PDF1. Intuitive Graphical Configuration Utility
The new Graphical Configuration Utility for NI switches provides an illustrated representation of your NI switch. Using this tool, you can configure any NI switch hardware with just a few mouse clicks. Simply choose your topology and start routing your signals.
Figure 1. New Graphical Configuration Utility
In this intuitive point-and-click environment, you can edit channel aliases in place. You can also build complex route groups by clicking on the graphical illustration of your NI switch module.
Figure 2. Creating Route Groups Using the Graphical Configuration Utility
2. Microsoft Excel Import/Export
With the Excel Import/Export feature, you can transport your entire switch configuration into the familiar Microsoft Excel environment. Once there, you can use text editing features such as find/replace and click-and-drag formulas to multiply your channel aliases, routes, and routing groups. Scaling your configuration in Excel also promotes a naming convention that makes your system easy to integrate with NI TestStand test management software. To learn more about using Excel to scale your switching system, view the demo link below.
Figure 3. Microsoft Excel Switch Configuration
3. Application Example
Now consider using the new features of NI Switch Executive to simplify switch programming and reduce deployment time. Imagine you have a small test system that uses an NI PXI-4071 7½-digit PXI digital multimeter (DMM) to perform 4-wire resistance measurements on 50 resistors. Connecting the DMM to each resistor one at a time would be tedious and time consuming. Using the Graphical Configuration Utility in NI Switch Executive and an NI PXI-2535 544-crosspoint FET switch module, you can automate this process and have your system running quickly.
If you need to scale your system to measure more than 100 resistors, manually clicking on all the routes in the Graphical Configuration Utility could be time-consuming. In such a case, you can build the framework for your system using the Graphical Configuration Utility and then transfer that framework to Microsoft Excel using the new Excel Import/Export feature in NI Switch Executive. With the text editing features of Microsoft Excel, you can convert your small prototype system into a large automated test system.
Figure 4. Step-by-Step Configuration Process for Large Systems
To watch a demo of the application described above, follow the link below. For more information about these and other major updates, refer to the NI Switch Executive Readme file that is included with the release.
Related Resources
Intuitive Graphical Configuration Utility
The new Graphical Configuration Utility for NI switches provides an illustrated representation of your NI switch. Using this tool, you can configure any NI switch hardware with just a few mouse clicks. Simply choose your topology and start routing your signals.
Figure 1. New Graphical Configuration Utility
In this intuitive point-and-click environment, you can edit channel aliases in place. You can also build complex route groups by clicking on the graphical illustration of your NI switch module.
Figure 2. Creating Route Groups Using the Graphical Configuration Utility
Microsoft Excel Import/Export
With the Excel Import/Export feature, you can transport your entire switch configuration into the familiar Microsoft Excel environment. Once there, you can use text editing features such as find/replace and click-and-drag formulas to multiply your channel aliases, routes, and routing groups. Scaling your configuration in Excel also promotes a naming convention that makes your system easy to integrate with NI TestStand test management software. To learn more about using Excel to scale your switching system, view the demo link below.
Figure 3. Microsoft Excel Switch Configuration
Application Example
Now consider using the new features of NI Switch Executive to simplify switch programming and reduce deployment time. Imagine you have a small test system that uses an NI PXI-4071 7½-digit PXI digital multimeter (DMM) to perform 4-wire resistance measurements on 50 resistors. Connecting the DMM to each resistor one at a time would be tedious and time consuming. Using the Graphical Configuration Utility in NI Switch Executive and an NI PXI-2535 544-crosspoint FET switch module, you can automate this process and have your system running quickly.
If you need to scale your system to measure more than 100 resistors, manually clicking on all the routes in the Graphical Configuration Utility could be time-consuming. In such a case, you can build the framework for your system using the Graphical Configuration Utility and then transfer that framework to Microsoft Excel using the new Excel Import/Export feature in NI Switch Executive. With the text editing features of Microsoft Excel, you can convert your small prototype system into a large automated test system.
Figure 4. Step-by-Step Configuration Process for Large Systems
To watch a demo of the application described above, follow the link below. For more information about these and other major updates, refer to the NI Switch Executive Readme file that is included with the release.
Related Resources
What’s New in NI Switch Executive
NI Switch Executive Demo
What’s New in NI Switch Executive 2.1
