Any Labview user recommended training/learning resources?

[rx8pilot]

This topic is not for those that are predisposed to bash Labview.

I have been learning (very slowly as I have time) Labview with the goal of automating as much as possible. So far, I am really happy with it and love the speed and flexibility - however I am truly still a beginner. I have my bench instruments connected and have accomplished some basic tasks of remote control and very basic data acquisition. The only other things I have really done are the exercises in the book

Labview for Scientists and Engineers by John Essick
ISBN-13: 978-0190211899
ISBN-10: 019021189X

Excellent book BTW for those starting from scratch.

One of my first functional developments (maybe a bit ambitious) is automating the testing of a series of PCB designs that are part of one of my commercial products. It involves a number of phases that I hope Labview can speed up.

Phase 1: PRE-POWER CHECK On a pogo bed, PCB not powered, use a 20 channel Keithley DMM to check test points for shorts or ranges of resistance.
Phase 2: INTITIAL POWERUP set PSU to low level current limit and apply just enough voltage to power the control electronics. Use the same Keithley to check rail voltages.
[I have no idea if this is even possible]

Phase 3: LOAD FIRMWARE If the voltage rails are good, load firmware/program fuses into ATMEGA MCU and serial # data into EEPROM. The poll the MCU to read back the serial number over I2C to verify.
[I have no idea if this is even possible]

Phase 4: Power up the rest of the PCB with a separate PSU and send various I2C commands to the PCB and check the responses.
[I have no idea if this is even possible]

Phase 5: On one of the PCBs with power control, use a multi-channel electronic load to cycle the various test points and record the responses. On another PCB with display...cycle through various tests administered over I2C.
[So far, I am able to make this happen although it is crude]

So....for phase 3-4 where I would need to program and send SPI/I2C data, I am not sure where to even start. Does anyone have suggestions for training via video or books that may help? I have even considered paying a consultant to help/train using this project as a launch pad. The ultimate goal is to have a big on-screen button that is labeled 'GO' and it does everything. In the end it says 'PASS' or 'FAIL' with a log of all the test results.

No, I will not use Python to do this. I needs to be totally dumbed down and visual for the user and very easy to adapt as the designs change.

There is so much more I would like to accomplish with Labview, but this project is the highest priority at the moment.

[joeqsmith]

I use it a fair amount and would consider myself an amateur. Actually, anymore I only use LabVIEW for programming the PC.  Most people seem to just learn it on their own.  I have watched some of NI's training but didn't find it worthwhile.  If you are having a specific problem, feel free to ask.   NI also now has a forum that you may want to join.   I think LAVA (another forum) is pretty much dead.

As far as your example, I am not sure what you are after.  In general, designs like this I would put into a state machine. 

[hendorog]

I think whatever language you use, the key will be to divide this up into discrete, and preferably reusable, tasks.

I don't have any experience with Labview, however since your goal is to create something that is maintainable I have no doubt that the normal rules apply.

This would be what I would do, nothing specific but it might give you some ideas:
Work out how to do each individual task in Labview. Implement each one in a separate Labview 'module' which takes a set of parameters. One of the modules might be as simple as shelling out to the command line to execute a command - i.e. to load the firmware perhaps.
Implement a master state machine to control the whole process.
Ideally stash the parameters used by each task step in a data file which is external to the program itself. <- e.g. if you use to load the command to execute then you could re-use the 'command line module' to do lots of things.
Ideally store the test results in an output file which you store away along with the serial number, data file used and firmware file used for traceability.

[rx8pilot]

I think whatever language you use, the key will be to divide this up into discrete, and preferably reusable, tasks.

There is no doubt that is the only path to success - whether it is assembly or Labview. So far, I have taken it in small chunks like building functions in C. The big difference is that with C, Python, Java, etc....the answers are all over the internet with a short effort in searching. Labview - not so much.

I use it a fair amount and would consider myself an amateur. Actually, anymore I only use LabVIEW for programming the PC.  Most people seem to just learn it on their own.  I have watched some of NI's training but didn't find it worthwhile.  If you are having a specific problem, feel free to ask.   NI also now has a forum that you may want to join.   I think LAVA (another forum) is pretty much dead.

As far as your example, I am not sure what you are after.  In general, designs like this I would put into a state machine. 

NI's videos are really only marketing pieces with very little practical use. Six Clear has some digital courses that seem to be helpful, but do not appear to get into I2C/SPI control or MCU device flashing. The NI forum could be a good resource if there are enough users participating. I will check that out.

In my example, the most mysterious part is how to connect and talk to devices over I2C or SPI as well as flashing EEPROM's and MCU's. Still trying to figure out if it is even possible if it is - I will start looking for resources to learn how.

[hendorog]

I use it a fair amount and would consider myself an amateur. Actually, anymore I only use LabVIEW for programming the PC.  Most people seem to just learn it on their own.  I have watched some of NI's training but didn't find it worthwhile.  If you are having a specific problem, feel free to ask.   NI also now has a forum that you may want to join.   I think LAVA (another forum) is pretty much dead.

As far as your example, I am not sure what you are after.  In general, designs like this I would put into a state machine. 

NI's videos are really only marketing pieces with very little practical use. Six Clear has some digital courses that seem to be helpful, but do not appear to get into I2C/SPI control or MCU device flashing. The NI forum could be a good resource if there are enough users participating. I will check that out.

In my example, the most mysterious part is how to connect and talk to devices over I2C or SPI as well as flashing EEPROM's and MCU's. Still trying to figure out if it is even possible if it is - I will start looking for resources to learn how.

But you can flash an MCU from the command line already right? So just shell out to the command line from Labview and execute the command to flash the MCU. Job done.

[takahidehimself]

Depending on the programmer(s) that you use, maybe there's a DLL available that can be used to remotely control the software for it?
See Help>Find Examples... and look for External Code (DLL) Execution.vi.

We use Elnec Beehive6204APs and Phyton ChipProg ISPs (EOL) using this method in our automated test/programming setups churning out roughly 2*3000 PCBAs a week with no operators except for loading and unloading racks of panels. Unfortunately I can't share any details due to typical big company restrictions

[HighVoltage]

I have a friend that started on LabView a few years ago and he had big trouble getting started. He called NI and they offered him a 1 day course in is lab with the purchase of hard and software. He took that offer and learned so much in one day, that he could start on his own path. A few month later, he had one more training session in his lab to answer all the questions he had and go a little deeper.

Now he is using LabView for all his instrument controls.

[ChunkyPastaSauce]

Everything listed is in the normal sphere of things for labview. To start, take a look at https://www.ni.com/en-us/shop/select/i2c-spi-interface-device and https://www.totalphase.com/products/aardvark-i2cspi/  and see if those are kinda what youre looking for. If not, there are other more powerful options from NI (but also more complex or expensive). There are a lot of other third parties too, but often require more labview concepts due to lack of native labview interfaces - not a big deal (usually) but it's still another thing.

[Inverted18650]

Hey mate,

I am wondering if you decided to go with LabView or another platform. I just downloaded Labview and started running it with the pair of Keithley 2000 DMM's I got from eBay. ( I also got the OEM GPIB-488 and the GPIB extension cable on eBay). I have only had it up and running for 24 hours but have already been able to alter the examples to output the data-bit's to Excel and create some nice graphical displays.

I started with the 'ke_2000' examples that were installed with the driver and that was really all I needed. Someone has done most the hard work already (of course the meter is 25 years old).

Let me know if you went with LV and what instruments you are using and we can bounce ideas around and learn together.

Cheers