NI News from National Instruments Your Global, Customized Source for Company and Product News, Events, and Support Top Stories -------------------------------------------- New PAC Controllers Triple Processing Performance http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305bT1 Architecting Distributed Systems with NI Software http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305bT2 In This Issue -------------------------------------------- Company and Product News-- 1. NI Instruments Speed Signal Generation by More Than 300 Times 2. NI Delivers New USB Portable DAQ System 3. Learn about NI Ready-to-Run Measurements 4. New Compact FieldPoint Modules Offer High-Channel-Count DIO 5. Honeywell Develops Distributed Data Acquisition System 6. SignalExpress 1.1 Speeds Mixed-Signal Benchtop Measurements 7. NI-DAQmx 7.4 Offers New Tools for Reducing Development Costs 8. EDN Names NI CompactRIO an Innovation of the Year Winner 9. NI Introduces LabVIEW VI Analyzer Toolkit Plug-In 10. Wire Your Analog Devices Embedded Code into LabVIEW Events-- 1. Automated Test Summit 2005 Coming This Spring 2. Industrial Automation Event Tours North America 3. Accelerating Functions of Modern Digital Communication 4. Closing the Loop on Board-Level Design and Test 5. Obtain New Tools for Speed Op Amp Selection and Evaluation Support-- 1. Using NI LabVIEW in Projects Requiring CMMI Compliance 2. Tutorial -- Using NI-DAQmx Professional Tools 3. Frequently Asked Questions about NI-DAQmx and NI-DAQ 4. Tutorial -- Using High-Speed Digitizers 5. Learn about RF and Communications Resources 6. Programmatic Saves of NI-DAQmx Tasks, Channels, and Scales 7. SCXI – USB Data Acquisition and Switching System 8. Use LabWindows/CVI to Create and Ship Localized Applications Company and Product News -------------------------------------------- 1. NI Instruments Speed Signal Generation by More Than 300 Times You now can generate RF and baseband signals more than 300 times faster with the new National Instruments PXI-5671 RF vector signal generator and the new NI PXI-5441 arbitrary waveform generator with onboard signal processing. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b01 2. NI Delivers New USB Portable DAQ System NI recently released two new versions of the NI DAQPad-6015, a plug-and-play, multifunction data acquisition device for USB. You can use NI SCC signal conditioning devices with the new NI DAQPad-6015 mass termination version to measure a wide range of sensor and high-voltage signals up to 100 VDC. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b02 3. Learn about NI Ready-to-Run Measurements NI Ready-to-Run Measurements software programs are designed so scientists, engineers, technicians, and students taking basic measurements can benefit from NI measurement-quality data acquisition hardware without programming. You can use NI Ready-to-Run Measurements in Measurement Mode with NI hardware, or you can use them without hardware in Simulation Mode. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b03 4. New Compact FieldPoint Modules Offer High-Channel-Count DIO National Instruments two new Compact FieldPoint devices offer improvements for your control systems, including reducing the number of required modules and significantly reducing system jitter. These devices are ideal for industrial control applications requiring multiple types of inputs and outputs in one bank, or where high-voltage channel-to-channel isolation is essential. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b07 5. Honeywell Develops Distributed Data Acquisition System Honeywell Engines, Systems & Services challenged Cal-Bay Systems, Inc. to develop a distributed, large-channel-count data acquisition system with real-time and historical data analysis capabilities. Using NI LabVIEW, Cal-Bay implemented a distributed architecture that takes advantage of built-in networking protocols. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b05 6. SignalExpress 1.1 Speeds Mixed-Signal Benchtop Measurements The latest version of NI SignalExpress, an interactive software environment for acquiring, comparing, automating, and storing measurements on the benchtop, delivers new high-speed digital I/O capabilities for mixed-signal design, validation, and test along with increased hardware support of NI modular instruments and data acquisition devices and other common stand-alone instruments. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b04 7. NI-DAQmx 7.4 Offers New Tools for Reducing Development Costs The newest version of National Instruments measurement services and driver software, NI-DAQmx 7.4, is the foundation of the measurement services software included with most NI data acquisition devices. Measurement services software can lower system costs by substantially reducing software development, system setup, configuration, maintenance, and calibration time. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b06 8. EDN Names NI CompactRIO an Innovation of the Year Winner EDN magazine readers and editors selected the NI CompactRIO reconfigurable control and acquisition system based on LabVIEW FPGA technology as a winner of the magazine’s annual Innovation of the Year award in the embedded systems category. Embedded system designers can increase productivity with CompactRIO using high-performance reconfigurable FPGAs and NI LabVIEW. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b10 9. NI Introduces LabVIEW VI Analyzer Toolkit Plug-In You now can download the National Instruments Instrument Driver VI Analyzer Toolkit plug-in to save time testing and creating quality, native NI LabVIEW plug-and-play source code drivers. The new tool features tests and configurations that automate the process of verifying that instrument drivers meet certified LabVIEW standards. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b08 10. Wire Your Analog Devices Embedded Code into LabVIEW Analog Devices collaborated with NI to develop the Analog Devices Blackfin Test Integration Toolkit for LabVIEW. With this toolkit, ADI and NI created a shared vision for a coherent development, prototyping, and test environment to embed microprocessors that are also capable of signal processing tasks. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b09 Events -------------------------------------------- 1. Automated Test Summit 2005 Coming This Spring NI is joining other leaders in automated test to host the Automated Test Summit 2005, a series of 14 one-day events throughout North America from April to June. Register for one of these events to learn about emerging trends and techniques in design validation and manufacturing test. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b11 2. Industrial Automation Event Tours North America Join National Instruments, Festo, FLIR, Parker Bayside, and other industry leaders at the first-ever Automation Developers Forum. Learn about revolutionary technologies for machine and industrial control, including wireless communications, smart sensors, and sophisticated control algorithms for PID replacement. View a detailed event agenda and register for the event at http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b12 3. Accelerating Functions of Modern Digital Communication In this March 22 Web event, find out how to reduce communication system test and design and validation time by using integrated hardware and software and rapid prototyping techniques. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b15 4. Closing the Loop on Board-Level Design and Test In this March 23 Web event, technical experts from Electronics Workbench and NI demonstrate how you can shorten your time spent on design verification and prototype evaluation using the latest Electronics Workbench Multisim and NI SignalExpress tools. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b13 5. Obtain New Tools for Speed Op Amp Selection and Evaluation In this March 30 Web event, see how Analog Devices has created a new set of online configuration tools developed using NI LabVIEW and SignalExpress to assist you in your part selection and evaluation efforts, along with a wizard to help with configuration. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b14 Support -------------------------------------------- 1. Using NI LabVIEW in Projects Requiring CMMI Compliance As many companies are faced with demands for higher-quality software to be developed in shorter time periods, there has been a growing trend to implement measurable software quality processes such as CMMI and ISO9001. CMMI certification is, in fact, becoming a requirement in a growing number of industries, including military/aerospace. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b16 2. Tutorial -- Using NI-DAQmx Professional Tools NI-DAQmx supports the most popular NI data acquisition (DAQ) products, including M Series multifunction DAQ devices, and is the foundation of the measurement services software included with most NI DAQ devices. However, NI-DAQmx provides much more than just high-performance, reliable driver support. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b17 3. Frequently Asked Questions about NI-DAQmx and NI-DAQ Gain answers to the most frequently asked questions about NI-DAQmx and traditional NI-DAQ. The questions are grouped into four categories - NI-DAQmx description, concepts introduced by NI-DAQmx, performance, and upgrading from traditional NI-DAQ. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b18 4. Tutorial -- Using High-Speed Digitizers This tutorial recommends tips and techniques for using National Instruments high-speed digitizers to build the most effective data sampling system. Learn fundamental information about the underlying theory of sampling with a high-speed digitizer along with various methods to optimize the performance of your data sampling. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b19 5. Learn about RF and Communications Resources This resources page is your source for RF and communications information ranging from general RF terminology to specific RF application development using NI software and hardware. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b20 6. Programmatic Saves of NI-DAQmx Tasks, Channels, and Scales View examples that illustrate how to programmatically save NI-DAQmx tasks, channels, and scales. You can create an application that can be deployed to an end user and, when run, configures their system with the tasks, channels, and scales you defined. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b21 7. SCXI – USB Data Acquisition and Switching System National Instruments SCXI is a high-performance signal conditioning and switching platform for measurement and automation systems. It provides a single, integrated platform with USB connectivity for all of your signal conditioning and switching needs. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b22 8. Use LabWindows/CVI to Create and Ship Localized Applications Learn how to use National Instruments LabWindows/CVI to create and ship a localized application. For more information about creating localized applications, refer to the sample program located in the \samples\apps\localui directory of the NI LabWindows/CVI installation directory. For more information about the LabWindows/CVI features described in this document, refer to LabWindows/CVI Help. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0305b23 NI News is customized to your product, industry, and content subscription preferences. 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