cool new Labview offer

fixmax

Hi folks,

I saw this today, and I was thinking how good it would see to have this with a Linx Propeller driver.

https://www.labviewmakerhub.com/

There is an interface with it called Linx which allows Labview to interface to several Arduino families, and I think it would be neat to see this with the Prop.

My question is this:

Would it be potentially possible to use and modify the Linx firmware code, and customize it to the Prop as a target, such as using SimpleIDE? (or Spin)

They have a custom ID in the Linx targeted to custom hardware, so I was wondering if anyone had seen this and what did they think?

Duane Degn

I couldn't figure out what Linx is. I'd think it would require a program to be running on the microcontroller to work. I just don't see how generic program would do all one would want the firmware of a microcontroller to do.

I written firmware for the Propeller which sends data to a PC running a LabVIEW program. One of the ways data is sent to the PC is over a RS-485 line (using a Modbus protocol), the other way it can communicate with the PC is with the USB to serial chip. All you need is a program on the Propeller to send data to the PC. The LabVIEW program would then need to parse this data.

I think the firmware on the Propeller would be very dependent on the hardware one has attached to the Prop. I bet the Eddie firmware could be used to control a robot with LabVIEW. You'd need to write a LabVIEW program to send the appropriate commands and to receive the replies from the Propeller.

I don't think I understand Linx well enough to know what it's doing that can't be done without it. My guess is it simplifies the process of writing the interface between microcontroller and PC. I'm sure if it works with the Arduino it could be made to work with the Propeller.

RS_Jim

Duane,
See this thread http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php/160262-Building-Scientific-Instruments-with-the-Propeller
Jim

fixmax

Thanks for the link, I hadn't kept up with that one. It pretty much answers the question though.

edit:

I was eventually able to get Labview and Linx working with an Arduino 2560, and the Teensy 3.1.

I would love to be able to do this with a Quickstart or Activity board though.

The big thing for me is the $50 price. Before I would have not bothered, but I can handle $50. This seems like something Parallax might want to throw together, since it could get outside folks using Prop boards versus Arduino's and stuff. Labview with a Kinect and other drivers in conjunction with a Prop board would be pretty cool.

Heck I would even pay for a Prop version of a Linx driver (if it was $50 or less). Even if it was Richard from the Scientific Instruments post who wrote it. I'd throw a paypal payment to him for that.

DigitalBob

I use Labview with the prop and BS2 using the Visa palette you can read and write etc.. You have to know the spin coding such as getlong , putlong, and the VI's or you'll get plenty of error messages.

Bob