I wouldn't say that LabView makes data acquisition difficult. If you want to do any sort of preprocessing or experimental control, things do get more complicated, but that's where proper program design comes in, no different from programming in any other language. There's no API to learn for doing acquisitions (just have to know what node to use), compliation is done automatically on-the-fly, and you can quickly build a UI that lets you run a test and see all the relevant data in realtime.
Granted, it's a paradigm shift from textual languages (one that has taken me some time to make) but it has its advantages. First, no syntax errors (they are caught as you wire up the diagram and displayed in a seperate window.) Second, the ease of connecting to and communicating with a wide array of DAQ hardware. If the required nodes don't come with LabView, they are commonly available from the manufacturer or another user. Third, encapsulation is easier in LabView than in any other programming language I've used. Every VI can be used as a subroutine in another VI. No LabView program is "special" in that way.
Yes, it's different, but it requires the same planning as any other language. The execution is much simpler, however.
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I wouldn't say that LabView makes data acquisition difficult. If you want to do any sort of preprocessing or experimental control, things do get more complicated, but that's where proper program design comes in, no different from programming in any other language. There's no API to learn for doing acquisitions (just have to know what node to use), compliation is done automatically on-the-fly, and you can quickly build a UI that lets you run a test and see all the relevant data in realtime.
Granted, it's a paradigm shift from textual languages (one that has taken me some time to make) but it has its advantages. First, no syntax errors (they are caught as you wire up the diagram and displayed in a seperate window.) Second, the ease of connecting to and communicating with a wide array of DAQ hardware. If the required nodes don't come with LabView, they are commonly available from the manufacturer or another user. Third, encapsulation is easier in LabView than in any other programming language I've used. Every VI can be used as a subroutine in another VI. No LabView program is "special" in that way.
Yes, it's different, but it requires the same planning as any other language. The execution is much simpler, however.
And he plays one of the blind mice (not a big part, but fwiw?)