NI Week 2008 is here. Starting on Tuesday, August 5, more than 3,000 engineers, scientists, educators, and NI developers will convene at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas for three full days of interactive technical sessions, hands-on workshops, case study presentations, and exhibitions on the latest technologies for design, control, and test applications. Hosted by National Instruments, this show is both intellectually stimulating and a lot of fun. Below is a listing of the Technical Tracks, Technical Summits and other activities. If you are attending the show for the first time, here’s some advice: Make sure to attend all of the Keynote speeches. NI always does an awesome job with the keynotes. If you’re not attending for some reason, NI makes the keynotes available on its web site. We’ll give you the links when we get them. Oh, one more thing, I’ll be speaking at the RF and Wireless Communications Summit (see below), so make sure to stop by and say hello.
Technical Tracks
Embedded Design Track
New to NIWeek 2008 is the embedded design track, which features technical sessions, case studies, and hands-on workshops on trends and techniques that simplify embedded design. Topics include programming with NI LabVIEW FPGA, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation, multicore programming, and NI embedded technology in academia. Presenters include Boston Engineering, Cornell University, and The University of California, Berkeley.
Industrial and Automation Track
These technical sessions explore topics such as connecting LabVIEW to PLCs, green engineering, data logging, and adding HMIs to your system. Presenters include Averna, Corning Cable Systems, and Enginuity.
Software Development Techniques Track
These technical sessions explore topics such as effective LabVIEW code reuse, building and optimizing automated test systems, efficient memory management, and comparing graphical programming language to traditional text-based language. Presenters include Texas Instruments, The Ohio State University, and Innoventor Inc.
Test and Data Acquisition Track
These technical sessions explore topics such as advanced data acquisition with intelligent DAQ, testing complex electronics systems (with a Nintendo Wii teardown), wireless technologies, and using the PXI platform for semiconductor validation test. Presenters include Texas Instruments, microLEX, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Technical Summits
RF and Wireless Communications Summit
Learn about the latest techniques and tools for designing, developing, and testing RF and wireless communications products in a rapidly changing market. Topics include emerging test paradigms for RFID requirements and advances in broadcast digital video testing. Presenters include RMFD, Nexjen Systems, and DAQTron Inc.
Robotics Summit
National Instruments presents the first ever Robotics Summit at NIWeek 2008. Discover how engineers and researchers from industry and academia worldwide are using LabVIEW and NI technologies for robotic and autonomous vehicle applications. Topics include the creation of unmanned vehicles and robotic systems design and control. Presenters include Imaging Labs, Virginia Tech, and The University of California, Berkeley.
Sound and Vibration Summit
Attend interactive sessions with leading industry and academic experts and hands-on workshops to learn the latest sound and vibration techniques. Topics include advanced machine condition monitoring and advanced wireless synchronization architectures and implementations using GPS technology. Presenters include Alion and F’IS.
Vision Summit
Participate in hands-on workshops and presentations from the NI vision team, industry experts, and academia on the latest in vision technologies. Topics include the NI Smart Camera, the impact of multicore technology on machine vision, and true scalability. Presenters include General Electric and the National Instruments vision team.
Other Activities
Academic Forum
Participate in the Academic Forum, an exclusive platform for academic professionals to present their original research and teaching methodologies and to network with colleagues from around the world. The forum, scheduled for Monday, August 4, features technical seminars, presentations on new NI technology, and a poster session.
Medical Device Workshop
Attend the Medical Device Workshop, an interactive, two-day seminar for physicians, scientists, and engineers developing innovative, timely, and safe medical devices. The workshop features discussions on market challenges and requirements and the design of more effective devices. Also, physicians participate in training on automating instrumentation while the engineers learn how to use graphical system design to develop devices in half the time of traditional methods.
Exhibition NIWeek 2008 hosts more than 200 exhibits featuring new technologies and product demonstrations from companies such as Brüel & Kjær, Edmund Optics, Phase Matrix, and Xilinx. The exhibition hall also features the LabVIEW Zone, RF and Wireless Pavilion, Robotics Pavilion, Sound and Vibration Pavilion, and Vision Neighborhood to showcase the technologies presented during the NIWeek keynotes and technical summits.