National Instruments Extends LabVIEW Embedded Design Platform to QNX Neutrino Real-Time Operating System.

Design Engineers Now Have a Powerful Tool for Simplifying Design Programming

AUSTIN, Texas -- National Instruments (Nasdaq: NATI) and QNX Software Systems have teamed up to extend the LabVIEW graphical dataflow environment to the QNX([R]) Neutrino([R]) real-time operating system (RTOS). Engineers now can use the NI LabVIEW Embedded Development Module with the QNX Neutrino RTOS to add comprehensive support for multicore processors and target any supported hardware platform for QNX Neutrino.

Moore's Law states that processing speeds will double every 18 months, but because of current physical limitations, this is no longer possible. To achieve the required computing performance, silicon vendors have been moving to multicore processor designs. Engineers using LabVIEW to design, prototype and deploy their embedded designs with QNX Neutrino now can develop programs known as VIs in LabVIEW with multiple simultaneous execution paths and instantly see increased processing power with no special coding or configuration required. LabVIEW engineers do not have to worry about additional thread management and multitasking coding because QNX Neutrino handles this automatically.

"Multicore technology is becoming ubiquitous, and it is important for embedded system designers to stay ahead of the curve," said Randy Martin, product manager for QNX Software Systems. "Together the QNX Neutrino operating system and LabVIEW Embedded deliver a powerful and simple solution for building multicore designs using the familiar graphical environment of LabVIEW and the high-level performance of QNX Neutrino."

Additionally, engineers using the LabVIEW Embedded Development Module with the QNX Neutrino RTOS are not required to choose a target CPU until much later in the project design. Instead, the engineer can complete the design and prototype stages using commercial off-the-shelf hardware such as National Instruments CompactRIO or PXI without addressing the final target configuration. After measuring the required CPU performance, the engineer can choose a single core or multicore target based on the specific application needs.

Recently, QNX Software Systems announced that the QNX Neutrino RTOS now works with the National Instruments Measurement Hardware Driver Development Kit and PCI multifunction data acquisition (DAQ) boards. This announcement means design engineers now can choose from a wide range of National Instruments DAQ products - from low-cost single-function units to high-speed multifunction devices - while experiencing the benefits of the proven fault tolerance and real-time performance of QNX Neutrino.

For more information about the LabVIEW Embedded Development Module for QNX Neutrino RTOS, readers can visit www.ni.com/qnx.

About National Instruments

For 30 years, National Instruments (www.ni.com) has been a technology pioneer and leader in virtual instrumentation - a revolutionary concept that has changed the way engineers and scientists in industry, government and academia approach measurement and automation. Leveraging PCs and commercial technologies, virtual instrumentation increases productivity and lowers costs for test, control and design applications through easy-to-integrate software, such as NI LabVIEW, and modular measurement and control hardware for PXI, PXI Express, PCI, PCI Express, USB and Ethernet. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has more than 4,000 employees and direct operations in nearly 40 countries. For the past seven years, FORTUNE magazine has named NI one of the 100 best companies to work for in America.

About QNX Software Systems

QNX Software Systems, a Harman International company (NYSE: HAR), is the industry leader in real-time, embedded OS technology. The component-based architectures of the QNX[R] Neutrino[R] RTOS and QNX Momentics[R] development suite together provide the industry's most reliable and scalable framework for building innovative, high-performance embedded systems. Global leaders such as Cisco, DaimlerChrysler, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, and Siemens depend on QNX technology for network routers, medical instruments, vehicle telematics units, security and defense systems, industrial robotics, and other mission- or life-critical applications. Founded in 1980, QNX Software Systems is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and distributes products in over 100 countries worldwide. Visit www.qnx.com.

CompactRIO, LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments. QNX and Neutrino are trademarks of QNX Software Systems GmbH & Co. KG, registered in certain jurisdictions and used under license. Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.