Are you excited about NIWeek? Here at VI Shots, we definitely are and to prepare you for what's to come. I assembled 3 session speakers for you to talk about their sessions and what to expect. I also go through a run-down of some sessions that I recommend. There are also some activities that are not part of the official schedule which we talk about as well. You can watch the video below or listen to the audio above. To get notified of future VI Shots Live episodes, please join the mailing list a...
Jul 31, 2014•56 min
NI recently announced a small form factor instrument that packs a punch called VirtualBench . I interviewed Chris Delvizis, a Senior Product Manager at National Instruments about this new hardware. Aside from containing several instruments essential to a typical benchtop lab setup. It also works right out of the box with built-in software for the PC that loads when you plug in the USB cable. The NI VirtualBench iPad app is now available. Click the player above to listen to this weeks podcast epi...
Jul 21, 2014•23 min
The Actor Framework, is a LabVIEW framework that has a growing following. It allows you to build powerful applications that can contain asynchronous processes and allow them to communicate in a more robust manner. Jack Dunaway and I talk with Allen Smith, Dr. James Powell and Dave Snyder about what exactly is the Actor Framework and how they've been using it in their work. You can watch the video below or listen to the audio above. To get notified of future VI Shots Live episodes, please join th...
Jul 16, 2014•1 hr 3 min
How do you support your LabVIEW applications remotely? Have you found the right tools and methods that make your job easier? In this episode of VI Shots Live, we look at some of the benefits and pitfalls of remote collaboration and support. Jack Dunaway and I talk with Fabiola De La Cueva and Justin Goeres on the topic of being a remote developer. You can watch the video below or listen to the audio above. Listen to the end of the audio recording for a funny behind the scenes moment from the pod...
Apr 07, 2014•1 hr 2 min
Waterloo labs is at it again with another creative project that merges LabVIEW, NI hardware and the maker mind-set. How about standing in front of 3 paintball guns as they automatically “draw” an outline of you? How about if the software controlling them was written by an NI intern? It turns out, this system is pretty smart and fun. Check out the video below and then listen to the interview above I gave with Hunter Smith who mentored several members of Waterloo Labs throughout this project. In t...
Mar 17, 2014•23 min
I'd like to thank everyone for the positive feedback on our first VI Shots live, both in personal emails and also on our Google+ page. We're back with a new live episode which was recorded on Feb. 26, 2014. You can listen to the podcast version of the show above or watch the embedded video below. Are you looking for a LabVIEW consultant for your next project? I'm a Certified LabVIEW Architect with over 20 years of experience in developing automation powered by LabVIEW. Contact me today for a fre...
Mar 02, 2014•57 min
We've all heard of the Agile Software development methodology; but how many of us are actually using these principles while developing LabVIEW code? My guest, John Sextro is an Agile coach and an expert in the field of Agile Software development. Listen to this episode of the VI Shots podcast where I ask John about the Manifesto for Agile Software Development, and we walk through the 12 principles behind the Agile manifesto. This conversation is just the beginning of an exploration of this topic...
Feb 17, 2014•54 min
I've started something new here with Jack Dunaway from Wirebird Labs . We've decided to host monthly Google hangout sessions to discuss the business of software engineering with LabVIEW. The first one this month was held on Jan 29th, 2014 and was called: Sustainable Careers in LabVIEW. You can listen to the podcast version of the show or watch the embedded video below. Our guests on our first episode were Christopher G. Relf, chief Architect at VI Engineering (a National Instruments Platinum All...
Feb 03, 2014•52 min
Using Subversion with LabVIEW is a challenge when it comes to some of the most popular free tools like Subversion (SVN). Eric Metzler from Viewpoint Systems took on the challenge of updating an older version of an internal company tool. The new free version of the TSVN tool won the LabVIEW Tools Network Product of the Year award at NIWeek 2013. Eric talks with me about his journey through the LabVIEW world and his newfound passion for working on LabVIEW-based products. Links to items mentioned i...
Jan 21, 2014•40 min
Jack Dunaway from Wirebird Labs is on this episode where we discuss his Deploy product and what it takes to develop great software products. Jack also announces a new “framework” he will be releasing in 2014 called Featherweight. Links to Content Mentioned: Deploy – LabVIEW Tools by Wirebird Labs Inspired – Book by Marty Cagan VIPM Idea Exchange Wirebird Labs Idea Exchange...
Jan 06, 2014•54 min
If you think you know everything there is to know about functional globals, then you're wrong. In this episode of the VI Shots podcast, Nancy Hollenback and I take functional global variables to the next level. Find out how to safely use native globals, have multiple instantiation capabilities and speed optimize your look-up tables. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did. Leave me a comment below and tell me what you think of this episode, or if you have any questions. You can support ...
Dec 10, 2013•48 min
Christina Rogers is a software engineer in the LabVIEW R&D group. She primarily works under the hood of LabVIEW adding much needed features and capabilities using C++. Sometimes she dives into G code, as she did to implement the LabVIEW Getting Started window. She's worked on features that you may have not noticed. In this interview we go into some of those features and uncover a cool LabVIEW ini token that I think a lot of users will find helpful in their daily coding. We also discuss the n...
Nov 25, 2013•38 min
Do you want to create a better software experience for your customers? Do you want to create maintainable code? Listen to this interview with Fabiola De la Cueva. She's a Certified LabVIEW Architect, a LabVIEW Champion and an influential voice in the LabVIEW community. In this interview, I asked Fabiola to list the five things a LabVIEW developer can do to create a better user experience for their customer. Here is the one opening quote that Fabiola used in our discussion. I highly recommend you...
Nov 10, 2013•1 hr
Here's a recording of the VI Shots Live panel I did way back at NIWeek 2012. You'll hear me mention in the recording that this should go live soon after NIWeek. I guess soon meant a year, because here it is. On the panel are Jack Dunaway, Justin Goeres, me, Chris Relf and Brian Powell. We all had fun recording this, I hope you enjoy it.
Oct 28, 2013•47 min
Thomas Bress is the author of a new book out on LabVIEW called: “Effective LabVIEW Programming”. This book was released recently and in this episode of the VI Shots podcast, I interview the author, so we can get a better understanding of how it can help you transition from the CLAD level of certification to the CLD level. Thomas has managed to create a valuable resource for anyone that wants to transition from a basic LabVIEW coder, to a professional LabVIEW programmer that can handle complicate...
Oct 07, 2013•38 min
During this past NIWeek 2013, the Raima Database API for LabVIEW was awarded the LabVIEW Tools Network Embedded Systems Product of the Year Award. I sat down with Scott Meeder who's the Director of Sales at Raima to find out what this toolkit is and how we, as LabVIEW application developers can take advantage of these capabilities in our own embedded systems. Links to items mentioned in this podcast episode: Raima Database API for LabVIEW LabVIEW Tools Network Smart-grid control network by Local...
Sep 23, 2013•22 min
I had the pleasure of interviewing Steve Watts . I recorded this interview back in February, but only now had a chance to publish it. Steve has been writing industrial software for more than 25 years and began programming with LabVIEW in 1998. He is the co-owner of SSDC Ltd (Structured Software Design Consultants). His book, entitled “A Software Engineering Approach to LabVIEW” has achieved worldwide success. Some of the principles described in the book (LCOD) are still used to this day and are ...
Sep 11, 2013•39 min
In this episode I dive into the world of Lego robotics and specifically, I learn about a new version of the Mindstorms educational robotic toy from Lego. At this past consumer electronics show (CES) in January, Lego announced and displayed the Mindstorms EV3. Also, this past NIWeek 2013, I saw a demo of the new EV3 programming environment (based on LabVIEW). This is the next generation of the previous Mindstorms NXT and the first major revamp of the platform since around 2006. The last updated w...
Aug 26, 2013•35 min
NIWeek 2013 is over and one of the biggest announcements was the release of LabVIEW 2013 with over 100 new features. In addition, a new cRIO-9068 controller which runs the Linux operating system, was announced. Now, a LabVIEW developer can tap into the vast community of Linux libraries available. In this podcast episode I chat with Grant Heimbach and Jonah Paul as we run through some of the top features in LabVIEW 2013 in addition to the new cRIO controller. New LabVIEW 2013 Features: Productivi...
Aug 06, 2013•34 min
I've long anticipated this interview with Brian Powell . The impetus for this interview was a series of blog articles Brian wrote recently. BTW, I suggest everyone go to labviewjournal.com and read the entire series he wrote there. Brian of course is well known as one of the original team members that helped bring LabVIEW 2.0 to market as a software engineer. His vast experience with working with LabVIEW teams shows in this interview, which is packed with wisdom. We discuss the following topics:...
Jul 02, 2013•43 min
One of the benefits of being a CLA (Certified LabVIEW Architect), is that you get to go to the exclusive CLA summit. This is a yearly event held in Austin and Europe for the purpose of discussing topics and issues affecting LabVIEW developers today. Topics range from LabVIEW frameworks to source code control techniques. Best of all, admission is free with your membership. One very enlightening presentation was given by Joe Silva from National Instruments. In it he discussed some basic UI design ...
Jun 17, 2013•41 min
In this episode, I interview Matthias Baudot from Studio Bods . He's started a new company that just announced a product on the LabVIEW Tools Network called BLT for LabVIEW . From the LabVIEW Tools Network Description: License your own LabVIEW application in a few clicks – no coding required Automatically (and remotely) update your applications when you make changes in your LabVIEW code Automate the build process for your LabVIEW executables Get user activity reports and error logs so you can re...
Jun 03, 2013•28 min
Here at VI Shots, one of my goals is to always be expanding my knowledge into LabVIEW and learning new software engineering techniques and ideas. To that goal, I try to bring people on the show that can teach me, and in turn you, something new. This episode of the VI Shots LabVIEW podcast is no exception. We all have, at some point, developed a framework that allows us to create parallel processes and communicate with them. We've even given them cool pet names. We're pretty proud of our creation...
Mar 01, 2013•39 min
In this episode of the VI Shots Podcast. I sit down with Wendy Covey, from Trew Marketing. Wendy founded Trew Marketing with Rebecca Geier back in 2008. Since then, their company has focussed on helping engineering companies uncover their unique voice in the marketplace. As you'll hear in this interview. Sometimes in order to grow your customer base you need to narrowly focus your marketing message. Links to content mentioned in this episode: Trew Marketing Smart Marketing for Engineers – Guide ...
Feb 04, 2013•30 min
I had the pleasure of interviewing John Bergmans from Bergmans Mechatronics. He's been working with websockets and LabVIEW over the past few years and has evolved his knowledge into a product he calls LabSockets. From his website: The LabSocket System enables LabVIEW applications to be monitored and controlled remotely using a web browser. The system operates without browser plug-ins, making it suitable for use with a wide range of desktop and mobile browsers. The system is easy to use and requi...
Dec 17, 2012•32 min
National Instruments has been exploring the mobile space for a couple of years now. They started off with simple utility apps such as the Service Request tracker and NI device pinout documentation tool. They released a mobile app last year which allowed you to view data on an iOS and Android device in a limited fashion. Now with data dashboard 2.0, they've come out with a full featured app to let you not only monitor, but control your remote LabVIEW application. In this podcast, I interview Gran...
Nov 29, 2012•26 min
I had the pleasure of interviewing Jeff C Jensen, who is a Senior Lead User Manager for Embedded Systems at National Instruments. We had a very interesting discussion about some of the work he's done with various students and NI employees to interface computers with everyday consumer devices using LabVIEW. All of the work can be found on the LabVIEW Hacker website listed in the links below. We also talked about some of the challenges facing software developers in the embedded space. Links to con...
Oct 15, 2012•32 min
I had the pleasure of speaking with Jeffrey Travis on this podcast episode. Jeffrey has written several LabVIEW related books, has released several open source LabVIEW tools such as LabVNC, LabSQL and LabPerl. He also has a very successful engineering business (Jeffrey Travis Studios ) developing LabVIEW based automation systems. Over the years, he’s transitioned to a radically different career as a director in the filmmaking industry. He’s had many short film successes, but recently he’s direct...
Oct 01, 2012•31 min
LabVIEW 2012 was announced today! You can download it from here . I invited Elijah Kerry , the senior product manager for LabVIEW, on the show so we can find out first-hand about all the new features of LabVIEW 2012. One of the most significant features, this year is the LabVIEW Templates and sample projects . I was a little skeptical of relying on NI to deliver quality sample projects that would meet my high expectations. Listen to the podcast to find out how good they really are. I will be tak...
Aug 07, 2012•30 min
[Scroll Down for Video] I’m very excited today to bring you an interview I did last year at NIWeek 2011. I sat down with a group of engineering interns at National Instruments. Now these intern positions were not typical. Hunter Smith and Ben James who managed this group of students, gave them the flexibility to do whatever project they wanted, as long as it was extremely awesome. How’s that for some parameters to work within? Top Row: Hunter Smith, Ben James, Humphrey Huang, Peter Gayler – Bott...
Feb 21, 2012•31 min
