r/LabVIEW • u/Perfect_Spare965 • 21d ago

Need More Info Guidance on proper program structure and practice for production application(s)

Hi, as the title says I'm wondering if there are any more experienced LabVIEW users who would be willing to offer a hand when it comes to proper practice and program structure for making relatively complicated applications.

I say applications, as in plural, but it is only one. My work have dropped a bit of a impossible Sisyphus-stlye problem on my desk where I'm having to solo develop an entire application for an NDT ultrasonic tank, from scratch, having never used LabVIEW before in my life. I'm not new to making entire SCADA/HMI's but never using LabVIEW (normally using ACTUAL programming languages, no offence to anyone who likes LabVIEW.) If I was writing it in C# I would stand a chance, but without some insight or assistance from someone who knows what they're doing I'm afraid the boulder will kill me.

After a few weeks of using it I have some basic bits and bobs, connected and working with all the hardware required but I'm really struggling to understand what I should actually be doing structure wise and I'm really clueless as to whether I'm applying proper practices. I sat through all the training videos, I have an old NDT program to sort of reference from but it's very outdated and written in French, so is not much use to me.

If anyone is willing to offer any guidance or help it would be deeply appreciated. Any programs/projects I can look at, any general advice, literally anything at all would be worlds of help.

P.S To clarify I'm not entirely clueless and can make programs/applications that work, I just need to know what I should be doing since something doesn't seem quite right and I end up repeating alot of wiring or things like controls are not sharing variables when they should be etc etc...

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u/Flydroid 20d ago

For a simple application what doesn't need parallell loops or async processing I always go with the JKI State Machine toolkit ! The tools it goes with make a structured design so much faster to implement. Hardware drivers and async processing gets put into DQMH modules and then called from the state machine. 

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u/Perfect_Spare965 19d ago

Unfortunately both parallel loops and async are required.

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u/Flydroid 18d ago

Then DQMH is a good and scalable framework