LabVIEW 8.6, the latest version of the graphical system design software program for control, test, and embedded system development, includes new FPGA and multicore intellectual property (IP) and support for the company’s FPGA-based hardware. Users can shorten time-to-market for embedded systems by deploying LabVIEW 8.6 applications to commercial-off-the-shelf reconfigurable I/O (RIO) hardware. Hundreds of graphical FPGA IP blocks for signal processing, control, and communications also reduce development time. In addition, a new fixed-point IP including a fast FFT IP core helps designers offload spectral analysis functions. This feature increases performance in applications like machine monitoring and rf test. LabVIEW 8.6 users can quickly prototype their advanced control algorithms and embedded applications on flexible hardware like the CompactRIO. They can then deploy their systems to board-level embedded hardware such as the Single-Board RIO. LabVIEW 8.6 prices start at $1199. NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS, Austin, TX. (800) 258-7022.