LabVIEW Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for LabVIEW Engineers

Ask the right questions to secure the right LabVIEW talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

National Instruments developed LabVIEW, a graphical programming language, in 1986. It is primarily used for data acquisition, instrument control, and industrial automation. LabVIEW is Windows-based and has a drag-and-drop interface that allows users to create programs without writing code. As of 2023, LabVIEW is used by over 3 million engineers and scientists worldwide.

First 20 minutes

General LabVIEW knowledge and experience

The next 20 minutes of the interview should attempt to focus more specifically on the development questions used, and the level of depth and skill the engineer possesses.

Describe the difference between local and global variables in LabVIEW.

Local variables in LabVIEW can only be accessed within the same VI, while global variables can be accessed from any VI in the project.

How would you handle errors in LabVIEW?

Errors in LabVIEW can be handled using error clusters, which contain status, code and source. You can also use structures like Case or Select to handle errors.

What is dataflow programming in LabVIEW?

Dataflow programming in LabVIEW is a technique where the flow of data determines the execution order of functions. Each function executes when all its input data is available.

How would you use a While Loop in LabVIEW?

A While Loop in LabVIEW is used to execute a certain block of code repeatedly until a certain condition is met. You can use the conditional terminal to stop the loop.

What are the basic components of LabVIEW?

The basic components of LabVIEW are the Front Panel, Block Diagram, Controls Palette, Functions Palette, and Context Help Window.

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What youre looking for early-on

Does the candidate have good communication skills?

Communication skills are important for understanding project requirements and collaborating with team members. The candidate should be able to demonstrate their communication skills.

Has the candidate shown an ability to learn new technologies quickly?

The technology field is constantly evolving. A good candidate should be able to adapt and learn new technologies quickly.

Can the candidate work well in a team?

Teamwork is often a key part of a developer's job. The candidate should be able to demonstrate their ability to work well in a team.

Does the candidate have experience with data acquisition and instrument control?

These are key aspects of a LabVIEW developer's job. The candidate should have experience in these areas.

Has the candidate demonstrated problem-solving skills?

Problem-solving skills are essential for a developer position. The candidate should be able to demonstrate their ability to troubleshoot and solve problems.

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of LabVIEW?

This is crucial as the candidate will be working extensively with LabVIEW. They should be able to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the software.

Next 20 minutes

Specific LabVIEW development questions

The next 20 minutes of the interview should attempt to focus more specifically on the development questions used, and the level of depth and skill the engineer possesses.

How would you optimize memory usage in a LabVIEW application?

Memory usage in a LabVIEW application can be optimized by using data types that use less memory, reducing data copies, using fixed-size arrays, and by releasing references when they are no longer needed.

What are the different methods to deploy a LabVIEW application?

LabVIEW applications can be deployed as standalone executables, packed project libraries, source distributions, web services, or installers.

Describe the difference between a shift register and a feedback node in LabVIEW.

In LabVIEW, a shift register is used to pass values from one iteration to the next in a loop. A feedback node does the same, but it is more compact and allows initialisation before the loop starts.

How would you use arrays in LabVIEW?

Arrays in LabVIEW can be used to store multiple elements of the same data type. You can create, index, and manipulate arrays using the Array functions from the Functions Palette.

What is the purpose of a sequence structure in LabVIEW?

A sequence structure in LabVIEW is used to ensure that certain parts of the block diagram are executed in a specific order.

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The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the LabVIEW engineer at this point.

At this point, a skilled LabVIEW engineer should demonstrate proficient knowledge in LabVIEW programming and debugging, understanding of real-time and FPGA systems, and strong problem-solving abilities. Red flags include lack of hands-on experience, inability to articulate complex programming concepts clearly or unfamiliarity with data acquisition hardware.

Digging deeper

Code questions

These will help you see the candidate's real-world development capabilities with LabVIEW.

What does this simple LabVIEW code do?

Add VI
Inputs: 5, 3
Output: ?

This code adds two numbers, 5 and 3, and outputs the result. The output will be 8.

What does this LabVIEW code do?

For Loop
N = 5
Inside Loop: Add VI
Inputs: Loop Iteration, 2
Output: ?

This code runs a loop 5 times. In each iteration, it adds the current iteration number to 2. The outputs will be 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What will be the output of this array manipulation code in LabVIEW?

Array: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
For Each Element in Array: Multiply VI
Inputs: Element, 2
Output: ?

This code multiplies each element in the array by 2. The output will be a new array: [2, 4, 6, 8, 10].

What does this LabVIEW code do related to threading?

Parallel For Loop
N = 4
Inside Loop: Add VI
Inputs: Loop Iteration, 2
Output: ?

This code runs a loop 4 times in parallel. In each iteration, it adds the current iteration number to 2. The outputs will be 2, 3, 4, and 5, but the order may vary due to the parallel execution.

What does this LabVIEW code do related to class design?

Class: Car
Properties: Speed, Color
Method: Drive
Inside Method: Add VI to Speed
Inputs: Speed, 5
Output: ?

This code defines a class 'Car' with properties 'Speed' and 'Color'. It also defines a method 'Drive' which increases the 'Speed' property by 5. The output will be the new speed of the car.

What will be the output of this advanced LabVIEW code?

Array: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
For Each Element in Array: Case Structure
Case: Element > 3
True Case: Multiply VI
Inputs: Element, 2
False Case: Add VI
Inputs: Element, 2
Output: ?

This code iterates over each element in the array. If the element is greater than 3, it multiplies the element by 2. Otherwise, it adds 2 to the element. The output will be a new array: [3, 4, 5, 8, 10].

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for LabVIEW role questions

The final few interview questions for a LabVIEW candidate should typically focus on a combination of technical skills, personal goals, growth potential, team dynamics, and company culture.

How would you handle large datasets in a LabVIEW application?

Handling large datasets in a LabVIEW application can be done by using file I/O functions to read and write data in chunks, using data reduction techniques, or by using databases.

What are the different ways to debug a LabVIEW application?

Debugging a LabVIEW application can be done using the debugging tools provided by LabVIEW, like breakpoints, probes, step Into/Out/Over, and the Execution Highlighting tool.

Describe the difference between a VI and a subVI in LabVIEW.

A VI (Virtual Instrument) in LabVIEW is a module that can be used standalone or as part of another VI. A subVI is a VI that is used within another VI, similar to a function in other programming languages.

How would you implement multithreading in LabVIEW?

Multithreading in LabVIEW can be implemented using parallel loops, asynchronous call and forget VIs, and notifiers or queues to communicate between threads.

What is the role of a state machine in LabVIEW?

A state machine in LabVIEW is a design pattern used to control the flow of an application. It allows the application to transition between different states based on certain conditions.

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LabVIEW application related

Product Perfect's LabVIEW development capabilities

Beyond hiring for your LabVIEW engineering team, you may be in the market for additional help. Product Perfect provides seasoned expertise in LabVIEW projects, and can engage in multiple capacities.