Graphical Software Streamlines Algorithm DesignGraphical Software Streamlines Algorithm Design

From NIWeek: Citing a need to help with prototyping of complex embeddedsystems, National Instruments today saidit is rolling out new features in its graphical systems design software thatwill simplify the process of deploying math algorithms to real-time operatingsystems.

Known asLabView 2009, the new software will enable product developers to put text-basedmath directly into an embedded system. "Without any translation, withoutchanging any code, engineers can deploy '.m files' to a real-time operatingsystem," says P.J. Tanzillo, embedded software product manager for NationalInstruments. The newfeature is an update to the well-known LabViewgraphical systems software, which is used by designers worldwide for the designand prototyping of products with embedded electronic controls. The update toLabView was rolled out at NIWeek 2009in Austin, TX today.

Bysimplifying the process of deploying math algorithms to real-time operatingsystems, National Instruments says its new software can aid medical devicedevelopers, machine builders and automotive systems designers. Medical devicedesigners, for example, can use text-based math to describe matrices andvectors employed in signal analysis on a blood pressure monitor.

The newfeature could help streamline algorithm design and deployment in many embeddedsystems. Up until now, text-based math tools designed on the desktop typicallyneeded to be re-written for use on a real-time embedded operating system. Thatre-implementation process added time and complexity to the creation of productsthat used filtering of time-domain and frequency-domain signals.

"Whenthey're working on vectors or matrices of data, a lot of engineers prefer to doit in text-based math code," Tanzillo says. "This enables them to do that."

LabView2009 simplifies the process by incorporating NI's MathScript RT Module, whichexpands access to real-time math and eliminates the re-implementation process.As a result, NI engineers say they can help embedded product developers reducetime to market.

"The ideaof the LabView environment is to give engineers some tools on the desktop todesign their algorithms the way they feel most comfortable," Tanzillo says."Now if they want to use LabView graphical code, or the MathScript Module, orC-code, they can. We give them ways of combining or integrating all thoseapproaches."

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