Virtual Prototyping

"With LabVIEW as our primary development environment, we leveraged the integration with SolidWorks, which significantly increased the efficiency of our design process, and, for the first time, involved the mechanical team in the software development."

- Lisa Mosier - Square One Systems Design Inc.

LabVIEW NI SoftMotion Module and SolidWorks Improve the Design Process

The seamless integration of the LabVIEW NI SoftMotion Module and DS SolidWorks software delivers a design environment that is ideal for virtual prototyping. You can easily connect existing SolidWorks CAD models to LabVIEW, which automatically links the motor actuators and position sensors defined in the model. Using the high-level motion functions provided by LabVIEW NI SoftMotion, you can develop sophisticated motion control applications that include logic based on sensor feedback. Design teams, customers, and sales engineers then can use the virtual prototype to visualize realistic machine operations and analyze cycle time performance. By using LabVIEW and SolidWorks, you can simulate the mechanical dynamics of a machine, including mass and friction effects, as well as motor and mechanical actuator torque requirements, before specifying parts. With its seamless deployment path to embedded control platforms, you can use LabVIEW to easily transfer your motion control application designed and validated using a SolidWorks 3D CAD model to an embedded motion control system such as the NI CompactRIO programmable automation controller (PAC).

NI SoftMotion for SolidWorks

NI LabVIEW software and the LabVIEW NI SoftMotion Module deliver graphical development for custom motion control applications. With LabVIEW NI SoftMotion, you can use the LabVIEW project to configure all of your motion axis settings, test your configuration, tune your motors, and quickly develop a custom motion application.

• Design custom motion control applications using graphical development tools
• Benefit from functions for trajectory generation, spline interpolation, position, velocity control
• Use the high-level function block API for simplified motion profile development
• Design and validate the motion control application using DS SolidWorks

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Embedded Motion Control System

You can deploy the control algorithms designed and validated using virtual prototyping technologies to embedded motion control platforms such as NI CompactRIO. This helps you reuse the application within the design phase for the final deployment.

• Rugged, reconfigurable motion control system
• FPGA parallel processing capabilities to optimize your control algorithms
• C Series drive interface modules to connect to stepper and servo drives
• Stepper drives and motors for a wide range of applications
• Connector block connectivity to third-party drives and motors

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