Frequently Answered Questions:

	What is the origin of the name Headstart Engineering?
	Why should we choose Headstart Engineering for our LabVIEW programming needs?
	What is LabVIEW?
	What is a GUI?

Headstart Engineering and Programming Services was named because we give our customers a "headstart" on their LabVIEW project(s).  We are a LabVIEW service provider/National Alliance Member and we save our clients time by getting their projects up and running quickly.  This can also facilitate getting to market quicker and increasing market  penetration. 

At Headstart Engineering and Programming Services, we listen to our customers.  We are committed to producing satisfied customers by providing:

	The best LabVIEW products and services in a timely and cost efficient manner.
	National Instruments hardware and software services that meet customers' technical needs.
	Meeting short development schedules and budget guidelines.
	Facilitating new users in the use of National Instruments products to accelerate their development cycles.
	Adding value by educating customers and recommending specific hardware and software products.

LabVIEW is the leading graphical programming environment for data acquisition and instrument control applications. The graphical programming language and complete set of integrated instrumentation libraries in LabVIEW saves scientists and engineers significant time and money over traditional programming approaches.

Headstart Engineering and Programming Services utilize LabVIEW software extensively for the development of systems designed for process control, system design evaluation, and device characterization.  These systems are composed of GPIB controlled, serial and DAQ instruments.

	GPIB is General Purpose Interface bus, synonymous with HP-IB. The standard bus   used for controlling electronic instruments with a computer. Also called IEEE 488 bus because it is defined by ANSI/IEEE Standards 488-1978,  488.1-1987, and 488.2-1987.
	DAQ is Data Acquisition Collecting and measuring electrical signals from sensors, transducers, and test probes or fixtures and inputting them to a computer for processing; Collecting and measuring the same kinds of electrical signals with A/D and/or DIO boards plugged into a PC, and possibly generating control signals with D/A and/or DIO boards in the same PC.

GUI is the acronym for Graphical User Interface - an intuitive, easy-to-use means of communicating information to and from a computer program by means of graphical screen displays. GUIs can resemble the front panels of  instruments or other objects associated with a computer program. 

At Headstart Engineering, we design the GUI with the end user and application in mind by: 

	Creating GUIs to be aesthetically pleasing in addition to providing the required functionally.  The GUI could provide - either a multitude or very few - features, depending on the end user and the application.
	Integrating into the design how the instrument is implemented, and designing ergonomically so that the most often used “controls” are placed where they can most easily be accessed. This is critical for users interfacing with the GUI many hours each day.
	Grouping appropriate controls into their respective categories reflecting operation and implementation.
	Utilizing colors and layout schemes that do not overstimulate the optic nerve.