Utilising LabVIEW facilitates easy data acquisition from the hardware and sending the corresponding signal to the final control element. In contrast, LabVIEW is among the best available software for communicating with the hardware in PC based systems. Nonetheless, interfacing the control equipments such as measurement devices and control valves via MATLAB is not an easy task. MATLAB is a very powerful mathematical tool, which enables us to use its powerful controller design toolboxes and also perform simulation in SIMULINK environment with ease. MATLAB and LabVIEW are amongst the most powerful and useful software that can be extremely helpful in this regard. The advanced, powerful and user-friendly programming environment enables the process control engineers to easily design appropriate controller with minimal time and at lower cost, eventually implementing the designed controller directly on the actual systems via these tools. Thus, computer-based control systems become the inevitable platform for fast, precision and close control of chemical processes. This development of more advanced and powerful computer architecture provides a better alternative to address the problems of performing optimally for the state-of-the-art chemical industries. The time would not be more suitable to accommodate this advancement in the chemical industries with the existence of more powerful computer technologies either hardware or software. Introduction Current trend and characteristics in chemical industries has become more complex, hybrid and intensified in nature thus requiring faster and more powerful control systems to perform adequate control action for optimal performances (Charpentier, 2005). 1 17 Computer-Based Control for Chemical Systems Using LabVIEW in Conjunction with MATLAB Syamsul Rizal Abd Shukor, Reza Barzin and Abdul Latif Ahmad University Sains Malaysia, Malaysia 1.

Labview pid control valve