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When you are ready to deploy your embedded design, you can use the LabVIEW Embedded Development Module along with a third-party toolchain and an embedded operating system to extend the graphical LabVIEW programming experience to any 32-bit microprocessor.

The LabVIEW C Code Generator, which is a component of the Embedded Development Module, creates ANSI C code from a LabVIEW block diagram. You also can add pre-existing C code you might have. When you build a block diagram into an embedded application, LabVIEW traverses the block diagram and generates simple C primitives if possible. For example, the LabVIEW C Code Generator converts While Loops to while() statements and converts the Add function to a simple C + operation. However, a straight mapping is not possible for more complex functions so the LabVIEW C Code Generator uses the LabVIEW C Run-Time Library, which is analogous to the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine in LabVIEW for Windows. An important part of porting LabVIEW to a new target involves porting the LabVIEW C Run-Time Library, which contains such things as communication, data manipulation, timing functions, and so on. The Embedded Development Module includes the source code for the LabVIEW C Run-Time Library.

The code that the LabVIEW C Code Generator generates passes through a cross-compiler. If you add pre-existing C code, the extra C files you provide also pass through the cross-compiler and are linked into an executable you can run on the embedded device, which is called a target in LabVIEW. You implement how this executable downloads, or deploys, to the correct memory location and begins running on the embedded target through standard communication protocols. JTAG emulator, RS-232, and Ethernet are common ways to handle the communication between LabVIEW and an embedded target, but you can use other communication protocols.

You also can implement instrumented or on chip debugging so you can use LabVIEW to debug an embedded application you build with LabVIEW.

Refer to the LabVIEW Embedded Development Module Release Notes, available by selecting Start»All Programs»National Instruments» LabVIEW»LabVIEW Manuals and opening EMB_Release_Notes.pdf, for information about required prerequisite knowledge to port LabVIEW to a new target.