Hvad er NIWeek, og hvorfor skal du deltage? [NIWeek 2019 – 3:3]

What Is NIWeek, and Why Should You Attend? [NIWeek 2019 – 3:3]

by with No Comment News

NIWeek is much more than just a presentation of new features and products that you can use when solving tomorrow's challenges. It is also a great place to be updated and inspired by other developers, which I will be focusing on in the third and last blog post in the mini-series about NIWeek 2019.

Technical Sessions

In addition to keynotes, NIWeek offers a lot of technical sessions distributed on seven tracks:

    • Software Engineering Processes, Architectures, and Design (SEPAD)
    • Hardware and Technologies
    • Software Fundamentals
    • Academic
    • Aerospace and Defense
    • Automotive
    • Semiconductor

Did You Miss NIWeek? [Video]

Thanks to the LabVIEW community, it is still possible to watch some of the technical presentations!

In this post, I will highlight a presentation about how to keep track of your product requirements when using bookmarks in LabVIEW. The presentation was held by Quentin Alldredge from Q Software Innovations and Becky Linton and Chris Beuschell from Konrad Technologies:

Discount on Certifications and Courses [LabVIEW and TestStand]

Did you know that you could take LabVIEW and TestStand certifications at NIWeek? Furthermore, that the price is cheaper than normal? While there was a 50% discount on certification exams, there was a 25% discount on courses.

It was possible to take the following certifications:

It was possible to attend following courses:

Various Networking Events

A characteristic of NIWeek is also that all participants are represented because they want to learn from each other and build up new relations. This is for instance the case after each presentation, where you can ask questions to the speaker. Questions that often result in professional discussions and networking.

In addition, there is also the exhibition area where sponsors and exhibitors present their latest products, including how these products interact with LabVIEW. For further information about a technical issue, you can also go to the expert bar in order to book a meeting with a LabVIEW expert from NI R&D.

NI was also running an event for the Northern European region, where everybody was invited to dinner for the purpose of networking across countries and companies among others. The conversations were, of course, of a technical nature, but there were also a lot of cock-and-bull stories and funny anecdotes from previous NIWeeks. In addition, one of the major highlights was the final party on Wednesday, where all participants were invited.

A Summary of NIWeek 2019

In conclusion: NIWeek is so much more than just a presentation of new features and future strategies, and I would recommend everybody to attend this event! Personally, it was my first NIWeek, and I want to take the opportunity to thank all of you who have helped making NIWeek amazing!

Nye features i TestStand [NIWeek 2019 – 2:3]

New Features in TestStand [NIWeek 2019 – 2:3]

by with No Comment News

This is the second blog post in the mini-series about NIWeek 2019. While the first blog post was about new features in LabVIEW, the second one is about new features in TestStand. Here, I will summarize the most important news from TestStand 2019 in terms of completing test systems in a faster way.

An Overview of New Features in TestStand 2019

What new features in TestStand 2019 are important to know in terms of completing test systems in a faster and safer way? Below, I have made a list of new features, which I will elaborate on subsequently:

    • Quick Drop Support
    • PDF Report Generation
    • Data Streams: A new way to read data to and from the sequence
    • Sweep Loops: A new way to combine parameters
    • Building 32-bit packages for NI Package Manager (NIPM)
    • Python Adapter with support for Python 2.7 and 3.6+

See more features here

Quick Drop Support

In TestStand 2019, it has become faster to develop test sequences by using the new Quick Drop feature which is a well-known feature in LabVIEW. You can insert Action Steps, Tests, or Variables via Quick Drop. This is a huge step in the right direction regarding development speed in TestStand.

Read more about Quick Drop

PDF Report Generation

A long-awaited feature is furthermore that it is now possible to generate a PDF report in TestStand, which makes it easier to share results without difficult dependencies. You should, however, be aware that the PDF report is generated in the end, and you cannot generate a report along the way with “On-The-Fly” Report Generation.

Data Streams

By means of the new Stream-loop Step Type in TestStand 2019, there are better opportunities for streaming data to or from a file. The input is element-based, which means that you can define the steps to be executed for the certain element. This allows you to create several test profiles in external files and load them into the sequence for parameterizing its equipment. As a result, you will get a more modular and flexible test system, as the logic for setting the system only needs to be written once, while the test profiles can be added as needed.

Sweep Loops

The new Sweep Loop Control is an enhancement of the ForEach loop from TestStand 2017. In this Loop Type, you can set the limits for different test parameters and select the strategy for changing the parameters. Let us say, you have four parameters with four known values, it becomes 256 different permutations. TestStand can be set to run through the various permutations of parameters, and it can store the active permutation in a file. In this way, you can get more test coverage on your test unit, without writing a lot of loops for handling the permutations. As a result, it is easier to reproduce an error due to an unfortunate parameter configuration within the allowed limits.

Python Adapter

Based on the new Python Code Adapter, TestStand has now full support for Python. This means for instance that you can use Python to develop your test sequence. The improvement of using Python in TestStand is that National Instruments has integrated parallel execution of Python code. This feature solves one of the major challenges in Python regarding the parallel code execution that has been problematic so far.

With the new code adapter, you will have countless ways for connecting to external systems on the web or to databases that are not supported by TestStand naturally. If the system has an API for Python, you can connect to this system from your test station. Hence, the requirements are also lowered in order to extract data from test stations in a production line.

A Brief Summary

The message of the post is therefore: Use the new features in TestStand 2019 and you will complete test systems in a faster and safer way in terms of testing systems, products, components, or prototypes!

Remember that you are always welcome to write or call us, if you have any questions

Nye features i LabVIEW 2019 [NIWeek 2019 – 1:3]

New Features in LabVIEW 2019 [NIWeek 2019 – 1:3]

by with No Comment News

As mentioned earlier, GPower attended NIWeek 2019 in Austin, Texas – and there is lots of news from there! News that hopefully can help to inspire your department in terms of new and exciting solutions. Based on our field, I have summarized some technical highlights of the week in a mini-series of three blog posts, where the first one deals with new features in LabVIEW 2019.

LabVIEW 2019 – New Features

A new version of LabVIEW was, true to form, released at this year’s NIWeek. A new version with lots of new features, including:

  • Two new data structures
    • Sets: Contains only unique values
    • Maps: Stores data in a key-based structure for fast retrieval
  • Installation by using NI Package Manager (NIPM)
    • Feeds are available as part of a package
    • Package Installer
  • New 64-bit version of the LabVIEW FPGA module

New Data Structures [Set and Map]

The new data structures complement the existing structures in terms of specific features that do not exist in the existing ones such as arrays, variants, clusters, etc.

  • A Set can only contain unique values and filter out all duplicates during the creation of the set. As a result, you will avoid iterating over all data in an array and determining whether each value is unique or a duplicate by simply converting the array to a set. Hence, the result contains only the unique values of the array.
  • A Map stores data in a key-based structure that is used to retrieve data. This can, among other things, be used for configuration data or handling of multiple languages in applications.

Read more about the use of sets and maps

Distribution of Applications

The installation of LabVIEW 2019 has also changed significantly. LabVIEW 2019 and the majority of the underlying tools such as Realtime and FPGA are now handled as packages in the NI Package Manager (NIPM). This means, among other things, that they can be installed and updated directly from the package manager, which simplifies the installation process when installing several of National Instruments’ products at the same time.

In LabVIEW 2019, the possibilities of making packages for NIPM itself are also expanded. The package manager works by subscribing to feeds in order to find the latest version of LabVIEW among others. Here, the new thing about LabVIEW 2019 is that you can create and update a feed as part of the build process. In addition, the update from the end-user’s point of view becomes available when the build is finished.

LabVIEW 2019 also improves the installation process for your application on a PC that does not have NIPM installed. A new build target, called Package Installer, has been released. A build target that first installs NIPM and afterwards the dependencies for the package installer and necessary files.

What Does the New Features Mean More Specifically?

Based on the new features in LabVIEW 2019, it has become much easier to make an application to share between for example the development department and the production – without questioning which version is the latest. A huge step in the right direction in terms of completing development projects in a faster way!

From New Features in LabVIEW to New Features in TestStand [2:3]

As described in the introduction, this post is the first of a total of three posts. In the next post [2:3], I will be highlighting new features in TestStand, which is a framework for test management.

If you have any questions about the post, you are always welcome to write or call us.

Martin Boje NIWeek 2019

Experience NIWeek 2019 in a Short Video!

by with No Comment News

Did you miss NIWeek in Austin? Here, we will offer you an insight into an extremely eventful week. A week with everything from technical sessions to networking events!

An Extract of Highlights from NIWeek 2019

Exciting LabVIEW, test, and automation tracks. Interesting keynote speakers. Countless networking events with customers, business partners, and NI contacts. We could continue at length. Instead, we have summarized an extremely eventful week in a short video below:

From NIWeek in Austin to NIDays in Munich

For the first time this year, and in addition to NIWeek in Austin, NIDays Europe and NIDays Asia will also be held in 2019. Here, you can, among other things, experience:

    • Technical sessions
    • Keynote speakers
    • Alliance Day

Read more about NIDays Europe 2019

As one of the leading, European LabVIEW partners at National Instruments (NI), we look forward to joining NIDays Europe, which will be held from November 20-21. Here, we will once again be represented by technical and commercial employees in order to ensure that we, as NI integration partner, are updated on all latest trends in terms of NI software and hardware.

Call or write us, if you want to be updated on the latest trends in terms of NI software and hardware.

Contact us here

To Tech Leads er del af et nyt setup hos GPower

Two Tech Leads Are Part of a New Setup!

by with No Comment News

As we continue to expand the number of employees, we have just introduced two new Tech Leads as part of a new GPower setup. Read more about the new setup in this blog post.

Two Experienced Tech Leads

The reason for introducing two new Tech Leads in our development department is partly due to the expansion of employees and the increase of projects that require even more structure and division of responsibility.

A characteristic of the two Tech Leads is, among other things, that they have many years of experience with LabVIEW and TestStand, which work as our primary tools for developing high-quality software solutions for testing, measurement, and control. Therefore, the two Tech Leads have also a complete understanding of how to develop the best and the most ideal solutions – an understanding and an in-depth knowledge that enable the Tech Leads to make the right decisions, whether it is about system design or quality assurance.

New Titles. Same Mindset

Despite new titles, both Tech Leads will continue developing software solutions, as it is a real benefit for us being hands-on in terms of ongoing projects.

Eksklusiv LabVIEW-gruppe er samlet hos GPower [ALUG DK]

An Exclusive LabVIEW Group Is Gathered at GPower [ALUG DK]

by with No Comment News

Today, some of Denmark's best LabVIEW users are gathered in order to share experiences related to advanced LabVIEW programming. The group named Advanced LabVIEW User Group Denmark (ALUG DK) meets approximately twice a year – and this time, GPower is hosting the meeting.

The Purpose of ALUG DK

ALUG DK is a group of advanced LabVIEW users in Denmark created by National Instruments in 2014. At present, the group consists of approximately 20 members who meet a couple of times a year to discuss topics regarding LabVIEW, including:

    • Different ways of working
    • Working processes and programming techniques
    • Supplements for National Instruments’ tools

What Is LabVIEW?

How to Become Part of the Group?

To become a member of ALUG DK, you must have worked with LabVIEW at advanced level. Participation in the group is, moreover, done on the basis of the recommendation by an existing member.

Do you want to become part of the group? You are always welcome to write or call us to get in touch with one of the ALUG DK members.

CLA Summit 2019 [Certified LabVIEW Architects]

CLA Summit 2019 [Certified LabVIEW Architects]

by with No Comment News

In this week, GPower has attended the European Certified LabVIEW Architect (CLA) Summit. An event that brings together some of the world’s best NI LabVIEW programmers to discuss new features, architectures, and network with other CLAs and members of National Instruments (NI).

A Mecca for LabVIEW Developers

Every year, NI hosts the CLA Summit in the United States and Europe. This year, the European event, which can be described as a mecca for LabVIEW developers, has been held in Krakow from April 2-4, 2019.

In order to attend the event, an active CLA certification is required, which is the final step in the three-part LabVIEW certification process:

The Place to Be for LabVIEW Experts

Based on the information above, the event is only for a small group of LabVIEW experts, which usually results in an intimate atmosphere with the possibility of small group discussions and one-on-one meetings at the highest level. As an example, Steen Secher Schmidt and Jens Christian Andersen encountered for instance Jeff Kodosky, who is known as “the Father of LabVIEW” (see top photo).

Read more about CLA Summit 2019

While Steen and Jens Christian were the only GPower representatives this year, we expect that more developers will attend next year’s event, as we plan to educate more CLAs in the near future.

To stærke profiler bliver en del af GPower-teamet!

Two Strong Profiles Become Part of the GPower Team!

by with No Comment News

From February 1, 2019, our development department will once again be expanded! And this time, the expansion is not only made of one but two strong profiles consisting of the engineer, Mads Grunnet Askholt (left), and the physicist, Poul Lindholm Pedersen (right), which all of us look forward to!

The Recruitment Strategy

Getting a team of developers with a wide range of skills, expertise, and insights has been our recruitment strategy, as we have experienced that this kind of diversity results in a strong skill set and a strong team dynamic. Parameters that are essential for maintaining our position as leading experts in Europe in terms of building specialized measuring instruments, controllers, and signal generators for automation, simulation, and test projects.

Hence, today’s team consists of very different profiles in relation to factors such as education, skill set, and experience which the hiring of Mads and Poul also helps to support.

Why GPower?

In continuation of the strategy, a crucial question is, however, why Mads and Poul would like to be part of GPower which they explain below:

“I chose to become part of GPower to become part of a knowledge-intensive development team and a growing company. Here, I expect being able to use my qualifications, acquire new skills, and get new challenges in exciting projects – and not least nerding out even more 😊” – Mads Grunnet Askholt.

“I have always been interested in hardware and instrumentation. In my professional work, I have also been interested in innovation and the use of technology in the industry. Therefore, it was obvious for me to apply for being part of GPower owing to their mission about spreading advanced instrumentation to the industry” – Poul Lindholm Pedersen. 

Mads Grunnet Askholt

Mads is an engineer from Aarhus University, and comes from a position at Grundfos where he has worked as a Senior Engineer in their electronic test department. Furthermore, he has been a LabVIEW developer at Mita-Teknik and a technician at Danmon Systems Groups.

Poul Lindholm Pedersen

Poul is a trained physicist, and he has, among other things, a Master of Science (MSc) in Nanotechnology and a Ph.D. from Aarhus University. In recent years, he has been a consultant at Teknologisk Institut. Here, he has worked with new technologies for the oil industry among others.

Året der gik: En julehilsen fra GPower

A Year in Review: A Christmas Greeting from GPower

by with No Comment News

2018 has been an eventful year for GPower with many new employees, customers, and further development of own products and test concepts. However, we expect even more of 2019! In this blog post, our CEO will emphasize some of the highlights of 2018 followed by expectations for 2019.

In several areas, GPower has experienced great and positive changes during 2018. Broadly, we can go on a Christmas holiday with the conviction that we have followed our strategy and lived up to the expectations that we set for the year. Besides the fact that we, among other things, are getting more exciting test and measurement projects, our development department has also become more than twice as big as previously. As it appears now, we have built up a strong team of engineers and physicists that will be expanded by 2-3 men in the first quarter of 2019.

Hence, we can in parallel with our usual test and measurement projects also solve large-scale vision-oriented development projects. At the same time, we have made good progress with the further development of our software platform, high-quality instruments, and test concepts. These are all highlights that you will hear more about in 2019.

What Is the Overall Picture of 2018?

In general, we can see that the market has welcomed our vision. A vision that is based on the fact that the industry deserves and expects better and more affordable testing and measuring instruments. When we can say that for sure, the reason is that our primary growth in 2018 has been created in cooperation with existing customers who have been able to use our solutions for multiple projects.

In 2019, we are ready to be more structured in terms of introducing our solutions for new customers and markets which will be done in cooperation with our long-standing partner, National Instruments.

Finally, I would like to wish our business partners a merry Christmas. See you in 2019.

– Martin Boje, CEO at GPower.

Sidste omgang af GPowers bage-battle er skudt i gang!

The Final Round of GPower’s Baking Battle Has Just Begun!

by with No Comment News

Even though we are busy, there should always be room for fun and enjoyment! This is GPower’s philosophy! Lately, we have organized a cake competition that started as a cozy and an enjoyable project. However, before we knew it, the cozy project changed into a bigger baking battle! 😊

Why Did We Choose a Cake Competition?

It was the following statement: ”We’re not having cake quite often, aren’t we?” that started our cake competition at our headquarters in Hinnerup, Denmark. However, while the intention was to start a cozy and an enjoyable cake competition where the GPower colleagues could bring a home-made dream or chocolate cake, the cozy part was quickly changed into a real baking battle!

Have You Gone Too Far to Win...?

Despite the fact that it was our CEO that launched the project, he was – as the only person – disqualified from the competition. In addition to the fact that the cake was too good compared to his kitchen skills, he could neither answer whether he had added yeast in the cake or not which made the decision about disqualification a bit easier.

This decision meant also that the competitor and competitive person, Jesper (see the picture below), could breathe a sigh of relief, as he won the victory as well as the bragging rights.

The Final Baking Battle Takes Place Today

After a couple of months devoted to a cake competition, Steen and Jens Christian will complete the baking battle today. For now, we are not acquainted with the winner of today’s competition but owing to our development department, an anonymous poll has just been sent!