installed in 2015 and was never prompted about a trial, and ran examples in the sparse toolkit.  I didn't run any GPU ones because I was missing the CUDA DLLs.  The package that installs them also is used for LabVIEW 2014.

 

http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/210829

http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/210525

 

I then installed the sparse toolkit in 2014 and it worked the same.

 

They may very well be free with 2014, I can't tell from the download pages.  Thanks for checking them out in that version.  However, I *have* downloaded the 2013 versions of both and they require activation.  So, the local Navy AE is getting me serial#s/activation codes for both of them on 2013 for a 1-yr "evaluation period".

 

But if it works with 2014, then that means I could install LV2014 SP1...  But now that I've almost gotten myself convinced to go for 2015, that seems like the coward's way out. :-)

[crossrulz]

I'm moving my current projects to use 2015.  Have not ran into any issues yet.  As Brian stated earlier, NI has focused a lot of their energy on stability.  So 2015 is practically 2014 SP2 (just with a couple of new features).  If you are going to upgrade, I would just move up to current and then use the SP if/when it comes out.