NI LabVIEW 2009 將以新技術全力支援新興應用

美國德克薩斯州奧斯丁2009年8月3日電 /美通社亞洲/ — NI 美商國家儀器 (Nasdaq: NATI) 於今天發表 LabVIEW 2009，此為最新版的圖形化系統設計平台，適用於測試、控制，與嵌入式系統的開發。LabVIEW 2009 將利用多核心系統，以新的虛擬技術簡化平行硬體架構的開發程序；同時更強化了編碼器與 IP 功能，可進一步提升 FPGA 設計作業。最新版本的 LabVIEW 可將程式碼佈署至無線感測器網路 (WSN)，協助工程師建立更聰明的工業級量測與監控系統；亦具備新的解決方案，單一硬體平台即可測試多種無線標準，如 WLAN、WiMAX、GPS，與 MIMO 系統。此外，LabVIEW 2009 具備即時數學運算功能，以簡化數學運算式設計並可將之佈署至即時硬體。

「在目前充滿挑戰的經濟氛圍中，工程師與科學家均必須要設法耗費更少的資源，於更短的時間內完成專案。」NI 創立者兼執行長 Dr. James Truchard 如此表示。「公共建設、環境監控、醫療研究，與裝置設計/測試的投資未曾稍歇，因此也提供了更多的機會。NI 針對如多核心、FPGA 設計、無線平台，與即時數學運算的的重要技術，進而開發 LabVIEW 2009 以促進上述領域的創新設計。」

提升平行系統設計
虛擬技術，可透過單一的多核心處理硬體同時執行多組作業系統，以建構更高效率的系統。新的 NI Real-Time Hypervisor 軟體，整合了 LabVIEW Real-Time Module 與常見作業系統的功能，可降低整體系統的成本與體積。透過此軟體，工程師可於單一控制器中同步執行 Windows XP 與 LabVIEW Real-Time，並分別為作業系統指派處理器的核心，可完整發揮系統資源。Real-Time Hypervisor 可搭配使用雙核心與 4 核心 NI PXI 控制器，做為 NI 工業級控制器。

雖然虛擬功能為平行系統的新設計方法，LabVIEW 2009 亦提升了現有的平行設計技術，包含多核心程式設計與 FPGA 開發作業。LabVIEW 2009 具有新的平行「For Loop」架構，可自動跨多組處理器切割迴路循環，以提升處理程序的執行速度。LabVIEW 亦可儘早編譯反饋 (Feedback) 與重要的路徑強化 (Path highlighting) 功能，可最佳化 FPGA 資源運用並達到更好的時序破壞 (Timing violation) 除錯作業，以進一步簡化 FPGA 的程式設計。此外，還有新的高效率 FPGA IP，可提供高傳輸量的數學運算與訊號處理效能。

建立智慧型無線感測器網路 (WSN)
無線感測器網路 (WSN) 可跨實際的大型硬體系統，以佈署分散式的量測作業。透過 WSN，工程師可有效分析來自於各種地方的資料；從雨林、河岸，乃至於建物與橋樑的結構安全。LabVIEW 的拖曳式程式設計環境，可設定新的 NI WSN 平台，進而執行分析、萃取，並呈現量測資料。使用新的 LabVIEW Wireless Sensor Network Module Pioneer，工程師即可個別進行 NI WSN 量測節點的程式設計，以延長節點的電池使用壽命、提升擷取效能，並建立客制感測器介面。

測試更多無線裝置與標準
透過 LabVIEW 軟體定義的儀控功能，工程師僅需建置單一量測平台，即可擷取並分析任何調變架構或協定標準；而不需為特殊通訊協定使用專屬的箱型儀器。新的 NI WLAN 量測套餐 (Measurement Suite) 可相容於 IEEE 802.11 a/b/g 標準，且最高可達傳統箱型儀器 5 倍以上的量測速度。除了 WLAN 量測套餐 (Measurement Suite) 之外，WiMAX、GPS，與 MIMO 解決方案，亦可搭配 NI 模組化儀器，測試更多種的無線標準。

佈署即時數學運算功能
LabVIEW 所內建的數學函式庫容納超過 1,000 筆函式，並囊括初階的點對點訊號處理，到高階的組態架構建置功能；且均可輕鬆將之佈署至即時嵌入式裝置中。若搭配 LabVIEW MathScript RT Module，則 LabVIEW 2009 可進一步提供即時數學運算功能；Real-Time Math 即使用數學運算式建置並佈署精確的作業系統，讓工程師可使用文字架構的數學工具。此模組亦可讓工程師使用互動式的使用者介面與實際 I/O，以整合現有的 .m 檔案並將之佈署至即時硬體，可加速系統的原型製作。LabVIEW 2009 更可輕鬆將數學運算式佈署至即時嵌入式硬體，讓醫療機械工程師、機器工程師，與自動化系統工程師可縮短產品的上市時間。

此外，NI 每年均將發表新版的 LabVIEW，並以發表年份做為版本編號。年度發表新版本除了可放眼未來的產業趨勢之外，亦可讓客戶更輕鬆升級新版的 LabVIEW 軟體。

若要進一步了解 LabVIEW 2009 的相關資訊，下載體驗版軟體，可至http://www.ni.com/labview/whatsnew 。NI LabVIEW Service Maintenance and Support Program的會員，將可收到 LabVIEW 2009版本。若屬於公司行號的大量授權軟體 (VLA)，則請聯絡 NI 業務工程師，以取得特定的安裝方式。

有關 NI 美商國家儀器
NI 美商國家儀器 ( http://www.ni.com ) 正轉換工程師設計、原型製作，與佈署系統的方式；並適用於量測、自動化，與嵌入式應用。NI 提供 NI LabVIEW 的現成軟體與模組化硬體，並銷售全世界超過 30,000 家不同的公司。沒有任何單一客戶佔 NI 營收的 3% 以上，亦沒有任何單一產業可佔 NI 營收的 15% 以上。足見 NI 產品應用服務領域之廣泛。NI 總部位於美國德州奧斯汀，有超過 5,000 名員工，並直接於超過 40 個國家設有分公司或辦事處。NI 已連續第 10 年榮獲財星雜誌 (FORTUNE) 評選為美國百大最佳工作環境的公司之一。

NI LabVIEW 2009 Targets Emerging Applications With New Technologies
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 3 /PRNewswire-Asia/ — National Instruments (Nasdaq: NATI) today announced LabVIEW 2009, the latest version of the graphical system design software platform for control, test and embedded system development. LabVIEW 2009 (http://www.ni.com/labview/whatsnew/) simplifies the development challenges of parallel hardware architectures with new virtualization technology that takes advantage of multicore systems as well as by offering new compiler improvements and IP that enhance field-programmable gate array (FPGA) design. The latest version of LabVIEW makes it possible to deploy code to wireless sensor networks to help engineers and scientists build smarter industrial measurement and monitoring systems and features new solutions for testing multiple wireless standards such as WLAN, WiMAX, GPS and MIMO systems on a single hardware platform. In addition, LabVIEW 2009 simplifies real-time math by streamlining mathematical algorithm design and deployment to real-time hardware.

“In today’s challenging economic climate, engineers and scientists are being asked to complete their projects with fewer resources and in less time,” said Dr. James Truchard, president, CEO and cofounder of National Instruments. “With new opportunities emerging from investments in infrastructure, environmental monitoring, medical research and device design and test, we focused our LabVIEW 2009 development to harness key technologies such as multicore, FPGA design, wireless platforms and real-time math to empower innovation in these areas.”

Improve Parallel System Design

Virtualization technology ( http://www.ni.com/virtualization/ ) makes it possible to run multiple operating systems side by side on the same multicore processing hardware to build more efficient systems. New NI Real-Time Hypervisor software combines the power of the LabVIEW Real-Time Module (http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/13742) with general-purpose OS capabilities to reduce overall system cost and size. Using this software, engineers and scientists can run Windows XP and LabVIEW Real-Time (http://zone.ni.com/wv/app/doc/p/id/wv-162) side by side on the same controller, partitioning the processor cores among the two operating systems for more efficient use of system resources. The Real-Time Hypervisor works with dual-and quad-core NI PXI controllers (http://www.ni.com/pxi/controllers.htm) as well as the NI Industrial Controller (http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/206844).

While virtualization provides a new way to design parallel systems, LabVIEW 2009 also delivers enhancements for existing parallel design technology including multicore programming (http://www.ni.com/multicore/) and FPGA development (http://www.ni.com/fpga_technology/). LabVIEW 2009 features a new parallel for-loop structure, which automatically divides iterations of loops across multiple processors to increase the execution speed of the process. LabVIEW also further simplifies FPGA programming by offering early compile feedback and critical path highlighting to make early estimates on FPGA resource usage and better debug timing violations. Additionally, new streamlined FPGA IP delivers higher-throughput math and signal processing performance.

Create Smart Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) make it possible to deploy distributed measurements across vast physical hardware systems. With WSNs, engineers and scientists can analyze more effectively everything from rain forests and river deltas to the health and safety of buildings and bridges. LabVIEW provides the ability to configure the new NI WSN platform (http://www.ni.com/wsn/) with a drag-and-drop programming environment for performing analysis as well as extracting and presenting measurement data. Using the new LabVIEW Wireless Sensor Network Module Pioneer, engineers and scientists can program the individual NI WSN measurement nodes to extend node battery life, increase acquisition performance and create custom sensor
interfaces.

Test More Wireless Devices and Standards

With software-defined instrumentation using LabVIEW, engineers and scientists can implement the same measurement platform to acquire and analyze any modulation scheme or protocol standard rather than using dedicated box instruments for specific protocols. The new NI WLAN Measurement Suite (http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/206889) for LabVIEW guarantees compliance with IEEE 802.11 a/b/g standards and performs measurements more than five times faster than traditional box instruments. In addition to the WLAN Measurement Suite, the WiMAX (http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/207235), GPS (http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/204980) and MIMO (http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/207234) solutions for LabVIEW provide the ability to test more wireless standards with NI modular Instruments (http://www.ni.com/modularinstruments/).

Deploy Real-Time Math

LabVIEW features built-in math libraries that contain more than 1,000 functions ranging from low-level, point-by-point signal processing to high-level, configuration-based implementations, all of which easily can be deployed to real-time embedded devices. With the LabVIEW MathScript RT Module, LabVIEW 2009 further expands access to real-time math, which is the implementation and deployment of mathematical algorithms to deterministic operating systems, for engineers and scientists using text-based math tools. The module also provides engineers and scientists the ability to incorporate their own existing .m files using interactive user interfaces and real-world I/O and easily deploy them to real-time hardware for faster system prototyping. By simplifying the process of deploying mathematical algorithms to real-time embedded hardware, LabVIEW 2009 can help medical device designers, machine builders and autonomous system designers shorten product time to market.

Additionally, NI is adopting an annual release cycle for LabVIEW, with version names based on the year of release. The annual release cycle solidifies the schedule, stability and feature scope of each new release to provide an easy upgrade process for customers.

Readers interested in learning more about LabVIEW 2009 and downloading the evaluation software can visit http://www.ni.com/labview/whatsnew. Members of the LabVIEW service maintenance and support program will receive LabVIEW 2009 automatically in the mail or can download the new version from the NI Services Resource Center at http://www.ni.com/src. Readers whose software is part of a company-wide Volume License Agreement (VLA) should contact their VLA administrators for special installation instructions.

About National Instruments

National Instruments ( http://www.ni.com ) is transforming the way engineers and scientists design, prototype and deploy systems for measurement, automation and embedded applications. NI empowers customers with off-the-shelf software such as NI LabVIEW and modular cost-effective hardware, and sells to a broad base of more than 30,000 different companies worldwide, with no one customer representing more than 3 percent of revenue and no one industry representing more than 15 percent of revenue. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has more than 5,000 employees and direct operations in more than 40 countries. For the past 10 years, FORTUNE magazine has named NI one of the 100 best companies to work for in America. Readers can obtain investment information from the company’s investor relations department by calling (512) 683-5090, e-mailing nati@ni.com or visiting http://www.ni.com/nati. (NATI-G)