NI News from National Instruments Your Global, Customized Source for Company and Product News, Events, and Support Top Stories -------------------------------------------- NI Introduces Postage Stamp-Sized Measurement Device http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405aT1 Universal Instruments Break Traditional Measurement Barriers http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405aT2 In This Issue -------------------------------------------- Company and Product News-- 1. LEGO Selects LabVIEW to Increase Test Throughput by up to 20 Times 2. Accelerate Digital I/O with New 400 Mb/s PXI Modules 3. Thermotron Uses NI LabVIEW to Detect Leaks in Plastic Containers 4. NI CompactRIO Modules Offer Accuracy, Speed, and Density 5. New DAQ, GPIB Linux Drivers Increase Hardware Options 6. NI PAC Platform Automates Cold Steel Rolling Process 7. Radio Frequency Identification -- The Next Emerging Market 8. NI Introduces Universal Instrument for Dynamic Measurements 9. Find Jobs on LabVIEW Zone 10. NI and SolidWorks Streamline Mechanical Product Design Events-- 1. Creating Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Systems with LabVIEW 2. Advanced DAQ and Data Logging in LabWindows/CVI 7.1 3. Advanced Application Timing with NI LabVIEW Real-Time 4. Optimizing PSpice Designs with Measurement Data 5. Integrate Measurements into the Design Process with New Toolkit Support-- 1. FAQ -- NI CompactFlash DAQ 2. Managing DAQ System Configuration Information 3. Tutorial -- Real-Time Applications 4. NI-1394 External Drive Support for LabVIEW Real-Time 5. Differences between the Intersil 82C55 IC and the OKI 82C55 IC 6. Ultrasonic Test System Resources 7. FAQ -- Using DLLs with NI LabWindows/CVI 8. Multiple Asynchronous Serial Port Data-Processing Techniques Company and Product News -------------------------------------------- 1. LEGO Selects LabVIEW to Increase Test Throughput by up to 20 Times The LEGO Company uses the NI LabVIEW graphical development environment and NI PCI-based data acquisition boards in its quality assurance department to test and optimize the lifetimes of its electric motor-based products, including popular toys ranging from race cars to speedboats and the new outdoor radio-controlled “Dirt Crushers” cars. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a01 2. Accelerate Digital I/O with New 400 Mb/s PXI Modules Low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) is rapidly gaining momentum among system designers for its high data rates and low power consumption. Using LVDS, you now can transfer data across long distances at fast rates with low power, which is not possible with other single-ended or differential technologies. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a02 3. Thermotron Uses NI LabVIEW to Detect Leaks in Plastic Containers Thermotron needed to develop an integrated test system for determining plastic container durability. Their solution combined a Thermotron Product Test Solutions walk-in environmental test chamber, custom Thermotron pneumatic supply and sensing equipment, and National Instruments FieldPoint hardware running LabVIEW Real-Time software, controlled with custom software written in LabVIEW. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a06 4. NI CompactRIO Modules Offer Accuracy, Speed, and Density With six new CompactRIO I/O modules, you can perform high-fidelity acoustic and vibration measurements, achieve analog input sampling rates of up to 800 kS/s, acquire industrial voltage signals of up to ±60 V, and use 32-channel modules to extend CompactRIO system channel density. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a03 5. New DAQ, GPIB Linux Drivers Increase Hardware Options Since its introduction in 1991, Linux has rapidly gained acceptance across many industries. To assist engineers and scientists who create applications on the Linux platform, National Instruments provides LabVIEW for Linux and recently introduced driver software that simplifies development and extends DAQ and GPIB hardware options. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a04 6. NI PAC Platform Automates Cold Steel Rolling Process Pitel Engineering needed a compact, closed-loop control system for online gauge monitoring and control in cold steel rolling mills to deliver faster response than traditional PLCs. The company created a PAC-based gauge monitoring and control system using NI LabVIEW Real-Time and PXI hardware to deliver high-precision monitoring with faster response times. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a05 7. Radio Frequency Identification -- The Next Emerging Market Improved technology and manufacturing methods continue to drive down the cost of radio frequency identification (RFID). Because of these improvements and the increasing demand for this kind of "smart" identification, the RFID market is expected to reach several billion U.S. dollars in the next few years. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a09 8. NI Introduces Universal Instrument for Dynamic Measurements You now can use a single modular instrument to make a wide range of dynamic measurements with the new NI flexible resolution digitizer. Just as the digital multimeter brought universal measurement capability to DC measurements, the NI PXI-5922 flexible resolution digitizer revolutionizes dynamic measurements with a universal measurement device. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a10 9. Find Jobs on LabVIEW Zone LabVIEW Zone now provides two distinct job seeker forums. If you are an employer, you can post openings within your company in the LabVIEW Jobs Forum. If you are searching for a job, you can post your resume in the LabVIEW Resume Forum to present your qualifications to potential employers. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a07 10. NI and SolidWorks Streamline Mechanical Product Design Using LabVIEW and NI INSIGHT with SolidWorks and COSMOSWorks, you now can map test data onto a 3D CAD model and perform a 3D comparison of test with analysis results to identify and correct trouble spots in your designs. See a real-world demonstration on an airplane-wing test. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a08 Events -------------------------------------------- 1. Creating Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Systems with LabVIEW During this Web event, see how you can use the LabVIEW Real-Time Module for deterministic control model processing with NI PXI hardware and learn how to use the LabVIEW FPGA Module and reconfigurable I/O hardware to implement of crankshaft, camshaft, and sensor simulation. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a11 2. Advanced DAQ and Data Logging in LabWindows/CVI 7.1 View this Web Event on Demand to learn how to use advanced DAQ techniques such as multiple DAQ board and concurrent task synchronization. Also, learn how to log your data in a file format that stores both binary and ASCII data for easy searching and management. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a12 3. Advanced Application Timing with NI LabVIEW Real-Time This Web Event on Demand explores advanced timing techniques for developing applications with the LabVIEW timed loop and the LabVIEW Real-Time Module. Learn how you can use the timed loop to implement multiple time-critical tasks and hardware event-response applications. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a13 4. Optimizing PSpice Designs with Measurement Data During this Web Event on Demand, technical experts from EMA Design Automation and National Instruments demonstrate how you easily can measure and transfer physical data to PSpice for improved modeling using National Instruments SignalExpress interactive measurement software. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a14 5. Integrate Measurements into the Design Process with New Toolkit Learn how to streamline Blackfin-based system development by using the new Analog Devices (ADI) Blackfin Test Integration Toolkit for LabVIEW, which brings together NI LabVIEW and the ADI VisualDSP++ embedded development environment. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a15 Support -------------------------------------------- 1. FAQ -- NI CompactFlash DAQ Learn about CompactFlash DAQ applications, acquiring data with a PDA and sending it to a PC, the types of connectivity available, and the answers to other commonly asked questions. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a16 2. Managing DAQ System Configuration Information For design engineers who develop distributed, high-channel-count data acquisition systems, configuration files are a method to manage system configuration information. Unlike conventional configuration GUIs, configuration files provide a portable, flexible method to manage configuration information. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a17 3. Tutorial -- Real-Time Applications Numerous measurement and automation applications require real-time performance. To differentiate these real-time applications, you must first understand the core of real-time performance and how it is used in real-time control, real-time signal processing, and real-time event response. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a19 4. NI-1394 External Drive Support for LabVIEW Real-Time The NI-1394 External Drive Support driver provides support for external IEEE-1394 (FireWire) disk drives on LabVIEW Real-Time systems with IEEE-1394 (FireWire), such as the NI CVS-1450 series compact vision systems. External FireWire drives are hot-swappable and can easily extend disk storage capacity on an embedded system. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a18 5. Differences between the Intersil 82C55 IC and the OKI 82C55 IC Several NI products use the 82C55 IC to implement their DIO functionality. For several years, NI has used 82C55s manufactured by OKI Semiconductors. Due to an interruption in OKI Semiconductor parts supply, NI is using an alternate source for this component on certain product revisions. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a20 6. Ultrasonic Test System Resources Ultrasonic test covers a broad range of applications, from medical ultrasonic imaging to detecting delaminations in laminated flooring as it runs off the production line. NI offers a set of easy-to-assemble general-purpose test tools to create ultrasonic test systems that fit these broad needs. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a21 7. FAQ -- Using DLLs with NI LabWindows/CVI Learn the answers to frequently asked questions about creating and using DLLs in LabWindows/CVI. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a22 8. Multiple Asynchronous Serial Port Data-Processing Techniques LabVIEW provides several powerful serial input/output and string processing VIs, and properly using them leads to efficient application design. Though there is no single way to code your program, the following discussion may help streamline your process. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0405a23 NI News is customized to your product, industry, and content subscription preferences. 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