Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to some questions we are often asked. If you would like to ask a question don't hesitate to email us and we'll do our best to answer it for you.
Q: I would like to improve my LabVIEW
programming skills, how should I go about this?
A: Depending on the type of skills you wish to improve and the level
you currently are at you have a number of options. National
Instruments offer a quick test online assessment which can be useful
for deciding at which level you are currently at, its always worth
checking you don't have any gaps in your LabVIEW knowledge even if
you feel a competent programmer. For the basic user I suggest
looking at the CLAD preparation resources and taking the online
exam, to pass you will have to answer 35 of the 40 questions
correctly within the time limit. Once you have passed you will be
unable to take the preparation test again with your current user
name (so if you need more practice I suggest creating a new one).
For those above the basic user I think that the CLD practice papers
can be a useful for learning program style techniques as well as
program architecture. Links to these sites are all found on our
Information
Links page.
There are a number of books on the market at many different
levels, for a competent user I would suggest a book similar to 'Advanced
LabVIEW Techniques' by Rick Bitter. I have found this book
to be helpful covering issues from program architecture through to
object orientated programming with LabVIEW, it has also been updated
for LabVIEW 8 which differs slightly from earlier versions.
Q: What is the National Instruments
Certification Program
A: National Instruments offer a certification program which provides
professional recognition for individuals with a high level of
knowledge and skill with their products. The certification is valid
for a 2 year period after which the candidate will be
required to take a recertification exam. More information on the
scheme can be found on the NI website (a link to which can be found
in our
Information
Links page)
Q: What level is a Certified Developer
A:The goal of the Certified LabVIEW Developer (CLD) exam is to
ensure candidates are equipped to provide comprehensive solutions
for business and industry. The CLD exam validates the knowledge and
skills to design, develop and deploy a scalable, readable, and
maintainable LabVIEW application using advanced software principles.
Q: What is LabVIEW
A: LabVIEW (short for Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering
Workbench) is a graphical programming language developed by National
Instruments and is used by engineers and scientists for automation,
data acquisition and instrument control. If you'd like more
information then see our
Information
links page.