LabVIEW Embedded Development Module

[greigh]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any experience with LabVIEW's Embedded Development Module? My company is considering it for use in programming a Colibri XScale PXA270. I am trying to get impressions from persons who don't work for NI as to whether or not this module is a reasonable way to go or if we should just stick to C when programming these devices.

Thanks for the help!

[crelf]

PS: welcome to LAVA!

[i2dx]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any experience with LabVIEW's Embedded Development Module? My company is considering it for use in programming a Colibri XScale PXA270. I am trying to get impressions from persons who don't work for NI as to whether or not this module is a reasonable way to go or if we should just stick to C when programming these devices.

Thanks for the help!

I don't have any experience with the Embedded Module at all, but I have a tip: ask your local sales representative for a evaluation version. At least here in Germany you can ask for a Eval Version, and you get the chance to try it out for 2 Weeks or a month with a FULL version (you'll get a real serial ...). Maybe you have to wait one week, or two, because NI has only a few licenses in the "loaner pool", but I am sure, they will help you out.

[Bob Y.]

The answer really depends on what OS if any you are running. If you are running Windows CE, you might want to try the LabVIEW PDA Module for PocketPC. I am not sure if Windows Mobile 5.0 or other PocketPC OS is available for this configuration, but if it is, the answer would be LabVIEW with the PDA module. There are some significant differences between Windows Mobile for the PocketPC and the more robust, more deterministic, and typically embedded Windows CE, but LabVIEW PDA module might work out for it as well or at least get you closer.

If you are using Embedded Linux, some other OS, or no OS at all, you can certainly use the LabVIEW embedded module or straight C/C++. I can't answer which is better as I don't know your team's strengths with LabVIEW or C.

I would like to offer any help that I can as I have done some programming for a Dell Axim X51v (Windows Mobile 5.0 on an Intel

[crelf]

The answer really depends on what OS if any you are running.

I think Grieg's after the LabVIEW Embedded Development Module (targeting micros), not the LabVIEW PDA Module.

[Bob Y.]

I think Grieg's after the LabVIEW Embedded Development Module (targeting micros), not the LabVIEW PDA Module.

That is true, but this processor can use several different OSes and if it is using one that the PDA module would work with, it would be much easier to program for. It would also be less deterministic and more costly per board. Off hand, I would like to throw out that embedded programming is an entirely different animal from Windows programming and using the PDA module is very much like windows programming.

The embedded module is difficult to get used to if you are used to regular LabVIEW for Windows (or Mac or Linux). Programming for a particular processor that does not have a supporting toolkit already developed (only ADI Blackfin has one so far) makes the work of the programmer that much more tedious. I am still not sure of the capabilities of the team involved and that will make all the difference as to what is the best approach. Afterall there are also many difficulties in creating C code programms for embedded systems as well.

Hope that this helps,

Bob Young

[Richard_Jennings]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any experience with LabVIEW's Embedded Development Module? My company is considering it for use in programming a Colibri XScale PXA270. I am trying to get impressions from persons who don't work for NI as to whether or not this module is a reasonable way to go or if we should just stick to C when programming these devices.

Thanks for the help!

Hi,

We're using LV E to target an ARM7 (Atmel EB40A) with 256kB RAM and 2 MB flash. The Colibri certainly has enough resources and horsepower to run LV Embedded. Since it is already running WinCE you might see if you can target with PDA for CE as previously mentioned. NI is usually open to letting you try out SW for a project.

If PDA cannot target your platform then you'll need to port LV Embedded to it. Contact me off list if you want more information.

richard at jembedded dot com

Richard

[crelf]

I would like to throw out that embedded programming is an entirely different animal from Windows programming and using the PDA module is very much like windows programming.

Amen to that!

[greigh]

Thanks to everyone who commented.

I was looking for any strong negative reactions that might serve as a warning to stay away from this module.

It sounds like the most logical approach would be to request a fully functional evaluation copy from NI to make absolutely sure that it will meet our needs.

Thanks again for your input.

[Ed Dickens]

The quick and easy answer to your original question is... there is no quick and easy answer

If you're already familiar and comfortable using C and don't really know LabVIEW that well, you'd be better off sticking with C. LabVIEW Embedded does make it easier for the non-embedded programmer to program an embedded target. But why go through another learning curve if you don't have to. And the $10,995 price is a huge investment if this is just a single small project.

On the other hand, if you struggle with C and know LabVIEW pretty good, then a switch to LV E might not be a bad choice. Development time can be significantly less and you have all the nice LV debugging tools. There are some differences between LV and LV E as far as application optimization, memory usages, array and constant handling and a few other things that can bite you if you don

[i2dx]

Shameless plug, DISTek Integration Inc. is one of a few companies that NI is certifying to help others create this interface, plus we