NI Ethernet Data Acquisition (DAQ) Overview

The convenience and reliability of Ethernet technology is as familiar to most as USB. The NI cDAQ-9188 eight-slot chassis and NI ENET-9163 one-slot carrier extend the reach of PC-based data acquisition to remote or distributed sensor and electrical measurements. NI Ethernet data acquisition (DAQ) devices feature many of the same specifications as NI USB DAQ devices with one significant exception: cable length.

1. Simple. Complete. Ethernet Data Acquisition.
2. Measure Remotely with Ethernet Data Acquisition
3. NI CompactDAQ Ethernet Data Acquisition Systems
4. NI ENET-9163 and C Series Hardware
5. One Driver, Many Buses
6. Detect, Configure, and Acquire within Minutes
7. NI-DAQmx and LabVIEW – The National Instruments Data Acquisition Difference
8. I/O for Any Application with C Series
9. Purchasing Information

Simple. Complete. Ethernet Data Acquisition.

Ethernet data acquisition is an extension of PC-based data acquisition to measurement applications distributed over a large area or network. NI Ethernet data acquisition (DAQ) devices combine industry-standard Ethernet communication, C Series modular I/O, and the flexibility of NI-DAQmx software for remote monitoring and control of electrical, physical, mechanical, and acoustic signals. An NI CompactDAQ Ethernet chassis can hold up to eight C Series I/O modules for creating custom, mixed-measurement systems. The lower-cost NI ENET-9163 single module carrier supports a subset of the same I/O modules. 

Figure 1. Ethernet NI Data Acquisition Devices

With the flexibility of NI-DAQmx driver software, you can program your NI Ethernet DAQ device in NI LabVIEW or LabWindows™/CVI, ANSI C/C++, and Microsoft C# or Visual Basic .NET. With NI-DAQmx and the ubiquity of the Ethernet networking infrastructure, NI Ethernet DAQ makes it easy to incorporate remote connectivity into new or existing PC-based measurement or control systems.

Learn more about NI CompactDAQ for Ethernet

Measure Remotely with Ethernet Data Acquisition

Ethernet offers two advantages over other common PC peripheral buses: long cabling lengths and network infrastructure. It is ideal for taking measurements at distances beyond the 5 m limit of a USB cable. A single CAT 5E cable can reach 100 m before needing a switch or router to carry the signal farther. Furthermore, many IT departments have standardized on Gigabit Ethernet (IEEE 802.3ab) as the foundation of their corporate networks. With NI CompactDAQ, you can  take advantage of that existing infrastructure and additional network bandwidth for your remote or distributed measurement applications. One host computer can manage multiple test stations within the same facility or across multiple sites. In fact, as long as an IP network connection exists, you can access an NI Ethernet DAQ device or system from anywhere in the world.

NI CompactDAQ Ethernet Data Acquisition Systems

Ethernet-based NI CompactDAQ modular data acquisition systems combine the ease of use and low cost of a data logger with the performance and flexibility of modular instrumentation. The NI cDAQ-9188 chassis is designed to hold eight I/O modules for measuring up to 256 channels of electrical, physical, mechanical, or acoustic signals in a small (25 by 9 by 9 cm), rugged form factor. With more than 50 different NI C Series I/O modules from which to choose, you can build remote or distributed, high-speed measurement systems using standard Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure. 

Figure 2. NI CompactDAQ Ethernet DAQ System

In addition, NI CompactDAQ simplifies initial setup with zero-configuration networking technology and a built-in, Web-based configuration and monitoring utility.

Watch the NI CompactDAQ Ethernet chassis out-of-box video 

NI ENET-9163 and C Series Hardware

Each NI ENET-9xxx data acquisition device is a combination of an NI ENET-9163 wireless carrier and a C Series measurement module. The ENET-9163 provides IEEE 802.3 Ethernet connectivity back to a host PC. You can synchronize an ENET-9163 with other devices by using two onboard individually programmable digital trigger lines to export or import sample clocks, start triggers, pause triggers, and reference triggers.

Table 1. NI Ethernet DAQ Devices

You may purchase ENET-9163 carriers and select C Series modules separately or together in a kit as ENET-9xxx devices. View the C Series compatibility table for a complete list of C Series modules.

One Driver, Many Buses

Recognizing the diversity of measurement applications, NI approaches programmatic data acquisition independent of specific PC bus technologies. You can use the same NI-DAQmx driver software to communicate with NI data acquisition hardware across PCI, PCI Express, PXI, PXI Express, USB, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi. You can use an application developed for an NI CompactDAQ USB system with an NI CompactDAQ Ethernet system without making any changes to your software. Furthermore, the NI-DAQmx API is consistent across multiple programming platforms, so you can develop an application for NI CompactDAQ in NI LabVIEW, ANSI C/C++, C#, or Microsoft Visual Basic .NET.

Figure 3. LabVIEW Code for a Multibus Data Acquisition System

Detect, Configure, and Acquire within Minutes

NI Ethernet DAQ devices are shipped with the NI Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) test and configuration application. This is the same utility (Figure 4) that all other NI hardware uses, so all of your devices, regardless of the peripheral bus you use, show up in the same place. Ethernet data acquisition devices are configured the same way as any other networked device such as laptops or gaming systems. An Ethernet data acquisition device can operate with either a static IP address or one dynamically assigned from a DHCP server. Once your system detects the device, you can remotely change the configuration settings, test the connected sensors, or begin programming your system with the NI-DAQmx driver.

Figure 4. MAX Configuration Utility with NI cDAQ-9188 Chassis

NI-DAQmx and LabVIEW – The National Instruments Data Acquisition Difference

You can develop measurement and test applications in multiple programming environments, including ANSI C/C++, C#, and Microsoft Visual Basic .NET. However, tight hardware/software integration makes the LabVIEW graphical development environment the best choice for getting the most performance out of your Ethernet data acquisition system with the least programming effort.

The two main advantages when developing a system with LabVIEW and NI-DAQmx are development time and flexibility. NI-DAQmx is the API that is shipped with all NI data acquisition devices. When programmed with NI LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, or Measurement Studio, you have access to the DAQ Assistant (Figure 5), a graphical wizard-style programming interface that guides you through acquiring data with your NI device. The DAQ Assistant significantly reduces the development of your data acquisition code by turning your configuration settings into running code.

Figure 5. NI DAQ Assistant Configuration Screen

In addition to the DAQ Assistant, LabVIEW has hundreds of built-in functions for analysis, alarming, reporting, and file I/O that further reduce your application development time. Because you are developing with LabVIEW programming, the functionality of your system is not limited. As your project grows or changes, you can modify your code to meet the new requirements. LabVIEW also helps you eliminate the need for multiple software programs for a single process. There are thousands of third-party devices on the market that have drivers written for LabVIEW. You can easily integrate these devices into any LabVIEW program. For those devices that do not have a full driver, you can use a development API to integrate the new hardware device with your system based on LabVIEW.

Learn more about programming NI CompactDAQ with LabVIEW

I/O for Any Application with C Series

NI Ethernet DAQ devices are a component of the NI C Series hardware family. C Series hardware includes modules, chassis, and carriers designed for high-speed data acquisition and deterministic control on the benchtop, in the field, on the production line, or embedded in larger machines. More than 50 modules are available for measurements such as temperature, pressure, voltage, acceleration, current, resistance, and strain. You can obtain chassis and carriers for PC communication over Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and USB, as well as chassis with onboard controllers and storage for embedded machine design or rugged data acquisition systems with local storage. For more information on C Series hardware or a list of compatible modules, see the compatibility table.

Figure 6. C Series Modules Shown in Different Chassis and Carriers

Purchasing Information

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Sync answer, an WHERE ARE THE MAC DRIVERS?!
Ditto the previous question- can devices on multiple network legs be started simultaneously, and if so to what accuracy, and can they be kept in sync in any way? And- why are there no Mac drivers for this device?? It should be trivial to produce a native LabVIEW TCP/IP suite to communicate with this device- LabJack manage to for theirs...
- Tom Lawton,EnFlo, FEPS. t.lawton@surrey.ac.uk - Oct 13, 2009

synchronized data between enet devices
I am wondering if the acquired data from different ethernet modules within one network will be synchronized. Does it count for the wifi module aswell?
- Aart-Jan van Zadelhoff,Lloyd's Register Rail Europe. gouwzee@gmail.com - Nov 09, 2008