LabVIEW Student Edition a good learning tool?

[MrE]

Is there any reason that FRC teams couldn't start learning now with the Student edition of LabVIEW?

Is there any significant capability difference from the version they will receive with the KOP in January?

Any advantage to getting them started with LEGO Mindstorms equipment (either RCX or NXT)?

Thanks,

Mark Edelman (mentor - 2489 | MSJ Insomniacs)

[LabViewEnthusiast]

I own a Mindstorms NXT set. The software is basically a simple version of LabVIEW. I would recommend looking at the NXT software to understand the basics of graphical programming. Buying the whole kit for $250 might be a stretch, though. I would definitely recommend the NXT kit instead of the old RCX kits. The NXT kit is much more like LabVIEW, more recent, more advanced, and has better sensors and motors.

When learning the NXT software, try building one or two of the robots that they give instructions for. Then learn what each of the blocks do and learn about data wires. Do this by looking at the extended help link in the little help window at the bottom right.

Also, we got the full LabVIEW edition in this year's kit of parts.

[RoboGret]

There is some additional functionality that will be added in the KOP, but there's no reason why the student edition or even the online eval edition (ni.com/trylabview) couldn't be used to get up-to-speed now with LabVIEW. The NXT stuff will help with general robotics logic, but the full LabVIEW software is different.

[Jennifer_R]

Hi Mark,

The student edition of LabVIEW would be a good introduction to graphical programming. More details about the differences between the student and KOP versions will be available in the future. In general, limitations of the LabVIEW Student Edition can be found in the document What Features and Limitations Does the LabVIEW Student Edition Have?

The FIRST Tech Challenge kit, once it is available, could also be a useful resource if you want to begin working with LabVIEW and sensors.

[Paollo]

Ritengo Che SIA Il Miglior Metodo Esperimenti tariffa per, se posso permettermi di dire Esperimenti Quelli che io vorrei effettuare soprattutto nel Mondo subaqueo o in quello elettromeccanico e altri.

Paollo

[Tim Wright]

According to a past post (http://decibel.ni.com/content/thread/3112), if you already have LabVIEW from last year's KOP you can use it for FRC related learning until the license expires in 2011.  I would highly suggest using that version so you are working with exactly the tools (if perhaps one version old) that will be used in the competition.  I believe you can install the NXT toolbox with the KOP version of LabVIEW as well to program the Mindstorms.

-Tim Wright

[Paollo]

Non so se questo che stò mettendo in discussione sia il metodo giusto, ma dopo tanti anni di inattività ritengo giusto partire da considerazioni banali ma indicative.

Il primo problema che pongo è il seguente:

Ad una profondità di 20Mt sotto il livello dell'acqua si ha un serbatoio di aria compressa a  5 kg/cmq, si vuole svuotare dall'acqua, un  serbatoio di capovolto di 10 litri. Si vuole sapere l'energia necassaria per ottenere lo svuotamento del serbatoio. Il tempo per effettuare detta operazione, Lenergia necessaria a ripristinare lo stato iniziale del serbatoio dellaria compressa.