LabVIEW MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables Large Language Models (LLMs) like Claude to interact with LabVIEW through programmatic scripting.

Overview

This Go-based MCP server provides a clean, high-performance interface for LLMs to create, modify, and debug LabVIEW VIs. On Windows, it directly executes Python wrapper scripts that integrate with LabVIEW's DQMH scripting modules via COM.

Status: ✅ Implementation complete, ready for Windows + LabVIEW validation

Architecture

Claude Desktop (MCP Client)
    ↓ stdio (JSON-RPC)
Go MCP Server (bin/mcp-server)
    ↓ On Windows: exec.Command("python", "wrapper/<tool>.py")
Python Wrapper Scripts (wrapper/*.py)
    ↓ WIN32COM (pywin32)
LabVIEW Application
    ↓ COM Call2 API
LabVIEW DQMH Module (LabVIEW_Server/Scripting Server/*.vi)

Platform Behavior

• Linux/macOS: Returns canned stub responses (for development/testing)
• Windows: Executes Python wrappers that communicate with LabVIEW via COM

Prerequisites

• Go 1.21+ - For building the MCP server
• LabVIEW 2020+ - With DQMH scripting modules (Windows only)
• Python 3.8+ - For Windows COM integration (wrapper scripts)
• uv - Fast Python package manager (recommended) or pip
• pywin32 - Python Windows COM library (auto-installed via uv/pip)
• Claude Desktop - Or any MCP-compatible client

Installation

1. Clone and Build

git clone https://github.com/MeKo-Christian/labview_mcp.git
cd labview_mcp

# Download dependencies
go mod download

# Build the MCP server
go build -o bin/mcp-server ./cmd/mcp-server

# For Windows (cross-compile)
GOOS=windows GOARCH=amd64 go build -o bin/mcp-server.exe ./cmd/mcp-server

2. Windows Setup (for LabVIEW integration)

# Install Python dependencies using uv (recommended)
uv sync

# Or use pip
pip install pywin32

# Deploy to Windows
# Copy these files to your Windows machine:
#   - bin/mcp-server.exe
#   - wrapper/*.py
#   - LabVIEW_Server/
#   - pyproject.toml (for uv sync on Windows)
#   - uv.lock (for reproducible builds)

3. Configure Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration:

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "labview": {
      "command": "C:\\path\\to\\labview_mcp\\bin\\mcp-server.exe",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

4. Restart Claude Desktop

The LabVIEW tools will appear in Claude's available tools list.

Available Tools

Module Management

start_module

Start the LabVIEW DQMH scripting server. Must be called first before using other tools.

No parameters required

Returns: Module status and configuration

stop_module

Stop the LabVIEW scripting server and clean up resources.

No parameters required

Returns: Shutdown confirmation

VI Creation

new_vi

Create a new VI in LabVIEW IDE.

No parameters required

Returns: vi_id (integer reference to the created VI)

save_vi

Save a VI to disk.

{
  "vi_id": 123,
  "path": "C:\\path\\to\\MyVI.vi"  // Empty string saves to previous location
}

Returns: Saved file path

VI Modification

add_object

Add an object (control, function, structure) to a VI's block diagram or front panel.

{
  "diagram_id": 123,
  "object_name": "While Loop",
  "position_x": 100,
  "position_y": 50
}

Supports 500+ object types - see docs/tools.md for complete list.

Returns: object_id (integer reference)

connect_objects

Connect two terminals with a wire on the block diagram.

{
  "vi_reference": 123,
  "from_object_reference": 456,
  "from_object_terminal_index": 0,
  "to_object_reference": 789,
  "to_object_terminal_index": 1
}

Returns: Connection confirmation

Debugging

get_object_terminals

Get terminal names, descriptions, and indices for wiring.

{
  "object_id": 456
}

Returns: List of terminals with indices and descriptions

get_vi_error_list

Get compile errors (equivalent to clicking the broken run arrow).

{
  "vi_reference": 123
}

Returns: Text list of errors and their locations

Directory Structure

labview_mcp/
├── cmd/
│   └── mcp-server/         # MCP server entrypoint
├── internal/
│   ├── mcpserver/          # MCP server implementation
│   │   ├── server.go
│   │   └── tools.go        # 8 tool definitions
│   └── python/             # Python script execution
│       └── executor.go
├── wrapper/                # Python COM wrapper scripts (8 tools)
│   ├── start_module.py
│   ├── stop_module.py
│   ├── new_vi.py
│   ├── add_object.py
│   ├── connect_objects.py
│   ├── get_object_terminals.py
│   ├── save_vi.py
│   └── get_vi_error_list.py
├── LabVIEW_Server/         # LabVIEW DQMH modules (29 Request VIs)
│   └── Scripting Server/
├── docs/
│   ├── tools.md            # Complete tool schema reference (29 tools)
│   ├── vi-mapping.md       # LabVIEW VI → Python tool mapping
│   └── plans/              # Design documents
├── bin/                    # Build artifacts
├── go.mod
├── go.sum
└── README.md

Development

Running Locally

# Run MCP server (standalone mode with stubs on Linux/macOS)
go run ./cmd/mcp-server

Testing

# Run all tests
go test ./...

# Run with coverage
go test -cover ./...

Adding New Tools

1. Add tool schema to docs/tools.md
2. Add handler in internal/mcpserver/tools.go
3. Create Python wrapper in wrapper/<tool>.py
4. Add canned response in internal/python/executor.go
5. Rebuild binary

How It Works

Python Wrapper Pattern

Each wrapper script (wrapper/):

1. Reads JSON from stdin
2. Connects to LabVIEW: win32com.client.Dispatch("LabVIEW.Application")
3. Gets VI reference: GetVIReference("LabVIEW_Server/Scripting Server/<tool>.vi")
4. Calls VI via COM: vi.Call2(param_names, param_values, ...)
5. Extracts results from param_values array
6. Returns JSON to stdout

LabVIEW DQMH Architecture

The LabVIEW server uses the Delacor Queued Message Handler (DQMH) pattern:

• Request VIs: Public API (e.g., new_vi.vi, add_object.vi)
• Do VIs: Internal implementation (e.g., Do Create Control.vi)
• Module VIs: Lifecycle management (Start Module.vi, Stop Module.vi)

All calls use the Request-and-Wait-for-Reply pattern with the Call2 API.

See docs/vi-mapping.md for complete VI documentation.

Implementation Status

✅ Completed:

• Go MCP server with 8 core tools
• Direct Python execution with platform detection
• Python wrapper integration for Windows
• Canned stub responses for Linux/macOS

⏳ Pending:

• Windows + LabVIEW validation testing
• Remaining 21 tools (optional)
• Performance optimization

See PLAN.md for detailed progress tracking.

Troubleshooting

Tools not appearing in Claude

1. Check Claude Desktop logs: ~/.config/Claude/logs/
2. Verify MCP server path in claude_desktop_config.json
3. Ensure binary has execute permissions
4. Restart Claude Desktop

Python execution fails on Windows

1. Verify Python is in PATH: python --version
2. Check pywin32 is installed: pip show pywin32
3. Ensure LabVIEW is running
4. Check stderr output for Python errors

LabVIEW COM errors

1. Ensure LabVIEW 2020+ is installed
2. Enable scripting: Tools → Options → VI Server → Enable VI Scripting
3. Check DQMH module is loaded: LabVIEW_Server/Scripting Server/
4. Verify VI paths in wrapper scripts

Documentation

• docs/tools.md - Complete tool schema reference (all 29 tools)
• docs/vi-mapping.md - LabVIEW VI architecture and mapping
• PLAN.md - Implementation roadmap and progress

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! This project is actively maintained.

1. Check PLAN.md for current status
2. Pick a task or feature
3. Follow standard Go conventions (gofmt, golint)
4. Write tests for new functionality
5. Submit a PR

License

[To be specified]

Acknowledgments

• Built on Model Context Protocol
• Uses Go MCP SDK
• LabVIEW integration based on DQMH framework
• Original Python implementation by CalmyJane

Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Organization: MeKo-Tech
• Author: @MeKo-Christian