National Instruments has extended its LabVIEW graphical system design platform with the release of LabVIEW SignalExpress – interactive measurement software that simplifies datalogging, instrument control and academic instruction.
Built on the basic measurement, analysis and reporting capabilities of NI LabVIEW graphical programming, LabVIEW SignalExpress delivers an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop experience for controlling hundreds of measurement devices.
"National Instruments developed LabVIEW to give engineers and scientists a way to create user-defined applications for automating their measurements," said Jeff Kodosky, creator of LabVIEW. "Now, with the addition of LabVIEW SignalExpress to the LabVIEW family, we are further simplifying the most common measurement tasks for our users while providing a simple path to the full power of the complete LabVIEW platform."
Engineers and scientists frequently build datalogging systems to acquire and store measurement data to disk or a database. With a few mouse clicks in LabVIEW SignalExpress, they can quickly acquire live measurements, log their data to a disk and export the data to a spreadsheet application. It also provides datalogging features such as alarm monitoring and condition logging. In addition, because the software is based on LabVIEW Express technology, engineers can generate LabVIEW graphical programming code with one mouse click to extend their applications with original user interfaces or add custom logic for more advanced datalogging applications.
LabVIEW SignalExpress provides plug-and-play setup with the NI CompactDAQ USB-based modular data acquisition system and works with more than 270 data acquisition devices. NI CompactDAQ, with more than 30 modules, makes it easy for users to incorporate many measurements such as RTD, current I/O, high-density digital I/O, high-speed analog I/O and high-accuracy analog I/O.
Ease measurement tasks
Using benchtop instruments for performing repetitive measurements or using multiple instruments for tests such as stimulus-response measurements, often involves the manual and tedious task of adjusting knobs and buttons on an instrument. With LabVIEW SignalExpress, engineers easily can automate the acquisition, analysis and storage of data from more than 400 modular and standalone instruments. Many common measurement tasks such as circuit characterisation, frequency sweeping and datalogging can be automated.
Measurement productivity can be further improved by the more than 200 analysis and processing functions, including frequency, time and statistical analysis, analysing data as it is acquired.
Improve learning
A significant challenge engineering educators face is how to help their students understand the real-world implications of theories learned in the classroom. The interactive LabVIEW SignalExpress environment helps students quickly visualise those theories and better understand their real-world applications. Students gain hands-on practice of acquiring and analysing measurement data in the classroom or the lab without having to learn programming concepts. Engineering students also can import simulation data from a wide variety of simulation packages for comparison with real-world data.
National Instruments has LabVIEW SignalExpress demonstrations and technical information available at its website: www.ni.com/signalexpress. A limited version of the software, LabVIEW SignalExpress LE, can be downloaded for free at www.ni.com/signalexpresseval.
For more information contact National Instruments SA, 0800 203 199, nisouthafrica@natinst.co.za
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