Microprocessor SDK

June 2009, 372822A-01

Use the LabVIEW Microprocessor SDK to port LabVIEW to any 32-bit microprocessor. By using a single development tool from concept to finished product, you can ease the development process and increase end quality while reducing time to market.

The porting process includes several steps; some steps are required and some steps are optional depending on your target and the features you want to implement and support.

Note  Refer to the LabVIEW Microprocessor SDK Porting Guide manual for detailed information about porting LabVIEW to a new target.

The main steps to porting LabVIEW include the following:

1. Obtaining the necessary toolchain and board support package (BSP) for your target.
2. Compiling, downloading, running, and debugging a "hello world" application using the toolchain and BSP. This step verifies that the necessary toolchain is installed on the host computer and the board support package is installed and configured correctly.
3. Porting the LabVIEW C Code Run-Time Library to the target operating system.

   Note  Refer to Chapter 4 LabVIEW C Code Run-Time and Analysis Libraries, in the LabVIEW Microprocessor SDK Porting Guide manual for more information about the LabVIEW Run-Time Library.

4. Creating and/or modifying the plug-in VIs for basic user actions and target-specific dialog boxes.

   Note  Refer to Plug-In VIs in the LabVIEW Microprocessor SDK Porting Guide manual for more information about plug-in VIs.

5. Adding the target to the LabVIEW development environment.

   Note  Refer to Chapter 7 Creating a New Embedded Target, in the LabVIEW Microprocessor SDK Porting Guide manual for more information about how to create and add the target to LabVIEW.

The actual amount of implementing versus reusing of example targets depends on how closely your target, operating system, and toolchain match one of the example targets, operating systems, and toolchains. While the example targets include common processor architectures, operating systems, and toolchains, the examples targets cannot cover everything.

The Microprocessor SDK includes the LabVIEW C Code Generator, which generates C code based on the block diagram when you build an embedded VI into an embedded application. Next, the C code is passed with any external C code and the LabVIEW C Code Run-Time Library through your third-party cross-compiler to create an executable file. This executable file is saved on the host computer.

When you download, or deploy, an embedded application, your toolchain downloads the application, usually over serial, TCP, or JTAG. If you run the embedded application, the go command is sent for that application. A basic embedded application runs headless, which means it runs without a user interface, keyboard, mouse, and so on. If your target has an LCD and you implement user interface support, your embedded application might have a user interface. When you debug an embedded application, you create an interactive debug connection back to the host PC, usually over serial, TCP, or JTAG.

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