Software Engineering for LabVIEW Applications

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Topics

Software Quality Standards

ISO 9000, CMMI, DO-178B, FDA CFR Part 820

Software Engineering Process (SEP)

Validation, Requirements-Based Testing, Debugging, Automated Deployment

Software Configuration Management (SCM)

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Why Is Software Engineering a Concern?

• Large systems require structured development

practices

• Companies have to mitigate risk of systems by

demonstrating product quality

• The processes are the same, but the

methodologies and tools may be different

• NI LabVIEW software is commonly used for rapid

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Software Quality Standards

ISO 9000

Voluntary certification standard for consistent processes

CMMI

Process improvement model sponsored by the National

Defense Industrial Association

DO-178B

FAA standard for avionics software

FDA 21 CFR Part 820

Medical device standard

Company-wide certification standard

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Sanarus Medical

Challenge

• Noninvasive treatment using

cryogenics

–

Liquid nitrogen freezes tumors from

within the body

• Critical specifications

–

Alpha Prototype in 4 months with 1

engineer

(7)

OptiMedica

–

PASCAL Photocoagulator

• Panretinal laser

photocoagulation treating

retinal diseases

• Previously a manual process

–

Painful for the patient

• Controlled by one NI

PCI-7833R and LabVIEW FPGA

• Winner of the 2007 Medical

Design Excellence Award

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Software Engineering Process

(SEP)

• Refers to a model for the software

development process called the “development

life cycle”

• There are several SEP models, such as

waterfall, spiral, and agile, but they all share

common ground

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Basic SEP Model

• Process is independent of programming language

• Demonstrate a particular process for certification

• Automate this process for

LabVIEW

with toolkits and add-ons

• Apply SCM throughout process

Requirement Gathering Application Architecture Development and Debugging Testing and Verification Deployment

Development Life Cycle

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Configuration Management Goals

• Provide central repository of code

• Manage multiple developers

• Detect and resolve code collisions

• Track behavior changes

• Identify when changes are made and who made them

• Ensure everyone has latest copy of code

• Back up old code versions

• Manage

all

files, not just source code

National Instruments Confidential

Requirements Gathering Application Architecture Development and Debugging Testing and Verification Deployment

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Configuration Management Tools

• LabVIEW Project Explorer provides system level application

view

• Graphical merge and graphical differencing

• Integrate third-party source code control providers

• NI Requirements Gateway

National Instruments Confidential

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SCC Integration with LabVIEW

• Third-party source control integration

with the following:

–

Microsoft Visual SourceSafe

–

Microsoft Team System

–

Perforce

–

Rational ClearCase

–

PCVS (Serena) Version Manager

–

MKS Source Integrity

–

Seapine Surround SCM

–

Borland StarTeam

–

Telelogic Synergy

–

ionForge Evolution

–

Subversion**

• Access SCC tools via LabVIEW Project

• Project specific settings*

**Subversion is open source and requires plug-in

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Track Changes

View Revision History

Integrate with SCC

Merge Graphical Code

Manage Files and Links

System-Level View

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Worldwide RF Test System

International team of designers and engineers testing complex devices using LabVIEW

Problem

Managing large application development (14,000+ VIs) in LabVIEW

across contents and teams of developers (50+)

Solution:

Software Engineering Waterfall Process Model

Source code control

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Requirements Gathering Application Architecture Development and Debugging Testing and Verification Deployment

Phases of Development in SEP

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Goals

• Agree on what the application will do

• Define which behaviors are acceptable and safe

• Define tests for individual components

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Practices

• System-level requirements are mapped to

specifications for unit-level functionality

• Requirements documents are commonly

stored in programs such as Microsoft Word,

Adobe PDF, or Telelogic DOORS

• Code is documented as fulfilling specifications

within requirement documentation

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Tools

• Telelogic Doors

• Microsoft Word/Excel

• NI Requirements Gateway

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Requirements Traceability Solution from NI

Dedicated Interfaces

NI Requirements

Gateway

Requirements

Traceability

Capture

Navigation

NI TestStand

LabVIEW

LabWindows™/ CVI

MATRIXx

Dedicated Interfaces

DOORS

RequisitePro

The mark LabWindows is used under a license from Microsoft Corporation. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Goals

• Determine how code will be divided based on

functionality

• Develop standard interfaces and APIs for code

modules

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Practices

• Build code foundation using established design

patterns

• Agree on coding style

• Develop framework or skeleton of all code and

tests

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Tools

• UML tools

• LabVIEW design patterns

• Object-oriented design

• LabVIEW Statechart Module

Software Configuration Management (SCM)

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LabVIEW Design Patterns

• Important architecture concept

• Common, easily recognized frameworks

• Improves code readability

• Avoid “reinventing” the wheel

• Take advantage of more than 20 years of work

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Goals

• Implement the application

• Fulfill requirements documentation

• Detect and resolve incorrect code behavior

• Pass functionality test parameters

• Abide by style guidelines

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Practices

• Group development

• Manual peer code review

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Tools

• Constantly compiling

• Highlight execution

• Breakpoint manager*

• _{Diagram cleanup*}

• National Instruments Style Guideline

• VI profiler

• _{Coercion (memory) dots}

• Conditional disable structures

• _{VI Analyzer Toolkit}

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

G

oals

• Verify that code behaves correctly according to requirements

• Validate that the system performs as the user expects

• Ensure 100 percent code coverage

• Exhaustive coverage tests all possible code execution

combinations

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Practices

• Requirements-based testing using test frameworks

• Test frameworks generate reports based on output and

code coverage

• Failed tests return application to development phase

• White box testing for branch analysis

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Tools

• Custom-test frameworks

• NI Requirements Gateway

More coming soon …

Software Configuration Management (SCM)

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Goals

• Determine repeatable process

• Deploy to determine behavior on other targets

• Deliver a product to customer or end user

• Make every installer and driver required for operation easily

portable

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Practices

• Develop build process early

• Test using run-time engine

• Check for dynamically loaded subfolders

• Design with end product in mind

• Plan for final paths

• Distribute end product using installers

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

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LabVIEW

Tools for SEP and SCM

NI Requirements

Gateway

LabVIEW

Statechart

Module

VI Analyzer

LabVIEW

Application

Builder

Software Configuration Management (SCM)

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Tools for the Development Process

Requirements

Gateway

LabVIEW

Statechart

Module

VI Analyzer

LabVIEW

Application

Builder

Unit Test

Framework

Desktop

Execution Trace

Software Configuration Management (SCM)

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Requirements Gathering Application Architecture Development & Debugging Testing & Verification Deployment

Application

Builder

Statechart

Module

VI Analyzer

Unit Test

Framework

Desktop

Execution Trace

NI Requirements

Gateway 1.1

NI Developer Suite Bundle

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Software Configuration Management (SCM)

What Is the DETT?

• Debugs and optimizes complex applications

• Detects incorrect behaviors such as memory leaks

• Easily traces actions to responsible code

• Monitors deployed applications for correct behavior

• Optimizes multithreading in LabVIEW

Troubleshoots complex applications and monitors events

and resource allocation during execution

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What Is the Unit Test Framework?

• Generates and executes tests for VIs quickly and easily

• Ensures code is safe, reliable, and fault tolerant

• Tracks percentage of code that has been executed

• Defines tests outside of development environment

• Views coverage of test requirements

Software Configuration Management (SCM)

Develops and validates reliable, safe, and fault tolerant

applications using graphical programming

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Fluidnet

–

IV Drip Infusion Pump

• Algorithm developed

using LabVIEW for

Windows OS and NI Data

Acquisition

–

Very slow flow rates

–

Simple user interface

–

Must be fail safe

–

Rapid time to market

• Deployed Blackfin

solutions by Boston

Engineering

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Nuclear Reactor Control System

VI Control Systems and Sandia National Laboratories

• Mission-critical application

controls reactor

• LabVIEW and NI Compact

FieldPoint replaced existing

system

• Intuitive user interface for

monitoring

• Nine networked computers

running LabVIEW constantly

monitor one another

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Oral Feeder for Premature Infants

Deployed commercial FDA Class II

medical device using LabVIEW and

NI CompactRIO

The software architecture was

developed with the LabVIEW

Real-Time, LabVIEW FPGA, and LabVIEW

Statechart modules

Use an NI Single-Board RIO device to

create a more cost-optimized version

for high-volume deployment

The NTrainer System Helps Premature Babies Learn to Feed Orally and Greatly

Increases Chances for Survival

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LabVIEW is a programming language

LabVIEW is used for large,

mission-critical applications

Much of LabVIEW and other NI tools are

developed in LabVIEW

NI develops LabVIEW using an ISO-9001

accredited process

LabVIEW integrates with tools and

practices for SEP and SCM

Create installers in LabVIEW to deploy

professional, stand-alone software

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ni.com/labview/power

• Large, mission-critical user solutions

• Software engineering best practices

• Frequently asked development questions

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ni.com/labview/power

Configuration Management with LabVIEW

Source Code Control, Version Tracking, Revision History, Group Development

Software Engineering Practices for LabVIEW

Validation, Requirements-Based Testing, Debugging, Automated Deployment

Comparing LabVIEW to C/C++