NI News from National Instruments Your Global, Customized Source for Company and Product News, Events, and Support Top Stories -------------------------------------------- Lowest-Cost NI USB Devices Deliver Measurement-Quality DAQ http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105bT1 Implement Model-Based Control Design Faster, Cheaper, and Easier http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105bT2 In This Issue -------------------------------------------- Company and Product News-- 1. New 18-Bit DAQ Devices Increase Resolution by 400 Percent 2. NI Online Instrument Driver Network Now Offers More Than 4,000 Drivers 3. Develop Your LabVIEW Skills on the Web 4. USB Frequently Asked Questions 5. Using LabVIEW Real-Time to Update 50 Ton Load Cell Test System 6. Developing a CompactRIO Module Using ExpressPCB 7. NI Expands Mac OS X Offering with DAQ and GPIB Drivers 8. Canadian National Railways Selects PAC Solution 9. NI Releases PCI-Based 200 MS/s 12-Bit Digitizer Events-- 1. Measurements in the Design Flow Partner Web Event Series 2. Fundamentals of Data Acquisition in .NET Web Event 3. Advanced CAN Communication for Device Validation 4. M Series Data Acquisition for Control Support-- 1. Simplify Data Acquisition with NI Ready-to-Run Measurements 2. Performing Thermocouple Simulation with CompactRIO 3. A Comparison of PACs to PLCs 4. Preparing for the Certified LabVIEW Developer Exam? 5. Preparing for the Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer Exam? 6. Validating Systems with the ADI Blackfin Test Integration Toolkit for LabVIEW 7. Measuring Pressure with Pressure Sensors 8. Using NI Control Design and Simulation Products to Design a System Controller 9. Developing a SPDIF Input Module in LabVIEW FPGA Company and Product News -------------------------------------------- 1. New 18-Bit DAQ Devices Increase Resolution by 400 Percent National Instruments recently introduced its highest-resolution multifunction data acquisition (DAQ) devices for the PCI bus with four new 18-bit M Series DAQ devices. The new NI PCI-628x devices deliver four times the resolution of 16-bit devices and sample up to 32 channels at rates up to 625 kS/s, and measure DC voltages with accuracy equivalent to 5½-digit voltmeters, improving measurement accuracy of sensors such as thermocouples. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b01 2. NI Online Instrument Driver Network Now Offers More Than 4,000 Drivers NI now offers more than 4,000 instrument drivers in the NI Instrument Driver Network, the industry’s largest source for instrument drivers. In 2004, NI collaborated with Instrument Driver Development Program members, including Tektronix and Rohde & Schwartz, and other vendors, such as Agilent and Fluke, to introduce more than 900 new drivers that deliver connectivity for instruments serving many industries and all standard software and bus interfaces. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b02 3. Develop Your LabVIEW Skills on the Web Whether you are new to LabVIEW or a longtime user, you can develop and improve your LabVIEW programming skills with online tools available through LabVIEW Zone. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b07 4. USB Frequently Asked Questions USB is an excellent bus choice for your data acquisition application. Because it is available on almost every computer on the market, you can develop your measurement application on a desktop and then deploy it on a laptop to take measurements in the field. Find answers to your general questions and learn how easy it is to use. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b03 5. Using LabVIEW Real-Time to Update 50 Ton Load Cell Test System Using NI LabVIEW Real-Time and FieldPoint distributed I/O to achieve a highly accurate force application and measurement, Neo Vista System Integrators updated an antiquated load cell testing system for the National Standards Commission. This networked, database-driven, automated system delivers higher accuracy, expanded capability, and shorter test times. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b06 6. Developing a CompactRIO Module Using ExpressPCB Learn how to develop a custom CompactRIO module that can interface with the FPGA in the CompactRIO embedded chassis or a PXI R Series device. This paper describes the hardware and software development necessary to create a working custom module. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b05 7. NI Expands Mac OS X Offering with DAQ and GPIB Drivers You now have more options for data acquisition and instrument control on Mac OS X with the new National Instruments DAQ and GPIB drivers for Mac OS X. The NI-DAQmx Base driver for Mac OS X now supports popular NI data acquisition hardware, including the PCI and PXI E Series DAQ devices, the DIO-96 digital I/O device, and the new low-cost NI USB DAQ devices. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b04 8. Canadian National Railways Selects PAC Solution In this customer solution, Averna Technologies uses an NI PXI platform controlled by LabVIEW Real-Time and reconfigurable I/O modules with onboard FPGA technology to upgrade the process control system for the Canadian National Railways classification yard operations. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b08 9. NI Releases PCI-Based 200 MS/s 12-Bit Digitizer The NI PCI-5124, a PCI version of the popular 12-bit, 200 MS/s PXI-based digitizer, uses the latest commercial technology to deliver more than 75 dBc spurious-free dynamic range on two simultaneously sampled inputs with 150 MHz bandwidth. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b09 Events -------------------------------------------- 1. Measurements in the Design Flow Partner Web Event Series Register to attend an upcoming series of four 45-minute Web events hosted by National Instruments and other industry leading design and test vendors, including National Semiconductor, OrCAD/EMA Design Automation, SolidWorks, Tektronix, and Electronics Workbench. Each Web event focuses on the latest tools and techniques for improving the connectivity between design and test. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b10 2. Fundamentals of Data Acquisition in .NET Web Event In this January 26 Web event, explore the features of .NET that make it ideal for measurement and automation applications and learn how to apply these features to NI data acquisition device programming. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b12 3. Advanced CAN Communication for Device Validation This Web Event on Demand goes beyond the basics of CAN to explore more advanced ways to use CAN in your machine control, automotive, and aerospace applications. Learn the benefits of hardware timing and how to share clocks between CAN and data acquisition hardware for CAN device validation and synchronization. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b11 4. M Series Data Acquisition for Control Learn about the technology behind analog output, counter/timer, and digital I/O functions in the new M Series DAQ devices. See how you can use this technology to do multiaxis coordinated motion control, quadrature encoder inputs, relay monitoring, and control with your low-cost M Series multifunction I/O device. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b13 Support -------------------------------------------- 1. Simplify Data Acquisition with NI Ready-to-Run Measurements NI Ready-to-Run Measurements software programs are designed so that 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 DAQ and signal conditioning hardware supported by either NI-DAQmx or NI-DAQmx Base software, or you can use them without hardware using simulation mode. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b14 2. Performing Thermocouple Simulation with CompactRIO You can use CompactRIO to build a thermocouple simulation subsystem. Unlike dedicated thermocouple simulation products, CompactRIO provides higher channel count at a lower cost. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b15 3. A Comparison of PACs to PLCs This white paper describes the benefits and basic differences between the National Instruments line of programmable automation controllers and more traditional programmable logic controllers (PLC). This document describes the factors and criteria you should take into consideration when deciding which platform is better suited depending on your control and measurement needs. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b18 4. Preparing for the Certified LabVIEW Developer Exam? This KnowledgeBase article includes the Certified LabVIEW Developer exam preparation resource guide. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b21 5. Preparing for the Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer Exam? This KnowledgeBase article includes the Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer exam preparation resource guide. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b22 6. Validating Systems with the ADI Blackfin Test Integration Toolkit for LabVIEW Analog Devices has developed Background Telemetry Channels (BTCs), a real-time technology that you can use to connect to embedded code while it is running on an ADI Blackfin processor. You can use the Blackfin Test Integration Toolkit for LabVIEW to develop test systems for any Blackfin code that uses BTCs and standard LabVIEW programming. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b16 7. Measuring Pressure with Pressure Sensors This article explains the basic concepts behind pressure and what considerations you need to take into account when measuring pressure. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b17 8. Using NI Control Design and Simulation Products to Design a System Controller For identifying system behavior and design controllers for the best possible closed-loop system characteristics, NI provides LabVIEW- based tools and flexible, low-cost hardware as an alternative to expensive, fixed-functionality systems. Unlike these embedded, inflexible alternatives, NI products provide an easy-to-use, integrated graphical environment and built-in compatibility across a broad range of data acquisition and control hardware devices. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b19 9. Developing a SPDIF Input Module in LabVIEW FPGA For engineers developing audio test applications, the LabVIEW FPGA module is a graphical development environment for easily implementing or prototyping S/PDIF and other communication protocols on the 7831R reconfigurable I/O hardware. Unlike custom hardware or ASICs using VHDL, the LabVIEW FPGA module helps you develop, test, and debug new functionality quickly without specialized development tools. http://digital.ni.com/express.nsf/bycode/nn0105b20 NI News is customized to your product, industry, and content subscription preferences. 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