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Graphical Software Adds More Multi-Core Capabilities
New math engine and algorithms enable software to deal with bigger applications
Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor -- Design News, August 4, 2008
National Instruments today took special aim at the issues facing developers of multi-core processor systems, rolling out improved features in the latest version of its graphical system design software.
Known as LabView 8.6, the new software adds a better math engine and optimized software algorithms, both of which are targeted at dealing with complex, multi-processor problems.
"In LabView 8.6, we went under the hood and adjusted our math engine to enable it to take advantage of multi-core environments in a better way," says Chris Washington, LabView product manager for National Instruments. "It gives developers the ability to take advantage of higher fidelity models, or to develop their applications faster using the same models they've used all along."
The company's engineers say they went back and optimized at least 1,200 of the software's analysis functions in an effort to make it perform more efficiently in applications using multi-core processors.
"Using our old software, engineers could do the (multi-core) data-splitting and manipulation themselves," Washington says. "But now we've added new libraries that allow some of it to be done automatically."
NI engineers say they are currently applying the graphical programming software to a massive telescope project in Europe. The telescope, they say, needs to use parallel computing to control 984 hexagonal mirrors by reading 6,000 sensors and operating 3,000 actuators. By splitting the problem up into a parallel processing format, NI has been able to prove that the telescope can read all the sensors and operate the mirrors within a 1-kHz control loop.
NI also said today LabView 8.6 will add support for the recently released dual-core Blackfin processor from Analog Devices and will improve its ability to deal with field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and wireless applications.
"We're trying to help scientists and engineers leverage next-generation technology, specifically in the areas of multi-core processors, wireless and FPGAs," Washington says.
National Instruments says it will demonstrate LabView 8.6 this week at NIWeek, its annual technology conference located in Austin, TX, which runs from Tuesday, August 5th through Thursday, August 7th.
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