NI LabVIEW annual subscription at $528 is worth every penny !!

[dbbotkin]

If you are a hobbyist like I am, working with NI modular bought cheap on eBAY, you will discover that many will not work in the "Community" version of LV. Sure, you can get some working in Win7 and use Python from this GitHub to have easy access to their documented capabilities.

Eventually you will need to use LabVIEW to create VI's that Python can access for your operations and data collection. This is a rabbit hole--a very deep hole--mostly due to the need to work with NI TDAQ traditional modules. I started out with WinXP but found it very limited in the way of drivers for the modules. Win7 is where you want to start. There is an embedded version (WES7) that is free of all the bells and whistles MSFT loads on as 'features' (don't even think about Win10).

Here's what comes with a base level subscription that makes it a bargain: 1) Access to older versions of software--you probably have been all over the 'net trying to find drivers. 2) The BIG one--if you need something, as a paid subscriber you can file a "Service Request." From getting access to older drivers and LV versions to real help with traditional gear, my service requests solved problems in a day that had me bogged down for a week.