Software Engineering for NI LabVIEW Applications
Elijah Kerry LabVIEW Product Manager
ni.com/largeapps
ni.com/community/largeapps
Ensuring Software Quality and Reliability
Goals
1. Deliver a working product
2. Prove it works right
3. Mitigate risk of failure
4. Avoid last-minute changes
Why?
1. More complex software
2. Mission-critical applications
3. Growing team size
4. Increased scrutiny
5. Decreased time
National Instruments Is ISO 9001 Certified
Mission Critical Applications
High-Volume Production Test Structural Health Medical Devices
24/7 Furnace Monitoring Large Physics Applications In-Flight Fire Suppression
Software Quality Standards
Company-wide certification standard
ISO 9000
Voluntary certification standard for consistent processes
CMMI
Process improvement model sponsored by the National
Defense Industrial Association
Product-specific certification for quality
DO-178B
FAA standard for avionics software
FDA 21 CFR Part 820
Medical device standard
Software Engineering V-Model
Requirements Review and Test
Prototyping Gathering
Deployment Service
Application Integration
Architecture Testing
Module
Unit Testing
Architecture
Development
and
Debugging
9
The Software Engineering Process
Requirements Application
Development Validation Deployment
Gathering Architecture
NI Requirements LabVIEW LabVIEW Desktop LabVIEW Unit Application
Gateway Statechart Execution Trace Test Framework Builder
Object Software Validation LabVIEW Real Time
Orientation Developer Suite Option VI Analyzer
FPGA
Embedded
Prove it works. NI TestStand
Improve quality. Reduce risk. Save time.
10
System-Level View Track Changes Integrate with SCC
Software Configuration Management for LabVIEW
Merge Graphical Code Manage Files and Links View Revision History
11
Software Design Phase
Prototype Specifications
System Unit Test
Requirements Specifications Definitions
12
Requirements Traceability Solution from NI
13
How Do You Know If It Is Good Code?
Requirements Application Debugging and
Development Deployment
Gathering Architecture Testing
Development Environment Tools
Constant compilation
Highlight execution
Break point manager
Automatic error handling
Diagram cleanup
NI Style Guideline
VI profiler
Coercion (memory) dots
Conditional disable structures
Tools for Debugging and Testing Debugging
and Testing
LabVIEW Unit Functional Validation
Advanced
Test Framework of Code
Application Complexity
LabVIEW Desktop NI Real-Time Dynamic Code Analysis
Execution Trace Execution Trace
Simple
LabVIEW VI Static Code Analysis
Analyzer Toolkit
Low Risk High Risk
Application Criticality
16
Tools for Debugging and Testing Debugging and
Testing
LabVIEW Unit Functional Validation
Advanced
Test Framework of Code
Application Complexity
LabVIEW Desktop NI Real-Time Dynamic Code Analysis
Execution Trace Execution Trace
Simple
LabVIEW VI Static Code Analysis
Analyzer Toolkit
Low Risk High Risk
Application Criticality
17
Establish or Adopt Development Guidelines
Front Panel Style Block Diagram Style
Fonts and Text Characteristics Wiring Techniques
Colors Memory and Speed Optimization
Graphics and Custom Controls Sizing and Positioning
Layout Left-to-Right Layouts
Sizing and Positioning Block Diagram Comments
Labels Call Library Function Nodes and Code Interface
Paths versus Strings Nodes
Enumerated Type Controls versus Ring Controls Type Definitions
Default Values and Ranges Sequence Structures
Property Nodes
Key Navigation
Dialog Boxes
Icon and Connector Pane Style
Icons
Example of Intuitive Icons
Style Checklist Connector Panes
VI Checklist
Front Panel Checklist
Block Diagram Checklist
NI Style Guideline: ni.com/largeapps
LabVIEW VI Analyzer Code Complexity Metrics
Tests for Industry-Standard Metric Calculations
Edges = 5 Nodes = 3 Paths = 1
True Case 1
Case 2
False Case 3
Cyclomatic complexity: 5 3 + 2 (1) = 4
19
Tools for Debugging and Testing Debugging and
Testing
LabVIEW Unit Functional Validation
Advanced
Test Framework of Code
Application Complexity
LabVIEW Desktop NI Real-Time Dynamic Code Analysis
Execution Trace Execution Trace
Simple
LabVIEW VI Static Code Analysis
Analyzer Toolkit
Low Risk High Risk
Application Criticality
20
Trace Production Systems Remotely
LabVIEW Desktop Execution Trace Toolkit
Network
VIs and Debuggable Executables
Run-Time Execution Information
NI Real-Time Execution Trace Toolkit
Network
Deployed Real-Time Applications
Run-Time Execution Information
21
Desktop Execution Trace Toolkit
Trace During Run Time
Event Structures
Memory Allocation
Queues/Notifiers
Reference Leaks
Thread ID
Unhandled Errors
Dynamic / Static SubVIs
Custom User Strings
22
Tools for Debugging and Testing Debugging and
Testing
LabVIEW Unit Functional Validation
Advanced
Test Framework of Code
Application Complexity
LabVIEW Desktop NI Real-Time Dynamic Code Analysis
Execution Trace Execution Trace
Simple
LabVIEW VI Static Code Analysis
Analyzer Toolkit
Low Risk High Risk
Application Criticality
23
LabVIEW Unit Test Framework
Input Values Output
VI Under Test
Unit Test
Expected Output Automated
Framework
Report Generation
Test vector = Input value(s) + Expected output(s)
24
Data Science Automation
Developed Long-Term Testing Solution for Artificial Hearts
The flexibility and easy of use
of the LabVIEW Unit Test
Framework Toolkit certainly
enabled much faster and
reliable completion of this
portion of the project,
potentially saving hundreds
of hours and thousands of
dollars over the life of the
project.
25
Code Coverage Example
6 Diagrams, 3 Diagrams Executed, 50% Code Coverage
26
Code Coverage Example
First Test Vector
Block diagram, 2 case diagrams executed; (2 + 1)/6 = 50% code coverage
Second Test Vector (aggregates covered code from first pass)
Block diagram, 5 case diagrams executed; (4 + 1)/6 = 83.33% code coverage
27
Integration with NI Requirements Gateway
Implementation
Software Requirements
Unit Tests
Test Results
28
New Software Engineering Features in
LabVIEW Unit Test Framework
LabVIEW Desktop Execution Trace Toolkit
Code Complexity Metrics
App Builder Log File Generation
Data Value References
Command-Line Differencing
Subversion Compatibility Improvements
Statechart Documentation Generation
Requirements Application Debugging and
Development Deployment
Gathering Architecture Testing
Deploy Software to Embedded Hardware Targets
Build Professional Applications for the Desktop
The Software Engineering Process
Requirements Application Debugging and
Development Deployment
Gathering Architecture Testing
Software Engineering Tools and Best Practices
NI Requirements Design Patterns Data Flow LabVIEW VI Application
Gateway Analyzer Builder
Object LabVIEW
MathScript NI Real-Time
Orientation Execution Trace Real Time
LabVIEW
Multicore Statechart LabVIEW Desktop FPGA
LabVIEW Control Execution Trace
Design and Embedded
Simulation LabVIEW Unit
LabVIEW Test Framework
SignalExpress
31
Software Engineering Best Practices
ni.com/largeapps
