Chapter 1
Introduction
©
National Instruments Corporation
1-3
Software Programming Choices
NI-Motion is a simple but powerful high-level application programming
interface (API) that makes programming the PCI-7390 easy. You can
execute all setup and motion control functions by calling into
a dynamically-linked library (DLL). You can use the full function set
implementations for LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI, or call the
NI-Motion libraries from C and Visual Basic.
National Instruments Application Software
LabVIEW is based on the graphical programming language, G, and
features interactive graphics and a state-of-the-art user interface. In
LabVIEW, you can create 32-bit compiled programs and stand-alone
executables for custom automation, data acquisition, test, measurement,
and control solutions. National Instruments offers the NI-Motion VI
Library, which is a series of virtual instruments (VIs) for using LabVIEW
with National Instruments motion control hardware. The NI-Motion VI
library implements the full API, along with a useful set of example
programs.
ANSI C-based LabWindows/CVI also features interactive graphics and a
state-of-the-art user interface. Using LabWindows/CVI, you can generate
C code for custom data acquisition, test, and measurement and automation
solutions. The NI-Motion software includes a series of example programs
for using LabWindows/CVI with National Instruments motion control
hardware.
NI Motion Assistant offers a point-and-click interface for creating motion
control sequences quickly and easily. When you have created a motion task,
you can use Motion Assistant to output the task in LabVIEW or C code or
code recipes.
