CLAD Exam Information and Guideline
Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer (CLAD)
Below are complete topics detail with latest syllabus and course outline, that will help you good knowledge about exam objectives and topics that you have to prepare. These contents are covered in questions and answers pool of exam.
The best preparation for this exam is LabVIEW programming experience applying the concepts presented in LabVIEW Core1 and Core2 courses. Class attendance alone will not be sufficient. Typical CLAD candidates have taken NIs LabVIEW Core 1 and Core 2 courses (or equivalent) and have at least 6 to 9 months of experience using LabVIEW.
This prep guide provides an overview of the exam, including exam logistics and coverage. The relevant knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) tested by the CLAD exam are listed in the KSAs: Knowledge, Skills and Abilities tested by the CLAD section. A detailed Topic List table follows the KSA descriptions.
This prep guide also includes example questions. This is not a sample exam. The questions are included as a study aid. They reflect the scope of the CLAD exam and familiarize the test-taker with NIs approach to testing the KSAs relevant to a Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer.
Scoring
A score of 70% or higher is required to pass the exam.
Individuals may take the CLAD exam at any PearsonVUE testing center by scheduling the exam at http://www.pearsonvue.com/ni/. When you schedule the exam, be sure to specify whether you wish to take the exam using LabVIEW NXG or LabVIEW 20xx (where xx indicates current year). The images and terminology of the exam will reflect the LabVIEW editor you choose, but the exam content will otherwise be identical. Simply choose the LabVIEW editor with which you are most comfortable.
Passing the CLAD exam using either editor earns the same CLAD Certification.
You cannot use LabVIEW or any other resources during the exam. The CLAD exam provides screenshots from the LabVIEW environment and LabVIEW Help where appropriate. Refer to the Example Questions & Resources section for examples.
To take the exam, you must agree to a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). The NDA states that you will not copy, reproduce, or communicate any section of the exam in any form, including verbal or electronic. Failure to comply with the NDA will result in penalties ranging from a failed exam to a lifetime ban from LabVIEW Certification
The CLAD exam centers around jobs requiring programming in professional settings, including Automated Test, High-Channel-Count Data Acquisition, or Domain Support. Most of these jobs include collecting and/or processing data in the form of signals from sensors. To verify the relevant knowledge, skills and abilities, the CLAD uses an NI-DAQmx system as representative hardware. NI-DAQmx was chosen because it can be simulated on all versions of LabVIEW. If you have access to LabVIEW, you have the resources to prepare for the exam. You do not need to purchase specific hardware.
Appendix I of the document provides instructions for setting up simulated hardware sufficient for exam preparation. The appendix also includes a list of the DAQmx functions possibly used in the exam. The exam does not test DAQmx function-specific settings. The questions use NI-DAQmx to test knowledge and skills necessary for common data acquisition tasks, such as calculating sample rates, determining the correct order of operations, and programming basic file I/O.
A person using LabVIEW at the Associated Developer level will be able to:
• Use software architectures from a single VI to a simple State Machine or Event-Driven UI
Handler.
• Collect data from sensors using NI Hardware.
• Use Array functions extensively to extract and manipulate a single channel of data from multiple-channel data represented by a 1D waveform array or a 2D numeric array.
• Use loops to run a test a set number of times or until a condition is met, to establish a voltage ramp, or conduct other repeated tasks.
• Create and modify SubVIs, clusters, and Type Defs to simplify their code and contribute to larger projects.
Hardware (10% of exam questions)
• Connecting Hardware: Sensors, DAQ, Devices under test (DUT.
• Acquiring and validating a signal
• Processing signals
• Using appropriate sample rates
LabVIEW Programming Environment (25% of exam questions)
• Setting up and using a LabVIEW Project to:
o Add, delete, and move elements
o Use libraries and appropriate types of folders
o Avoid cross-linking
• Data Types:
o Recognize data types on the front panel
o Recognize data types on the block diagram from terminals and wires
o Choose appropriate controls, indicators, data types, & functions for a given scenario
• Predicting order-of-execution and behavior of
o A non-looping VI
o A Simple State Machine
o An Event-driven UI Handler
o Parallel Loops (without queues)
• Using basic functions to create a simple Acquire-Analyze-Visualize application
• Troubleshooting by identifying and correcting the cause of a broken arrow or incorrect data
• Error handling using error clusters and merge error functions to ensure errors are handled well
• Navigating LabVIEW help to get more information about inputs, outputs, and functions
LabVIEW Programming Fundamentals (50% of exam questions)
• Loops
o Create continuous HW acquisition or generation loop by applying a
Open-Configure-Perform Operation-Close model.
o Retain data in shift registers
o Use input and output terminals effectively, including:
▪ Determining the last value output
▪ Indexing input and output terminals
▪ Concatenating output
▪ Using conditional output
▪ Using shift registers, both initialized and uninitialized.
o Use timing of loops appropriately, including:
▪ Software timing
▪ Hardware timing
o Use For Loops and While Loops appropriately
Arrays
o View data from an n-channel HW acquisition VI (using the DAQmx Read VI) using a
waveform graph, waveform chart, or numeric/waveform array indicator.
o Extract a single channel of data (waveform or 1D Array) from a:
▪ 1D waveform array representing acquired data from multiple channels
▪ 2D numeric array representing acquired data from multiple channels
▪ 1D numeric array representing single measurement from multiple channels
o Use a For Loop with auto-indexing and conditional tunnels to:
▪ Iterate through an array
▪ Iterate processing code on each channel of data in a 1D waveform array
▪ Generate an array of data that meets required conditions
o Identify by sight and be able to use and predict the behavior of the following array
functions and VIs:
▪ Array Size
▪ Index Array
▪ Replace Subset
▪ Insert Into Array
▪ Delete From Array
▪ Initialize Array
▪ Build Array
▪ Array Subset
▪ Max & Min
▪ Sort 1D Array
▪ Search 1D Array
▪ Split 1D Array
• Writing conditional code to perform an action based on the value of a user input or a measurement result.
• Reading and Writing data to a file
o Use Open/Act/Close model for file I/O
o Write data to a text file using high-level file I/O functions
o Continuously stream data to a text file or a TDMS file
o Append data to an existing data file
o Log data using simple VIs
Acquire data from DAQmx functions
o Display data on a graph
o Save data to a CSV file
o Choose single measurement/multiple channel and single channel/multiple
measurements configurations appropriately
Programming Best Practices (15% of exam questions)
• SubVIs – Reusing Code
o Create SubVIs to increase readability and scalability of VIs
o Configure the subVI connector pane using best practices
o Choose appropriate code as a SubVI source
• Clusters – Grouping Data of Mixed Data Types
o Create, manipulate, analyze, and use cluster data in common scenarios
o Group related data by creating a cluster to improve data organization and VI readability
• Type Defs – Propagate Data Type Changes
o Create Type Defs and use Type Defs in multiple places
o Update Type Defs to propagate changes to all instances of the Type Def