[volt-nuts] do you like Labview in your labs?

[Marvin E. Gozum]

Hi Chuck,

Thanks for the clarification.  Since the 3478A is a popular DVM in 
the secondary market, this is good to know and for the archives of 
volt-nuts to log your Prologix experience; I see the initial 
struggles over at time-nuts archive.

Thanks for the Python code! I like its look, but the simplicity of 
device interfacing begs the question, why Python over competitors, 
not just Labview, why not C or Pascal or Basic etc., for writing 
support code for instruments?

Doesn't seem like the fastest out there and these benchmarks do not 
measure code size either.

http://shootout.alioth.debian.org/u32q/which-programming-languages-are-fastest.php

I don't know the answer.  Right now, I just use what I have.

But it seems overall being aware or knowing the commands of GPIB and 
Prologix and establishing a connection to these devices through a 
minimalist way: serial port/USB/dll layer is a stable floor, it made 
your Python code very readable; if I simply let any app interface 
automatically, should things malfunction, I'd have to trace the fault 
from some established working floor.

I don't think I'd be able to do this if I obtained an interface 
library in any language or Labview and relied on its abstraction to 
keep my instruments together without knowing how its done.

If I write it myself, it seems it doesn't matter what the language 
is, unless it offered some value in maintenance, speed or code size.



At 08:42 PM 12/6/2010, Chuck Harris wrote:
>Marvin E. Gozum wrote:
>
>>Chuck, on the side, did your issues with Prologix GPIB adapter resolve
>>using Linux?
>
>Marvin,
>..---------------------------------------------------
>
>Modify it to your hearts content.
>
>-Chuck Harris
>
>OBTW, Prologix is a great company, I cannot recommend them enough!



Sincerely,



Marv Gozum
Philadelphia, PA