National Instruments LabVIEW (measurement data processing)

LabVIEW is used for the graphical programming of measurement and control systems. The software is used in particular in the engineering sciences, e.g. in automation technology, mechatronics, sensor technology or laboratory automation.

LabVIEW is also suitable for rapid prototyping and hardware-in-the-loop simulations and is used in industry and research for the development of complex test and control solutions.

There is a contract with the manufacturer National Instruments for the use of the LabVIEW software package as part of a campus license for the University of Kassel. It can only be used by employees of the University of Kassel.

Employees can find the license key on the page "Request license key (employees)". Please contact lizenzmanagement[at]uni-kassel[dot]de if you have any questions about using the software .

Licenses are provided by the IT Service Centre. The subject-specific introduction and application is supported by the Institute of Measurement and Control Engineering, among others.

LabVIEW (Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench) is a development environment from National Instruments for the visual programming of technical systems. Instead of text code, functions are compiled in the form of block diagrams. The software is particularly suitable for implementing measurement data acquisition, signal processing, control systems and hardware connections.

Depending on the application, MATLAB with Simulink, Python with measurement and automation libraries (e.g. PyVISA) or classic text-based programming languages (e.g. C/C++) can also be used. However, these require different approaches than the visual programming logic of LabVIEW.

Important: LabVIEW is not available for macOS or Linux. Alternatives such as Python offer more platform-independent options.

• Graphical programming with block diagrams
  Creation of programs via drag-and-drop, ideal for technical and experimental applications.

• Virtual instruments (VIs)
  Modular functional units for signal processing, data acquisition and control.

• Real-time and hardware integration
  Connection of sensors, actuators and external devices (e.g. NI hardware, DAQ modules, Arduino, FPGA).

• Data acquisition and visualization
  Acquisition, display and storage of measurement data in real time with interactive user interfaces.

• Toolkits and extensions
  Specialized modules for control engineering, machine monitoring, image processing and much more.

• In a practical course, students implement a real-time control system with LabVIEW and record sensor data via an NI-DAQ module.

• A research project develops a user-friendly graphical interface for controlling a test bench for vibrating systems.

• In a course, the graphical simulation of a closed control loop is modeled and analyzed in LabVIEW.

• Operating system: Windows 11 or Windows 10 (64-bit)

• Processor: At least 1 GHz 64-bit (x64) processor

• RAM: At least 4 GB RAM, NI recommends at least 32 GB RAM for compiling your own firmware or for extensive data processing

• Hard disk space: approx. 5 GB for the complete installation including standard drivers

• Additional requirements:

  • Installation of specific device drivers (e.g. NI-DAQmx, NI-VISA) depending on the hardware used

  • Additional computing power and memory is required to use the LabVIEW FPGA module

  • Administration rights are required for the installation

The software is available via a campus license. Installation and licensing are carried out after application to the IT Service Center (see National Instruments LabVIEW).

For the courses, the software is provided in the laboratories or as part of exercises. Information on courses is available on the website of the Institute of Measurement and Control Engineering:
LabVIEW basics and applications

• Manufacturer's page National Instruments / LabVIEW [external]

• Courses offered by the Institute of Measurement and Control Engineering

The Institute of Measurement and Control Engineering regularly offers courses related to LabVIEW. In addition, National Instruments provides extensive online tutorials and training materials.

Data is processed locally on the respective computer. When using external hardware, third-party drivers may be required. The software itself does not transfer any personal data unless actively integrated by the user.

Within the scope of the Microsoft campus license, use is restricted to official and academic purposes at the university. The license may only be used by persons with a valid UniAccount. Commercial use is excluded.