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Actor Framework

The Actor Framework is a software library that supports the writing of applications in which multiple VIs run independently while communicating with each other. In these applications, each VI represents some actor carrying out an independent task in the system. The actor maintains its internal state and sends messages out to the other actors. Many techniques exist for creating such applications in LabVIEW. The Actor Framework focuses on being easy to learn (relative to other possibly-more-powerful tools) while mitigating risk of deadlocks/race conditions and maximizing code reuse.

 

National Instruments created The Actor Framework to fill a hole in the standard architectures used by LabVIEW programmers. The Actor Framework builds on the well-known queue-driven state machine/queued message handler (QDSM/QMH) model.

 

The Actor Framework has been part of the installed LabVIEW environment since LabVIEW 2012, and a new project using the Actor Framework can be created from the Create Project dialog.

 

Extensive getting started documentation can be found by creating the Actor Framework sample project (File >> Create Project... >> Actor Framework) and looking at the HTML files provided with the new project.

 

Additional informationabout the Actor Framework and a discussion section is provided in the Actor Framework NI Community Group.

 

Attached is the Actor Framework Whitepaper included with LabVEW 2015, which provides a detailed description.

authored by
Christian L, CLA
Systems Engineering Manager - Automotive and Transportation
NI - Austin, TX